Stairway to the Stars

11

Bruce was still the 2012!Ancient One. As Hulk's spirit form was lying down on a beach chair looking like he was sleeping with a hat on, Bruce tried reasoning with the 2012!Ancient One to let him have the Time Stone.

"Please, please!" Bruce begged.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you, Bruce," the 2012!Ancient One said. "If I give up the Time Stone to help your Reality, I'm dooming my own."

"With all due respect, I'm not sure the science really supports that," Bruce said.

The 2012!Ancient One created a projection with a long ray that simulated the flow of time. "The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one Stone and that flow splits." She flicked the Time Stone projection away and showed a black stream indicating a point of divergence. "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?"

"No, but we can erase it. Because once we are done with the Stones, we can return each one to its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically," he held the Time Stone projection, "in that reality," he put it back to its spot, "it never left." Bruce's astral form took the projection of the removed Time Stone, replaced it back amongst the other five, and the doomed alternate dimension faded away, illustrating his point.

The 2012!Ancient One still wasn't convinced. "But you are leaving out the most important part. In order to return the Stones, you have to survive."

"We will. I will. I promise."

"I can't risk this Reality on a promise. It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the Time Stone."

"Then, why the hell did Strange give it away?"

The 2012!Ancient One was surprised. "What did you say?"

"Strange, he gave it away. He gave it to Thanos."

"Willingly?"

"Yes!"

"...Why?"

"I have no idea. Maybe he made a mistake."

"Or I did." She returned Bruce to his Hulk body and opened the Eye of Agamotto, revealing the Time Stone. "Strange is meant to be the best of us."

"So he must have done it for a reason."

"I fear you might be right." She gave him the Time Stone.

"Thank you."

"I'm counting on you, Bruce. We all are."

---

2014!Thanos, 2014!Nebula, 2014!Gamora and 2014!Ebony Maw were on the Sanctuary II.

2014!Thanos said to Maw, "Run diagnostics. Show me her memory file."

"Sire, the file appears entangled," Maw replied. "It was a memory, but not hers. There's another consciousness sharing her network... another Nebula."

"Impossible."

"This duplicate carries a time stamp... from nine years in the future."

"Where is this other Nebula?"

"In our solar system. On Morag."

"Can you access her?"

"Yes. The two are linked."

"Search the duplicate's memories for Infinity Stones."

The memory of the meeting with all the Avengers started playing.