Show Yourself Into The Unknown

Summary: The one where Thanos is dead, Tony has weird dreams instead of nightmares, the Avengers watch dubious Disney movies and mystical creatures are more than real. Oh, and the Cloak totally ships it.

"Doctor Strange, now that we're all here, if you would be so kind as to tell us why you called us here today?" Ross asked as politely as he could while already looking beyond resigned with the situation as they all settled in their seats and turned their attention towards Stephen and Wong, both of whom looked worried and tired. Tony tried not to fidget as the two shared a look, glanced around the room before Wong actually stepped forward and began their explanation.

"As we have been aware and dealing with for the past year or so, since the Snap, the balance of the mystical world, that is magic, has been deeply disturbed by Thanos' actions. We've been fixing things one by one but it would seem something rather ... unexpected happened."

"What Wong is leading up to is the awakening of a powerful magical force or, well, a being of magic in this case, in the wake of the disbalance," Stephen stepped in, looking grim. "We have thought these beings to have been extinct for a long time now. Over five hundred years here on Earth and according to Loki and Thor, even longer on Asgard."

"Since when does magic thrive longer here than on some eternal magical kingdom?" Barton asked and Tony had to agree. But, then again, they had a secret order of sorcerers bound by oath to protect their entire reality, so perhaps magic was just fine on Earth after all.

"Since Asgardians are glory-hungry, boastful fools who would hunt down the guardians of magic themselves to be the center of one of Odin's feasts," Loki answered derisively and Thor looked ashamed from his place beside him. Tony had no doubt the thunder god had been one of those hunters.

"Guardians of magic, huh?" Wilson echoed, looking somewhere between bored and tickled. Apparently this was not his cup of tea but he couldn't deny a curiosity, either. "What kind if creature are we looking at?"

The four that had went on this 'quest' exchanged uneasy looks and Tony himself grew tense and anxious. He had a feeling he won't like the answer. Those grave faces had been warning enough but these exchanged glances ...

He jerked in his seat when, unexpectedly, that by now familiar voice sang to him, for his ear and his ear alone. Well, at least judging by the lack of reaction from everyone else to an almost angelic voice echoing through the air. "Why thank you," Elsa chirped and Tony nearly rolled his eyes. He wondered whether he should worry that his dream was inserting itself into his waking hours but just one glance at his hand had him clenching it and hiding it further underneath the table. Thankfully, everyone was too focused on the sorcerers to see Tony's weird behavior. Well, everyone save Rhodey, who knew something freaky was going on, and Stephen, who had become somewhat attuned to him ever since he came back with the rest of the dusted. Tony was just glad that the situation seemed serious enough that neither was willing to interrupt the meeting to ask whether he was okay.

He'll be lucky if Nebula hasn't also already caught on and is just waiting for enough cues to drag him away to check if something was wrong with him.

"The most powerful, ancient and magical of all, my shield brothers and sisters," Thor said dramatically, drawing both Tony's and his observers' attention back to the situation at hand. Even Elsa's voice fell quiet, not making a single sound. "A dragon."

There was a short outbreak of chaos at learning dragons were alive and, well, you know, real, but Ross managed to get the situation back under control and gave Strange a cautious, considering look. "Is it dangerous? What do you actually expect the Avengers to do about this?"

"While a dragon can be dangerous, as in that it is a large, powerful, wise and ancient creature of immense magic and intellect so making an enemy out of it would be a bad idea, dragons generally don't interact with many people. If they attack, it is usually because they have been provoked or endangered by someone else's actions and they are retaliating."

"Dragons, in truth, have interactions with only a handful of selected people. People who can hear their voices and understand their words. Men and women capable of drawing a dragon out of its egg so it can be born," Wong explained, opening a small portal and taking out a dusty old tome and opening it carefully to a marked page to show off the picture on it. There they saw a Middle Ages kind of style representation of a human figure holding a dragon's head between its hands while the beast itself had wrapped around the human, as though jealously keeping it to itself or protecting it. When Wong turned to a previous page, a human holding something distinctly egg-shaped with a small head breaking through was shown, the hatching it would seem. "Their name is in dragon tongue but we have several translations. Dragon summoner - for they summon the dragon out of the egg - or dragon whisperer, as they speak their language, are the most famous ones. In truth, we have no idea what its true meaning is nor has any of us ever managed to pronounce it right. Not even the Allspeak can help with that." Something that seems to irk both Thor and Loki. How very interesting.

"The point is that the last known dragons were last sighted on Midgard," Loki jumped in, obviously impatient to ... whatever. "However, we do not know where the one that has awoken could be."

"It's a dragon," Lang pointed out a bit meekly. "How hard could it be?"

"Given that we do not even know what its element of nature is, we do not know where to even start our search," the older Odinson pointed out.

