Asgard, the Bifrost.
The once-glorious Bifrost now lay broken, fractured in a jagged line, its vibrant colors faded to a dull, lifeless hue.
The two culprits responsible for its state were now facing different fates. One of them was locked in Asgard's dungeons, passing his days throwing a bouncing ball out of sheer boredom.
The other was sitting near the broken bridge, sighing endlessly to Blake.
"I should've gone to see Jane before leaving. We had already made plans, but somehow, the moment I saw Loki, I completely forgot. All I could think about was bringing him back."
Thor glanced at Blake's phone, where a message from Jane awaited.
The gist of it read: if Thor had returned to Asgard without notifying her, then he was as good as dead.
"No worries. You need to follow your heart. Maybe, in your heart, Loki is your true love. You two aren't actually blood-related, so it's not taboo. Come on, don't look at me like that; I'm not judging you," Blake said, patting Thor's shoulder.
"Sigh!"
Thor let out another deep sigh. "I shouldn't have told you this. Your 'comfort' feels like a venomous bite, making me feel worse."
"My father was right—most of the time, you're nothing but a jerk," Thor added with resignation.
"Hmm? When did your father say I was a jerk?" Blake asked, suddenly realizing.
"Oh, they're coming!" Thor quickly stood up, changing the subject.
At the far end of the Bifrost, Odin, the Ancient One, and Heimdall were slowly approaching.
"Let's begin!"
The three nodded at one another, and Odin raised Gungnir high.
Magic power channeled through the spear, focusing directly on the now half-ruined Bifrost sanctuary.
The shattered top of the sanctuary and its fragments floated gently upward, gradually forming a golden phantom image that fit perfectly with the structure below. The energy then solidified, restoring the sanctuary to its former state.
"Ancient One, the materials of the Bifrost are unique, beyond the restorative power of my magic. I'd appreciate your assistance," Odin said, bowing slightly to the Ancient One.
The Ancient One nodded, forming a hand seal. The metal on the pendant at her chest slowly opened, and the green Time Stone floated out.
She held the Time Stone, a faint green glow encircling her wrist, and with a slight twist counterclockwise, she reversed the flow of time.
The fragments of the Bifrost, which had fallen into the endless sea and even drifted into space, began to return, piecing themselves together to form the bridge anew.
However, the bridge's color remained dull, lacking its former brilliance.
Finally, Heimdall took action.
Holding the Tesseract in both hands, he channeled his divine energy into it.
Soon, a blue beam of light shot from the Tesseract towards the Bifrost.
Under the infusion of spatial energy, the bridge emitted a dazzling glow, gradually extending over the Bifrost, restoring its vibrant, shimmering colors once more.
As energy continued to flow in, the core power source of the Bifrost was slowly restored. Finally, the sanctuary's brilliance calmed, and the shimmering colors on the Bifrost settled into place.
Heimdall let out a long breath and gradually withdrew his divine power.
The energy beam from the Tesseract also slowly came to a halt.
The entire Bifrost was now fully restored.
Blake looked on, utterly baffled.
This was clearly something the Ancient One could have handled alone; why go through three separate steps?
"Reversing time isn't as simple as you think," the Ancient One explained to Blake calmly. "The more powerful the object or being, the greater the backlash to the Stone's user. I was injured last time and still need some strength to suppress the dark power within me."
Blake suddenly remembered that most of the Ancient One's power was used to keep her internal dark energy at bay.
"You should try using the Time Stone to reverse your own body," Blake suggested openly, as the Ancient One didn't seem to mind Odin's presence. "That way, you wouldn't have to rely on dark energy to extend your life."
"First, that would cause her to lose both memory and power, and second, in the moment of reversal, the dark energy within would immediately go out of control and backfire!" Odin interjected, looking sternly at Blake.
"For years, the Ancient One has wagered her own life to fend off threats from the Dark Dimension," Odin continued, speaking with a certain understanding of her situation, as he had also used much of his strength to keep Hela confined in Hell.
"The Time Stone has the strictest limitations among the Infinity Stones," the Ancient One added. "Unlike the Space Stone, time's rules are far more rigorous."
With that, she handed the Tesseract directly to Blake. "Give it a try. Now that you possess the power of a fire god, you should be able to activate the Space Stone!"
"Focus your mind, direct your thoughts to the Space Stone, and picture the place you want to go," she instructed.
The initial control of the Space Stone's functionality was simple. With the Ancient One's guidance, Blake soon saw a portal framed by a swirling border of blue-black mist.
On the other side was a bathroom in an apartment. The shower curtain was drawn over the bathtub, where a figure could be seen moving, clearly taking a shower.
Across from the toilet was a small shelf with some clothes, a holstered handgun, and an ID badge marked "Phil Coulson" from S.H.I.E.L.D.
There was even a small yellow wig.
Blake chuckled, flicked a tiny flame toward the wig, and quickly closed the portal.
He then casually opened a few more portals using the Tesseract and discovered that the farther the distance, the more energy it consumed.
Overall, though, the energy required to open a portal wasn't too high—it merely served to power the Tesseract.
"Try this one now," the Ancient One said, handing him the Time Stone.
With nothing to lose, Blake took the stone.
This time was different from using the Tesseract. It took him three attempts to concentrate enough to make a green halo appear on his wrist.
He focused his gaze on the Ancient One, intending to activate the Stone.
Before his hand even began to rotate, he felt a terrifying pull emanating from within the Time Stone.
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