"Well, you ruined the whole surprise, but yes. She's your daughter."
"Is she alright?"
"It's hard to explain."
Leonardo looked away for a moment before continuing.
"As I told you, Jean comes from a future that no longer exists. When the timeline began to collapse, somehow she... or rather the force within her, managed to resist. She wasn't erased. She appeared in this new timeline."
He paused briefly.
"That's one of her problems: time itself is trying to erase her."
Natasha's expression tensed. But Leonardo wasn't finished.
"And the second problem is the Phoenix Force. One of the three most powerful original forces in the universe is inside her. Its power, even dormant, already manifests as telekinetic abilities comparable to Wanda's. But if it fully awakens, even if Jean tries to contain it... it will consume her first. And then destroy everything around her."
"So... my daughter is dying? There's no way to save her?"
The interruption was almost instinctive. Panic was growing in her voice. Two cosmic entities wanted to erase her daughter and she couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Actually, she's perfectly fine," Leonardo replied calmly.
"But you just said..."
"I know what I said. Let me finish."
Leonardo crossed his arms.
"I said the Phoenix Force is uncontrollable... and that's true. But there's a reason. It's sealed inside Jean. When it bursts out suddenly, it devastates. But if it's released gradually, Jean can adapt and eventually control it."
"And how do we do that?"
"It's not necessary. It's already done."
Leonardo smiled. Natasha blinked, surprised. But soon, her expression became more analytical. She began connecting the dots. She thought it over carefully, reviewing everything Leonardo had told her so far.
"They're clashing, aren't they? The Phoenix Force was fully unleashed before Jean came to this timeline. But now, it's fighting against time, which is trying to erase her. They cancel each other out."
"Correct answer. In short: your daughter is perfectly fine. As she adapts to the force within her, when she's ready... let me know. I'll make sure time stops bothering her."
"So my daughter is a living paradox, protected by the very paradox that's trying to destroy her."
They had no time to keep talking. Jean woke up.
She was in the arms of a stranger, and her face tensed instantly. But a single glance at Natasha's face made her eyes widen with wonder and hope.
"Mom?"
Natasha, though surprised by how natural that word sounded, responded without thinking.
"Yes. It's me."
Upon hearing her, Jean broke into tears and hugged her tightly. Natasha held her gently, stroking her hair.
Leonardo watched the scene. And he knew it was time to leave.
But before he could say goodbye, Jean looked at him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
"And who are you?"
Leonardo pointed at himself with pride.
"I'm Laplace's Demon."
The girl stared at him, confused, then seemed to understand. Her expression changed. Terror appeared on her face. She turned to Natasha.
"But you weren't... and Mom wasn't either... Am I dead?"
"You're alive, kid," Leonardo corrected her calmly.
He turned toward the door.
"Well, I'm off. Say hi to Loki for me."
Natasha blinked, confused.
"Tell me Loki isn't..."
"Dad's here too? I want to see him!" Jean interrupted, excited.
Confirmation was unnecessary.
With a resigned smile, Natasha took Jean to the bathroom to bathe her and change her clothes. It was clear: that girl was already part of her life.
---
Leonardo was in his gallery.
What had once been just the first floor of a building was now the entire building. Completely renovated, transformed into a high-end exhibition hall. And yet, free of charge.
Although he sold his works, he only did so after a year. That meant many pieces remained on display. And some hadn't happened yet, which made people flock to see them: they were the most popular.
But in the center of the hall, there was something that didn't match the rest. A small wall, made of different materials. The floor in front of it clashed as well, as if it belonged to another place. It was like an island in time.
There hung Leonardo's first painting. The only one he had never put up for sale.
As he contemplated it in silence, a voice interrupted him.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Leonardo didn't need to turn around.
"Ancient One. It has. What brings you here?"
"The last time I saw you, you barely knew who I was," she said calmly. But her tone soon changed, "I've come for your fate. You've changed. You never would've done something like this before. Are you sure about what you're doing?"
Leonardo sighed.
"I used to think I could save everyone... but I realized it's impossible. Someone will always end up hurt."
"It's true you can't save everyone. But that doesn't mean abandoning those you can."
"You know I erased it, right? None of it happened. No one died."
"I know how time works, Leonardo. I'm not talking about that. I mean Pym."
Leonardo clenched his teeth.
"Our Pym will live. But even with all the heroes in the world, it's not enough. And that's just if we look at Earth. If we're talking about the universe, we're nothing but dust. That's why we must evolve. Not some of us... all of us. If that means sacrificing a scientist, I'll do it."
"I have no right to judge you. I only hope you don't lose yourself along the way. This was a good talk. I hope I don't see you again anytime soon."
Leonardo thought for a moment before speaking.
"Haven't you already seen my future? Don't you know how it ends?"
The Ancient One smiled as she walked away toward a portal.
"You and I both know that every action you take completely changes the future. No one can see your fate... because it doesn't exist yet. You forge it with every step."
Leonardo stood in silence, thoughtful.
"Forge my own fate, huh?"
He looked up at the ceiling.
"Tell me, system. Can the administrator see my destiny?"
[Ding!]
[Negative. Seeing your fate would completely ruin the purpose for which you were brought into this world.]
A smile appeared on Leonardo's lips.
"I figured as much."
He turned and walked toward his workshop.
"It's time to finish that. It should be enough to level up... finally."
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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)