Scrutinising eyes

[1301 words]

The moment the man made the choice to step outside those doors, Fate finally lost control. Things could still be changed if he had just made the choice to stay inside, he would have died from his failed regeneration inside the Tardis and never laid claim to what was outside, the TVA, cosmic entities or even the ancient one could then patch up the timeline, they could still stop Tony, Loki and Natasha from disappearing and the man in the blue box would die inside without anyone the wiser.

But no, the threads had frayed and the story had completely left her design and influence because when the man finally stepped outside those doors, when the Marvel multiverse welcomed the Lord of Time, that moment became a fixed point. An event that would always happen in this universe unless he changed it himself.

It had always been this way. The man had always been at the centre of everything. Even his own universe was created because of his actions. If he had never triggered that explosion on Terminus, the big bang would never have happened and he would never have existed. A paradoxical conundrum that was simply a loop with him at the centre.

However, unlike all the other times where he and his companion at the time were the only ones to see it, this action didn't go unnoticed. He was no longer in a universe that he alone controlled, he was no longer the Lord of Time, at least not yet anyway.

All around the Marvel multiverse, beings far beyond him in power, beings that existed outside the constraints of time felt it. They felt, for the first time in their lives, that time had been anchored and they couldn't see what happened next.

So at that moment, when he stepped out, the man unknowingly came under scrutinising eyes almost as ancient as his own.

.

.

.

Death sat on her throne made of bones and skulls overlooking her domain and palace halls like the day before and just like the year before that. Just like every god damn day of her life and every damn day till the multiverse ended. The thought disgusted her, she was only consoled by the fact that she wasn't only here at this point in time.

As death and as a multiversal being, she was at every point in time, all the time. At this very moment, she was there at the beginning where she first came into being, she was there at the very moment she first discovered Rot yet at the same time, she was at the end of time as she watched it expand, watched as the last mortals alive started to die and she claimed them in her domain.

It was fun at first, experiencing everything that happen for the first time, experiencing the universe create and destroy its wonders and the effects her little games would have. It was even fun the second time and the couple after that but she was old, unimaginably so, and she had watched it repeat now for far too long. What made it worse was the fact that even where time was still being created there was nothing to watch, the multiverse had long since started to cool down and finish its cycle, getting ready for the Great End. She didn't know what the Great End was exactly but that didn't matter to her, it was still one of the only reasons she could fight off her boredom.

However, right at this moment, something changed. A universe she had watched all too many times changed. This particular universe had long since run its course, its stories long finished, but all of a sudden it wasn't. It was like all that time had never existed. It was back to a point where the universe was still full of life.

This wouldn't have shocked Death; she had experienced, no, was experiencing, universes getting reset and even the multiverse, getting reset all the time. But this was different. This was different because she couldn't see what would happen next. It was like she was experiencing it for the first time once again.

Curious, Deaths prying eyes wandered over the universe trying to find where things had changed. She could still remember every detail and story that this universe would follow so it took her only a fraction of a second to find the anomaly.

And what an anomaly it was.

Death crossed her legs and leaned forwards on her throne, her eyes wide and glistening with excitement as she watched from across time. "How interesting..."

Looking off to the side, Death continued, "...don't you think so brother?"

Oblivion stepped out of the void and stood beside Death, his gaze also staring off into the distance. He remained silent for some time before speaking, "That universe was almost mine..."

Looking at her brother who was acting like a child who had their toy stolen, Death clutched her stomach and laughed. Even under his glare, which would make most cower in fear, Death still continued to laugh. She should have expected such a response from him; he was always so childish after all, always so vindictive. Then again, she would also be mad if someone stole something from her, she even had a whole section in her realm for such people. The thought was enough for her to stifle her laughter.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Her hands raised in an attempt to placate the being.

The action seem to satisfy the being as he turned away and continued to watch the scene through space and time. Death to went back to watching before she spoke up again, asking a question she already had guesses for but still wanting her brother's opinion. "What do you think he is?"

Silence reigned in the vast palace halls but Death waited patiently for her brother to respond and after some time he did. "He is most likely a god from outside of this multiverse but doesn't seem to be the same as the Beyonders, his strength seems too lacking for that. His affinity towards time is also astonishing, his very presence reset the time on that universe and lock even us from changing it."

Death thought for a moment on her brother's words as she continued to watch the scene play before her. "He doesn't seem to have much control over it."

"Maybe he is a young god?" Oblivion helpfully suggested but Death didn't think so. Something about him told her that he was too old for that.

Seeing the situation finally lull Death gracefully pick herself off her Throne and turned towards Oblivion. "I'm going to see him!" She cheerfully exclaimed.

Noticing Oblivions face twist at her words, her shoulders sagged and she sighed; sometimes her brother was an idiot. "Idiot, I'm not breaking any rules! As soon as that man appeared, that universes future where we were involved was cut off and right now, he is the edge of time!"

A look of realisation came over him and he was thrown into thought. They had long run out of things to do so maybe this was a chance to do something he had never done in all the other universes.

Composing himself, oblivion looked towards his sister. "Well I wish you good luck, it would seem... I have things to do" he spoke before he disappeared.

Death scoff, she knew full well what 'things' he had to do but who was she to put a damper on his mood, she too was excited to have some fun in such a long time despite not showing it on her face. Looking around her palace quickly, Death took one last look around before she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.