A Fathers Unexpected Destiny

The first evening back in the present was surprisingly peaceful. The cats had already claimed different parts of the house, as if they had lived there forever. Luka sat on the couch, checking out her new phone, while young Shann wandered around looking at everything. He stopped in front of a wall display. "Bro... this is Iron Man." Shann laughed. "You'll get used to it." Young Shann looked at him. "How long did it take you to get all this?" Shann shrugged. "I don't even remember. ORI helped with most of it." Young Shann smiled. For a moment, the two versions of Shann simply looked at each other. Then young Shann pointed toward the kitchen. "So... you got food?"

The time machine hummed around them as Shann entered the coordinates for his own time. Young Shann stood beside him, still trying to process everything he had seen and learned. Luka stayed close by, while the four cats wandered nervously around their feet. ORACLE's voice filled the machine. "I want to remind you, Shann, that I strongly advise against what you are doing." Shann looked back at everyone and smiled. "We'll figure it out." The machine began to shake. The walls around them disappeared into a blur of light. For a few seconds, nobody spoke. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. Silence. Shann opened his eyes. They were home. The cats immediately scattered across the room, sniffing corners and exploring their strange new surroundings. Young Shann slowly turned in a circle. "Bro..." Luka stared out the window. "This is your house?" Shann smiled. "Yeah. Well... our house, I guess." Young Shann walked over to the window and l...