Ultimate Marvel System

Chapter 79: Ancient One

After Peter and the rest left, Benjamin and Carol stayed in Xandar for a while to discuss something with Adora before leaving as well.

They didn’t travel via Carol’s spaceship and instead, Benjamin directly opened a portal to Earth. Carol stayed behind to help out for a bit more.

Appearing back in the EPD Headquarters, Benjamin saw Fury and handed Nebula to him.

“Oh, you’re back already. How’s the date in space?”

“You know how it is. Kree invasion, Infinity Stone, the usual. Here, take her to a cell. I’ll question her later.”

“...Did you at least bring back some souvenirs?”

Fury chose to ignore how Benjamin just shrugged off a Kree invasion and Infinity Stone.

Forget it, it’s just another headache to deal with.

It was a good thing he’s no longer director of SHIELD so he didn’t have to worry about those things anymore.

With a boss like Benjamin, he can just toss all those complicated stuff to him.

Benjamin chuckled and tossed a Xandarian-style eye patch to Fury.

“Nice. Oh, and some bald chick has been looking for you. Says she’s some magician or something.”

“Huh?”

Blad chick? Magician?

Is he talking about the current Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One?

“Where is she?”

“Right behind you, Mr. Freed.”

Just as he asked, a voice sounded from behind him.

Turning around, he saw a hooded lady in yellow robes.

Indeed, it’s her. The Ancient One.

The Ancient One smiled.

“You’re quite the hard man to find, Mr. Freed.”

“Well, I was off-world for a while. Is there anything I can help the Sorcer Supreme?”

“You know me?”

The Ancient One asked. Although she didn’t look too surprised.

Benjamin nodded and led her to his office.

“Let’s talk in my office.”

“Alright.”

After reaching his office, Benjamin went to the side and asked.

“Anything you want to drink? Water? Wine? Tea? Coffee? Soda?”

“Tea is fine.”

Benjamin nodded and started to prepare one.

As he prepared, he spoke.

“You know, it’s a good thing you came to find me actually. I was about to go look for you.”

“Oh? May I ask why you wanted to see me?”

“The Time Stone.”

The Ancient One paused for a bit before asking.

“Oh? Why? Did you want to take it as well?”

“Hmm, although taking it is convenient, it’s not necessary. It’s good enough to take you instead. Uhh, not in a weird way.”

The Ancient One was a bit speechless.

“I did hear you are quite a…womanizer. Have I entered your sights as well?”

“Uhh, I did say not in a weird way, right? What I meant was, it’s fine to have you by my side for a while…wait, that doesn’t sound right either.”

Benjamin shook his head.

Finished with the tea, he held it and placed it on the table between them and sat on the couch opposite the Ancient One.

“Look, someone is about to come to Earth to take the stones. I just think it’s easier to protect the stones if they are close to me.”

The Ancient One smiled and leaned forward.

“How close do you want me to be?”

“Umm…”

Is there any correct answer to this?

Benjamin didn’t know how to answer for a while so he just coughed and changed the topic.

“Anyway, how about you? What’s your reason for finding me?”

The Ancient One smiled and then leaned back, her expression returning to normal.

“I just wanted to know. Who exactly are you?”

“Benjamin Freed.”

“Exactly. Who IS Benjamin Freed? I have looked into the future. Before, the future was clear to me. But ever since you appeared, I am no longer able to peer into the future. Even with the Time Stone. Why is that?”

Benjamin was confused.

You ask me, who do I ask?

System, any answers? Are you the one covering my future?

[Yes and no.]

Huh? What do you mean? Can’t you answer clearly?

[Host, with the help of the System, your future is filled with infinite possibilities. The System is not hiding your future, it’s more like you have a limitless future that it is appearing like a blur to those who peer into it. The more you affect this universe, the more the future of this universe blurs together with your own future. Not even an Infinity Stone will be able to look into it.]

Hmm…I think I sort of get it.

“In short, it’s because I’m awesome.”

“...”

[...]

Both the Ancient One and the System were speechless.

“Anyway, is that all?”

“Well, there’s also the matter of Stephen Strange.”

The Ancient One continued.

“What about him.”

“Stephen Strange is meant to be the best Sorcerer Supreme. But now that the future is changing, I’m worried about what he will become.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“...”

