Thud!
Dust scattered into the air as Alex forced himself back onto his feet. His ribs ached faintly from the earlier blow, but his eyes were burning with fighting spirit. In the next heartbeat, his figure blurred, and with a sharp whoosh he launched himself upward into the skies like a meteor tearing through the air.
Boom!
The sonic boom trailed behind him, but before he could even savor the freedom of flight, another sonic boom split the sky—faster, heavier, more controlled. The 2016 Alex had already caught up, effortlessly closing the distance as though mocking his younger self's speed.
Alex felt it immediately.
The difference was like night and day.
Through this brief clash, he understood a cruel truth: the other Alex surpassed him in every single way—strength, speed, combat instinct, even the terrifying pressure that radiated from his very presence.
It was suffocating.
He compared it to his earlier battle against Thanos. That fight had been brutal, a life-or-death struggle where every move had been calculated. Yet now, facing his older self, Alex realized with shocking clarity—Thanos had been right to fear him. Because the 2016 Alex wasn't just strong; he was something far beyond what Thanos could ever hope to match.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two streaks of light carved across the heavens, weaving through clouds, leaving behind booming shockwaves that rattled windows in the distant city below. Within minutes, the two blurred figures left behind skyscrapers and highways, the urban sprawl shrinking until only barren wilderness stretched beneath them—a vast, uninhabited wasteland where no innocent lives would be caught in the crossfire.
The 2016 Alex slowed first. His body descended gracefully, boots touching the cracked earth with barely a whisper, as though gravity itself bowed before him.
Alex landed beside him, slightly heavier, his momentum cracking the dry ground. He straightened his back, wiped the dust from his cheek, and without waiting for the other to interrogate him again, he blurted out—
"Sharla Cheung."
The words came out firm, steady.
The 2016 Alex's eyes flickered. For the first time, his expression shifted ever so slightly.
Not satisfied, he pressed on, asking Alex a series of questions so deeply personal that no one else in existence could have possibly known the answers. Memories from a previous life, fleeting private thoughts, the kind of truths that weren't merely hidden—they were locked away in the deepest corners of the soul.
And Alex answered each of them with ease. His tone didn't waver, his gaze didn't dodge. Every word he spoke was like a mirror reflecting back into the other's mind.
The questioning lasted five long minutes. In that time, the silence of the wilderness pressed down around them, only broken by the faint whistle of the wind sweeping across dry grass.
Finally, the 2016 Alex stopped. His sharp gaze softened just a fraction, curiosity now replacing hostility.
"So, you really are another me?" he muttered, his tone layered with disbelief. "How is this possible? Time travel? Parallel universe?"
It was the most logical conclusion, one any version of Alex would draw.
"Correct." Alex nodded. "I am you… but from another timeline."
With calm clarity, he explained everything—how Iron Man and Captain America had traveled back to 1964, how their actions created a branch universe, and how he himself had journeyed from 2023 to stand here now.
The 2016 Alex listened without interrupting, his expression turning darker with each passing word. When Alex finally mentioned the mysterious disappearance of all mutants in the near future, a deep crease appeared between the elder's brows.
"So… my plan still encountered an unexpected problem after all?" His voice was low, heavy with unease.
Alex leaned forward slightly, his tone sharp. "What exactly is going on? Why did you decide to make all the mutants—"
"Shh!"
The 2016 Alex's hand shot up instantly, eyes narrowing. His expression hardened with deadly seriousness. He made a cutting gesture, demanding silence.
"This isn't the place to talk," he said, his voice carrying weight that brooked no argument. "We'll discuss it back at the base."
The sudden gravity in his demeanor made Alex pause. For a man like this, to be so cautious, even in an empty wasteland… who exactly was he worried about overhearing?
Yet before Alex could dwell on it, the older version gave a sudden grin. His eyes glinted with faint amusement.
"You said all the mutants disappeared in the future. That means you probably haven't seen what a prosperous mutant nation looks like at its peak, right?"
The way he said it carried both pride and sorrow.
Pulling out his phone, the 2016 Alex dialed. His tone was calm, almost casual: "Hank, come over here. Bring Charles and Erik."
He gave them their location, then pocketed the phone again, turning to Alex with a faint smirk. From then on, he avoided any serious topics, chatting idly instead. Nothing important, nothing revealing. Just meaningless small talk.
But to Alex, this cautiousness spoke volumes.
If even his future self—the man who terrified Thanos—was this wary, then the enemy they faced must be on a level he couldn't yet imagine.
The minutes ticked by, the two versions of Alex engaging in harmless chatter. At times it felt almost surreal, as if he were speaking to a mirror that reflected not his appearance, but his destiny.
Half an hour later, the distant roar of jet engines split the silence.
Whoooosh!
The Blackbird descended, kicking up waves of dust as its landing gear touched down on the barren ground. The hatch hissed open, and three familiar figures emerged—Charles in his wheelchair, Erik with his stern posture, and Hank adjusting his glasses.
Their eyes locked on the scene in front of them. Two identical Homelanders, standing side by side.
For a moment, all three froze.
"Alex… what's going on?" Charles finally spoke, bewilderment written across his face.
Normally, his telepathic abilities would have provided answers instantly. Yet now, his mind hit an impenetrable wall—both Homelanders were completely immune to his probing. For the world's greatest telepath, this was a rare and unsettling sensation.
The 2016 Alex raised a hand, gesturing toward the jet. "Let's talk on the plane."
Only after everyone had boarded and taken their seats did he turn to Charles with gravity in his eyes.
"Charles, I need you to ensure our conversation remains completely confidential."
The tone left no room for debate. Charles nodded, immediately focusing his vast psychic powers to erect a powerful mental barrier around them, isolating the cabin from any potential intrusion.
Only then did the elder Alex exhale slightly, reassured.
Erik, however, couldn't hold back his impatience. His sharp gaze darted between the two. "Alex, who is he? What is this all about?"
The 2016 Alex leaned back in his seat, a faint smile curving his lips. "He's me. From another timeline. From both the past… and the future. Say hello to my friends."
For Charles, Erik, and Hank, this statement was like a thunderclap.
Another Alex? From another timeline? But the phrasing—"past and future"?
Their expressions turned incredulous as they struggled to piece it together.
Alex himself chuckled softly. Looking at these familiar faces—older, but still carrying that familiar fire—he couldn't help but grin.
"Charles, Erik, Hank… you've all aged so much! I'm Alex from 1964. But I came to you from the year 2023."
Hank frowned, utterly lost. "Wait, wait. You're Alex from 1964, but you went to 2023 first, and then returned here, to 2016?"
"Exactly. That's right." Alex nodded with a smile.
The three men exchanged heavy glances. Even for mutants who had seen countless impossible things, this was a revelation that stretched the limits of belief.
But one fact was certain: if Alex had truly risked traveling through time multiple times, then the reason had to be dire.
The 2016 Alex finally spoke, his tone steady but heavy with weight.
"Here's the situation." His gaze swept across Charles and Erik. "The other me discovered that in one month's time, our entire mutant population vanishes without a trace. That's why he's here—to find out the truth."
The words sank like stones into their hearts.
Charles's expression darkened, Erik's fists clenched tightly, and even Hank paled.
In an instant, the atmosphere inside the Blackbird grew unbearably heavy.
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