The dust over the ruins of the Avengers base had yet to settle.
Levi stood where he was, watching the people who had just returned from death. Their faces showed confusion, bewilderment—but more than anything, relief at surviving. That relief, however, would soon be shattered by reality.
Steve walked over, his shield slung across his back, his body covered in dust. He looked at Levi, hesitating.
"What are you going to do?" he finally asked.
Levi knew what he meant. Thanos was dead. The Stones remained. The world needed rebuilding. And him—a being who wielded nine laws and could kill Thanos in an instant—what would he do next?
"I won't interfere with Earth anymore," Levi said bluntly. "You'll handle it yourselves."
Steve paused.
Tony walked over, helmet retracted, exhaustion written across his face. "Wait—what do you mean by that? We just finished a war, and you're calling it quits?"
"I'm not quitting," Levi said, looking at him. "You don't need me anymore."
Tony frowned. "We don't need you? Look around—this mess, you think we can—"
Levi cut him off. "Three billion people just came back. Resource allocation, legal conflicts, international relations—you understand these better than I do. All I can do is suppress conflicts with force. That doesn't solve anything—it just delays it."
Steve was silent for a moment, then nodded. "You're right."
Tony opened his mouth, then closed it again. In the end, he said nothing, turning away to check the damage to his armor.
Thor stepped out from the rubble, Stormbreaker resting on his shoulder. He looked at Levi with a complicated smile. "You're leaving?"
"I need time to process this power," Levi said. He paused. "And… Earth is too small."
The words were blunt, but no one refuted them. They all knew it was true. Levi's current level of power had surpassed planetary concerns. Keeping him here was like confining a dragon in a cage.
Natasha approached, holding a tablet. "What about the Stones?"
"Return them," Levi said. "Follow the original timeline. Every single one. Otherwise, branching timelines will form—and that will bring the Time Variance Authority."
Natasha caught the term immediately. "The TVA? You mentioned them before. Are they dangerous?"
"Extremely," Levi said. "Their purpose is to maintain a single sacred timeline. Any deviation gets pruned. Reversing the Snap already crossed the line. If we don't return the Stones, they'll erase us."
Steve's expression hardened. "Then we move now."
"Wait," Levi said. "I need to talk to Wanda first."
He turned and walked away.
Wanda stood not far off, chaos magic flickering at her fingertips. She hadn't joined the conversation—only waited quietly.
Levi approached her, took her wrist—and in the next instant, they vanished into a spatial rift.
---
The other side opened onto the plains of Wakanda.
The rain had stopped. A rainbow stretched across the horizon. Birds chirped in the distance, and the air smelled of earth and grass.
Wanda let go of his hand and sat on a nearby rock, staring at the horizon.
Levi stood beside her, saying nothing.
They remained like that for a long time.
"You've changed," Wanda finally said softly. "I can feel it."
Levi nodded.
"Stronger," she said, turning to look at him. "So strong I can't even begin to understand it."
He didn't deny it.
Five years ago, he had only been an early Skyfather-level being—powerful, but still within her comprehension. Now, he had returned with mastery of nine laws, power from the DC Universe, and insight into the Concept Layer.
The gap was no longer something numbers could measure.
"Are you afraid?" Levi asked.
Wanda shook her head. "No. Just…" she hesitated, "you feel unfamiliar."
Levi sat beside her, his shoulder touching hers. The simple contact eased her tension.
"I'm still me," he said. "The power changed. I didn't."
"Really?" Wanda met his eyes. "You said Earth is too small. You said you won't interfere anymore. That doesn't sound like you."
Levi fell silent for a moment.
"Because I've seen bigger threats," he said. "Thanos was just the beginning. There are more like him—stronger ones. The TVA, the multiverse, beings at the Concept Layer… these aren't things the Avengers can handle."
Wanda understood. "So you're going to face them."
"Yes," Levi said. "But first, I need to break through to the Cosmic Overlord level. I'm not strong enough yet."
