"If you have questions, then quiet down and listen carefully to others' explanations, little Tony," Peggy Carter said, her tone half stern, half amused.
"And you should call Aunt Carter," she added with a raised brow.
"Of course, I promise to be very quiet." Tony's usual mischievous grin faded into a more respectful expression. "However, you do realize you look even younger than now, right? Calling you 'aunt' feels a bit…"
The complint made Peggy smile despite herself. No woman disliked being told she looked young—especially one who had only recently been restored from a ti when age had begun to take its toll.
"Then just call Carter, like your father used to," Peggy replied warmly.
"Phew, thanks for understanding. I was almost sure I'd have to call a beautiful woman in her twenties 'aunt,' and that would've been a struggle," Tony said, letting out a theatrical sigh that made Peggy chuckle.
Old Captain Arica watched the exchange with a faint smile. Ever since the Chitauri invasion, Tony's playful, unhurried banter had been replaced by a more serious deanor. Seeing him like this again felt like a glimpse into a better, lighter past.
Steve Rogers broke the mont. "Now that Tony's here, you can tell us—about another universe, about parallel worlds." His voice carried the weight of long-held questions.
Tony's expression tightened. "Another universe?" This was the first ti he'd heard that term from anyone other than Malrick or the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
"Let start from the beginning," Old Captain Arica said, nodding slowly. "I'm also Steve Rogers. During World War II, I… In 2011, S.H.I.E.L.D. found in the Arctic. In 2012, Earth was invaded by the Chitauri…"
He told his story without holding anything back—about the Chitauri invasion, the Ultron crisis, and the Blip. Each event made both Tony and Steve sit heavier in their chairs.
"After the Blip ended, when I returned the Stones, I stayed," Old Captain Arica said at last. "I built a life with Peggy and lived quietly until now."
According to what another Tony had once told him, this ant he had traveled from one tiline into another—different, yet similar parallel worlds.
Tony's brow furrowed. "If I'm following this, you ca from the '70s, or earlier?"
"That's right," the older man confird.
"So you knew HYDRA was still out there. You knew Bucky had been brainwashed. You even knew he'd kill my father—and you did nothing?" Tony's tone sharpened, his eyes locked on the older Steve.
Steve Rogers, the younger one, had been watching Old Captain Arica's hand resting over Peggy's. Now his attention snapped fully onto him.
The older man gave a weary smile. "I'm sorry. Other than living in hiding, I couldn't take any action."
"Why?" Tony asked, holding back his frustration.
"To avoid interfering with the course of events," the older Steve replied quietly. "In that final battle, Sorcerer Supre Strange said that out of millions of possible futures, we only won once. I couldn't be sure if anything I did would cost us that victory."
Tony was silent for several seconds before leaning back. "Thanos was really that unbeatable?"
"At that ti, no one could stop him," Old Captain Arica said simply.
Tony nodded slightly, then stood. "Your information's important. Thanks. But the matters of this universe don't require your involvent anymore."
He started toward the door. "The truth is, change has already been set in motion since you reconnected with Carter. The rest cos down to whether you want it or not."
With that, he left the coffee shop. Outside, his armor enveloped him, and he took to the sky.
The three watched him go until Steve turned away. "He's right. This world has Superman, Skrulls—it's nothing like the one you described. Whether to change things or not is just a matter of choice."
He glanced at Peggy. "That's Bucky. That's Howard. And if it were … maybe I wouldn't interfere either, for you. But still…" He trailed off, unable to finish, then shook his head.
"Sorry, I need to clear my head. We can talk about… us, later."
Steve wasn't just angry about Bucky and Howard. He was furious that a version of himself from a parallel world had simply walked in and taken Peggy—the woman he'd fought alongside, the one who had believed in him, the one he had kissed goodbye before the ice.
"Steve!" Peggy called, but stopped, glancing at the older man. He was the one who needed comfort now.
She understood the burden of his choices. Choosing between personal happiness and the world's safety was never easy.
"Steve," she said gently, "Superman and the Skrulls only appeared this year. I know your past choices were made out of necessity."
But the older Steve shook his head. "They're right—it was always about whether I wanted to or not. If I truly didn't want to interfere, I should never have stayed."
He patted her shoulder. "Peggy, you don't need to stay here with an old man like . I'm used to being alone. Having you beside for decades… that's already more than I ever expected. But it was him who lived those monts with you, who made those promises. Go. Don't leave him—and don't leave yourself—with regrets."
Peggy wanted to tell him that both Steves were her heroes. Instead, she swallowed the words, gave him a lingering look, and then hurried after the younger Steve.
(Yeah, I already dislike her lol...)
--- New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel[f]ire
On the other side of the street, Malrick watched with quiet satisfaction.
Soon, Peggy would catch up with Steve, they would argue, reconcile, and head ho together. There was no need for him to stay.
"I didn't expect it to play out like this," he murmured. "Old Cap must feel his regrets have been eased. He's preparing to return to his own world—handing Peggy back to Steve."
Malrick hadn't planned for this outco. All he'd done was send a bottle of Zeus Spring Water. Everything after that had been the result of their own choices. Peggy's brief mory loss had even been a coincidence—or so it seed.
Still, he couldn't rule out that other beings on a multiversal scale had been watching and nudging events.
"This confirms it," he said to himself. "This Old Captain Arica didn't co from this universe's future—he ca from a parallel world."
He recalled how, in his previous life, the Russo Brothers had confird as much in interviews, while the script editor had insisted otherwise. But the latter explanation never made sense. Peggy had two children with Captain Arica—how could that be 'no impact'?
The mont Steve chose to be with Peggy, a new branch tiline had been created. In this universe, changing the past didn't rewrite reality—it simply created another path. But as cases like Dark Strange proved, so changes could destabilize the very fabric of the universe.
---
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