In the depths of space, on a barren planet.
Josh completed the final step of the ascension array. He placed the Space Stone at its center, and on the other side, the Celestial Seed containing the essence of Azeroth's world-soul.
After everything was prepared, Josh took a deep breath—even though there was no oxygen on this planet, his former human self made the gesture out of habit—and activated the array.
Outside the planet, Margaret revealed her true Celestial form, meticulously monitoring the entire star system to prevent anything from disturbing Josh's ascension.
As the array activated, the vast essence of the world-soul surged into Josh's body. Just like during Margaret's ascension, it formed an immense cocoon, beginning to reshape his form.
Although Margaret had made thorough preparations, the energy released by Josh's ascension was too immense.
Even as a fellow Celestial, Margaret couldn't completely contain the spread of this energy fluctuation.
However, the energy fluctuation was soon blocked by another presence.
A figure even taller than Margaret appeared within the star system.
It was Arishem.
"...Josh Kahn? He's undergoing ascension himself? Why didn't he notify me?" Arishem glanced at Margaret, then looked towards the cocoon. Recognizing Josh inside, he questioned Margaret.
When he gave Josh the Celestial Seed, Arishem had said that Josh should notify him when ready for ascension, and he would assist.
But Margaret didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Arishem with vigilance.
Although Arishem had been very supportive during her own ascension, ultimately, she didn't fully consider herself a member of the Celestial race.
Josh was her everything.
"I see... Such a powerful Celestial Seed. Once he completes his ascension, his power will likely surpass even mine." Even without Margaret's answer, Arishem understood the reason.
The power contained within the Celestial Seed Josh was using for his ascension was enough to make even him feel apprehensive.
That explained it.
After all, harmony within the Celestial race wasn't as absolute as it seemed on the surface. The birth of such a powerful Celestial—while Arishem, the ever-just Judge, might be fine with it—how the other Celestials would react was uncertain.
Especially since Josh was a "wild" Celestial who had ascended from a mortal.
In fact, Margaret's appearance had already sparked dissenting voices among the Celestials.
But since Margaret was already a full Celestial at that time, even those who objected couldn't easily act.
However, if someone were still in the process of ascension...
"Don't worry, I will stand guard here with you," Arishem said. He wasn't among the objectors; if he were, he wouldn't have taken Margaret back and helped her complete her ascension back then.
Fortunately, the situation Arishem worried about did not occur.
Josh's ascension proceeded remarkably smoothly.
The process lasted a full three months.
During this time, the cocoon continuously absorbed energy, growing larger and larger until it even enveloped the entire planet he was on—a planet dozens of times larger than Earth.
This meant Josh's form during ascension had far surpassed Arishem's current size.
"It seems I misjudged. His existence will surpass us all," Arishem uttered a sincere exclamation, gazing at the colossal divine cocoon before him.
"Then he should be alright?" Margaret asked, still somewhat worried.
Although both were Celestials, the gap between individual Celestials could be vast. Clearly, the level Josh had reached was beyond her ability to assess.
"He is emerging!" Arishem said.
As his words fell, cracks began to appear on Josh's cocoon, eventually covering it entirely before it shattered completely.
With the shattering of the cocoon, a powerful energy storm instantly swept through the entire star system.
Several planets relatively close by were directly reduced to cosmic dust.
Even Margaret in her Celestial form couldn't completely withstand this tremendous energy storm. If Arishem hadn't shielded her slightly, she might have been blown far away.
At the center of the energy storm stood a golden giant, several times larger than Arishem.
Unlike Arishem, who was covered in armor and had six eyes, this golden giant's appearance was more human-like.
In fact, Margaret was similar in this aspect!
Without a doubt, this was Josh, successfully ascended.
"Josh, you succeeded!" As the energy storm subsided, Margaret joyfully teleported in front of the golden giant.
However, Margaret's Celestial form, originally comparable in size to Earth, now seemed as small as a figurine next to Josh.
"Yes, Margaret, I succeeded... This feeling is incredible," Josh nodded. At this moment, he felt as if the entire universe was within his control.
Time, space, past, future... His consciousness could even sense the barriers of this universe and what lay beyond...
