Marvel's Strongest Mage

Though New York City bears the title of the city that never sleeps, in truth, only a few neighborhoods live up to that name. Most residential streets fall into silence by 11 p.m., their lights dimmed, their residents already drifting off to sleep.

So when a sleek black Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of a quiet single-family apartment, the soft purr of the engine still roused the attention of curious neighbors. A few bleary-eyed heads peeked out from curtained windows.

Daniel stepped out, adjusted his coat, and offered a polite nod of apology toward the homes around him. Then he walked casually to his door—his mind still reeling from the encounter that had just unfolded.

He hadn't expected to see Tony Stark tonight.

The last time Daniel had interacted with the Stark family, it had been decades ago. In another form, another life, he'd crossed paths with Howard Stark during the Super Soldier experiments led by Dr. Erskine.

Now, standing before the son—nearly 38 years old and still flaunting his playboy persona—Daniel was struck by the symmetry of it all.

Of course, someone like Tony Stark wouldn't be easily fooled. It was no surprise that he'd uncovered Daniel's identity as the "Water Giant" who'd recently stood toe-to-toe with the Hulk in downtown Manhattan. Stark had even managed to track him all the way to Betty Ross's apartment.

Frankly, anyone with access to military records could piece it together—assuming they had Stark's level of access, or a superintelligent AI like J.A.R.V.I.S. The average Pentagon technician wouldn't have stood a chance.

So while half of the U.S. cabinet remained in the dark about Daniel's true nature, Tony Stark had already knocked on his front door.

That was the kind of man Stark was.

More than just a genius, he was a master tactician and a business mogul with deep ties to American political circles. Stark Enterprises had funneled enormous sums into countless elections. These days, Tony could walk into the White House without clearance. The president had him on speed dial.

Naturally, news of General Ross's shift toward politics hadn't escaped Stark's notice. And Ross, while still powerful, would need financial backing to secure a political future. Stark had shown up tonight not just to uncover secrets—but to offer one.

He had extended Daniel an invitation.

The Avengers Initiative.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bold new plan to unite extraordinary individuals under one banner.

Since Tony publicly revealed himself as Iron Man, superpowered individuals had been surfacing all over the United States. Some aspired to be heroes. Others turned to crime. The legal system—let alone local police—was unequipped to handle them.

Even S.H.I.E.L.D. was being stretched thin.

The Avengers were the answer.

But before Daniel could respond, General Ross had flatly refused on his behalf. He'd slammed Daniel's military ID onto the table—a newly forged but entirely legitimate designation as an active-duty U.S. Army officer.

"His chain of command goes through the White House," Ross said coldly. "You'll need presidential clearance."

Tony had already known Daniel wasn't American. But that hadn't stopped the military from assigning him an American identity, complete with rank and security clearance.

To the U.S. government, citizenship mattered far less than utility.

If the President had handpicked Daniel, then even Stark couldn't overstep.

So Tony left—grudgingly, and with little fanfare.

Daniel watched him go with a faint pang of regret.

To be honest, the idea of joining the Avengers wasn't without merit. He had no love for S.H.I.E.L.D., but standing beside someone like Thor—if only for a while—would offer protection. Until Hydra fully exposed itself, being an Avenger might have been the safest move he could make.

But Ross had already closed that door.

He didn't do it out of spite. Just strategy.

"You think this is a good thing?" Ross had muttered once Stark was gone. "Fury's not the only problem. S.H.I.E.L.D. answers to the World Security Council. And they're a lot worse."

Daniel understood. S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't technically an American agency. It answered to a U.N. council, with members from several powerful nations. The U.S. might dominate the table—but it didn't own it.

In fact, if those countries ever aligned against American interests, not even the President could stop them.

It explained the composition of the original Avengers team: Steve Rogers, the symbol of American virtue; Tony Stark, the industrial war machine; Natasha Romanoff, a defector from Russia; Clint Barton, an agent from a roaming mercenary background; Hulk, who'd never been friendly with the government; and Thor, a literal alien god.

It was a melting pot the U.S. could never fully control. And that's why the group ultimately fractured.

