Chapter 440: Seizing the Time Stone
A deep crater was smashed into the staircase by that beam of light.
Strange crossed his hands, and his sorcerer's robes and Cloak of Levitation instantly manifested upon him. Wong, similarly dressed in his master's robes, followed suit. Both raised their magic shields as they approached the edge of the pit and peered inside.
"What's the situation?" Silas protected Misty, giving her a reassuring look before stepping forward to ask.
"See for yourself." Strange sounded utterly incredulous. It was him?!
Silas frowned and leaned over. Lying in the crater was Loki, clad in his signature green attire.
"Loki? Why is he here?" Silas was confused. According to the original timeline, Loki should have been choked to death by Thanos on the starship. How did Heimdall manage to teleport him to Earth instead?
"Every time you show up, it's never good news," Strange sighed. He waved his hands, and a long, glowing orange magical rope whipped out, binding Loki tightly.
Regardless of anything else, Loki was the primary culprit behind the Battle of New York and remained a significant threat to Earth. As the current protector of the realm, Strange had to be cautious—tying him up was the first priority.
Wong brought over a chair, placed it in the center of the room, and bound Loki to it.
"Should we wake him?" Wong asked.
Strange stroked his chin. "How?"
"Like this." Wong walked up to Loki and slapped his face with rhythmic precision.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
The three successive slaps jolted Loki awake from his unconscious state. He blinked blearily as his vision cleared, recognizing the wizard who had trapped him before and that annoying man, Silas.
"Dammit!" Loki tried to stand up, only to realize he was bound.
"Alright, Mr. Loki, our aspiring god. Why have you come to Earth this time?" Strange had no patience for Loki; he wanted the trickster gone as quickly as possible to avoid further trouble.
"Let me go." Loki struggled against the magic ropes. Finding them unbreakable, he looked at Strange weakly.
"Of course, but first you must state your purpose. If you're here for the same reasons as last time, I'll have to keep you here permanently," Strange said.
Loki's expression shifted as he remembered his brother. Thor had sacrificed himself to save him...
"Thanos. Thanos is coming," Loki blurted out. He couldn't let his brother die in vain; he wanted revenge!
"Thanos?" Strange and Wong exchanged a confused glance. Who—or what—was a Thanos? They had never heard the name.
Seeing their confusion, Loki added, "Remember my invasion of Earth? He was the true mastermind behind it all."
"Then why are you selling out your boss?" Strange was curious. Had there been a falling out among thieves?
"No... Thanos doesn't just care about Earth; he cares about the entire universe. He wants to collect the Infinity Stones. If he succeeds, the entire universe will face an unprecedented crisis!"
Loki shook his head, his eyes haunted. Thanos was too terrifying. Even after his brother had awakened his true thunder god powers, Thanos had beaten him down with one hand—without even using the power of an Infinity Stone.
"Infinity Stones?!" At that mention, Strange's face finally turned grave.
Those were artifacts that had existed since the dawn of the universe, representing Time, Space, Power, Mind, Soul, and Reality. The stone he was sworn to protect—the Time Stone—was one of them.
"What are Infinity Stones?" Misty finally couldn't help but interject. She was fascinated by the high-stakes conversation.
Strange gave Wong a look. Wong nodded, stepped forward, and began to weave an illusion.
"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 an essential aspect of existence..."
As Wong manipulated the magical display, he explained the origin and the boundless energy of the stones to Misty.
"Doesn't that mean if someone gets all six, they could rule the entire universe?" Misty gasped, covering her mouth. She couldn't believe she was hearing such cosmic secrets.
"Theoretically, yes. So, this 'Thanos' Loki speaks of wants to collect them..." Strange turned his focus back to Loki.
Loki struggled against his bonds again, gesturing for Strange to release him.
"Untie him, Doctor. I have some questions," Silas said. He wanted to know exactly what had happened on that ship.
Strange hesitated for a moment, then waved his right hand. The magical ropes disintegrated instantly.
Loki rubbed his aching wrists. "I'm glad your brains haven't been eaten yet."
"If you keep talking like that, I don't mind letting you experience 'falling for thirty minutes' again," Strange threatened.
Loki shut his mouth immediately. He knew this was no time for bickering; the priority was protecting the stones on Earth.
"Tell us, how did you encounter Thanos?" Silas asked.
Loki then recounted everything—from the destruction of Asgard to their journey on the Statesman and the eventual ambush.
"You're saying Thor is dead?!" Silas was shocked. How could Thor be dead?
Wait. According to Loki, the items left by the "Mysterious Man" were a Hulk and a fat version of Thor. Silas realized something instantly. The "Mysterious Man" was likely a future version of himself.
"Activating the still" was a unique ability of the Rat Talisman, and no one else could use the Talismans.
"Does this mean my future self survived?" Silas felt a surge of relief. It seemed he wouldn't die after all. He had dodged that 50% probability; he was a true "Emperor of Luck."
However, timelines are fickle. What if a small change caused him to turn to ash anyway? Silas felt a pang of anxiety. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked; now he was even more conflicted.
"We must stop Thanos from getting the stones on Earth," Loki said, his eyes landing on the Eye of Agamotto on Strange's chest.
"No, don't even think about it. The stone stays with me. I will guard it with my life," Strange said, reading Loki's mind.
Loki snapped, "This is a universal emergency! You must hide the Time Stone or destroy it!"
"Impossible. I made a promise," Strange replied, thinking of the Ancient One.
Loki was furious. He thought Strange was being incredibly stubborn. Strange, however, simply felt that Loki—given his track record—was not to be trusted.
Amidst their arguing, Silas spoke up: "Whether Loki is telling the truth or not, we must prepare."
"What do you plan to do?" Strange asked. Loki looked over curiously as well.
"Me? What else is there to do? Prepare for war!" Silas had been ready for this. He was prepared to fight Thanos to the end.
"I agree with the sentiment, but Thanos is too strong," Loki argued. "I suggest destroying the Infinity Stones. It's the only safe bet."
Destroy the stones, then seek revenge. Even if they lost the fight, they wouldn't lose the war, because Thanos would never achieve his goal. If he couldn't get the stones, they won.
"How many times do I have to tell you? No," Strange said. The Cloak of Levitation behind him gave a stubborn wiggle in agreement.
"Foolish Midgardian," Loki spat, unable to control his temper.
Whap!
The Cloak of Levitation immediately whipped out and smacked Loki across the back.
"Ow!" Loki cried out in pain.
Rubbing his sore back, Loki lost his composure entirely. His eyes turned red as he hissed, "You must destroy it! At least... at least don't let Thor's sacrifice be for nothing."
His words cast a heavy silence over the room. Everyone could feel the weight of his grief.
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