"I can't believe it, Alex. You actually completed a time travel journey?"
"What does time travel feel like? It must be incredibly fascinating, right?"
"Hey, everyone, can we ask some more substantial questions first?"
...
The voices of the elders overlapped one another, their excitement palpable. After Alex confirmed his return was indeed from the future, the conference hall erupted like a beehive.
Mutants who were usually calm and composed now couldn't contain themselves—they pressed closer, their faces full of curiosity and eagerness, peppering Alex with one question after another. The normally steady Hank's glasses even slipped down his nose as he leaned forward. Raven's usually sharp tone was tinged with rare nervousness, and Erik, though outwardly composed, had a faint tremor in his voice that betrayed his anticipation.
Alex raised a hand, motioning for order.
"Let's go inside to talk," he said, cutting through the chaos.
The group followed him into the grand conference hall, where the heavy oak doors shut behind them, muting the lingering noise of the base. They took their seats around the long table, the earlier excitement slowly fading into tense silence. The air grew thick with expectation, every gaze pinned on Alex like invisible weights.
"So..." Charles's calm yet commanding voice broke the stillness. His hands were clasped tightly on the table, his eyes searching Alex's face with quiet urgency. "What exactly happened in the future? Why did all the mutants disappear?"
Alex leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression turning serious. "The situation," he began, his voice low and measured, "is somewhat complex."
And then he began.
Piece by piece, Alex recounted the truth: how Arishem, the towering Celestial, had set his gaze upon Earth; how the Eternals became entangled in his schemes; how every carefully laid plan eventually collapsed. He didn't spare them the bitter details, painting a picture that left no room for illusion or comfort.
By the time he finished, the room was filled with stunned silence.
"Our Earth... was actually created by the Celestials? Even the sun?" Erik finally spoke, his voice heavy with disbelief.
"Mutants... we're just experimental subjects?" Raven's lips twisted, her usual fiery defiance now mingled with a sickened horror.
"The Celestials want to capture eight million of us? To use us as lab rats?" Hank muttered, his fists clenching as the veins in his temple pulsed.
Shock rippled through the room in waves. Emma Frost, usually composed and poised, sat frozen, her face pale. Even Charles—who prided himself on always anticipating the truth hidden behind appearances—looked shaken, his brows knit in uncharacteristic confusion.
It was a revelation that shattered their worldview, tearing at the very foundations of everything they thought they knew.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Only the sound of their collective breathing filled the vast chamber.
Finally, Erik rose to his feet. The fury burning in his eyes was unmistakable.
"We must not let this fate befall our people again," he declared, his magnetic presence filling the hall like a storm about to break. "Never again will mutants be sacrificed like cattle. We will act."
Charles straightened in his chair, nodding firmly.
"Erik is right. This is a second chance given to us. A warning from the heavens themselves. We must seize it."
Their words lit sparks in the eyes of the others. Emma, Copycat, Raven, Hank—each of them was shaken, but in that tremor of fear, a core of iron resolve had begun to form.
Alex allowed their emotions to rise before stepping in, his voice calm, steady, and unyielding.
"Everyone, the truth is bleak, yes. But despair will accomplish nothing. Remember this: we have decades to prepare. Half a century." He paused, sweeping his gaze across each solemn face. "With that much time, tell me—what can we not accomplish?"
The room stirred with a faint current of hope.
It was 1964. The great disappearance wouldn't happen until 2016.
Fifty-two years.
Time enough to change everything.
Alex already had a direction. He didn't voice all of it, but deep within, his plan had crystallized: the Infinity Stones.
2016 Alex had been caught off-guard, reacting too late, scrambling at the last moment. That desperation had left mutants vulnerable to annihilation. But Alex? He wasn't bound by the same ignorance. He had foreknowledge, he had time, and most importantly—he had determination.
If he began now, slowly and methodically, collecting the Stones would no longer be an impossible gamble. It would be preparation. Insurance.
With all six Stones in hand, even if Arishem descended once more... Alex clenched his fist under the table. He refused to believe he could be defeated.
And even if the Stones weren't enough—greater power meant greater leverage. That much was undeniable.
He looked around at the faces of his allies, their grim expressions now tempered with a flicker of resolve. He allowed a small, confident smile to touch his lips.
"Alright. Don't overthink it. These events are far off. Right now, our focus is still on what's in front of us—establishing our nation."
At that, the tension in the air eased slightly. Emma leaned forward, her eyes sharpening with curiosity.
"Then, Alex... tell us. Did we succeed? In the future, do mutants finally have a nation of their own?"
The question reignited the group's anticipation. One by one, they leaned closer, eyes wide with hope.
"Of course," Alex replied without hesitation. "Our nation is called Krakoa. A paradise built on a living island, rich and fertile, protected by our own power."
Gasps filled the room. He spoke slowly, vividly, describing the flowering paradise that would become their homeland. The more he shared, the brighter their eyes grew.
Charles pressed a hand to his chest, overwhelmed. Erik's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. Raven's eyes glistened faintly as if she could already see that dream materializing before her.
The oppressive gloom that had hung over the chamber finally lifted, replaced by excitement and determination.
"Alright, everyone!" Alex's sudden sharp tone cut through the chatter. He rose to his feet, and in his eyes gleamed something cold, dangerous.
"That's everything from my journey. You can discuss it amongst yourselves for now. As for me..." His lips curled into a hard smile. "I have someone to kill."
The words dropped like a thunderclap.
They all knew who.
Mr. Sinister.
A man who would one day orchestrate schemes against Alex and his people. Though his threat was small for now, Alex had no intention of letting that viper grow fangs.
The sooner he was eradicated, the better.
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