The extra dimension faded from Tony's sight. The "sensation" of the afterlife retracted, leaving him back in the grey fog of the Castle. He stood alone in the center of the room but the "knot" in his chest was gone.
Tony turned back to the table, wiping his eyes. He looked at Aryan, then at the others.
"Okay," Tony said, his voice strong. "The Starks are back on the board. Let's get to work."
Aryan stepped forward, clapping a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Welcome back, Tony. I think it's time we finished what we started."
Tony Stark stood straighter now, the hollow ache that had defined him for decades finally replaced by a focused clarity. He moved back to the table, his eyes scanning the faces of his peers.
"We can't just sit on this," Tony began, "The world is waking up to a reality where their 'Shield' was a lie. But S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't just hide Hydra, they hid everything. There are warehouses full of supernatural artifacts, extraterrestrial scrap and biological anomalies that the public has no idea exists. Now that the agency is dead, those things are sitting in the dark, waiting for the wrong person to stumble upon them."
Aryan nodded, "Tony is right. The vacuum left by S.H.I.E.L.D. is more than just a political one. It's a security risk of a different nature. If we leave the 'supernatural' to be managed by the panicked remnants of old intelligence agencies, we are inviting a second catastrophe."
"We need a new structure," T'Challa stated, his fingers tracing the ancient runes on the table. "But it cannot be a secret society that answers to no one, nor can it be a government department that is subject to the whims of bureaucrats who fear what they do not understand."
Tony leaned forward, the gears of his mind… now enhanced by his Technopathy spinning with a new vision. "A Council of Parliament. That's what we need. A semi governmental body. We work with the world's governments, but we are not under their control. We provide the expertise, the containment and the security, while they provide the legal framework."
"And who sits on this Council?" Namor asked, "I will not have surface politicians dictating how I manage the artifacts of the deep."
"We do," Aryan replied calmly. "The members of this club. We are the ones with the power, the resources and the perspective. But we need a bridge. We need the Earth Federation involved. If we act entirely in secret, we are just Hydra with better intentions."
"I suggest we include The Leader of the Earth Federation," Aryan continued, "He has the mandate of the people. Including him in our understanding ensures that the Federation sees us as a specialized branch of global security. We provide the 'Parliament' of wisdom and they provide the administrative support."
Tony tapped the surface, "It's about preventing the mistake S.H.I.E.L.D. made. They lived in the shadows. They hoarded secrets until the secrets ate them alive. We need a policy of Directed Transparency."
Wanda looked up, "Directed Transparency? You want to tell the world about Chaos, magic and monsters?"
"Not everything," Tony clarified. "There are terrible things that would cause global mass hysteria. We don't tell them about the world eaters or the soul tearing artifacts yet. But we do tell them that the supernatural exists. We disclose the existence of alien technology and advanced biology. We stop lying to them. We work in the light, even if we keep the most dangerous keys in our pockets."
The members pondered the weight of the proposal. It was a delicate balance. Being a guardian without being a tyrant, being a neighbor without being a stranger.
"It needs a name," Namor said. "Something that reflects the 'Light' you keep talking about."
Tony looked at the glowing table, a faint smirk returning to his face. "If we're going to be the ones shining a light into the dark corners of the world... if we're the ones who are 'enlightened' enough to handle the truth... let's call it the Illuminati."
A flicker of surprise went around the table. The name carried historical weight, a sense of secret knowledge and ultimate responsibility.
"The Illuminati Council," T'Challa repeated, testing the weight of the words. "A parliament of the gifted, working in tandem with the Federation of the people."
"I like it," Wanda said softly. "It sounds like a promise. That the world won't be left in the dark anymore."
Aryan said, his presence filling the room with a sense of finality. "Then it is decided. We will approach the Earth Federation to form the Illuminati Parliament. We will take custody of the 'supernatural' assets left behind by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. We will be the curators of humanity's future, disclosing what is safe and containing what is not."
He looked at each of them. "We are not the 'Shield' that hides the world from the truth. We are the 'Light' that prepares the world for it. We will be transparent enough to be trusted, but strong enough to be feared by those who would use these secrets for harm."
Tony felt a surge of pride. He looked at Aryan, his friend and mentor and realized that they were the architects of a new era.
"First meeting of the Illuminati is officially in session," Tony said, a spark of his old swagger returning. "First order of business: we need a better office than a fog filled castle for our 'semi government' meetings. I think I have just the spot in New York."
Aryan laughed. "Let's get the Federation to sign off first, Tony. I think The Leader will find our terms... agreeable."