"Ugh!"
"Comfortable!"
Alaric stretched lazily, arching his back, completely satisfied.
Ever since he had opened the Dimensional Eternal Night World and his power had grown significantly, he was no longer sure exactly how strong he had become.
But he knew one thing: it had to be immense.
He even felt the urge to go to the Dark Dimension and seek out Dormammu just to "test his strength."
Even if Dormammu were to beat him brutally, he would still try his best to display his power, if only to shake off that feeling of unease.
Of course, before stepping into the Dark Dimension, he planned to go to Kamar-Taj and borrow the Eye of Agamotto, to give himself a layer of time-protective effect, like a temporary BUFF.
Alaric was extremely comfortable here.
But for others, not at all.
Especially not for Francis, who stood by the experimental chamber holding Vanessa. He didn't even dare to blink, completely stunned by the sight of the half-destroyed ship's hull.
Even Wade was briefly terrified… but then immediately became excited!
As if he had won the jackpot in a lottery, he jumped on the spot, brimming with excitement.
"Oh, God! My friend is so powerful!!"
Colossus gaped, staring at Alaric without blinking.
What was this man's origin?
Was it truly possible, as he himself claimed, that he was a mage?
But in all the stories, novels, and movies, mages Colossus knew of were nothing like this!
What kind of mage could fight with bare hands!?
Not to mention fighting with such incredible strength!
Just with that one punch earlier, Colossus felt that if he had been in Angel's place, he would have been completely destroyed.
The thought was terrifying and went completely against all his previous experiences.
Such a powerful individual made Colossus feel that not even Professor Charles could win him over.
As for Warhead, she instinctively took a step back, utterly frightened.
Comparing strength?
She didn't even dare to think about it.
That would be death.
…
At that moment, the ground suddenly trembled, and even the entire abandoned steamship they were on began to tilt and collapse.
Soon, everyone realized the reason.
The ship had lost its balance due to Alaric's devastating punch and began to sink and break apart.
"Vanessa!"
The deck suddenly tilted sharply, and both Wade and Francis slid downward.
The same happened to the experimental module in which Vanessa was confined.
The drop from here was more than ten meters. If the module fell, even if Vanessa survived the impact, the shelves and steel crashing down behind it would be enough to crush her.
Wade fought desperately against the sliding and ran toward where Vanessa was.
"Wade!!"
Vanessa cried out from inside. Fortunately, Francis, who had just mocked Wade earlier, had not yet activated the device or released the air from the chamber.
"Vanessa!!"
Wade grabbed the experimental chamber, which was hanging suspended by a rope, and desperately tried to think of a way to save her.
Below.
"Alaric! Can you save them?"
In the critical moment, Colossus shouted toward Alaric.
"Of course."
Even if Colossus hadn't said anything, Alaric was already moving.
In the next instant, he opened a portal directly beneath Wade and the experimental chamber.
All they had to do was let go, and they could fall straight onto solid ground without injury.
"Wade!" Colossus shouted, reaching out a hand through the portal.
"Great! Vanessa, we're saved!"
Seeing the open portal, Wade didn't hesitate. He turned, rushed to the experimental cabin, cut the rope holding it, and descended together with Vanessa.
Colossus grabbed them and pulled them through the portal, bringing them to safety.
Boom!
Just as Wade and Vanessa were saved, the entire ship collapsed, overturned, and crashed onto the shore, turning into a heap of rubble and steel.
"Vanessa!"
Wade immediately pulled Vanessa out of the chamber, but before he could say anything…
"Wade!? You idiot!!"
Vanessa began furiously hitting his shoulders and head, even kicking him.
"No, no, no! Please, calm down! Let's just forget about all that!" Wade tried to shield himself with his hands, retreating backward.
"Wow! What an emotional, exciting reunion!" Alaric quipped cynically, but with a smile.
"Idiot! You're alive, so why didn't you come back for me?!"
Vanessa glared at him angrily, but her eyes shone with emotion, and tears began to well up.
