40 A Place To Belong
I then turned my gaze to where Erik Killmonger had died.
It seems that the damage Ultron caused was so great that it became fatal for a human, even one enhanced like the Black Panther, to survive after wishing for the repair. Even his body transformed into nothing.
The unsupported stones had fallen to the ground, but I quickly gathered them with magic and stowed them away.
"Thank you!" A wild Natasha jumped on me and hugged my neck tightly. I was slightly surprised, but I embraced her waist with a gentle smile and caressed her back.
She was a bit Stinky, but who could blame her? You can't have so much luxury in a destroyed world.
I then whispered softly in her ear in a warm tone, "You've suffered enough. It's time for you to be happy."
Natashas seems to be cursed. Across the universe, it seems they can't have a happy ending. But I'll give her a happy ending, both her from this universe and her from mine.
We pulled away from the hug, and Natasha smiled at me while wiping her tears.
That was when her earpiece received a call, and she cried even more when she saw it was Clint calling. She then went to the side to talk.
T'Challa also woke up at that moment, and seeing all the life that returned to this universe, he understood that Killmonger had died. But after sighing bitterly, he didn't insist on the matter.
I looked at everyone who was looking at me and smiled. "We still have to fix the other Ultron's world that was completely destroyed and Stephen's world that was also completely destroyed." I said with a smile.
"And what about Killmonger's world? He messed things up there a lot." Carter asked.
"I don't know. Interfering in other universes like this may not be a good thing. Universes destroyed and without hope are one thing, those full of life and with their own destiny are another." I said, shaking my head. I can't keep taking care of other universes. But saving some destroyed ones occasionally is not a problem.
"I agree." Uatu appeared beside us and took us away from there, as there were many people taking pictures of us and surrounding us.
"I can take you to save destroyed universes, but I can't guide you to universes with life, as it goes against my oath." Uatu explained.
"Well, that's enough. Let me get something before we restore the other Ultron's universe." I said and had Uatu take me home.
Soon, I returned holding one of the High-Evolutionary's henchmen that I had in my prison.
"You know what to do." I said and threw him to Friday. She nodded and entered a portal that Uatu opened.
Shortly after, she returned with the stones in her hand and handed them to me.
"Everything's taken care of, Friday took care of that universe. Now only Strange's remains." I said, looking at him. But he just shook his head negatively.
"Sigh, my universe can't be fixed." Stephen said with a bitter sigh.
"Let us see." I said to him.
He sighed again and nodded. Uatu then opened a portal. We entered and appeared inside a giant purple crystal. That was Stephen's entire universe now. A large purple crystal.
"Uhmm, this is complicated." Yao said while studying the dimension and casting some spells.
'He broke an absolute point in time. His Christine died instead of him losing his hands, so he sought answers in the mystical arts, and then he became the Sorcerer Supreme and tried to save Christine by going back in time. But if he saves her, he has no motivation to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and if he isn't the Sorcerer Supreme, he can't save Christine, creating a paradox he can't escape. That's the absolute point in time, and Stephen foolishly broke it, bringing the end of his universe.' I recalled the intricacies of the matter.
While I was thinking, Sthepen explained the same thing to everyone.
"Sigh, this situation could only be fixed using the Infinity Stones from my universe, but all of them were destroyed, except for this one." Stephen said, opening the Eye of Agamotto, revealing the Time Stone.
"What about the stones that are with Tony?" Carter asked with a frown.
"No!" Uatu said firmly, explaining, "Using the energy of one universe in sufficient quantities to fix another entire universe would start an incursion between the two universes and lead to their certain destructions."
Carter then remembered what we had discussed before and was a bit embarrassed to have proposed that.
"We can't use the stones, but it doesn't mean we can't study them. Doctor Strange, I want to invite you to my universe while I study the stones and find a solution. I have theories that may help with your problems. And in the meantime, we would like you to be our Sorcerer Supreme. Yao is tired of the position." I said to Strange solemnly, and then with amusement.
Strange widened his eyes at us.
"Y-You would do that for me? After all the wrong I've done, you would trust me?" Strange stammered, surprised, and moved.
"You're not bad, Stephen. More like misguided." Yao said playfully.
But this shocked Strange. They were the same words his Ancient One had said to him before about himself.
Strange then nodded to me and Yao with a gentle smile, accepting our invitation.
After that, we returned to the pub where we had met in the beginning.
Uatu turned to us. "The entire Multiverse owes you a debt of gratitude. But your worlds will never know this victory. Once you walk through that door, you'll return to the exact moment you left." Uatu said.
We bid each other farewell and began to return to our universes with nostalgia and a sense of accomplishment.
...
Omniscient P.O.V
Everyone was leaving through the door, and when only Carter and Natasha remained, Peggy stopped at the door.
She looked to the side and saw the portrait of the scrawny Steve Rogers.
"It's time to go, Captain. You'd rather return to another time." Uatu said, knowing what she was thinking.
Just as Steve Rogers lost his Peggy when he was frozen for 70 years. This Peggy also lost 70 years of the world before seeing the light of day again, but there wasn't a Steve waiting for her on the other side.
"Haven't I earned my happy ending?" She asked with a sad and lonely tone.
"Trust me, that world, that time, needs Captain Carter." Uatu said, looking at her with helplessness, but there was also confidence in his eyes.
Carter hesitated, then looked at Natasha, who was waiting for her to leave so she could return to her world. Carter remembered Nat's world, a world where his Avengers lost.
She had a duty, and much would be at stake if she didn't fulfill it. She nodded to the two and entered the portal.
Natasha followed, leaving only Uatu behind.
Uatu sighed softly.
Then returned to his duty, to watch.
He saw Peggy, who walked out the door and found Steve, who had been frozen in time inside a suit on the ship where she was before being caught to fight Ultron.
Uatu then looked at a happy Natasha reuniting with the revived Avengers and trying to stop them from beating up Tony.... again, as he already had purple eyes.
"That's it, isn't it?" Uatu said as he looked through the multiverse.
There, he saw T'Challa fighting alongside the newly recruited Peter Quill with smiles on their faces.
"All creatures, searching for a place to belong." Uatu then looked at Gamora.
There, he saw Gamora talking to a Tony Stark in a large suit with a smile.
"To call home." He saw Thor embracing Jane Foster with a big smile.
"As for me, I am the Watcher." He then saw Tony's house, filled with laughter and fun. Tony was explaining who Vision, Friday, and Strange were, all sitting in the living room with smiles. Everyone burst into laughter at seeing Stephen faint at the sight of Yao's real appearance.
He then looked at you reading this story and said with solemnity and sincerity.
"The Multiverse, every single world, every story is my home, and I will protect it to the end."
