"Hello, little brother."
Kai forgot how to breathe.
The voice hadn't come from the system.
It hadn't come from the sky.
It had come from everywhere.
From the buildings.
From the ground.
From the air inside his lungs.
For one terrifying moment, Kai felt as though the entire universe had spoken directly into his ear.
His eyes remained fixed on the black symbol spreading across the clouds.
"Little..."
His voice cracked.
"...brother?"
The stranger behind him didn't answer.
Kai slowly turned.
The stranger's face had lost all its confidence.
For the first time since appearing, he looked genuinely afraid.
Kai noticed.
That frightened him more than the voice.
"You know who that is."
The stranger remained silent.
Kai stepped closer.
"You know who that is."
Still nothing.
Kai grabbed his coat.
"WHO IS THAT?"
The stranger looked into his eyes.
And whispered:
"Your brother."
Kai froze.
The world seemed to tilt.
"My... brother?"
The stranger nodded.
"Your older brother."
Kai released him.
A laugh escaped his mouth.
Not because anything was funny.
Because none of it made sense.
"I don't have a brother."
The stranger's expression tightened.
"You did."
Kai stared at him.
"Did?"
The stranger looked toward the sky.
"Before the world ended."
Kai's smile disappeared.
"What happened to him?"
The stranger didn't answer.
Kai's voice became quieter.
"What happened to my brother?"
The stranger finally looked at him.
"He survived."
Kai's heart skipped.
"Then where is he?"
The black symbol above them pulsed.
The answer came from the sky.
"Right here."
The clouds split.
Something descended.
Not a person.
Not exactly.
A massive silhouette appeared behind the black symbol.
Two enormous eyes opened.
Red.
Burning.
Watching.
Kai's body instinctively moved backward.
Tony's armor locked onto the figure.
"Okay."
His weapons deployed.
"I've officially had enough of family reunions."
Thor stepped forward.
"Show yourself!"
The voice laughed.
The clouds shook.
"Thor Odinson."
Thor's expression hardened.
"Son of Odin."
Lightning gathered around Mjolnir.
The voice continued.
"Still pretending you are worthy."
Thor's eyes narrowed.
Kai glanced at him.
That sentence had clearly struck a nerve.
Superman flew upward.
"Enough."
His eyes glowed red.
The black symbol suddenly expanded.
Superman's heat vision struck it.
The beam disappeared.
Superman stopped.
Kai's stomach dropped.
The voice laughed again.
"Kal-El."
Superman remained silent.
"Last son of Krypton."
The voice became colder.
"How many times have you watched your world die?"
Superman's expression changed.
Kai noticed.
The voice knew them.
Not just their names.
Their histories.
Their wounds.
Tony's repulsors brightened.
"Okay, mystery voice."
He aimed upward.
"You've got about five seconds before I start shooting."
"Anthony Stark."
Tony froze.
"How many suits did you build before realizing armor couldn't protect you from yourself?"
Tony's expression hardened.
Kai looked at him.
Tony said nothing.
The voice knew exactly where to strike.
That was the terrifying part.
It wasn't simply powerful.
It understood people.
Kai looked toward the stranger.
"How do we stop it?"
The stranger shook his head.
"We don't."
Kai stared.
"What?"
"We survive."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"That's your answer?"
"It's the only answer I have."
"You survived before."
The stranger's expression darkened.
"And look what that cost."
Kai stepped closer.
"You said you failed to save our world."
"Yes."
"Then tell me how."
The stranger looked at the black symbol.
"I couldn't stop him."
Kai swallowed.
"Him?"
The stranger nodded.
"Your brother."
Kai looked upward.
The enormous eyes stared down.
"Why would my brother destroy our world?"
The stranger's answer was quiet.
"Because he wasn't always the enemy."
Kai froze.
"What?"
"He was a hero."
Silence.
The stranger continued.
"The first person who believed we could survive the multiverse."
Kai stared at him.
"Then what changed?"
The stranger looked at Kai.
"You."
Kai's blood went cold.
"Me?"
"He believed you were dead."
Kai shook his head.
"That's not enough."
"It was for him."
The stranger's voice became quieter.
"He searched for you across realities."
Kai looked toward the sky.
The enormous eyes remained fixed on him.
"He searched?"
"Every universe."
The stranger swallowed.
"Every timeline."
Kai's expression changed.
"How?"
"He learned how to cross between realities."
"And?"
"He found worlds where you were alive."
Kai's breathing stopped.
The stranger continued.
"And every time he found you..."
He paused.
"...you died."
Kai stared.
"No."
"Some were accidents."
"No."
"Some were wars."
"Stop."
"Some were because of him."
