On the outskirts of Manhattan, the forest was burning.
The flames advanced like a living creature, devouring everything in their path and dyeing the sky a somber orange. Groups of firefighters fought to contain the blaze while the police evacuated the remaining campers in the area. It was a popular site, so even though many had fled at the sight of smoke, some hadn't thought it was serious. They assumed it was just a campfire. They were wrong.
Now, the authorities were racing against time, moving through crackling trees to make sure no one was left behind.
The perimeter had been cordoned off. Police officers kept civilians away, but that didn't stop the curious. Dozens of people were recording with their phones. Reporters with professional cameras were broadcasting live what was already being labeled as one of the biggest fires in recent years. If this fire had broken out in an urban area, it would have consumed several blocks by now. And the worst part, it was still spreading.
Suddenly, something changed.
Among the crowd, cameras stopped focusing on the flames. A group of people parted, as if a celebrity were arriving. Phones turned in unison in the same direction.
The reporters were forced to follow the public's lead. And when they saw who had arrived, they didn't hesitate to act.
"Scarlet Witch, does your presence mean the fire isn't natural?"
"Laplace, was there a tragic fate behind this fire?"
"Why just the two of you? Is there a secret mission involving the rest of the Avengers?"
Leonardo ignored all the questions. He kept his composure and gave a simple but effective excuse,
"We're sorry, but we need to take care of the fire. There's no time for interviews."
That statement was enough. Even though they wanted more answers, the journalists knew pressing too hard would only make them look bad to their audience. So they stepped aside, recording as the two rose into the air.
Wanda surrounded herself and Leonardo with chaos magic and made them fly, rising above the forest. From up there, the fire looked like a living stain growing out of control.
"Are you sure about this?" Wanda asked, glancing at him.
"It'll be fine, trust me."
She nodded and raised her arms. She channeled her chaos magic and gave it form, a massive red arrow now floated above them, pointing toward the fire.
As if pulled back by an invisible bow, the arrow drew back, then shot downward.
What happened next took everyone's breath away.
The fire, which had resisted all the firefighters' efforts, suddenly recoiled. It didn't go out, it pulled back. In an instant, the flames concentrated in a single point in the forest, forming a sphere of pure fire, which rose into the sky just as the magical arrow struck it.
The resulting explosion shook everything around it. The air vibrated. Car windows cracked. A high-pitched buzz settled in the ears of everyone present.
Before the fire could react and spread again, Leonardo shouted,
"Now!"
Wanda acted without hesitation. She used her magic to wrap around the fire's core, sealing it completely.
They both descended. The forest was still smoking, but the flames were contained. Floating in front of them, suspended in the air, was a girl.
She looked about seven years old. Her clothes were worn, as if she came from a place where poverty was the norm. Her hair was a vivid red, almost burning. Her face, still asleep, bore an undeniable resemblance to Natasha Romanoff.
"Is it her?" Wanda asked.
Leonardo nodded.
"Jean, the daughter of Natasha and Loki."
Leonardo was in awe at seeing her in person, not because of her appearance, but because of what her presence here symbolized.
Since coming to this world, he had memories in his head, 'movies,' but once the future changed, the 'movies' in his mind changed with it, leaving Leonardo with no memory of the previous timeline.
He never knew why that happened. Maybe it was some kind of protection to keep his brain from overloading, maybe just a joke from whoever brought him here?
It didn't matter. What mattered was that with the Time Stone in his possession, remembering all the original futures had become entirely possible, and after doing so, he learned who Jean Grey truly was.
That's why seeing her here was proof of just how much the timeline had changed from the original path.
"You go first," Leonardo said, "I'll handle the reporters."
Wanda hesitated.
"Are you going to tell them the truth?"
"Of course not. I'll say it was a dangerous artifact or something like that. Don't worry."
She nodded, cradled Jean in her arms like a sleeping princess, and vanished through a portal.
---
When they knocked on the door, Natasha already knew who it was. Her spy instincts never failed her. What worried her wasn't the visit, it was the unknown guest, and Leonardo was known for leaving unknown guests in her care.
"Tell me you didn't bring another member of my family," she said with resignation, arms crossed as she opened the door.
But when she saw the girl, her expression changed immediately. Frustration gave way to a mix of concern and tenderness.
"Is she okay? Who is she?"
"We'd better talk inside," said Leonardo.
Once they were on the couch, Natasha quickly regained her usual humor.
"Sorry I don't have snacks. You didn't call ahead."
"Don't worry," Leonardo replied, "This is more serious."
"More serious than a kid who looks like she just stepped out of a dystopia?"
Leonardo smiled. He knew that was coming.
"Actually, she came from the apocalypse."
Natasha didn't even flinch.
"Explain."
Leonardo gave her a summary, in the future, an AI created by Tony went rogue, took over the world, and killed almost all the Avengers. Jean, after watching her parents die, unleashed an immense energy that nearly destroyed the planet.
He obviously left out some details. He had his reasons.
"And now you're probably wondering why I brought her here," he said with a theatrical tone.
But Natasha cut him off with a lethal response,
"Because she's my daughter, right?"
Leonardo froze.
"How…?"
Natasha smiled, triumphant, and stood up.
"Similar facial features, red hair, recessive, so one of the parents had to have it, and you, deliberately avoiding saying her name when telling the story."
She walked up to Wanda and the girl.
"But more than anything… Jean. That's the name I want to give my daughter."
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+20 chapters in advance on Patreon.
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(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)