Hello all!

A shorter chapter this week, especially after last week's mammoth chapter! The next few chapters may be shorter but as we move closer to the next part of the story, the chapters will begin to lengthen again.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The Time Stone

Saturday 4th February 2017

177A Bleecker Street

New York Sanctum

They had not expected to wait so long before they made a move for the Time Stone. From staking out the New York Sanctum, Natasha had learned Stephen Strange had not yet appeared as the Sorcerer Supreme. In the last week intelligence had filtered through from Natasha that Strange had now appeared there.

Their plans to obtain the Time Stone before Christmas had not gone ahead. Neither of them had wanted to face the other bearer of the Time Stone. Tony had informed Natasha that when Bruce had gone to New York to obtain it for them originally, he had not encountered Strange, rather a woman. Considering they were going to be overlapping with Strange, both Tony and Natasha had agreed to wait for him to appear and then try to recruit him to the Avengers at the same time as retrieving the Time Stone.

Since Thaddeus Ross's trial and the lack of movement on pursuing Infinity Stones, Tony and Pepper had spent the majority of December and January planning their wedding. They wanted to keep it small and had set a date for February 2018. Despite it not being the original date they'd married before, Tony didn't care. He just wanted to marry her, have her as his wife, even if it was for a short time before Thanos was due to arrive and reign down hell upon them all.

They stood on the corner of Bleecker Street.

"Are you sure approaching them is wise?" Natasha whispered quietly.

"We have no choice," said Tony. "We need that Time Stone." He glanced over his shoulder at Wanda. He'd brought her along with them because if they were able to retrieve the Stone, he'd rather destroy it here rather than elsewhere. "I don't want to risk leaving this one until last. We're still waiting on Danvers to return before we can even consider the ones on other worlds."

"I hope she returns soon," noted Natasha quietly, her eyes focused upon the building situated just down the road from where they were standing.

"Me too," replied Tony. He was getting anxious at the lack of contact from Carol Danvers. He was considering getting Nick Fury to send the signal to her again, in the hope it might entice her to return. It was possible she was having trouble locating the Guardians of the Galaxy but they couldn't rule out the possibility she had made contact and they simply just hadn't arrived at Earth yet. They hadn't expressively informed Danvers to let them know the outcome.

Eyes focused upon the front door of the Sanctum, Tony began to walk up the path, keeping his head down. He was wearing inconspicuous clothing, a tracksuit with a hat and sunglasses. It was a disguise which had worked well over the years and continued to do so. His arc reactor was hidden underneath his jacket.

Natasha wore jeans and a hoody, and she too wore sunglasses. Her red hair was tied back. Wanda had adopted a similar style though her hair was splayed around her shoulders instead.

Reaching the door to 177A Bleecker Street, Tony raised his fist to prepare to knock when the door opened of its own accord.

Slightly weary, he glanced back at Natasha. "Someone knows we're here…"

Pushing it open, Tony stepped inside into a wide entrance hall. The stairs sat in the centre of the wide room, curving round up to the first floor. The walls were decorated with old paintings and ornaments were scattered around the room. It was musky and old.

"Hello?" Tony called out, not really expecting an answer.

Wanda closed the door behind her and lifted the hood off her head. "This place…" she whispered. "There's… magic here. I can sense it."

Tony could feel it too. His skin was tingling. It was a sensation he had never picked up before when he had visited the place originally. He didn't want to consider the implications of that thought. Tony stepped further, casting his eyes around, looking for any sign of movement.

He looked in one corner and then turned his head to look elsewhere, only to whip his head back when Wanda gasped. Doctor Strange was now standing where he had last looked. Strange was standing in the corner, his arms folded over his chest, scrutinising them as they stood in the entrance hall.

"I was not expecting guests," the wizard commented.

Tony swallowed. "We need to talk to you." Hr roamed his eyes downward and saw the necklace that Strange had worn before was not there. Where was the Time Stone?

"About what?" Strange drifted forward.

