I was excited. I got up from my bed in a jump, saying good morning to myself, to the day, to the closet, to the blankets, and a special "good morning" to the lilacs vase on the desk at the corner.

As humans would say "I dressed to impress" I put my suit and walked out of the room, taking a look at myself on the mirror once again before going out.

I was an agent and I was trying hard to don't let the title go to my head. I felt important, and, for the first time, at the same level as the other people there. I felt imponent, like nothing could ever bring me down.

-Look at her!-Bee said as I approached her- You did it Chicken, good job, now continue like that and don't make me regret believing in you, or-She showed her TVA Baton with a yellow light, yellow light means to prune.

-Don't worry-I chuckled at her dark humored joke- You'll see, I'll be one of your best agents.

-Ha, we'll see that.

-Do you have any idea of where should I go now?

-I do.-His voice behind me made me smile. I didn't know why, Mobius always had that effect on me. I turned around and he had that charming half smile of his.- Big day today.

-Keep an eye on her Mobius.-B-15 teased- But also don't be hipnotized like you do all the time.

-Hipnotized?-I questioned.

-I-I don't do that.-Mobius had a pink tone in his cheeks.

-Nah, you do. You keep like "Wow"-She imitated him and I bursted laughing- Keep that for after work. Now I have to go. Don't do anything I wouldn't you two!

B-15 walked away and Mobius chuckled.

-I don't know where she gets those idead from...Well, anyway, I've got a message: you're lucky, we already have our first mission, it's on Texas.

-Great, I've never went to Texas. Wich time?

-It's a surprise, you'll see.

⏳

I've had many ideas of how Texas would be, but I've never imagined we would go to that certain period of time. I've never thought that would be "The Texas" we would visit.

It was a scorch, a huge sun bright in the clear blue sky, while a huge landscape with just a few vegetation circled around us, followed by more ahead, the isolated and peaceful city with constructions made all of wood.

Mobius and I had more 3 people on our team, and, according to him, it wouldn't be a hard mission, he also said that I'd love to see that place.

I've always loved to read, I told that to Mobius plenty of times. Reading was one of the only distractions and ways to escape the hell I lived while under Ego's control, reading leaded me to another worlds, to different people who I've never met and to colors impossible to see in that planet, it gave me stories, entertainment and hopes to those hard years. Mobius said that the place we were visitting would be interested because it's something I've only read in books.

-So, what do you think?-He gave a half smile as we arrived at the city.

The time we were should be near 1800s, and I've got to say, Mobius really did know me pretty well. My jaw dropped by the houses and constructions I only saw in pictures, the animals passing by, and the people dressing according to their époque.

It was the landscape of a tipical Western city, those you could see in romance cowboy books, where women with long dresses and hats walked through the dirty streets. On another side you could see a bar, a well known one since there plenty of gentleman yelling like cavemen inside, and at the outside, horses were tied to some spots so they couldn't lose themselves in the middle of nowhere in that desert.

We were indeed far and distant fron whatever the time in the TVA was, it seemed so different and so impressive at the same time, every single detail, from the tiny store where a man with a woman in an apron held a baby in her arms, to a drunk sir lied on the ground with a bottle of whiskey, or whatever that hard liquor was.

Mobius walked like he owned the place, people looked impressed by his posture, even I was, he seemed like a tipical sherif, nose to the sky, the jawline sharply admired by the ladies (even the married ones), as he passed a hand through his hair charmingly placing on its place.

Well he looked like the sherif...until the real one appeared.

A man with an incredible moustache, I've never seen a moustache like that in person, I've seen that in some of Ego's music merch, that was a tipical Village People's moustache. A mustache like that could have two effects, make you have presence or make you look like a fool. That red haired sherif looked more like the second option.

He walked stressed, like he was searching for something, or better, someone. His eyes runned wild through the little wood constructions as he shouted "WHERE IS HE?" To anyone who passed nearby.

-What is happening?-I whispered to Mobius.

-This is our Nexus event, a bandit escaped from jail when he shouldn't. We need to find him, while that, you need to distract the sherif so he doesn't shoot anyone.-He leaned and whispered at my ear, my eyes were at the man with the pistol, but I had quite a hard time to concentrate since Mobius hot breath in my skin made me distract myself for a moment.

