"I know," Tony says quietly. "It was hard for me, too." He falls silent, staring down at the sigils still glowing on the table. Idly, he scratches out some lines with his pencil to deactivate them - no sense in wasting energy, wherever the hell it comes from.
After a few seconds, he sighs again, and unslings the armor backpack from his back. He sets it on the bench beside him, and activates it so it unfolds partially - just enough to access the shielded pocket. He removes the tenth ring from the pocket and sets it on the table between them.
"He has all of the rings— except the last one. He only came in with nine, but the magic that brings us here sometimes brings other stuff from our universes, too. About a month after I got here, he found the tenth. He gave it to me. To keep it safe."
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After a few seconds, he sighs again, and unslings the armor backpack from his back. He sets it on the bench beside him, and activates it so it unfolds partially - just enough to access the shielded pocket. He removes the tenth ring from the pocket and sets it on the table between them.
"He has all of the rings— except the last one. He only came in with nine, but the magic that brings us here sometimes brings other stuff from our universes, too. About a month after I got here, he found the tenth. He gave it to me. To keep it safe."