This wasn't an illusion brought on by his recent ascension!
"Greetings, young and powerful Celestial..." A message of goodwill reached Josh from beyond the universal barrier, sent by a certain large, bald being.
The Watcher—Josh recognized him immediately.
"So, I can now traverse the multiverse?" Josh was surprised. He had asked Margaret when she became a Celestial, and she couldn't transcend their single universe.
"Yes. In this universe, until now, only three Celestials could do this: myself, Eson the Searcher, and Exitar the Exterminator. Now there is you. And I believe soon, there will be a fifth," Arishem said, arriving before Josh. "Congratulations on joining us."
"Thank you. The fifth you mention must be Tiamat?" Josh nodded in acknowledgment.
"Correct. Tiamat has always been a being I held in high regard. However, in other universes, I rarely find traces of her being able to be born safely. But in this universe, I believe her safe birth should no longer be a problem," Arishem said, a hint of unusual warmth in his typically mechanical tone.
He could sense that Josh's existence had already surpassed all other Celestials in this universe. Josh now possessed the power to transfer Tiamat to another planet without any external help.
"Yes, I can feel it... I can do it," Josh nodded. With a mere thought, he, Arishem, and Margaret appeared in the solar system.
He concealed their presence, so life on Earth remained completely unaware.
But Tiamat could sense them.
"My child... you... you succeeded?" Feeling the familiar energy from Josh, Tiamat communicated with joyous surprise.
"Yes, Mother. I will help you emerge now," Josh said.
"Is it possible? Please don't strain yourself if it's difficult. Seeing you reach such heights already brings me great comfort," Tiamat replied.
"Don't worry, Mother. It will be quick," Josh said. He extended his power deep into Earth's core, enveloping Tiamat entirely.
Simultaneously, his consciousness reached a planet under the Kree Empire's control, a world seventy to eighty percent similar to Earth in composition and mass.
In the next instant, Tiamat was swapped with the core of that Kree planet.
The life on Earth remained utterly unaware.
But the life on that Kree world met a terrible fate. They turned to dust instantly, akin to the victims of Thanos's snap.
Witnessing the extinction of these lives, the three Celestials—Josh, Margaret, and Tiamat—felt no emotional fluctuation.
Although the beings on that planet were innocent, sacrifice was necessary for Tiamat's birth.
It wasn't that Josh was cold-hearted. If sacrificing an anthill could grant a beloved relative decades of life, 99% of people would likely make the same choice Josh did.
With the massive infusion of soul energy, Tiamat's nearly-formed body rapidly matured.
Finally, as the Kree planet disintegrated, a Celestial appeared in its place, resembling Arishem in form and matching him in size.
"Thank you, my child," Tiamat said. Though her size was comparable to Arishem's, she still seemed petite before Josh.
"It brings me great joy to witness the birth of two new Celestials. Might I have the honor of inviting you both to visit our Celestial homeworld?" Arishem asked Josh and Tiamat.
Tiamat looked towards Josh, who nodded in agreement.
In the next moment, the four Celestials vanished.
...
April 7, 1970.
Camp Lehigh Army Base, New Jersey.
"...You're sure they're all here?" Steve Rogers asked Tony Stark, looking at the abandoned military base before them.
"No... This isn't right... During this time, this base should be an important S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. It shouldn't be abandoned!" Tony Stark stared at the desolate scene, his face a mask of disbelief.
"...Yeah, I know... But clearly, something has gone wrong with our plan," Steve nodded. "So, what do we do now?"
"I don't know... Damn it! No Pym Particles, no Tesseract... We're stuck," Tony slumped to the ground in frustration. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
"We can't just give up. Maybe we can find someone to help," Steve said, feeling discouraged but not ready to quit.
"Who?" Tony asked.
"Your father! He'll know what to do!" Steve suggested.
"But we shouldn't interfere..."
"Do you have a better idea?" Steve interrupted before Tony could say more.
Tony fell silent. Perhaps this was the only way.
Just as they were about to leave, a blue portal suddenly appeared nearby.
A figure dressed similarly to Captain America stepped out.
