Kamar-Taj.
When two figures stepped out of the golden mystic portal one after the other, Tony Stark finally set foot in the Kamar-Taj he'd been dreaming about.
The mage sanctuary of the whole dang Earth.
When the mages passing by spotted Ronan emerging from the portal, they stopped to bow in respect.
Ronan returned the gesture.
It's how the mages honored their Sorcerer Supreme.
Of course, when they caught sight of Tony Stark trailing behind, their faces twisted into weird looks.
They're all modern folks—mages aren't some ancient relics.
Any adult living in America—how many don't know the name Tony Stark?
So, seeing the legendary Iron Man Tony Stark roll up to Kamar-Taj? That kind of reaction was par for the course.
Facing those stares, Tony could only flash an awkward grin back.
He's sharp as a tack, after all.
Plus, some of the "bold claims" he'd made before? Made this moment extra cringe.
"Wow, are you really Tony Stark?"
And there it was—Tony Stark's first fanboy.
What can you say? Young folks tend to idolize a guy like Tony Stark.
Rebellious, loaded, good-looking, and back in the day, never seen with the same woman twice.
Isn't that the dream for most guys?
"Uh, yeah."
"Hey there."
Tony nodded, his eyes darting toward Ronan.
He was banking on Ronan to bail him out.
Too bad Ronan acted like he didn't catch the look, chatting away with the other mages.
"Can we grab a pic together?"
"I'm a huge fan!"
The mage whipped out a phone.
Before Tony could even say no, the guy sidled up next to him and raised the device.
Instinct kicked in—Tony flashed a camera-ready smile.
Click.
The first photo of Iron Man Tony Stark at Kamar-Taj was born.
"Thanks so much!"
"I'm posting this to Twitter right now—they're gonna be so jealous!"
"Oh, right—are you here to train as a mage?"
"Let me tell you, Kamar-Taj's magic is legit strong. If you master it, whoa—"
"I wouldn't even know whether to fanboy over you or our Sorcerer Supreme."
For the first time, Tony got why "boundaries" are a beautiful thing.
Just like all the stuff he'd spouted off to others before.
"Alright, Mr. Stark's here to visit Kamar-Taj."
"He's a guest of ours."
"Let's not crowd him too much."
Finally, Ronan stepped up to rescue Tony Stark.
Hearing that, the other mages—who'd been itching to jump in—backed off.
He's a guest, after all.
Plus, their every move reps Kamar-Taj.
So they all gave Tony a quick bow and scattered.
Which kinda threw Tony for a loop.
"Come on, I'll show you where you're crashing for the next few days."
"You're in luck—neighbors with me, the Sorcerer Supreme."
Ronan smirked, clapping Tony on the shoulder and leading him across the plaza to the living quarters.
Of course, crossing the plaza, Tony still couldn't dodge the spotlight.
First time he felt like being gawked at wasn't all that fun.
Pushing open a door, the two stepped into a super basic single room.
Calling it basic? More like bare-bones.
Just a bed, a table, and a wardrobe off to the side.
Oh, and a private bathroom.
"This is your spot. You'll be staying here for a while."
"That card on the table's got the WiFi password and some Kamar-Taj ground rules."
"Give it a good read."
Ronan pointed at the card on the table, scribbled with a bunch of stuff.
"WiFi password?"
Tony blurted it out without thinking.
In his head, mages were supposed to be cut off from the world.
"Don't peg us as cavemen—we surf the web too."
Ronan rolled his eyes. Tony's take wasn't exactly rare.
"And seriously, read the rules."
"They flat-out mark the no-go zones. Don't let curiosity drag you in for a peek."
"Back in the day, someone wandered in and hasn't been seen in over forty years."
Ronan shrugged, his tone casual as hell.
But that offhand line sent a shiver down Tony's spine.
Forty-plus years, no return?
That's just missing, right?
Or, you know—dead!
"Course, don't get too doom-and-gloom. There's a 3.12% chance he zipped off to another universe."
"Maybe living the good life there, who knows."
"If you're not scared, you could give it a shot."
Ronan twisted the knife a little more.
Tony rolled his eyes. Smart as he is, he could tell Ronan was messing with him.
Problem was, he had no comeback.
Sure, Ronan was spooking him, but the story was probably legit.
Knock, knock, knock.
Right then, a rap came from the door.
"Come in."
Ronan called out.
The door swung open, and Wong's hulking frame stepped inside.
"Perfect timing. I've already filled him in on the basics."
"For the next stretch, help him dig up some beginner spell books to read."
"And you can teach him some entry-level Kamar-Taj magic—assuming he can pick it up."
This was Ronan hooking Tony up with a "newbie guide."
As Kamar-Taj's librarian, Wong was more than up for the gig.
"Hey, I'm Tony Stark."
Tony stuck out his hand.
But Wong didn't shake it—just glanced at Ronan.
"How'd you drag this kind of trouble into Kamar-Taj?"
"I can already sense there's no peace coming for a while."
Wong wasn't against Ronan's call—he was just straight-up griping about Tony Stark.
With Wong's vibe, he and Tony were never gonna click.
"Hey, man, bad-mouthing someone to their face? Not cool."
Tony took it personal, pegging himself as the "trouble."
"I know you, Steel-Man."
"Since Ronan's set it up, you're with me for a bit."
"Try to keep it low-key—don't stir up grief for Kamar-Taj."
Wong shot Tony a look and smirked.
Clearly, he figured that was just wishful thinking.
"It's Iron Man!"
Tony fired back.
But he kinda rolled with the rest of it.
"Got it, Steel-Man."
"Hope you still feel that way after you tangle with magic."