-Wait, just me? Alone?

-You can do this, if anything happens call me on the radio. Good luck-He winked and lead the team to another area  while I walked towards the angry sherif.

People stared at me weirdly, not because I was a variant this time, but because I was a lady, a lady different from the others, a futuristic one. A lady wearing pants and alone. I could feel the disapproval shakes of head from the ladies and the thirsty stares from some men while I walked towards the sherif, but I decided to don't pay attention to them.

-Howdy! Stop right there!-The sherif said when I was already in front of him.-Who are you?

Before I could answer he spit on the ground all of sudden, I almost jumped scared as he continued to look at me with a serious face.

-I-I'm...uh...a traveller.-I lied trying to appear as calm as possible.-Just passing by!

-And where ya from?-He seemed to be trying to discover information just by looking at me.

-From...Transylvania?-The first thing that came to my mind.

Why did I say that? WHY?

His eyes opened wide, scared he asked me:

-Th-The land of vampires...?-He stuttered starting to step backwards.

-Uhm...yes?-I am an idiot.

He bumped into a woman behind him, he put her in front of him, almost like a shield.

-A-A v-vampire!-He exclaimed.

-What? No, no! I'm not a vampire!

-VAMPIRE???-Another person overheard and shouted.

Great.

Chaos started on the city wich once looked pacific. Everybody started to run for their lives, take horses and try to escape. Bankers grabbed huge bags with money, women held their kids, beggars tried to hide in bars, everybody was scared of me.

-It's not what you think! -I tried to explain. The woman in front of the sherif ran leaving him exposed.

The sherif held his gun pointing to me, his hand trembled with fear. I needed to get close to him, just touch his skin to calm him.

-G-Get away from here m-monster!-He seemed more scared than I was. The gun shaked so much in his fingers that I thought he'd shot at any second by accident.- I-I'm warning you!!

-I'm not a monster...-I spoke so low while the crowds screamed "MONSTER" and tried to throw things at me. Anything they could throw they did, tomatoes, bottles, I almost got hit by a horseshoe.

I felt lost. The man with the gun in front of me, the panic inside my chest, the overwhelming crowd around me wanting my death. Ego's words came back slapping my face:

"You are my creation. No one will undertand you like I do. You will always be an abonination to others"

And for that moment I doubted everything. My existance, my purpose, and what I meant for the world. I felt like nothing.

"You are a variant."

-Hands where I can see them Sherif!-A voice shouted and a silence took over the people. That voice woke me from my thoughts.

The sherif looked to the other side scared, while I gave a relieved sigh.

-Who are you??-The moustache man asked irritated as a gun was pointed to him.

-Y/N NOW!-Mobius shouted and at the same moment I reached for the sherif.

I held his face and just in time I used my powers to make him relax, the gun fell on the ground and none of us were in danger anymore.

Mobius came to me and gave the gun to one of our partners, he put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me:

-Are you okay?-He asked with his blue eyes locked into mine.

-Yes, yes I am, thanks. But what about the bandit?

-We managed to get him, we need to go and reset the timeline before the branch gets to big.

I nodded and followed him, a portal was created and before entering I looked back for a moment. The Texas city where people stared at me like a monster, a past full of prejudice that still remained to the present. Could people's mind change someday?

Could I be something besides a label someday?

⏳

Back on the TVA Mobius got away for a while to take care of papers and the bandit was already sent to Judge Ravonna's trial. I was at my desk still reminiscing the events that haunted my head.

"Monster"

Was I really a monster? Was my power really so terrible that I should be labelled like that?

The screams. The screams made me remember Ego. Just that thought gave me chills.

"He's dead" I told myself "He's dead and you are safe now." But even that didn't seem true. At that city I felt vulnerable and fragyl once again.

-I'm back.-His voice calmed me a little, I turned back trying to appear okay.- Phew, that was tense right?

-Yeah..-I spoke.

I hated and loved that about Mobius. He was a person who knew me too well, more than I wanted to, and, just by my short response, he knew that I wasn't okay at all.

He sat on the chair next to me and observed me with those kind caring eyes, almost like he was searching for the right words.

