Originally, Nick Fury's death should have sent shockwaves across the globe.
But now...
Every impact had to step aside for the resurrection of half the world's population!
Think about it. No matter how heartbreaking the past had been, after half of everyone vanished, the empty spaces they left behind had long been filled and divided up by others.
For ordinary kids like that spider kid, sure, it was fine.
Even if the schools weren't ready to let them back in just yet, they were just happy to have an extended vacation after what felt like a long nap.
But the adults?
The pressure on adults was crushing!
Countless laborers woke up to find the jobs that kept food on their tables gone!
White-collar workers opened their eyes to discover the careers they prided themselves on had vanished!
And the wealthy... that was even more terrifying.
They woke up and their companies were gone. Their assets, gone. Their stocks, gone. Everything... gone?!
All they had left were tearful family members clinging to them, families who had fallen into poverty yet kept saying, "You're back, that's all that matters, you're back..."
But they were anything but okay.
As for the soldiers, the politicians...
The living had been praying for the dead to return.
But now the dead were starting to think that maybe staying dead would have been a blessing.
...
Countless incidents like these had governments worldwide tearing their hair out. Nobody had time to care about whether America lost a financial hub or a former S.H.I.E.L.D. director.
And among the Americans themselves, who in their right mind would go picking a fight with a god among mortals currently residing in Los Angeles?
Iron Man's quantum tunnel wasn't finished that night after all. And when Wanda finally awoke, though grieving, she simply returned alone to Westview. She made no move to seek out Heisenberg for revenge.
Just like that, two days passed. Heisenberg finally received a call from the Avengers.
The call came through the housekeeper of a certain famous American diva. By the time the message reached Heisenberg's ears, he was lounging by the poolside with said diva, soaking up the sun.
Upon hearing that the quantum tunnel was complete, Heisenberg didn't waste a single word. Still in his bathrobe, he shot straight up into the sky.
As for the diva he heartlessly abandoned...
Well, she just got herself some new material for a song.
Arriving at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Heisenberg exchanged few words with the assembled heroes. He threw the time-travel suit on over his bathrobe and left without ceremony.
And just like that, the Avengers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their biggest headache was gone.
...
In the blink of an eye...
Heisenberg glanced around. It was as if he had never left. He reappeared right in his own courtyard.
Peering through the walls, Heisenberg could see young Billy playing video games in the break room while the maids methodically cleaned the theater.
The main hall bustled with activity. The blind Daredevil stood at the podium, radiating confidence as he addressed a crowd of voters.
And the voters milling below?
Most weren't actual citizens. They were opportunists desperate to get just a little closer to Heisenberg himself.
Ah, well.
Heisenberg casually shrugged off the time-travel suit and used his force fields to float it into the walk-in closet, where it nestled itself into a cabinet.
As for Heisenberg himself, still clad in that diva's guest bathrobe, he settled back onto his favorite lounge chair in the courtyard.
But he had barely gotten comfortable when a familiar ring of magical energy appeared beside him.
The youthful yet eternally elegant Ancient One stepped silently out of the portal, made her way to the adjacent lounger, and reclined with practiced ease.
"So, how does it feel? Our future?" the Ancient One asked.
Heisenberg shook his head. "That wasn't our future."
"But once you went there, it became your future."
As she spoke, the Ancient One waved a hand across the center of the courtyard. A dozen shimmering threads of fate stretched toward the horizon. Among them, two strands now stood out from the golden lines.
They had been dyed a vivid red.
A moment later, the threads vanished, leaving only the Ancient One smiling softly to herself.
Seeing this, Heisenberg shook his head. "Using red to mark the lines I influenced. Because I killed a few people?"
"Many people. But it holds a different significance."
The Ancient One extended her right hand and wiggled her fingers at Heisenberg. "You can give it back now."
"Hmph."
Heisenberg pursed his lips, fished the Eye of Agamotto from his pocket, and handed it over.
The Ancient One fastened the artifact around her neck once more and nodded toward Heisenberg.
"I have some news for you. I've decided not to groom Stephen Strange as the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"Huh?"
The news caught Heisenberg off guard. He shot her a puzzled look.
The Ancient One offered him a mysterious smile in return.
"I took a stroll through Sokovia," she said. "And I discovered two very promising futures. They..."
"One is named Pietro. The other, Wanda. And both share the surname Maximoff!"
A satisfied grin spread across Heisenberg's face. He understood exactly why the Ancient One had made that choice.
And sure enough, the Ancient One nodded back at him.
"That's right. I much prefer the future where you exist. In that future, Earth becomes quite beautiful. The flames of war burn far beyond the solar system. The clash of battle never again echoes on Earth's soil. There may be cries of anguish from my own people, but far more from our enemies. Our Earth no longer suffers the scars of rampant industrial machinery. No more dolphin hunts, no more finning sharks, no more poaching of rare beasts by cunning criminals. I like that kind of nature. I like that kind of future. And so, the Masters of the Mystic Arts will become your strength."
"Now that is excellent news!"
Heisenberg laughed and extended his right hand. The Ancient One placed her fingers in his palm.
A moment later, Heisenberg gently clasped her fingers and shook them up and down.
"Welcome to the Injustice League, Ancient One!"
"It's the Justice League. No need to give our enemies ammunition over a mere name, sir."
