The room fell silent, as if the very air had been pulled out of it.

Every mutant present stared at Alex, their expressions a mix of disbelief and apprehension.

Travel to the future?

It was an idea so audacious, so utterly impossible, that only Alex would say it aloud without hesitation. The concept hung in the air like a live wire, sparking with danger and possibility.

"Go to the future? Professor, are you serious?"

Scott's voice cracked as he blurted out the question, the pitch rising in a way that betrayed both his shock and the faintest trace of panic. His hands, which had been resting on the table, curled into tense fists.

Time travel to the future… this was beyond anything they had ever attempted. In their experience, time travelers arrived here, in their present—never the other way around.

"Alex, this isn't the time for jokes," Hank muttered, adjusting his glasses with a nervous twitch. The idea alone was enough to send a dozen red flags screaming in his mind.

"No," Emma said firmly, her eyes narrowing with focus. "This might truly be our only option."

Her words brought a stillness to the room. If people from the future could travel backward, there was no reason—at least in theory—that they couldn't go forward. The mechanics were dangerous, unpredictable, but not impossible. The two stranded time travelers had to possess a way back to their own era.

"I know it sounds extreme," Alex admitted, his tone turning solemn, "but right now, it's the only path that makes sense."

This wasn't only about mutantkind's fate—it was about his own survival. He couldn't ignore the truth: if every mutant vanished in the future, then somewhere along the line, that included him. And while Marvel's convoluted time rules meant altering the past didn't necessarily fix the future, knowing when and how it happened could give them decades to prepare for it.

"But Alex, we have no idea what we'd be walking into," Hank insisted, his voice tight.

"We have two living guides right here," Emma countered, her gaze flicking meaningfully toward the rooms where Stark and Rogers were being kept.

"Hank," Raven's voice cut through sharply, "Alex is right. We're out of options." She swept her eyes around the table. "What does everyone else think?"

For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, one by one, reluctant nods began to spread through the group.

This wasn't just about survival—it was about refusing to go quietly into extinction. The dangers of time travel were real, but the danger of doing nothing was far greater.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

The Blackbird's engines rumbled to silence as it settled on the landing pad. Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr entered together, their steps steady but their expressions carved in stone.

"Alex," Magneto said, his sharp gaze taking in the somber faces gathered around. "What's so urgent that you summoned us both at once?"

"Inside," Alex said simply, motioning toward the war room.

Once the doors sealed behind them, Alex laid it all out—every detail, every impossible revelation. The arrival of the time travelers. Krakoa's rise as a mutant haven. The inexplicable disappearance of every mutant on Earth in the years to come.

Charles listened without a word, his brow furrowed deeper with every passing second. Erik's eyes darkened, his arms folded like steel bars across his chest.

"You're certain?" Charles finally asked, his voice low but strained.

"Emma read their minds. They weren't lying," Alex said without hesitation.

The weight of the statement settled heavily on both men. For a long time, neither spoke. Then Charles gave a slow, grave nod.

"If what you say is true, then this plan… as dangerous as it is… may be our only hope."

"We'll hold the line here," Erik added, his voice like cold iron. "But the future—that's your battlefield now."

The decision was made.

---

War Room – Reunion

When Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were brought back in, the shift in the room's atmosphere was palpable. The two Avengers now stood face-to-face with the legendary Professor X and Magneto, an encounter brimming with unspoken history and tension.

"Captain Rogers," Charles greeted warmly, extending his hand. "It's an honor."

He didn't so much as glance at Tony, whose armor was still dented and streaked with dried blood.

Erik, on the other hand, offered neither greeting nor smile—only a cool, unblinking stare at both men, his arms still crossed.

"Professor," Steve replied politely, shaking Charles' hand before turning to Alex. "I assume you've reached a decision?"

"We have," Alex said, leaning forward with calm finality. "You want the Tesseract? You can have it."

Both men's eyes lit with brief, cautious hope. But years of dealing with men like Alex had taught them that any offer this direct came with strings—razor-sharp ones.

"And in return?" Steve asked, wary.

"You'll take me to the future with you," Alex said plainly, his gaze unwavering.

The statement landed like a heavy stone dropped into deep water.

"My mission is to investigate the mutant disappearances. When the time comes, you'll help me travel to the exact moment it happens."

Tony and Steve exchanged a silent, loaded glance. They'd expected demands, but this… this was inviting a nuclear warhead into their future.

And yet…

Without Alex's cooperation, they were stranded. No way home. No path forward. They had made a vow: whatever it takes.

Steve straightened, resolve hardening in his expression.

"We accept your terms."

A subtle wave of relief moved through the room. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was a plan—a dangerous, uncertain plan, but a plan nonetheless.

After so many dead ends and impossible choices, an alliance had been forged.

The game had changed.

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