Natasha answered with her voice low but filled with emotion: "Something is coming. We're trying to stop it but we need your help. We need the Time Stone."

Strange led them to a study where there was a sofa aligning the wall. He stood in front of them, keeping his composure as he considered them all. Natasha's proclamation had made him weary but he had agreed to talk to them. He disappeared for a while, presumably to collect the Time Stone as he arrived in the room a short while later with it hanging around his neck.

"How do you know about this?"

"Circumstances," answered Natasha cryptically. "We have reasons for seeking it out." They'd agreed to inform Strange as much as they possibly could without giving away what would happen if Thanos collected all the Stones. "We know there are six of them, something you are aware of yourself. We know they are all exceptionally powerfully, which have been in the universe since the very beginning, perhaps from the very point of creation itself, maybe even from before that." She paused to collect her words together. "There is a threat coming who wants to collect all the Stones. He will do everything in his power to make sure he retrieves them all, and if he succeeds… its game over for all of us. We need to stop him and the only way of doing so is to destroy them before he gets here."

"The Stones are required to keep the universe balanced," Strange stated. "To destroy them is to destabilise the universe. You risk ripping the universe apart."

"Charming," commented Tony. "If it helps, I do not think destroying them is really ridding the universe of the Stones themselves."

Natasha threw him a suspicious glance. What was he implying?

"A power that ancient surely cannot be easily destroyed?" Tony theorised, hands behind his back, swinging back and forth. "If they are the building blocks of the universe surely aspects of them must continue to exist even if their shells are destroyed? Destroyed and scattered makes it harder for someone to use their power unwisely, surely?"

Natasha wasn't sure what he was implying but she could guess. The Mind Stone remnants had sunk into Tony's hand. What if they didn't need to destroy them? But if Tony suspected it, why was Wanda here? There was no guarantee that she was needed for the other Stones. She may have only had the power to destroy the Mind Stone.

"That may be so, Stark, however it is not something I am willing to risk on a theory," stated Strange. "I cannot risk the universe."

"You won't be," replied Tony.

"Tony…" Natasha felt wary of what Tony was saying. Wanda was watching him carefully.

"I was told to watch out for you," explained Strange. "'Watch out for Tony Stark', she said. 'He would come for it'. She never told me what she meant. Now I see it was for the Time Stone."

"Who is 'she'?" asked Tony, glancing at Natasha.

"The Ancient One. She passed away not that long ago. I am the Sorcerer Supreme now. She had the ability to see the future, past her own death, a very rare gift among the Sorcerers."

"Did she tell you anything else?" Tony's mouth was dry.

"No." Strange held up the Time Stone. "Only to watch out for you. Curious wording. Am I meant to stop you from what you are doing or to help you? Which is it, Stark?"

Tony swallowed.

Natasha could see he was unnerved by the conversation but he was attempting to keep his cool, to show he was not a threat.

"I'm here to help, not to single-handedly destroy the universe," replied Tony carefully.

"Yet you want to destroy it," stated Strange, "by taking the Stones. Perhaps they were Stones for a reason. Perhaps it is the only way their powers can be contained."

Natasha paused, her mind whirling at Strange's words. No. They are still contained. The Mind Stone isn't gone. It's just in Tony… What if their mission wasn't to destroy the Stones but to become the Stones?

"I do not think there is anything I can say which would convince you otherwise," continued Tony. "But I know something which might."

"What?" Strange looked vaguely curious.

"Use it." Tony pointed out. "Use the Time Stone to see the outcomes of the coming conflict. Something is coming. We still have time to prevent the outcome we know is at the end of the road but we need your co-operation. The only way to do that…" He trailed off, his eyes focused on the Wizard in front of him.

"He let me into his mind," spoke up Wanda, having stayed silent all this time. "I saw things I wouldn't believe but I know to be true. They need this Stone. It will help save us all."

Strange cast his gaze between them. "Wait here."

Strange returned fifteen minutes later with another man in tow. A man Tony knew to be Wong, Strange's friend and who had protected the Sanctum during Strange's absence during the five years of hell following the Decimation.

