Inside Stark Tower, Ebony Maw stood beside his new master, doing something he never would have imagined weeks ago.
He was trying to talk him down.
After everything he'd learned, after witnessing what Noah Vale was capable of, Maw understood one simple truth: there were lines in this universe you did not cross.
And Noah was the line.
Across from him stood a man identical to Tony Stark in every detail, holding two of the most dangerous objects in existence.
In the White House, the real Tony watched through the projection, studying his counterpart with growing curiosity. Beneath the tension, there was something else there too.
Interest.
If things had gone differently, this version of him might have been… impressive.
Or dangerous.
Possibly both.
Future Tony glanced at Ebony Maw, then at the projection.
He hesitated.
The internal struggle was written all over his face.
Then, slowly, he set the Space Stone and the Mind Stone down.
"Good call," Tony said, a faint smile forming. "Now, how about you explain why you thought stealing from me was a smart move?"
Future Tony exhaled, shoulders lowering.
"Short version," he said. "I'm you. Ten years from now. From another timeline. And I'm trying to collect all six Infinity Stones to undo something catastrophic."
Tony didn't react immediately.
Then he blinked.
"…You're kidding."
"I'm not."
Tony looked him up and down again, skepticism practically radiating off him. "You're telling me you're me from the future, and this is the plan? Break in, grab cosmic artifacts, hope nobody notices?"
Future Tony's expression didn't waver. "Half the universe is gone. That's the situation."
Tony's eyes narrowed.
"If things are that bad," he said slowly, "then where's Noah?"
Silence.
Tony shook his head. "Exactly. If it's serious enough that I'm risking something like this, then Noah's either gone or out of the picture. And if that's true, whatever you're dealing with is way beyond just the Stones."
He tapped the side of his head. "That logic tracks, right?"
Future Tony gave a bitter laugh. "You're not wrong. In my universe… Noah doesn't exist."
Tony stilled.
"No Noah. No Magneto. No Professor X. No vampires. None of it," Future Tony continued. "Your world? It's the anomaly."
The words carried weight.
And a hint of envy.
"FRIDAY," Future Tony said quietly, "show him."
Tony's expression shifted as his systems suddenly flickered.
"Sir," his AI warned, "external access detected."
"What—"
Images flooded his vision.
A different timeline.
A different future.
A broken one.
When the feed ended, Tony stood there in silence.
"…You really are me," he muttered.
He looked up sharply. "Don't move. I'm coming to you. Give me thirty minutes."
Future Tony shook his head. "At your current flight speed? That's optimistic."
He turned, already moving. "You're in Washington, right? I'll come to you."
The next second, his suit ignited and he shot into the sky, leaving the Stones behind.
That alone pushed Tony's belief from doubtful to almost certain.
Elsewhere in New York, near the Sanctum Sanctorum, Bruce Banner and Scott Lang crept up onto the rooftop.
They reached the door.
Before they could knock—
"You're in the wrong timeline."
The voice came from behind them.
They turned.
A bald woman in flowing yellow robes stood calmly nearby, hands folded. Around her neck hung the Eye of Agamotto.
"If you're looking for Stephen Strange," she continued, "he's no longer here. He left the city with the evacuation."
Scott blinked. "Wait… what?"
The Ancient One smiled faintly.
"In this world, medicine has… evolved. Many conditions that once required surgery can now be treated through other means. Hospitals are not what they used to be."
Which meant—
No surgeon.
No accident.
No Sorcerer Supreme.
Instead, Stephen Strange had taken a very different path.
"He invested," the Ancient One added, almost amused. "Badly."
Scott winced. "That's rough."
Bruce stepped forward cautiously. "And you are?"
"You may call me the Ancient One."
Without hesitation, she removed the Time Stone and held it out.
"Take it."
All three of them froze.
"…That's it?" Scott said. "No tests? No riddles? No glowing trial of destiny?"
The Ancient One only smiled.
Back in Washington, Tony stood on a balcony inside the White House as his counterpart descended from the sky.
The landing was smooth. Controlled.
Familiar.
"Alright," Tony said. "Start talking. Everything."
Future Tony didn't waste time.
"There's a guy named Thanos," he said. "He collected all six Infinity Stones. Snapped his fingers. Half the universe died. Randomly."
Tony frowned. "Thanos again…"
Then something caught.
"Wait. You mentioned casualties. Hawkeye's family, right?"
Future Tony nodded.
Tony blinked. "Who?"
That threw him.
"You don't know Hawkeye?" Future Tony asked. "What about S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Tony leaned back against the railing. "They were exposed working with HYDRA. Got wiped out. Fury's still missing, presumed dead."
Future Tony stared at him.
"You're saying S.H.I.E.L.D. was HYDRA?"
"Welcome to my world."
A beat.
"What about Hulk? Captain America?" Future Tony pressed.
"Hulk went down with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony said. "As for Captain America… honestly? No idea if he's even still alive."
Silence settled between them.
Future Tony rubbed his face slowly. "I think your universe traded its superheroes for… whatever this is."
Tony didn't disagree.
After hearing the full story, he rested his hands on the railing, staring out at the distance.
A universe without Noah.
A future where no one could stop Thanos.
For the first time, he understood just how different things could have been.
And how close they might still be.
"If I'd treated this like a major incident from the start," Tony said quietly, "and Noah got involved…"
He didn't finish the thought.
He didn't need to.
Future Tony stepped forward. "Now you get it. Without the Stones, we can't undo what happened. Half the universe stays gone."
He met his own eyes.
"You're still me. Different path, same person. You're going to help."
Tony hesitated.
Then sighed.
"This is bigger than both of us," he admitted. "I'm going to talk to Noah."
Future Tony's expression snapped from hopeful to alarmed.
"Are you serious?!"
"Relax," Tony said, holding up a hand. "Intent matters. You're not stealing anymore. You're asking."
He gave a small, confident smile.
"And if all you need is to borrow the Stones? That's a conversation I can have."
Future Tony wasn't convinced.
Tony, meanwhile, had already made up his mind.
He raised his hand and sent a message through the Interdimensional Chatroom.