The Final Initiative

24.

Water sprinkled down from the spout of the can, falling across the green leaves of the multicolored plants and soaking the dirt of the pot. Once the earth was watered to its content, she moved on to the next one. Her eyes watched as the droplets slid down the stems, a singular light shined from the roof entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum and illuminated the rooftop space. Up ahead in the New York sky, a layer of dust coated the quiet city. It was not the bustling place that she once knew five years ago.

This home alone was altered in an unchangeable way. It's owner had disappeared, leaving behind the empty hallways and grand foyer. Jessi had at some point adopted the task of keeping the flowers alive. Three times a week she'd ride over here and water the plants. At least something could remain bright amidst the grey. It was all she could do for him now.

Once the watering can was empty of its water, she went back to the hose built into the brick and refilled the can. Wong emerged from the roof door, taking a look around at the plants and then to Jessi who had the hose and was filling up the container "You do realize that I'm still around to water plants, right?" he spoke to her, crossing his arms.

Jessi responded, twisting the hose knob and shutting the water off "My mom was a florist, or she pretended to be anyway" she shrugged, standing up from her kneeling position and walking back to the plants. She let the water fall again onto the soil "I grew up around flowers. Whether they were real or fake" she said thoughtfully "they were always real to me" Wong let the door shut behind him "Besides, I lost him... and the time stone. The least I can do is water his stupid orchids" she removed a dead leaf from the orchid stem and let it float to the floor.

"The time stone was sworn to be protected by the Sorcerer Supreme" Wong explained for the millionth time it seamed. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly at his words, but she continued to water "It was never suppose to be your responsibility"

"Well, that day it was" she set the watering can on the floor gently and bent down to pluck a few dried petals "and I failed him. I guess we're even now" she added lightly "the surgery he preformed on me all those years ago failed so" she looked down to the floor, crossing her arms over her chest. The memory of the magician had grown faint over the years, it took a minute for her to picture him in her mind "I didn't even know him long, yet he put so much faith in me. He was either crazy or insane"

"Maybe a little more on the insane side" Wong added.

"I wish I could tell him how sorry I am" she closed her eyes, her heart sinking "That I tried stop that maniac, that I tried to plot and chart each star so that they could come home... but, maybe he had a little too much faith in me"

"For the time that I knew him, Stephen had always been sharp, calculated, stubborn" he listed off "All of the things that one would assume would make a poor excuse for a Sorcerer. But, with his uniqueness, he become the most powerful to ever grace the planet. In a short amount of time, he acquired the knowledge, the wisdom, and the perception" he then looked back to her "Having said all of this, his faith in you was not misplaced. It was no accident that you ended up with the stone. I have a strong feeling that he knew precisely what he was doing"

"We'll never know for sure" she said lowly.

Wong sighed and lifted his fingers into the air, creating a purple cloud that resembled a galaxy. Jessi found herself standing at the center. She pivoted to take in the whole illusion. Six crystals formed around her. One of them floated into the palm of her open hand. It was the red stone. Present on the surface of the gem was the smiling face of Peter Parker. She stared down at it, her eyebrows furrowing "He saw something that we couldn't" Wong continued. An orange stone drifted along in front of her eyes. She took it between her fingers, being able to see Natasha inside "And I have a feeling that, whatever he saw, it wasn't good. Giving up the stone would've been his absolute last resort, if there was no other option to turn to"