"What do you think you're doing?"
Alex's voice carried like a blade across the battlefield—cold, sharp, and absolute. He didn't need to raise his tone; the sheer contempt dripping from his words was enough to make Druig falter.
The Eternal's confidence cracked instantly.
Gulp.
A bead of sweat rolled down Druig's temple. His mind, capable of bending the will of armies, suddenly felt fragile under Alex's gaze—as if every wall he had built in his heart could be crushed at a whim.
Sizzle!
Twin beams of molten red erupted from Alex's eyes, cutting through the air like judgment itself.
Druig had no time to think, let alone evade. The searing energy smashed into him, sending his body skidding across the stone like a ragdoll before collapsing in a heap.
"Pathetic," Alex muttered.
And then—
Boom!
Another impact shook the ground as Ikaris went flying again, smashed aside like nothing more than a training dummy. His once-proud form crashed through a ridge of stone, leaving behind a jagged crater.
"You really are a tenacious cockroach."
Alex hovered above the ruin, his voice laced with weary disdain. For a moment, he almost sounded bored—as though the effort required to swat down Ikaris was less of a challenge and more of an irritation.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"Let's finish this."
With a burst of speed, he tore through the air, a living cannonball.
Bang! Bang! Boom!
The valley shook under the thunder of impacts. The mountains trembled as Alex pummeled Ikaris without mercy, fists and kicks raining down like meteors. Each strike was accompanied by a shockwave, dirt and rock exploding outward as if the very land itself rejected Ikaris's defiance.
The Eternal's grunts turned into ragged screams, then dwindled into silence as his body was beaten from sky to ground, ground to sky, and back again—like a toy caught in a storm.
Finally—
Thud!
A devastating punch slammed into his ribs midair, hurling him straight into the earth.
BOOOOM!
The ground split open as he plummeted, carving a crater so deep it looked like a wound in the planet itself. Dust and debris billowed upward in a choking storm.
This time, Ikaris didn't rise. His battered body lay still, sprawled in the pit, unconscious.
Floating effortlessly, Alex extended a hand.
Whoosh.
Invisible telekinetic force surged. Ikaris's limp body lifted from the crater, suspended like a broken puppet. With casual indifference, Alex tossed him onto the ground before the assembled Eternals.
The sound of Ikaris's body hitting the stone was deafening in the silence that followed.
Every eye was on Alex now.
Sprite, bruised and trembling. Kingo, still coughing blood. Druig, sprawled on the ground, dazed and powerless. Not one of them dared move.
They had all seen it. The overwhelming difference. The unbridgeable gulf.
Even weakened, even as a so-called "clone," Alex had dismantled them all.
And he hadn't even killed anyone.
That mercy—if it could be called that—was the only reason they were still breathing.
---
Alex landed softly, his boots touching the cracked ground. He turned to Phastos, his voice cool but commanding.
"Phastos. Abort the teleportation."
The Eternal engineer froze, his expression tightening. He glanced toward Ajak, searching for direction. His fingers hovered over the glowing console of energy patterns, hesitating.
The ritual—months of preparation—was moments from activation. But now… now it was meaningless.
Ajak met his eyes, her expression weary but resolute. She gave a single nod.
With a reluctant sigh, Phastos raised his hands and began dismantling the golden glyphs, threads of cosmic circuitry unraveling one by one.
The humming air went silent. The teleportation plan… was no more.
---
Boom!
The air itself cracked.
Another sonic boom resounded as a second figure landed heavily in the plaza. Dust and pebbles scattered from the impact, and every Eternal stiffened in recognition.
It was him.
The original.
2016 Alex.
The tension in the air grew suffocating. For the first time, the immortal warriors of Arishem felt like prey caught between two predators—the Alex who had just crushed Ikaris… and the Alex whose presence weighed heavier than the sky.
"So," 2016 Alex said, scanning the scene with an unhurried glance, his tone calm, almost disappointed, "our plan has failed after all."
Ajak stepped forward, her expression regretful. "I'm sorry, Alex. Unexpected variables arose. I couldn't contain them."
She did not bother hiding her allegiance anymore. Not when everything was already exposed.
2016 Alex studied her for a long moment, then gave a slight nod. "It's not your fault."
His gaze shifted, sweeping over the battered Eternals, then back to his counterpart—the clone who had single-handedly subdued them.
"But now…" His tone hardened. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask all of you to come with me."
---
Kingo bristled, his voice sharp. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said." 2016 Alex's expression remained unreadable. "I've prepared quarters for you. Comfortable enough. Food. Water. Shelter. But until further notice, you'll remain there. Quietly. Without incident."
The words struck like chains, shackling the air.
"...You're going to arrest us?" Sprite asked, her voice incredulous.
"Correct," 2016 Alex said evenly. Then, with the faintest flicker of irony: "If you dislike the term, call it… containment. It doesn't matter. The result is the same."
Silence.
The Eternals exchanged uneasy glances.
2016 Alex's next words cut through any lingering illusions of choice.
"This isn't a negotiation." His eyes burned with cold fire as they swept across the group. "If it weren't for Ajak, every single one of you would already be dead. Don't mistake your status as Eternals for protection. To me, you're nothing."
The weight of his killing intent rolled out like a storm. Several of them staggered under it, their knees nearly buckling.
"And if anyone dares resist…" His voice dipped into ice. "I will kill you. Without hesitation."
No one moved.
Even Sprite—who had opened her mouth to protest—swallowed her words.
---
Ajak's tone was heavy, commanding, as she addressed her companions. "Everyone. You know Alex. He does not bluff. Even I cannot protect you from him." Her gaze hardened. "So obey his order. Recognize me as your leader. And trust that when this is over, I will give you an explanation."
Her voice cracked like a whip. This was no request—it was an order.
Under her command, under Alex's threat, resistance died before it could begin.
One by one, the Eternals lowered their heads, subdued.
Even if Ikaris had been conscious, he would have defied them. But beaten and unconscious, he had no say in the matter.
---
And so, with no further struggle, the mighty Eternals—Arishem's immortal creations—were escorted under guard, taken to Krakoa, placed under surveillance.
The tables had turned.
The hunters had become prisoners.
---
Later, Alex and his 2016 counterpart gathered with the mutant leaders.
Alex recounted every detail, his words carrying the weight of inevitability.
When he finished, the room was heavy with silence.
Mystique narrowed her eyes. "So… the culprit behind the failed teleportation was Ikaris."
Alex nodded. His expression was cold, certain.
"If I hadn't intervened, the mutants would already have been teleported straight into Arishem's hands."
The revelation sent a chill through everyone present.
The battle was over. But the war… the war was only just beginning.
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