Tony Stark stood at the lab bench, watching as the final drop of pale blue liquid slowly dripped from the test tube into a storage vial.
The glass container already held about 200 milliliters of the fluid, faintly glowing under the lights.
He set the test tube down, removed his goggles, and turned to look at Banner across the room.
"It's done," Tony said calmly, though his eyes flickered with a mix of exhaustion and excitement.
Banner looked up, adjusting his glasses. Streams of data scrolled across the monitor in front of him, every value stable within safe parameters. "Stability at 97.3%. Energy fluctuation below 0.5%. Tony… we actually did it."
Tony didn't respond. He just stared at the blue liquid.
Forty-eight hours. One hundred and thirty-seven failed attempts. Three near-lab explosions.
And now, they had finally cracked the formula Hank Pym had spent decades perfecting.
Not a direct copy—but a reconstructed version using Baldur Alloy, creating something even more stable.
"Friday, calculate total yield," Tony said.
"Sir, based on current raw materials, approximately 600 milliliters of Pym Particles can be produced. Enough for 30 complete round trips through time," the AI responded.
Banner let out a low whistle. "Thirty trips. Enough to collect the Stones ten times over."
"Assuming we make it back alive," Tony said, walking to the coffee machine and downing an espresso in one gulp.
The lab doors slid open. Natasha walked in.
She had changed into a black tactical suit, her hair dyed back to its signature red. She looked sharper than she had two days ago.
"Is the temporal GPS ready?" she asked directly.
Tony gestured to a row of wrist-sized silver devices on the table. "Twenty units. Each with quantum positioning and temporal anchor stabilization. Strap it on, input time and location, hit the button—and theoretically, you'll land exactly where you want."
"Theoretically," Natasha repeated, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
"Science is theory," Tony shrugged. "But if you want a test run, I suggest Scott Lang. He's the only one who's been to the Quantum Realm and lived. Perfect guinea pig."
Natasha picked up one of the devices, weighing it in her hand. It was light, smooth, with a small screen and three buttons. It looked like an expensive watch—but what it could do was far beyond insane.
"Where's Levi?" she asked.
"Roof," Banner replied. "He's been standing there for six hours. Hasn't moved."
Natasha turned and left.
Tony watched her go, then said to Banner, "Get everyone. One hour. Conference room. Time to lay out the plan."
Banner nodded and followed.
Tony remained alone in the lab.
He stared at the vial of blue liquid, memories flashing through his mind—
Pepper and Morgan by the lakeside cabin.
Himself lying in the rubble after the Battle of New York.
And Thanos… snapping his fingers.
The plan was insane. If it failed, they might be trapped in the past forever—or worse, erased from the timeline entirely.
But doing nothing meant the lost would never return.
Tony took a deep breath, picked up a temporal GPS, and strapped it onto his wrist.
It tightened automatically. The screen lit up, displaying current time and coordinates.
He pressed a button. An input interface appeared.
Tony paused, then entered a date:
May 4th, 2012 — New York.
The day of the Battle of New York. The day he realized the universe held threats far beyond human understanding.
"Calculating route…"
A few seconds later—a green checkmark appeared.
Feasible.
Tony didn't confirm.
He just stared at the date.
Then turned the screen off and walked out.
---
The Avengers' conference room was full.
Steve Rogers sat at one end of the table, clean-shaven again, wearing a dark blue combat suit. His shield rested behind his chair.
Clint Barton sat beside him, hair trimmed, wounds treated, though his expression remained cold.
Natasha sat across from him, lightly tapping her fingers on the table.
Thor occupied two seats, his ill-fitting Asgardian armor stretched tight over his stomach. He stared down at Stormbreaker in his hands, saying nothing.
Carol Danvers stood by the window, arms crossed, still in her red-and-blue suit.
Scott Lang sat at the far corner, fidgeting nervously, constantly shifting in his seat.
Banner entered last, carrying a metal case. He placed it on the table and opened it—inside were twenty temporal GPS devices.
"Alright, everyone." Tony stepped forward. A massive holographic timeline lit up behind him, marked with six key points. "These are our targets: the six Infinity Stones, scattered across time and space."
He zoomed in on the first point.
"2012. Battle of New York. Space Stone—Stark Tower. Mind Stone—in Loki's scepter. Time Stone—in the Sanctum. Three Stones. Same place, same time. Primary target."