"And given that a just awoken dragon is an infant in an egg," Loki continued, sneering at Lang's uninformed self and Ant Man seemed to shrink in on himself even without the use of his suit. "And that Midgardians have hunted the last dragons into exile or extinction, we do not know, it is nary impossible to find it as no responsible dragoness mother would leave her egg somewhere where it can be destroyed before the one meant to hatch it finds it."

"Right," mumbled the man, not looking up.

"So, how do we find it and should we at all?" Rogers asked and it was, for once, a rather intelligent question. "I mean, this seems to fall out of our jurisdiction. What should we do?"

"Usually, matters like these fall out of even the Sorcerer Supreme's jurisdiction and we would usually leave it all well enough alone, but it is different this time," Stephen sighed, running a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit. This was the first time ever that Tony had seen him genuinely disheveled. Even on Titan, in the aftermath and after the reversed snap, Stephen Strange had been composed and collected, regardless of the bloody gash on his forehead and the dirt clinging to his clothes. Tony swallowed a lump in his throat. This really couldn't be good.

"How?" Romanoff spoke up for the first time since the meeting started, eyeing the sorcerers suspiciously.

"Because, as we have said, dragons were thought to be extinct," Wong stressed. "We knew that there was at least one last dragon out there - if not, the world would have fallen into disarray a long time ago and there would have been nothing that could stop magic from tearing existence apart - but we never knew where, whether it was dormant or awake, if its 'summoner' was still alive and with it and so on. We only knew it existed and we only knew it was the minimum of one. Now, a new dragon is waking up. We do not know if it is the one that has been holding up the balance even though it is just an egg or if there is a senior for it somewhere out there. We do not know how far an adult dragon might be, if one still exists, and if they could arrive in time to assist the young one after hatching."

"Then what do you know?" Maximoff asked with a scoff but flinched under Wong's glare.

"All we know is that it's here, on Earth," Strange answered for his companion while the librarian was busy glaring at the Scarlet Witch. "And that a rogue sorcerer by the name of Karl Mordo is aware that it is awakening and that it is here."

Well, that didn't sound good. Not at all.

"You said that dragons are guardians of magic and that the universe would be torn apart by it if they truly went extinct," Tony pointed out/observed/asked, garnering the attention of the room. He focused only on the three magic users. "I'm taking it we'll be heading out to save this last dragon regardless of where it's dragon whisperer might be?"

"Mordo won't kill the dragon - that would be a death sentence to us all," Wong explained but nodded to his assessment. "However, even a dragon still in its egg is a dangerous 'possession'. Dragons are practically pure magic. Their power has never been measured to see its limits. Mordo - or anyone else - could do a lot of damage if he were to get its hands on it."

"Not to mention that he'd practically have us by our balls," Strange said with a snort. "He'd just have to threat to damage the egg and we'd be obliged to do as he says."

"Well, that sucks," Tony's honey-bear grumbled. "So should we go grab a copy of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them or ... ?"

Tony, Barnes, Lang and Wilson couldn't help but snort but the sorcerers only remained extremely exasperated. "Unfortunately, all we can do is wait. At least for now. A dragon's awakening lasts about a year, according to the texts we've fathered between us," Wong gestured to Loki and Thor. "It supposedly calls out to its summoner in their dreams and in the last month or so, depending on the dragon, it does so in waking hours." Tony went ramrod straight, doing his best not to let his eyes pop out or his jaw drop. "Supposedly about a fortnight before it is ready to hatch, a strong pulse of magic will travel across the ley lines of the universe and all who practice will feel it."

"And that happened last week, when I called a meeting to inform you of my upcoming absence," the former neurosurgeon pointed out. "And last night, there was another one, this one labeled as 'the singing call' in all the texts we've found. Basically, it means that the dragon is days away from being ready to hatch and it is calling to its chosen or destined summoner/whisperer. Texts about this period, while vague, suggest that the dragon can from this point on communicate with its summoner. Other than that, we have no more information to share, only that as soon as the summoner answers the call, the dragon's magical signature will become recognizable and traceable."

"Which means that we will be able to find it, but so will others," Loki elaborated, always feeling he was dealing with idiots and Tony usually didn't blame him and played mock offended every time for hilarity's sake. This time, though, he was too numb with shock to do so.

"Which in turn means we must be ready to set out on this quest at a moment's notice," Thor finished, sharing a nod with Strange. "We have called this meeting to inform you to pack the necessities you might need. As soon as we get even a hint of the dragon's location, we must find it."

"But what of its ... summoner?" Banner asked, looking unsure and highly uncomfortable with the prospect of hunting down a mystical beast that should have been no more than a legend. But really, Tony wasn't nearly as surprised as he ought to be. Then again, they did live in a world of cyborgs, androids, homicidal AIs, all powerful sparkly rocks, sorcerers, aliens, gods, spider-bitten super-teens, flying suits of armor, rage monsters, space wales, talking raccoons, sentient trees and enhanced people. Why should a dragon be weird? "I thought it can't hatch without them?"