-You did a good job. It seems like it wasn't but it was.-He comforted me- We managed to capture the variant.

-And make the whole city crazy about vampires.-I said and he couldn't hold his laugh.

-Sorry...-He recovered himself- But what I'm trying to say is that, not everything turns out the way we want, the important thing is that it worked.

-Yeah, by them thinking I'm a monster.-I started to play with a button of my suit.

I could feel Mobius still staring at me, I had no idea what he was thinking, he was extremely mysterious at these short periods he remained in silence.

-Meet me at the archives' section at midnight.-He suddenly said.

I looked at him curious, he had a smile on his lips.

-Why?

-Just go.-He got up from his chair and started to walk away- I promise you won't regret.

⏳

When you meet Mobius for the first time you don't expect much from him, that's what I thought at the beginning. I expected him to be a normal and cruel TVA agent, someone rigid who followed the rules like his life depended on it, someone who was so boring and so manipulative that I'd never trust in.

I'm quite glad it wasn't like that.

One proof of the "rulebreaker" Mobius M. Mobius, besides bringing me to the TVA for work, was that meeting. Should I call it meeting? Reunion? ...Date? No, meeting. Just that.

The Archives' section was a place where you could only enter with an authorized card by the TVA, variants like me weren't allowed, and, since I was under Mobius' responsability, I could only enter that environment with him.

The library/stock was a huge place with many bookshelves with history of the TVA entitled on them, many events and important achievements were written in those files, where all the authorized agents could search and review their information there. On another part was the Cinematic room, the same one where Mobius first interrogated me, where it is possible to see videos and photos in a projector with audio. And on another part there was a closet full of other stuff taken from timelines, Mobius said there was anything you could imagine in there.

I was at the door just like he said for me to wait. The Archives' Section closed at 8 p.m wich surprised me why he has chosen that time to meet me.

-Oh, you're here, great-Mobius suddenly appeared behind me, he had taken the coat of his suit of, staying only with the social shirt, wich he rolled up a bit the sleeves exposing his arms.- Let's go.

-Mobius-I grabbed his arm for a second before he opened the door and the touch of skin gave me chills. He looked at me.- What are you going to do?

He gave a soft smile wich could warm any cold heart:

-Just trust me, okay?

He opened the door with a card and we entered, Mobius was probably a person of status to gain access to the Archives even after bussiness hours.

The library was covered in darkness, I thought he'd turn on one of the lights but he didn't. I wasn't scared of the dark, actually, I stayed in it for so long, hiding with the shadows from Ego that it didn't even bother me anymore. I've found comfort in them.

Mobius held my hand so I wouldn't get lost, his fingers intertwined with mine as he lead me through the dark corridors filled with bookshelves of thousands years olds, you could feel the importance of that room in the air, so quiet and imponent that you could hear the beat of your heart, wich mine increased when Mobius squeezed my hand once and asked in the dark whispering:

-Are you scared?

-No.-I whispered back as a strange feeling bloomed in my chest. I couldn't see his face clearly in the dark but I could imagine, the light blue eyes staring into my soul, searching all ny flaws and trying, effortlessly, to fix them.

Mobius suddenly stopped at one point, I heard keys being used and a door being opened, after that, objects were put on a table nearby and a light appeared.

Mobius had lightned a candle, the fragyl yellow light on the surface of the table lightning where he held it and on his other hand a hug box.

-What is that?-I asked.

-Just wait a bit more. You're so curious Y/N-He chuckled.

He walked with me for a moment while holding the candle lightning the way, we entered the Cinematic room.

Mobius turned the projector on and the screen showed a landscape with a gorgeous twilight in it.

-Where is this?-I said hypnotized by the orange and yellow gradient in the sky.

Mobius turned off the light of the candle and took something from the box, only the view of the screen lightened the room making it mostly orange and dark.

-Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. 2019.-He explained while organizing something, but I couldn't see what it was.

-Is that...Taj Mahal?-I asked surprised by the beautiful contruction in the background.

-The one and only. -Mobius was now by my side.

-Wow...I've always wanted to visit it someday.-I smiled at the image I only saw in illustrations.

-Maybe one day we could go.-He looked at me.-Let's hope to have a mission in India.

