In such a sophisticated and highly classified command center, it was unlikely that not a single person would be present.
The energy and reaction generated when Alex was sent here by the Watcher were immense, no less than an interdimensional transfer via the Bifröst.
With such an exaggerated "entry effect," there was no way the guards here wouldn't have noticed.
Unless…
Frowning slightly, Alex activated the Eye of the Sorcerer.
Instantly, his vision shifted in an eerie and unnatural way. Everything around him was overlaid with a ghostly green hue, as if a filter had been applied to the entire scene. The air and every object in the room shimmered with an unsettling glow.
At each workstation, he saw swirling shadows, shifting and roiling in place.
These things looked like smoke or tar—light and weightless yet unnervingly viscous. Alex couldn't determine their exact nature, but from their outlines, they had likely been living beings.
"Don't tell me… the people here all…"
His expression darkened as he reached out to touch a nearby shadowy mass.
The moment Alex made contact, the shadow flickered with golden light, as if triggered by a powerful force, before it began to collapse in on itself.
Surprised, Alex instinctively pulled his hand back. But he quickly noticed that the shadow had no offensive properties; rather, the moment it touched him, it started to disintegrate.
[Master, your energy appears to be affecting everything around you. According to my analysis, upon coming into contact with your physical body, the shadowy matter becomes highly unstable.]
Miss Minutes suddenly appeared out of nowhere, landing on Alex's shoulder.
"I want to know why these people ended up like this," Alex muttered, watching as the shadow dissolved into nothing.
[Insufficient data. I can't determine the exact cause. However, I suspect that when the Watcher transported you here, the energy released was too great, carrying some anomalous multiversal energy along with it.]
Miss Minutes tilted her body slightly and whispered in Alex's ear.
[While this energy has no effect on you, for ordinary people, the radiation alone could have reshaped their entire biological structure.]
"Reshaped their life forms…?"
Alex's gaze swept across the eerie, shifting shadows around him, his expression grim.
"Are you telling me that just a bit of multiversal energy can turn these people into… Dementors?"
Miss Minutes immediately understood the reference but could only shrug helplessly.
[The multiverse contains countless types of energies, and you've traveled through an unimaginable number of worlds. Who knows what kind of complex radiation you've brought with you? So…]
"Alright, let's not dwell on this."
Alex didn't focus too much on the why—though he was curious about the cause, he knew there were more pressing matters at hand.
Turning away, he walked toward the main control console.
There, another shadow was shifting erratically, and beside it, a communication device dangled off the desk, swaying slightly with a still-connected transmission line.
"It looks like the multiversal energy didn't just kill everyone—it messed with their equipment too."
Picking up the communicator, Alex glanced at it briefly before setting it aside.
Judging by the scene, whoever had been here was in the middle of a conversation when Alex's arrival interrupted their call—and seemingly destroyed everything in the process.
Watching Alex tinker with the control panel, pressing buttons and tapping screens, Miss Minutes tilted her head in curiosity.
[Master, what exactly are you trying to do?]
"I want to see if these systems are still functional."
Alex didn't look back as he spoke.
After a brief pause, he continued, "In all my time, I've never seen Namor die in such a strange way. Maybe I've been ignorant, but that's not the point. The point is—I need to understand what's happening in this world.
If humanity really has declared war on Atlantis, the consequences will be catastrophic. And since this is the command center of an aircraft carrier fleet, there should be plenty of intelligence here that could be useful."
As he spoke, after some random adjustments, the massive screen in front of him suddenly lit up.
"Ha! Got it."
He had no idea what he had done to activate it, but when it came to technology, malfunctioning was fine—what mattered was getting any response at all.
Though the screen still showed no signal, at least it proved that the Watcher's energy hadn't completely fried the system.
[Master, would you like me to attempt hacking into this computer?]
Miss Minutes's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"If it's not too much trouble, that'd be great."
Alex was well aware of his lack of tech skills. As he rolled up his sleeves, he removed his watch from his wrist.
"Good timing—maybe the stuff Tim prepared for me will come in handy."
[The Bat Network? Master, are you sure that thing will still work in this universe?]
Miss Minutes knew where the watch came from, but she had her doubts about whether Batman's tech would function in a completely different reality.
"That's why I need your help. With you, it should—"
Alex connected the Bat Watch to the control panel's computer. But before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly froze.
Miss Minutes tilted her head.
[Master…?]
"Shh!"
Alex quickly pressed a finger to his lips, silencing her. At the same time, his gaze darted around, scanning the area carefully.
Though she wasn't sure what was happening, Miss Minutes reacted swiftly. While assisting the Bat Network's infiltration, she also began monitoring their surroundings.
Alex's eyes narrowed as he focused on the northern wall of the hall.
He was sure of it—something was waking up and approaching him. The energy it emitted was so bizarre that even he had almost failed to notice it at first.
If he hadn't been extremely cautious from the moment he arrived, he might have missed it entirely.
"Miss, I'll leave this to you. That thing… is coming for me."
[That thing?] Miss Minutes raised an eyebrow.
"Alright—those things."
Alex rubbed his temples as something emerged from the wall—a grotesque, towering metal creature, phasing through solid matter as it stepped into view.
At the same time, the doors of the command hall suddenly opened from the outside, and two more identical mechanical beings rushed in.
"Just as I thought—Sentinels."
Alex wasn't surprised. The moment they approached, he had already confirmed their identity.
However, now that he was face-to-face with them, he couldn't help but focus on their appearance.
Sentinels were designed solely for extermination. From the moment they were created, their sole purpose had been mass slaughter.
Across different multiverses, their combat capabilities and designs varied greatly—some were made from an unknown metal, while others were a fusion of alien and Earth technology.
But regardless of these differences, their origin was always the same—they were created for one purpose only: the eradication of mutants.
In the vast majority of Marvel universes, Sentinels were the result of various human scientists' research—a terrifying fusion of artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
Initially, Sentinels were created to protect ordinary humans from aggressive mutant factions. However, over time, either their programming or their creators began to see all mutants as a threat.
In a way, the appearance of Sentinels signified that the conflict between humans and mutants had escalated to an irreconcilable war.
These robots were typically massive, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression and dread.
"I gotta be honest—you guys look way uglier than the Wasteland Sentinels," Alex remarked, glancing at the three Sentinels with a calm, indifferent tone.
If the Wasteland Sentinels were like towering Gundams, then these three looked more like overgrown Roombas.
The Sentinels that old man Hawkeye Barton and Mockingbird Melissa had fought back in the day—just their heads alone were bigger than these three standing in front of him.
But Alex also understood that not all Sentinels were created equal. Size alone wasn't a definitive measure of their combat abilities—at least not for Sentinels.
Compared to the Wasteland Sentinels that were once controlled by Baron Zemo, these ones—capable of adapting and mimicking mutant abilities—seemed more like the Sentinels from X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Which meant that this timeline...
Alex's gaze sharpened, and he slowly reached for the black umbrella strapped to his back, pulling it free.
In a soft, steady voice, he said, "Lady, I'll leave this place to you. Hopefully, by the time I get back, you've already found what I need."
Miss Minutes gave a quick nod, waving at Alex with a playful gesture.
[Lord Alex, enjoy yourself.]
.....
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