“David…”

I opened my eyes feeling someone shaking me.

I looked at Daniel who was standing beside my bed. “Daniel?”

He was looking at me in worry while casting what seemed to be some sort of defensive warding magic. “Why are you in my room?”

I looked around to see a few masters of the mystic arts peering through my door. “You were crying, pretty loudly.”

I froze as I heard him. My hand slowly crept up to my face and touched it to see it was still wet. I looked at Daniel who removed the warding magic around his hand. “What happened?”

“Your neighbours complained to me about you wailing. I decided to check up on you only to hear you crying while mumbling some numbers and something incoherent.”

Daniel’s explanation had me even more worried now. “What exactly did I say?”

I got up and wiped my face as I began casting magic to trace any remnants of magic that might have been cast on me. “You were constantly repeating the number 95,489.”

An indescribable sorrow that rivalled even the pain of staying away from Natasha hit me as I heard those same numbers I heard from Natasha long ago. “David, you okay?”

I woke up and nodded as I actively began using even more magic only to see there was nothing or no trace of magic. “What was I saying that was incoherent?”

Daniel thought for a moment before he began waving his hands. “It would be easier to show you.”

An image appeared in front of me. It was me crying in tears as I laid in bed. “Ninety-five thousand …”

*Sob* “…, four hundred…”

*Sob* “…, and eighty-nine…”

‘What the hell is this?’ I held my chest feeling extremely sad as I kept hearing that number. Not even magic could track the source of my sorrow and dreams down.

My only hope at this moment was the all-encompassing mind or infinity sto… *Sob* “…Vormir…”

I took a deep sharp breath at my sleeping mention of Vormir, the location of the soul stone. “I tried to see if anyone was messing with you, but it turns out no one was, and you really did have a terrible nightmare.”

It has been 3 weeks since I spend some time next to the space stone and studying it, inside the dark energy facility. Everything had been progressing smoothly to the point that I had even managed to finish collecting all the data I need from it, until now.

I sat down in disbelief as I held my head. ‘Could it be because I have been interacting too much with the space stone recently?’ I theorised.

The stones were known for having sentience of their own.

'Did it sense my intention and know I was capable of attaining its unlimited powers without any cost? Was it afraid of me who could mystify one of the infinity stone and was warning me to stay away? Or was it both?' Questions began popping up left and right scaring me almost.

In a way, I was terrified.

The infinity stones despite how powerful and lifeless they are, are very terrifying tools. I have been blind so far to not see the weight of terror behind those stones. It just settled on me after so many years, through one dream.

I mean how could I even forget the fact that it was the space stone that sent Schmidt to Vormir to guard the soul stone.

'Is it planning to send me off to Vormir too?' I wondered in fear.

I had no intention of being an eternal guardian of the soul stone for all eternity. I didn't want to one day end up watching Nat sacrifice herself as I stood there helplessly as a guide. Death was better than that.

“Thanks, Daniel.”

Daniel nodded in worry as he left the room.

*Whizz* Grabbing my sling ring I opened a portal. I needed to confirm if the addition of Vormir in my list of numbers in my dreams was because of being next to the space stone or not. I needed to know if I would end up as a threat to anyone or if someone is trying to control me.

I stepped into the portal. “So good to see you here, Jack. Would you like to join the teaching session?”

I smiled seeing the Ancient One who stood in front of 100’s of students who were all staring at me. “Sorry, I thought you would be in your room at this time.”

I apologised only for her to turn around to look at the class. I was glad she decided to not say my proper name whenever I am here. “Mordo take over please.”

Mordo nodded as he glanced at me curiously before taking over the class. “I thought it was a mystical entity attempting something sneaky. So, I diverted your portal towards me.”

Ancient One walked up to me with her hands behind her back. “Any particular reason for this visit?”

She asked to which I nodded as I looked around. “Follow me.”

