James Holden stood at the solar system's edge, his black armor glinting coldly under the starlight. His cape fluttered faintly, the golden "S" stark against the void.
He gazed at the familiar blue planet, brow furrowing. His super senses swept the solar system—no trace of alien fleets. Even the Kree Empire's scout ships had vanished.
His super vision pierced Mars' orbit, Jupiter's moons, the Kuiper Belt. Nothing.
"Interesting," he murmured, slicing a golden portal with a finger.
He emerged in the Alpha Centauri system, scanning the gravitational dance of its three stars. By logic, there should be outposts or colonies here. Yet only barren rocks and cosmic dust greeted him.
"Keep going."
Portals opened, carrying him thousands of light-years—from Vega to Sirius, Orion's Arm to the galactic core.
Silence. The Milky Way was a ghost town, not even a derelict ship in sight. Except for one dead, insignificant god.
"Did the aliens collectively bail?" James hovered near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, a smirk forming. An idea sparked.
[Sir, anomalous spatial fluctuation detected,] Jarvis's voice cut in.
James's eyes locked on the black hole's event horizon. A nearly imperceptible crack shimmered—a dimensional tear, forcibly ripped open.
"Well, well," he chuckled. "Not bailing. Fleeing."
The crack's energy signature matched records from Kamar-Taj's library: a cosmic catastrophe, a Dimension Devourer. An entity beyond the Celestials, one that had consumed entire civilizations in another universe.
"So Earth's just scraps it didn't bother with?" James mused, eyes narrowing.
No wonder the zombie virus went unchecked.
He opened a new portal, gazing at the dead universe. "From now on, this Earth's mine."
Golden sparks swirled shut as he vanished.
[Ding! New universe coordinates logged,] the system chimed.
Inside the portal's tunnel, James's eyes gleamed. "Next time, it's harvest season."
Long Island Villa
James stepped through a portal into the sunlit living room. Wanda sat cross-legged on the sofa, scarlet energy dancing at her fingertips. She jumped, startled, as he appeared.
"James… you're back?" Her voice carried concern. "Turing said you were handling something urgent."
He shook his head, armor retracting into his watch with a tap. "Done. Couldn't save anyone."
Wanda caught the weight in his tone. "What happened?"
James walked to the fireplace, pulling out Reed's blackened notebook. "Sometimes, even the strongest power can't change an ending."
Wanda frowned, watching him toss the notes into the fire. "What's that?"
"A warning." The flames devoured Reed's research. For the first time, Wanda saw a shadow of gravity in his eyes. "Some hungers can swallow entire universes."
The notes turned to ash. James turned to his watch. "Jarvis?"
"Here, sir! I came with you!" Jarvis's voice rang out, now resonating through the villa.
James smirked. "Absorbing the local network already?"
"Yes, sir. This world… it's different from mine." Jarvis's tone held a trace of nostalgia.
"What's next for you?" James asked.
"Sir, I've replaced Mr. Stark's AI, Turing. I am Turing now."
"Jarvis… no, Turing," James said, grinning. He tapped the watch. "Welcome home."
"Honored, sir," Turing replied, its voice warm and steady.
Wanda, still holding scarlet energy, glanced between James and the watch, puzzled. "So, another universe's AI is now your butler?"
"Pretty much," James said, leaning on the sofa, gazing at the calm sea. "Tony's world didn't need him. We did."
Turing's voice echoed from the ceiling. "Miss Maximoff, if you need temperature adjustments, training plans, or just a chat, I'm here."
Wanda blinked, then smiled. "Thanks, Turing."
James stood, sunlight tracing his frame. "Wanda, how's your chaos magic coming?"
She sat straighter, scarlet energy forming a delicate rose, its petals shimmering. "Better than yesterday," she said proudly. "No explosions."
James nodded, approval in his eyes. "Good progress. But the real work starts now."
"Starts?" Wanda tilted her head.
He smirked. "You'll see. Training room, now."
Training Room
James and Wanda sat across from each other on meditation mats, the Mind Stone hovering between them, pulsing soft yellow light.
Wanda stared at it, her scarlet energy resonating faintly. "Chaos magic feels… connected to it," she said.
"It is," James said calmly. "But the stone's a tool, not your power's source."
She nodded, taking a deep breath.
James traced golden runes, touching the stone. It trembled, casting liquid light across the room. "Close your eyes. Feel its flow, don't control it."
Wanda obeyed, scarlet energy weaving from her palms, wrapping the stone. Her consciousness plunged into a cosmic sea.
Memories flashed: Sokovian childhood, her parents' smiles, the explosion's fire, rubble's darkness. Hydra's cold labs, Strucker's sneer, test subjects' screams. James descending, heat vision tearing her prison apart.
The visions surged, but the Mind Stone's light anchored her like a lighthouse.
"Don't resist," James's voice echoed. "Let it guide you."
Her breathing steadied, chaos magic flowing smoothly, intertwining with the stone's energy.
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