fiction | Part of the journey is the end

12. For all time. Always. - 2

At the Citadel, He Who Remains said he understood their moral objections to what the TVA does.

"Then why the fuck is he still letting the TVA run?" Rhodey asked.

"And my methods are deceptive. But the mission, it never was. Without me, without the TVA... everything burns."

Everyone glanced at each other uneasily.

"Everything burns?" said Tony. "He Who Remains can't be that important."

Loki asked who he was so afraid of. "Me," He Who Remains responded.

All of them sucked in a breath.

Stephen's heart jumped into his throat. "His variant."

Sylvie asked who he was. He Who Remains said he had been dubbed many names by many people, including a ruler, a conqueror, and a jerk.

Thor scowled. "He's definitely a jerk."

"A conqueror?" said Scott. "That doesn't sound good."

He activated his circular TemPad, and a clay-like substance formed on the table. "Eons ago, before the TVA, a variant of myself lived on Earth in the 31st century."

There was a moment of silence as they stared at He Who Remains in utter disbelief.

"The 31st century?" Steve said in a faint voice.

"You're joking!" yelled Tony. "That's why Miss Minutes was so advanced. It was made by someone from the 31st century."

"The 31st century sounds fake," said Peter. "I can't wrap my head around it."

"Earth?" Loki said, astonished. "He Who Remains is from Midgard ?"

"He was a scientist and he discovered that there were universes stacked on top of his own."

"The multiverse," Everyone groaned.

"At the same time, other versions of us were learning the same thing. Naturally, they made contact."

Bucky buried his head in his hands. "This is making my head hurt. The multiverse is too confusing."

The clay molded into a He Who Remains variant meeting another variant while coming out of a Timedoor.

"That's why Stephen said they weren't magical," said Peter. "They were technological because He Who Remains is from the 31st century."

He Who Remains explained that there was peace and they shared technology and knowledge. The clay shifted into He Who Remains variants creating TemPads and Reset Charges.

"Of course," said Bruce. "He Who Remains is a scientist, so he's the one who made the TVA's weapons."

"The technology, however horrifying, is incredible," said Tony.

"However, not every version of me was so pure of heart. To some of us, new worlds meant only one thing, new lands to be conquered."

Everyone clenched their jaws.

"Of course," Steve sneered. "That's so typical."

The conquering variant of He Who Remains stood on top of the bodies of his variants while holding a Time Staff.

They stared at the conquering variant with fear.

Scott shuddered. "I don't want to meet He Who Remains' conquering variant. He sounds like a nightmare."

"I'm sick of the stupid multiverse," said Peter. "It sounded cool at first, but not anymore."

"Me too, kid," said Stephen.