"Getting the egg to a safe location is our primary goal. Its summoner will eventually feel its call and find it on his own. We'll then make sure they both stay okay and are taught whatever they might need to be regarding their new bond until the dragon has grown and matured enough to protect them both and share its power with its summoner."

"So, what? We wait for the big signal, find it, extract it, bring it here, keep it safe and then train whoever comes to pick it up?" Carol asked, summing it up. "Sounds easy enough."

"I rather doubt a mother dragon would leave her egg some place that is easy to get in and get out of," Wong pointedly said, voice deadpan.

"How long will the egg be able to wait for the summoner, though?" Hope asked, finally inserting herself in the conversation. "Will a longer wait in any negative way affect the dragon in the long run?"

"It's been waiting for centuries. It can wait a few days longer," Loki replied smoothly.

"You said the dragon gives its whisperer power," Vision said, frowning in worry. "How can we be sure such power won't be used for misdeeds? If a dragon is as powerful as you say it is, we could have a serious problem on our hands soon enough."

"Dragon summoners, by default, are usually people with pure hearts and even more pure souls," Thor was actually the one to answer. "Fate itself usually chooses people who will not abuse the power they are gifted for the sole reason that that much power is a temptation and it corrupts. You are indeed wise to fear what would happen if the power or a dragon were to fall into the wrong hands, my young friend."

"So it's imperative that we get to the dragon first," Rogers concluded and everyone else nodded. "When do we star?"

"As soon as we actually know where to look," the Asian sorcerer reminded. "it should be any day now, though, so be prepared. As soon as we find out the general location, we must make haste to get to the egg before it can fall into the wrong hands."

"I guess I can only say pack for any situation. In this, unfortunately, we are going blind." As soon as strange stopped talking, plans were being made about what sort of gear they should take and Tony decided he was no longer needed, so he got up and headed straight for his lab, activating lock-down mode as soon as the doors closed behind him. He needed a moment to himself.

"Boss, I am detecting high levels of stress. Is something wrong?"

"No, FRI, I just need some time to tinker, I think. Please pull up my latest armor updates, will you baby-girl?"

"Of course," his AI replied even as holograms sprang to life around him and Dum-E wheeled over with a steaming cup of coffee in his claw. It would seem his earliest AI had finally managed to get it right. Tony patted him on his metal arm, chuckling at the happy beeping that earned him before he turned to his ongoing project and forced himself to focus on that and not on the meeting they had just had and what that might mean. No, it had nothing to do with him. His dreams were just dreams, albeit weird as hell, but still only dreams, meaning not real, imaginary. A product of a tired and stressed mind, nothing more.

"Boss, Doctor Strange wishes to speak with you."

Tony didn't even look up from his work. "Is it urging?"

FRIDAY paused, obviously asking the man before she got back to him. "No, but he has expressed his concern at your abrupt exit earlier. Should I let him in?"

He paused at that, thinking. While he usually wouldn't hesitate to spent some time with Stephen to enjoy some stimulating, pleasant conversation, right now he only wanted to be lost in numbers and figures and formulas, things that he was familiar and comfortable with instead of worrying about how the world around him was either changing or crumbling. He was reluctant, hesitating for one second more, before he steeled his resolve and shook his head. "No. I ... Don't really feel like talking right now. Can you-"

"Of course, Boss." FRIDAY quickly relayed the message to the sorcerer and pinged back to him within the minute. "He says to just call him if you need to talk or anything else."

"I swear that man is either a godsend or a saint," he mumbled under his breath, making a note to himself to make it up to the man at a later date, when he wasn't seconds away from spiraling into an anxiety attack due to what he had heard not half an hour ago.

But he was in his little sanctuary now, surrounded by his bots and his doors were locked. He felt himself relax little by little as he got lost in his work, completely absorbed in what he was doing, the racing of his thoughts. The harmony of his machines and one of his rock 'n' roll albums filled his ears, helping him completely immerse himself in the designs in front of him and forget the world outside of his workshop, outside of his suit and the ideas that swirled through his mind about the upgrades he was making.

When the voice came at close to midnight, Tony was unsure whether it was welcome or not. He sighed and shut down his work, saving his progress as he walked towards his elevator, glaring at his vague reflection in the metal when the doors closed. He kind of went 'fuck it" since apparently his constant little whisper loved Disney songs so much.

