Garfield spent the entire day trailing the young Rogers family through New York City.
He watched silently as they moved from one place to another… first the hospital, then a series of children's aid agencies, a few churches, and even the office of a school medical specialist.
Through his sharp feline eyes, Garfield saw everything.
Asthma.
No real treatment.
Shrugs and sad eyes from overworked doctors.
In the end, the family had no choice but to bring the boy back home.
Garfield perched quietly on a nearby eave, the rain pattering softly around him, his gaze fixed on the small, struggling family.
A pang of sympathy tugged at his heart… yes, his orange feline heart.
According to the original lore, Steve Rogers had it rough.
Asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, typhoid, high blood pressure, palpitations, chronic fatigue, even heart disease.
"What was Stan thinking? Trying to make the serum look good by nerfing the kid to zero?"
By the time night fell, Garfield still hadn't left.
He sat on a rooftop, watching Steve now laughing and playing with the tall, confident Bucky Barnes in the dim light of the evening.
For a brief second, Garfield wondered…
Should I help him?
New York slept early in those days.
No internet.
Garfield stood up, took a breath of the chilly air, and leapt from the rooftop.
A smooth, full 360-degree spin in midair, paws landing with perfect grace.
He crossed a puddle, scattering rats scrounging for food, casually slapped a dog that barked too loudly at him, and made his way to the Rogers' modest home.
It wasn't fancy, but it was warm. Lived-in. Ordinary, a typical Brooklyn family is scraping by.
Garfield climbed onto the windowsill and slipped inside.
Tip-pawing through the living room, he found Steve's small room, tucked in the corner.
There he was… young Steve Rogers, curled beneath thin blankets, already asleep.
Garfield padded over, raised a paw slowly, half-ready to give him a playful slap.
But before his paw could land…
The air bent.
The space in front of him distorted, and a glowing rift opened.
Garfield looked up, ears perked. "Master...?"
A swirl of golden light, and the Ancient One stepped out.
Garfield dropped the paw, dashed over with practiced charm, and rubbed against her leg affectionately.
"Master, Garfield missed you, meow~"
Tail raised, purring at full volume, Garfield worked the full "cute animal" routine like a professional manipulator.
Pandora emerged, her voice full of justifiable scorn.
"Ugh! Shameless! You really think playing dumb and acting cute will get you out of this?"
"Ancient One, give this pervy furball a slap already!"
Garfield's eyes widened in mock innocence. "Don't blame me, meow. I just saw a poor kid and felt bad…"
The Ancient One chuckled softly and knelt to scratch Garfield's head.
"I know your tricks too well. But this isn't harmless meddling, Garfield. You could cause serious damage."
She gestured toward Pandora.
"Credence and Steve were never meant to exist in the same space-time continuum. This… this is on you two."
Pandora folded her arms and glared. "Why me? I didn't do anything."
The Ancient One sighed.
"Your so-called 'livestream system' is a poorly stabilized space-time tunnel. You anchored it on Garfield, and now the balance is unraveling."
"The folds in space are pulling characters into the wrong timelines. Worlds are colliding. Fates are getting entangled where they shouldn't."
Garfield's tail fluffed up. "That serious? Meow?!"
The Ancient One nodded gravely.
"Your Great Devourer's space affinity made you a living, breathing space-time node. Any world you visit, you might pull someone else through or be dragged elsewhere yourself."
Σ(°△°lll)
Pandora, now realizing the scale of her mistake, shrank back behind Garfield, whispering under her breath and covering her head.
Garfield gulped. "S-So… what do we do now, Master? Can we shut it down?
"Wait, wait—hold on. Which world am I even in right now? Is this H's world? Or... the one I was supposed to stay in? Meow?!"
The Ancient One spread her hands with an easy shrug.
"Don't look at me. It was already like this when I found you. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the anomaly right away."
"Pandora, you've stirred up quite the mess. Those wizards… they're going to face trials they were never meant to."