However, when Steve and Tony got a clear look at the person's face, they were stunned.
"Peg... Peggy?"
"Aunt Peggy?"
The newcomer was none other than a young Peggy Carter.
But why was Peggy Carter here, and why was she wearing a Captain America uniform?
Wait, something was wrong!
Due to the blue light from the portal, they hadn't noticed at first that Peggy's uniform wasn't the original red, white, and blue of Captain America, but green, white, and red.
The shield's colors were the same, and the white star in the center had been replaced by a double-headed eagle.
"Long time no see, Steve! Nice to meet you, Tony Stark," Peggy Carter spoke before they could process it. "First, let me clarify: I am not the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Carter you know. And you have indeed come to the wrong place. This universe is completely different from yours. I know you have many questions, but don't worry, we have plenty of time to talk. The Tesseract and Pym Particles are ready. Follow me."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked back through the portal.
Tony and Steve exchanged a hesitant look. What this Peggy Carter had just said contained a massive amount of information.
After a moment's hesitation, they chose to step through the portal.
On the other side, they found themselves in a place filled with advanced technology. Peggy Carter stood ahead of them.
"This is the Alpha Space Station, located between Earth and Mars. Earth is right behind you," Carter said, watching them take in their surroundings.
Hearing this, they turned around in shock. Behind them was a massive window looking out into the endless cosmos. In their field of view, a small but distinctly blue planet was clearly visible.
"...Tony, did Earth have this kind of technology in the 70s?" Steve swallowed hard.
"I must be dreaming... We didn't even have technology like this before we time-traveled," Tony replied.
"Don't judge this world by your preconceptions. In fact, just a few years after WWII ended, the Austrian Empire had already mastered interstellar travel technology—though Austria wasn't an empire at the time, and Earth wasn't unified yet," Carter explained.
"I see... Wait, what did you say?" Steve and Tony turned to stare at her in unison. "Earth is unified? And by Austria?"
So the colors on Carter's uniform were the Austrian colors?
"Yes," Carter nodded. She then began to explain how this world had developed to its current state. "I know the imperial system might be hard for you to accept, but if you return to your universe and venture out into space, you'll see that among the more powerful civilizations in the cosmos, imperial systems are actually the most common. When technology is advanced enough to allow citizens to be completely free from manual labor, the concept of exploitation essentially disappears. Furthermore, the existence of artificial intelligence can maximize fairness."
Steve and Tony were silent. The information about this world was simply too much, too vast to process immediately.
No wonder the Camp Lehigh base was in ruins. If the United States didn't even exist in this world, how could there be a S.H.I.E.L.D. base?
"Alright, to be honest, we're not really interested in this world's path. What we really care about is what you mentioned earlier, Peggy: the Tesseract and the Pym Particles?" After a long silence, it was Tony who finally broke the quiet.
"...Follow me," Carter nodded. She led them to a storage room and handed them a case.
Tony opened it. The brilliant blue Tesseract and several rows—dozens of vials—of Pym Particles lay inside.
Seeing these items, both men let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Peggy," Steve said sincerely.
Regardless of how strange this world was, the fact that Carter was lending them the Space Stone and Pym Particles deserved his utmost gratitude.
"You're welcome. I know the problem you're facing, so you should hurry back. Just remember to return the Stone when you're done," Carter accepted Steve's thanks with a nod.
"Even though I know the answer might be shocking, before we leave, I have to ask... is my father in this world?" With the Tesseract and Pym Particles in hand, Tony and Steve were ready to leave, but Tony couldn't resist asking.
Hearing this, Steve also looked at Carter.
"The Steve of this world is in the Andromeda Galaxy, guarding his new home... Although Earth has been unified into an empire, there are still many dissenters, including the you of this world. However, we didn't adopt a policy of extermination towards these dissenters. Instead, we arranged a planet for them in the Andromeda Galaxy," Carter said, looking at Steve. "I can take you to see it next time you visit." (TL/N: A dissenter is one who dissents in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Dissent may include political opposition to decrees, ideas or doctrines and it may include opposition to those things or the fiat of a government, political party or religion.)