A portal opened up and we walked into it, to appear inside her room. “So, I saw that you have been having the time of your life studying one of the infinity stones. Not many get the chance like this, and when they do it lands under the hands of those who don't know how to use that opportunity. You are truly blessed in that regard. Is that why you are here?”

I smiled at the accuracy of her deduction. “Partially yes.”

I showed her the vision of me crying in my sleep. “Didn’t know you were a cry baby.”

She jabbed at me to which I smiled. “You would be surprised at how easily certain things can make me cry.”

Chuckling we both decided to get to the matter at hand. "Any meaning behind those numbers?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, but I feel overwhelmingly sad whenever I say or hear that number."

The Ancient One looked at me curiously. "What about Vormir?"

I looked around before deploying sealing magic of the highest class before proceeding to barriers. "That important?"

She asked seeing how far I was willing to go. "Yes."

She watched me for a few seconds before adding her own spells. We were both down after a minute of casting the spells. She looked at me extremely curious to know what might be so important about 'Vormir' that would require me to cast multiple master level barriers along with her. "It's the place where the soul stone is stashed."

Her eyes widened at the news and she looked around. "How do you know that?"

Her face turned very serious and with worry. "I told you, that I know a certain version of the future."

She sighed at my reply and began pondering on my words, before asking me. "Very well, what do you need?"

“Is it possible for you to rewind my mental state to that of a few minutes ago when I had the dream? I just want to check for any intrusions.”

The Ancient One frowned as she understood the seriousness of the matter and my helplessness if I had to request her to use the time stone. “Alright.”

*Whizz* A small portal opened up out of which the Eye of Agamotto appeared. “Ready?”

She asked just as the eye opened up. ‘Calm mind’ I nodded as the reality we were in shifted towards the mirror dimension.

I would have loved to blame it all on coincidence, but 3 times in a row with deep emotional trauma wasn’t exactly a coincidence. I needed to understand where the root of what was going on with me came from. To do that I needed to first experience the dream once more, but while I am awake.

As the eye began glowing I began to feel all the emotions I had went through the past few minutes coming back at me, but they were nullified by my calm mind.

My calm mind acted as a sort of filter to only pick up on the emotions felt by my dream. It wouldn't be pleasant, feeling all those emotions I had in the past few minutes again.

From the test I did last time the dream happened, I know for a fact that the emotions in my dream bypassed the effects of calm mind. “10 minutes.”

The Ancient One signalled to me how much time in the back she was at now. “Keep going.”

I suggested seeing nothing being picked up by my calm mind. “20 minutes.”

This was very strange as I had remembered I have not even been awake for more than 20 minutes. I should have definitely felt the sadness from hearing that number by now.

“30 minutes.”

This was the time when I was asleep and murmuring.

The Ancient One’s left hand began glowing orange as she employed her own detection method to see for any intrusions.

“40 minutes.”

Feeling nothing so far I decided to risk it and turn off my calm mind. “Huh?”

Only to see I felt no emotions. My brain was bland just like how I always felt when I used calm mind. “Do you want to keep going?”

At the Ancient One’s question, I nodded, as I hoped there would be some kind of clue left behind.

We rewound my mental state to 8 hours ago, at which point I began to actively feel the emotions of tiredness just before I went to bed. “Can we go forward now?”

She nodded as she dialled her hand clockwise. My head felt empty for the 8 hours of sleep I was in until the moment I woke up feeling confused, but there was nothing about the emotions of grief I felt.

I looked at the Ancient One before opening my mouth to ask. “Did you find anything?”

The Ancient One replied. “Nothing, what about you?”

I shook my head. “It was as if I had no dream at all.”

She frowned hearing my answer as she pulled up the image of me crying. “You know what this means if even the time stone can’t pick up the reason for your sadness?”

I nodded at her answer. “Another infinity stone or something of equal power.”

She acknowledged my reply as she looked at me in concern.