"After discussion with my good associate, Wong, I will use the Time Stone to view the future. However, Wong is here to protect me if either of you decide to harm me or take the Stone." Strange's voice was hard and his face resolved over what he needed to do.

"We won't harm you," said Tony. "None of us are like that."

Strange turned and sat on the floor, his legs crossed over. The Time Stone floated in front of him, glowing slightly green as tendrils appeared around Strange's body. The Wizard's eyes closed and they watched as Strange started to seep deep into the mysteries of the future.

"Will this work?" whispered Natasha in Tony's ear.

"I hope so. When he did this before we were already set on the path to only one way of winning… I'm hoping this time there, with it being so far in advance, we may have a chance of more," replied Tony, thrusting his hands into his pockets.

Wong kept a watch on them whilst keeping an eye out on his friend.

After a while Strange's body began to shake and rose from the floor, hovering just a metre above the floor, and his head began to move faster as he looked in different directions, potentially indicating that he was looking into lots of different futures.

"Is he alright?" whispered Wanda, holding her hand up to her mouth in horror as they observed Strange's actions becoming faster and faster.

And then Strange came out of his trance, his voice rising as his eyes opened and a small scream erupted from his throat.

Tony flinched, not wanting to know the outcome of what he had seen and why it had caused Strange such a distress. He paced forward as Wong did the same, reaching Strange at the same time. Kneeling down, he placed a hand on the Wizard's shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?" Tony asked quietly.

Strange looked stress, his normally perfect hair was now messier then usual and he was panting heavily as he fought to regain his composure. "I'm… fine."

Tony wasn't too sure on Strange's assertion but decided not to question him further. He wouldn't get answers if he pushed for them: he'd learnt that before.

"You saw the future?" Natasha asked quietly.

"I saw many outcomes of the coming conflict… All of them ended in failure save for one."

Tony didn't know how to react. There was still only one way to win? Surely they'd have more?

"You're already on the path of one way, Stark," said Strange quietly. "And, now I know what I must do." He pushed himself to his feet, wiping dirt from his clothes as he got to his feet. He levitated the Time Stone towards Tony. "Take it."

Surprise flashed across Tony's face. He was surprised Strange was just giving it to them with no question asked but he had seen the future. Tony didn't want to take it, not with his bare hands anyway. He glanced at Nat. "Do you have a cloth I can use?"

Understanding his hesitation in not wanting to take it in front of an audience, Natasha stepped forwards with a stray bit of tissue from her pockets and Strange levitated the Stone into her hand. Wrapping it up tightly, she passed the Stone to Tony who took it safely in his hands and tucked it into his inner pocket of his jacket.

"I'm surprised you just gave it to me," stated Tony.

Strange still looked a bit shaken. Whatever it was, he was not going to elaborate. "You only have one shot of this, Stark."

"Right…" Tony swallowed. He wasn't sure what to think. "Erm… well… thanks."

He wasn't sure if they should leave or not but they'd retrieved what they came for and the three of them quietly left the Sanctum.

Avengers Facility

"You didn't really need me," mused Wanda. "Why did you ask me to come?"

Tony unwrapped the Time Stone and set it upon the table in his lab. "I was going to ask you to destroy it there but… I think we need to do it here. The less people who know what we are up to the better." He was careful not to touch the glowing green gem. He stepped back. "FRIDAY?"

"Yes boss?"

"Please secure all doors into the lab," ordered Tony.

"Done."

Locks clicked and sliding doors slid across and the few windows into Tony's lab were shadowed over.

Tony stepped back, nodding to Wanda.

"You believe I can do it?" she asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter if you can't. You're still incredibly powerful if you cannot." He wanted to believe but a part of him did wonder if they really needed to destroy the casings but he had a theory he wanted to try out.

Tony grabbed Natasha's hand and pulled her back.

"You don't think she'll destroy it, do you?" she asked quietly.

Tony didn't answer. He didn't want to face the reality he was supposed to absorb them. The nagging feeling in his chest only pumped harder. He was denying it.