"As for your father..." Carter's gaze turned hesitant as she looked at Tony.
"Is he... dead?" Tony had a bad feeling.
"No, not exactly. It's just that in this world, your father didn't marry your mother... but he did father a number of illegitimate children..." Carter shook her head, revealing the truth.
"...I see," Tony nodded, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
So, in this world's future, he most likely wouldn't exist.
Even if his father hadn't married his mother, if the timing of the pregnancy was different, the child wouldn't be him.
After collecting their thoughts, Captain America and Tony took the case. Using the Pym Particles provided by Carter, they returned to their own timeline.
Seeing their friends appear almost simultaneously, Steve and Tony smiled. Although their trip to 1970 had taken an unexpected detour into a surprising timeline, it seemed that timeline hadn't affected their reality.
However, their joy was short-lived. They, along with the other Avengers who had traveled to different timelines, soon noticed Hawkeye's distraught expression and the absence of Natasha.
Due to the unique nature of the Soul Stone, their good friend, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, couldn't return.
This news cast a pall over the entire Avengers team.
But there was no time for grief. Half the universe's population, lost to the Snap, still needed saving.
As they busied themselves setting the Stones into the Nano Gauntlet and argued over who would snap their fingers, they failed to notice Nebula—not the Nebula they knew, but the 2014 version who had infiltrated their timeline—sneak over to the time machine and begin tampering with it.
Her goal was to help the 2014 Thanos arrive in their present.
Just as the Hulk, Bruce Banner, endured immense pain to snap his fingers and bring back the vanished, Thanos from 2014 arrived with his warship and army, attacking the Avengers while they were celebrating their victory.
A massive battle ensued between the Avengers, their allies, and Thanos's forces.
After a fierce struggle, Thanos finally seized the gauntlet.
"I am... inevitable!" Thanos grinned, snapping his fingers.
But nothing happened.
A glance revealed the gauntlet was empty.
Nearby, the six Infinity Stones gleamed brightly on the gauntlet of Iron Man, Tony Stark.
"I am... Iron Man!" Feeling the power of the Stones surging through him, Tony smiled and prepared to snap. But he found he couldn't.
Looking up, he saw a young, handsome man had appeared beside him, gripping his hand.
The six Infinity Stones then detached from the Iron Man suit and floated into the stranger's palm.
"You've done well, Iron Man. But that's enough," the young man said. Under the stunned gazes of everyone on the battlefield, he merely waved his hand. Thanos and his entire army, who had been fighting them moments before, turned to dust.
"Who are you?" Tony couldn't help but ask.
"Josh. Josh Kahn," the young man replied. With another slight wave, the injuries Tony and Bruce Banner had sustained from the Stones' energy instantly healed.
"I'll be taking the Space Stone, Soul Stone, and Power Stone. The Space Stone was originally mine. As for the Soul and Power Stones, the timeline they came from was doomed the moment Thanos arrived here. So whether you return them or not makes no difference. The other Stones are yours to handle." Josh waved his hand again, and the Time, Reality, and Mind Stones returned to float before Stark.
Before anyone could say another word, Josh vanished.
He reappeared moments later in his Celestial form, high above Earth.
"Who... are you?" Tiamat, still in her gestating state, sensed this familiar yet foreign presence and was bewildered.
"I'm here to help you," Josh said with a faint smile.
"I know... he's from that world..." Back on Earth, after Josh left, Tony finally understood, explaining to the others.
"Should we go back and check?" Steve looked at Tony.
Tony nodded.
They put on their time-travel suits again. But they soon discovered they could only travel to the normal 1970 of their timeline. No matter how they tried, they couldn't reach that special 1970 world they had visited.
"Tsk, so persistent. A shame, really. I've completely sealed off that universe. Unless they reach my level, they'll never be able to access that timeline again," Josh chuckled from within the Schönbrunn Palace, sensing the persistent attempts of Captain America and Iron Man from that other universe.
Beside him stood Margaret, and two stunningly beautiful women who were identical in face and figure—even their names were the same: Tiamat!
(The End)
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TL/N: Finally, a long journey comes to an end! Hope you'll find something peak to read again.