In the following days, Alex became the 2016 Alex's hidden trump card, tucked away deep within the King of Krakoa's inner sanctum.
Aside from the 2016 Alex and a handful of trusted figures, no one knew where Alex was being kept.
As for the Eternals—
The 2016 Alex met with Ajak as promised. Yet after careful consideration, he chose not to reveal Alex's true origins.
Time travel was far too monumental a matter to expose. Even though he trusted Ajak more than most, trust was not the same as certainty. The fewer who knew, the lower the risk of disaster.
And truthfully, Ajak was not the strongest leader. Though Ikaris generally respected her, the fact remained—she could not control him. Among the Eternals, some were far more inclined to follow Ikaris than her.
Under such circumstances, the 2016 Alex naturally kept silent.
Instead, he fabricated a cover story. He told Ajak the other Alex was simply his clone, created as a safeguard to ensure their plan's success. Nothing more.
Ajak accepted the explanation without protest.
Two men, near-perfect copies of each other—aside from twins, cloning was the only logical explanation.
"Ajak, I trust you. I trust Sersi. But I cannot extend that trust to all the Eternals." The 2016 Alex's voice carried a grave weight. "This is about the fate of eight million mutants. I hope you can understand why I must be cautious."
"Alex, I do understand," Ajak sighed softly.
And she truly meant it.
"Thank you. But I must ask you to help me conceal this from the others—especially Ikaris."
"I understand," she nodded without hesitation. She had already planned to keep it hidden herself. If Ikaris discovered this, it would spell trouble for her as well.
They parted on that accord, with the 2016 Alex deliberately keeping quiet about the failed transmission. Revealing one secret meant revealing them all—knowledge of the future could not be allowed to slip.
Besides, telling Ajak would accomplish little.
Instead, he relied on Charles and Emma Frost, who had been instructed to probe the Eternals through Cerebro at regular intervals, searching for even the faintest anomaly.
It was far more effective—and far safer—than asking Ajak to investigate.
Yet despite their persistent probing, the results were fruitless.
Neither Ikaris nor his followers showed the slightest irregularity.
"It makes no sense!" Charles muttered in frustration.
The key mutants were baffled. If Cerebro's scans were accurate, then the Eternals knew nothing of Ajak's plan from beginning to end. That meant the problem lay elsewhere.
Could the flaw be something external to the Eternals entirely?
The uncertainty only deepened. And if the true cause was indeed outside the Eternal ranks, then without intelligence, finding it was like groping in the dark.
Still, the mutants gathered again and again, deliberating, probing, debating endlessly—yet every meeting ended without answers.
And so the days slipped away.
The appointed date of transmission drew closer.
One by one, even those who had opposed the 2016 Alex's Infinity Stone collection—Charles, Hank, and others—began to relent.
They had no other choice.
The weight of an entire race's survival pressed down on them, and with no leads in sight, they had to throw themselves into Alex's preparations.
Time moved under a suffocating haze of unease.
Until at last, the day arrived.
July 22nd.
"Everyone… the fate of our people rests on today!"
In the throne room of Krakoa, the 2016 Alex addressed the gathered leaders with solemn gravity.
The air felt like stone pressing against their chests.
No one spoke. No one could ease the tension. They still had no answers, no clarity on what had gone wrong with the previous transmission. And yet, they had no choice but to attempt it again, blind and uncertain.
"Alex, everything depends on you now," Charles said, his voice heavy.
"Alex, we're counting on you," Erik echoed.
Raven, Emma Frost, and the others turned toward him with eyes full of both hope and weighty expectation.
Even Alex himself felt the burden pressing down. But he had already made his choice.
"I'll give it everything I have," he vowed firmly.
Just then, a communication request flashed across their systems.
Ajak.
The 2016 Alex answered immediately, not bothering to dismiss Alex from the chamber. At this stage, hiding was pointless. The moment Alex acted, Ajak would know.
Her projection materialized in the room.
"Alex. Everyone," Ajak greeted, her gaze brushing briefly across Alex before lingering no further.
"We will initiate the ceremony in two hours," she said gravely. "Once it begins, there can be no stopping it. Is everything on your end prepared?"
The 2016 Alex met the eyes of Charles, Erik, and the others before giving a single firm nod.
"Begin, Ajak."
The bowstring had already been drawn. The arrow had no choice but to fly.
"Then let us pray everything proceeds smoothly," Ajak said, before her projection flickered and vanished.
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