Falcon and Groot came to a wide boulevard lined with hotels, casinos and neon signs on either side. They weren't sure where to start looking for the Time Stone, but they were sure that this place was Las Vegas from another Universe.
-According to this device, it teleported us to the closest place to the Stone within a quarter mile radius," said Sam, "and I think we hit the jackpot, Groot. Because we're in front of the biggest casino I've ever seen," Wilson continued excitedly.
The boys continued walking a few meters and found themselves in front of the big Odinson Casino. The entrance was a huge neon flower whose petals lit up and blinked. No one was coming out or going in, but the shiny chrome doors were open, and air-conditioned air with exotic aromas was wafting from inside.
The doorman smiled at them. He wasn't even surprised to see what Groot looked like.
-Hey, guys. You look tired. Do you want to come in and have a drink? -
-No, thanks. We're on to something important and we need to be quick," Sam replied.
-Relax, the bill's paid. You don't have to pay anything or tip. If you have any problems or needs, go up to the top floor, room twelve hundred. That's where the manager is," said the doorman.
-Okay, thank you," answered Sam. When they entered the Casino, their jaws dropped. Falcon exclaimed in surprise "Gee whiz!"
The entire lobby was filled with hundreds of people from different cultures and even planets. Hundreds of arcade and gambling machines. Everywhere were waitresses, dressed as Valkyries, and bars serving all kinds of food. Sam saw a giant needle clock at the back of the place that read 16:05hs. A sight for sore eyes.
-It will be impossible to find the Time Stone here. - Sam protested. He checked the device and noticed that the Stone was almost 150 floors up, on the top floor of the establishment.
The boys are guided by a blonde waitress to the nearest elevator and go up 147th floor, the highest in the building. When they arrive and the elevator opens, they see a long hallway with a door at the end.
The boys proceed down the narrow hallway in a determined but also cautious manner. Sam reconfirms the device, everything indicates that the Stone is in that room at the back.
When they arrive, they open the door slowly, prepared for any imminent danger. The floor was littered with candy papers and crumbs. A window illuminated the place with warm light. They still didn't see the Stone, but they noticed a silver hammer on the floor next to a desk. The room was the office of the Casino manager: Thor.
The Thor of this Universe was sleeping in the reclining chair with his feet propped up on his cluttered desk. Several cans of Coke on top and a picture of Thor and Loki on the table.
He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt; walking shorts and gladiator sandals. With a chubby belly and unkempt beard and hair. Groot steps on a wrapper, making a slight noise.
- Wow! - exclaimed the Norse god as he suddenly awoke from his nap. - Who are you? - he continued, speaking in Spanish.
-Wait... you are Thor? - asked Wilson.
-That's right. The Son of Odin and God of Thunder. You probably saw me on the Channel 11 commercials," replied Thor.
- And you own this casino? -
- That's right. The Odinson Casino is the largest association in Las Vegas. Which means it's the biggest in this world," answered Thor. "Really, guys... didn't you see the Channel 11 commercials? -
Sam and Groot look at him uneasily.
-Wait, what... are... you... you?" said Thor, gawking at Groot.
-I am Groot," answered the log.
-You're not just a Groot," replied Thor, "You're one of the majestic offshoots of the Yggdrasil.
- Hey, what the hell is an "Icdracil"," asked Sam.
- The Yggdrasil, the world tree. In my culture it is the guardian of Wisdom and Destiny... I've never seen anything like you, you are not for the eyes of common men-?
Sam and Groot look at each other strangely. -Okay, my friend, we came to look for an object that was lost some time ago and we are in a hurry, so..." said Sam. Thor was mesmerized.
-The power of all the gods comes from within you, Groot. From your sacred branches converge the nine realms," Thor continued.
-According to our radar, the Stone of Time is in your possession," said Sam. Thor looked at him defiantly.
-Thor pulls a glowing green Stone from his desk drawer and holds it up before the heroes' eyes.
-Thank you so much for holding it for us during this time," said Sam, reaching out his hand. Thor takes the Stone away from him.
- I propose a game! - said Thor.
- A game? - Sam wondered.
- I don't know if where they come from they know this ancient board game... - Thor began to search through the desk drawers.
