Chapter 14: Time

The man with the blue face, clad in a suit of armor, was none other than Kang the Conqueror. He stood over the battlefield, tossing aside Thanos' skeletal remains as if discarding a mere pebble.

"Welcome," Kang declared, his voice dripping with menace as he strode toward the group. "Bow before your god—the one who decides your fate."

Confusion rippled through the Avengers, all except for Pietro, who stared at Kang with a growing dread.

"Who dares call themselves a god? You are no god!" Thor bellowed, raising Mjolnir and pointing it defiantly at Kang.

Kang's lips curled into a mocking smile. "It's amusing to hear the God of Thunder speak of gods when you haven't even mastered the Odinforce," he replied. Then, his voice dropped, cold and venomous. "I am more deserving of that title than you ever will be, God of Thunder."

With a flick of his index finger, Kang unleashed a searing blue beam that pierced through Thor's head in an instant. Thor's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and a wave of rage swept over the remaining Asgardians, Ironman and Captain America. They surged forward, ready to avenge their fallen king and friend.

But Clint and Natasha remained rooted to the spot, their instincts screaming at them to act, yet their bodies betrayed no such impulse. They exchanged a glance, both reading the fear etched in Pietro's expression. Whatever he sensed, it was enough to make even the swiftest among them hesitate. The gravity of the situation was clear this was a fight they couldn't afford to rush into. They valued their lives too much to make a fatal mistake.

Eitri stood by, his massive frame tense with anticipation, yet he refrained from acting. He cast a sidelong glance at Pietro, trusting in the speedster's instincts.

But Kang, unfazed, simply gestured with his hand as if conducting an orchestra, freezing them in place. They were trapped, their bodies locked in a state of stasis, unable to move.

The Ancient One, unseen and cloaked in invisibility, began to maneuver herself into position for a surprise attack from behind.

"Pietro," Kang called out, his tone mocking, "do you know why I'm here?"

Sensing an opportunity, the Ancient One reappeared, ready to strike, while Wanda rushed forward, her face a mask of determination.

Kang's smile widened. "The Scarlet Witch and the Sorcerer Supreme—both fated to die," he said, his voice almost amused.

But neither Wanda nor the Ancient One noticed Pietro's hesitation, his refusal to step forward. They soon realized why. Without so much as a wave of his hand, Kang immobilized them in a time stasis, freezing them in mid-attack.

'How?' The thought echoed in Wanda and the Ancient One's minds, bewildered by Kang's effortless display of power.

"And Bruce Banner," Kang said, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement, "don't even think about calling on the Hulk."

Bruce, terror-stricken, nodded silently.

The battlefield was eerily still. Only Pietro, Eitri, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Bruce remained able to move, but the weight of Kang's presence hung over them like a suffocating shadow.

Pietro stood motionless, burdened by guilt. 'This is my fault.' With cautious steps, he moved to the front of the group, the Time Stone in his hand. It was their only hope for survival. The others who could still move watched him with bated breath, waiting for his next move.

"What do you want, Kang?" Pietro's voice was steady, but tension rippled beneath his calm exterior.

"You, Pietro," Kang replied, his tone unsettlingly casual. "I suppose you're wondering why I haven't killed the others yet. Their fate depends entirely on you."

Pietro's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning this time?"

Kang's expression shifted, intrigued. "This time? So, you've met another version of me. Interesting." He leaned in slightly, his voice filled with a twisted satisfaction. "I want to be the only Kang—across all timelines, every multiverse."

"You want to become a paradox, a singularity," Pietro said, the realization dawning on him.

Tony Stark, standing nearby, couldn't mask his disbelief.

"Correct," Kang continued, catching Tony's reaction with a sly grin. "Even our Tony Stark is struggling to comprehend. But what intrigues me, Pietro, is how someone like you—a man from Sokovia—knows so much about me. Tell me, how do you know?"

Pietro hesitated before answering, "I can see the future."

Kang's expression darkened. Without warning, he drove his fist into Pietro's stomach, the force of the blow causing Pietro to double over and cough up blood. Kang seized him by the hair, lifting him with ease. "Tell me the truth," he hissed. "I know you didn't undergo the Terrigen Mist process."

Bruce Banner stood on the sidelines, wrestling with his growing rage. Inside, the Hulk's voice rumbled, demanding release. <Let me out. Let show him what the Hulk is made of.>

<No, > Banner shot back, trying to maintain control.