I chuckled and he smiled back, we got hypnotized for a moment with each other's presence when Mobius interrupted:

- I know you are sad.

-I'm not.

-Yes you are. Because of the people in the mission, right?

I didn't reply.

-You know what they said wasn't true.

-But I am a mistake.

-No, you're not.

-You said that when we met. That I was a variant not supposed to happen.

Mobius put his hands on my shoulders and turned me so I could face him properly, he was serious and had a tone I've never heard before, it was...intense.

-You're not a mistake. You are special the way you are.

-Still a variant.

-The best variant I've ever met.

I stood quiet as he still stared at me, I didn't know what to say or what to do. But those words warmed my heart.

-I'm glad to have met you.-He added.-You're not a mistake Y/N. You're a blessing.

The atmosphere in the room was different, it wasn't the imponent historical air from before, it was a warm, emotional, sad, melancholic but welcome one. One that took the sadness and put a mixture of doubt and gratefulness inside of me. A warm feeling, a flower blooming in my heart, it had a cold touch that made me tremble and confused all my thoughts. I wondered if Mobius could feel the same at that minute.

-Forget about them.-He said in low tone that dragged all my senses to him.- There's just you and me. No one can hurt you now.

His voice had some sort of serotonin that insterted into my brain, I nodded and he gave a soft smile, asking me to wait a moment.

He went to the corner of the room and I heard something being turned on. After that, a music started.

He came back and standed his hand to me, a charming smile on his lips and bright eyes:

-I'm not a great dancer, but you told me you liked Elton John's songs.

-I don't know how to dance either...-

-Good, so we can both be bad together-He continued standing his hand- My arm is getting tired.

I chuckled and accepted, Mobius kindly put a hand around my waist (but respectfully, like a true gentleman with no second intentions) and another with my hand in the air, as I placed mine at his shoulder.

Don't go Breaking My heart played in a record player at the corner, that's what he had in the box all this time. I told Mobius once, in a conversatuon of ours, that I liked old songs, it was the only good thing I learned with Ego, he had quite a good taste for that. So I stayed until late when he was sleeping hearing his records and reading. A way to escape that cruel reality.

I couldn't help but laugh at Mobius attempts of dancing, he tried to shake his body and looked like a dog drying the water from their body after a bath, then tried to move his feet faster and stepped on my foot (he apologized so much!)

-Starting to think this was a bad idea.-Mobius joked.

-If you wanted me to laugh then consider it a success.-I replied.

-I'm glad then-He said and made me gracefully spin around and then get back to his arms.

The way that he embraced me made me blush and I dare to say, I liked it.

It definelty wasn't a sincronized and well performanced dance but it was definetly the best I've ever had. It made me forget all the troubles and problems in my mind, all I could think was that present. He and I, the sunset in the screen and the record player in the darkness of that lonely library, now filled with joy.

The song ended but it was followed by another, a slow one, I could recognize it: I'll never do you wrong by Joe Tex.

I liked that song. It was calm, the message was cute and Joe's voice was just amazing. It warmed the coldest of the nights and made my days better so many times in that planet.

I felt comfortable enough to put my arms around Mobius' neck and lean my head on his shoulder, both of his hands on my back and only a short distance separated us.

I wanted to keep that moment forever. Capture it so I could always remember it. He and I, the warmness of his body and the melodic song playing in the background. I could bury my head in his shoulder, and smell his cologne forever, hide from the world forever. I'd never want to leave.

-Mobius-I whispered at his ear.

-Hm?-He asked.

-Thank you.

There was a moment of silence, just the song playing.

-Thank you too Y/N.

I closed my eyes and just dived into that strange feeling inside of me, whatever it was I liked it, and I wanted to feel that more.

⏳

-If it's not the power couple-B-15 said in a playful tone one day as we arrived from a mission- Had finally taken a break?

-I still don't know who gave us that nickname-Mobius spoke while loosening his tie.

-I did.-She chuckled.

-Why?-I asked.

-You all have been on fire these days, so many variants were captured, it's a record in the TVA history.

Well, what she said was actually true.

For the past month, yes, 1 month since my first "official" mission, Mobius and I were the best agents in the TVA, wich also caused people to call us the "Power Couple" who captured variants and kept the organization safe.

