Beyond the Wasteland Universe, inside the House of Mystery.
The Franklin Radar was undergoing its final adjustments.
The name was simple yet precise—Franklin Radar. In essence, it was a massive magical energy detection system that covered the entire Wasteland Universe, built around Franklin's extraordinary abilities.
Seated in a sleek, high-tech metallic chair, Franklin looked visibly tense. "Are you sure nothing will go wrong? Why do I feel so uneasy?"
"Don't worry, son. This is all in the name of science. With me here, I guarantee you'll be completely safe," Reed Richards reassured him with a smile, placing a glowing helmet on Franklin's head.
Feeling the hard material pressing against his scalp, Franklin rolled his eyes, thinking to himself: 'It's because you're here that I feel this uneasy.'
Nearby, Valeria was rapidly tapping on her tablet. She was using a backup device, one that Alex had specially retrieved for her from home after her previous tablet was lost to the chaos of the spatial rift.
Without turning around, she responded to Franklin's complaints. "What's there to be afraid of, bro? Your power is almost on par with Galactus. Even if the House of Mystery exploded, you'd be fine."
"But it would hurt!" Franklin protested, his expression saying, 'I'm your brother, how can you be this indifferent?'
"Relax. My intellect doesn't make mistakes. I'm 100% confident this time," Valeria declared seriously.
"Heh."
Franklin was unconvinced.
"You said the same thing the last two hundred times. Do I need to remind you that, just last year, you nearly turned half a city into dust trying to generate heating for the Wasteland using nuclear energy?"
"That was an accident! How was I supposed to know Wasteland tech was that unstable?" Valeria's gaze shifted slightly, avoiding eye contact.
"Oh really? And what about the time before that, when you traded with black market dealers for a radioactive isotope? That little stunt caught the attention of Lex Luthor himself, and he sent an army of Doombots after us!" Franklin said, his face stern.
"Th-that was just a misunderstanding, okay? How was I supposed to know the seller was one of Luthor's undercover agents?" Valeria replied, now visibly embarrassed.
Not far away, Alex and Susan watched the sibling argument unfold, amusement flickering in their eyes.
"Those two are so much trouble," Susan sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I actually find them quite endearing," Alex chuckled. "With their level of power, most people would have become a threat to everyone around them. But look at them—they may be reckless, but they still have a sense of restraint. Besides, isn't that just how geniuses are?"
There wasn't a mother in the world who wouldn't be pleased to hear praise for her children. Susan's smile deepened. "I never knew you had so much faith in them."
"There's a saying in the Wasteland…" Alex mused for a moment before continuing, "Children are the future. We must cut off suffering in this generation and strive for a better one in the next."
"I should warn you—never say that in front of those two. Trust me, I know them. They're already a handful. If you start praising them like that, they'll cause some kind of disaster within two days," Susan said with a helpless laugh.
"It's fine. I have a very high tolerance for trouble," Alex replied with a calm smile. Suddenly, an unusual feeling rose within Alex, freezing his smile in place.
His expression grew serious as he slowly turned around.
"Susan, keep an eye on things here. Follow the plan. If anything comes up, message me immediately."
"Where are you going?" Susan asked, puzzled.
This experiment was crucial for the Wasteland. Its outcome could shape the very future of this universe. Given its importance, how could the Wasteland's leader, Alex, possibly leave now?
Alex understood this too. But he also knew—right now, something far more important required his attention. He couldn't afford to stay.
Sighing lightly, he shook his head. "Just a few newly born magical entities. Whether they're gods or demons, they shouldn't be a problem for Clark. But I have something else I need to deal with."
With that, Alex gave Susan a brief nod and strode out of the laboratory.
Susan was curious, but she didn't press further. If Alex said he had something urgent to handle, then it definitely wasn't something trivial.
Watching his figure disappear through the doorway, she withdrew her gaze and refocused on the still-bickering Franklin and Valeria.