Sam began to worry, as he expected Thor to pull out some unknown, impossible-to-understand Asgardian board game.
- I found it! -Thor took out a small cardboard box and put it on top of the table. Dust completely covered the box. Thor blew the box, flooding the boys' vision with dust. When they opened their eyes again they realized it was... -Chess! -
- Chess?!" said Sam, smiling. - Are you saying that if we win a game of chess you'll give us the Stone? -
- That's right, mortal.
Groot looked a little worried, while Sam started laughing mockingly. - I won 14 chess championships when I was a kid... It'll be a piece of cake. Tough luck, Thor.
-If you beat me, you get the Time Stone... but if you lose, I'll take over the tree and turn it into a chair," said Thor, threatening them. Groot swallowed nervously.
Falcon took the chair in front of the desk, but as he was about to sit down, Thor interrupted him.
-Not you, Terran. The competition is for Groot, and I'm going to play against Groot.
- What? Wait, you can't... Wait, you can't... Groot can't even play. I'll play for him," said Sam.
- No! I already said "I'll play against Groot," Thor answered; little blue rays crossed the god's eyes. Sam watched nervously and helplessly.
Groot sat down on the chair slowly. Thor raised his hand towards him, "Good luck, Groot," he said. The god's gaze turned to Sam with contempt. -If you don't mind, you can leave the room.
- What?! Are you kicking me out? -said Sam. - I can't leave Groot alone with you, you fucking pedophile son of a...
-We'll do it the easy way or... -No one knows what you'll do to him!
-No one knows what you'll do to him or if you'll cheat or...
- ...the hard way. -
The office door opened slowly. Sam kept silent, nervously. A portly female figure entered the room. A blonde, leather-jacketed woman with short hair stood in front of Sam menacingly.
-Guest, meet my wife: CAROL DANVERS. - Said Thor- Maybe you know her from the Channel 11 commercials. Oh right, I forgot you don't watch quality television. Well, I'll have you know that Carol won five arm wrestling matches in a row against the Hulk, her kill streak stands at 1256 kills and she escaped from Knowhere, the largest and most secure prison in the Galaxy. I don't recommend you mess with her.
Carol thunders her neck and smiles arrogantly at Falcon. Sam is forced to leave. Carol escorts him to the elevator and Sam walks down to the Casino.
Touring the Casino, Sam came across arcade machines and started playing to kill time. He was already suspicious, but he didn't yet realize how bad things are in that Casino.
He probably realized it when he saw the kid next to him was playing the first Street Fighter game. He would be about the same age as Falcon, but he was wearing really weird clothes.
He looked like some Elvis impersonator. He was wearing bell-bottom jeans and a red T-shirt with a leather jacket. and he had his hair slicked back and a Mostacho. His face was familiar to Falcon as he was SCOTT LANG (Ant-Man) from this Universe.
They played a game together and Scott said:
- Hey, buddy, can you throw me the hands? My watch has stopped... - pointing to his wrist. - I've got to take it to the watchmaker. I'm in the oven! -
- Uh, I don't know... I didn't bring my cell phone," Sam replied.
- Cell phone? - he looked at him in surprise, as if he had never heard the word before. -I asked you for the time, not a microscope, dude hahaha!
Falcon looked at the giant clock at the entrance that read 23:30hs; it had been almost 7 hours there, although Sam only remembered arriving a few minutes ago. He stared at the clock for several seconds, trying to figure out what was going on.
-How nice! It hasn't even been an hour since I got there," said Scott, although he looked like he hadn't touched a woman in 20 years.
- Hey, Shorty," exclaimed Sam.
- What? - replied Scott, immersed in his departure.
- What year is it? -
- In the game? -
-No, in real life.
Scott frowned and had to stop and think about it. - In 1986," he said with certainty.
- What?" said Sam.
- You sounds Greek to me," said Scott. "Argentina won a World Cup a week ago and in two days Halley's Comet will pass by after a hundred years.
