Chapter 310: Strange — "Ethan's My Boss. Take It Up With Him."
Banner shot Strange a furious look, thoroughly floored that the Ancient One had already agreed to lend the Time Stone, only to have this Strange flatly refuse to help.
"Ancient One — we'll return the Time Stone, I promise. If Strange doesn't want to come along, just give it to me directly." Future-Banner surged forward, desperate to take the Stone himself.
The Ancient One stopped him cold. Future-Banner turned on her with a demanding look.
But she only answered, calm as ever, "I said I'd lend it to you. But Strange goes with you. That's non-negotiable."
Future-Banner, unable to fight his way past her, turned instead to Strange in frustration. "Why?"
Strange opened his mouth to answer — but the Ancient One cut him off first. "Have your real self come here."
At that bizarre demand, Strange's face went red with embarrassment, while future-Banner just looked more confused than ever. What is even happening right now.
What is WRONG with this world? Not only are there more superheroes crawling around than there should be — even this world's Strange is acting completely unhinged.
Strange briefly considered making a stand — if his real body simply never showed up, he'd have a built-in excuse to avoid this whole dangerous cross-universe trip.
He opened his mouth to protest, but the moment his eyes met the Ancient One's, all his resolve caved instantly.
He gave his left hand a wave, and a portal blinked into existence in front of him.
Future-Banner stared, rubbing his eyes in disbelief as a second Strange stepped out to join the first.
The newly-arrived Strange gave a casual flick of his wrist, and the original Strange — the one who'd been standing there the whole time — simply vanished.
Wait. So this means their own universe's Strange — the one who died in Infinity War — might not have actually died either? Maybe it was just a clone that got sacrificed instead?
"Do I really have to go, Ancient One?" Strange asked, wincing, still hunting for any possible way out. "We could just, you know, keep the Time Stone here. Not lend it out at all."
The Ancient One didn't bother answering directly, just smiled at him — the kind of smile that made it obvious she'd already read straight through his little scheme.
Strange knew exactly what that smile meant. Beneath her easygoing exterior, the Ancient One's will was made of pure iron. Once she'd decided something, there was no changing her mind.
"Fine. I suppose I'm agreeing to this." Strange sighed, turning to future-Banner. "But you should know — even if I bring this Time Stone along with me into your universe, it might not actually help you all that much."
Confusion crossed Banner's face. "Why not?"
"I'm guessing your universe currently has zero Infinity Stones to its name right now, and this whole trip is just the opening move — you're here to gather all six, correct?" Strange said, resigned.
"That's right. Yes," future-Banner confirmed with a nod.
"But I trust the rest of my team will handle securing the remaining Stones," he added, with real confidence.
The confidence didn't last long. Strange let out a short laugh at that.
"I'll just tell you straight — there's no way you're getting the Space Stone or the Soul Stone," Strange said, answering the unspoken question before Banner could even ask it.
Watching Banner's confusion deepen, Strange continued. "Because both of those Stones happen to be in the same person's hands."
"Whose?"
"Ethan Cross."
"Who exactly IS this Ethan Cross? This isn't even the first time I've heard his name today. And why does this one man have TWO Infinity Stones in his possession? Does he want to rule the world or something?" Banner's face was a mask of pure bewilderment.
"From how you're talking, it sounds like you two actually know each other? Where is he right now? Can you take me to him? Do you think there's any chance he'd actually let me borrow those two Stones? Could you put in a word for me — help convince him to lend them to us?" Future-Banner fired off question after question in a rush.
"Not likely. Ethan's basically my boss — I run with his crew. If you want him, you'll have to find him yourself. But knowing him the way I do, he's not exactly the type to go out of his way to save some other universe for nothing. So honestly, this whole trip's probably a waste of your time."
"WHAT? He's your BOSS????" Banner couldn't believe what he was hearing.
In future-Banner's own experience, the Strange from his universe carried himself like the single most important man alive — looked down on virtually everyone, and even his own Avengers teammates were, at best, colleagues rather than anything close to equals.
For THIS universe's Strange to have a boss at all was baffling enough. What kind of person could possibly make someone this proud willingly bow down and call them his superior?
Just who exactly is this Ethan Cross?
Watching Banner's shock, Strange looked back at him with an air of pure innocence.
As far as Strange was concerned, calling the shots yourself came with way too much risk. This universe's version of himself had lived through things the other-universe Strange never had to — his own personality had long since drifted away from anyone who craved the spotlight.
Of course, Strange wasn't the type to just call anyone his boss, either. If he was being honest, it was really their years of history together — plus the fact that treating Ethan as his "boss" cost him remarkably little, since Ethan genuinely never made him do much of anything.
And Ethan was exactly the kind of person who'd actually show up for his friends when it counted. He never really treated any of them as subordinates at all — more like fellow fighters, standing shoulder to shoulder.
The only reason Strange kept calling Ethan his "boss" was that it was simply the easiest way to avoid getting dragged into more trouble than necessary. He'd already guessed how this whole thing would end — future-Banner and his team were eventually going to end up at Ethan's doorstep no matter what he did.
Better to just hand the whole headache straight to Ethan and let him deal with sending someone off to the other universe himself.
Besides — Strange only ever stayed in two places: Kamar-Taj, or Hell's Kitchen.
Those were the only two places, as far as he was concerned, that actually offered any real sense of safety. Everywhere else was simply too dangerous.
Watching Strange's dead-serious expression, future-Banner understood he wasn't joking around at all.
He asked quickly, "Then — how exactly do I find this Mr. Ethan Cross? I'd like to speak with him myself, if I could."
"Well. He's right in the middle of the battlefield's epicenter—" Strange started to answer without thinking, then glanced toward the center of the fight and immediately corrected himself. "Actually, never mind — he's already here. Go ahead and talk to him yourself."
Future-Banner watched as another portal blinked into existence right beside Strange.
Stepping out of it was a magnificent, gleaming golden Rider.
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