Garfield tilted his head as he studied the Ancient One's expression. Surprisingly relaxed.
…The relaxed demeanor betrayed something.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully with a paw.
Hmm… maybe this isn't as bad as it sounds.
"Master." Garfield meowed.
"Pandora caused such a big mess… shouldn't we try to fix it? Maybe send the wizards back where they belong? Meow?"
The Ancient One shook his head. "That's not an option. I can't send them back."
"…Then why are you so calm, Master?"
The Ancient One smiled knowingly. "Garfield, do you see what you just did?"
"Master, your face already gave it away. If this were truly a disaster beyond control, you'd be too busy saving reality to stand here with me. Meow."
Chuckling, the Ancient One gently patted Garfield's head.
"Smart as always. Pandora's over there panicking, and you're reading my poker face."
Pandora, still crouched behind Garfield with her head in her hands, let out a small. "Hmph."
"Hehehe, thank you for the praise, Master! So... what exactly is going on here??"
"While the two worlds have overlapped." the Ancient One explained, conjuring shimmering runes in the air.
"Each world still follows its own rules. Both possess internal protection mechanisms… self-correcting systems that keep time and fate on track."
Magical symbols glowed between her hands, forming overlapping circles and grids, a visual representation of reality itself.
"These systems will constantly adjust."
"Redirecting or muting errors caused by the overlap. Major historical events that are destined to occur… will still occur. The fusion of the two universes also fuses their protective systems."
She paused and drew two intersecting circles with separate CPUs in the center.
"Think of them like two processors in a computer, each managing its own memory space. They'll cooperate, but also guard their boundaries."
"Most importantly, they'll prevent significant figures from intertwining in ways that could cause irreparable changes to either world."
Garfield's eyes sparkled with dawning understanding. "Ahh… so that's why Credence left Steve's family without much interaction."
"Their meeting… was a fleeting coincidence in the grand scheme, meow?"
"Exactly. Or at least... it would be, as long as one condition holds." The Ancient One nodded.
Garfield's ears perked. "What condition, meow?"
The Ancient One's gaze sharpened slightly.
"As long as you and Pandora don't forcibly bind their destinies together."
Garfield looked away, whistling awkwardly through his teeth. "Garfield's a good kitty, Master. I wouldn't do that, meow."
Pandora timidly hid behind him. "Me neither! And if I do it again… I'll let you cut Garfield's—"
"Hey! Why am I your punishment?! Meow!"
"Because it makes me feel better. Hmph."
╭(╯^╰)╮
"Don't drag me down with you, Pandora!"
"La la la, can't hear you~"
They glared at each other, fur puffed and magic swirling, until the Ancient One chuckled, patting Garfield's back fondly.
"You two are supposed to be looking after each other… and yet you bicker like an old married couple."
╮(╯_╰)╭
That remark drew twin blushes and silence from both magical troublemakers. Then, as if a switch had flipped, Garfield's expression turned serious.
"Master."
"What about Steve? If I help him now… would that mean there won't be a Captain America in the future?"
The Ancient One gave a playful wink and offered no answer. "Think back to everything I just explained."
And with that, the glowing runes faded.
The dimensional space collapsed like ripples vanishing from a pond, and the Ancient One disappeared.
Back in the small, quiet bedroom, Garfield and Pandora stood in silence.
Steve Rogers lay sound asleep, his breathing soft and uneven.
The boy's room was humble. A little dusty. Worn wallpaper. A few scattered books and toy soldiers.
Garfield sat on the floor, staring at the boy's frail figure.
He slowly raised his paw again… the same one he'd tried to tap Steve with earlier.
But this time, Garfield hesitated…
He stayed like that, paw suspended mid-air, for a long, thoughtful moment.
If I help him now... what changes? What doesn't? Will fate correct the path anyway? Or is this the moment where everything starts to bend…?
Garfield didn't move.
He just stared at his paw, deep in thought, caught between destiny and curiosity.
And the room remained quiet, save for the soft breathing of the future symbol of hope.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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