Nolan found himself grinning despite his best efforts to maintain dignity. He stepped forward and embraced Thor, the contact brief and slightly awkward, both men maintaining that careful masculine distance that says affection without admitting vulnerability.
"Good to see you too, you overgrown thunder god," Nolan said, pulling back.
Thor clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to stagger a normal human. "Come, come! You're just in time. Tony's been working himself to exhaustion again."
The Asgardian led them deeper into the laboratory with the casual confidence of someone who'd made himself at home. Which, based on David's intelligence, he essentially had.
The corridor opened into a vast hall bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows. Classical music played softly from hidden speakers, something baroque and intricate that Nolan couldn't identify. Along the walls, transparent display cases showcased Tony's collection of Iron Man armors, each one a different iteration, a different solution to different problems. They stood like silent guardians, polished and pristine, lit from below to dramatic effect.
At the center of the hall, Tony Stark stood before a new armor mounted on a display frame. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, rumpled and stained with machine oil, and beach shorts that looked absurdly out of place in a laboratory. His hands worked inside the armor's chest cavity, adjusting something, muttering to himself.
The armor itself was striking. Black metal shell, heavier plating than his usual designs, proportions that looked less like Iron Man and more like...
"Nolan!" Tony glanced over his shoulder, not stopping his work. "Perfect timing. David, I need your help. The internal structure is twisted and my arms aren't strong enough to bend it back into alignment."
Nolan gave a slight nod. David immediately stepped forward, his metal frame moving with that characteristic smooth precision.
"Mr. Stark, your tone of voice reminds me of our Tech-Priest Raditus," David observed, reaching into the armor's internals with hands far stronger than Tony's.
"Oh?" Tony's eyebrow rose. "Maybe we should meet. He and I must have research topics we could collaborate on."
"Trust me," David said dryly, "you would not enjoy the experience."
Thor, meanwhile, had produced a bottle of wine from somewhere. Not just any wine. The label was in French, the vintage old enough to have significant value. He poured a generous measure into a crystal glass and pressed it into Nolan's hand.
"Drink, brother! Tony has excellent taste, even if he dresses like a beach vagrant."
Nolan accepted the glass and scanned the room for somewhere to sit. Most of the available surfaces were covered in technical schematics, half-eaten food, or discarded components. Finally, he spotted a leather sofa that looked relatively clean and settled into it.
The wine was excellent. Smooth, complex, probably worth more than a car.
His attention returned to the new armor Tony was working on. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. The proportions. The heavy plating. The general aesthetic.
"Tony," he said slowly, "are you shameless? Why does this armor look almost exactly like Imperial power armor?"
Tony didn't even look up from his work. "You're mistaken, Nolan. This is the armor of the super villain 'Iron Demon,' who follows the philosophy of the Guardians of Terra. What does that have to do with me, Tony Stark, respected industrialist and philanthropist?"
He straightened, wiping his hands on a rag.
"Besides, Stark Industries is too high-profile. I can't afford the scrutiny that comes with personally hunting Hydra agents. So I fabricated another identity. Secret identity, like the old comic books."
He gestured toward Thor with the oil-stained rag.
"Just like this oversized alien over here. His public codename is 'Bestehm.' Claims to be a giant alien bird with a volatile personality."
"If I could find better teammates, I wouldn't work with him at all. It's embarrassing."
Thor threw back his head and laughed, the sound booming through the laboratory. "Haha! Brother Nolan, do you remember the giant bird we ate in Asgard? That's where the name came from. A fitting description of our raids, yes?"
He shaped his hand into a crude bird's head, making pecking motions.
"I am the mighty Asgardian God of Thunder! I cannot have it known that I spent my time bullying mortal criminals in Midgard. Heimdall would see me neglecting my duties and report to my father. And Jane..." His expression softened slightly. "Jane is not ready to meet my family yet."
