Tony Stark sat back in his chair, swirling the wine in his glass as he watched the numbers on the screen of his desk plummet. The once stable stocks of Stark Industries were tanking faster than he'd ever seen before. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the rim of the glass as the data flashed before him—public sentiment shifting, every major market tanking due to something that had nothing to do with his company but everything to do with his world.
The White Sorcerer.
Tony's mind raced, trying to piece everything together. News feeds flooded with the heroism of a man who had taken control of the narrative with unrelenting speed. The White Sorcerer, aka Michael, was everywhere now, a name whispered with reverence and fear in the same breath. Tony had been monitoring the situation closely, knowing that if Michael wasn't handled soon, he'd become an unstoppable force.
"Everywhere," Tony muttered under his breath. "How the hell did it all go so sideways?"
The stock prices of Stark Industries were plummeting. It wasn't just his business interests that were at risk—it was his legacy. People were calling the White Sorcerer the new "savior," citing his alleged fight against corruption and the governments of the world. But Tony knew it was all a façade. The man wasn't interested in saving anything. He was playing a different game, one Tony had only glimpsed.
Tony's mind drifted back to their last conversation. The White Sorcerer had made his presence known to him a few months ago, during an awkward dinner party with some other heroes. Michael—no, the White Sorcerer—had sat there calmly, like a predator playing a part in a game he knew he'd already won. The arrogance had been palpable then, but now... Now, it was beyond that.
Tony's hand tightened around the glass, his knuckles turning white.
Then, as if summoned by his own thoughts, his phone buzzed on the desk. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. It was a video link—an encrypted message from an anonymous source. Tony narrowed his eyes but pressed play.
It was a combination of several videos, each showcasing Michael/The White Sorcerer's abilities.
"Have you seen it?" The message popped up, followed by a pause.
Tony hesitated, then replied, "Who are you?"
The reply came quickly: "We have a common enemy—Michael. The White Sorcerer. All that matters."
Tony's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "Still, I won't be playing with villains. Michael might be dangerous, but he's not wrong at the moment. We were wrong, and we are paying for it."
The message went silent for a moment. It was clear the other person was trying to decide whether to respond, and when they did, the message was simple but telling: "Then we must stop him... before it's too late."
Tony set the phone down, his mind racing. The White Sorcerer—Michael—was becoming a more dangerous figure than he'd anticipated. Whoever had sent him this message clearly understood the threat, but Tony couldn't just join forces with anyone without knowing who they were. There were too many variables. Still, the idea that someone was also fighting against Michael, someone who understood the true danger, meant Tony wasn't entirely alone in this fight.
But one thing was clear—Michael needed to be stopped, and Tony Stark was going to be the one to do it, even if it meant facing his own demons along the way.
"Jarvis, call a meeting with the other Avengers," Tony said, his voice steady but filled with determination.
"Understood, sir," Jarvis replied, immediately sending messages to everyone.
In just an hour, they were all gathered at Tony's new building, now known as Avengers Tower.
"The reason you called us here must be for Michael White," Steve Rogers said as he sat down in a chair.
"Yes, he's the topic of the day," Tony replied, glancing around the room.
"Why are we even debating him?" Bruce Banner asked, looking frustrated. "It's not like he did anything wrong. He just used something that SHIELD made—misused it, sure—but that's on you guys."
Widow stepped in, her expression serious. "That's the issue, Bruce. There are things that need to be kept from the public in order to maintain order. Michael didn't care about that. He didn't care about the consequences."
"He's done what he wanted without any regard for the world," she added, her tone sharp. "And that makes him dangerous."
The room grew tense, each Avenger considering the weight of her words.
Tony rubbed his temple, feeling the pressure of the situation. "We all know the stakes. We can't let someone like him go unchecked. Not when we don't know what he's planning next."
The room fell into a tense silence as each Avenger weighed the situation. Steve Rogers was the first to speak up again, his voice calm but firm.
"You're right, Natasha. We can't let someone with that kind of power just run around doing whatever he pleases. But at the same time... We need to ask ourselves: who is he really hurting? He's not exactly a villain, is he?"
Tony sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "That's the problem, Steve. He's not a villain in the traditional sense. He's like a force of nature. He does what he thinks is right without any regard for the bigger picture, and that's dangerous. His actions might seem justified to him, but they could bring about consequences we haven't even begun to understand."
Natasha shook her head, her eyes narrowed. "He doesn't care about consequences. He does what he wants, and if he thinks he's right, he'll steamroll anyone who stands in his way. He's already proven that."
Bruce leaned back, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee. "But what if we're not seeing the full picture? What if he's not really as bad as we're making him out to be? What if he's just... misunderstood?"
Tony raised an eyebrow at Bruce. "Misunderstood? Bruce, the guy literally manipulated reality to create the perfect conditions for himself. That's not something a 'misunderstood' person does."
"I think Bruce has a point," Steve interjected, crossing his arms. "Maybe we need to find out more about him before jumping to conclusions. We know his power, but not much about his motives or his background. Maybe there's something we're missing."
*****
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