I was more controlled and prepared in missions, I started to understand how other variants worked and that enabled me to be faster to tranquilize while Mobius captured them. We had a sincronny the other teams didn't. With just a glance of our eyes we knew what the other was saying without words.

Even Ravonna had to congratulate me one day:

-I've got to admit...Good job variant-Of course she said the last word on purpose.

-Her name is Y/N, Ravonna.-Mobius corrected and her eyes opened wide.

-Still a variant. I'm busy now, you should go.

Of course I was still a variant to the curious agents' eyes, I was still a lucky flaw who escaped their fate, but I started to simply don't care about their opinion. Bee had a name for that:

-It's the fuck it button.-She smiled one day as us three had lunch.

-B-15! Manners!-Mobius adverted, he hated swear words. I've never seen him swearing before.

-You know, people used to do that with me too, because of my weight.-Bee continued- But I thought "It's my body and no one else's. I love it and that's it", so I created my own fuck it button.

-Amazing Bee.-I smiled, I really admired the person she was.

-Yes, except for the F word part.-Mobius rolled his eyes and Bee spit ketchup on him- Oh come on!

But work wasn't so easy either. For the past few days something weird was happening, so Mobius and I were overwhelmed with missions. Many branches were being formed all at once, almost like explosions, and according to research groups, it was caused by a fugitive Variant.

-How is that possible?-I asked him one day.

-It's not only that, some groups also said that this variant is stealing Reset Charges. Whoever it is they are not joking.-Mobius spoke concerned.

Now we were stuck in the dilemma of who could be behind those attacks, and Judge Ravonna trusted Mobius with that assignment, as if he wasn't already tired enough.

-You should rest a bit Mobius. You look exhausted-I spoke to him as we both were at the office at past work hours studying what the Variant was planning.

-I can't...-He yawned slowly and closed his eyes for a brief moment- I need to find out who is behind this.

-We will find.-I told him.-But it's okay to take a break sometimes.

Mobius stood quiet, reluctant for a moment, then said:

-Fine, but just 5 minutes.

-That's already something.-I tapped my shoulder- Put your head here, I'll wake you up in 5 minutes.

-Do you promise?-He rested his head on my shoulder.

-I promise by my Master's life.

-But he's dead-He said already with his eyes closed.

-Exactly.-I chuckled and he gave a half smile before falling peacefully asleep on my shoulder.

While trying to concentrate (since his soft hair brushed in my skin and distracted me) I looked into any information I could. Our big question was how the Variant wasn't detectable by our radars. Somehow it managed to stay covered  and we just discovered it later by the explosions.

I was looking over the descriptions made by some guards that faced the variant:

"It wears a hood and it's fast"

"Has green powers that may kill you!"

"Move like a shadow between the darkness, it's fast, dangerous and sneaky"

The word shadow made me think for a moment.

A shadow.

The last time I saw a shadow was on Everest. According to our data only an alpinist wasn't on the right place, but that was moments before an Avanlanche, a catastrophe in history, then why would someone be in the woods at that exact moment?

I had an epiphany.

I started to search all the places the variant has been seen, all in huge events, none of them had the presence of the variants in the radars.

"A flaw in the system" I thought.

I shaked Mobius.

-Hm...-He muttered opening his eyes, he had a cute face waking up-...what?

-Mobius that's it!-I spoke excited while he looked at the papers still with his head at my shoulder.

-What is it?

-The variant! It hides in catastrophes!

-...what are you talking about?-I had to give him little slaps so he could wake up.

-Remember when we were in Tokyo? And I saved that girl?

-That day you ran away? Yeah, I remember it very well.-He made a grumpy face.

-That's not the important part! The thing is, when I saved her, did a branch appear?

Mobius thought for a moment.

-No.

-And we stood more than enough time to create a branch.

-What do you mean by all of this?

-What if the Variant is sneaking into the apocalipses? What if what we do in these places doesn't matter since the ending it's already iminent?

-Then her presence wouldn't change the timeline...-He started to connect the dots.

-This same person was in Everest that day-I spoke- That's it Mobius.

-But we can't be sure, it's just a theory.

-Then let's make it real.

-How?

-Let's go to an apocalipse.