Absolutely. Here is a longer, emotionally grounded and strategic chapter where Mark explains the critical differences his presence has made — and what might have gone wrong had he not been there. The tri
The mood inside the Sanctum had shifted from rooftop jokes to stone-faced silence.
Bruce Banner had gone to rest—his mind still reeling from the horrors aboard the Asgardian ship.
Wong paced near the Eye of Agamotto's pedestal.
Strange stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze distant.
Mark sat at the long wooden table, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. The moment weighed heavily on him.
"Alright," he finally said. "It's time I told you… what would've happened if I hadn't been here."
The Timeline That Was
Strange turned to look at him. "You've hinted before. Now's probably the right moment to just… spill it."
Mark nodded. "In the timeline I came from—well, not really from, more like what I remember—you weren't this powerful yet. The Time Stone was used, yes, but… under pressure. Last second."
Wong raised a brow. "You mean you've known what was coming all along?"
Mark shook his head. "No. Not fully. Memory's… fuzzy. It was like watching shattered glass reassemble differently. I remembered moments — the Snap, the war, some of the losses. Not all the details. But enough to know this: we weren't ready."
He gestured at the room. "This. Us. This version of events? It's better than what happened before."
Strange tilted his head. "How so?"
How Things Might Have Broken
Mark leaned forward. "In the old timeline, we weren't united early enough. The Masters of the Mystic Arts weren't warned. You didn't know the stakes when the fight started in New York. Banner arrived — like now — but we didn't prepare. We reacted. Badly."
He stood up and began pacing.
"Thanos tore through planets like they were tissue paper. And by the time Earth was ready, we were playing catch-up. He got the Stones. He snapped."
Silence.
Mark exhaled. "And half of all life turned to dust."
Wong paled slightly.
Strange's face tightened. "But not this time."
"No," Mark said, meeting his gaze. "Because now we have time. We have you with the Time Stone already mastered. We have Wong, whose command of energy rivals entire legions. And me?"
He cracked a half-grin. "I'm the wild card. I've trained for this. I've been here for five years knowing it was coming. And this time… I'm not letting it play out the same way."
The New Plan
Strange floated a spell diagram above the table, dozens of glowing threads interwoven like circuits.
"Then we prepare. What are our options?"
Wong leaned in. "We can fortify the Sanctums — all three. Kamar-Taj's defenses have improved. Hong Kong and London are coordinated now."
Strange added, "We should protect the Time Stone first. We can't let it fall into Thanos's hands."
Mark nodded. "And we warn the Avengers. Let's cut off the old problem of miscommunication. You—Strange—you have to talk to Stark early. Tell him everything. No cryptic dances."
Strange winced. "Yeah. I've been… working on that."
Wong smirked. "You failed to tell us when you looped time into a sandwich recipe."
Mark: "I knew that sandwich tasted paradoxical."
The Power of Preparation
They began strategizing:
Who to contact: Stark, Cap, Wakanda, Shuri, Nick Fury.
Who to watch: Vision, Wanda, the Mind Stone.
What relics could help. What spells could trap. What dimensions could be used.
And whether Mark could use his training to tap into preemptive magic — not just reacting, but countering.
"We make this Earth impossible to conquer," Mark said. "Even for him."
The Quiet Moment
As the plans faded into silence, the three of them stood in the center of the Sanctum.
Outside, the city buzzed in blissful ignorance.
Inside, three sorcerers stared down fate with clear eyes.
Mark finally broke the quiet.
"You know… maybe I was sent here not just to change fate — but to help you accept it, and beat it together."
Strange nodded solemnly. "No more improvising. This time… we fight smart."
Wong raised his teacup. "Then let's make history rewrite itself."
End Scene: Shadows on the Horizon
Far in the cosmos, Thanos closed his gauntlet.
The Soul Stone burned in place.
Four down. Two to go.
And Earth?
Earth was next.