"STOP!"
The stranger fell silent.
Kai's hands trembled.
Memories flashed.
A road.
A scream.
A phone.
A stranger's hand.
A shadow.
A voice.
"I'll find you."
Kai grabbed his head.
"Get out."
The voice returned.
"Kai."
He froze.
"You remember."
Kai looked upward.
"Who are you?"
The enormous eyes narrowed.
"You know."
"Tell me!"
"You called me something once."
Kai's vision blurred.
Something surfaced.
A childhood bedroom.
Two boys.
One younger.
One older.
The older boy was holding a toy.
Kai was laughing.
Then the memory shifted.
The older boy stood in front of him.
Protecting him.
Then another.
The older boy was crying.
Then another.
The older boy was holding Kai's hand.
And saying—
"No matter what happens, I'll find you."
Kai's eyes widened.
"Brother..."
The word escaped his mouth.
The black symbol pulsed.
The voice became softer.
"There you are."
Kai froze.
The stranger immediately grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't answer him."
Kai looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because he wants you to remember."
"Then maybe I should!"
"No."
The stranger's grip tightened.
"You don't understand."
Kai shoved him away.
"Then explain!"
The stranger hesitated.
Kai pointed toward the sky.
"Why does he want me to remember?"
The stranger finally answered.
"Because your memories aren't just memories."
Kai frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"They contain coordinates."
Kai stared.
"Coordinates?"
"Your brother has been searching for something."
"What?"
The stranger looked at Kai.
"You."
Kai's face went blank.
"No."
"Not the current you."
The stranger pointed at his chest.
"The original you."
Kai swallowed.
"What was I?"
The stranger's eyes darkened.
"The first human to touch the Nexus."
Kai stared.
The system flickered.
[RESTRICTED INFORMATION DETECTED.]
The stranger looked at the screen.
"He's starting to remember."
Kai looked at the system.
"What is the Nexus?"
No answer.
"System."
Nothing.
"Tell me."
[Information classified.]
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"Who classified it?"
Silence.
"System."
Nothing.
Kai smiled bitterly.
"Right."
He looked toward the sky.
"If you won't tell me..."
His eyes hardened.
"...I'll find out myself."
The black symbol suddenly disappeared.
Kai blinked.
The enormous eyes vanished.
The sky returned to normal.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave tore through the city.
Kai was thrown backward.
Tony caught him.
"Got you."
Kai looked at him.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Tony looked toward the sky.
"Because we've got a bigger problem."
Kai followed his gaze.
Something was falling.
Several somethings.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Objects were raining from the clouds.
Tony's armor scanned them.
"Those aren't rocks."
Thor raised Mjolnir.
"What are they?"
Tony's helmet displayed data.
His voice became serious.
"People."
Kai's eyes widened.
"What?"
Objects hit the streets.
CRASH.
CRASH.
CRASH.
Pods.
Hundreds of them.
Each one carrying a person.
The first pod opened.
A man stepped out.
Armor.
Cape.
A familiar shield.
Kai stared.
"No way."
Another pod opened.
A woman stepped out with glowing eyes.
Another.
A green giant.
Another.
A man with a bow.
Another.
A masked vigilante.
Kai slowly turned toward Tony.
"Are these..."
Tony looked at the growing crowd.
"Yeah."
He sighed.
"More heroes."
Kai stared.
"How many?"
Tony's helmet scanned the city.
His voice became quieter.
"Thousands."
Kai's stomach dropped.
"Thousands?"
Thor looked toward the horizon.
"An army."
Superman looked at the newcomers.
"No."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Not an army."
Kai looked at him.
"Then what?"
Superman answered:
"Refugees."
Silence.
Kai stared at the people pouring from the pods.
Some were injured.
Some were carrying children.
Some were looking around in confusion.
Some were crying.
They weren't soldiers.
They were survivors.
The stranger walked toward the nearest pod.
He looked inside.
His face changed.
Kai noticed.
"What?"
The stranger didn't answer.
Kai approached.
Inside the pod was a woman.
She looked exhausted.
Her clothing was torn.
She slowly opened her eyes.
The stranger froze.
The woman stared at him.
Her lips trembled.
"...You."
The stranger stepped backward.
"No."
Kai looked between them.
"You know her?"
The woman began crying.
"You said you'd come back."
The stranger's face went pale.
"I couldn't."
"You promised."
"I tried."
"You promised you'd save him."
The stranger couldn't speak.
Kai frowned.
"Save who?"
The woman looked toward Kai.
Her eyes widened.
She stared at him.
For several seconds.
Then—
She whispered:
"Kai?"
Kai froze.
Tony looked at him.