- No, it can't be -
- Hahaha... whatever you say. I have a game to attend to. -
After that, he ignored him completely. Falcon started talking to the others, but it wasn't easy. They were glued to the TV screen, or the video game, or their food, or whatever. He found one guy who told him they were in 2005; another in 1972 and another in '98. Some were kids who didn't grow up anymore. They all claimed they hadn't been there too long, just a few days, at most a few weeks. In reality, they neither knew nor cared.
Then something crossed Falcon's mind: how long had he been there? It seemed like only a few minutes, but how long had it really been?
His memories were fading. Falcon didn't understand what was going on, he just knew he had to find Groot and get out of there as soon as possible so he wouldn't be trapped forever from there like those people.
He rushed to the elevator to look for Groot, but found two guards blocking him from entering because they said the elevator was "out of order". Sam opted to take the stairs, but there was a janitor who was mopping the wet floor and would not allow him to pass.
Falcon was supposed to leave the building, but the waitresses wouldn't let him. They offered him free drinks and infinite tokens; the smell of the food and the sound of the video games seemed more and more appealing to him. But Sam's willpower was stronger and he kept resisting all the way to the exit.
About five guards begin to confront him, but Falcon takes them down one by one with kicks and punches. Sam hurried out of the Casino and ran to the sidewalk. It was late afternoon, about the same time of day he had entered the casino, but something didn't add up. The weather had completely changed. The weather was overcast, a storm was coming.
Falcon activated his wings and flew down the side of the entire building until he reached the top floor. When he saw the 147th floor window, he flew into the building, smashing the window to smithereens. He quickly ran to the end of the hallway, where Thor's office was located.
When he entered the room, Groot was paralyzed. He was being controlled by Thor with the Time Stone. Something was wrong, Thor was much older, with gray hair and wrinkles on his face. Sam rushed at the Asgardian god to save Groot.
Thor attacked by throwing lightning bolts from his hands at Falcon, but Falcon defended himself by covering himself with his wings. The momentum pushed him, knocking him to the ground.
Sam saw a newspaper on the floor. The surprise and fear on his face showed. The date on the paper read February 8, 2070. More than 50 years had passed at the Odinson Casino. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed, but the reality was that Thor had them trapped there, as he did with all the people who entered the Casino.
It was too late now, the mission has failed and they were unable to perform the new Snap. Likewise, Sam got up and shot with the blades of his wings right at Thor's face, but Thor covers himself with the board. He took advantage of this move to grab the green Stone on top of the table.
With no time to waste, Falcon released Groot from the transe, grabbed his hand and they escaped through the door at full speed. Thor called Carol to capture them and the Stone. Quickly, a chase formed through the building.
Sam activated his wings and carried Groot to the exit, dodging security guards, people and columns. The alternate Captain Marvel was firing lightning bolts from her hands, regardless of the structure of the place or the customers. She only had the boys in her sights.
They were already in the streets, but Carol was still causing destruction in her wake as she chased them. Falcon decides to fly up high so that no one gets hurt in the city. Although he was having a hard time (since he had Groot's extra weight on his back) he managed to dodge almost all of the enemy's shots. Except for one.
An orange energy shot managed to hit Groot's back, causing him to plummet to the ground. Sam managed to save him from falling but a reloaded shot from the alternate Captain vaporized the poor log. Falcon could only witness a flash in front of him.
With the Time Stone and the device in his hands, Sam pressed the button and the reddish portal opened in front of him. Carol was approaching him at top speed. Falcon was about to enter the portal back to the Base until he saw Groot's incinerated limbs on the floor.
Having a chance to escape, Falcon decided to stay and use the Stone to go back a few minutes in time. Just at the moment where they took the Stone in the office.
Falcon hit Thor and knocked him unconscious. But just before, the fat Thor called Carol and is now approaching at full speed towards them.
Sam activated the device and the reddish portal opened in front of them. Carol smashed the door with a bang. Her golden power dazzled the heroes and her fury swept the atmosphere.
With the Time Stone, Falcon and Groot return to the Base. But just before the portal closes, Cosmic Woman crossed it and entered our Universe along with the boys.
At the Wakandan base, Falcon and Groot returned rejoicing about getting the Stone; but right behind them a golden flash came out of the portal and headed for the roof at full speed, destroying it and escaping.
Now the alternative Carol Danvers is in our Universe...