I woke up with knocks at the door. Yes, door. The day before Mobius said that since I was a TVA agent I'd have my own room, I was actually excited, the idea of living in a completely different place was so fresh, so new, and nervously amazing that I fell asleep fastly in the bed, probably the best night of sleep I've ever had.

I still wore the choker since Judge Ravonna would give the authorization for me to work in the TVA for Mobius that day. I just didn't know how all of that would work out.

I opened the door expecting Mobius to be there, but I surprised myself by the vision of B-15.

-Morning sleeping beauty.-She had a sarcastic tone in her voice.

I tried to look over her shoulder expecting him to be there.

-If you're looking for Mobius he's not here.-She answered before I could ask.- He sent me to help you get prepared.

-So Judge Ravonna authorized?-I spoke.

-Yes. Now hurry up and take a bath- She had a package in her hands and gave it to me- And put this on.

I accepted the package and she entered with me into the room.

-Oh, before you go.-She said and pressed the button on my choker, freeing me from it.-Okay, go.

-Thank you.-I smiled.

-Yeah, yeah, whatever, now go.-She rolled her eyes and I entered the bathroom.

I took a bath and then got out of with a towel wrapped around my body, B-15 was there, walking around the room and observing the decoration that didn't exist since I just moved into that place.

I looked at the clothes, it was a TVA uniform, it looked just like Mobius' one, but instead there was a huge "VARIANT" written in the back.

-Um...Was it supposed to have that written?-I asked her.

-Yeah-She said without looking at me- You're still a variant.

-Okay...

I put on the clothes and boots that came in the package, I've got to admit, I looked pretty in that uniform, more than the clothes Ego ordered me to wear before.

-So?-I smiled at B-15.

She sighed and came closer to me, I was expecting her to say something or yell at me, but instead she put her hands on the tie and adjusted it.

-Okay....-She made the knot.- Now that's how you put on a tie. Look.

I glanced at the mirror seeing the fabric now perfectly straightned on my chest and tied around my neck.

-Thank you B-15.-I smiled at her. I don't know, wearing that suit made me feel importantfor the first time in something.

-Okay, okay, now let's go before Mobius go crazy. -She said and we got out of the room.

I followed her while distracting myself with anything along the way. First with the windows, the TVA was so huge, with so many buildings and structures that you almost couldn't see the sky, I knew that it wasn't in Earth but I was still curious on wich part of the galaxy we were located.

After that I started to watch the many types of peoples who passed through those hallways, any person that you could possibly imagine, from all types and forms, rich and poor, healthy and sick, good and bad. I saw a man with a tight suit walking with his head high, his blonde hair perfectly standing on his head and his blue eyes were determined while he was being taken by the guards through the hall.

-Who is that?-I asked her.

B-15 quickly glanced on where I pointed not very interested on the man and continued walking:

-That's Steve Rogers.-She answered.

-What did he do?

-Couldn't keep a promise. Let's move on.

I tried to ignore my curiosity and followed her, getting more and more distracted along the way.

-What are those screens for?-I asked.

-They show the sacred timeline state in real time.

-Ooh and what is that plant for?

-It's...a plant.

-What does that guy do?

-He fills paperwork.

-What about that woman?

-She's an agent.

-Where does those stairs lead to?

-The second floor.

-Who built this place?

-The Time-Keepers.

-Who created the Time-Keepers?

-No one.

-No one?

-No.

-Um...-I made a pause thinking.- What is that picture?

-Girl it's just a poster.

-And that on the ceiling?

-A chandelier.-She rolled her eyes.

-Who is that person?

-The janitor.

-And what-

-For the Time-Keepers' sake stop asking questions please.-She groaned and closed her eyes tired.-I'm glad Mobius' will take care of you. I'd never have the patience.

We arrived in a place full of desks side by side, each one with computers, files and etc.

The room itself was pretty and serious at the same time, the same orange and brown colors, a huge window on the wall giving a huge view to the outside and plants on the corners as some sort of decoration were there too.

-There he is.-B-15 said.

Mobius finally noticed us there, got up from his chair and walked towards us, he looked at me for a moment and lofted his eyebrows surprised:

-Wow...-He exclaimed and had his jaw slightly dropped.

-Oh please.-B-15 teased and grabbed a magazine hitting his head with it- Wake up!

-Ouch! B-15!-He spoke avoiding her attacks as I laughed- I'm awake! I'm awake!

