A soft shimmer of light appeared above the floating island, followed by a ripple in the air. Moments later, John stepped out of thin space and arrived at the Sky Fortress.
The wind brushed gently past him as he looked around.
It was cleaner than he remembered.
When they had fought Ultron here, the Sky Fortress had been a battlefield—broken, burned, and full of debris. But now, wide platforms gleamed under the sunlight, and along the edges of the Sky Fortress, a tall wall had been built, three meters wide and reinforced with fresh metallic panels.
John smiled slightly. The Avengers really cleaned this place up.
He took a deep breath. Then, using the contact runes he had left on each of them, John sent a gentle mental message directly into the minds of those on the Sky Fortress.
"Meet me at the central platform. It's urgent."
---
Tony Stark was crouched underneath the massive belly of the Sky Fortress, holding a plasma welder in one hand and the rune book in the other. Glowing lines were half-drawn on the thick steel foundation.
He blinked when he heard John's voice in his head.
"Seriously?" Tony muttered, standing up and wiping sweat from his forehead. "I just started."
But even as he complained, he grabbed the book and floated upward, heading toward the meeting point.
---
In another section of the fortress, Wanda Maximoff was meditating, her red aura floating gently around her like mist. It was suggested by Bruce so that she could control herself well. Pietro was pacing nearby, clearly bored out of his mind.
"I swear, if I have to hear that generator hum one more time—" Pietro started, but then both of them paused as John's voice rang clearly in their minds.
Wanda opened her eyes. "He's calling us."
Pietro grinned. "Finally, something to do."
---
Bruce Banner looked up from his notes and rubbed his tired eyes. The runes were complex, and he was still trying to understand their interaction with gamma radiation. But when John's calm voice echoed inside his head, he stood up without hesitation and headed out.
---
Thor was lying flat on a wide balcony with his hammer resting on his chest, eyes closed, counting clouds.
"By the stars, I thought I would go mad from boredom," he said to himself as he felt the message enter his mind.
He sat up, a smile tugging at his lips. "Finally."
---
After a few minutes, John stood in the middle of the circular platform at the top of the Sky Fortress. The sun was bright in the east, casting long shadows across the smooth surface.
Tony landed first, arms crossed, still holding the rune book.
"I was literally engraving the first Energy Distribution Rune," he said, mildly annoyed. "Do you have a timer set for when I get productive or something?"
John chuckled softly. "Just good timing."
One by one, the others arrived—Wanda and Pietro, Bruce, and Thor.
John gave a small nod, then raised his hand again, sending out one more series of messages through the contact runes.
"Steve. Natasha. Clint. I need you to come to the Sky Fortress. I'll open a portal once I lock onto your positions."
A moment later, colorful rings of energy formed in mid-air. Three portals opened side by side—one in front of Steve Rogers jogging down a path in D.C., one near Natasha Romanoff in a quiet SHIELD facility, and the last beside Clint Barton as he walked through his family farm.
Without hesitation, they each stepped through.
And just like that, all the Avengers were gathered once again.
No one spoke right away. They looked at John, their expressions calm, waiting. They trusted him enough to know that if he called them like this, it had to be something important.
John took a step forward.
"I won't waste your time," he began. "I'm leaving. There's a world out there that's on the edge of destruction, and I've decided to help."
A murmur passed through the group, but no one interrupted.
"I can't say much about it. Not yet. But… if anyone wants to come with me and help, you're welcome to."
Tony, still irritated from being pulled away from his work, narrowed his eyes slightly. He was no fool.
"You're not talking about their world, are you?" he said quietly.
John gave a small smile but didn't confirm or deny it.
Tony sighed and looked away. A parallel Earth… just like I thought. He didn't like it, but he knew John. Once he made a decision, nothing could stop him—just like Tony himself.
The others looked around, trying to make sense of it.
Clint was the first to speak. "So, what kind of threat are we talking about? Alien invasion? End-of-the-world kind of thing?"
John shrugged slightly. "Somewhere in between."
Wanda tilted her head. "Why now?"
"Because if I don't go soon," John replied, "there might not be anything left to save."
More questions followed, but John answered each one vaguely, skillfully keeping the details hidden while making it clear how serious it was. Still, none of them backed away.
And deep inside, John had known they wouldn't. They were Avengers, after all.
Then came the hard part.
"I can only take three of you with me," John said at last, his voice steady. "My strength isn't enough to carry more than four people through the passage. You'll have to decide."
The silence was heavy.
Tony was the first to speak.
"I'll stay," he said. "Wanda, Pietro, Bruce—we've still got a fortress to finish, and if this thing is going to be our safety net, I need to make sure it's perfect."
Wanda nodded. "I agree." While Pietro looked like a deflated balloon.
Bruce smiled faintly. "I'm not exactly field material anyway."
Thor stepped forward with a grin. "I've been waiting for a battle worthy of my hammer. Count me in."
Natasha glanced at Steve, then gave a slow nod. "I'll go."
Clint sighed, then smiled. "Well, someone's got to keep you two from doing something crazy. I'm in too."
Steve looked at John, then shook his head gently. "I'll stay. If I disappear now, every government in the world will think we're planning another Sokovia. Someone has to keep things calm."
John met his eyes and gave a respectful nod.
"Thank you."
With the decisions made, the wind blew softly across the Sky Fortress again, ruffling their hair and clothes.
Three would go. The rest would stay. But all were part of this mission now—whether fighting directly or holding the line at home.
And with that, the next step in John's journey was about to begin.