"You!"
The Dark Watcher's eyes flew wide open in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him.
Never in his wildest calculations had he imagined this would happen—history was being rewritten. And far faster than he'd anticipated. In the blink of an eye, all the fallen heroes of the past were rising again, their return broadcast across the world through Magneto's own transmission.
He swung his gaze toward Alex, shouting in rage.
"It was you! What did you do!?"
Alex smirked, locking eyes with him.
"As you can see, haven't I always been under your precious 'observation'?"
"No. No, this is impossible! They can't fight off the contamination! They can't rewrite history! Not even the Ancient One could do that!"
As he spoke, the Dark Watcher began unraveling—his tone growing hysterical, his grotesque head twisting with rage and disbelief.
"It had to be you! You're behind this!"
"You still don't get it," Alex said calmly. "Humanity's pursuit of hope is stronger than you ever imagined. You thought I'd use my power to rewrite this universe and fall straight into your trap. So let me show you just how blinding the light of redemption can be when it comes from within."
He smiled, and within the mirror, the board was overturned—pieces scattered, fates rewritten.
The Black King had risen.
"Take a good look. Maybe contamination clouds their minds, but this world still follows one basic law: logic. You thought this universe had been cut off, made into a domain of only mutants. But I think the opposite is true."
"If this world were truly only about mutants, then there would be no reason for the Avengers to exist in it—no Steve Rogers, no Howard Stark. If they had never existed here, that would be true separation."
"But they did exist. They were born into this world. Even if they died in its history, they were always part of this universe."
"From beginning to end, you were the one who decided this universe was fractured. You chose to believe this timeline was abandoned—just like you abandoned yourselves. And in doing so, you pulled it toward the abyss."
"Blinded by darkness and corruption, you—an Observer—refused to observe hope. You pushed this world to the brink instead of watching it rise."
"You blame the creators for shaping despair, but you forget—you were the one who started it all."
"Logan's story is over. This world was the final stretch of the Old Wolf's long journey."
"What we saw was not just blood and pain. We saw Wolverine's spirit—unyielding, relentless, unbreakable. We saw the philosophy of a man torn between humanity and mutation. But you? You only saw death."
"You never understood what these worlds meant."
Alex's gaze sharpened.
"Face it—you're nothing more than a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum."
"SILENCE!!"
The Dark Watcher's roar thundered through the void, interrupting Alex's words.
"You understand nothing! You, the so-called creator, have no idea what we've endured! From the moment of our birth, we existed only to serve you—to dance on your strings like puppets!"
As he raged, the shadows around them began to ripple and twist. One by one, faceless monsters crept forth from the darkness…
Sensing what was unfolding, Alex's brow furrowed, and his expression shifted.
"Doesn't matter anymore," the Dark Watcher said coldly. "Even if I can't destroy this universe, as long as I keep you from leaving here alive, I've done my job."
"You really want to fight me here?" Alex narrowed his eyes slightly.
The timeline had just been restored. Reality was still fragile. If a battle broke out between him and the Dark Watcher now, this universe could collapse—just like the Ruined Timeline before it.
Noticing Alex's hesitation, the Dark Watcher sneered.
"You think I didn't consider the possibility of failure?"
"We've studied you for a very, very long time. Even during moments you thought were your own, we were always there—analyzing you, replaying your every decision. We know you better than you know yourself. And yes, that includes accounting for failure."
"You're impressive, Invader. No one's denying that. Time and time again, you've turned hopeless odds into victory. You've surprised us. This time is no exception."
"But we've also learned from you."
"Like... dragging everyone to the table and turning survival into a high-stakes game."
Countless faceless men in black suits emerged from the shadows, mouths agape with razor-sharp teeth, clicking and snapping as they slowly closed in from all sides.
"Aren't you the so-called Lord of Dimensions? A demon who trades in bargains and gambles?"
The Dark Watcher raised one hand and tapped the surface of the mirror. A ripple passed through it—and then, his hand pierced out of the glass.