<He's mocking us!> the Hulk snarled. <You're too scared to fight. Let me take over, or just give up and let have this body!>

Kang's voice cut through Banner's internal struggle. "If you don't talk, I'll start killing them one by one."

But Pietro remained silent, his resolve unshaken.

"So, you want to play games, Quicksilver?" Kang sneered. He turned his attention to Wanda, rapidly aging her before Pietro's eyes.

Wanda cried out in pain, her body withering as she desperately sought help. The Ancient One, too, felt the effects, though the guilt that wracked Pietro was beyond anything they could experience.

Pietro met Wanda's eyes, filled with agony and a plea for help. He clenched his fists, his anger boiling over, but Kang forced him to keep watching. "Look at her," Kang taunted. "This is all because you refuse to speak."

Still, Pietro held his silence, though the rage within him grew.

"Fine," Kang said, his voice dripping with malice. "Let's deal with your teacher first. She needs a bit of de-aging."

Kang began to de-age the Ancient One, her body shrinking as she smiled at Pietro, a silent encouragement to stay strong. Within moments, she had regressed to the point of non-existence.

"Is this where your hope lies?" Kang mused as he eyed the Eye of Agamotto around Pietro's neck. Reaching for it, he recoiled in pain as his hand burned, the heat searing through his suit.

"That cursed woman!" Kang snarled, glaring at Pietro. "Are you biding your time, waiting for an opening? Or perhaps trying to create a time loop like the future Sorcerer Supreme?"

Pietro remained silent, his defiance a thorn in Kang's side.

"Enough!" Kang roared, his patience fraying. "I'll kill everyone else, leaving you to witness your sister's death over and over."

One by one, Kang aged the others, watching them crumble to dust. But in his arrogance, he overlooked one crucial detail. As Bruce Banner's life faded, the Hulk surged forward, his fury resurrecting him into a monstrous form.

But this Hulk, stripped of his full power aka his anger boost, was no match for Kang. The green giant charged at Kang, roaring in rage, only to be stopped inches from Kang's face, held in place by an invisible force.

"I could erase you from existence," Kang said with a cold smile, "but this is far too entertaining."

"I AM HULK!" The Hulk's roar shook the very ground, fueled by a fury unlike any he had ever felt. He lunged at Kang, every ounce of his rage driving him forward, but it was all in vain. Kang merely smirked, watching the green behemoth struggle against the invisible force holding him back.

"Looks like this Hulk has found a new level of anger," Kang mused, almost amused by the display.

But then, with a mere thought, Kang began to reverse the Hulk's existence, peeling back time until the giant began to shrink, his form deteriorating. Hulk's defiance turned to desperation as he felt himself being erased, inch by agonizing inch. And then, just like that, he ceased to exist.

Yet, in the chaos, Kang realized too late that Pietro was already gone. The speedster had vanished, slipping through time's grip like sand through fingers. Rage contorted Kang's face as he clenched his fist, the entire timeline around him shattering like fragile glass, each fragment dissolving into nothingness.

But Pietro had already taken his leap of faith, gathering every ounce of courage he had left. 'This is all my fault, but I'm going to fix it,' he vowed silently, hurtling through the time streams with no clear direction, only the will to undo his mistake.

Drawing upon the forbidden knowledge of the Book of Cagliostro, Pietro sent his consciousness spiraling back to another branch of the timeline. The cost was steep, he could only return to his past self at the same moment where he arrived in time. And in doing so, he sacrificed his ability to wield the Mystic Arts, along with all the knowledge he had painstakingly acquired.

But Pietro didn't waver. Even if he lost his mystical powers, he knew he could find strength in other ways through technology, through strategy, just as Kang had.

'Wait for me, Kang,' Pietro swore inwardly, the words seared into his mind like a brand. It was a promise, not just to himself, but to everyone who had suffered because of his failure. He would return, and this time, he would be ready.

XXXXXXX

The story will finally slows down and a little bit rant. This story should've head toward how Pietro became Magic Emperor but I saw my pacing were too fast and the writing was kinda trash so I decided to make a twist.

I also change my writing style a bit as people said it was robotic. I did use AI to correct the grammar but it became more robotic when I use it. So, hope you guys havea great day.

✋😎🤚 But I'm gonna keep writing