TAO was sitting in her office, she was in a state of thinking, staring at the emptiness of space around her. She was playing with the globe on her desk, spinning it. Then, the door in front of her suddenly opened, revealing a man with deep haunting purple eyes. Those eyes stared at her, making her gulp unconsciously.

“What made you come here again, Mr. Smith?” asked TAO.

“Nothing really.” shrugged Pluto as he walked towards her. “I just want to borrow that necklace of yours.”

TAO frowned. “Mr. Smith, it is the duty of the sorcerer supreme to protect the time stone, I cannot just give it to you carelessly.”

Pluto clicked his tongue. “Fine, let’s trade.”

TAO raised her eyebrow. “Trade?”

“I’ll borrow that green stone for a few minutes, and I’ll give you this.” said Pluto, and a glowing blue cube appeared on his hand. “You’re worried that my interference would mess with your plans for the future right? Here, I’ll give you this, you could fix the timeline a little.”

TAO was a bit surprised. “Mr. Smith, you have the space stone?”

“What? I thought you knew?” questioned Pluto weirdly. “I have Juno, remember?”

“But I thought-” TAO then just sighed. She looked at the space stone intently. “If you keep it, and the Germans didn’t get it, who knows what the implication will be.. I will be blind in the future..”

“So?” questioned Pluto again. “What do you say?”

TAO looked at Pluto, and relented. “Very well Mr. Smith, let’s trade.”

TAO was about to take the space stone, but Pluto pulled off. “The time stone first,“ said Pluto.

TAO rolled her eyes. She then opened the eye, and took it out. “A few minutes, Mr. Smith.”

Pluto hummed, he threw the stone to TAO, which made her panicked, and he took the time stone.

“Well, now I have too much time on my hand.” he smirked. Juno then appeared in front of him, looking at the time stone curiously.

“Do it.” she said impatiently. “I want to see him already.”

“Be patient will you?” scoffed Pluto. “Is he your lover or something?”

“He’s my brother.” said Juno sternly. “Just absorb it!”

“Fine, fine.” shrugged Pluto. He then slowly absorbs the time stone, green energy entering his system, and he feels that pain again, he screams on top of his lung, but this time, he could bear it, he shut his mouth, letting more and more green energy enter.

Then, his eyes glowed green, and he was transported to his mind once more.

—

Pluto found himself in a dark and empty void once again, he looked around, and he saw a green construct of a boy, not around 13 or 14, standing a few metres away from him.

“You must be Time that Juno begged to absorb.” said Pluto casually.

“I am.” he said, walking towards Pluto.

“Well, do you want to join me?” asked Pluto, offering his hand to the construct.

Time stood in front of him, examining Pluto. “What are your intentions?”

Pluto raised his eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“What are your intentions with us?” Time repeated.

“Honestly, nothing.” shrugged Pluto. “I just accidentally absorbed Juno, and now she begged me to absorb you.”

Time just frowned, and he kept examining Pluto’s body.

Pluto sighed. “You should know this, you have access to my memories.”

“I do,” said Time. “I’m just making sure.”

“Look, I don’t have time for-”

“We have all the time in the world,” said Time innocently. “After all, he’s right in front of you.”

“Right.” coughed Pluto, and he sighed again. “Fine, what do you want to ask?”

“How do you intend to be free?” he asked. “If I want to follow you, I want to make sure that me and my siblings won’t be the weapon of the celestials again.”

“Well, if I want to be free, I need to be a celestial myself.” said Pluto, shrugging. “While absorbing your brothers and sisters seemed like a good idea at first, ultimately, you only worked on a single universe, while the Celestials are multiversal beings.”

Time nodded. “That’s right. We only govern one universe. While if you kill a celestial in this universe, the other celestials that are scattered across the multiverse will know.”

Pluto hummed. “Any more questions?”

“How will you be a celestial?” asked Time once again.

Pluto just smiled. “You know how.”

“You’re relying on luck.” answered Time. “There are millions of possibilities that it could fail.”

“Well, I just have to make sure that it won’t fail, right?” said Pluto.

Time was surprised. “Do you understand what millions mean?”

“I will have you right?” said Pluto. “I’ll figure it out.”

Time frowned, and sighed. “Fine. Give me a name.”

“Pardon?”

“A name.” Time repeated. “Give me a name.”

“Oh right.” said Pluto, snapping his fingers. “How about.. Kronos?”

“Kronos?” Time tilted his head. “A god of Agriculture?”

“It’s also the god of ages and time.” added Pluto. “So it fits.. I guess..”

Time nodded. “Very well, from now on, I am thou, and thou art I.”

Kronos offered his fist, offering a fist bump.

Pluto smiled, and answered the fist bump. “I am thou, thou art I indeed.”