The Ancient One was speechless again.

How can you be so casual about everything…

“Rather than that, I would like to ask for your assistance on something. Not just you, but all the sorcerers of Kamar Taj.”

“What is it?”

“I told you earlier that someone’s about to come to Earth to take the stones right? He will be bringing an army with him. I hope the sorcerers will join us in battle as well.”

The Ancient One nodded.

“It is our duty to protect the Time Stone. Naturally, we shall assist you with this threat.”

“Thanks.”

Having finished with the talks, Benjamin stood up.

“Alright, I still have a few more people to talk to about this. Feel free to look around the building.”

Circling his hand, he opened a portal to the X-Mansion.

The Ancient One looked at the closing portal in wonder.

“How interesting. Although the portal looked similar to ours, it has some slight differences…as if it was made to be simpler and easier to use.”

X-Mansion.

Benjamin spent an hour or so with Charles to talk about the plan before leaving once more.

This time, he went to the Avengers Tower.

After talking to them, he went to SHIELD and talked to Coulson.

After that, he went to HYDRA to talk to Ophelia.

He also visited T’challa in Wakanda.

Benjamin spent the rest of the day talking to people and perfecting the plan.

By the end of the day, he was confident about taking on Thanos’ army with minimal casualties.

Well, as long as nothing goes wrong.

“Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?”

Benjamin chuckled as he leaned back on the sofa at home to relax.

Suddenly, a small figure appeared from upstairs.

It was Death.

“Oh hey. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Ben, someone took the Soul Stone.”

“...I just had to jinx it…”

Benjamin groaned.

“What happened?”

“The guy with the red skull head took it.”

“Red Skull!? How!? Did he already take Sinthea…?”

But that’s impossible. The Brehe sisters would’ve called him if that were the case.

Death shook her head.

“I do not know of this Sinthea you spoke of, but the person he sacrificed was a young boy whom he called his son.”

“Red Skull had a son!?”

Benjamin frowned.

After a while, he asked.

“Do you know where he is?”

Death smiled.

“I knew you’d ask that. That’s why I didn’t recall my other half just yet.”

She then approached Benjamin and sat on his lap.

“Uhh, Death?”

“Shh, I’m borrowing your Soul Stone for a bit.”

Death chuckled and tapped on the Soul Stone on his Infinity Crown.

Suddenly, an orange light shot out from it and a projection screen appeared in front of them.

The scene on the screen showed Red Skull and another figure.

When Benjamin saw that purplish figure, he frowned.

“Thanos? Those two are together?”

At this moment, in a certain corner of the universe, a large ship hovered in space.

Inside that large ship were Thanos and Red Skull. It was the scene that Benjamin is currently watching now.

Thanos sat on his throne while holding onto an orange stone.

He glanced at it for a moment before glancing back to Red Skull.

“I must say, I didn’t think you had it in you. When you came to me all those years ago and disappeared, I thought you’d take the stone once you got it and run on your own.”

“I…considered it.”

Red Skull answered.

“And what made you decide to give it to me?”

“The stone…required an exchange. A soul…for a soul. To get it, I had to sacrifice that which was dear to me. My son. My…true heir.”

“Yet you didn’t keep the stone.”

“I tried to keep it. I tried to use it…but my will wasn’t strong enough.”

Red Skull shivered slightly as he recalled something.

“What do you mean?”

“When I used it, I was sent into this…strange world. And in that world…I saw…Death.”

Thanos’ eyes widened as he heard that.

Back on Earth, Benjamin turned to Death curiously but she just shrugged.

“What? All I did was scare him a little.”

“A little…”

He’s practically about to piss his pants!

It seems Death didn’t like him and thought of pulling a prank. Who knew he’d chicken out and directly hand it to Thanos…

Red Skull continued.

“Thanos, son of Alars. According to our deal, the Soul Stone is yours. In exchange…Earth is mine!”

Thanos grinned.

He brought the Soul Stone to his gauntlet and suddenly, the stone stuck to one of its sockets like a magnet.

A surge of orange energy rushed from the gauntlet and poured into his body.

Thanos only grimaced a bit before the pain stopped.

The grin on his face grew wider.

“Then Earth, you shall have.”