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AN: I'm having to take some liberties to explore the area the Avengers are visiting compared to its appearance since it was last witnessed, but I hope the results will be worth it

Tempus Fugit, Infinitas Manet

Sitting in the back of the Quinjet alongside Natasha and Wanda as the Vision flew them in what he believed was the correct direction, Steve once again found himself mourning the loss of the camaraderie he'd spent so long forming with the other Avengers. He and Natasha might have a pre-existing friendship, but it didn't seem right to start up a conversation with her that Wanda couldn't participate in, and he had never been able to bring himself to ask for more information about Wanda's background that could inspire painful memories about Pietro.

After all, he'd found it hard to talk about Bucky for a while after Zola's capture, and he still found it difficult to think about that time even with the knowledge that his friend was 'alive' now (albeit still missing and possibly a victim of Hydra's control); things had to be worse for Wanda when she'd actually seen her brother's body.

Actually, considering that it had been late afternoon and none of them knew what was going to be awaiting them when they arrived, it had been easy for Steve to suggest that the two women get some sleep before they reached their destination. As an android, the Vision apparently didn't even need to sleep, and Steve had found his own need for rest one of the many things that had diminished since he received the serum; they'd agreed to remain alert in case anything happened.

As the Quinjet began its descent, the shift in interior noise woke up the two women, but a quick glance was all Natasha needed to confirm that they were just coming in to land. A few moments later, as the jet came to a halt in the middle of a small clearing in what looked like a thick forest, Steve got up and headed for the back of the Quinjet, followed closely by Natasha and Wanda. The Vision took a moment to deactivate the Quinjet's engines fully before he got up and followed them.

"Where are we?" Wanda asked, as Steve hit a switch to open the jet's hatch.

"A forest in England; I spotted a clearing that seems a suitable place to land the jet within walking distance of where the Stone appears to be," the Vision explained, before he looked apologetically over at Steve. "I apologise for not being more precise about our location, Captain Rogers; this part of the world is not one I have a great deal of geographical data on, and I was more focused on following the sensation than consulting any sort of map."

"No problem," Steve said, nodding in understanding at the Vision as he took a moment to make sure that his helmet was secure before turning to address the rest of the team. "Wanda, guard our backs while Natasha holds the middle with me; Vision, lead us to that Stone and let's get it out of here."

Nodding in understanding, the four Avengers fell into formation as they began to walk through the woods, Vision in the lead as the other three held on to their weapons. Under other circumstances, Steve would have appreciated the simple beauty of the woodland around him, but as always, it seemed like he could never visit a wood without a mission taking priority.

As they advanced further into the wood, however, Steve was surprised to see the remnants of old statues and assorted fragmentary walls gathered around them. He was initially curious about what kind of civilisation could have created these ruins, but the Vision's continued progress soon gave him something else to focus on than wondering what had been here in the past. As they walked along a narrow crevasse, they finally reached a thin gap between two particularly thick chunks of rock, the Vision pausing for a moment to stare at the hole before him.

"What is it?" Wanda asked, looking anxiously at the android.

"The stone," the Vision said, looking curiously at the gap before them. "It is there, but… it is not there…"

"It's not there?" Natasha asked, looking sharply at him. "You said-"

"I know what I said," the Vision said, looking at the Black Widow with a brief tone of apology before he focused his attention back on the cave. "There is something in there… and it is definitely an Infinity Stone… but it doesn't seem to be there all the time…"

"OK," Steve said, looking uncertainly at the android. "Any… ideas about that?"

"A few possibilities suggest themselves, given the nature of the remaining Stones currently unaccounted for, but nothing definite," the Vision said grimly. "I don't think it's dangerous, but… we should be careful."

"Always are," Natasha noted, before they advanced further into the crevasse before them.

As the four Avengers reached the heart of the cave, Steve's eyes widened as he stared at the vast interior before them. It might just be stone, but it was filled with all kinds of strange white crystals scattered around the walls, ceiling and floor, each glowing with some kind of strange light that none of them could identify the source of. The cave extended backwards further than any of them could see, with various stone pillars only increasing the number of crystals present, each crystal generating further light in the cave.

"Wow…" Wanda whispered, reaching out to touch one of the crystals, her hand glowing red with her powers as her finger stroked the wall.

"Wanda, wait-!" the Vision began, before the entire cave filled with a sudden green flash of light, blinding the four Avengers as they felt a sudden flying sensation…


AN 2: So, anyone guessed what the crossover will be yet?

It will be confirmed in the third chapter, at which point this story will be moved to the appropriate crossover section, but anyone who guesses it in advance will learn who my planned villain will be.