-Broadcast-
The interior of the New York Sanctum was a study in contrasts—ancient mystical architecture merged with the damage from Banner's recent arrival. Sunlight streamed through the shattered skylight, illuminating dust motes that danced in the air. The destroyed staircase had been cordoned off, debris still scattered across the floor.
Tony Stark sat on an ornate sofa that looked like it belonged in a museum, his posture casual despite the gravity of the situation. Pepper had reluctantly parted ways with him at the entrance, understanding that whatever was happening required his immediate attention. Now, Tony listened as Wong—the other sorcerer he'd just met—began to explain something that sounded like it came straight out of a science fiction novel.
Wong stood before them, his hands moving in deliberate patterns as golden magical energy began to coalesce in the air. His voice carried the weight of ancient knowledge as he spoke.
"At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing," Wong began. "Then... boom."
His hands spread wide, and a spectacular magical simulation bloomed before them—a miniature Big Bang exploding in slow motion, radiating brilliant light. From the explosion emerged six distinct points of light, each a different color, spinning and orbiting in the space before them.
"The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe," Wong continued, his fingers conducting the magical display like an orchestra. "These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence."
Doctor Strange stepped forward, his Cloak of Levitation settling around his shoulders as he took over the explanation. His voice was measured, clinical—like a surgeon explaining a complex procedure.
"Space." A blue stone brightened in the display, and the simulation showed it warping reality around it, bending distance.
"Reality." Red energy swirled, reshaping matter itself.
"Power." Purple light pulsed with raw, destructive force.
"Soul." Orange luminescence glowed with an eerie, almost sentient quality.
"Mind." Yellow brilliance sparked with consciousness and will.
"Time." Strange's hands moved to the amulet around his neck—the Eye of Agamotto. With a gesture, the ornate metal casing opened like a flower, revealing a green stone that pulsed with temporal energy. "Tell me, what would a being like Thanos do?"
Tony glanced at Banner, who sat beside him looking exhausted and traumatized. "Sorry, you giving out tickets to something? What's the mascot? What are we—"
Banner cut him off, his voice urgent and haunted. "There's a being called Thanos. He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He destroys what he doesn't. And he kills half of all living beings. He sent Loki. The attack on New York, that's him."
Tony's expression shifted immediately, the sarcasm dropping away. He stood up, his mind already racing through implications. "This is it. What's our timeline?"
Banner spread his hands helplessly. "No telling. He has the Power and Space Stones. That already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe. If he gets his hands on all six Stones, Tony..."
Strange interjected gravely, "He can destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of."
Tony turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Did you seriously just say 'hitherto undreamt of'?"
Strange remained impassive. "Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?"
Tony glanced down at the ornate relic he'd been casually using as an armrest. "Is that what this is—"
Before he could finish, the Cloak of Levitation suddenly swatted his hand away from the artifact with surprising force, like a parent slapping a child's hand away from a cookie jar.
Tony jerked back, startled, then pointed at the animated cloak. "I'm going to allow that. If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just stick this one down the garbage disposal?"
Strange shook his head firmly. "No can do."
Wong stepped forward, his expression resolute. "We swore an oath to protect the Time Stone with our lives."
Tony made a dismissive gesture. "And I swore off dairy, but then Ben & Jerry's named a flavor after me, so..."
Strange's lips twitched slightly. "Stark Raving Hazelnuts."
Wong nodded enthusiastically. "It's not bad."
Banner looked confused. "A bit chalky."
Strange continued, "A Hunka-Hulka Burning Fudge is our favorite."
Banner blinked. "That's a thing?"
Tony waved his hand, redirecting the conversation. "Whatever. Point is, things change."
Strange's voice hardened. "Our oath to protect the Time Stone cannot change. And this Stone may be the best chance we have against Thanos."
"Yeah," Tony countered, "and conversely, it may also be his best chance against us."
"Well, if we don't do our jobs—"
"What is your job exactly?" Tony interrupted. "Besides making balloon animals?"
Strange's eyes narrowed. "Protecting your reality, douchebag."
Banner stood up, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. "Okay, guys, could we table this discussion right now? The fact is that we have this Stone. We know where it is. Vision's out there somewhere with the Mind Stone, and we have to find him now."
Tony folded his arms across his chest, his expression darkening. "Yeah, that's the thing."
Strange frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Two weeks ago, Vision turned off his transponder," Tony admitted, his voice tight. "He's offline."
Banner's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"
Tony looked away, walking a few steps before turning back. "Yeah."
Banner's voice rose with accusation. "Tony, you lost another super bot?"
"I didn't lose him," Tony shot back defensively. "He's on leave from the Avengers. We have to find him."
Strange asked the obvious question. "Who can find Vision then?"
Tony grimaced, his jaw working as he wrestled with the answer. Finally, reluctantly, he said, "Shit." He paused, then added, "Probably Steve Rogers."
Strange turned away, exasperated. "Oh, great."
Banner caught the tension immediately. "Call him."
"It's not that easy," Tony said, not quite meeting Banner's eyes. "God, we haven't caught up in a spell, have we?"
"No," Banner agreed slowly, sensing something was very wrong.
Tony took a breath, then delivered the news. "The Avengers broke up. We're toast."
Banner's face went through several expressions—confusion, disbelief, then dawning horror. "Broke up? Like a band? Like The Beatles?"
"Cap and I fell out hard," Tony explained, his voice flat. "We're not on speaking terms."
Banner looked stricken, his voice dropping. "Tony, listen to me. Thor's gone. Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter what you did."
The words hit Tony like a physical blow. Thor's gone. He closed his eyes briefly, processing the loss of another ally, another friend. When he opened them again, his jaw was set with determination.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old flip phone—ancient by modern standards, battered and well-worn. The screen was cracked. It looked like it had been carried for years, kept close, but never used.
Tony stared at it for a long moment, his thumb hovering over the power button.
-Real World-
"You are still using such an old phone?" Star-Lord looked at Tony strangely.
Tony tilted his head. How would he know where this phone came from?
"It seems like a lot of things happened after the airport battle! The Avengers were disbanded! Captain, you've become a wanted criminal just like me!"
Scott rested his chin on his hand and teased Captain America.
Captain America smiled helplessly.
"Bucky's incident was just the trigger! Do you remember the Sokovia Accords? The teacher even specifically talked about them when Peter was in class!"
Banner spread his hands. Although he didn't understand why they suddenly broke up on the sky, it didn't stop him from thinking.
"Yeah! I don't know what's happened to me. I don't think I'm dead, am I?"
Rhodes shrugged his shoulders, remembering how he fell from the sky during the civil war and didn't know if he could survive.
Tony patted his shoulder and said, "You don't have to worry about that problem now! With the Extremis virus, the fall won't kill you!"
Rhodes rolled his eyes. He was still a little scared about the stability of that thing. If Maya and Helen hadn't assured him that it was absolutely safe, he would not have injected that thing!
Ross also sent a team, injected with the Extremis virus, and planned to use them as capital for his future presidential campaign!
As a deal, Ross turned a blind eye to many of Tony's things, otherwise Tony would not be able to deploy so many drones and Iron Legion in New York.
[You want to know what happened after the civil war at the airport? Come and see!]
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