Wanda looked down at her hand, red energy flickering between her fingers. "What about me?"
Levi took her hand. Their energies resonated instantly. He could feel her chaos magic had grown purer, denser—even during the time she didn't exist, her soul had continued to evolve.
"Come with me," Levi said. "I'll teach you to control your chaos magic. To reach a higher level. You have that potential."
Wanda looked up, surprise flashing in her eyes—then resolve.
She didn't hesitate. Didn't ask where. Didn't ask how long.
She simply agreed.
Levi understood what that meant.
She was willing to leave everything behind—Earth, the Avengers, the friends she had just reunited with—to follow him into the unknown.
That trust weighed more than any oath.
"But before that," Wanda said, "I want to see Pietro."
Levi nodded. "Of course."
He opened another spatial rift.
---
The other side led to the Avengers base medical bay.
Pietro lay on a hospital bed, connected to various monitoring devices. His vitals were stable, but he hadn't woken up yet.
Wanda walked over, taking his hand. She could feel his heartbeat, his life force slowly recovering.
"He'll be fine," Levi said. "Time reversal repaired his body. But he's a speedster—his soul is special. It'll take time to adjust. At most a day, and he'll wake up."
Wanda nodded silently, sitting by his side.
Levi didn't disturb her. He turned and left the room.
---
In the corridor, Steve and Bruce Banner were discussing how to return the Stones. Seeing Levi, Steve stepped forward.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Where are the Stones?" Levi replied.
"With Tony," Steve said. "He's checking the gauntlet for residual radiation."
Levi nodded and headed toward the lab.
Just as he reached the door—
The entire base trembled.
Not an explosion. Not an attack.
Something deeper—a disturbance from spacetime itself.
Levi stopped, looking up. His enhanced senses caught it—not sound waves, but the resonance of disturbed time.
Steve felt it too. "What's going on?"
"They're here," Levi said calmly—but a trace of seriousness flashed in his eyes.
"The TVA."
As his words fell, space above the base split open.
Not a golden rift like Levi's—but a clean, orange doorway, its edges unnaturally precise.
Three figures in uniform stepped through, landing on the ruins.
At the front was a woman with short brown hair and a cold expression. In her hand was a glowing baton, topped with a small floating clock-like device.
She scanned the ruins—then fixed her gaze on Levi.
"Levi," she said flatly. "You have violated the Sacred Timeline. Come with us."
Levi didn't move.
He stood still, looking at the three TVA agents. The baton in her hand glowed faintly orange—the manifestation of time power, crude compared to his own.
"You're late," Levi said. "Thanos is dead. The Snap is reversed. The timeline you want to prune is already reality."
Her expression didn't change. "That is not for you to decide. You altered the Sacred Timeline. By protocol, you and all participants must stand trial."
Steve stepped forward, shield in hand. "We're not letting you take anyone."
The woman glanced at him, emotionless. "Steve Rogers. Designation 2012-A7. Your timeline has deviated three times. If not for your importance to the Sacred Timeline, you would have already been pruned."
Steve's face darkened.
Tony stepped out of the lab, already suited up. "Pruned? What exactly are you planning to do to us?"
"Erase you," she said plainly. "Remove you from the timeline, as if you never existed. All changes caused by you will be reset."
"What about the three billion people?" Natasha stepped forward, gun raised. "The ones who just came back—you'll erase them too?"
"If necessary," the woman replied. "The integrity of the Sacred Timeline supersedes all."
A chill flashed through Levi's eyes.
He already knew the TVA's logic—how cold they could be in preserving their so-called order. But hearing them casually speak of erasing billions still stirred a deep disgust.
"You can't do that," Levi said quietly. "Because I won't let you."
The woman stared at him. The baton in her hand glowed brighter.
"You intend to resist the TVA? Do you understand what that means?"
"I do." Levi raised his right hand. Nine-colored light swirled in his palm. "It means I'm leaving all of you here."
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