Erik's eyes widened as a realization struck him, and he pointed an accusing finger at Tony. "You knew about the hammer—that's why you're here, isn't it?"
Tony gave him a small, sheepish grin, his hands half-raised in a placating gesture. "Bingo. I might've heard a thing or two."
Thor's blue eyes narrowed with curiosity. "Why would you come here for the hammer, Son of Stark?"
Tony hesitated, glancing at Sirius before letting out a sigh. "Alright, fine. Cards on the table. I came because of family business, actually."
"Family business?" Jane echoed in confusion.
Tony cleared his throat, feeling Sirius' eyes on him. "Yeah—turns out I've got a half-brother. Magic runs in the family, apparently."
Darcy's jaw dropped. "Hold on. You have a half-brother who's a wizard?!"
Tony shrugged, giving a wry grin. "Technically, yes. Thanks to that, I got a little help setting up magical sensors around the world. One of those sensors picked up a massive magical signature here in New Mexico, and—well, curiosity killed the billionaire."
Jane blinked. "So you're saying you just… came here because you got alert of a magical disturbance?"
Tony gave her a look. "Hey, wouldn't you be curious if a magical hammer fell out of the sky?"
Sirius gave Tony a fond, exasperated look. "Honestly, I'm the reason he got here so fast. Portkey. We didn't want to attract too much attention."
Thor's expression was thoughtful. "Your technology works well with magic, then?"
Tony grinned, "We make a good team. I bring the tech, Sirius brings the spells. Best of both worlds."
Darcy let out a laugh. "Seriously, I feel like I'm in a Marvel movie."
Sirius chuckled. "Wait till you meet Remus. He's the werewolf."
Darcy's eyes widened. "Oh my god."
Erik, meanwhile, just shook his head, still reeling. "Half-brothers… wizard… This is too much."
Tony clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome to my Tuesday, Erik."
Thor's gaze turned serious. "I appreciate your honesty, Son of Stark. But this hammer—this is a matter of Asgard as well. I would not see it taken by Midgardian authorities."
Sirius nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. We're not here to take it... we need to make sure the wrong people don't get their hands on it."
Tony folded his arms. "Agreed. Let's figure this out—together."
As Tony finished his sentence, his earpiece chimed. "Sir," Jarvis's voice came through. "I've detected an inbound convoy—S.H.I.E.L.D. agents en route. Estimated arrival: ten minutes."
Tony cursed under his breath. "Of course they'd show up now," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
Jane, alarmed, looked at him. "S.H.I.E.L.D.? Who's that supposed to be?"
Tony sighed. "A government agency—technically under the Department of Homeland Security, but they handle all the weird crap. Think men in black, but with better suits. They'll definitely want a look at that hammer."
Thor's eyes darkened. "That is my hammer. It belongs to no government."
Sirius placed a calming hand on Thor's shoulder. "We know, Thor. We're not about to let them walk off with it—or your friend's research."
Tony straightened, suddenly all business. "Look, Jane. I don't have time to stick around—if I'm here, they'll get suspicious. But I can help you protect your work." He pulled a thin folder from his bag and slid it toward her. "This is a legal contract—basically a document saying you've partnered with Stark Industries for research support. That makes all your data—every scrap—protected under corporate umbrella. S.H.I.E.L.D. might be pushy, but they're not above the law."
Jane stared at the folder. "You—carry legal contracts with you?"
Tony smirked. "You'd be surprised how often I need them."
Sirius chuckled. "Merlin, you're worse than my grandfather."
"Thanks, Padfoot. Anyway—Jane, sign that, pack up your stuff, and if S.H.I.E.L.D. tries anything, you call me. I'll bring every lawyer I have down on them."
Jane's hand was trembling as she took the contract. "You're serious?"
Sirius winked. "He's Stark, not Sirius—but yes, he is."
Thor gave a solemn nod. "I appreciate your help"
Tony patted Thor on the arm. "Don't mention it. Just promise me you'll talk to your dad about that hammer."
Thor cracked a small smile. "I shall."
Tony turned to Jane one last time. "Sign it, pack up, and don't let them scare you"
Jane nodded, tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
As Tony turned to leave, he gave one last instruction to Jarvis: "Keep an eye on S.H.I.E.L.D. I want to know if they so much as breathe near her equipment."
Jarvis replied, "Understood, sir."
With that, Tony gave Thor a quick handshake and Sirius a knowing grin. "Let's go, Padfoot"
Sirius laughed. "Always an adventure!"
——
Sirius and Tony arrived back at the Tower via Portkey, stumbling slightly as the magic dissipated. Tony steadied himself and immediately reached for his phone, rattling off orders to his legal team. Sirius watched, bemused, as Tony paced back and forth, giving curt instructions.
After several minutes, Tony finally ended the call, exhaled, and collapsed into a chair. "Alright," he said, running a hand through his hair. "The lawyers are in place. Jane's safe for now. Let's hope S.H.I.E.L.D. backs off."
Sirius settled into the chair opposite him, watching his friend intently. "You always have a plan," he said, almost in awe. "But what's next? You've handled Jane, but what about you?"
Tony let out a humorless laugh. "Well, I've got a bigger problem." He tapped his chest.
Sirius frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tony hesitated, then sighed. "After Afghanistan, I had shrapnel lodged in my chest. Long story short—no surgeons could get it out completely. So I built this." He tugged at his shirt slightly, revealing the faint glow of the arc reactor embedded in his chest.
Sirius's eyes widened. "Merlin's beard…"
Tony gave a tired smile. "Yeah, it's keeping me alive. But it's also a constant reminder of… well, everything that happened. I've been working on ways to remove the shrapnel and—maybe—live without the arc reactor."
Sirius leaned forward, concern etched on his face. "Can I help? Magic might—"
Tony shook his head. "I've thought about it. But this is tech. Surgery, mostly. I have it covered. Just… needed you to know." He did had a conversation with Harry's private healer and later called America's best wizard healers. They said the surgery will take time, Not only that, It will be complicated.
Although, there is a way to get rid of posion in his blood stream. The potion is being brewed.
Sirius nodded slowly. "You've been through a lot," he murmured.
Tony exhaled and looked at Sirius with a hint of a grin. "And yet, here I am—still saving the world with a convicted felon by my side."
Sirius barked a laugh. "Oi! I was wrongly convicted."
Tony's smile widened. "Yeah, I know."
"Anyway, Wanna help?"
"With what?"
"Chaos"
"Oh, you don't need to ask!"