"I'm sorry, I…"
"Wade…"
Vanessa reached out her hand to pull back his hood.
"Wait, wait! Not yet, please! Wait until I take care of Francis!"
Wade backed away, alarmed by her gesture, and then suddenly remembered Francis.
He wanted to settle things with him first, only then would he dare to show Vanessa his disfigured face.
"Francis!!"
Wade grabbed his long knife and rushed toward the rubble, determined to find him.
He didn't believe Francis could have died so easily in the ship's collapse.
"Wade! You're… you're completely crazy!!" Vanessa shouted, frustrated by his actions.
"Ma'am, please calm down, I'll go find him," said Colossus, gently patting her shoulder to reassure her before rushing after Wade.
He didn't want to see Wade kill Francis. That didn't align with the ideals of the X-Men he represented.
"Are you… are you Wade's friends?" Vanessa asked, looking toward Alaric and Warhead.
She was puzzled by their strange appearances and the unusual powers they displayed.
But as soon as she thought of Wade, she somehow felt these people were a perfect match to be his friends.
"More or less," Alaric replied calmly.
"Do you know… what happened to Wade? Why didn't he ever come back for me?"
Vanessa wanted to know what had happened during the years of his absence.
"He went to look for you, but he couldn't find you."
"Then he…?"
"The specific reasons, let him tell you himself. I'll take my leave."
Alaric didn't want to intrude on Vanessa and Wade's emotional reunion. He snapped his fingers and vanished in an instant, leaving unnoticed.
Of course, before leaving, he erased his memories from the minds of Colossus and Warhead.
He didn't want his presence to become a source of complications or unnecessary attention.
Vanessa stared at the spot where Alaric had disappeared and blinked a few times, bewildered.
What was the origin of that man?
"How should I call you?" she asked, looking at the girl standing beside her.
"Warhead."
"Oh…" Vanessa was momentarily at a loss for words.
A girl… named Warhead.
Why that name?
"Who was the one who just left? Are you all together?" she continued, referring to Alaric.
"He's Colossus's partner," said Warhead.
"Colossus? Oh, you mean the huge metal guy… But no, I'm not asking about him. I'm asking about the one in the red cloak, the one who disappeared."
"Who? We're all here," said Warhead, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Vanessa was even more astonished.
Hadn't she just seen the man in the red cloak vanish right in front of her?
Either the girl had problems with her vision… or with her memory.
Vanessa simply shook her head, deciding not to press further.
At that moment, a gunshot rang out from within the rubble.
Soon, Colossus and Wade emerged from the dust and smoke.
Wade was dusty but alive, holding his long knife in his hands.
"Wade!" Vanessa ran toward him and hugged him tightly.
"Vanessa, I'm sorry…" Wade began in a trembling voice.
"Vanessa… this guy under the mask is no longer the man you remember."
"It's okay."
Vanessa slowly raised her hand and removed his mask.
"Wow…" she murmured, but her gaze remained gentle.
"Yeah… I know," she replied softly.
"It's all right. I just need a little time to get used to it… maybe a few drinks."
"Darling…" Wade said in a hoarse voice, trying to smile, and then simply pulled Vanessa close to him.
Colossus stood to the side, unable to tolerate their sentimentality any longer. He crossed his arms and looked at them sternly.
"Hey, where's my dear friend, the one who helped us? Did he leave?" Wade asked, looking around for Alaric.
"Who?" Colossus looked around in confusion.
"Alaric! The guy who looked like some kind of Count Dracula!" Wade exclaimed.
"Who is Alaric?" Colossus looked at Warhead for an answer.
Warhead only shrugged, showing she had no idea who Wade was talking about.
"Wade…" Vanessa gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, glancing at Colossus and Warhead, signaling that maybe they weren't entirely in their right minds.
Wade thought for a moment, then nodded seriously, as if confirming her suspicions.
Colossus and Warhead just stared at the two of them, completely baffled.