"Let's get out of here first. This is important," Eric said, his tone unusually serious.
Tony raised an eyebrow but got up from his seat nonetheless. "Yeah? Important enough to interrupt my drink?" he asked, taking a final sip before setting his glass down.
Eric didn't respond with words. Instead, he raised his hand, and with a flick of his fingers, a golden portal swirled open before them. Without hesitation, he stepped through. Tony, despite having witnessed countless time, still found himself momentarily stunned. He glanced around, noticing that no one in the bar, including the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tailing him for month now, seemed to react.
"Damn, stealth mode included? Fancy." He chuckled before stepping into the portal himself.
On the other side, they emerged inside a wooden house—a modern yet mystically charged residence filled with arcane artifacts and technology beyond human comprehension, this room Eric borrowed from ancient one for his experiment recently. Tony took a moment to look around, whistling in admiration before turning back to Eric.
"Alright, your highness. We're in your secret clubhouse. Now spill—what's so important?"
Eric didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out a simple wooden bracelet and held it out to Tony.
"Here, wear this first."
Tony took the bracelet and examined it closely. "Hand-carved? Looks pretty rustic. What, is it some kind of friendship bracelet?" He smirked.
"Just put it on. You'll know soon enough."
Tony hesitated for a moment. He wasn't exactly the type to wear jewelry, but given the number of insane things he had seen, he figured it wouldn't hurt to humor Eric. With a shrug, he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.
The moment he did, an unbearable pain exploded in his chest.
"ARGH! What the hell?!" Tony yelled, clutching his chest as agony radiated through his body. His arc reactor felt like it was being torn apart from the inside out. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he gasped for air.
Tony gasped, clutching his chest as he stumbled backward.
Frantically, he unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the glowing arc reactor embedded in his chest. But to his shock, the device began shifting. The metal that held it in place twisted and contorted..His chest muscles pulsed unnaturally, and with a wet, metallic clang, the arc reactor was ejected from his body, The embedded shrapnel—the deadly fragments that had been inching toward his heart—were being ejected as well. The entire structure that had been keeping him alive was being pushed out by his own muscles as if his body was rejecting the foreign object.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the pain vanished. Tony stumbled back onto the couch, panting heavily. He stared at his now unburdened chest, where smooth skin had replaced the once-permanent wound.
"What... the hell... was that?" he gasped, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.
Eric crossed his arms. "That bracelet is made from the World Tree. It's enchanted with ancient magic that enhances the body and protects against mind and soul-related attacks. It healed you."
Tony ran a hand over his chest in disbelief. "I don't feel any different. Except, you know, the giant hole in my chest is gone. So, yeah, I guess I do feel different." He looked up at Eric, eyes narrowed. "And you're just giving me this? No strings attached?"
"It's free," Eric said with a shrug. "But there's something you need to know. That bracelet wasn't just a gift for your health. It was necessary for what I'm about to tell you."
If anyone know about this, this will be huge pain is his ass.
And he is also not in the mood to fight a mind control tony anytime soon.
Tony exhaled sharply, still dazed. "Well, if this is your way of bribing me, I'd say you've got my attention. Go on."
Eric's expression darkened. "This isn't about business. This is about survival."
Tony leaned forward, sensing the shift in mood. "Alright, now you're really starting to worry me. What's going on?"
Eric took a deep breath before speaking. "You remember how I told you about my power? How I can travel to different worlds?"
Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember."
"Then listen carefully. There's a race of beings outside our reality. They call themselves the Beyonders."
Tony frowned. "Never heard of him."
"You wouldn't have. They exist beyond the boundaries of our universe. They are immensely powerful and—they're experimenting on us."
Tony's frown deepened. "Experiment?"
"Yes. And once they're done, they plan to destroy it."
"What the hell?! Why?" Tony demanded, his voice rising.
Eric shook his head.
"I don't know their reasons. Maybe they're just curious. Maybe it's entertainment for them. What I do know is that they're absurdly powerful. And it is they, not him."
"Don't tell me they're stronger than you," Tony said, half-joking but still uneasy.
"Not only are they stronger, but they also outnumber me. Massively," Eric said grimly. "If we sit back and do nothing, we're fucked."
Tony's face paled. He leaned forward, running his hands through his hair as his mind raced.
"Fantastic. So we're basically a science project for a race of overpowered aliens. Great."
For the first time in a long while, Tony Stark felt truly powerless.
This was something completely different. "Why?" he asked, his voice quieter than before. "Why do they want to destroy everything?"Tony asked again hooping for a different answer.
Eric shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think even they know. They just do it. It's in their nature."
Tony ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Okay. Let's assume I believe you—which, considering my life, I actually kind of do. What the hell are we supposed to do about it?"
Eric smirked slightly. "That's why I called you here. We need to prepare. We need to be stronger. You, me—everyone. Because when they come, it won't just be Earth that's in danger. It'll be everything."
Tony sat back, staring at the ceiling. His mind was spinning. He had always thought himself to be ahead of the game, always one step ahead of any threat. But this? This was something beyond anything he had ever considered.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. "So... what's the plan?"
Eric grinned. "Now that's the right question."
You have one right, tony asked in a nervous voice.