"And the others?" Natasha asked.
"2013. Asgard—Reality Stone inside Jane Foster. Same year, Morag—Power Stone inside the Orb."
A voice came from the doorway.
"The Soul Stone has special conditions."
Everyone turned. Levi walked in.
He wore a simple black jacket, but the faint pressure emanating from him was palpable to everyone present.
"To obtain it, you must sacrifice the soul of someone you love," he said, stepping forward.
Silence fell.
Clint muttered a curse.
Thor shot to his feet, his chair scraping back. "Sacrifice? You're saying we have to kill someone we love to get that damn stone?!"
Levi nodded. "Red Skull guards it. He'll explain the rules. It's a curse—there's no bypass."
"Then we don't take it!" Thor snapped. "Five Stones are enough!"
"No," Steve said firmly. "We need all six. Otherwise, it won't work."
Natasha stared at the projection of Vormir, her fingers now still. Clint's gaze lingered there too, complicated and heavy.
"I'll go," Natasha said suddenly. "I don't have a family. No one to protect. It should be me."
"No," Clint shot back. "It should be me. My wife and kids are gone—if I can bring them back, my life means nothing."
"Enough," Levi cut in. "Arguing now is pointless. We don't even know if the plan works—or if the GPS functions properly. Debating who dies is a waste of time."
Tony rubbed his temples. "He's right. Step one: test run. Scott—you're up."
Scott blinked. Slowly raised his hand. "Wait… I'm the guinea pig?"
"You're the only one with Quantum Realm experience," Banner said, patting his shoulder. "This time, you've got the GPS, Pym Particles, and us monitoring. Just go back one hour, then return."
"And if it fails?" Scott asked, voice trembling.
"Then you might be stuck in the past. Or turn into a baby. Or get erased entirely," Tony said casually. "But odds are low. About 12.5%."
"TWELVE POINT FIVE?!" Scott jumped up. "You call that low?!"
"Compared to what we're about to do? Very safe," Tony said, handing him a device. "One hour ago. This room. Check where your past self is sitting. Come back. Easy."
Scott took the device, hands shaking.
"If I die… tell Cassie her dad died saving the world."
"You won't die," Steve said firmly. "We'll monitor your vitals. If something goes wrong—we pull you back."
Levi stepped closer. "One more thing. Do not interact with anyone. Not even your past self. Paradoxes can trigger chain reactions. Worst case—the entire timeline collapses."
Scott swallowed. "So… sneak in, look, leave?"
"Exactly," Tony said, pointing to a massive machine in the corner—a circular quantum platform surrounded by metallic frames. "Stand there. Input coordinates. Press the button. Let physics handle the rest."
Scott stepped onto the platform, legs unsteady.
"Target time: one hour ago," Banner said, typing rapidly. "Location locked—conference room. Confirm."
Scott entered the data. A green checkmark appeared.
"Ready?" Tony's hand hovered over the switch.
Scott looked around.
Steve gave him a reassuring nod.
Natasha remained calm.
Clint expressionless.
Thor gripped Stormbreaker.
Carol watched silently.
Levi stood at the back, hands in pockets.
"Wait," Scott said suddenly. "If I go back an hour… I wasn't here yet. So the room should be empty."
Tony paused, then pulled up surveillance footage. One hour ago—the room was indeed empty.
"…You're right," Tony said. "Even easier. Go in, confirm, take a photo, come back."
Scott pulled out his phone. "This okay?"
"Put it on airplane mode," Tony said. "Don't want past networks detecting future signals."
Scott did so, then took a deep breath. "Okay… I'm ready."
"Countdown," Banner said. "Ten… nine… eight…"
The machine lit up. Blue energy flowed through its frame. The air smelled faintly of ozone.
"Seven… six… five…"
Scott felt the platform vibrate. A strange weightlessness pulled at him.
"Four… three… two…"
Tony hit the switch.
A blinding white light erupted. Scott shrank instantly into a point of light—then vanished.
Silence.
Everyone stared at the empty platform.
Banner's eyes were glued to the data streams. Sweat formed on his forehead.
"Vitals… gone."
"He's in the Quantum Realm," Tony said tightly. "Can you track him?"
"The signal's too weak. He's alive—but I can't pinpoint him." Banner typed frantically. "The quantum marker is moving—but unstable… like he's drifting."
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