I Am Soul - Spider-Man / Peter Parker [2]

Chapter Twenty-One - The Time Stone

There was nothing else like it. Maria was flabbergasted by the sudden motion of being pulled towards the ground, her limbs shrinking as she did so, the ground turning from a platform to a brightly lit tunnel of oranges and yellows before shifting into blues. To fly through a tunnel of time and space was certainly disconcerting but she knew it already worked. She followed her watch that directed her into the right areas of the timeline, she followed the streams of images of time that flew by her until she reached the time she desired. Navigating the flow of time was strange and different, she had no idea what she was doing but was trusting her father's devices. Eventually, her device gave her a warning about entering the exit point, about entering the time she wanted to jump to. With the warning, Maria jumped into the image that corresponded with where she wanted to go.

2012

With a blink of the eye, Maria was back on her feet to her full size ... standing on a pile of rubble in a small avenue amongst a battle. The cries of war were uncomfortably familiar as was the sounds of explosions and clashing of various weapons. Taking a deep breath, Maria deactivated her Time Suit revealing her black Iron Suit beneath. She still had her helmet down and so could feel the breeze around her, ruffling her hair. Maria couldn't quite believe she was standing in New York in 2012.

Before she could get lost in such a thought, a vicious growl came from behind her. Her eyes widened for a moment before her nano tech brought her helmet over her face and activated her screens. Just as she ducked down the creature behind her threw its spear at her. In a motion Maria questioned if she could repeat, she released the spectre and reached up and caught the spear just as it was sailing over her head. Spinning around on the balls of her feet, leaving the case of stones on the floor and spectre on either side, Maria turned to face her enemy. She found herself being screamed at by a Saakaran, it's grey thick skin causing Maria to flinch - she remembered fighting them in the Battle of Earth. With a snarl, she fired the gun component of the spear and hit the creature square in the chest with a sparking blue light. It fell with a pitiful cry before revealing its friend behind it. Maria was unable to fire another shot before the creature was on her. In a matter of punches, kicks and swings of the spear Maria got the creature onto its back before she stabbed it in the gut with the alien weapon. She wasn't here to fight this battle.

"KAREN, you around?"

"I am here, Miss. How can I belp?" the loyal AI replied. Maria sighed at the sound of her voice. It brought a sense of calmness and strategy to Maria. The computer would not stray due to emotions, she was Old Reliable in that sense.

"The Ancient One, what's her location?" It took seconds for KAREN to give her one. Thankfully it turned out to be the same place she had been taken to when Steve had come to collect Tony before the arrival of the Children of Thanos, back at the start of the war with Thanos. The Sanctum.

Picking up her belongings, Maria turned towards the Sanctum. Activating her newly fixed thrusters, Maria took to the skies. She kept her flying as inconspicuous as possible, only occasionally killing the enemies she flew by. Maria was well aware of the fact that she was outside of her time and that Maria Stark in 2012 was at home watching the Battle of New York beside her grandmother. No one knew of her and she had to keep it that way. She flew through tunnels and empty buildings, avoided any cameras (which was near impossible in New York) she could and hide behind the fighting, the enemy and the rumble. It took time but eventually Maria was flying up the side of the Sanctum - it was quicker than traipsing through the building to get to the roof where Bruce had said the woman was.

With a gentle landing, Maria was scanning the roof of the building. Through the white eyes of her suit, her gaze rested on a figure in a yellow suit who stood with poise and calm aggression. Her arms and fingers perfectly placed firing what looked like intricate, golden, transparent fans at the enemies that were flying through the skies. Just as Maria lowered her helmet, the figure before her threw another fan like object at a Sakaaran. Maria's eyes followed the attack and watched as the flying vehicle with the Sakaaraan on the back exploded on impact. The show of the mystic arts brought Maria to know that this was the Ancient One but she had to check all the same.