Nolan smiled at that, genuine warmth cutting through his usual careful control. He took another sip of wine, savoring it, then set the glass aside.
"Since everyone seems to be in good spirits," he said, his tone shifting to something more serious, "are you interested in joining forces to completely uproot Hydra? I mean total physical annihilation. Not arrests. Not prison. Eradication."
Thor shrugged, unconcerned. Violence was violence. The target didn't matter much to him.
But Tony went still. His hands stopped moving. He turned to face Nolan directly, expression thoughtful.
"You're planning another operation? I seem to recall that not long ago, the Leviathan organization, almost as infamous as Hydra, simply disappeared. That was your work, wasn't it?"
"It was," Nolan confirmed. "And I acquired something interesting from them. A very strange alien spacecraft, possibly belonging to a race hostile to humanity. When there's time, I'll have David familiarize you with the data we've collected."
He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees.
"You've noticed the world is changing, haven't you? Criminal methods are evolving. Threats are escalating. And based on intelligence I've gathered and... certain premonitions... what Earth will face in the future is far beyond anything you or I have encountered so far."
"So, to gather elite fighters willing to stand against what's coming, my suggestion is simple. We form our own team. Pool resources. Share intelligence. Act when necessary. What do you think?"
Thor raised his glass immediately. "I have no objections. You are my brother and friend. I will always support you."
Tony crossed his arms, frowning in concentration. Several seconds passed before he spoke.
"The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, once mentioned a similar concept to me. A program called 'The Avengers Initiative.' But due to political obstruction and bureaucratic nonsense, it's stuck on paper. Never got off the ground."
He shook his head.
"And since S.H.I.E.L.D. is more like Hydra's public relations department these days, and Rogers warned me to minimize contact with their agents, I didn't pursue it."
Nolan nodded slowly. "Nick Fury's right hand, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, has joined my organization. That should tell you everything you need to know about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current state."
He gestured at himself and Thor.
"If we form our own team, we recruit only people we trust. Allies with proven loyalty and high combat capability. No bureaucrats. No politicians. No hidden agendas."
His expression grew more animated.
"I plan to introduce you to a sorcerer and a national leader who's mastered both witchcraft and advanced technology."
"Excellent!" Thor drained his glass in one swallow. "I love meeting new friends! I will join immediately!"
Tony rubbed his chin, still thinking. Finally, he nodded.
"We do need a team that shares intelligence and provides mutual support. Independent. Self-directed. Accountable only to ourselves."
He paused.
"So what do we call this team?"
Nolan's eyes widened slightly, an idea forming. "How about the Justice League?"
Silence.
Tony stared at him. "We... execute criminals on the spot. We burn evidence. We operate outside the law. And you want to call it the Justice League?"
He spread his hands, incredulous.
"Nolan, do you even believe that when you say it out loud?"
Nolan showed his teeth in what might charitably be called a smile. "Tony, whether you believe it or not, I believe it."
"That's not reassuring."
Nolan's expression shifted, growing serious. He looked at both Thor and Tony, his gaze steady and intense.
"What about... the Inquisition?"
The word hung in the air.
"We jointly judge heretical organizations that betray Earth's interests. We resist alien threats that endanger humanity's future and Asgard's as well. The Inquisition. What do you think?"
Tony's frown deepened. He mouthed the word silently, testing it. "The Inquisition. I was actually thinking something like 'The Illuminati,' but..."
He trailed off, considering.
Finally, he nodded slowly.
"The Inquisition works. It's direct. Honest about what we are."
He straightened, his voice taking on a formal tone.
"Then I declare that from this moment forward, the Inquisition is officially established!"
He pointed at each of them in turn.
"And the three of us are the founding members. The elders, if you will."
Thor raised his now-empty glass. "To the Inquisition!"
Nolan stood, picking up his own glass. "To the Inquisition."
David's voice carried from across the room, dry and amused. "Congratulations, gentlemen. You have formed a secret organization. How very human of you."
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