Encounter In Eternity, revised

Ant Man says,

"Hey, Vizh, can you ask Eternity his advice on this one? 'cus I don't trust the fear being. But if he can do as he said then we can save all those that were lost."

The Vision says:

"Why, certainly, Ant-Man. Eternity says ..."

WHOOSH!

The starry universe above, below, and to either side, to the limits of visibility, OPENS ITS EYE.

And an intelligent face, half-lit by some unseen blue emanation, turns its gaze upon the mortals and cosmics gathered in upstate New York.

"Aaah ...." mutters the Dweller in Darkness. "Not very dark."

"Indeed," intone the three faces of the Living Tribunal. "Not very just, either."

"Between Chaos and Order stands what actually IS," says the In-Betweener with satisfaction. "Eternity."

"Exactly!" say the Dweller and the Tribunal in chorus. "Not perfect enough."

"But perfect enough for a billion billion dreams, a trillion trillion destinies," intones the Watcher. "For here is ETERNITY, sum sovereign of the Cosmic All, whose mind and soul none can fathom, no, not even given all Eternity in which to contemplate, nor all Reality to inspect at leisure. Behold, the sentient sapience of the Cosmos!"

"Oh, sure," says Star-Lord. "HIM, you introduce. But the rest of us .. hey, I'm the Love Lord over here! And she's the Will Storm, and the Soul Storm, and over here the Mind ... Guy; how about US?"

INDEED, STAR-LORD, YOU SIX AND YOUR COMPANIONS HOLD GREAT POWER, rings the voice of Eternity in everyone's being. It is not so much coming from the blue figure in the sky as it is coming from EVERYWHERE, including from within.

"Unjust power!" exclaims the Living Tribunal.

"Restricted power," objects the Dweller in Darkness.

THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN, Eternity says. THEY ARE AS UNJUST OR AS RESTRICTED AS THEY CHOOSE TO BE.

"Eternity!" says the Watcher. "Why have you appeared to us, immanent, in this time and space? Is this a turning point of cosmic destiny?"

DESTINY IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE COSMOS, UATU THE WATCHER. AND THE FUTURE RETAINS THE CAPACITY TO SURPRISE. I HAVE COME BECAUSE I WAS CALLED, VIA AN ETERNITY STONE. THROUGH THAT LENS, I CAN BE GLIMPSED. IT IS NOT THE NATURE OF REALITY TO HIDE.

WHENEVER YOU USE THE STONES, YOU ARE FOCUSING MY ATTENTION ON THAT WHICH YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. THERE ARE WEIGHTY MATTERS WHICH CONCERN ME, AND THOUGH I AM COEXTENSIVE WITH THE COSMOS, I AM NOT INFINITE IN SCOPE. IF YOU CONTINUE TO USE THEM, THE UNIVERSE WHICH I AM WILL SOON OVERLOOK A VITAL DUTY, AND ALL THAT IS WILL FALL.

NOW, THEREFORE, I ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU THOUGHT TO BARTER THE STONES FOR. THE KREE WHO WERE SLAIN WERE HELD SUSPENDED BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BETWEEN ETERNITY AND WHAT LIES BEYOND. THUS I CAN RESTORE THEM.

"But that is my purview, my domain!" says the Dweller in Darkness.

RETURN THEM, THEN, BEFORE YOU MAKE IT CLEAR THE UNIVERSE CAN DO WITHOUT THE DARKNESS.

The navy-blue cutout eyes widen, and like tendrils of retreating fog, the darkness parts, revealing several thousand Kree superheroes, looking puzzled at the strange sky of Earth.

"Wait ... what are we supposed to do?" Star-Lord demands.

I DEMAND NOTHING. YOUR FREE CHOICE IS YOURS ALONE. IT IS THE FREE THOUGHT OF MYRIAD MINDS, PAST AND PRESENT, WHICH MAKES UP WHAT I AM. I CANNOT DENY YOU YOUR INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS.

"But if we guess wrong, the universe is gonna die!"

YES.