The lounge inside Stark Tower was quiet, unusually so.
John stood near the window, his arms folded, staring out over the city skyline. The gentle hum of New York below sounded distant here, like it belonged to another world.
But John's mind wasn't on the view.
Behind him, Thor lounged on one of the wide, grey sofas, arms stretched over the backrest, his hammer Mjölnir resting casually at his feet. Natasha sat across from him, her posture as sharp as ever. She seemed relaxed, but her eyes didn't miss a single detail. Hawkeye leaned against a pillar, arms crossed.
John finally turned around.
"This won't take long," he said. "But it's necessary before we begin training."
John waved his hand and brought out 8 normal-looking stones with different colours.
They looked simple—plain, polished stones, each about the size of a grape. But as soon as they touched the open air, they began to glow faintly, soft colours pulsing from within like tiny living hearts.
He let them hover just above his palm. They floated gently, spinning in slow circles.
The others sat up straighter.
"These," John said, his voice calm, "are aptitude test stones."
Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly. Thor raised an eyebrow. Hawkeye leaned forward just a little, his curiosity catching up to him.
John gestured to the stones. "They were given to me by someone and are important before we begin our path as star wizards. Each stone is connected to an element. When you hold one and speak the right words, it reacts based on your affinity with that element."
"Looks like a fancy light show," Hawkeye muttered, but his tone held interest.
Thor, meanwhile, was already eyeing the purple one.
John smirked. "They may look simple, but their purpose is precise. Let me explain what each color represents."
He pointed at the glowing red stone first.
"Red is fire. It represents heat and destruction. Those with fire affinity usually have explosive energy and fierce willpower."
Thor gave a nod of approval.
Next, the blue one.
"Blue is water. Calm, flowing, adaptable. Water elementals often have a quiet strength. They're hard to read but hard to beat."
Natasha's gaze lingered on it for a moment before moving on.
Then came the green.
"Green is wind. Speed, precision, freedom. It's the element of movement and control."
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. That sounded like his kind of thing.
John continued, pointing to the purple stone.
"Purple is thunder. Those who carry this element often have explosive strength."
Thor's lips curled into a grin. He didn't need to be told—he already felt connected to it.
John then motioned to the brown stone.
"Brown is earth. Solid, dependable, unshakable. Earth users are often calm under pressure and incredibly tough—mentally and physically."
Next was the yellow one.
"Yellow is light. Healing, clarity, truth. It's the rarest among common elements and connects deeply with purity of intent and emotional strength."
Then came the black stone, pulsing softly like a slow heartbeat.
"Black is darkness. Mysterious, powerful, dangerous if uncontrolled. But those who can command it usually have sharp minds and intense focus."
Finally, John gestured to the white stone.
"And this… is the null element. White. It represents unknown potential. A blank slate. Most can't even activate it. Its nature changes depending on the user. It can become anything—or nothing."
The room went quiet again.
Thor leaned forward, eyes on the purple stone. 'Thunder, huh? As if I needed a stone to tell me that… Still, I wonder if I've got more in me. Could be fun to find out.'
Hawkeye looked skeptical. 'They're glowing rocks. Great. What's next, a magical bow? ...Actually, that would be kinda cool.' He scratched his chin. 'Still, if John's serious, I should take this seriously too.'
John, meanwhile, studied each of them carefully.
He paused, then added softly, "You're not just Avengers anymore. You're stepping onto a different path. A magical one."
Thor cracked his knuckles. "Then let's begin already."
John nodded. "Alright. Thor, you first."
---
Thor stood and stepped toward the stones, each of them glowing softly above John's palm.
He didn't hesitate. His hand reached straight for the purple stone.
The moment his fingers closed around it, electricity sparked faintly on the surface, reacting instantly to his presence.
"Come forth, thunder," Thor said clearly.
The room responded.
A sudden crack of lightning burst from the stone, lashing across the air with raw, vibrant energy. The glass windows rattled slightly. Sparks danced along Thor's arm, flickering before fading into harmless static.
Natasha blinked.
Hawkeye stepped back. "Okay. That was… a reaction."
John smiled slightly. "No surprise there."
Thor chuckled. "It suits me."
He wasn't done, though. He looked at the rest of the stones, curiosity flickering in his eyes. One by one, he picked them up.
"Come forth, fire."
No reaction.
"Come forth, water."
Nothing.
"Come forth, wind."
Still silent.
One after another—earth, light, darkness—they all remained still, unresponsive.
Thor looked at the white stone for a moment, then shrugged and stepped back.
"Looks like I'm a one-element guy."
John nodded. "That one element is all you'll need."
---
Without a word, Natasha stepped forward. Her eyes didn't hesitate. She reached straight for the black stone.
"Come forth, darkness," she said quietly.
In response, shadows bled out from the stone like ink in water. They swirled around her fingers, soft yet unmistakably alive—an elegant, dancing mist of darkness.
It didn't feel evil. Just… quiet. And powerful.
John gave a small nod. "Expected."
Natasha's expression didn't change. She reached for the green stone next.
"Come forth, wind."
A gentle gust spiraled around her, lifting a strand of her hair and brushing her face. It was sharp, controlled—almost surgical.
John blinked. "Wind too? Huh… I didn't expect that."
Natasha moved through the rest of the stones. Fire, water, earth, light—none of them responded.
When she finally stepped back, she was calm as ever.
"Only darkness and wind," she said softly, mostly to herself.
But inside, she was thinking: Wind... I didn't know I had that in me. Darkness makes sense. But wind? That's new. Could be useful for stealth.
---
Hawkeye scratched the back of his neck as he stepped forward. "Alright, magic pebbles. Let's see what you've got."
He reached out, casually grabbing the green stone.
"Come forth, wind."
A smooth gust rose around him like a quiet spiral. It wasn't flashy—it was precise, almost invisible, like a whisper moving through the air.
Hawkeye blinked. "Huh."
John smiled. "Very in tune. It suits your style."
After that, Hawkeye took every stone one by one to check, but they didn't respond.
Then Hawkeye's eyes drifted to the last white stone.
"Why not," he muttered.
He picked it up and looked at it.
"Come forth…?"
He wasn't sure what to say, so he just repeated, "Come forth."
The stone pulsed—just once. Faint, subtle, but real.
John's expression sharpened.
"…That's new."
Natasha leaned forward slightly. Even Thor looked surprised.
Hawkeye looked at the stone, then at John. "What the hell does that mean?"
John stepped forward. "That's the null element. Most can't get a reaction out of it. Now that it's reacting to your touch, that means you have something that others don't have. And my feeling tells me that something is related to your eye. It has always been special, hasn't it?"
Thor groaned. "Great. Now the archer's special."
Natasha smirked. "Took you long enough to notice."
John looked at them all. His voice was steady but serious.
"Now that we know your aptitudes… we begin real training. This was only the first step."