For a moment, the entire area around the platform fell into silence.
Everyone realized they had lost an important partner—Natasha.
None of them had expected that a mission through time would cost them a comrade.
Steve lowered his head, clenched his fists tightly, and his shoulders trembled slightly, as if trying to suppress the surge of emotion within him.
He didn't want the tears to fall, but the grief in his heart surged like a tide, threatening to overwhelm him.
Dr. Banner was also on his knees, eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow. He couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept that Natasha was gone.
Then, a dazzling light suddenly flashed on the platform. As the light gradually faded, a figure appeared before them.
"Why does time-space teleportation feel so disgusting?" Alex Ray opened his eyes and glanced down at himself before quickly scanning the surroundings. He needed to assess where he had landed.
What met his gaze were eyes full of grief and disbelief.
Alex instantly recognized those eyes—Captain America Steve Rogers, Iron Man Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, now permanently merged with the Hulk, and Ant-Man Scott Lang were all here.
Of course, there was also Clint Barton—Hawkeye—kneeling silently, lost in grief; Nebula, visibly confused; Thor, now overweight and disheveled; Rocket Raccoon from the Guardians of the Galaxy; and James Rhodes—War Machine—unable to stand without his armor.
Once Alex confirmed everything, he exhaled a breath of relief.
They hadn't traveled to the wrong parallel universe. This was indeed the future version of the Avengers timeline they had been searching for.
Just as Alex was about to speak, a voice sounded behind him.
"Ugh, this feeling of temporal displacement is unbearable. I nearly threw up." Doctor Strange groaned, his face pale. The discomfort of the teleportation clearly hit him harder than usual.
Still, he was a doctor—and not just any doctor—but one with extensive training and resilience far beyond the average person. Despite his nausea, he maintained his composure.
Alex couldn't recall previous universe jumps ever being this physically uncomfortable. Something was clearly different this time.
"Strange? Weren't you dead? Why are you here? Wait… who are you?!"
Even in his grief, Steve was alert enough to turn toward the newcomers with suspicion.
Alex didn't need to look back. Just from Steve's tone and voice, he knew it was Captain America. They hadn't interacted much before, but that tone was unmistakable.
Without turning around, Alex tapped into his Observation Haki. He immediately understood that most of those present had already armed themselves, ready to strike—everyone except Dr. Banner and Tony.
Thor was gripping both his hammer and axe, Steve had drawn his shield, and even the mourning Hawkeye had notched an arrow on his bow.
"Oh come on, Alex," Strange muttered, exasperated. "I told you I didn't want to get dragged into more trouble like this."
Though annoyed, his voice lacked any fear. In his deep eyes, there was only calm.
Alex chuckled softly, his voice calm and resolute. "This isn't trouble. This is just their welcome ceremony. You or me?"
As his words fell, a black aura began to swirl around him, dark and oppressive, as if it were an abyssal force rising to the surface.
He clearly intended to act. Though Alex didn't believe the Avengers would actually attack him, he didn't feel like wasting time on explanations either. Sometimes, showing strength spoke louder than words.
Still, he wouldn't go overboard. They would need these Avengers to fight Thanos soon. If he hurt them badly now, who would face the Mad Titan? Who would deal with the army?
But a show of strength was necessary. They needed to understand the cost of underestimating him.
The black aura surged and churned as Alex lightly raised his hand. Instantly, those Avengers preparing to attack found themselves immobilized by an invisible force.
From the shadows cast beneath them, black tendrils rose, binding them tightly.
The Shadow Corps was as effective as ever—not just for clearing enemy fodder, but for crowd control too.
Sometimes, Alex thought, black magic was wildly underrated.
"He's Alex Ray, the Lord of Hell from the universe we just visited," Tony confirmed, now recognizing the figure. "Don't panic. They're here to help. They have one of the Infinity Stones."
Seeing Alex take sudden action jolted Bruce out of his grief. He quickly stepped forward to calm the situation.
"I'm really sorry. They didn't mean to threaten you," Banner said, apologetically. "It's my fault. I was too caught up in… in losing Natasha to explain who you were."
Bruce understood the power Alex and Strange wielded. If they chose to go rogue, the universe would collapse long before Thanos arrived. The two of them alone could obliterate the planet.
He bowed slightly, hoping Alex would understand the misunderstanding.
"This is how you greet people who've crossed time and space to help you?" Alex said coldly, but his tone softened slightly. "I get it. It won't happen again."
With that, he waved a hand, and the shadow bindings dispersed. The Avengers staggered as they regained control of their bodies.
"What the hell is going on?" asked Rocket, glancing between the newly arrived strangers and the still-unsettled Avengers.
Steve frowned, trying to process everything. "All I know is… I met Captain Carter."
Tony stepped in. "To put it simply… something went wrong when we entered the Quantum Realm. The four of us didn't go back in time—we landed in another universe."
He gestured toward Alex. "And the man you just saw bind you all in place is Alex Ray, the Lord of Hell in that timeline. Over there, their history is completely different—and they've got way more superheroes than we do."
Tony glanced at Banner, indicating that was all he knew.
Banner took over the explanation. "Right. I didn't get the Infinity Stone on my end, but they promised to lend it to us. They've brought it here themselves."
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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