Trust | 2 |

Chapter Forty-Six

"At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control a central aspect of existence."

"Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind, and Time." Strange opened the necklace on his neck to show the green stone.

I marveled at it all from behind the stairs, where I had been told to stay to heal and regain strength. Thanos nearly killed me, and I'd be dead in space right now if it weren't for whoever used the Bifrost to save Bruce and I. I will be forever grateful. I'd be in their debt, but I'm smart enough to understand that person is probably dead right now.

A pang in my heart appears when I think of that. Thor. Loki. Val. Are they all gone? Those thoughts would haunt me for some time.

"Tell me his name again." Tony's voice caught my attention, and this was my entrance. I needed him to know I was here and alive because I doubt I had come up yet.

"Thanos," I said as I walked into view and into the grand entryway of the Sanctum. The others looked at me right away. Strange and Wong were annoyed I went against their wishes, Bruce was grim at our shared fear for the titan, and Tony...

He stood instantly, then hurried to be right in front of me. His hands went to my shoulders where he started to inspect me. "Oh god, what did they do to you..." he whispered. I couldn't take it anymore and pulled him into a hug. Well, the best hug I could manage with one arm.

Tony hugged me right back, lightly squeezing as if to show how relieved he was. Obviously they didn't tell him I was alive and right here. When we let go, he looked down at the useless piece of junk on my side.

"I've got another one back at the Compound... I started working on it after I got you that one just because, well, it's me we're talking about," he said to me. It was a voice low enough that only I was supposed to hear what he was saying.

I smiled, the first one I was able to get on my face since I saw...

Bruce started coming toward us. "Thanos... he's a plague, Tony. He invades planets, he takes whatever he wants, he wipes out half the population. He sent Loki." We all looked puzzled. "The attack on New York- that's him."

I remember hearing all about that, about the thousands that were killed and so many more injured. Not to mention all of those who will never be able to forget how their once normal lives changed so quickly, like flicking a light switch.

"This is it," Tony mumbled. I looked at him with sadness in my eyes. "What's our timeline?" he asked, skipping right over how scared he was to get into the planning. It's what we should be doing, considering who we're up against. Tony started to walk around as he thought.

Bruce took this one, following behind Tony. "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..."

"He could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of," Strange finished. My body shivered and I crossed my arm over my stomach.

Tony put a hand on a cauldron looking thing and started to stretch his leg. "Did you seriously just say 'hitherto undreamt of'?" he questioned as he switched to the other leg.

"Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?" Strange snapped back. My eyes rolled- their personalities didn't fit together at all. I might not be able to deal with them much longer.

Tony mumbled something as Strange's cloak slapped Tony's hand to get him off. Offended at first, Tony glanced from his hand to Strange's. "I'm going to allow that," he said. "If Thanos needs all six then why don't we just stick this one," he gestured to the Time stone, "down the garbage disposal?"