CRUNCH!

Another devastating punch landed, the sound echoing like a hammer smashing metal in a silent forge. The impact tore away the last fragile remnants of Tony's helmet, shards of nanotech scattering across the cracked pavement like glittering debris.

Now there was no hiding the damage.

His face—bruised in angry purples, streaked with blood, and already swelling in uneven patches—was laid bare for everyone to see. One eye was half-shut, the other glassy and unfocused.

The once-mighty Iron Man suit barely clung to him. The sleek, seamless armor that had once symbolized innovation and power was reduced to a pitiful patchwork of warped plates and sparking circuits. It looked less like advanced technology and more like junkyard scrap welded together in desperation.

"Homelander… this is our last hope… please…"

Tony's voice was barely above a whisper, rasping and broken. His breath rattled in his chest, every word dragging pain with it.

Alex's answer was merciless.

THUD.

His fist connected with Tony's jaw in a single, smooth motion—not a wild haymaker, but the casual precision of someone swatting an insect.

The billionaire genius didn't even cry out. His head jerked violently to the side, and the light in his eyes went out as he crumpled into unconsciousness.

Alex's lips curled into a faint smirk.

"What the hell happened?"

"Alex, who are these two?"

The rapid pounding of footsteps announced the arrival of Raven, Cyclops, Liz, and Vincent. They emerged from the shadows of the ruined street, eyes darting over the scene with barely contained shock.

"Just some interesting visitors."

Alex brushed invisible dust from his knuckles, his tone so casual it might have been mistaken for boredom. To him, it hadn't been a fight—just a mild warm-up.

"Bring them inside."

The X-Men traded quick glances—half confusion, half awe—before moving to obey.

Scott crouched to check Steve's vitals, while Vincent poked cautiously at Tony's armor.

"Vincent, look at this guy's suit! What even is this?"

"It's just metal armor, idiot. Why are you so impressed?"

"Uh, because it's insane? Have you ever seen anything like it in your life?"

Their whispered bickering only grew louder when they got a clear look at Steve's face.

"Wait… does this guy look familiar to you?"

"Yeah… kinda like… Captain America?"

The absurdity of the thought made them shake their heads. Time travel? Impossible. Probably just a lookalike.

"Enough talking. Move."

Raven's sharp voice cut through their chatter. She wasn't here for teenage excitement—this was still enemy handling.

Scott and Vincent lifted Steve with careful efficiency, while Raven and Liz each hooked an arm under Tony's limp body.

Alex didn't so much as bend a knee to help. Hands in pockets, he simply strolled back toward the base at an unhurried pace, already thinking several steps ahead.

---

Inside the Base.

Emma and Vanessa were already there when they arrived, their postures tense and watchful.

"Alex, what's going on?"

Emma didn't wait for him to explain. Her eyes narrowed, and a subtle pulse of psychic energy swept over the room like a cold wind. Her telepathy reached into the minds of the unconscious strangers, peeling back thoughts and memories layer by layer.

Then—

Her breath hitched.

"This… has to be a joke."

"What? What did you see?" Vanessa's voice was sharp with urgency.

The others instinctively leaned closer.

"They're… from the future."

For a heartbeat, silence reigned.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

"Emma, are you serious?"

"That's impossible!"

Even Emma herself wavered. The concept was so far removed from the rules they lived by.

"Maybe… I made a mistake."

"No, you didn't."

Alex's voice was steady, slicing through the uncertainty.

"I trust your abilities, Emma."

Her pulse quickened at the words. It wasn't flattery—Alex never wasted breath on empty praise. It was trust, plain and absolute.

"Alex, what do we do with them?" Hank asked from the corner, adjusting his glasses in his usual measured way.

"Raven, give them a room. Bring them to me when they wake up."

"No restraints?" Raven's brow arched in doubt.

"Won't be necessary."

Alex's tone was dismissive, but his confidence was iron. He knew men like Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Recklessness wasn't their style—especially not after being beaten so decisively.

"Understood."

Raven gave a curt nod and started issuing orders. Within moments, the two battered intruders were carried away.

---

Later – The War Room.

The dim lighting cast long shadows across the table where Alex sat, his elbows resting on the cool surface. His gaze was fixed somewhere far beyond the walls.

That fight—short as it had been—had revealed something.

They feared him.

Not just here, in this moment, but in the timeline they'd come from. In the future, he was someone of significance. Someone whose presence mattered enough to inspire this level of tension.

The question was… who exactly had he become?

What role had he played in the Infinity War?

Had he been there at the Snap?

The unanswered questions burned like coals in the back of his mind.

"Alex."

Emma's voice pulled him back to the present.

"I dug deeper. One of them is Captain America. The real one."

Alex didn't flinch. He'd suspected it from the very start.

"Emma, when they wake up, I want you there."

"Of course."

Her curiosity matched his. The future had just walked into their base, and neither of them intended to waste the opportunity.

"Alex, they're here."

Raven's voice carried from the doorway. She stepped inside, flanked by two of the most battered men in history.

Tony Stark's expression was a mix of pain and barely concealed irritation. Steve Rogers's eyes held a soldier's defiance—but also the weight of recent defeat.

Alex took in the sight of them and smiled faintly.

Their expressions were priceless.

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