-You'd better be.-She spoke fiercely and stopped. Then looked at me- Y/N if anything weird happens come after me. ONLY if something odd happens. If you want someone to answer your infinite questions ask Mobius. I'm out.

She waved at us and left. Mobius had a small smile in his lips and looked T me, wich I didn't know why.

-So, Ravonna authorized.-He changed the subject and turned serious.-Then, it's your first day of work/ train.

-Train?

-Yes, you're still not ready for fieldwork, you need to learn the basics of the Sacred Timeline, branches, variants and the TVA's work.

-Didn't you already told me that?

-The basic. Here is our desk.-He showed a table with two chairs one in front of the other and the table between.

-Our?

-Yes, since I'm your supervisor Ravonna thought it would be better for me to stay close. Any problem?

-Um, no.-I made a no with my head.

-Good, then let's start.

He took a big pile of paper and put on my arms, I almost fell by their weight.

-These are the TVA's rules manual. And- he clapped his hands- Miss Minutes?

-Hey Y'all!- An orange and bright clock appeared and I jumped scared going behind Mobius. It had wide eyes that seemed to seek into your soul and a fake, creepy smile.

Mobius laughed at my attitude and put his hands on my shoulders:

-That's just Miss Minutes, she helps in the TVA.-He pushed me in her direction-See? She can't harm you.- Or can she? I didn't like that thing- Miss minutes this is Y/N.

-Oh the Mantis variant!-She spoke and I felt a mocking tone in her voice.

-Don't call me that.-I replied sharply.

-A wild one.-She teased.

-Come on, you two are going to hit off well, I know you will. Miss minutes can you show Y/N the TVA's tutorials? I'll be back in a moment.

-Where are you going?-I asked.

-I need to do some other work, it won't be for long. Try learning more while I'm out okay?

He tapped my shoulder and left me there with that weird clock thing.

I sat on a chair in front of a computer, Miss Minutes standed there, observing me, something about her didn't seem right.

-Alright, initiating tutorials part 1.-She started and the computer screen was activated.- First. What is the Sacred Timeline-

-Mobius already told me that.-I interrupted.

-The Sacred timeline is the main reason the TVA exists-She ignored me- It's where all the main events happen.

She talked a lot while I basically ignored her. I observed the others, I never stood in a room with so many people for so much time. All of them followed a mechanical rythm, all hipnotized by their work like their life depended on it. I wondered how long they've been working in that.

-That's why the Time-Keepers-

-Miss Minutes.-I interrupted while almost completing my tower made of pencils in my desk.

-Yes?-She looked at me probably annoyed by my attitude of interrupting her speech.

-Who created the Time-Keepers?

She looked at me for a second, almost like she bugged.

-That is confidential. All you need to know is that they created the Sacred-

-Yeah yeah, the Sacred Timeline and the TVA, I understood that part but why? Did they just...suddenly appeared and decided to help? And why not even powerful people like Ego know about their existence?

-Because they're not supposed to.

-But-

-Let's move on to the collateral effects of time traveling. In this tutorial you will learn about damges and...

My ears filtered her sounds and turned to the other aspects of the room. A man sharpening his pencil, a woman sighing at a huge pile of paper, the sound of skillful fingers typing, all in a movement chained to the rythm.

I wondered when would Mobius come back, no matter how I would technically 'be safe" in that place, the only person who truly made me comfortable (maybe comfortable it's an overstatement but you understood it anyway), was him.

I did anything besides listening Miss Minutes. She sometimes called me, saying that wasn't the posture of a future TVA agent, or that it was important for me to learn about what she was saying. I couldn't help but be distracted by the view of the window with lots of constructions and the new objects I found on my desk like the stapler( what a wonderful machine!) Unfortunetly I hurt my finger while trying to understand while that worked.

-The TVA has special equipment to contain variants-Miss minutes continued.

-Wait what-I spinned on my chair back to her- What did you say?

-The TVA has-

-Yes I know, will I receive one??-I was finally interested in the subject.

-Until you are proven completely truthsworthy to the values of the TVA you won't receive any of those equipments.

-Aw come on! What about that cool stick thing?

-That is a TVA Baton-A different voice came behind me, I spinned on my chair and saw Mobius there, he had a smile on his face-I'm sure she'll be proven trustful soon Miss Minutes.

-I doubt that very much.-The clock rolled her eyes at me.

-What did you just say?!-I grabbed the stapler and threw in her direction.

