Warning this fic contains spoilers for Thor Ragnarok! If you haven't watched it yet I highly recommend you do before reading this!
Anyways so I watched Thor Ragnarok Friday and really enjoyed it. But I seriously can't wait for the rest of the Avenger's reaction when Thor shows up on earth with Loki, the Hulk, all of Asgard and without his eye or hammer. So this came out of that along with an unprecedented excitement for the infinity wars. I also didn't include the Black Panther because I don't have a good enough grasp to write him well, but hopefully after the Black Panther movie comes out that will be rectified. Also I have this horrible habit of planning things to be one-shots and then somehow they end up as multichapter fics… so yeah that's what happened here. I have a quick four chapters in progress. So I hope you enjoy and please read and review. This chapter has now been Beta read by the lovely DraconisHyperion so many thanks for all their hard work to make this more readable!
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Chapter 1: Something Wicked This Way Comes
It was never a good day for Tony Stark when he woke up hunched over his workbench. Well, actually that part was pretty normal. The part he hated was when the Avengers' alarm woke him up and he had to listen to General Ross' lovely voice in the morning. That, that he hated. He seriously missed Fury. Sure the guy the fashion sense of a pirate, but Ross was just a grade-A dick.
"Hello! You've reached Tony Stark's answering machine please be prepared to be put on hold!" Tony said cheerily. That was the one perk from the whole Civil War fiasco, he got to yank Ross' chain.
"Stark! Stark, I know it's you! Don't you put me on hold!" Ross shrieked, really how did that man have such a shrill voice? "You put me on hold and you're risking our national security!" Tony rolled his eyes. That's what Ross always said. And despite being the Avengers, most of the tasks they'd had since the Accords weren't earth-threatening situations.
"Please hold." Tony sang. The answering machine's light flashed red and Tony smirked. Ah the wonders of even basic technology.
"Sir, someone's in the lobby of the tower. He insists you come down and meet him or he'll come up." F.R.I.D.A.Y informed him.
"Is it Ross? If it's Ross tell him I'm working on an experiment that is prone to explode." Tony said turning back to his workbench. "I think I can keep him on hold for at least 20 more minutes. Have to beat the last record."
"It's not Ross. The man appears to have a cape on." F.R.I.D.A.Y said tonelessly.
"A cape? Is it Thor?" Tony asked excitedly. He had no idea where the Asgardian had been, but with himself and Natasha being all that was left of the original team still on Earth it would be nice to meet an old friend.
"No it's not Thor. He says he's coming up."
"What?! Don't just let some weirdo up here! F.R.I.D.A.Y!"
Tony saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards it and felt his mouth drop, "Doctor Stephen Strange?"
Tony could safely say it took a lot to surprise him nowadays. Between super soldiers, robots, and aliens, life was pretty weird. But a groundbreaking doctor suddenly disappearing off the face of the earth then reappearing with sideburns —sideburns really— and a cape? That was a new one for Tony.
"And you must be Tony Stark, the invincible Iron Man I take it?" Strange spoke. "Sadly, I'm not here for a social visit. Normally I deal with threats of this type on my own. But this time I think the task may be beyond my magic and simple threats. I also prefer to keep a lower profile than some." He said, glancing around pointedly.
Tony's mouth clicked shut, his mind running at 90 miles a minute. Magic? Really? Magic? So one of the world's foremost surgeons had run off and —what— gone to Hogwarts?
Strange continued talking, "Where are my manners? Here. Why don't we sit down and have a quick chat? Would you like anything to drink?" The room shifted around Tony, and suddenly they were sitting in the kitchen, and he had a mug of coffee in his hand.
"So, what, you just wave your hands around and magic happens or something?" Tony asked curiously. The only person Tony knew that had ever displayed something close to this was Wanda and her powers were more flashy.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid. I don't really have time to explain. Let's just say I'm the Sorcerer Supreme and I work to protect earth from interdimensional threats." Strange explained as he folded his hands together on his lap. "What I do is really not that important right now. What is important is that Loki has returned to Earth."
"Loki? As in killed eighty people in two days, no fashion sense, Thor's brother? That Loki?!" Tony asked, incredulous.
"The very same. Last time I saw him on Earth he was here with his brother in search of Odin. I assisted them with the task and they left Earth soon after. This time it appears Loki has returned alone, with an Army near Oslo, Norway."
"Loki was back on Earth months ago?! And you didn't think 'Hey it might be important, better tell the Avengers!'?" Tony asked. This guy sure was an irritating know it all. Hmm maybe coffee would make things better Tony thought as he took a big slurp.
"Well, the Avengers seemed a bit busy with their own drama at the time. Besides, that was a threat I could handle discreetly." Strange said. "As I said this time Loki has made his presence well known and I don't believe what I do should be public knowledge, especially with governments snooping around."
While Tony could privately appreciate the merit in that, Ross was irritating, if this guy thought he was gonna waltz into his tower and just point the Avengers at a target he was dead wrong. That just wasn't the way the Avengers operated anymore, there were parameters.
"I see you have your doubts about me and what I say. That's fine perhaps hearing it from a more familiar voice would be helpful." Then Strange waved his hand and they were back in Tony's workshop next to his desk.
Before Tony could even react to the shift of scenery, Strange was reaching down and pressing the hold button. Ross's voice screamed over the speaker, "Stark you privileged little…" Apparently Ross had realized pretty quickly he was no longer on hold. Tony glared at Strange in annoyance. Well, there went his record. "Stark gather the Avengers; we have a problem. Loki's back on Earth we're sending in military now, but he has an army over 10,000 strong. We need the Avengers, you've been approved." Stark blinked. That was not what he had expected Ross to say.
"How do I know this isn't all some magic mumbo jumbo?" Tony felt himself ask. Ross let out an angry squeal in the background. But Tony really wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Instead he was staring at Strange's face.
"I suppose you'll just have to trust me if you want to get there in a timely manner before many people die." All Tony could think was that Strange was way too smug with his stupid cheekbones and his cape collar sticking up, making him look all mysterious.
Tony nodded. This wasn't ideal, but if two sources were telling him Loki had returned, he had better at least check it out. "Got it Ross." Tony said before hanging up on him. Then he stared up at the ceiling. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, call the Avengers to assemble."
"Which Avengers, Sir?" F.R.I.D.A.Y replied.
"All of them. Who knows, we may need backup." Tony said; now was no time to let old divides put the Earth at risk. Hell, if it was bad enough he might even swallow down his anger and call Cap.
Strange gave a knowing nod to Tony. "If you have yourselves ready quickly I can send you to the location."
Tony opened his mouth to object —he had perfectly awesome planes after all— but before he could get it out Strange was talking again. "It will be quicker than anything you have I'm sure." And then he waved his hand again and disappeared. Stupid magicians. Stupid cheekbones.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y get my suit ready."