The Magus In Marvel

London was dreary, the kind of cold that crept under your skin and settled in your bones. The overcast sky loomed low, a blanket of grey that made the entire city feel muted. Tony Stark pulled his coat tighter around himself, exhaling a sharp breath as he and Rin stood outside a nondescript café across from Jane Foster's apartment.

"So, what's the grand plan here? We just stand around looking shady until something happens?" Tony asked, his hands tucked into his pockets as he eyed Rin.

She rolled her eyes. "It's called observation, Stark. We don't want to interfere too much, remember? We just need to make sure everything stays on track. If we barge in too soon, things could spiral out of control."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, because waiting for weird alien stuff to happen is such a solid game plan."

Rin ignored his sarcasm, instead turning her attention back to the apartment complex. Jane Foster wasn't home yet, but it was only a matter of time before she left to investigate the strange anomalies occurring around London. If the timeline remained intact, she and her group would stumble upon the abandoned building soon enough.

"How long do you think we have?" Tony asked, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Not long. The anomaly should be drawing them out soon," Rin replied.

Tony groaned. "Great. More waiting. You know, I could be back in New York actually doing something productive. Like building a new suit. Or annoying Pepper."

Rin smirked. "Trust me, I'm doing her a favor by keeping you occupied."

Before Tony could fire back, movement caught Rin's attention. Jane Foster, along with Darcy Lewis and an intern whose name Rin couldn't be bothered to remember, finally emerged from the building. They were bundled up against the cold, chatting animatedly as they made their way towards their car.

"Showtime," Rin muttered.

Tony straightened. "So, what's the move? We tail them like spies in a bad action movie? Or do we just show up and say, 'Hey, we know weird stuff is about to go down, mind if we join?'"

"We follow. Discreetly," Rin emphasized. "If they end up where they're supposed to, we don't need to interfere. But if something changes…"

"Then we wing it," Tony finished, a grin tugging at his lips. "Now that, I can get behind."

They slipped into a rented car, keeping a safe distance as Jane and her group navigated through London's winding streets. The city passed by in a blur of old buildings and wet pavement, the occasional double-decker bus cutting through their line of sight.

"You know, I always thought London would be more exciting," Tony commented idly. "I mean, it's got spies, secret organizations, and a Queen. Where's all the action?"

"Give it a few minutes," Rin said dryly. "You'll get your excitement soon enough."

As they neared the industrial district, the air felt… off. Rin could feel the faint prickle of magical energy, subtle yet undeniable. The anomalies were already active.

"Yep. Something's definitely happening here," she murmured, eyes narrowing.

Tony glanced at her. "That your magus sense tingling?"

"Something like that."

Up ahead, Jane and her team pulled over near an old building, stepping out cautiously. The place looked abandoned, but the way the air shimmered ever so slightly around it told Rin all she needed to know.

"This is it," she said. "Let's see what happens next."

Tony exhaled. "Here's hoping it doesn't involve interdimensional explosions."

Rin shot him a look. "When has anything in your life ever been that simple?"

Tony grinned. "If you say so. Let's do this."

Tony leaned against the car, watching the building as they waited. "Alright, run this 'Convergence' thing by me again."

Rin sighed. "It's an astronomical event where the Nine Realms align, causing their spatial boundaries to weaken. This results in random gravitational anomalies and, in some cases, portals forming between realms."

Tony nodded slowly, pretending to be deep in thought. "Right. So basically, space-time goes on a bender, crashes through a few dimensions, and leaves reality with a really bad hangover."

Rin stared at him. "That is… the worst explanation I've ever heard."

He smirked. "And yet, somehow, I think I just nailed it."

Rolling her eyes, Rin continued. "More importantly, this event is what allows Malekith to retrieve the Aether. If Jane Foster gets exposed to it, things start playing out as they should. But if we intervene too much, we could mess up the sequence of events."

Tony paused, suddenly narrowing his eyes. "Wait, hold up. Evil alien guy—Malekith, right?—what exactly is this Aether thing he's after?"

Rin stiffened slightly but masked it with a shrug. "Something better left unexplained."

Tony scoffed. "Oh, that's reassuring. Well, whatever, keep your secrets."

Tony hummed in understanding, then casually added, "Actually, this all makes sense from a scientific standpoint. Gravitational fluctuations in localized regions could be explained by intersecting dimensional membranes. If the fabric of space is thinning, then naturally, energy concentrations would—"

Rin groaned, cutting him off. "You just got lucky with that explanation, Stark. Magecraft operates on principles that science hasn't even begun to grasp."

Tony merely shrugged, his smug smirk widening. "If you say so."

That smirk stayed on his face a little too long, and Rin's eye twitched in irritation. Finally, she huffed, crossing her arms. "You better wipe that look off your face, or I swear I'll start crying out for help."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what exactly would that accomplish?"

Rin gave him an innocent smile. "Imagine this: an old man with a creepy smirk standing next to a crying ten-year-old-looking girl. I wonder how that scene would play out in public."

The smirk vanished instantly. "Alright, alright, point taken. No need to get the authorities involved."

She grinned triumphantly. "Good."

Tony huffed, shaking his head. "Still not telling you why I was smiling, though."

Rin glared. "You absolute—"

While they had gotten lost in their own bickering, they suddenly noticed that Jane had disappeared all of a sudden. The air shimmered ever so slightly in front of the abandoned building, signaling that the anomalies were already in motion.

Rin exhaled. "Looks like we're out of time. We'll deal with this later."

Tony grinned, regaining some of his earlier amusement. "Sure, sure. Let's just hope none of this ends with me dealing with another portal situation. I've had enough of those."

"One can dream," Rin muttered.

With that, they turned their attention back to the unfolding events, ready to step in if necessary.