Miss Minutes jumped in time for the impact, and even if it hit her, I don't think it would truly since she seemed to be some sort of hologram. The stapler crashed on the ground and Mobius ran to grab it with widen scared eyes.

-I'd better comunicate that to Judge Ravonna-The clock spoke offended.

-I don't think that's necessary Miss Minutes-Mobius tried to calm her, while I just wanted to found where her neck was to choke her- Y/N is still learning and just arrived, I'm sure she'll be better over time, right Y/N?

-No-I tried to speak.

-See? She agrees.-Mobius changed my answer and gave a nervous smile- My favorite girls, you'll hit off really well, you'll see!

Miss Minutes sighed and disappeared (thank God she did, I'm not a fan of violence but for her I'd surely make an exception). I glanced at Mobius, he was organizing again the object I threw on the floor, he had a concentrated face while putting the little metal pieces back in place and hoping it would work again. I stood there fot a moment, just observing curious that man, somehow I still couldn't understand why he was helping me, maybe just because of his work, he seemed to care deeply about that corporation.

-Phew, it still works.-He said relived and put the stapler on a desk- Ok, now you really need to calm your nerves to continue working here.

-But that clock hates me.-I replied and he laughed at my behaviour.

-But still, you can't just throw a stapler at her, understood?

-Fine-I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

-Alright, so what did you learn so far?

-Many useless stuff.

-Knowledge is never useless.-He spoke like a real ancient and pulled his chair next to mine sitting by my side- I won't be able to let you go on a mission if you don't learn the basics.

-But I did learn. Sacred-Timeline stuff, Time-Keepers, TVA baton.

-And that we are doing all of this to help, not to harm people.

-Yeah.-I still doubted a little that part.

-Okay, so...-He picked a notebook and put in front of me, on the cover it was written "TVA Trainment Workbook".-Start. You have 1 hour.

I looked at him clueless as Mobius started doing some paperwork. The notebook in front of me still there, staring at me expecting me to do something. I opened it, it was a book full of exercises I couldn't understand.

-...Mobius?-I asked.

-Um?-He spoke without stopping to write a form.

-I...Have to do this...?

-Yes.-He continued doing the form.

I stared at the blank spaces on the exercises, they were so complicated. Some of them you needed to make calculations of the time and space, others were based on logic to use in missions, others about the History of the TVA. All that information made my brain spin and gave me headache.

I tried. I swear I tried. But if I did at least 5 of those exercises it's already too much. If that meant to be a real TVA Agent I seriously couldn't do that. It was my first day and I was already giving up.

I stopped trying to hurt more my poor academic skills and observed Mobius doing his work. Something about him working was different than the others in the room, he had quick eyes glancing at the paper and the documents he had by his side, sometimes stopped for a moment and muttered something in a low tone to himself thinking, then used to get back to the form, writting fastly and biting his lower lip as he found sonething hard to solve. I wondered how he learned all that stuff, he was smarter than I thought.

-Time's up.-He suddenly said and I almost jumped from my chair.

He grabbed the notebook and held a red pen in his hands starting to mark lots of X's in the paper, making "no" with his head sometimes. He finished, looked in my direction and lifted his eyebrows like saying "seriously?" Then put the notebook on the desk.

-I need to be honest.-He said.- That was...very bad.

I kind of expected that.

-But you know what I think you have?

-Please don't say potential.-I answered.

-Potential.

I groaned and lied my head on the desk observing him from a different angle as he chuckled at me.

-We will work on that, you'll see.-He encoraged me.-But now we'll have lunch.

-Lunch?-I asked and my stomach growled.

-Follow me.-He got up and I did.

⏳

The TVA's cafeteria is a mix between boring and beautiful, it all depends on where you sit. If you get there late, according to Mobius, you get the worse tables, the ones next to restrooms and the kitchen, where you could hear all the sounds and screamings from the cooker. If you arrived early, like he did, you could get the best meals fresh from the oven and sit on tables with view to the agency's outside.

When we were on the line to take food I felt lost, I never did something like that before, something that seemed so common for him seemed so unnatural to me, like picking food from the lots of displayers on put on our own plate, while walking on a line until the end, Mobius said that it was called "self-service". Most of the times I didn't know how or felt shy to grab food, strange eyes stared at me as I walked further and I felt small, very small in their presence, so my superior helped me, taking diverse types of food from various sizes and colors and put on my plate, at the end it all seemed a rainbow mess so full that there was no space left.