Thanos was shown to have subtly manipulated the space stone to send Loki to Earth. The same Thanos who gave Loki the sceptre containing the mind stone. Who knew how long Thanos had his hold on the mind stone for?

‘Could he or someone else who is equally capable like Thanos, that has the mind stone, be manipulating or influencing me somehow?’

*Whizz* The Ancient One hastily deposited the time stone in her hand away. “Stay away from the Space Stone or any other infinity stones for a while. If this problem persists we are going to have to have some serious discussion.”

I nodded at the Ancient One’s warning as I stood up. “I have had 2 similar experience before. The first one a year ago and the last one about 5 months ago. Each time it happens so far, I keep spilling more information. Frankly, I don’t think these experiences have anything to do with me being in the vicinity of the infinity stone.”

I informed her before she started imposing strict rules upon me whenever I got close to an infinity stone. “That may be true, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Someone is attempting something with you, so be careful.”

A portal opened up behind me as she warned me in concern. “I will keep that in mind.”

I walked out of the portal and closed it.

Someone began messing with me a long time ago, and I didn't take it seriously enough at that time. Now the messing has got dangerous, that I am not sure if I would become a danger to anyone.

Walking up to my laptop I looked at all the data I had gathered in the past 3 weeks. ‘Should be more than enough.’ My only answer now was to understand as much as possible about the space stone from what I had gathered. After that, I can use that to understand my situation and see if this dream thing is a good thing or not.

If that didn't work then the mind stone would arrive in 2 years. I just had to be patient and safe until then.

I decided to begin, with a slight concern as I looked at my door. 'I should move out now.'

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Romanoff Residence- 3rd person PoV]

A portal opened up inside the hall room out of which David walked out. He smiled sadly seeing a box of familiar packing on the floor.

Picking it up, he walked towards the room where he knew Natasha was in.

David sat down outside her room, with the box and waited. “I tried calling you and messaging you...” Natasha laid in her bed quietly as she placed her gun back under her pillow as she heard David.

“…but you didn’t answer any of those. So, I decided to come and inform you some things before I leave.”

Her ears picked up on the sound of David opening the box. “I see that you didn’t like any of the raspberries I send you. I guess I should have at least tried it myself before sending it to you. This is what happens when you blindly trust the internet.”

David chuckled as he leaned his head against the door as he took a bite of the raspberry. “I am sorry for being a pathetic coward, but honour and straightforwardness have no meaning to someone who lived his life following the most efficient path and loved to have everything in his control.”

Natasha listened as her arm rested against her forehead covering her eyes. “I began to notice something with me, and I don’t know what’s happening to me anymore. Until I am sure that I am not a threat to you or anyone else I won’t contact you again.”

Natasha clenched her fists tightly. “I will be disappearing from the world for a long time, probably a few years. Will you wait for me?”

Hearing the silent response David smiled just as Nat got up. “You still giving me the silent treatment because you hate me? Guess I deserve it for being such a dunce.”

David chuckled to himself. “I will miss you Nat, but I promise that I will wait for you. Sorry for lying to you.”

*Whizz* As the strange sound disappeared Nat opened the door to see her empty hallway. The only proof of her not being crazy was the box of opened and half-eaten raspberry in front of her door.

[4 days later- Russia]

“Romanoff, where are you?" Someone asked Natasha through the device in her ears.

"Relax Coulson, I am just taking the long way round." Natasha smiled as she walked holding a small package in her hand.

"Remember, you have to meet with your target in 6 hours, no matter where you are going right now.” Natasha nodded as she approached the place she had been tracking for the past few weeks.

Natasha stood before the newly furbished gate that had a signboard in her mother tongue. “6 is too long, I just need 2, but I will be there in 1 hour.”

She hung up the line and examined the place beyond the gate.

The place before her looked very normal, albeit with the workers moving around like a busy bee as they refurbished the place.

[Rainbow Gardens] Natasha tightly held the box with the same name on the packaging of it.