The Magus In Marvel

Tony Stark had been through a lot of strange experiences in his life, but standing in the grand halls of Asgard, facing the Allfather himself, was something else entirely. Odin sat on his throne, regal and imposing, his gaze fixed on Tony and Rin as if he had already unraveled their entire existence with a single glance.

"Tony Stark," Odin spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Rin Tohsaka."

Tony arched an eyebrow, masking his surprise with a smirk. "Wow, you know my name. I mean, makes sense, I am kind of a big deal. Billionaire, genius, philanthropist—"

Odin did not smile. "You are not the only one cursed with knowledge."

Rin barely stifled a laugh, choking on her own breath. Odin cast her a knowing glance, and she immediately composed herself, but the glint of amusement in her eyes remained.

Tony, however, felt something stir in his chest at Odin's words. The way the Allfather had said it—it wasn't just a phrase. It was a warning. A recognition. He knew something, something Tony had not yet realized himself. And for the first time in a while, Tony wasn't sure if he wanted the answer.

Odin continued, his gaze steady. "Be careful, Stark. The path you walk is not an easy one, and should you lose yourself along the way, the consequences will be severe."

Rin frowned, glancing at Tony. He was still the arrogant man she had come to know, yet something about Odin's words had made him pause. But why? He hadn't carried a nuke through a wormhole in this timeline—there shouldn't be anything weighing on his conscience, nothing to make him look so… troubled.

Turning to Rin, Odin's expression softened, but his words were no less serious. "And you, child of magic, do you understand the ripples you have already set into motion? Your presence here, your choices—everything you do will have far-reaching consequences."

Rin met Odin's gaze without flinching. "So you do realize what's going to happen, right? You don't actually believe the Dark Elves were wiped out, do you?"

Odin exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around Gungnir. "My wife and I have lived long lives, longer than most can comprehend. We have seen the rise and fall of empires, the tides of fate shifting in ways even the Norns could not predict. We had prepared ourselves for Ragnarok, the great end we always knew would come. And yet..."

His eyes darkened, something ancient and tired within them. "A variable has appeared. A force that was never part of the design. Now, fate is more dynamic than it has ever been. The future, once a set path, is now uncertain."

Rin inhaled sharply, realization settling in. The timelines had already begun to diverge. Things were shifting beyond their control.

Odin's expression softened slightly, though his warning remained. "But not all is ill fortune. For the first time, there are more opportunities than ever before. Paths that had been closed are now open. Choices that were once impossible are now within reach. But the weight of those choices will fall upon you."

He fixed them both with a steady gaze. "You have decided to walk this path. It is your duty now to see it through to the end."

He leaned back, his grip on Gungnir relaxing slightly. "Frigga and I had already decided upon and accepted our fates. If anything changes, it will be due to your actions. We have vowed not to interfere when the time comes for the fulfillment of the best possible future for the people of Asgard."

Tony exchanged a glance with Rin, neither fully sure how to respond to that. But before they could, Odin's expression shifted, his gaze turning sharp once more.

"Now that our conversation is over, you should do what you came here to do."

Tony and Rin exchanged confused glances, but before they could question him further, the sound of blaring alarms echoed through the palace halls, breaking their reprieve. Odin's expression remained impassive, as if he had expected it.

Rin's posture stiffened. "We need to get to Frigga. Now."

She turned to Tony, her urgency clear. "And you, you need to hide. You didn't bring your suit."

Tony scoffed. "Excuse me? Hide? You wound me, Princess. I thought we were past this whole 'helpless Tony' narrative."

Rin scowled, already regretting bringing it up. "Look, unless you have some way to—"

Before she could finish, Tony took a confident step back, stretching his arms out. "I thought you'd never ask."

With a flick of his wrist, a swarm of metallic particles flowed from beneath his sleeves, rapidly forming the sleek shape of his Iron Man armor, almost like liquid metal wrapping around him. The smooth, seamless construction gleamed under Asgard's golden light, and Rin's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What the—" Rin sputtered. "Where the hell did you get nanotech?! You shouldn't have access to that yet!"

Tony smirked beneath his faceplate. "What can I say? I'm ahead of the curve."

Rin narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sense what had just happened. But something felt… off. The armor wasn't just tech. There was something else, something tingling at the edge of her magical perception.

"Wait a second… Is that mana? Are you telling me you infused your suit with magic?!"

Tony shrugged. "Well, 'infused' is a strong word. More like 'accidentally discovered the wonders of so called "magic" and decided to improve upon it'—you know, like any self-respecting genius would."

Rin groaned, rubbing her temples. "You are the most insufferable—"

"I know, I know," Tony cut in playfully, adjusting his gauntlets. "Charming, brilliant, and devastatingly handsome. Now, are we gonna argue, or are we gonna save the day?"

Rin huffed, turning on her heel. "Fine, but we are absolutely talking about this later."

"Looking forward to it!" Tony called after her as they rushed toward the chaos unfolding ahead.