After greeting the leaders of Krakoa, Alex followed Charles, Erik, and the others into the royal hall.
"Alex!"
"Headmaster!"
The White Queen, Cyclops, Hashirama, and other absolute core members of the mutant nation hurried over in excitement.
Alex returned their greetings with a warm smile.
He hadn't realized it before—but after wandering another universe for years, he finally felt it.
Krakoa was his real home.
Stepping back into this familiar place filled him with a rare sense of warmth.
Soon after, the celebration began.
Charles and the others had prepared a grand ceremony for Alex's return.
Alex didn't act modest—he joined them and enjoyed the feast with genuine warmth.
---
After the Banquet
When everything settled, the core leaders gathered once more.
"Alright, tell me… how have things been? Krakoa hasn't run into any trouble, has it?"
Alex asked casually.
Considering Krakoa's ridiculous defensive power—Charles plus Erik were practically a cheat code—Alex wasn't very worried.
Not to mention Cyclops, Storm, and the rest of the X-Men…
And the five Infinity Stones he left behind?
That was just bullying.
That was why he'd felt safe enough to wander the multiverse for years.
"Don't worry, Alex. Everything on Krakoa is perfectly fine."
Charles said with a smile before giving Alex a general report.
Everything was indeed as peaceful as Charles claimed.
---
"Then… what about outside Krakoa?"
Alex asked casually.
At that moment, he clearly saw the expression of several mutant leaders shift slightly.
Ah.
So something has happened in the Marvel world.
Alex immediately understood.
"Alex, there is one thing we do need to tell you."
Erik said seriously.
"We've captured two individuals from another universe."
Another universe?
Captured?
That meant the intruders weren't particularly strong.
Alex's curiosity was instantly hooked.
"Alex," Hank said with a sigh, "to be honest, when you insisted on exploring other universes, I didn't fully understand."
"But in hindsight—you were right. The world soon entered the multiverse era. And thankfully, we weren't completely unprepared for it."
Hank then began explaining their newly captured guests.
"Yesterday, someone shattered our universe's dimensional barrier. Two unexpected visitors fell through."
"One of them calls himself Stephen Strange—apparently, he's a sorcerer."
"The other is a girl named America."
"On the surface, she appears to be an ordinary girl with no special abilities…"
"Though that still requires verification."
Alex's expression turned wonderfully complicated.
Doctor Strange?
America Chavez?
This was literally the plot of Doctor Strange 2: The Multiverse of Madness.
Which meant—
The Darkhold-corrupted Scarlet Witch was coming.
And that was a serious problem.
This was the Scarlet Witch who:
soloed Kamar-Taj
massacred an entire Illuminati
rampaged through the multiverse with zero opposition
To be completely honest—
Six years ago, even Alex would've lacked confidence fighting that monster.
But now?
Alex actually wanted to test how strong the corrupted Wanda really was.
---
"Where are the two of them now? Imprisoned on Krakoa?"
Alex asked.
"In truth, they aren't held on Krakoa," Charles replied meaningfully. "They're stored in a separate secure facility."
"Alex, there is something else we need to tell you."
Erik added, "During your years of multiversal travel… Charles and several others formed a secret organization."
Alex raised a brow.
"If it involves Tony Stark…
It's the Illuminati, isn't it?"
Of course it was.
Xavier + Stark creating a secret group?
It could only be that disaster of an organization:
The Illuminati.
A group famous for:
making the worst decisions possible at the worst times.
"After Infinite Ultron invaded our universe, many people realized the multiverse is real," Charles explained.
"To prepare for threats from other universes, Stark and I formed a group."
"It's called…
The Illuminati."
Alex held his forehead.
Yep. Exactly what he expected.
---
"Alex, the Illuminati is holding a tribunal for Strange and America in two hours."
Charles said.
"I told everyone from the beginning—if you ever return, this organization is open to you."
"Because you are the greatest trump card our universe possesses."
After all, Alex was universally acknowledged as the world's strongest being—
the one who stopped Infinite Ultron.
If the multiverse was involved…
There was no one more qualified to participate.
And if a catastrophic situation arose, Alex would be the one they'd rely on to turn the tide.
---
"Sounds good."
Alex nodded.
Actually, he was genuinely curious about other parallel universes.
For example—
Were there versions of him in those universes?
He already knew that his time travel had split a few timelines, so alternate Alexes existed in those branches.
But beyond that?
He didn't know.
And America Chavez's power to freely travel the multiverse—
Alex found that ability extremely valuable.
If she stayed on Krakoa, then in future multiversal crises, Alex's people could respond instantly.
---
"Alright, Alex. It's time to go."
After some final discussions, Charles rose and motioned for Alex to follow.
Alex stood, nodded lightly, and walked out with them.
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