Threads of Fate Across Universes

The road stretched endlessly ahead, cracked and littered with abandoned cars. The silence was thick, broken only by the occasional shuffle of distant walkers or the rustle of the wind through dead trees.

Carol and Sophia walked beside Elio, quiet but determined. Shane led the way, gripping his kukri, shoulders tense like he was waiting for the world to come crashing down.

Elio knew he had to say something.

"Alright, I know you're stewing," he said, keeping his voice light as he stepped closer to Shane. "Let's hear it."

Shane didn't look at him. "Don't know what the hell you're talkin' about."

Elio huffed a laugh. "Sure. Because you're always this quiet after an argument."

Shane exhaled sharply.

"I know you're worried about Carl," Elio continued, softer now. "But we'll see them again. I promise."

Shane finally glanced at him, frowning. "How the hell can you be so sure?"

Elio hesitated.

Then he decided: screw it.

"I told you before," he said carefully, "that this world—this whole thing—was in a show I watched."

Shane's brow furrowed. "Yeah, and?"

"They're going to the CDC next. And then after that? They'll end up at Hershel Greene's farm." He looked at Shane. "Which is exactly where we're headed."

Shane stopped walking.

Carol and Sophia slowed too, looking between them.

"You knew about the farm," Shane said, voice low.

Elio nodded.

"And you didn't say anything?"

Elio rubbed the back of his neck. "Didn't seem relevant until now."

Shane let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You're tellin' me we had a safe place this whole damn time, and you just kept it to yourself?"

"It wasn't safe yet," Elio corrected. "The group was always gonna end up there, but Hershel wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat right away. But—" he pointed at Shane—"we're getting there first. That means we have a chance to make sure it stays safe."

Shane's jaw worked, muscles twitching. He turned away, running a hand over his face. "Jesus Christ, Elio…"

Carol's gaze lingered on Elio. There was a flash of confusion in her eyes, her brows furrowing ever so slightly. A show? That's where he'd seen all this? She wanted to ask—wanted to understand how he could know so much about their lives like it was all scripted.

But she didn't. Not now. Instead, she glanced down at Sophia and kept her thoughts to herself.

Carol stepped forward hesitantly. "So… if we go there now, we can make sure Rick and Carl will be okay?"

Elio nodded.

Shane sighed. "Fine. Let's get movin'."

And just like that, they were back on the road.

Nightfall:

They made camp in the ruins of an old gas station, keeping the fire low and their voices quieter. A small meal—cans of beans and stale crackers—was shared between them.

Sophia sat cross-legged, her bowl resting in her lap. Her gaze flicked to Elio, watching him as he picked at his food. Then, as if working up the courage, she spoke.

"Did you mean it?"

Elio looked up. "Mean what?"

Sophia hesitated. "That you'll keep us safe?"

Elio nodded. "Of course."

She chewed her lip. "Even if I ask you to train me?"

Carol froze mid-bite, her gaze snapping to her daughter.

"Sophia—"

"I don't wanna be weak anymore," Sophia said, her voice rising with quiet determination. "I don't wanna be scared. You taught Carl how to shoot," she said to Shane, "and Elio… you're amazing with those axes. Can you teach me?"

Shane stared at her, his spoon hovering near his mouth.

Elio set his bowl aside, his expression softening. "If that's what you really want, yeah. I'll teach you everything I know."

Sophia's face lit up, but Carol wasn't so quick to accept it.

Her voice was tight. "What kind of training are you talking about?"

Elio's lips curved into a small, unreadable smile. "It'll be unlike anything she's ever done. Hard, relentless. But effective."

Carol's brow furrowed. "And how exactly would you know how to train someone like that?"

Elio leaned back, arms resting on his knees. He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged, like he'd decided there was no point hiding it. "Because I've been through it myself."

Carol's voice dropped. "What… are you?"

Elio blinked at her. Then he laughed, short and dry. "Me? Not really human. Not anymore, I don't think. Probably at some point before I was sent here." He gestured vaguely toward Shane. "But him? He's almost still human."Shane, in the middle of swallowing a mouthful of beans, choked violently.

Carol's eyes widened, her grip tightening on her bowl. "Almost?"

Shane recovered, pounding his chest as he coughed. "The hell does that mean, Elio?"

Elio smirked, his eyes glinting with something almost mischievous. "Relax. You're still you… mostly."

Shane glared at him, his voice gruff. "That supposed to make me feel better?"

Elio chuckled. "Depends on how you look at it."

Shane was still glaring at Elio, his spoon clutched tightly in his hand. Carol hadn't moved, her eyes darting between the two of them, clearly waiting for more.

Elio sighed, tilting his head. "Oh, come on, Shane. You don't really expect to still be human in the future after what my hologram grandpa told you, do you?"

