Busy days always passed quickly. Tony built a house by Hogwarts's Black Lake near Hagrid's hut. He and Pepper lived there. With Gemini's headmistress privileges, he established a magic-shielded field. JARVIS stayed there too.
Tony only discovered after arriving at Hogwarts—Pepper was pregnant. Right when they were discussing the wedding ceremony. But given the situation, Pepper kept it to herself. Until everything was stable and her belly started showing.
Eight months after killing Thanos, Tony's daughter Morgan Stark was born. Feeling the magic fluctuations in her, Gemini almost cried. At Gemini's insistence, she became little Morgan's godmother.
Steve, Natasha and the others stayed at the Guardian base in New York. With Friday's help, they handled incidents nearby. Some people couldn't bear losing family, going mad.
Barton almost went mad too, but was stopped by the hope Gemini gave. He now actively maintained himself. Couldn't have his family return to find him decrepit.
Five years passed. Every anniversary of Thanos eliminating half the world's population, everyone silently gathered at the Guardian base. Even Rocket and Nebula, always out, rushed to Earth that day.
Following routine, everyone played with Morgan, then gathered in the empty conference room, staring at those empty seats.
JARVIS always thoughtfully projected virtual images there, pretending everyone was still around.
After the simple memorial, Gemini began assigning tasks, listing items she needed. Things unavailable in the Forbidden Forest required Steve and the others running worldwide. Nebula would silently place piles of specialties they brought back from the universe on the table. Maybe one would be useful.
These five years, guided by portraits in the headmaster's office, Gemini explored all of Hogwarts, even the Room of Requirement. Through ancient books and portrait fragments, Gemini finally found clues. The problem—that single Time-Turner's power was insufficient. The materials for making it were extinct. Their only option was finding substitutes.
Like finding a needle in a haystack. After countless experiments, Gemini tried almost everything she could find on Earth. Still no success.
Hope now rested on metal ores, plants and such that Nebula brought back from various planets.
Just as Lala prepared the routine banquet, the Guardian base's door was suddenly knocked.
Everyone's hearts pounded, watching the shouting person on the virtual screen. JARVIS displayed data beside his face. One of those who vanished five years ago—Scott Lang. In Guardian files, he had another identity: Ant-Man. Before the great battle, Tony wanted to recruit him, but the fight with Thanos happened. Didn't make it.
"Merlin, is this a recording?" Gemini muttered.
Natasha rapidly tapped the keyboard. "Don't think so. This is front door surveillance! He's at the door!"
"I'll bring him over!" Tony vanished. Next second appeared beside Scott. In his horrified expression, grabbed his shoulder, returned to the conference room.
Experiencing Apparition for the first time, Scott leaned on the table, dry heaving. If his stomach wasn't empty, he'd have vomited.
But when he looked up at the roomful of people, he collapsed to the floor. First words: "Got food?"
Everyone absentmindedly watched Scott wolf down food. Steve gripped the table edge, making himself look less eager. "So you only stayed in that quantum tunnel five hours, but five years passed outside?"
Scott struggled to swallow. "Right, exactly! So I think—I have a crazy idea!"
Tony tapped the table. "Know your idea. We've been preparing for it a long time. We just lack a passage. You came at the perfect time!"
Scott froze, mouth half-open, staring blankly at Tony. "Haven't said what my idea is yet!"
Tony laughed shortly. "Go back to the past, find the stones, bring them back, snap again to bring people back, then return them."
Scott's food almost fell out. Quickly swallowed. "You read minds?!"
Tony shook his head. "This is the plan we decided five years ago. We've found the method to return to the past, but don't have a key strong enough to open time's door. And you—brought the key!"
Scott laughed. "Awesome! I mean—we're saved! Heaven wants us to succeed!"
Stuffing food in his mouth, Scott vigorously wiped his dirty hands on himself. "So where do we start?"
"Start with your tunnel!" Tony didn't hesitate, immediately arranging work.
Gemini handed Tony all the runes and spells she'd researched, returning to her old profession—brewing potions. After all, going back to the past, fighting was inevitable. Having more prepared was never wrong.
Nebula and Rocket were assigned to fetch Banner from Sakaar's arena. He'd been fighting there for years without showing his face.
Rhodes and Steve were assigned to find Thor in Norway's Asgard village. Heard he'd learned to be a good king, working hard developing Asgard, hoping to have a throne to pass to Loki when he returned.
Tony and Scott began researching the makeshift quantum tunnel in that car in the base's hall, listing needed equipment for JARVIS, then Barton fetched them.
Everyone was busy. No one slacked off.
Soon, Tony figured out the quantum tunnel in Scott's car. Science and magic's endpoints had similarities. Tony integrated what Gemini researched into the quantum tunnel, building a huge transmission platform in the hall.
When Banner walked off the ship in tattered clothes, Tony had even made the suits.
"Now assign time points." Tony pulled up images of the stones and their appearance times, beginning arrangements.
"New York 2010. Mind and Space—they appeared together here." Tony pointed at the blue and yellow stones, marking the time. "Think you forgot—there's also Time." Gemini reminded.
Tony slapped his forehead. "Right, Time should be here!" Marking the New York Sanctum's location, Tony clicked his tongue. "No wonder Thanos came to attack. Earth had three Infinity Stones at this time point."