"I can hear you

But I won't

Some look for trouble

While others don't

There's a thousand reasons

I should go about my day

And ignore your whisper

Which I wish would go away ooh." As expected, 'Elsa' just sang back to him in the same way that magical spirit did at Elsa in Frozen and he huffed. Of course he'd somehow end up befriending someone as ironic as himself. Stephen Strange was the perfect example. He continued singing at the voice as he walked down the hallways of the Avengers Compound, trying not to feel silly for acting like a Disney character and, even worse, a Disney princess. This is so not what he imagined life would be like just a year ago. And it's not even been a whole year! Why was life always weird with him? Never a dull moment ... He'd appreciate one every once in a while, though. "You're not a voice

You're just a ringing in my ear

And if I heard you-"

"Which you don't?" Well, that surprised him but he didn't falter in song or step. It would seem 'Elsa' liked playing games.

"I'm spoken for I fear

Everyone I've ever loved

Is here within these halls."

"Are they?" The being from his dreams asked and Tony rolled his eyes, not even blinking at the modifications he made to the lyrics as he went, walking towards the kitchen's floor to ceiling windows overlooking the 'front yard'.

"I'm sorry, secret siren

But I'm blocking out your calls!

I've had my adventure

I'm not looking for something new."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm afraid of I might risk

If I follow you

Into the unknown!" And that's his biggest fear. As Iron Man, there will always be 'something new', and adventure, but venturing out to seek things out like that could put Rhodey, Pepper, Happy, Harley, Peter, Nebula, Vision, Stephen and everyone else in danger. The fear gripped him in a tight, cold fist but 'Elsa' just continued signing like the natural spirits from Frozen 2. He wondered how she even knew about those. Then again, he had been watching Disney movies a lot. He sighed and walked outside, looking around as though that would let him see her. Not that he'd seen her in his dream, either. She'd kind of been a mass of (cuddly) light. He recalled thinking of her as a star but he realized he was mistaken. She was much prettier.

Her giggly response shouldn't be so cute. "Why thank you!"

"What do you want?" He asked, still keeping the tune since they had already gotten that far, sitting down on the grass and staring up at the stars. It's been a very long time since he'd dared look up at the night sky. Space wasn't his favorite place, after all. "'Cause you've been keeping me awake?

Are you here to distract me

So I'll make a big mistake?" He hesitated, remembering the pang of sympathy he'd felt for a fictional, animated character when he'd heard the song the first time. He actually somewhat understood what it was like for Elsa. Was his 'Elsa' lonely like that as well? "Or are you someone out there

Who's a little bit like me

Who knows deep down"

"We're not where we're meant to be?"

Tony smiled sadly at the truth behind those words even as his hand came up to grip his hair in frustration. "Every day's a little harder

As I feel your power grow," just looking at his left hand now left him gulping in unease and staring in awe at the same time. It was something he was completely unfamiliar with and that should have made him run in the other direction. But it didn't. Instead, it aroused his curiosity. "Don't you know

A part of me

Longs to go

Into the unknown!" He couldn't help a smile as 'Elsa' joined him in the choirs, their voices melding together in a beautiful melody only he could hear. Gods, he hoped everyone was fast asleep. They'd think him crazy if they saw and heard him singing a kids movie song to the moon and the stars. "Oh oh oh!

Are you out there?"

"Do you know me?

Can you feel me?"

"Will you show me?"

Something in his chest thudded and pulled as their voices once again fit into a perfect harmony, taking each other to new heights until Tony felt like he was flying. His heart echoed a beat not his own as they carried through the song. Then, he felt a tug and his head snapped towards the horizon, where he swears one star was dancing in the sky, just above the tree line. As if sensing it had his attention, the star gave one more twirl and jump before beginning descending beyond his sight. Without thought, the billionaire found himself on his feet, running forwards in its direction, hand coming in front of him, outstretched as if to grab hold of the dancing star despite how irrational the notion was. Seeing that his companion wasn't waiting for him, Tony resorted to Disney levels of dramatics and did his best to sing through the sprint. Movies never got this part right.

"Where are you going?

Don't leave me alone.

How do I

Follow you

Into the unknown!?"

And as if to spite his earlier thoughts regarding dramatics, in an eerily similar manner to how it happened in the movie itself, the little star burst into a huge shock wave of light across the sky, leaving behind a big flash that would surely wake up all of the Avengers currently at the Compound as practically all of them slept with the blinds open lest they spend the entire day in the too comfortable beds Tony had provided them with. Tony winced at the thought of the questions they'll no doubt be asking - demanding - of him. But all thoughts of his - unfortunately - teammates pretty much fled from his mind when he realized particles were raining down from the sky in a gentle cascade and the horizon was still lit with a white, blue, pink and light purple Aurora Borealis.

"Oh shit," he muttered to himself even as he extended a hand to catch them.

"Tony? What happened?! Are you alright?!"

"What the hell did you do?!"

Carol's and Maximoff's voices came from behind him and he didn't even turn around to look at them, eyes still glued to the particle of light that wasn't really light at all as it melted against his hand and his skin absorbed the tiny droplets of water.

"Oh shit."