The next morning, just before dawn, the X-Jet slipped invisibly into the sky above Tony Stark's Malibu mansion.
Rowan Mercer unfolded his wings, carrying Logan with him as they bypassed the perimeter defenses. They touched down on the balcony in silence. A quiet unlocking charm later, they were already inside the living room.
Tony Stark was woken abruptly by Jarvis's alert.
"Sir, an unidentified presence has entered the living room. Shall I notify security?"
"No need. I'll handle it my—" Tony blinked at the feed. "Rowan?"
Fully awake now, he abandoned the idea of testing his freshly assembled armor, pulled on some clothes, and had Jarvis prepare coffee. When he stepped into the living room, he found Rowan waiting calmly, Logan already helping himself to an expensive bottle of whiskey.
"Amazing," Tony said dryly. "I save the world with technology, and a wizard breaks into my house before breakfast."
"I know who hired the terrorists that kidnapped you," Rowan said, skipping pleasantries.
That landed exactly as intended.
Tony's expression hardened instantly. "Who?"
"Obadiah Stane."
The name hit like a hammer. Tony's pupils contracted.
"How are you so sure?"
"I'm a mutant," Rowan replied evenly. "With telepathic abilities. I've used them on Stane before."
Tony stared at him for a moment, then laughed quietly. "I knew it. I figured you weren't normal, but I didn't expect mutants to still be around."
At his level, government cover stories stopped working. After Rowan saved his life, Tony had already dug through what little classified mutant history remained.
Tony turned his attention to Logan. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're Wolverine. Metal claws, fast healing, grumpy personality?"
Logan didn't answer. He simply snapped out three claws, slowly retracted two, and left the middle one raised.
Tony sighed. "Great. Next time you visit, I'm locking up the liquor."
He refocused on Rowan. "Alright. You didn't come here just to be charitable. What do you want?"
Rowan raised an eyebrow. "You're not even questioning whether the intel's real?"
Tony dropped onto the couch. "You saved my life. If you wanted leverage, you could've taken it back then. Instead, you made pocket change off my stock and walked away. That tells me enough."
He paused, voice quieter. "Besides, I've suspected Obadiah myself. If I died, the company would've been his. The weapons leak? Only someone with his clearance could've pulled it off."
Rowan nodded. "You're sharp."
"I have to be," Tony said flatly.
"I want to work with you," Rowan continued. "And I need your help building something."
"Building is easy," Tony replied. "Cooperation depends on the job."
Rowan tossed him a flash drive. "Watch this first."
Tony plugged it into the projector. The footage filled the wall. Hidden-camera recordings from the Mexican lab. Human experimentation. Forced pregnancies. Children engineered into weapons.
When it ended, the room felt colder.
"That's… monstrous," Tony said quietly.
"I was one of their test subjects," Rowan said. "I escaped with the children. They've been hunting us ever since. I want Akerlay Genetics erased. Completely."
He left out the mutant school. Left out Xavier. Focused only on the truth that mattered.
Tony's jaw tightened. He slammed his palm against the table. "Then we end them. No hesitation."
Rowan smiled. "Good."
"And the thing you want built?" Tony asked.
"I need a focus," Rowan said. "A medium that can channel a foreign energy smoothly. It doesn't have to amplify it. It just has to work."
Tony thought for a moment. "If it's energy conduction, that's doable. But I'll need to analyze the energy itself."
Rowan produced a small glass marble, faintly glowing. "This contains it."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Now we're talking. Basement. Lab. Let's see what kind of rules your magic plays by."
Minutes later, machines hummed to life.
After a rapid analysis, Tony leaned back, satisfied. "It's unconventional, but not impossible. With the right composite alloy, I can build what you're asking for."
Rowan exhaled, tension finally easing.
The plan was in motion.