New York. A quiet rooftop.
The aftermath of the battle lingered in the air. Bits of metal lay scattered, a few scorched marks smoked in the corners, and Tony Stark, still in his Mark 3 suit, sat on the ground breathing heavily.
Across from him, Henry stood with his arms folded, a slight smile on his face.
Tony frowned deeply. "So let me get this straight… you really don't know where you sent Obadiah?"
Henry shook his head and replied with a helpless shrug. "Nope. No clue. Just that it definitely wasn't here."
Tony sighed and leaned back on his armored palms. "Great. So we've got a rogue supervillain in a tank suit floating around somewhere in the multiverse."
He tapped the side of his helmet. "Jarvis. Scan the city. Run a complete sweep for any traces of Obadiah."
"Of course, Mr. Stark," Jarvis replied smoothly. A soft hum vibrated through the rooftop as the AI began its search.
A moment later, the response came.
"No signs of Obadiah Stane within New York City limits."
Tony exhaled, equal parts relieved and frustrated. "Well, I guess that's… good?"
"Hey, at least he's not here blowing up Times Square," Henry said.
Tony glanced at him. "Seriously, how far did you send him?"
Henry shrugged again. "I was just trying to go home. The portal kind of picked... somewhere else."
Tony groaned and slumped back against the concrete barrier. "Fantastic. He's halfway to Mars and I'm sitting here with fried circuits."
A long silence followed. The city lights flickered in the distance, casting reflections on Tony's scratched armor.
Eventually, Tony looked up. "That guy you portaled out of here—Obadiah—he used to be my dad's partner. You met him briefly at the party, remember?"
"Yeah," Henry nodded. "The bald guy with the fake smile."
Tony smirked. "That's the one. Turns out, behind that fake smile? Scheming traitor."
He paused, voice lowering. "He was against me shutting down the weapons division. I didn't realize he'd go as far as reverse-engineering my tech to build his own suit."
Henry raised a brow. "You mean the tank that tried to pulverize your ribs a few minutes ago?"
"Exactly," Tony muttered.
But as he mentioned it, some of the tension in his expression faded, replaced by a familiar gleam in his eyes—one that Henry had already started to associate with the man's egotistical charm.
"…But forget him," Tony said, standing up and brushing off the dust on his suit. "Let's talk about this. Mark 3. The new and improved Iron Man armor."
He extended his arms, showing off the sleek red and gold suit like a runway model. The arc reactor in his chest glowed steadily, reflecting against his freshly polished armor.
"Pretty nice, right?" he said proudly.
Henry gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah. Definitely better than the cave version."
Tony grinned. "That's what I'm saying! Took me three sleepless days to put it together. Complete flight stability, integrated weapons systems, dual repulsors, shoulder micro-missiles, a targeting AI—want a tour?"
As he spoke, a tiny hatch opened on his forearm and a miniature rocket peeked out.
Henry quickly stepped back. "Uh, maybe next time. I've got… homework."
Tony blinked. "Homework?"
"Magic," Henry corrected, already raising his hand to open a portal. "Kind of a full-time gig."
As golden sparks ignited in the air, forming the familiar rotating ring, Tony watched the portal open with wide eyes.
"I swear, every time you do that, I feel like my tech is suddenly outdated."
Henry smiled. "It's not a competition."
"I know. That's what makes it worse."
With the portal now open—leading directly into the living room of his villa—Henry gave Tony a casual wave.
"Later, Iron Man."
And just like that, he stepped through. The portal closed behind him with a soft hum, leaving Tony alone in the breeze of the night.
For a moment, he just stood there, stunned.
Then he muttered, "...Does Mark 3 suddenly smell less cool?"
Meanwhile, back at the villa—
Henry stepped into the living room and let out a deep sigh. He rolled his shoulders and flopped onto the couch for a moment, just absorbing the silence.
What a day.
He had been teleported into a battle, accidentally sent a villain into the mystical unknown, survived, and somehow deepened his understanding of teleportation magic.
That last part, especially, surprised him.
He sat up and extended his hands. With a bit of focus and a smooth flick of his fingers, another portal opened briefly in the air—perfectly stable, no distortion.
"Okay, that's... new."
Before today, he could barely stabilize the portal for more than a few seconds. Now, it was like flipping a switch.
That fight had done something to him. Being in a high-stakes, life-threatening situation had forced him to reach deeper, refine his control. And it worked.
So... does that mean real combat is the best training ground?
He began pacing.
First, he'd survived the terrorist camp.
Then, stumbled into a cave and befriended Tony Stark.
Then got a magic book from the Ancient One.
Now he'd fought a steel titan and walked away with improved magical control.
Each event felt terrifying at the time—but in hindsight, they were like… designed training arcs.
Henry narrowed his eyes. Was this just the world being random… or was someone—somewhere—guiding things?
Maybe the so-called "goddess of luck" really was looking after him.
"Guess I'm not just talented," Henry muttered with a smile. "I'm lucky and chosen."
Motivated again, he opened the Supreme Complete Collection and started reviewing the next section of spells.
He had a long way to go.
But if he could master teleportation in a week?
Then anything was possible.
Just as he was about to dive into a section on dimensional shielding, the doorbell rang.
Henry groaned, dragging himself off the couch. "Seriously? I was just about to learn fireball spells..."
He opened the door.
A tall man in monk-like robes stood there, smiling politely.
"Hello," the man said, voice calm. "Is this the residence of Henry?"
Henry blinked. "Uh... yeah, that's me. Who are you?"
"My name is Mordo. I've come on behalf of the Ancient One."
At once, Henry's back straightened. "Wait. The Mordo? From Kamar-Taj?"
Mordo nodded.
Henry's mind raced. He recognized the man—stern, powerful, and in most timelines... dangerously disillusioned in the future.
But right now, he looked composed and respectful.
"You've come to bring me to Kamar-Taj?" Henry asked.
Mordo smiled and shook his head. "Not yet. The Supreme Mage wishes you to continue your studies here—for now."
He reached into his robes and pulled out a small, glowing object.
Henry's eyes widened as he saw what it was.
A Sling Ring.
"This," Mordo said, placing it gently in Henry's palm, "is yours now."
Henry looked down at the ring. Warmth pulsed from the metal like it recognized him.
"She said… I'd need this," Mordo added with a knowing smile. "I'm to leave the rest in your hands."
Henry nodded slowly, fingers curling around the ring.
"I'll do my best," he said.
"I believe you will," Mordo replied, then turned, stepping into a portal of his own.
As it closed behind him, Henry stood there for a moment, gazing at the ring in awe.
This wasn't just a tool.
This was a symbol.
A doorway to infinite places. A stepping stone to the path of becoming a true mage.
"Alright then…" Henry whispered, sliding the ring onto his finger.
"Let's see what else I can do."
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