As Alex strode quickly down the corridor, his expression remained composed—but his heart was anything but calm.
When he turned into a new hallway, the row of ceiling lights flickered suddenly, as if disturbed by some unseen presence. The glow dimmed.
The corridor, once brightly lit, was now shrouded in shadow.
As Alex passed a nearby window, a massive shadow loomed behind him, moving in perfect step with his own—as if it were something clinging to him.
"You're injured?"
Alex didn't stop walking. He moved forward at the same steady pace, his expression unreadable.
His voice, barely above a murmur, echoed through the silent corridor.
Moments later, the air answered.
""Something unexpected happened… on the way back.""
"Are you sure it was just an accident?" Alex's gaze flickered toward the towering shadow cast upon the wall. His brows furrowed slightly.
""Fine. To be precise, there was… a major problem. But don't worry, Time Bard, we have it under control.""
The voice returned, and with it, two spectral eyes emerged from the darkness.
"Watcher, you're good at hiding emotions with that stoic face of yours," Alex said, turning down another dimly lit corridor. "But you're terrible at lying. Now, tell me—what really happened?"
The Watcher sighed deeply, realizing there was no point in trying to conceal the truth any longer.
""Since we parted ways in the Wasteland… too many things have happened. I don't even know where to start. But I can assure you—for now, this doesn't concern you.""
"'For now'?"
Alex came to an abrupt halt, turning his head slightly. "Take your time. I'm in no rush. Explain it all to me."
As his words fell, an ancient door materialized on the wall ahead of him.
""What is this?"" the Watcher asked, surprised. Even it couldn't see through to the other side.
"Let's just call it a special 'Room of Requirement,'" Alex said casually. "I haven't exactly been idle lately."
Without any gesture or command, the ancient door swung open on its own—almost as if welcoming its rightful owner.
Looking at the open door, Alex stepped aside slightly.
"After you."
Hearing this, the Watcher didn't refuse. He simply lifted his foot and stepped in first.
As they passed through the doorway, a gust of wind blew past them. The Watcher was momentarily stunned—before him was an entirely new world.
Above, thick clouds swirled ominously. Below, everything in sight was barren and lifeless. A foul stench filled the air, making the atmosphere unbearably uncomfortable.
""This… this place is—""
For once, even the Watcher couldn't help but let out a rare note of surprise.
Behind him, Alex slowly followed. "Don't be so shocked. It's just the Void at the end of time. You've seen it before."
Ever since establishing the Overseers and consolidating the timelines of the Wasteland Universe, Alex had discovered this peculiar space drifting at the beginning and end of the Wasteland's timeline.
Originally, this place was nothingness—a beginning and an end in itself. In the sacred timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this was the "garbage dump" created by He Who Remains, Kang. Any pruned variants were sent here to fend for themselves.
However, in the Wasteland Universe, there were no such "time criminals."
Instead of using a time-pruning device, Alex and his people employed the Ultimate Nullifier.
Though both methods appeared to yield similar results, the details were vastly different.
The power of the Ultimate Nullifier was infinite. Anything erased by it disappeared entirely, as if wiped away by a higher-dimensional being wielding an eraser. It ceased to exist at its very root.
This meant that any erased anomalous timelines had never existed in the first place. There was no case of "erasing a timeline branch equals killing everyone in that branch."
Meanwhile, organisms pruned by the Time Pruning Device were automatically sent to the end of time, where they were devoured entirely by the guardian of this place—Alioth.
Few people truly understood what Alioth was, as it had appeared only a handful of times in the comics and was never fully explored.
But that didn't mean its power was weak. On the contrary, as a being beyond time, Alioth's strength allowed it to warp any reality it touched. Even time itself corroded in its presence.
Alioth wasn't the sworn enemy of any specific hero or organization. If anyone had truly stood in its way, it would have been Kang the Conqueror.
Had it not been for Kang's time barriers holding Alioth at bay, then the past, present, and future of all universes might have become its feast—devoured without a trace.
.....
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