iii. 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥

𝟎𝟎𝟒

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They popped up on the roof of the New York Sanctum. Everett saw a woman wearing yellow robes, throwing jagged mandalas into the sky to prevent rubble from falling on top of her. Bruce walked toward the staircase, but the woman interrupted him.

"I'd be careful going that way; we just had the floors waxed."

Bruce walks closer. "I'm looking for Dr. Strange."

The woman tilts her head. "You're about five years too early. Stephen Strange is currently performing surgery about 20 blocks that way. What do you want with him?"

Everett sucks in a breath when she notices the Eye of Agamotto hanging her from her neck. The Ancient One's eyes turn to her.

"Ah. Everett Barton. I think you are in the wrong state, at least for this time." Her eyes study Everett.

Everett points to the Eye. "We need that."

"Ah," the Ancient One says. "I'm afraid not."

Bruce cracks his knuckles. "I'm seriously sorry, but we weren't asking."

He moves closer to her.

"You don't want to do this." Her eyes narrow.

Bruce shrugs. "You're right, I don't. But we need that stone, and I don't have a lot of time to debate it."

He reaches for the stone., but the Ancient One slams her palm into his chest. Everett runs forward and holds the Ancient One's hand with her energy. The Ancient One's eyes widened, then stepped back. Everett turned around and was astonished by what she saw. Normal Dr. Bruce Banner was standing above Smart Hulk, who was laying on the ground, unconscious.

The Ancient One tilts her head, a gracious smile on her face. "Now. Let's start over, shall we?"

Everett turned back to her. "Ma'am, please. We need the Time Stone. It's-"

The Ancient One turns around and begins to water her garden. "I wish I could help you, but if I were to give up the Time Stone to help your reality, I'd be dooming my own."

Bruce's astral projection followed her. "Yeah, with all due respect, I'm not sure the science supports that."

The Ancient One thrust out her hand, and a shimmering orange line stretched as far as Everett could see in both directions. "The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time." A projection of the Infinity Stones circle the line. "Remove one of the stones, and that flow splits." The Ancient One flicks the Time Stone out of the loop, and a dark, shadowy line branches out from the original line. "Now, this may benefit your reality, but my new one, not so much. In this new branch reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world would be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, Doctor, can your science prevent all that?"

Everett looks at the timeline, gears turning in her brain. "No."

The Ancient One and Bruce both look at her, perplexed.

"I'm not a scientist, so feel free to correct me on this, but I think we can erase it." Everett plucked the Time Stone from the air and put it back where it belonged. "Because once we're done with the stones, we can return each one to its own timeline, at the exact moment it was taken. Right?"

Bruce nodded, awe coming over his face. "Exactly." He looks at the Ancient One. "So, chronologically, in that reality, the stone never left."

The Ancient One turns around and walks the other way. "Yes, but you're leaving out the most important part. In order to put the stones back, you'd have to survive." She turns back around, eyes grave.

Bruce moves closer. "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-"

"Yeah?" Everett said, her voice a decibel louder than everyone else's. "Then why did Strange give it away?"

The Ancient One freezes, every bone in her body filled with fear. "What did you say?"

"Strange gave Thanos the Time Stone," Everett said, tilting her head.

"Willingly? Why?" The Ancient One's voice was laced with fear and confusion.

"Don't know," Everett said. "Maybe he made a mistake."

The Ancient One moved closer to Everett, but Everett didn't flinch. The Sorcerer Supreme studied Everett's face, analyzing everything she saw.

"Or I did," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She reaches behind Everett's head and sends The Hulk hurtling back into Astral Bruce. Her hands make a gesture, and the Eye opens, revealing the Time Stone. She takes it out and offers it to Everett.

"Strange is meant to be the best of us," she whispered.

"So, he must've done it for a reason," Everett said softly.

"I fear you might be right," The Ancient One says. She places the Stone in Everett's hand.

"Thank you," Everett said, a lump swelling in her throat. They were so close.

The Ancient One closes Everett's hand over stone and holds on. "I'm counting on you, Miss Barton. We all are."

Everett nods and looks at Bruce. He nods, and they both hit the buttons on their suits. Everett leaves with a smile on her face.

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longer chapter babes!! 

everett is happy at the end and i promise that is not gonna last long

OKAY

i have the next part of everett's story partially written (after endgame), i would love to know your predictions for what part of the MCU she ends up in next

LOVE YOU