Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

"I’ll do it."

Evenson didn’t hesitate.

It wasn’t because he’d suddenly developed an overwhelming sense of heroism, nor because he thought S.H.I.E.L.D. would retaliate if he refused. Nick Fury wasn’t that petty.

The real reason was much simpler.

A position as a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant was valuable.

As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. remained standing, the title would open doors, provide intelligence, and give him access to resources he couldn’t obtain on his own. And after the organization inevitably collapsed...

Well.

That bridge could burn when history caught up with it.

"Excellent," Fury said. "Then I already have your first assignment."

Evenson raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously? I haven’t even signed the paperwork yet."

Fury chuckled.

"Give it two minutes. Your personnel file, security clearance, and consultant status will all be active." He added almost as an afterthought, "Including payroll. End of the month, you’ll receive your first paycheck."

"Five figures."

"I’m in."

Evenson’s complete lack of dignity earned the faintest twitch at the corner of Natasha’s mouth.

Fury gestured toward her.

"This is Agent Romanoff. I believe you’ve already met. You’ll be working together."

Evenson narrowed his eyes.

"Getting paired with the legendary Black Widow? That doesn’t sound like a routine assignment."

He leaned forward.

"Who’s the target?"

"Tony Stark."

Evenson blinked.

"...You want him dead?"

Fury frowned.

"What? Of course not. Why would you assume that?"

Evenson shrugged.

"Because I figure Agent Romanoff and I together could probably reduce Stark Tower to rubble."

He inclined his head politely toward Natasha.

Natasha smiled sweetly.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"Though I’d like to point out that I’m capable of much more than assassinations and explosions."

"So am I," Evenson replied. "Unfortunately, most of my other talents don’t fit neatly into an intelligence agency’s job description."

Fury cleared his throat before the conversation wandered any farther.

"Your primary objective is to get close to Tony. The intelligence work is Romanoff’s responsibility."

He turned toward Evenson.

"You have a different assignment."

"What kind?"

Fury folded his hands.

"You’ve met Tony before. Didn’t you notice anything... unusual about his condition?"

Evenson nodded slowly.

"Now that you mention it..."

"When I first looked at him, something felt wrong."

"On the surface he appeared perfectly healthy."

"But underneath..." He searched for the right words. "His life felt fragile. Like a candle burning at the end of its wick."

"And whatever was keeping him alive was also slowly extinguishing him."

"It resembled chronic poisoning."

The room fell silent.

Fury stared at him.

He’d expected a magician to notice something strange.

He hadn’t expected someone who’d met Tony exactly once to arrive at nearly the same conclusion as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s medical experts.

"...You’re remarkably observant."

"It’s nothing special," Evenson said casually.

"Warlocks are unusually sensitive to life force."

Sensitive enough to steal it if necessary, he added privately.

Fury continued.

"That’s essentially the situation."

"When Tony was injured in Afghanistan, microscopic fragments of shrapnel became embedded throughout his body."

"They couldn’t be removed safely."

"The device in his chest generates a magnetic field strong enough to keep those fragments from reaching his heart and other vital organs."

"It’s the only reason he’s still alive."

"I see."

Evenson nodded as though hearing the story for the first time.

"So if that device stops functioning..."

"He dies almost immediately."

"No wonder he looked like a man balancing on the edge of a cliff."

"Exactly."

Fury’s expression darkened.

"The problem is that the device keeping him alive is also killing him."

"The poisoning?" Evenson asked.

"It releases toxic substances into his body over time."

"More specifically," Fury said, "it’s the palladium."

"The Arc Reactor relies heavily on palladium."

"Extended exposure is poisoning him."

"If the source of the contamination could simply be removed, modern medicine could treat the poisoning."

He paused.

"But the source is also what’s keeping him alive."

Evenson finished the thought.

"So his choices are simple."

"Die immediately..."

"Or die slowly."

Fury let out a quiet sigh.

"Tony Stark is one of the greatest minds on the planet."

"He should have decades left to contribute."

"It would be a tragedy to lose him now."

Evenson studied him for a moment.

"So what exactly do you want from me?"

He tilted his head.

"Unless..."

"You think my magic might be able to save him."

That was almost funny.

Asking a warlock to save someone’s life was like asking a shark to guard a swimming pool.

Warlocks did possess healing magic.

Technically.

The problem was what came with it.

Fel energy.

Their restorative spells worked because they flooded the body with demonic power, forcing damaged flesh to regenerate.

On another warlock, the corruption barely mattered.

On an ordinary human...

Repeated exposure would slowly twist body and soul alike.

Most people would rather die than accept that bargain.

Keeping Tony alive, however, wasn’t difficult.

Given enough Soul Shards, Evenson could create an endless supply of Healthstones.

Tony could consume one whenever death came knocking.

He wouldn’t die.

Not anytime soon.

The side effects, however...

Three months, perhaps less.

Horns would push through his forehead.

His legs would reshape into reverse-jointed limbs.

His feet would split into hooves.

A tail would grow.

Eventually Tony Stark would look less like Iron Man and more like a satyr fresh out of the Twisting Nether.

Exactly the sort of outcome most people considered... undesirable.

Fury nodded.

"That’s more or less what I was hoping."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has another solution in development."

"But we don’t know whether it’ll succeed."

"If your magic can buy Tony time, that’s all we need."

Evenson considered it.

"A permanent cure?"

He shook his head.

"I don’t have one."

"But extending his life..."

"That I can do."

Fury visibly relaxed.

"Good."

"If we have enough time, our own plan can be completed."

"Then this problem can finally be solved."

"But..." Evenson said.

The single word erased the optimism from Fury’s face.

"My method comes with a heavy price."

Fury frowned.

"How much?"

Apparently convinced this was another negotiation.

"I’ll charge a service fee," Evenson admitted openly.

"But that’s not the price I’m talking about."

He met Fury’s single eye.

"In the study of magic, life isn’t something you create from nothing."

"Especially not life."

He spoke quietly.

"Warlocks believe in equivalent exchange."

"So tell me, Director Fury..."

"What do you think is equal to a human life?"

There was only one answer.

Life.

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