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Chapter 293: Mission Accomplished, Return to the Original Timeline
🕑 Added 2025-08-30 16:45:36 +0000 UTC
From every angle Alex analyzed, all evidence pointed toward a single mastermind behind the disappearance of the mutants—Ikaris.
And yet, there was still one point that troubled everyone, even Alex himself.
“If it was truly Ikaris,” Emma Frost asked, her tone sharp, “then why couldn’t Charles or I detect it at all?”
The silence that followed was heavy.
“Could it be Druig?” someone finally muttered.
That suggestion sparked Alex’s mind. After all, Ikaris’s plan had been terrifyingly close to success, and Alex hadn’t seen any other shadowy figure pulling strings from the background. If there wasn’t another mastermind… then the answer was obvious.
Among the Eternals, there was one who could bend minds at will—Druig.
And if Alex’s memories of the movies were accurate, Druig’s mastery of psychic control wasn’t just formidable—it was arguably sharper than Charles Xavier’s.
Unlike Charles, Druig could simultaneously control entire crowds, directing them to perform complex tasks—combat maneuvers, coordinated actions, even the day-to-day functioning of an entire community. After leaving the Eternals, he had lived in seclusion, manipulating every soul in a hidden village for years. To them, he wasn’t a protector—he was a king.
Charles’s gift, in contrast, was different. Without Cerebro, he could paralyze minds, nudge thoughts, or make someone carry out simple actions. But not with Druig’s terrifying finesse.
Yet with Cerebro, Charles’s psychic range and force expanded a thousandfold. Alex voiced the question burning in his heart:
“If you wore the helmet, could even Druig still hide from you?”
Charles frowned, thinking carefully before replying.
“That possibility exists. Psychic combat isn’t just about raw strength, Alex. If Druig’s application of his powers is exquisitely refined, he could weave illusions or hide thoughts in ways that even I would miss.”
He gave a small example:
“It’s like radar. Radar covers a vast range, but it can’t always detect low-flying objects designed to evade its sweep. Cerebro enhances my reach, yes—but Druig doesn’t need to overpower me. He only needs to know how to avoid being noticed.”
The logic was sound.
And testing it was simple.
Together, Alex and his 2016 counterpart confronted Druig directly. The results were undeniable. While Druig’s raw power could not compare to Cerebro-amplified Charles, his mastery was far more subtle. He could tuck away thoughts, mask intentions, and weave psychic threads so delicately that Charles’s vast net simply passed over them.
The truth clicked into place.
Case closed.
The mystery of the mutants’ disappearance was solved—it was Ikaris, aided by Druig’s psychic camouflage.
Now, Alex had clarity. He also had a target to prevent such tragedies in his own world.
And with the mission complete, there was no reason to linger in this timeline.
“You’re leaving.”
Before Alex even voiced it, his 2016 self said the words aloud. They thought alike—it was only natural.
“Yes,” Alex admitted with a small nod.
This world still faced uncertainty. Would the mutants survive under Arishem’s looming judgment? Would 2016 Alex’s dangerous plan to gather the Infinity Stones succeed? Those answers lay in the hands of this universe’s heroes.
But Alex didn’t belong here. He had his own world to protect.
“Will you say goodbye?” 2016 Alex asked softly.
After a moment’s pause, Alex agreed. A month together with the leaders of mutantkind deserved more than a silent departure.
Soon, Charles, Erik, Hank, and the others were gathered.
“Alex… young Alex, take care.” Charles’s voice carried a rare warmth.
“I hope you lead your mutants to a brighter future,” Erik added.
Hank smiled faintly. “I suppose we won’t see you again. But I’ll remember this time.”
Alex’s heart tightened slightly. He raised a hand and waved.
“Goodbye, everyone.”
With that, he pressed the button on the sleek device wrapped around his wrist.
Whoosh!
The world around him folded in on itself, dragging him into a vortex like a collapsing black hole.
A heartbeat later, the dizzying sensation of time-travel washed over him. Colors blurred, space twisted—then stabilized.
When his vision cleared, Alex was back.
The original mutant base. His world.
“Alex?”
“Alex, are you alright?”
Voices surrounded him. Charles, Erik, Raven, Hank—the elders of his own world—were right where he had left them. To them, it was as if no time had passed at all.
Alex exhaled slowly, then smiled.
“Everyone, I’m back.”
“You’re back?” Charles blinked. “You mean… you actually traveled to the future—and returned?”
“Exactly.”
For a moment, the elders stood in stunned silence. Then, one by one, their eyes widened, excitement replacing disbelief.
Time travel had worked. Alex had returned. And with his return came answers—answers that could change everything.
