Mephisto.
That treacherous old devil.
Wasn't this the slag who tried poaching his allies right under his nose? Shouldn't someone like that have been taught a lesson by his master already? Or was he actively looking for trouble again?
Garfield observed him carefully.
Mephisto still wore that familiar, ingratiating smile, but something was off.
It was stiff. More importantly, Garfield's heightened senses picked up something else.
A lingering residue of Kamar-Taj spellwork.
Tut.
So this meant Mephisto had recently been tailing one of Kamar-Taj's mages.
Garfield's mouth curled into a knowing grin.
"Yo," He greeted lazily. "What are you doing here?"
He glanced around the lab exaggeratedly. "This is Howard's laboratory, you know. If it weren't for my relationship with him, why would I bother coming here in person?"
What a joke.
That instinct to protect one's juniors, truly impressive.
Mephisto scratched at a faint scar on the back of his hand, his smile never wavering. "Garfield, I heard you had returned. I came specifically to pay you a visit."
"Oh?" Garfield narrowed his eyes. "To visit me… or to check whether I can still jump around?"
He waved a paw dismissively. "But thank you for the concern. I did get lost for a while, after all. Tsk, tsk."
At the mention of getting lost, Mephisto's heart skipped.
A time tunnel.
That was the key.
Mephisto had long been obsessed with spreading Hell's influence across multiple worlds.
If Garfield truly possessed free traversal across time and space, that would explain everything and also explains why Mephisto had come personally.
Suppressing his excitement, Mephisto maintained a conversational tone, carefully probing Garfield about his recent experiences and the state of the other timelines.
Garfield, of course, knew exactly what he was fishing for.
So he played along.
They exchanged words back and forth for a while, neither revealing too much.
Finally, Mephisto steered the conversation where he had intended all along.
"Garfield," He said casually, "Have you ever considered expanding the High Claw Group into other worlds?"
Ah.
There it was.
Garfield shook his head without hesitation. "Too troublesome."
"Jumping back and forth consumes energy, and it's easy to lose your way. Besides, I'm still young. My master wouldn't allow me to run around recklessly."
Inside, Mephisto nearly exploded.
Young?
You've already crossed timelines once, haven't you?!
And 'my master wouldn't allow it' was clearly code for If you push me, the Ancient One will personally beat you into paste.
Mephisto was arrogant, but he wasn't stupid.
Anyone deranged enough to kidnap the Ancient One's apprentice, especially one holding the Time Stone, would have to be suicidal
His mind flashed back to certain… unfortunate memories.
Very stupid memories.
He silently swore he would never repeat those mistakes.
Outwardly, Mephisto nodded, smiling indulgently. "Of course. No rush. These matters should be handled slowly, once you're fully grown."
Don't worry, Garfield scoffed inwardly.
You're only saying that because you were beaten half to death by Ancient One and Odin in a coordinated assault.
Asgard's original strength was nothing like the watered-down version people saw in films. At its peak, it had overturned half the universe.
Vast population, terrifying combat power.
Even after the twilight of the gods, they hadn't truly fallen.
Queen Frigga had reincarnated. Odin had done the same. And both had quietly contracted themselves to a certain mountain in Midgard.
As for the chaos that followed…
Multiversal collapse. Deadpool massacring Marvel. Justice League versus Avengers.
Well… that last one wasn't terrible.
Garfield would never admit that he had indirectly messed up several timelines.
After all, what if Bruce Wayne teamed up with Tony Stark and started building Anti–Orange Cat Armor to deal with him?
That would be annoying.
He waved Mephisto off casually. "Old Man, there's no need to rush."
"I'll explore a bit more later, get familiar with the routes. When the time comes, I'll take you along for a trip."
Mephisto smiled.
Inside, he slapped himself repeatedly. How did I forget this one critical detail?
This orange cat wasn't a secluded mage buried in practice at Kamar-Taj. He was cunning and terrifyingly perceptive.
"Garfield." He said earnestly, "Traveling between worlds is dangerous. You're still young and lack the guidance of an experienced elder."
"Having a seasoned companion wouldn't only keep you safe, it would help you learn a great deal."
Garfield rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing as if weighing the suggestion with utmost seriousness.
After a long pause, he nodded heavily.
"You're right." Garfield said solemnly. "You're absolutely right. Traveling through time and space is indeed extremely dangerous."
Mephisto's eyes brightened.
"I think I'll discuss this with my master." Garfield continued calmly. "If that doesn't work,"
"I can always go ask Odin whether Asgard has someone suitable."
"…" Bad cat.
Slippery little bastard, Mephisto's smile nearly cracked.
I am Mephisto, Lord of Hell, and you give me no face at all? Not only do you reject me, but you drag out Odin as a comparison?
You're all in one family, aren't you? Ganging up on me alone!
Very well. I will not give up so easily.
Just wait, one day, you will come looking for me.
Mephisto's expression darkened for a fraction of a second, but Garfield saw it clearly. He had raised the banner of Odin using a tiger's hide to warn the fox.
As for Mephisto's desire to venture into other worlds, that was only natural.
But whether he went or where, would never be Mephisto's decision.
No matter how powerful Mephisto was in his own domain, power was relative to the world's system.
Toss him into a high-level universe dominated by pure light, and the so-called Lord of Hell would be treated like a rat crossing the street, beaten without mercy.
In an instant, Garfield's mind drifted to several excellent destinations.
Heh.
Garfield quietly dug a pit in his heart.
On the surface, however, he remained a harmless, adorable, soft-furred orange cat.
"Old Mah," Garfield asked innocently, "He're on good terms, right?"
Humph.
Your master beat me half to death several times. What kind of relationship is that?
Mephisto bared his teeth and raised his thumb. "Of course. Good brothers."
Garfield mirrored the gesture, flashing a matching grin. "Then how about this, let's first explore what other worlds are like."
"Maybe find one that's… suitable for you."
Mephisto nodded immediately. That was his real goal all along.
Otherwise, who would willingly come running back after being beaten by Odin and the Ancient One? He hadn't even finished apologizing yet.
"That's fine," Mephisto said carefully. "But, brother, this sort of thing is dangerous~"
"Then send a clone," Garfield replied without hesitation.
"Anyone foolish enough to wander around with my true god-body deserves to die. I'll only send a clone next time."
He sighed dramatically. "Otherwise, every time I leave for a few days, someone starts eyeing the candy in my pocket."
"If it weren't for my master stepping in, my shop would've been smashed already."
His gaze sharpened.
"Especially those who smile on the surface but stab you in the back. Don't you think such 'brothers' deserve a lesson?"
Mephisto straightened, chest puffed out. "Absolutely. Whoever you point at, this old man has plenty of demons ready."
Garfield smiled faintly. "Good. Then let's start with the angels of the Silver City."
Mephisto's expression stiffened, but he said nothing.
"Brother," Mephisto finally said, turning away, "I'll take my leave for now. Contact me whenever you need."
Black smoke coiled around him, and his figure dissolved into darkness.
Once the shameless old devil was gone, Garfield's smile faded. "…Looks like it's time I paid a visit to that island nation."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream