Steve let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as he processed Natasha's words. He knew she was right, but accepting it was another matter.
"It's hard, Natt. I see so much of myself in him... this need to protect others, to put everyone before himself. But I also know the price it takes. I don't want him to go through that."
As soon as Natasha heard Steve's words, a small, sincere smile formed on her lips.
"He's already going through it, Steve. And you're the best person to guide him on that path. Show him how to do it the right way, without losing his head or his heart. Teach him what you've learned over the years. But above all, trust him."
Steve looked at Natasha, finally allowing a small smile to escape.
"You have a way of making everything seem easier than it is, you know that?"
As soon as he said those words, his countenance changed again.
"I just hope you're right and that he doesn't turn against us."
After Steve had said those words, staring at her friend, she simply shrugged, keeping a playful smile on her face.
"To answer your question, I just try to do what I think is the right thing, but that doesn't mean it's not difficult. Sometimes, though, the right thing to do is the hardest, and even if he deviates a little from that path, it doesn't mean he'll be against us. And don't worry; I'm making sure that doesn't happen."
"So, what are we going to do now?"
Steve asked, finally breaking the silence that had set in after Natt said those words. His eyes, always serious and attentive, were focused on Natasha, waiting for an answer.
As soon as Steve asked that question, Natasha took a deep breath, running her hand through her short curly hair - a gesture she always made when she was thinking or had to make a particularly difficult decision.
"We need to think about their training, both Peter's and the Maximoff brothers'."
Natasha replied, her voice calm but reflecting the seriousness of what was to come.
"They have great potential to become great heroes. However, they still need guidance. What we do now will determine their future... and perhaps ours too."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
While Steve and Natasha discussed a viable training plan for the new heroes. Somewhere unknown and far away, two mysterious figures were kneeling in humility and respect before three imposing entities. These entities, majestic and almost ethereal in appearance, were sitting on chairs that floated a few centimeters off the ground. The kneeling figures kept their heads down in reverence and submission, aware that they were in the presence of forces far beyond their comprehension.
As the timekeepers weren't saying anything, and it didn't look like they were going to say anything, one of those mysterious figures who had previously had his head down raised it and, in a serious manner, spoke for the first time since he had entered the place.
"I apologize in advance for the disrespectful way I'm going to speak now, but we have to reset that timeline as soon as possible. After all, every event they've been through on that line is creating a different branch and that could end up being harmful in the long run."
Said a brown woman, also kneeling next to the other mysterious figure.
As soon as that woman said those words, the entity that was centered in the middle made an almost imperceptible gesture with one of its hands. It was a movement that seemed to shift time; after making that gesture, her voice could be heard for the first time.
"I understand your concerns, B-15, but there's nothing we can do at the moment. The flow of events in that timeline is proceeding as expected."
As soon as the entity had given its answer to the woman's doubts, it was the turn of the man next to her to speak up as well.
"Since we can't reset that timeline, then we have to at least prune those variants before they do something worse and end up destabilizing the sacred timeline."
Said the man standing next to the woman known as B-15, known as Mobius.
As soon as Mobius and B-15 had said those words, it was the second entity's turn to say something.
"Do you understand the implications of what you're asking? Resetting a timeline is not a decision to be taken lightly. Every choice, every event, has its weight and influence. There are consequences that go beyond what you can measure."
The brown woman, maintaining her posture of reverence, answered firmly, without flinching.
"We understand the risks, but the fragmentation that is taking place is dangerous. If we don't act now, the future ramifications could become uncontrollable. The balance needs to be restored, and we have a limited window in which to act."
The first entity looked at B-15 and Mobius, its gaze crossing the space with an almost tangible intensity.
"What is the specific nature of these variants that are making you prune them so much? Is there any data to indicate that they are an imminent threat? We need to understand the gravity of this situation before we act in a desperate manner."
After hearing what the first entity said, Mobius decided to respond.
"The problem here is not that they are some kinds of threat, but that they are starting some kind of romance, and that this has never happened in any timeline before. It's kind of creating various ramifications in the sacred timeline, and that could end up destroying the line in the future."
As soon as the entities heard this, they became a little curious as to who they were talking about.
The first entity, with an expression that mixed curiosity and perplexity, asked:
"Hang on, let me get this straight. You're causing all this chaos because of a simple romance? We don't want to believe that you called us here for something so small. But since you've made all this fuss and we're already here, what are the variants involved?"