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The Avengers were still reeling from Nolan and Strange's exchange. Only Tony and Banner had grasped fragments of the argument; the rest looked bewildered, though they could feel the heavy tension building between the two sorcerers.
Tony stepped forward quickly, trying to cut the mood before it snapped. "Hey, hey what's with the hostility? Without Nolan, we wouldn't even have the Space Stone or the Mind Stone. And in case anyone forgot we just beat Thanos without a single casualty. That's… kind of a win, right?"
He forced a crooked smile, keeping one eye on Nolan. If Nolan actually lost his temper, none of them knew what they could do.
The Infinity Gauntlet was still in his hands, and according to Tony's other warnings, Nolan's power might already rival Odin's.
Strange frowned, ignoring Tony's attempt to lighten things.
"You weren't supposed to find those Stones here. Weren't you in New York during the Chitauri invasion?"
Tony rubbed his temple. "We'll… circle back to that."
For the first time since the dust settled, he allowed himself to exhale. The battle was done. The universe felt safe again, if only for a moment.
But then, the sky lit up.
A streak of blazing orange tore through the clouds and descended like a comet. Wrapped in raw cosmic energy, her eyes glowing like twin stars Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel.
"Where's Thanos?" Carol demanded, scanning the battlefield. She'd rushed back as soon as she caught word of his return. Last time, she hadn't arrived in time. This time, she was ready to end him herself.
But all she found was rubble, ashes, and a room full of Avengers staring awkwardly.
Nolan folded his arms, unimpressed. "Of course. The universe's policewoman—shows up after it's already over."
He didn't say it aloud, but the thought lingered. First Wanda, then Strange, now Carol all of them strong enough to match Thanos one-on-one, yet somehow each had sat out half the war. In Nolan's own universe, a single trained Wanda could have soloed this battle, provided Thanos hadn't secured the Gauntlet.
Tony shrugged at Carol. "Handled."
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Strange listened grimly as Tony and Banner explained how they'd met Nolan in another universe how even Pym Particles had failed to bypass his "anchor." Strange's gaze flicked to Nolan, who was now quietly studying the Gauntlet.
Nolan's soul sense probed deep into the Stones. The Power Stone in his possession resonated faintly with the others.
"Same essence… across universes?" he murmured. "Or is it because they all originate from the Nemesis herself…?"
Tony eyed him nervously. "You're not planning to… keep those, right?"
Banner interjected before Nolan could answer. "We need to put them back. The Ancient One said If we don't return the Stones, those timelines collapse."
Nolan shook his head. "The Ancient One was simplifying. The Stones aren't just trinkets they're the crystallization of a universe's rules. If one leaves its origin, the rules fracture. The timeline halts… suspended. If the Stone doesn't return quickly enough, that timeline decays, collapses snuffed out like a candle."
The Avengers exchanged uneasy glances.
"I'm not here to hoard them," Nolan added evenly. "I won't carry them outside this universe. But I will study them."
Before anyone could object further, he slid the Gauntlet onto his left hand.
The black-and-crimson construct flared instantly, shrinking to fit snugly around his arm. Power erupted like a star being born energy saturating his flesh, pouring into his soul. His body and spirit synchronized in perfect harmony.
The room trembled.
"Stop—what are you doing?!" Strange snapped. But his Time Stone was long gone, shattered by Thanos. He had no countermeasure left.
Nolan only laughed softly. "Relax. If I wanted to destroy you, I wouldn't need these."
And yet, the raw truth stunned him. The Infinity Stones were… qualitatively beyond everything he had mastered. His own vast arsenal felt like it belonged to a lower dimension in comparison.
He flexed his hand. Snap.
Not to erase half of existence, but as a test.
Friday's voice chimed immediately in Tony's ear:
"Uh, boss… a massive new structure just appeared outside. Looks like Oscorp Tower but, uh… scaled up about ten times larger."
Tony's jaw dropped.
Nolan smirked. "What? I was already CEO of Oscorp in my universe. Felt natural to… leave my mark here."
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