The Final Initiative

42.

      Jessi killed the thrusters in her armored iron boots and landed on the debris-filled sidewalk, at the center of the deserted city in front of her old home Stark Tower. She had the green time gem in a small compartment which was held tightly in her iron covered hand. She brought her fingers up to the comm link in her ear and spoke in a hushed tone to the others who were on the line "Hey, I'm here at the tower. I have the stone. Where is everyone?"

      The main doors to her old tower swung open, and two familiar figures emerged into the sun "crap" she swore, ducking behind a car that had been flipped over and crushed during the alien battle. A dead Chitari laid nearby. She pulled the hood of her black jacket over her head and yanked the drawstrings to tighten it. No one responded to her comms. The iron boots retracted she disappeared inside of her shoes, as well as the gloves on her hands. From over the car, her fathers voice could be heard conversing with Thor. Her father from 2012 of course. She poked her head around and peered from the shattered window.

She remembered this moment. He had put the tesseract into a case, and had carried it with him. From there, Loki was taken back to Asgard with the cube. Only this time, the case was nowhere to be seen. Jessi continued to spy on the younger version of her Father and Thor, in awe of how strange this all was... and it only got weirder. Her heart dropped to the ground as she witnessed the younger version of herself running out from the main doors of the tower, clutching Thor's very own Mjölnir in her small hand. Jessi's mouth fell open in bewilderment "now isn't that some shit" she said to herself "no no no, I got to focus" she shook her head, remembering what is was that she needed to accomplish here. She had to shove the fact that she was worthy to the back of her mind, at least for now.

No one was responding on comms "guys, where is everyone?" She asked "Steve? Dad? Scott?.. y'all won't believe what I'm seeing" she looked one more time to her younger self who was still holding the hammer "I think my future job may be to rule Asgard... if Asgard was... still around. I'm just talking to myself on here, aren't I?" there was nothing but static on the line. She groaned and gave up on trying to reach them.

"Here" a voice spoke out from behind, startling her slightly.

Jessi pushed off from her hiding spot behind the car and stood up as her Dad limped towards her through the rubble "Whoa, what happened to you?" she met him halfway, taking his arm in her hands. He wore black shield agent attire in replace of his other clothes. Jessi noticed the growing lump on his head and the bit of blood on his bottom lip.

"Hulk-a-fied" was all he muttered in response as he leaned against her for support.

"I'm just going to pretend I understand that" she shrugged "well, come on, let me help you" she put his arm around her shoulder so that he could use her as a crutch. In her other hand was the time stone "Did you get the stone?" she asked him as they began to slowly make their way back through the streets to the alley where they first arrived before splitting up. Steve and Scott both knew to meet there as well.

"No, I- I didn't" he shook his head "It's complicated, you?"

"Yeah" she glanced over her shoulder to see the tower "what about Steve?"

"Not sure"

Once they had returned back to the alley between the two brick buildings, Jessi sat her father down in an abandoned car for cover, then pulled out the time stone to show him "Doctor Strange wasn't there, but it was another Sorcerer, and she was the owner of the house on Bleecker street before he was"

"That's weird, kid" he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut from the headache present within his forehead. She was in a crouched position beside the car. She grabbed the helmet of his shield attire from the dusty ground and gave it to him, thinking that the glass from the helmet would be cool enough to act as ice in order to soothe the throbbing "sorry I, I had the tesseract, but things went south, I wasn't able to grab it"