We sat on a table with view to the windows, it was beige and the seats on the same color. Mobius was eating a salad while I was already devouring my food from how hungry I was.

People stared at me weirdly, like I was some sort of monster, but I didn't really care, specially when Mobius started to tell a story of sonething he had deep interest in:

-Jet Skis.-He said showing me a magazine of a vehicle that apparently walked over water.-Aren't they graceful?

I didn't know if graceful was the best word to describe it but they were surely awesome, I saw Ego walking over water in his planet before, but the idea that you can use something to do it on your own and with a high speed seemed very extraordinary.

-That's cool.-I said while turning the pages- Do you know a lot about these things?

Something in his eyes seemed to shine, almost in a noticeable sparkle as he cleared his throat and started to speak all he knew about those vehicles in an excited tone.

First about their history, did you know that the first Jet Ski is actually a registered trademark of "Kawasaki", a japanese company? Neither did I. It was released in 1972 and had many models. The first, from 1972-1976 were the WSAA and its' successor the WSAB. Ater that, on 1976-1982 was the JS400, on 1982-1986 was the JS550 and the JS300, after that, at 1987-1992 Kawasaki introduces the completely redesigned JS650SX, followed later by the JS750-A, on 1995 the 750 SXi (JS750-B) is introduced, in 2003 Kawasaki introduces the SX-R 800 (JS800A), at 2017 then, it was the SX-R 1500.

Mobius could go on and on about that subject, and he had such a happiness talking about it that it was even funny to see him talking about it. It was actually way more interesting than hearing Miss Minutes with her silly tutorials about the TVA.

I had already finished my food and he continued talking, his salad standing on the table while my stomach still growled. He noticed my eyes at his food.

-You're....still hungry?-He asked making a pause on his stomach. I tried to say no but he chuckled and gave me the salad- I'm not hungry go ahead.

I didn't oppose, maybe I should've, to keep my manners and my pride, but it was food so...

The lunch actually was very peaceful, a peace I didn't have in a long time. Mibius talking about many different subjects and missions he went to, while I ate nonstop and sometimes laughed at one of his jokes. People observed as if we were crazy talking and laughing so loud in contrast to the lifeless and silent cafeteria, but you know what? They were the ones actually loosing all the fun.

-Are you sure you're not bored?-He smirked and lifted one of his eyebrows- Don't expect to run away from the exercises just because you're being nice and are hearing to my stories.

-Ah so I heard all of this for nothing?-I joked and he laughed- But seriously, you need to go into one of these things. Does the TVA has a Jet Ski?

-Unfortunetly not.

-Well you need to go. Go after your dreams!-I joked lifting the fork in the air.

-That's what you did? Escaping from Ego?

I put the fork back on the bowl and thought for a monent:

-I don't know if that was really a dream...It was more of an emergency.-I spoke and Mobius listened carefully to me- Thinking better I don't know if I have dreams.

-Really?

-Yeah...-I got sad for a moment by that thought, my life was summed to survive, and I think he noticed my feelings by looking at me so changed the subject.

-Well, in any case I'll let you have a ride on my future Jet Ski if that's what you need.-He winked and I laughed.

⏳

The past few weeks were resumed to lots and lots of reading, listening to lectures and writting down exercises followed by Mobius' teaching.

Maybe he was right, maybe I really had potential. All the things that seemed to be impossible to solve now were starting to make sense, I could solve exercises and understand the questions, I even did a whole essay on "TVA's Purpose" and got a B+ (Mobius said that it needed more passion).

I couldn't learn with Miss Minutes, we could stand each other for some time, but not longer than half an hour, after that we started arguing and I started to throw anything on my desk at her, making Mobius have to stop me.

B-15 was basically the same, but she seemed to have a hard cover I still needed to pass through, I could notice she was a good person, Mobius was really good friends with her, so I knew that she was kind, I just needed more time.

My questions on everything got smaller until they disappeared, even though sometimes I still surprised myself with the people that passed through those hallways.

Mobius and I were hitting off quitr well to my surprise, he always teaching with anything he could, and making any subject interesting, while I, on the other side, tried to learn and listened carefully to what he had to say. We were starting to have a routine together, at morning I would read everything I could about TVA's rules while he finished work, then have lunch together (my favorite part of the day), after that get back and have a lesson of a different topic about the Sacred Timeline and finish the day while talking and having a cup of coffee.

