John slowly sat up, his head still spinning slightly. His fingers instinctively tightened around something cold in his palm. Looking down, he saw the Eye of Agamotto resting in his hand—its green jewel still glowing faintly, as if nothing had happened.
He blinked a few times, trying to take in his surroundings. Around him stood familiar faces—Tony, Steve, Bruce, Scott, and the Ancient One. Each of them looked concerned, their eyes fixed on him. Some were tense, others quiet, but all were clearly waiting for answers.
John glanced from one person to the next, then lowered his gaze again, thinking deeply. That strange vision… what was that? A dream? A hallucination? Or had he seen something real—a glimpse of a terrifying future?
He frowned slightly, trying to recall every detail. The burning stars. That enormous, shadowy figure crushing galaxies. The feeling of time unraveling all around him. It had felt too real to be just a dream.
But before he could think further, Tony's voice broke through the silence.
"Are you alright?!" Tony asked, his voice sharp but laced with concern. His brows were furrowed, and his usual confident tone was replaced by a tremor of worry. "You just dropped like a stone!"
Snapping out of his thoughts, John gave a small smile, trying to mask his unease. "Yeah… I think I just used too much spiritual energy. Guess it was more than I expected. I'm fine."
The Ancient One narrowed her eyes slightly at his response, clearly unconvinced. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer but she remained silent, letting the lie pass—for now.
To make sure everything was really okay, John quietly closed his eyes again and turned his focus inward. His spiritual sea came into view—calm, silent, vast as ever. Everything looked the same.
Yet… something felt off.
It wasn't something he could see. It was a feeling—deep inside his body. A strange heaviness mixed with something new. His senses were sharper. His heartbeat calmer. Time itself felt different, as though it were connected to him somehow.
He opened his eyes.
And froze.
Everything around him… had stopped.
Tony's mouth was still open mid-sentence. Steve's hand hovered in the air. Even the curtains near the windows had paused mid-sway. Not a single flower petal moved in the potted plants nearby.
John's heart skipped a beat.
Time has stopped, he realized, stunned.
He stood slowly, looking around. He waved a hand in front of Scott's face—nothing. Not even a blink. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the sudden rush of emotions. This… this was like the Space element, when he first connected with the Space Stone. Only this time, it was Time itself bending around him.
But he had no control over it. He hadn't meant to activate anything.
He sat back down and tried to steady his breathing. In just a few seconds, his body already felt drained. He could sense it clearly—more than half of his origin energy was gone, just from those few moments of stopping time.
When he opened his eyes again, the world resumed instantly.
"…and you didn't even warn us before touching the damn thing!" Tony was saying, completely unaware of what had just happened.
John let out a slow breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm okay. Really. And more importantly..." He lifted the Eye of Agamotto so everyone could see it, the green gem gleaming in the light. "We got what we came for."
Everyone leaned in slightly, eyes wide with curiosity. The tension in the room eased a bit as their focus shifted to the artifact in his hand.
Only the Ancient One kept her gaze on him a second longer—quiet, thoughtful, and maybe… a little uneasy.
But John said nothing more. Whatever had changed inside him, whatever vision he had seen—it would have to wait.
For now, the future was his to discover.
John slowly stood up, steadying himself. The Eye of Agamotto still pulsed faintly in his hand, its glow calm and rhythmic—like a heartbeat in the dark. Around him, the Ancient One gave a final nod, a silent blessing of sorts. They had gotten what they came for. There was no longer any reason to remain in Kamar-Taj.
"Let's go," John said quietly.
One by one, Tony, Steve, Bruce, Scott, and John exited the ancient hall. The stone corridors echoed softly beneath their feet as they made their way out.
Outside, John created a portal and took everyone with him to Avengers Tower.
---
Back at Avengers Tower, the atmosphere inside the lounge was surprisingly light—almost warm. Sunlight streamed through the glass walls, casting long golden shadows across the sleek floor.
Tony strode in with a confident smirk, something clutched in his hand.
"Alright, old man," he said, tossing a small containment cube onto the table. "Here's your next toy."
Inside, gleaming with pulsing golden energy, rested the Mind Stone.
Seeing this, Future Tony exhaled softly and relaxed a little. With the Time Stone in John's hand and the Mind Stone now safely recovered, they were only one step away from their goal.
"Two down," Bruce muttered, eyeing the Mind Stone cautiously. "One to go."
"The Space Stone," Steve said, arms crossed. "Where is it?"
John sat down slowly beside Present Tony. "Asgard," he said plainly. "That's where it's hidden."
A beat of silence passed.
Future Tony's smile dropped. "Well, that's… inconvenient. We don't exactly have flights going to Asgard."
Scott scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward. "What should we do now?"
They fell into silence, minds working furiously. Ideas were tossed back and forth—stealing a Bifrost bridge, asking for Thor's help, even going straight to Odin—but every option seemed impossible.
Then, suddenly, Present Tony leaned forward, his expression thoughtful and a little mischievous.
"Why don't you meet our father?"
The words cut through the room like a blade.
Everyone turned toward him, stunned.
Future Tony blinked in confusion. "What?"
"You heard me," Present Tony said, tapping the table with his finger, a smug grin forming.
Future Tony's eyes slowly widened as realization dawned.
"Yes… why didn't I think of that?"
"Because I'm smarter than you," Present Tony said with a smirk, leaning back proudly in his seat. "And younger."
Everyone stared in silence, momentarily speechless at the banter.
Bruce's eyebrows lifted. Steve chuckled under his breath. Scott looked back and forth between the two Tonys with a grin.
But Future Tony was already deep in thought. His expression turned serious as he murmured, "If we want to get the Space Stone… then we'll have to travel further back in time. Specifically, the year 1970."
"One more jump and we're out of Pym particles," Scott reminded quickly, his voice edged with worry.
"You don't have to worry," Present Tony said, confident and sure. "You'll be able to get both of those things there."
"Yes, he is… I mean, I am right," Future Tony said, nodding slightly. He turned to the group, his eyes steady. "Alright. Get ready. We have a mission to accomplish."