- Lewis Capaldi, Bruises

Back at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Bruce’s Hulk body lies down on a beach chair sleeping, a hat over his face. The astral version of Bruce Banner tries to reason with the Ancient One to get the Time Stone.

“Please, please!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you, Bruce. If I give up the Time Stone to help your reality, I’m dooming my own.”

“With all due respect, I’m not sure the science really supports that.”

The Ancient One creates a projection, a long ray simulating the flow of time. “The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one stone and that flow splits.” She flicks the Time Stone’s projection away, showing a black stream of the divergence. “Now, this may benefit your reality, but my new one...not so much. In this new branched reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me Doctor, can your science prevent all that?”

“No, but we can erase it. Because once we are done with the stones, we can return each one to its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically, in that reality, it never left.” He holds the Time Stone’s projection and puts it back in its spot, the doomed alternate dimension fading away and proving his point.

“But you are leaving out the most important part. In order to return the stones, you have to survive.”

“We will. I will. I promise.”

“I can’t risk this reality on a promise. It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the Time Stone.”

“Then, why the hell did Strange give it away?”

The Ancient One looks surprised. “What did you say?”

“Strange, he gave it away. He gave it to Thanos.”

“Willingly?”

“Yes!”

“...Why?”

“I have no idea. Maybe he made a mistake.”

“Or I did.” She returns Bruce to his Hulk body and opens the Eye of Agamotto. “Strange is meant to be the best of us.”

“So he must have done it for a reason.”

“I fear you might be right.” She reluctantly gives him the Time Stone.

“Thank you.”

“I’m counting on you, Bruce. We all are.”

--

On the 2014 version of the Sanctuary ll, Neb is being hung up on the air. Thanos, Ebony Maw and Mora stare at her.

“Run diagnostics,” Thanos directs Maw. “Show me her memory file.”

“Sire, the file appears entangled. It was a memory, but not hers. There’s another consciousness sharing her network...another Nebula.”

“Impossible.”

“This duplicate carries a time stamp...from nine years in the future.”

“Where is this other Nebula?”

“In our solar system. On Morag.”

“Can you access her?”

“Yes. The two are linked.”

“Search the duplicate’s memories for Infinity Stones.”

A memory begins to play, one of the Avengers in the Compound.

‘And these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history,’ Bruce sighs.

‘Our history,’ Tony corrects. ‘So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in.’

‘Which means we have to pick our targets,’ Clint continues.

‘Correct.’

“Freeze the image,” Thanos tells Maw.

“Terrans,” Mora realises.

“Avengers. Unruly wretches. What’s that reflection? Amplify this, Maw.”

Mora looks at a reflection of Nebula in the glass. “I don’t understand. Two Nebulas.”

“No. The same Nebula. From two different times. Set course for Morag. Scan the duplicate’s memories. I want to see everything.”

--

In Asgard, Thor hides behind a large post. He turns and jumps when he sees Frigga behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“Aah!”

“Aah!”

“Oh, god!”

“You’re better off leaving the sneaking to your brother.”

“Yeah, I was simply just going for a walk, and uh…” Thor tries to hide his belly.

“What are you wearing?”

“I always wear this. This is one of my favourites.”

Frigga places her hand on Thor’s face and looks at him good. “What’s wrong with your eye?”

“Oh, my eye. That’s...you remember the Battle of Haroquin? When I got hit in the face with a broadsword?”

“Yes, I am,” Thor lies.

“The future hasn’t been kind to you, has it?”

“I didn’t say I’m from the future.”

“I was raised by witches, boy. I see with more than eyes, and you know that.”

Thor tries to hold back tears and fails, his voice breaking. “I am totally, totally from the future.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I really need to talk to you.”

“We can talk.”

The pair hug, the first time for Thor in many years.

--

Rocket sneaks up behind Jane to extract the Aether, being very careful around the now waking woman.

--

“His head was over there...his body over there...what was the point?” Thor explains to his mother. “I was too late. I was just standing there. Some idiot with an axe.”

“You’re no idiot. You’re here, aren’t you? Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard.”

“I guess, yeah.”

“Idiot? No. A failure? Absolutely.”

“That’s a little bit harsh.”

“And do you know what that makes you? Just like everyone else.”

“I’m not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?”

“Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.”

“I really missed you, Mum.”

Rocket suddenly runs past Thor, Asgardian soldiers chasing him.

“Thor! I got it!”

“Get that rabbit!”

“Ma, I have to tell you something,” Thor says sadly.

“No, son. You don’t. You’re here to repair your future, not mine.”

“But this is about your future.”

“It’s none of my business.”

Rocket interrupts. “Hey. You must be Mum. I got the thing. Come on, we got to move.”

“I wish we had more time,” Thor pouts.

“No, this was a gift. And you’re going to be the man you’re meant to be.”

“I love you, Mum.”

“I love you. And eat a salad.”

“Come on,” Rocket pushes. “We gotta go.”

“Goodbye,” Frigga whispers.

“Three...two…”

“Wait!” Thor yells, suddenly holding his hand up to the side.

“Wh-what am I looking at?” Rocket asks Frigga.

“Oh, sometimes it takes a second.”

Mjolnir lands in Thor’s hand, and he looks at it happily and slightly surprised. “I’m still worthy.”

“Oh boy,” Rocket sighs.

“Goodbye, Mum.”

“Goodbye,” She whispers again.

--

On Morag, Rhodey and Nebula hide while spying on Star-Lord. He’s dancing and singing to the music playing on his walkman, but it just looks like he’s a little crazy.

“So he’s an idiot?” Rhodey questions.

“Yeah.”

Rhodey knocks Star-Lord out, and Nebula rummages in his pockets for a tool.

“What’s that?”

“The tool of a thief.” She uses the tool to open the door that the Power Stone was kept in. She then tried to walk in, but was stopped by Rhodey.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...this is the part where spikes come out with skeletons on the end and everything…”

“What are you talking about?”

“When you break into a place called the temple of the Power Stone, there’s gonna be a bunch of booby traps-” Nebula walks in anyway. “Okay. Alright. Go ahead.”

Nebula forces her hand inside the force field protecting the Orb, the exterior plating on her arm melting away in the process. She retrieves it successfully and hands it to Rhodey, who was simply watching.

“I wasn’t always like this,” She says.

“Me either. But we work with what we got, right?” They share a solemn look, then both suit up. “Sync up. Three...two...one…”

Only Rhodey goes, with Nebula left behind and unable to move. She falls to the ground, her head riddled with pain. She gets on comms, trying to connect to Nat and Clint. “Barton? Barton, come in. Romanoff? Come in, we have a problem. Come on! Come in, we have a prob...Thanos knows. Thanos...he knows.” She looks up in horror, abducted by the Sanctuary ll.