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Chapter 265: Oops, We Accidentally Released Thanos!
🕑 Added 2025-08-16 17:05:52 +0000 UTC
2023
New York, Times Square
Times Square at night was like a living organism—endless neon lights pulsed in rhythm with the crowd, gigantic screens looped ads and news that bathed the streets in shifting colors, and a sea of people from every corner of the world moved like a tide across the sidewalks. It was noisy, dazzling, and chaotic, yet strangely mesmerizing.
This was undoubtedly the most vibrant and iconic location in all of New York—if not the world.
Since Alex had traveled to the future, it would have been a crime not to experience it firsthand.
While waiting for Scott Lang to prepare the Pym Particles, Alex hadn’t just been idling. His curiosity—and suspicion—had driven him to investigate Mr. Sinister’s activities back in 1964.
To his surprise, it had been far too easy.
A single request to Tony’s AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., was all it took. The AI spat out details on Sinister’s movements like pulling files from a neatly organized drawer. What should have been buried in secrecy was suddenly just… there.
Almost disappointing.
With that out of the way, Alex devoted the rest of his time to touring the future.
From Times Square to Broadway, Central Park to high-tech museums, he saw it all—and he didn’t hold back on spending. Every restaurant, every luxury boutique, every experience money could buy—Alex indulged in it.
And he spent millions doing so.
This was his first true taste of luxury—not the modest comforts he had occasionally brushed against in his past life, but excess, wealth, and extravagance.
And honestly?
It felt damn good.
Of course, Alex didn’t actually have that kind of money. It was Tony Stark who had "generously" picked up the tab for his little vacation.
A few million?
For a billionaire like Tony, it was nothing more than pocket change.
Alex was in the middle of savoring a perfectly seared, melt-in-your-mouth steak at one of Manhattan’s top restaurants when his communicator buzzed.
"Alex, the Pym Particles are ready!"
Tony’s voice carried a trace of impatience, but Alex’s mood lifted instantly.
Finally—time to uncover the truth behind the mutants’ disappearance.
"Got it."
He didn’t rush. Instead, he finished the last bite of steak with deliberate leisure, set down his glass of wine, and only then stood. He paid the bill without so much as a blink—because why worry about money when Stark Industries was footing it?
Stepping outside into the brisk New York night, Alex felt the cool air brush his face—then launched into the sky with a thunderous BOOM!
A streak of light carved across the horizon as he slammed back into Avengers HQ.
Inside, only a few members were present—Tony, Steve, Rhodey, Scott, and Bruce.
The others were absent.
Thor was most likely still in Asgard, Clint with his family, and Rocket… well, Rocket was probably off causing chaos with the Guardians.
"Enjoying the future, Alex?"
Tony raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.
Naturally, the Avengers had been monitoring Alex the entire time. Of course they had.
Not that he cared.
"Not bad."
Alex shrugged, his tone casual, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
"This era is definitely more advanced than mine."
"Glad you approve."
Tony gave a half-smile, though it carried his usual edge.
"Alex, thank you for the Tesseract."
Steve stepped forward, handing him a case—inside, the glowing blue energy of the Cosmic Cube.
Alex accepted it with no ceremony, as if holding one of the most powerful objects in existence was no more than picking up a briefcase.
"Two doses of Pym Particles."
Scott walked over, his expression serious, holding out two carefully sealed vials.
"Enough for two trips—one to investigate the mutants’ disappearance, and one to return to your own time."
He paused, eyeing Alex warily.
"If you want to do anything else… well, you’re on your own."
"Two is enough."
Alex took them without complaint.
He could sense Scott’s unease—an instinctive fear that someone like him might abuse time travel. But Alex’s goals were simpler. He wanted answers. Nothing more, nothing less.
"And this."
Scott handed over a compact device—a time-travel wrist controller.
"Set your destination year here, press this button, and the machine will send you back."
Along with it came a sleek nanotech quantum suit, folded and ready.
Scott quickly ran through the operating protocols, his words brisk but thorough. For Alex, whose mind had long since adapted to handling complicated systems, it was almost insultingly simple.
"Well then… goodbye, everyone."
Alex stepped onto the time platform, strapping the device onto his wrist.
"Goodbye, Alex."
Steve gave a respectful nod. His voice was calm, but there was a weight in it.
"I don’t say this often, but… this time, it was almost pleasant working with you. Let’s not do it again."
Tony smirked.
"Always the diplomat, Cap."
"Ready, Alex?"
Bruce hovered over the control console, his injured arm still bandaged.
Alex had already keyed in the destination year. He gave a single nod.
"Five… four… three… two… one!"
Bruce pulled the switch.
But—
Nothing happened.
The platform hummed faintly. The lights flickered. But Alex stood there, completely unaffected.
"…What?"
Even Alex’s composure cracked for a second.
Did the time machine just… malfunction?
"Bruce, what’s going on?"
Steve frowned, eyes narrowing.
Around the room, the Avengers exchanged uneasy glances.
"That… shouldn’t happen."
Bruce’s brow furrowed as he bent over the console. Lines of code flickered across the holographic screens—parameters shifting wildly.
"Is this a virus?!"
Tony cursed under his breath and joined him, Scott close behind. Fingers flew over the controls, trying to wrestle the machine back into order.
But before they could react—
BOOOOOOM!
The time tunnel didn’t just open—it ruptured, like a dam bursting.
From the searing blue light of the unstable vortex, a massive spaceship roared into existence, smashing through reality itself as it came crashing down.
Alex blurred aside in a split second, dodging the vessel as it tore through the sky above the HQ. The air rippled with the force of its entry, shockwaves blasting across the compound.
And then—
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Not just one.
Like a relentless hailstorm, dozens more ships poured out of the portal, blotting out the horizon in a swarm of steel and fire.
The Avengers stood frozen, staring upward.
The future had just turned into a nightmare.