"Are you the Ancient One? The Keeper of the Eye of Agamotto? The Sorcerer Supreme?" Maria questioned as she stepped towards the figure carefully. In not knowing this figure Maria was extremely cautious.

"Yes that would be me" the figure answered as she turned around and lowered her hood to reveal her face. Maria found herself staring at a pale bald woman who had bright eyes of wisdom. She was a woman everyone knew held a lot of information from looking at her alone. "And you are ... Maria Stark."

"Yes." It did not surprise Maria that the Ancient One knew of her, Bruce had said that the Ancient One was a woman of knowledge and understanding.

"I wasn't sure if you would arrive." Maria frowned at the words. For a woman that seemed to know a lot about the future to be uncertain, seemed strange and confusing.

"What do you mean?"

"The future hasn't been clear on your exact part of this war but it seems fate decided its path in the end" the Ancient One explained. Maria lifted her eyebrow in a pointed look, from what she had been told she had had a very clear part to play. Her destiny was clear and yet the Sorcerer Supreme had been unable to see her future ... or perhaps she had seen too many futures. "Your presence here states that your plan was successful. And that you wish to return the stone."

"Perceptive" Maria said as she placed down the case she had in her hand and rested the Spectre up against the Sanctum's door to the roof. Bending down, Maria unclipped the latches of the case and lifted the lid to reveal the shining stones inside. A gem of orange and a gem of green. Reaching in Maria pinched the oval gem and lifted it out of its casing. It pulsed with power, the Power of Time swirled inside the delicate casing. Turning to face the Ancient One, Maria held it out with a smile. "It did its part. Now it will do its part for you in your timeline." The Ancient One came towards her, stopping a few feet in front of her before she positioned her fingers precisely in front of her chest where a necklace shaped like an eye hung. Maria recognised it as the device that Dr Strange had around his neck during the war. It was the item he held close to protect ... it was the casing of the stone. Maria watched as the wizard took the stone from her and effortlessly placed it back into the device. The casing eagerly moved to fit the Time Stone. Once complete the metal shifted back into place and the Eye shut, concealing the stone once more. The Time Stone was once more the Eye of Agamotto. Maria was impressed. "Bruce sends his regards by the way."

The Ancient One nodded at her words whilst the young Stark knelt down to close her case and picked it back up before she grabbed the Spectre in her spare hand. She had two more stones to return; there was no point hanging around.

Maria offered the wizard a nod of goodbye before she turned away to face towards Stark Tower where she knew the Spectre had to be returned to. The thought of entering the tower was a hard one for she knew who was inside but she had to do it. However, before her mind could dwell too much on such a fact the Ancient One spoke once more catching her attention.

"I thank you for the sacrifices you had to make ... and the ones still left to come."

Maria whipped around at the words. Those words were filled with almost horror and grief for the young girl. Maria had believed herself done with prophecies and destinies, even vague and universal truths like the one that she had just heard. It was all made worse by the fact that Maria was aware that the Ancient One could indeed look into the futures, could and had seen the possibilities. To know that sacrifices were still coming her way was unnerving. She had just suffered the worst sacrifice of her entire life and was being told that there was likely to be another one. She truly didn't know if she could take such a thing.

"What sacrifices still to come?" Maria asked quietly. Her words reached the Ancient One despite the noise of explosions and destruction around them. A part of Maria really didn't want the answers to this question.

"We all have sacrifices to make in our futures, even you" she said with such certainty and yet vagueness that Maria both accepted the fact and was confused by what it meant. Maria was silenced by her response. So generic and yet so specific. Maria knew that her sacrifices were often more permanent and damaging than that of others' sacrifices. She wasn't looking forward to the future anymore.

With a sigh Maria nodded in understanding. Not wanting to hear anymore about her future, Maria turned away and gripped her spectre and briefcase tightly before she activated her thrusters once more. She had to leave before more was revealed to her.

Maria shock her head and focused back on her mission. The Time Stone was back in its rightful place but she still had two more stones to go.