----
"Gentlemen," Nolan said as he stepped into the room, "we meet again."
He glanced around as he strolled in, his presence commanding. "Mr. Stark. Professor Xavier."
Taking a seat on a private lounge chair positioned across from the gathering, Nolan added with a calm smile, "Had a little matter to take care of upstairs. Sorry to keep you waiting."
A little matter, Tony thought dryly.
That "little matter" had been Nolan unleashing a goddamn supercell tornado over the New York skyline. And now he was treating it like he just took out the trash.
"So," Nolan continued, scanning the room. "What can I do for you all?"
He already had a good idea of why Charles and his companions were here. But Tony? That was still a mystery.
Nolan had just reviewed some encrypted updates Norman sent over apparently, there'd been a clash at Stark Tower a few days back. Small-scale. But the combatants? Iron Man and Captain America.
Tony glanced briefly at Charles, then said, "It's about the idea you mentioned to me last time."
"A group," he continued, "not bound by governments, but powerful enough to monitor other superpowered individuals."
"I've been thinking," Tony added. "I'd like to discuss it seriously."
"A group to oversee superhumans?" Magneto scoffed. "And you think you're the one to lead that effort? You, with your tin, can suit?"
Erik's voice was sharp, disdainful. The idea that Howard Stark's son could be so arrogant amused him. He'd known of Howard Stark never personally but enough from wartime whispers. Back then, mutants were the only known superhumans, and Howard had never once talked about policing them.
Tony's eyes narrowed. "This 'tin can' could end your life in half a second."
"Go ahead. Try it," Erik replied with a smirk. He had no fear of Iron Man anything made of metal was useless in his presence, even in his weakened state.
"Erik," Charles interjected gently. "We're not here to argue."
He turned to Tony. "Mr. Stark, I'm interested in your proposal as well. Would you mind if we listened in?"
Tony glanced at Nolan, who simply nodded.
"They're the leaders of the mutant community," Nolan said plainly. "Professor Charles Xavier. Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto."
He added casually, "They might've even known your father."
"I did," Beast said warmly. "Howard Stark was a visionary a man who wanted to protect the world. We spoke several times back in the day."
"Mutants…" Tony muttered, eyes wide. He was looking at Charles and Erik with a mix of awe and disbelief. Mutants had been off the radar for years and now they were suddenly in the same room, discussing global security.
"Let's skip the history lesson," Nolan said. "Tony—your idea?"
Tony nodded. "We face a real problem now."
"People like us—superhumans, mutants—you, me… What happens when one of us goes too far?"
"You think superhumans should be regulated by governments?" Erik sneered. "Captured and handed over to politicians hungry for our power?"
Tony shook his head. "I used to believe that the law, the Constitution, was the pinnacle of human civilization."
That earned a few dry chuckles. Even Charles looked amused. The recent actions of world governments had shown them all the truth most politicians didn't care about justice. Only control.
"So," Nolan said, "you've changed your mind?"
"Yes," Tony said. "Superheroes are meant to help people. The Battle of New York. The Ultron Crisis—"
"Hold on," Nolan said with a grin. "If memory serves, weren't both of those your messes?"
"Calling it 'helping' sounds more like cleaning up after yourselves."
The Battle of New York had been sparked by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tampering with the Space Stone. Ultron was Tony's own pet project.
Tony's face twitched, but he nodded. "That's exactly the point."
"I have immense power. I control some of the most advanced tech on the planet."
He didn't say it to brag. It was simply a fact.
"If I make a mistake or act without thinking the consequences could be global. You, Nolan, are now the face of Osborn Industries. People see you as unstoppable. And Captain America? Still, a symbol followed."
"If any one of us slips up… the fallout could be catastrophic."
Nolan leaned forward. "So what are you proposing?"
Tony met his gaze. "A group. A council. A self-governing coalition of superhumans who keep each other in check."
"This group wouldn't be under any government's control. No political strings."
"Membership would be by invitation and review only—limited to the most intelligent, powerful, and trustworthy superhumans."
"It wouldn't have a single leader," Tony added. "It would operate more like a roundtable. A congress of powers. A place where decisions are made together—where no one can act unilaterally."
"Nick Fury… He was a strong leader. Cold. Ruthless. His intentions were good—he wanted to protect the Earth."
"But in his urgency to weaponize the Tesseract, he acted without understanding it. That arrogance caused the New York invasion."
"No one could stop him. No one dared."
"His authority went unchecked, and we all paid the price."
"And when I created Ultron?" Tony's voice lowered. "That should've been stopped before it started."
"If there had been someone… a council… to vote against me, I would've listened."
Nolan asked, "And Steve? Captain Rogers, he couldn't stop you?"
Tony shook his head. "He's too idealistic. He believes in people… but not in systems. And right now, we need structure."
"I propose one guiding principle: when the council votes, everyone abides by the result no exceptions."
Nolan leaned back, thoughtful.
So Tony had been giving this serious thought.
He'd only planted the seed… and now Stark had cultivated an entire doctrine. The shift in Tony's outlook was faster than expected. Perhaps something had happened to finally open his eyes.
Tony nodded. "Even picked a name."
"Oh?" Nolan asked. "Let's hear it."
Tony looked around the room and said clearly, "The Illuminati."
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