27

I discreetly use my illusion to move out of sight, keeping an eye out for any potential electronic surveillance. I am taken aback by how seamlessly Natasha adapts to her new abilities, and my attempts at opening a portal to Penny's home are met with no reaction.

Outside, we come up with a plan of action. Natasha will confront Penny and prolong the conversation until I sense Steve's presence nearby. At that moment, I will create an illusion that only he can see, Natasha pulling out a weapon with the intent to harm Peggy.

This will also serve as a test for Natasha to gauge her newfound powers.

Sneaking into Penny's house is surprisingly easy. Despite expecting extensive security measures, there are none beyond a simple latch and bolt on the door.

Inside, Penny is seated on the sofa, her frustration and annoyance evident as she keeps glancing towards the back door. Natasha carefully chooses a seat across from her and nods at me when Penny looks away again.

Penny's train of thought: So many thoughts race through my head. Where is he? He should have been here before me. I knew this was a bad idea, but he never listened. Mutants...he knows nothing about them. And now this Black Widow who he claimed was as deadly as the best Leviathan has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and seems to be trying to make things right. But still, he insists on changing everything to fit his idea of "how it should be." That man! Oh crap, how is she here?

Natasha smiles slyly at Penny, "So, Ms Hydra, I'm giving you one chance to convince me that you haven't betrayed everyone."

Penny swallows nervously. Despite having been trained well, she knows that this woman carries the same serum as Steve and is a highly skilled assassin from the future. Steve refused to continue training her out of fear of altering the course of events.

"I am not working for Hydra. I understand why you might think that. My actions probably make it seem that way. But if you can just give me a few minutes, I can explain everything."

Natasha receives a message from Joel and prepares herself.

As Steve arrives outside the kitchen door, he sees Natasha standing up with her weapon drawn, "You have failed us all, Penny Carter." (I had to, sorry :( )

Steve bursts into the room and throws his shield towards Natasha.

To everyone else's surprise, Natasha, who was previously seated, flips upwards and towards Steve. As she passes over the shield, her hand gracefully brushes against it, effortlessly changing its trajectory to remain attached to her hand as she lands perfectly on three points. She flips her head back as she straightens up, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face with a smirk before holding the shield confidently in her other hand.

With a battle cry echoing straight from history books, Steve charges towards Natasha. But she is now faster than him. In a split second, she sidesteps his wild swing and delivers a powerful punch that sends him flying backward, crashing into a nearby cabinet that shatters upon impact.

"Steve!" Penny cries out in alarm, but Natasha shoots her a warning look, effectively silencing her.

With a loud clamor, Steve bursts out of the cabinet and quickly shakes off any dust or debris that clings to his body. His intense gaze falls upon the woman standing before him, her features mirroring those of Natasha but with a strength that is unfamiliar to him. "You are too strong to be the Natasha I know, but everything else about you is just like her. Who are you?" he demands.

Natasha, unfazed by his questioning and following the script we agreed responds coolly. "Tony and I sacrificed our lives to defeat Thanos. Why are you now trying to ensure that we die again? And at the same time, getting to live happily ever after with her," she gestures towards Peggy with a bitter edge in her voice. "It seems that your only concern is your own happiness, to hell with us."

Peggy's eyes widen in shock as she looks between Natasha and Steve. "Wait, you died?" she asks incredulously.

"Yes, and he was willing to let others die just so he could have time with you again!" Natasha's words drip with venom.

Steve, still struggling to process everything, counters confidently. "Don't listen to her, Peggy. I asked who she was, not for accusations. How do you know about the future? The Natasha I knew is gone, there's no way she could come back."

I interject at this point, dropping my illusion and revealing myself. "Actually, Cap, Nat belongs here just as much as you do in this timeline," I state firmly. "You should have realized long ago that you never truly returned to your past, or your Peggy. So the real question is: why did you stay? And why, even knowing this truth, did you try to make our future the same as yours?" My words hang heavy in the air as everyone takes a moment to process them.