Wanda positioned herself in front of the table, arms raised and she focused her power upon the Time Stone. Red strands of power echoed from her fingers and as she poured more energy into them, the strands increased in size until they were close to the Time Stone. But as they reached out to brush it aside, there was a white flash, a scream and silence.

Tony had covered his eyes at the flash and as he lowered his arms, he saw Wanda lying sprawled on the floor. She was groaning in pain. "Wanda!" He ran forward, ignoring the fact that the Time Stone was still intact on the table. He slid to his knees and gently turned her head to face his. "Wanda?"

She blinked several times before she focused upon Tony. "That… hurt."

"Do you want to sit up?" asked Tony.

Natasha was at her other side and at Wanda's nod, Tony helped lift Wanda into a sitting position. She rubbed the back of her head.

"I don't… think… I can… destroy it."

Tony's lips twitched. "The Mind Stone must have been the exception." It had been a theory he had already assumed but he'd hoped Wanda would have been able to destroy them regardless. He sighed. "Don't worry about it." He looked down at his hands. "Guess there is only one thing to do."

Wanda looked at him with wide eyes. "What do you intend to do if you can't destroy it?"

"I don't think we really needed to destroy the Mind Stone," said Tony quietly. "I picked up the fragments of it after it was destroyed and I absorbed them…" Other than Natasha and Pepper, Wanda was the first to know this new development.

"Your power…" whispered Wanda in awe. "You think I could only destroy the Mind Stone because my power originated from it?"

"I do," confirmed Tony. "In the end, considering I absorbed the fragments, I don't think we needed to destroy them." He walked towards the table, his shoulders slumped, not sure if he was ready to face the reality which awaited him if he succeeded in absorbing the Time Stone.

"Tony… I know it scares you," said Natasha quietly, "but we're on this path for a reason. We cannot ignore what we've been given or these powers we have."

"I know," he answered quietly. "I guess I have to face it sometime, right?" He had to accept it.

Natasha drew Wanda back as Tony reached out and gently picked up the Time Stone. He placed it on his palm.

And then the Stone began to sink into his palm, and his hand glowed green as it melted through his skin and leaving no mark behind, save for the slight tingling sensation he had experienced when the fragments of the Mind Stone had been absorbed. He felt warmth in his chest. For a brief second he heard the ticking of time in his ears before it fell silent and his whole body glowed briefly green.

He let his hand hang loose at his side. "It's done."

Wanda moved forward reaching for Tony's hand, her fingers running over the skin where the Stone had sunk in. She reached up to place a hand on his chest but then paused. "Can I?"

He nodded.

She placed a hand upon his chest and closed her eyes. "Power. I feel it. The chains are loosening."

Tony paled. "What do you mean?" He could guess but he'd rather here it verbally.

"Your powers are tied together," said Wanda.

"She's right," confirmed Natasha. "I sensed it myself too."

"But what ties them together is loosening," finished Wanda, removing her hand from Tony's chest and stepping back.

It was obvious what Tony now needed to do, where this was going. "That means for me to use my powers I have to absorb every Infinity Stone."

"At least it makes things simpler," smiled Natasha. "You just need to touch it. No need for us to destroy them, is there?"

Tony could only agree. "No, there isn't."

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

I looked at the Marvel Cinematic Universe wiki and it does have a preliminary dating system for when events in the MCU take place. Apparently the finale of Doctor Strange took place in January 2017 which is why this story has jumped ahead a few months. I didn't want Tony and Nat to meet the Ancient One, only Strange and Wong, so the small time jump had to be done.

So, a few developments in this chapter. Strange looked into the future but what did he see? What awaits Tony and Natasha? Why can Tony absorb the Stones? What will happen when he has all six? That's if he gets all six before Thanos arrives... *evil laugh*

I hope to post the next chapter next Sunday though it could be a day early or a day later as we may visit family on Sunday. It isn't confirmed yet though. Next week we will see the arrival of the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Until next time,
the-writer1988