Daniel knew the real origin of the Avengers had nothing to do with recent superhuman incidents. Nick Fury hadn't built this alliance overnight. The project stretched back decades—to the Cold War, to Carol Danvers, to the Kree Empire.

Even the name "Avengers" had come from Carol.

Their original target was never Earth's petty criminals. It was galactic.

And yet, their first battles would be fought on Earth. Against Thanos. For the Infinity Stones.

That was the true purpose behind the curtain.

So yes—Ross had refused Stark's offer.

And in doing so, Daniel had dodged one trap while stepping into another.

Whether his story would still follow the path of the original timeline… well, that would depend on Odin.

Daniel knew what the "surface" of the timeline held. But the real game—what lay underneath—was far more dangerous. What seemed inevitable could always be rewritten.

He'd fought Hulk using trickery and illusions. Against foes like the Chitauri, Ultron, or even Thanos, he would need much more than clever tricks.

He would need power.

And fast.

Asgard's Ragnarok would arrive in just a few years. Now that Odin had noticed Daniel, hiding was no longer an option.

If he wanted to survive what was coming, he had to reclaim the full strength of a legendary magician. And to do that, he needed something rare.

Something cosmic.

The Infinity Stones.

They were the only hope of breaking the Earth's elemental resistance, which had dulled his magic since his arrival. The Space Stone, in particular, could be the key. But he didn't even know where the Tesseract was being kept.

Still, that didn't matter—because Loki was coming.

And with Loki came the Mind Stone.

Daniel wouldn't let that opportunity pass. The Mind Stone was attuned to thought and arcane connection—it was more compatible with magic than any other.

But for now, he had another task.

In his hand was a formal invitation to the Stark Expo.

He intended to attend.

In recent weeks, things hadn't been going smoothly for Tony Stark.

No sooner had he hosted a pre-launch press event for the Stark Expo than he was slapped with a subpoena by the U.S. Congress. They demanded he attend a hearing, hoping to seize his Iron Man technology under the guise of "national security."

But the hearing became a media circus.

Some of Stark's rivals—especially Justin Hammer—fed the flames. Yet in the court of public opinion, Stark still reigned. The American press lambasted the Senate, and several congressmen became laughingstocks. For days, no one dared appear on national television.

Then, everything shifted.

During a Formula 1 race in Monaco, Tony was attacked.

Ivan Vanko had arrived.

He wasn't wearing Iron Man's sleek suit. But the technology was clearly derived from Stark's own work.

Vanko's very existence proved one thing: with enough backing, anyone could replicate the Iron Man suit.

Suddenly, the government didn't need to seize Stark's tech.

They could just build their own.

The tide turned sharply. Colonel James Rhodes—Tony's own friend—commandeered one of Stark's suits. The military began mass production under Hammer Industries. Stark Enterprises stumbled.

And yet, when Daniel met Tony that night, he sensed no fear in him.

Tony was composed.

Cold.

Prepared.

Whatever else had happened, Tony Stark hadn't given up. If anything, he looked ready to take everything back.

Still, the part that caught Daniel off guard was this:

The name "Avengers."

It meant Stark already knew. He knew that Howard Stark—his father—had once helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. He likely knew about the original vision for the Initiative. And if he'd made that connection…

Then he was probably close to a breakthrough.

The Ark Reactor.

Howard had theorized a new element based on the Tesseract—the Space Stone.

Tony had the blueprint.

If he hadn't already succeeded, he would soon. Daniel only hoped Stark wouldn't destroy his father's work out of arrogance. If he did, Daniel might have to step in personally at the Expo.

The new element wasn't truly a stand-in for the Tesseract—but it was close.

The technology was advanced, brilliant even, but not what Daniel truly needed. Still, the new reactor could serve as a valuable power source. Not as potent as an Infinity Stone—but potentially enough to unlock higher-tier spells.

But Daniel's real objective was still ahead.

He needed more than tech.

He needed a magical breakthrough—something that could accelerate his arcane evolution.

And soon, that opportunity would arrive.

In the form of a trickster god named Loki.