fiction | Part of the journey is the end

6. Asgard, 2013 & New Jersey, 1970

At the Sanctum, the Hulk's body was knocked out with a hat on his head as Ancient One said she couldn't help Bruce because by helping her reality, she was dooming her own.

Strange sighed. He understood what the Ancient One was saying, but she had to give Bruce the Time Stone.

Bruce said science didn't support it. The Ancient One used her magic to create a line with all six Infinity Stones around it and said, "The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one of the Stones, and that flow splits." She removed the Time Stone and a dark tendril of energy split as a new timeline, "Now this may benefit your reality. But my new one, not so much. In this new branched reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, doctor, can your science prevent all that?"

Everyone groaned at this revelation.

"Why is nothing going to plan?" complained Tony. "Reindeer Games over here," he gestured to Loki, "Escaped with the Tesseract, Steve fought himself, and now the Ancient One won't give up the Time Stone."

"Don't forget that Thor ran away," said Rocket. Thor buried his face in his hands.

"No." Bruce said, "But we can erase it. Because once we're done with the Stones, we can return each one into its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically...In that reality..." He put the Time Stone back, and the tendril vanished. "It never left."

Everyone's eyes widened, and they looked at Bruce impressed. Thor clapped Bruce on the back proudly, "Looks like those seven PhDs finally came to use."

Ancient One said they would only be able return it if they survived, and promised they would.

Strange shook his head. "She won't give the Stone to you on a promise. We're sworn to protect the Time Stone."

"Then why did you give it away!" Tony yelled, frustrated.

"I already told you that I had to if we want to win!" said Strange, irritated.

She said she couldn't risk this reality on a promise, and it was the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to guard the Time Stone.

Tony gave Strange a dirty look.

Bruce asked why Strange had given it away, shocking her. She asked if he had given it away willingly, and he said Strange had, so he might have made a mistake.

Strange shook his head. He was sure that he didn't make a mistake.

"Or I did," Ancient One realized, "Strange was meant to be the best of us."

Strange smiled, and his face turned slightly pink at hearing this.

Bruce realized, "So he must've done it for a reason." "I fear you might be right." She said as she summoned Hulk's body and the astral form went into it.

Bruce sighed in relief. He wasn't some weird ghost anymore.

She opened the Eye of Agamotto and handed the Time Stone to Bruce, who thanked her.

Everyone cheered as they got another Stone.

"Two down, four more to go!" said Sam.

"What about the Space Stone?" Rocket pointed out.

Everyone deflated. "We'll think of something," Steve said determinedly.

The Ancient One put her hand on his and said, "I'm counting on you, Bruce. We all are."