"So, let's wager it all. Let's see whether this newborn universe survives or dies... under the weight of our war."
This time, the Dark Watcher abandoned all pretense. He descended into Alex's world in his true form, radiating power that bent space around him. His arrival caused reality itself to tremble.
One of the faceless men let out a guttural roar and lunged at Alex.
Alex rolled to the side, dodging the strike cleanly. In a flash, he returned fire—his shot exploding the creature's head into shards of black matter. As another rushed in, Alex raised his left arm. A pitch-black umbrella snapped open, absorbing the impact of its attack with a metallic clang.
Watching Alex—just a mortal—fighting tooth and nail against hordes of demonic faceless enemies, the Dark Watcher let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Why aren't you using your real power? Are you afraid it might destroy this universe?"
Alex didn't respond. He kicked another faceless suit flying, only to be driven back toward the edge of the rooftop.
"If you don't use that power now... you really will die."
The Dark Watcher's grin widened, cruel and expectant, as if it already saw the outcome.
The swarm of faceless men circled in, claws ready, about to tear Alex apart.
And just as the Watcher's grin nearly reached ear to ear, savoring the imminent kill—
CLANG!
A steel beam streaked down from above, slamming into the rooftop and embedding itself in the ground—right in front of Alex.
Then came another—CRACK!—piercing down at an angle. The two formed a massive 'X', blocking the monsters from reaching him.
The Dark Watcher blinked, startled. It immediately turned its head toward the adjacent building—
There, bathed in a halo of violet light, two figures appeared—Blink and Polaris.
"If you want to hurt him, you'll have to get through me first!" Polaris shouted.
She raised both hands. Shards of metal floated into the air, levelling themselves at every demonic target. Her eyes locked onto the Watcher, blazing with wrath.
"This... this is impossible."
The Dark Watcher stared at Polaris, stunned—then realized what had happened: Blink had used a teleportation gate to bring them here. Without her portals, no one could've bypassed the Sanctum Sanctorum's arcane wards.
Grimacing, the Watcher glared at Alex.
"So that's your backup plan? You kept them behind... just for this moment!"
Alex smiled faintly as he holstered his gun.
"It wasn't my plan," he said calmly. "It was the will of this universe. Don't forget—they came here because this world sensed your threat. Never underestimate the survival instinct of a living universe."
"Tch."
The Dark Watcher's gaze lingered on Polaris and Blink, then shifted back to Alex. Its expression slowly settled into a scowl.
"Fine. That was clever. But what can they possibly do? Do you really think these two weak mutants have the power to defeat me?"
Alex shook his head, stepping forward casually and leaning against the steel X.
"Of course not."
"The self-preservation I spoke of... it wasn't about Polaris or Blink. I was talking about the life in this world."
At his words, the Watcher's eyes narrowed.
"The life... in this world?"
It repeated the phrase, confusion flickering in its eyes as it tried to grasp what Alex was really saying—and why, even now, he remained so confident.
Suddenly, as if struck by a horrifying realization, the Dark Watcher's expression froze. The calm confidence that had once steadied its mind crumbled in an instant, plunging into despair.
Alex folded his arms and smiled faintly.
"A bit late to figure it out now, don't you think?"
As his voice faded, a terrifying surge of cosmic energy descended from beyond the stars. A ripple of ghostly blue energy enveloped the Dark Watcher, locking its vast form in place like chains forged by gods.
Feeling the overwhelming power—the unmistakable presence of the Celestials—the Dark Watcher began to panic, frantically summoning every ounce of its strength. But it was useless. The bind held firm.
"What did you do?! What did you do to me?!"
The Watcher screamed from within its invisible cage, its voice cracking with rage and disbelief.
Then came a voice—cold as steel and colder still in purpose—echoing across the rooftop.
"It wasn't him."
The Watcher's body stiffened. Slowly, it turned its head toward the voice.
From the far side of the rooftop, flanked by an entourage of shadowy figures, a man draped in deep green robes strode forward with regal certainty.
"It was Doom."
...
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