"Hank Pym?"
Polaris and Caliban exchanged glances, both clearly confused. Neither of them seemed to recognize the name, and their eyes turned to Blink, hoping she could explain.
"It's a bit complicated," Blink said, handing a USB drive to Polaris. "This has the data Mr. Hank Pym recovered through the Quantum Realm. You'll understand once you see what's on it."
She paused, then added, "All the secrets of this world… are in there."
Then she turned to the tiny ant on her hand and spoke gently, "Sorry, Mr. Pym. I'll need you to stay in this jar for a while. In the meantime, I'll investigate everything you told us."
(That's fine, just don't forget to feed me some breadcrumbs. Ants don't need much, but we still need something to survive.)
Hank Pym—now in ant form—wasn't about to argue. In his current state, this was the best outcome he could hope for. He couldn't change the world alone—not like this. But maybe, if he could earn these people's trust, he could still rewrite the corrupted history of this universe.
Blink gently placed the ant into a small glass jar, screwed the lid tight, then opened a portal and tossed the jar into the trunk of Logan's car.
Once the portal sealed shut, and she was sure Pym couldn't hear them anymore, she finally let out a breath of relief.
"Blink," Polaris asked, "what the hell is going on? That ant—what is it?"
Blink glanced around at their confused faces and took a deep breath. "It's not something I can explain in just a few words. You all need to watch what's on that USB drive. Logan—you should watch it again too. I'll explain everything after that."
Back when they were in the car, Logan had watched the contents of the drive for the first time… and it had clearly shaken him. Afterward, in a semi-conscious state, he'd forgotten most of what he'd seen. According to Hank Pym, Logan had also been affected by the timeline alterations. So now, Blink decided they all needed to see the truth for themselves.
The truth was often the hardest thing to accept. That held true not only for Caliban and James—who had lived in this world their whole lives—but even for Polaris, who came from another universe entirely.
When the video ended, a heavy silence fell over the room.
Everyone wore a complex expression.
Caliban stared at the floor, deep in thought. Polaris furrowed her brows, eyes locked on the laptop screen. And Logan—James—hadn't said a word. He sat motionless like a statue.
Blink let the silence linger, giving them time to process what they had just seen. Finally, she broke it.
"That's the truth. I know it's hard to believe—I didn't believe it either at first. But there's no other explanation. None."
Caliban slowly lifted his head.
"But… how is this even possible? According to you—or to Hank Pym—this world originally had more than just mutants. There were other superheroes too. So why hasn't anyone else shown up all this time?"
"Because they're dead," Blink said bluntly. "Or… they were never born. Weren't you listening?"
"I was listening. History's been rewritten… rewritten…" Caliban muttered, repeating the words over and over like a broken mantra.
From the look on his face, it was clear—Caliban didn't believe a word of it. And honestly, who could blame him? This kind of thing was well beyond the limits of his understanding.
"I believe it," James—Logan—spoke at last, breaking his long silence. After a moment's thought, he added, "Alex had asked Dean and Sam to investigate Captain America and Red Guardian. Those two names match exactly with what we saw in the video."
At the mention of Alex, everyone in the room gave a slight nod.
In their eyes, Alex was like some impossibly powerful force—almost divine. Someone like him wouldn't just toss out two random names without a reason. If Alex had mentioned Captain America and Red Guardian, then there had to be a connection to this universe.
"Logan, can you reach Alex?" Polaris asked.
James shook his head slowly. "No. Blink and I tried reaching him on the way here, but his line was always busy. And then… we just lost contact completely."
"This won't do. We have to tell Alex about this," Caliban said, rising from his seat with a tense expression.
"If something really did rewrite our history… then the only person I can think of who might be able to fix it is Alex. No one else could stand a chance against whatever did this."
"Easier said than done," Polaris replied, crossing her arms. "We can't even reach him. How are we supposed to tell him anything?"
"Maybe I can try," Blink offered.
As everyone turned to her, she quickly added, "Logan told me Alex was headed to 177A. If I can get to that address, maybe I can find him. Even if he's not there, we might find clues."
"You can't go alone. It's too dangerous," James said immediately. "I'll go with you. I should've gone with Alex in the first place."
Back then, Alex had refused James's help out of concern that he might draw unwanted attention from higher beings watching the timeline. Ironically, that decision had led James to cross paths with Hank Pym instead.
But now? James didn't care about the risk. Even if it meant exposing himself, this information had to reach Alex.
"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere…" Polaris cut in, shaking her head grimly.
She immediately pointed at the TV screen and continued.
"There's something even more serious going on."
Everyone turned in the direction Polaris was pointing.
On the screen, a middle-aged man wearing a helmet was staring solemnly into the camera, his tone grave.
"This world… is built on lies."
The man began speaking.
"Humanity is a chaotic species. From the moment the first caveman crawled out of his cave, they began to kill—not just for survival, but out of the darkness in their hearts. This isn't about evolution or natural selection. It's about cruelty."
"You build weapons. You manufacture conflict. Why?"
"Because you fear our gifts. Because we are different. Humanity has always feared those who are not like them. And now, in your eyes, the outsiders… are us."
"So hear me now—hear me, all of humankind."
Magneto clenched his jaw, his fury no longer hidden behind civility.
"You're right to fear us. Because we are the future. We are the next step in human evolution. We are the rightful heirs to this planet's legacy. And we are the ones who should rule this world."
"If anyone dares to stand in our way…"
"Then come. Test yourselves…"
"And see if you can withstand my wrath!"
His voice thundered across the broadcast.
In the living room, everyone's face shifted—unease, realization, dread. Especially Polaris.
It was the first time she had seen her father.
Even if this Magneto wasn't the one from her own world, the strange connection between them stirred something deep and turbulent in her heart.
"This is bad," Caliban muttered as he slumped helplessly into the chair. The worst-case scenario had finally arrived—those mutants from other universes clearly had no intention of walking away peacefully.
"They were brought here for a reason," he continued. "At first, I didn't understand it. But now I do. Not a single one of those mutants is part of the X-Men… because almost all of them stood against the X-Men in their own worlds."
Blink spoke up slowly. "Unlike us—who were summoned here by the will of this universe to save it—those people… they're here to destroy it. Or maybe more accurately… they're here to rewrite it."
The others hadn't fully grasped what she meant, but James did. He lifted his head sharply, realization flashing in his eyes.
"If they take control of the future… then even if we manage to correct the timeline, it won't matter. Their arrival has already happened—it's a fixed event. Changing history won't undo their presence here."
"Exactly," Blink nodded firmly.
"We can't let them destroy this world."
In this already fragile universe, the arrival of Magneto and the others was like throwing gasoline on a fire. The war they were about to start would send this reality straight into oblivion.
"I'll stop them," James said, pushing himself up with the arms of the chair, wobbling slightly before steadying himself on his feet.
"You all need to find Alex. No matter what it takes, he has to know what's happening. We have to protect this universe's future… our future."
"No! You can't go!" Caliban rushed to his side. "Look at you—you're still injured! How do you expect to fight Magneto and hundreds of mutants?! That's suicide!"
"I have to go." James met Caliban's gaze with steel in his eyes.
Caliban froze. Something in James' expression stunned him.
"Why?" he asked quietly.
"Because…"
"I'm one of the X-Men."
James spoke each word like a vow.
"I am…"
"Wolverine!!"
...
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