The Time Stone, Third Edition (Extended Version)

Time: 1962 A.D., Washington, District of Columbia

“Time is the strongest force we know in the universe and we are bound within it like the sands in an hourglass.” Says Professor Charles Heater to his small class of ten students in the after school session of District Mall University on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

“Prof sure is a bore,” says a young woman in the front row in a multi-colored sweatshirt and baggy jeans “Yeah,” says another man with an afro and tank top. “I can’t wait until tonight’s bash; we are going to rock the roof off the place.” “You said it.” she agreed.

That night, the dance club Haler Fame is loud and filled with many young people dancing around in various forms of movement as exotic as their dress, colorful, loud, and vibrant. James, Tina, Mercedes, and Drax squeeze into the crowd feeling awkwardly out of place.

“I guess we’re somewhere in the sixties. Not exactly 2012” says Drax.

“Is that intuition from your wrist device or just an educated guess?” Asks James,

“A little bit of both” Drax replies surmising. Then suddenly in the midst of the hectic dancing, a group of men in dark clothes that appear to shine, wearing red sashes jump in and began to assault the crowd pushing through just as a loud band called Rocket Party began to announce their songs and play their smashing musical hits.

“Mother of God, it is The Culto!” says Mercedes as the foursome notice the melee.

Drax runs over to one who appears to lead the others with his directions and finger pointing, and Drax throws a punch knocking him back against a wall. Another warrior comes at Drax and began to swing. Drax ducks and punches him in his belly.

James ran up to one and waves his hands and initiates a telekinetic force that hangs the warrior upside down in midair by his belt. Then he sees another running towards them and he holds the time stone out and turns it and unleashes the vortex and toss both warriors into it with his powers as he waves his hands again summoning them by their clothes with his psychic energy field.

One of the Culto warriors holds up his wrist bearing a metal barrel that emits a hot red laser beam. The warrior fires several shots at James who skillfully deflects them all by waving his arms about. The shots fly off away from James and fizzle off in the open air.

Drax runs and grabs the warrior by the chest tackling him down to the ground. Tina and Mercedes run over and grab him as a loose laser beam flies off past them and strikes a pedestrian in a nearby building.

The vortex roars open on stage and spits them out onto the band to their dismay, but they continue on with the music with great vigor as their euphoria from their use of narcotics has made them feel the enjoyment of the oddities occurring before them.

“Yeah, rock on!” yells one of the band members. Tina feels one Culto warrior grab both her arms and tried to pull her down. She kicks up with her right leg and hits him in the face. Mercedes runs against another pair of warriors and sees a dancer pole that she grabs a hold of and swings herself around in full force and kicks them both with her feet spread in midair, knocking them down. The party-goers begin to run nervously while others stand in awe wondering if this is part of the club’s performance. The four time jumpers converge back together and one of the warriors approaches them as the crowd gathers in fear and awe, music continues playing loud rock n’ roll in the background.

“Hand over the piedra tiempo and you will be made to live free,” he says with a Spanish accent.

“Don’t give it to him James,” says Drax.

“No, but maybe you can give it to me!” says Broad Staffnight, coming out of the back room and approaching them, surrounded by Culto warriors.

“Broad” Drax says.

“My old colleague” says Broad. “I missed our witty repartee.”

“How did you get here?”

“Never mind that now. I will take the time stone and you will not be harmed. Trust me,” he smirks.

“So the Culto work for you” says Mercedes.

“Just hand it over, I don’t have a lot of time …” Broad jokes.

“You betrayed me,” says Drax.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” says Broad.

A storm cloud starts to gather with a loud disturbance outside and in an instant a flash of lightning swirls into the dance club and strikes the center of the room. Everyone is blinded temporarily in an instant of hot white light and Drax yells “Run!”

Outside of the club, the police have arrived and are checking everyone as there is a call about a loud fight and some intruders. The police enter with full riot gear ready against the crowd storming out of the club. Drax and his comrades hold themselves low in the back room of the club waiting for the smoke to clear, with the help of a friend they never met, Tyrelia Borgegous, T-Bone’s younger sister who works there and smiles as she recognizes them as her brother has explained his encounter with the time jumpers in great detail. She smiles as she waves goodbye to the crew of four as she is surrounded and escorted by a group of men in leather jackets and Berettas. “We always fight against hatred from men like those” one proclaims. They hid with the crew for a while. The police arrest the Culto warriors and several of the partygoers who are involved in possessing controlled substances. Broad is also amongst those being hauled away in handcuffs.

“This is a mistake. I am not the one you are looking for. I don’t know these people. I am a businessman, not a drug addict.”

“Sure, buddy” says an overweight officer with a heavy Irish accent. Broad spotted the foursome coming out of the club as he is being put into the back of the waiting police car and he broke away slightly.

“DRAX, you maniac, this isn’t over, I won’t forget this betrayal. You are dead to me. I will get revenge on you though, wait and see. You won’t accomplish anything without me. You have nothing, you are nothing, you are alone, you have no one without me…”

“Don’t be so sure” says Drax stepping out before the awaiting mess of police cars as he is surrounded by James, Tina, and Mercedes smiling by his side.

Back in the scorpion car, the four fly off over the night sky and are over the capital grounds in Washington, D.C. where a group of thousands wait as a lecture is about to take place on stage.

“What’s that?” asks Tina.

“That’s the capital mall” says Drax.

“A movement?” asks James.

“A very special movement” comments Mercedes.

“Civil Rights” says Drax.

“That’s the end of the Culto” says Mercedes.

“Yes, and the start of the famous civil rights era where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous ‘I have a dream speech’ to overcome intolerance and hatred amongst peoples” says Drax.

“And that is destined to unite two universes someday?” asks Tina jokingly.

“Indeed.” he maneuvers the car over the field full of people below as Drax yells out, “If we can truly make a difference through this endeavor, we should try.”

“Let’s do it” says Tina.

“Yes” says Mercedes.

“We fight as one,” says James.

They touch hands and James turns the time stone with his free hand and unleashes the roaring vortex that they approach into it and vanish.

“What is that?” asks an African American man with a mustache standing on stage near the podium below as he looks up and speaks to one of his advisers. “I have seen that before, in the promised land.” He smiles.