I make my way over to the cozy Sofa and take a seat beside Nat's previous spot, surprised at how comfortable it is. "Hello, I'm Joel. It's a pleasure to meet you, Peggy Carter." Peggy stumbles over her words for a moment before composing herself. "H...Hi Joel, did you just say Steve? He's not my Steve?"

I notice Steve shifting in his seat as if he's ready to speak up. I give him a warning look and say, "Do not interrupt, or I'll have Nat kick you out until you can learn to behave like an adult." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nat smiling warmly at me, but her eyes tell a different story.

"In almost every way, he is your Steve. The only difference is that he lived in a parallel timeline. So his feelings for you are real, his history with you is real. Nat and Steve had a similar experience when they traveled through time, a portal between timelines was not completely healed, causing them to hit a road bump and end up in our timeline."

Peggy nods slowly, trying to process all of this information. "What did you mean when you said he knew he was in the wrong timeline?"

"He was told that any changes in the timeline would create a new one. And when he saw mutants fighting alongside soldiers in WWII, it was clear to him that something was off."

Steve lowers his head slightly, looking like a mischievous child caught in the act.

"This is my issue with him," I continue with a sigh. "Once he knew he was in a different timeline, there was no reason for him to try to keep things on the 'right' path." I give Steve a disappointed glance.

Peggy turns her stern gaze towards Steve. "Is this true? I don't care where you're from, Steve is still Steve to me. I just want to know if the rest of what he said is true?"

For a moment, I see joy flicker in Steve's eyes as he looks up at Peggy. I try to keep my emotions in check, but I can't help feeling slightly annoyed with him.

"It's true," Steve finally admits. "At first, when I noticed small changes in this timeline compared to mine, I brushed it off as being normal variations. But when I realized I was already committed, it was too late and we had won in my original timeline, we won, and even though things got messy, I wanted us to win again. And I wanted to be with you." He pauses before adding, "I don't mean to deflect, but I am curious about something, how did Nat become so strong?"

Peggy's ears perk up at the mention of Nat's name. "Nat? That's a rather personal nickname. What was your relationship with her before she 'died'?"

I struggle to contain my laughter at how quickly Peggy has shifted from concerned partner to interrogator. Nat smirks and casually climbs over the back of the sofa, throwing one leg over mine. "You have nothing to worry about there, Peggy. While Cap was a great comrade, he was never really my type. As for my strength... well, that's a conversation for another time. But trust me, even I wouldn't stand a chance against this guy," she gestures towards me with a sly smile.

Why bring me into it? This woman!

I glance toward Cap and release a heavy sigh. "This is not your timeline, stop attempting to alter events," I warn him sternly. "Trust me, I have the ability to remove you from this timeline if necessary. While I don't mind having you here and living your life, even as a hero, I cannot allow you to work towards a victory that ultimately leads to failure in my own timeline."

Cap turns to face Peggy, who gives him a curt nod of agreement. "Very well," he concedes begrudgingly.

"Can you assist the future Avengers in becoming stronger?" Cap asks with reluctance.

"I could, but it seems you are unaware of just how powerful and numerous Mutates and Mutants are in this timeline," I reply.

"Wait, what exactly are Mutates?" Cap questions, his curiosity piqued.

I turn to Peggy, who shrugs in response. It appears she is also unfamiliar with the term.

"Think of it like this, Mutants possess an active X gene, which gives them their abilities. But almost everyone on Earth has the X gene, it's just not active in most people. Therefore, anyone has the potential to awaken as a Mutant. Mutates, on the other hand, are individuals whose genes were altered or mutated through some external force. Take Spider-Man for example, he is a Mutate as well," I explain patiently.

Peggy nods in understanding and then poses her own question. "So what about Natasha? Is she also a Mutate?"

"No, she was one before. I activated her dormant X gene and manipulated it to give her specific abilities as we had discussed. You see, theoretically, Mutates have a growth limit when it comes to their powers, while Mutants do not. However, there are various factors that can prevent Mutants from reaching their full potential, such as aging or not experiencing a significant event that triggers their powers to develop further."