Shane blinked, his scowl deepening. "Hologram what now?"

Elio smirked, leaning forward like he was about to deliver the punchline of a joke.

"Yeah, my hologram grandpa the one in the book you told me about. The guy who told you about the things out there. You know, the ones that can destroy worlds with a slap and create new ones with a flick of their finger. The ones we're supposed to fight."

Shane froze, spoon halfway to his mouth.

Elio's smirk faded, and his tone turned somber. "This isn't just about surviving, Carol. There's a war—one that's been raging across the Multiverse for longer than we can imagine. It's bigger than all of us, bigger than this world, its spread everywhere. And the ones at the centre of it all? The Pantheons. They're the greatest enemy we'll ever face."

Carol's frown deepened, her voice shaking slightly. "What does that have to do with us?"

"Well not you but us." He said gesturing between himself and Shane. "I didn't know before but it seems like their influence has reached this world ergo the Walkers, they're like mindless slaves, foots soldiers, created through a disease."

Carol sat their stunned her mind gathering the resolve to push through in this chaotic world.

Interrupting their conversation, Shane starts getting ready for a monologue.

He leaned back, his bowl of stew halfway to his mouth, his expression somewhere between exasperation and disbelief. "Well, let's see if I've got this straight." He pointed his spoon at Elio. "First, you hit me with the whole, 'Oh, you're my soulmate,' thing out of nowhere, when you get here."

Elio shrugged with a smirk. "To be fair, it was kind of a big deal and it was just as a surprise to me."

Shane ignored him and kept going, ticking things off on his fingers. "Then there were the floating screens, your grandpa popping up out of a freaking hologram like he's auditioning for Star Wars, and him casually dropping that you're some prophecy child destined to become the most powerful person who's ever lived."

Elio grinned. "Yeah, Grandpa loves making an entrance, and you have got to admit I do look like a prophecy child."

Shane jabbed his spoon at him. "And then walkers—WALKERS—start picking fights like they've got personal vendettas, and suddenly I'm smashing things like the Hulk while you're over there chucking your axe like Thor!"

Elio's grin widened. "I mean, you gotta admit, we make a pretty good team. And if you didn't hear me about the Walkers it seems their 'vendetta' comes from the pantheons."

Shane ignored and glared at him. "We are this close to being the bloody Avengers. All we're missing is America's ass, a tin man, Robin Hood, and a Soviet spy."

Elio couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, we could probably meet them later on if we get to their world."

Shane froze mid-rant, his spoon dropping into his bowl with a loud clatter. "What."

Elio tilted his head, feigning innocence. "What? You know my family history, Shane. You think we're not capable of hopping into other worlds? Come on."

Shane stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "Are you seriously telling me we can meet the ACTUAL Avengers?"

Elio shrugged casually, picking at his food. "This world's just a training ground, Shane. A place to strengthen ourselves, get the basics down. Once we've leveled up enough, we'll head into other worlds. That's where we'll meet the other soulmates."

Shane blinked at him. "The other soulmates? Plural?"

Elio nodded, taking a bite of his stew like it was no big deal. "Yep. I thought you knew. Thirteen in total—excluding me, of course. Oh, and your brothers."

"My what?" Shane's voice shot up an octave as he stared at Elio like he'd just grown a second head.

Elio leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "Your brothers. You'll meet them too."

Shane shook his head, running a hand down his face. "This is insane. There's no way—"

"Shane," Elio interrupted, his tone turning serious. "Think about it. Do you really think you're smashing walkers into walls and taking hits like that because you're still just… normal? You're the best this world has to offer as my equal. And this power it's growing through the bond we have. There might be one other soulmate here, but chances are slim."

Shane stared at him, his hand frozen mid-motion. "So you're saying this world—this whole thing—is just one big training montage?"

"Pretty much," Elio said with a grin. "Except, you know, with more existential crises and fewer cheesy soundtracks. That reminds me though I would like to get some music, It's what 2010? Weren't iPod's all the rage at this point in time?"

Shane groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "I hate this. I hate all of this."

Elio clapped him on the shoulder. "Cheer up, buddy. At least you're not still with Lori."

Shane muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse, but Elio just laughed.

Carol, who had been listening silently, cleared her throat. "So… what happens when you meet these other soulmates?"

Elio's smile softened. "Then, Carol, we start the real fight."

The fire crackled between them, and for a moment, the weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

Shane groaned again, muttering, "I swear, if one of them is dressed like a damn wizard, I'm out."

They continued to eat dinner then went off to bed. While Elio stayed awake staring at Shanes' sleeping face, he let his telekinesis spread out killing any walker that got close to the camp keeping everyone safe.

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Should I throw in marvel later on?

If so one of them would have to be a Soulmate.