The Ancient One chuckled and withdrew her hand, correcting him gently.
Their eyes met, and both burst into laughter.
Still laughing, Heisenberg grasped her wrist. "I'm glad you've decided to keep living. I like a future with you in it too, Sorcerer."
"Indeed. Postponing my journey into the embrace of the Vishanti may not be the most correct choice, but after tasting countless variations of fate, perhaps adding a bit of spice to life is a good decision."
"Far more enjoyable than being cradled in the Vishanti's arms, that's for sure."
Heisenberg beamed. The Ancient One understood him so well.
His Justice League had been lacking in heavy hitters. Now they had the Ancient One, a Sorcerer Supreme whose power was certainly no less than Ebony Maw's.
And as for his plans to groom the Scarlet Witch as a future enforcer? It seemed Wanda Maximoff was destined to become the next Sorcerer Supreme serving under Heisenberg instead!
...
Meanwhile, in the future timeline.
Three days after Heisenberg's departure, Thor finally stirred from his state of electrified vegetative shock.
Groot, who had been anxiously watching over Thor, immediately wrapped his wooden arms around Thor's arm in excitement. The scent of Stormbreaker's handle jolted Thor from his stupor.
Thor shook his head and looked around, bewildered. He turned to Groot. "What in the hells? I think I had a dream!"
Even as he spoke, he eyed the axe resting on his chest with wary suspicion.
"In this damn dream, someone left a handprint on my hammer, and I nearly got beaten to death!"
He sucked in a few ragged breaths, still shaken.
"Good thing I only dreamed about some stranger and Thanos, who's been dead for ages. Otherwise, I might've believed it was real! Hahaha! I'm Thor, God of Thunder! Who could possibly beat me into such a pathetic mess?"
"Uh, Thor, that pathetic mess is exactly what happened to you, you moron!"
Before Thor could enjoy his denial any longer, Rocket sauntered in and burst his bubble.
"I still can't believe it. The mighty Thor, stomped under some guy's boot like a toy. And it was your head he stepped on!"
The raccoon grabbed Thor and hauled him out of bed, dragging him toward the Avengers compound.
Along the way, the stunned Thor finally recalled the events of a few days prior.
And that realization promptly extinguished any spark of joy he had left.
Even as they entered the compound, Thor remained silent. He slumped into a chair, far more subdued than his usual boisterous self, melting into a shapeless mound of flesh.
It was then that Tony Stark, having called a meeting of the Avengers now that Thor was awake, finally spoke his mind to everyone present.
"Friends!"
He began.
"I think we can all admit it. Over the past few years, and especially in just this last week, we've been through far too much. Our family, our friends, countless lives vanished from existence without warning or understanding. And even though we used time itself to undo that damage, we cannot continue to gamble our future on the hope that we can always undo our mistakes!"
Stark picked up a stack of documents beside him and handed them to Natasha.
Natasha began distributing copies to every Avenger present, including Black Panther and the Sorcerer Supreme.
When she reached Thor...
Rocket sighed and took the document. "He's dead to the world right now. Just give it to me."
"Fine."
...
Ignoring Thor's vegetative state, the Avengers all began reading the files in their hands. But within moments, conflict erupted once more!
Captain America slammed his copy onto the table.
"This is just a revised version of the same act from eight years ago! Tony, the Superhuman Registration Act is not the right path. It will lead us into dangerous and unknown territory!"
"But recent events have proven, Rogers, that because we refused to act, Earth has been invaded by aliens time and time again! They don't care that we're a scattered, disorganized mess! Only if we consolidate every ounce of our strength and direct it where it's needed most, only if we truly unite as one, will we have the power to face any threat!"
"But they won't see it that way! The UN, the US government, none of them will see it that way! Once our names are laid out on their desks, once our freedom becomes a sacrifice to their rules, we become nothing but tools, Stark!"
"That's exactly why this new directive isn't being issued by the US or the UN, Rogers! This will be our directive. Ours! Issued by the Avengers as a unified body. Registered superhumans won't be serving any single nation. Control over that power will rest with every single one of us in this room! And we will hold each other accountable, ensuring that none of us abuses that power for the wrong reasons!"
"Oh, that's rich. We'll 'supervise' every special individual who just wants to live in freedom! And who watches us, Stark? When we order them to register and label them as 'special,' our methods are no different from the damn Nazis!"
"Rogers, if taking away a measure of freedom protects Earth from alien threats and interference, then I'm willing to do it!"
Stark planted himself directly in front of Cap and shouted.
"Because I would rather have you all point fingers at me and call me a tyrant than watch one more comrade die in front of my eyes! Survival is far more important than freedom!"
"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"
Before Cap and Stark could get any deeper into their argument, the obese Thunder God nearby lurched up in annoyance.
"What the hell are you two even arguing about?! I'd rather we were in a war council figuring out how to go back in time and carve up that bastard Heisenberg!"
Thor lumbered to his feet, grumbling, and strode out of the room without a backward glance.
Behind him, Rocket and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy followed suit.
Only Gamora, the newest addition to the team, hesitated at the door. She glanced back at Stark and said quietly,
"What you just said... it reminds me of my father. He died not too long ago, Stark."
/-\
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased chapters!
~ +20 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon! (+1 Chapter daily)
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access Patreon normally)