Gemini rolled her eyes. "Hurry up. We don't have time for your sighs!"
Tony smiled awkwardly. "Me, Steve, Banner, Gemini, and Scott—five people to this time point. After all, we experienced the Battle of New York. Easier to handle."
"Next is this one." Thor stared hard at the red one. "I'll go. Know that event! Asgard 2013! I brought Jane there to extract the stone from her. My mother died in that battle."
"Ah, okay. We still need to make something to extract the Reality Stone." Rocket shrugged, patting Thor's knee. "Though not great to say, I must remind you—history can't be changed."
Thor nodded heavily, staring hard at the red stone in the picture and his name Tony just marked.
"Thor must have a teammate. Who goes?" Tony finished writing Thor's name, turning to the idle people.
Rocket scanned around, spreading his hands. "I'll go. After all, we have history!"
Tony nodded agreement, writing Rocket's name under Thor's.
"2014 should be the Power Stone, right?" Tony turned to ask Nebula.
Nebula pressed her head. A video projected from one mechanical eye—Star-Lord boasting about how he got the Power Stone.
Tony's mouth twitched. "Rhodes goes with Nebula." Decisively filled in the names.
"This time point has another one—should be Vormir's Soul Stone. We must discuss this Soul Stone." Tony's expression was serious.
Nebula was also silent. Thanos brought her sister Gamora once. Only Thanos returned. Gamora died. Hard to say it wasn't related to obtaining the stone.
"About souls, I saw in ancient books—Death's principle of exchanging souls. Don't know if it's related?" Gemini said hesitantly. After all, those books were still written by humans. But Infinity Stones existed since the universe's birth.
"Let's hear it?" Tony looked over.
Gemini organized her words. "Ancient books say Death takes souls, so you must sacrifice a soul to exchange from Death's hands. No one's seen Death. Can't confirm."
Tony blinked. "Remember in Tales of Beedle the Bard, one of three brothers dodged Death, right?"
Gemini fumbled in her bag, pulling out a cloak. "This is the legendary Invisibility Cloak. Of course, think this can fool Death, but probably can't fool that stone."
Tony stroked his chin. "Must it be human souls? What about animals? Any prerequisites?"
Natasha and Barton looked at each other. "Leave it to us. We'll go. No matter what, we'll bring back the stone."
Tony almost laughed at their martyred expressions. "Stop it. Either way, your lives matter. From now on, you two go to the outside field. I'll arrange people to send animals. You interact with them, get familiar. If it doesn't work, sacrifice animals! Sacrifice several—can't beat one person?"
Everyone looked at each other, looking at Tony. Would this really work?
Tony rolled his eyes. "It's a stone. How would it know what's sacrificed? Should follow Death's rules—soul for soul. In that case, just invest some emotion in the creature you sacrifice, connect yourself to it. If quality doesn't work, we'll pile up quantity!"
Everyone agreed to Tony's suggestion with mixed feelings. Anyway, Natasha and Barton decided—if Tony's theory didn't work, they'd sacrifice themselves!
After arrangements, everyone gathered with their teammates, discussing how to get the stones at that time point, who should go, etc.
Barton and Natasha miserably stayed outside with a bunch of pigs, sheep, chickens and other small animals. Heard Scott could put them all in cages, shrink them together, let them carry them over. They had to establish some weak feelings with these animals before departure.
Natasha decisively led away sheep and calves, leaving pigs and chickens to Barton. He could only miserably carry pig feed and hug pigs to feed them, hoping it would help.
Combat suits were ready. Even time-confirming bracelets were made. Gemini volunteered for the first test. After all, among those present, only she'd consciously experienced time travel.
Wearing the red-white combat suit, putting on the helmet, following Scott's taught method, Gemini activated the bracelet.
Tony immediately began countdown. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Bring back!"
Gemini appeared in place looking dazed. Tony quickly went up, patting her cheeks. "Hey! Conscious?! How are you?"
Gemini's vision focused. Seeing Tony before her, she couldn't help smiling. "Success. I saw you and Fury!"
Tony also relaxed. Fury was also someone who vanished. Seemed it really succeeded!
Everyone immediately made final preparations, bringing all possible supplies. Everyone stood on the transmission platform, looking at each other hopefully. JARVIS began countdown. When counting to 1, the machine activated.
A clock's phantom appeared in the platform's center. A colorful passage opened.
Entering the gorgeous quantum tunnel, everyone began separating to their assigned places. The four going to 2014—Nebula's group—left first. Next were Rocket and Thor to 2013.
Until passing through a beam of white light, Gemini and the others landed on a destroyed street.
Looking around, Gemini picked up a newspaper on the ground. "Confirmed. We arrived at this time."
Banner began transforming. "I'll go to the Sanctum to find the Ancient One. After all, I've been there!"
"Hulk!" Hulk roared. A few leaps and he vanished from everyone's sight.
"Let's go then." Tony took a deep breath. "Gemini's responsible for getting that scepter from Strucker. After it ends, Scott helps get Space!"
"Wait!" Gemini felt something wrong. Goosebumps rose.
"What's wrong?" Tony asked blankly.
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