On one of this "afternoons' endings" there was just the both of us in the office, only our desk light was on and we were drinking coffee sitting side by side.

-And then I told B-15, "no,really, it was a Loki alligator!" But she couldn't believe it!-He continued.

-And what did you do?-I asked.

-I didn't do anything but the alligator...-he said and I laughed.

We stayed quiet for a moment savoring the silence and I drank slowly my chocolate tmixed with coffee warming my body in that cold night.

-It's incredible how many variants exist.-I stated- Like, how different they are but have the same origin.

-Like you and Mantis?-His mustache got dirty of coffee and I almost cleaned for him, but my hands frost by the thought. He finally cleaned it himself and I relaxed a bit.

-uhum.-I nodded- At first I was very mad at her. You know, for being the chosen one.

-Y/N...

-I just wish that variants could live too, maybe have their own story, not be stuck to the main ones.

-You're right.-He nodded.-But until then we need to keep the timeline safe, just until we have a solution.

I tried to warm my hands on the cup but it was still too cold. Mobius noticed:

-Feeling cold?-He asked.

-Kind of.

-Come here.-He said and put his coat above me, then, pulled his chair closer to mine and put arm around me. His touch made me blush.-Better?

-Y-Yeah, thanks.-I said and warmed myself with his arm around me.

Mobius was looking outside the window, tbe view from the TVA was even more incredible at that hour, all the lights on at the building with the starts in contrast with the dark night. Almost as magical as Paris.

-Mobius.-I asked.

-What?

-Do you think someday variants will be free? Like, to do anything they want?

He processed the question for a moment.

-I don't know for sure.-His answer made me feel a little upset- But I hope they will.

-You do?-I looked at him, his face was close to mine and I could observe every single detail on his face closely.

-Yes. So you can be free too.-His eyes met mine and I paralyzed.

I could feel his hot coffee breath in front of me while his light blue eyes locked with mine, I didn't know how to react. What happened to the Mobius I met before, the loyal TVA agent who hired me to just work and help his corporation? Was he lying just so I could work better?

I wanted to say something, anything just so I could understand what he was trying to say. I never wanted to know someone's feelings so much before.

I knew it was useless but I still tried. My hand reached and touched his face, soft becaude he already shaved the beard, cold because of the weather, and surprised by my touch.

-Y/N...-He was about to say something.

"Please" I asked myself "Just let me know what he's trying to do, I don't want to trust someone who I shouldn't again, I don't want to get hurt"

But my hands didn't glow, they didn't do anything and I couldn't feel anything besides the anxiety inside my chest.

Before Mobius could say something a door opened with a loud sound. We turned to see her, Judge Ravonna, walking fastly and looking suspicious to the sides to see if someone was watching her.

-Ravonna...?-Mobius asked, his arm left my body and the coat fell on the floor, I felt suddenly cold.

-Mobius?-She glanced at him like someone guilty of a crime just being caught. Judge Ravonna looked the same, except by the weird look in her eyes, they were scared, terrorized, and something in them made me have chills.-And the variant? What are you two doing here?

-We were just finishing work.-He answered- And what are you doing here?

-I...-She stuttered for a second- Just forgot something in my office.

-Your office is in the other direction...-I pointed and the way she looked at me made me want to hide myself.

-O-Office? I meant...Cafeteria, yes, the cafeteria. Well, please excuse me, I need to rest for the trials tomorrow. Go sleep too you both.

And with her high heels, she walked away and immersed into the hallway's darkness.

Something about her didn't feel right. I asked Mobius about it but he didn't think the same, he said:

-It's Ravonna, she wouldn't lie.

And then suggested for us to go rest for tomorrow.

We walked me to my bedroom and I stood by the door, still reluctant to say anything. Incredible how I felt vulnerability in Ravonna's eyes and at the same time I was angry because she seemed to have interrupted something. Interrupt what anyway? Even I didn't know.

-So...Have a good night.-He said and I felt the atmosphere heavy between us.

-Yeah, good night.

I closed the door behind me and threw myself in the bed, still with my thoughts on what just happened.

If only the TVA let me use my powers. I knew it was a security precaution but still, I never missed my skills so much as I did right now.

I couldn't stop thinking about the look on Ravonna's face. She seemed so afraid, like she saw a ghost or something. I wondered what could've happened. I couldn't buy her story yet.

But Mobius trusted her a lot. Maybe trusted her with his life.

And if he did, maybe I should too.

I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the bad feeling I had about all that situation