After Karl and Yinsen finished inspecting the laboratory, Karl returned Yinsen to Tony's mansion. Instead of going home immediately, he walked the city streets alone, thinking about his next move.
By now, he could barely consider Tony and Yinsen mere acquaintances. Trust was forming.
Which made his next decision more complicated.
The Spider Serum.
The formula that created Spider-Man.
With his current wealth and access to advanced biotech equipment, he could cultivate genetically modified spiders and reproduce a serum capable of granting proportionate strength, enhanced reflexes, accelerated healing, and wall-crawling adhesion.
The potential was enormous.
In the future, Peter Parker would catch the Winter Soldier's cybernetic arm mid-strike and overpower both the Winter Soldier and Falcon simultaneously. That level of strength was far beyond peak human limits.
But power like that never remained secret.
If the serum leaked, organizations such as:
S.H.I.E.L.D.
the U.S. military
Oscorp
Hydra remnants
private weapons contractors
would stop at nothing to acquire it.
The trouble would never end.
In the end, Karl decided against releasing the serum.
Not yet.
He would wait until he had a trusted biological research team under strict control.
Even Tony Stark had once been infiltrated — Natasha Romanoff proved that.
Secrecy was survival.
The Iron Man armor itself had not been seized by governments only because:
Howard Stark's political connections still shielded Stark Industries
most nations could theoretically build powered armor
what they lacked was Tony's arc reactor power source
Even Obadiah Stane had built the Iron Monger from recovered designs.
The armor wasn't unique.
The power source was.
Karl exhaled slowly.
He didn't fear for himself.
He feared trouble reaching Aunt May… Wanda… Pietro… Peter.
That was unacceptable.
As he continued down the street, something felt wrong.
The air thickened.
The buildings tilted subtly.
Perspective warped.
A faint golden light reflected across the glass windows.
Karl's eyes flashed blue.
He knew.
Sparks burst in the air ahead of him.
A circular portal formed — a rotating mandala of golden sigils.
A figure stepped through.
Yellow robes.
Hooded silhouette.
Calm presence that felt deeper than the city itself.
The Sorcerer Supreme.
The Ancient One.
Karl did not relax.
Frost began creeping along the pavement. Ice crystallized along the edges of nearby walls as the ambient temperature dropped.
The Ancient One raised a hand slightly.
"Do not be alarmed, Karl. I am not here to harm you. Based on your actions, I believe you already know who I am."
Karl exhaled slowly.
"Hello… Sorcerer Supreme."
A faint smile touched the Ancient One's lips.
"You do know me. And you know more than most."
Her gaze was steady, piercing without hostility.
"I suspected as much when you rescued Tony Stark… and ensured he would owe you a debt."
Karl did not lower his guard.
"So you came to see me?"
"I came to tell you that you need not fear me," she replied calmly. "I have traveled the multiverse in spirit. I have seen countless variations of reality… and my own fate among them."
Her voice remained serene.
"This universe will unfold much like many others. You are free to act as you wish. So long as your actions do not endanger Earth, I will not interfere."
Karl's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What future do you see now?"
The Ancient One shook her head.
"I no longer see one clearly."
She looked directly at him.
"Since your arrival, the timeline has become obscured. Even with the Time Stone, the future is clouded — fragmented, uncertain. Whether the outcome becomes salvation… or catastrophe… will depend on the choices you make."
She paused.
"But I have observed you."
Her tone softened.
"You are not driven by conquest. Nor domination. You seek security… belonging… peace."
Karl blinked.
She had described him perfectly.
He had never dreamed of ruling the world.
He wanted a home.
A family.
A quiet life that fate kept denying him.
"Then you believe I'm on Earth's side," he said.
"I believe you live here," she answered. "And that is often reason enough."
Karl fell silent.
After a moment, she continued:
"When you are ready, you may come to Kamar-Taj. I believe you already know the location of the New York Sanctum."
Golden light spiraled outward.
Reality folded.
The world snapped back into place.
Traffic noise returned.
Pedestrians passed by, unaware anything had happened.
Karl stood alone on the sidewalk.
He shook his head and resumed walking home.
He didn't dwell on destiny or cosmic responsibility.
He would act when necessary.
Earth was his home now.
If it fell, where would he go?
And besides…
Odin still lived.
The Ancient One still stood watch.
Captain Marvel existed somewhere among the stars.
The burden of the universe did not rest on him alone.
When Karl returned home, he immediately noticed the atmosphere was wrong.
Wanda and Pietro sat on the sofa.
Their expressions were tense… conflicted.
Karl glanced toward Aunt May.
She approached gently.
"I told them Tony Stark is your friend. We can't hide the truth forever. They need to understand."
Karl sighed softly.
"Alright. Go upstairs."
After Aunt May left, he sat across from the twins.
"Wanda. Pietro. I know you hate Tony Stark because of the missile that destroyed your home."
He spoke calmly.
"But I can say with absolute certainty: Tony did not knowingly sell weapons to terrorists."
Their eyes hardened, but they listened.
"Those deals were conducted secretly by Obadiah Stane. Tony didn't approve them."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I'm not asking you to forgive him. I'm telling you the truth. And in a few days… I can show you proof."
Silence settled over the room.
The first crack in their hatred had finally appeared.