Thor looked at him.
Superman looked at him.
The woman slowly climbed out of the pod.
She approached Kai.
Her hands trembled.
"You..."
Kai couldn't move.
The woman touched his face.
Then pulled her hand away as though she'd been burned.
Tears filled her eyes.
"No."
Kai swallowed.
"Do I know you?"
The woman stared at him.
"You don't remember."
Kai shook his head.
"No."
She looked at the stranger.
Then Kai.
Then the sky.
Her expression became terrified.
"Then we're doomed."
Kai's stomach dropped.
"What?"
The woman stepped backward.
"He's coming."
The stranger immediately turned.
"Who?"
She stared at him.
"The one who destroyed our world."
Kai's heart began pounding.
The woman looked directly at him.
"Your brother isn't coming alone."
The clouds darkened.
The system appeared.
For the first time, every line was red.
[MASSIVE MULTIVERSAL SIGNATURE DETECTED.]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNDEFINED.]
[ENTITY COUNT: 1,000+.]
Kai stared.
"One thousand?"
The system continued.
[Correction.]
[1,000+ MAJOR ENTITIES.]
Tony slowly raised his head.
"That's impossible."
Thor gripped Mjolnir.
Superman looked toward the horizon.
The stranger whispered:
"They found us."
Kai stared at the sky.
A red line appeared across the clouds.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
Like cracks spreading across glass.
And through those cracks...
Something began descending.
Kai's system flashed.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
SURVIVE THE STORM
New Objective: Protect the refugees.
Secondary Objective: Find your brother.
Hidden Objective: Recover your original identity.
Kai stared at the last objective.
Then another line appeared.
[Hidden Objective Reward: ???]
Kai almost laughed.
"Of course."
Tony turned toward him.
"What's funny?"
Kai looked at the approaching army.
Then at Superman.
Thor.
Tony.
The stranger.
The refugees.
For the first time since waking up in this world, something inside him changed.
He was still scared.
He was still confused.
He still had no idea what his powers were.
But he knew one thing.
Those people were running from the same nightmare he was.
And nobody else was stepping forward.
Kai took one step toward them.
The stranger grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Kai looked down at his hand.
Then at him.
"Let go."
"You don't understand what you're doing."
"Maybe."
Kai pulled his arm free.
"But I understand what happens if nobody does anything."
The stranger stared.
Kai turned toward the refugees.
Then toward the sky.
The system appeared.
[Watcher Protocol: ACTIVE.]
[Redemption Protocol: ACTIVE.]
[Wildcard Protocol: ACTIVE.]
[Three Paths Synchronizing.]
Kai froze.
The three paths merged into one.
[NEW UNIQUE CLASS CREATED.]
[CLASS: EXTRAORDINARY EXTRA]
Kai stared.
"That sounds stupid.
The system paused.
[Correction: The class is currently unnamed.]
"Much better."
A second notification appeared.
[Unique Ability Unlocked.]
[CAMEO STEAL — Rank F]
Kai frowned.
"Cameo steal?"
[Temporarily borrow one minor ability from a nearby character.]
Kai stared.
"Any ability?"
[No.]
"Of course."
[Restrictions apply.]
"What restrictions?"
[Unknown.]
Kai stared.
"You're becoming really annoying."
[Noted.]
Kai sighed.
Then the sky exploded.
Thousands of figures descended.
The refugees screamed.
Superman launched into the air.
Thor raised his hammer.
Tony's armor transformed.
The stranger looked at Kai.
"Stay behind us."
Kai smiled.
"No."
The stranger frowned.
"Kai."
Kai looked toward the incoming army.
"You told me I was an extra."
His hands clenched.
"Then I'll prove how dangerous an extra can be."
The system flashed.
[CINEMATIC PROXIMITY EVENT — LEVEL 6]
[CAMEO STEAL AVAILABLE.]
Kai looked around.
Superman.
Thor.
Tony.
Three gods.
Three possibilities.
He smiled.
"Let's see what I can borrow."
He reached toward the nearest hero.
The system suddenly screamed.
[WARNING.]
[TARGET LOCKED.]
[ERROR.]
[TARGET IS NOT A HERO.]
Kai's smile disappeared.
"What?"
The system displayed one final line.
[YOU HAVE TARGETED THE WRONG PERSON.]
Kai slowly turned.
Someone was standing directly behind him.
A little girl.
Maybe eight years old.
She was holding a broken toy.
Kai stared.
The girl looked up.
Her eyes glowed red.
Then she smiled.
"Hello, Kai."
Kai froze.
The girl tilted her head.
And whispered:
"Big brother said you would protect me."
The entire system went black