As Dr. Strange stepped through a glowing portal into Tony Stark's private lab, he found the genius billionaire and Vision surrounded by a cyclone of quantum energy diagrams, Pym particle vials, and nanotech casings. The two were deep in argument, voices bordering on a civil war of logic and sarcasm.
"I'm telling you, Vision," Tony said, gesturing at a rotating projection of unstable molecules, "if we tweak the magnetic spin alignment in the Pym lattice"
"You risk destabilizing the quantum integrity of the host structure," Vision interrupted calmly.
"Okay, so maybe we blow up a lab or two science is about risk!"
That's when Tony noticed the figure in red standing silently near the back of the lab.
"WHAT how did you get in here?!" Tony barked, immediately raising a gauntlet from the table, its repulsor charging up. "FRIDAY, we have a security breach!"
From the ceiling speakers, a calm voice replied,
"Facial match confirmed: Dr. Stephen Strange. Former neurosurgeon. Current resident of 177A Bleecker Street."
Tony stared, unimpressed. "Great. An off brand Dumbledore just strolled into my particle lab."
Dr. Strange raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mean to intrude. Bruce Banner appeared at the Sanctum Sanctorum terrified, incoherent, and demanding to see you. He said it was about the Time Stone and the Mind Stone."
Tony blinked, slowly lowering his hand. "Time and Mind Stones? What is this, 'Infinity Conspiracy Weekly'?"
"I came by portal," Strange added plainly. "And I'm not just a former neurosurgeon. I'm the Sorcerer Supreme."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "So this is a wizard thing?"
Vision, who had been scanning the ambient signature of the portal residue, spoke up. "This energy is not technological. It's quantum-astral in nature he manipulates space-time directly. Incredibly advanced."
Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so now the wizard surgeon with front-row Infinity Stone trauma shows up saying Hulk fell out of the sky. Awesome. Just another Thursday."
Dr. Strange crossed his arms. "If you're done posturing, we need your help. You've worked with both the Mind and Space Stones. Banner insisted you be contacted immediately."
Tony gave him a long look, then turned to Vision. "Vision, stay here. Monitor the systems. If this goes sideways, ping Rhodey and the others."
Strange opened a glowing portal. Tony eyed it warily. "You know when I called you Dumbledore, it was a joke. But you're making it real hard."
"It's 'cloak,' not 'cape,' and I'm a sorcerer, not a wizard," Strange said, stepping through.
Tony grumbled as he followed. "Yeah, yeah. If it looks like a wizard, portals like a wizard…"
Sanctum Sanctorum
They arrived in the echoing halls of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Wong stood waiting, arms folded and brows furrowed.
"He's stable," Wong said, nodding down the hallway. "Still shaken, but conscious. I tried to wake him gently. He panicked. Took some coaxing."
Dr. Strange led the way to the chamber. Bruce Banner sat upright on a low bed, pale and visibly exhausted.
"Bruce," Tony said softly. "Talk to me. You asked for me."
Bruce glanced up with bloodshot eyes. "It's all happening again, Tony. Worse this time."
He took a shuddering breath. "After Sokovia… after Ultron… I left Earth. Ended up on a planet called Sakaar. Time didn't work right. I was Hulk for years."
Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah. We noticed. Three years off the radar."
Bruce grimaced. "Felt like a few months. I met Thor, Loki, a Valkyrie… we escaped Sakaar and fought Hela to save Asgard. We lost. The planet was destroyed. We put the survivors on refugee ships bound for Earth."
His voice shook.
"We didn't make it."
Strange stepped forward. "What happened?"
"They were attacked. Not just scavengers. Something worse. A group that called themselves the Black Order. Led by someone named… Ebony Maw."
Tony narrowed his eyes. "Okay, pause. The 'Black Order?' Who names these guys?"
Bruce ignored him. "They were after the Tesseract. The Space Stone. But Maw mentioned something else he said the Time Stone and the Mind Stone were next. He said his master was coming for them."
Bruce's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Thanos."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Tony squinted. "Who the hell is Thanos?"
Bruce looked up at him, eyes wide. "A warlord. No more than that. He's not just after power, Tony. He thinks he's saving the universe. Balancing it. And he has the strength, the army, and the insanity to actually do it."
Tony's expression darkened. "So we're talking genocidal space philosopher."
Wong exhaled. "He knows about the Time Stone. That's impossible unless he's been watching us. Or... worse."
Bruce nodded. "He's not just watching. He's planning. This attack this wasn't random. They're collecting the Stones. He already has the Power Stone. And if Maw reaches Earth…"
Tony turned to Strange. "We need to act before this becomes another 'world-ending sneak attack.' I'm calling Rhodey."
Strange nodded grimly. "Good. We'll need all the help we can get."
Bruce leaned forward, his voice low. "He's not going to stop. Thanos wants them all."
Tony's eyes narrowed. "Then we make damn sure he doesn't get them."