Chapter 6 : The void and Kang the Conqueror

At the End of Time…

The silence in the castle was suffocating.

Kang the Conqueror, the lone survivor, sat behind his desk, his face dark with rage. On the desk, Miss Minutes hovered, her orange light dim and flickering. She looked fearful, fully aware that the mission's failure fell squarely on her.

Had she enforced the lock on the time tablet, that slippery time criminal would never have escaped.

Kang remained silent, his anger simmering beneath his steady gaze. At last, Miss Minutes spoke up, her voice quivering, "Survivor, why not use Paradox to contact the time criminals in the Void? I knew he was dealing with them in secret."

Though Paradox had just died, time supervisors could be cloned at will, making them as expendable as the time guards.

Kang looked up coldly. "Do it."

"We must capture him, whatever the cost."

He seethed with regret. When Grand Justice had first reported on the prisoner, Kang hadn't paid much attention. But when he discovered that his "script" device couldn't foresee this man's actions, he knew something was wrong. No being in any timeline should be able to evade his monitoring!

At first, he was an ordinary human. How had he suddenly gained the Extremis virus, escaped to the Void, and—even worse—known that the cut wouldn't kill him?

The uncertainty gnawed at Kang.

One slip, and the future had become a mystery!

"I should've pulled him here, to the End of Time, from the start," Kang thought, his anger only deepening. "Before me, no one can make a move in secret!"

He turned to Miss Minutes, his voice as cold as his resolve. "Tell those time criminals that I want him alive."

"And if they fail, they'll suffer endless deaths in the abyss of time!"

Miss Minutes' projection quivered. She nodded and disappeared to relay his orders.

In the Void…

Russell watched as the figure resembling Captain America ran toward him. The sight of this person piqued his curiosity.

"Maybe I should reach out," he thought. "The Void is full of threats far worse than what we've seen in 'Loki' or 'Deadpool 3.' It's always better to have allies here."

Just as he considered moving, he noticed the figure had already spotted him and was running over at top speed. Although he didn't fly, he sprinted impressively fast. Within seconds, he'd closed the gap.

"Hey, man!" The man, wearing a tattered coat, skidded to a halt, flashing a friendly smile. "New here, huh? The Time Guards just cut you, judging by those fresh clothes."

"These big-headed goons with nothing in their brains oughta be tossed to Elrios!" He chuckled, then added, "Oh, you probably don't know about Elrios. Nasty beast that devours anything it finds."

"Here, let me clue you in…"

Russell didn't get a word in as the stranger—who was a spitting image of Captain America but with the attitude of the Human Torch—launched into a rambling, curse-laden rundown of the Void's dangers. He described the signs of Elrios's approach, other terrifying mutant creatures, and some hazardous areas.

After a few minutes, Russell smiled, genuinely thankful for the information.

The man clapped him on the back and invited him to their base, where a group of fellow time criminals had banded together for survival.

Russell hesitated, watching his animated, fiery companion. "Wait… I think I know you," he said with a sudden grin. "You're Thunderbolt from the Fantastic Four, right? I remember seeing you on TV."

The man laughed heartily. "So, I got myself a fan? What are the odds! Well, when we get to the base, I'll open a bottle and whip up something nice for us. Everyone's been craving a decent meal!"

Russell grinned, shaking the man's hand excitedly. "That's fantastic. With you around, Mr. Jonathan, I feel safe already."

But as Thunderbolt tried to pull his hand away, his smile faltered. Russell's grip was iron-tight.

"It's all good, buddy," Thunderbolt said, casting a nervous glance at the sky. "But we shouldn't stay out here too long. Standing still attracts that monster—"

He tried to tug his hand free again, but Russell's hold only tightened. Thunderbolt's expression turned uneasy, though Russell remained oblivious, his grip firm.

"I'm a fire user too, Mr. Thunderbolt. Look how much lower my temperature is than yours," Russell said, his tone polite. "I'd be honored if you'd teach me a few things."

As he spoke, his skin turned the glowing red of molten metal, distorting the air around them with an intense heat.

"Ahh! What the—"

Thunderbolt screamed, struggling to pull free as Russell's burning grip scalded his hand, turning his skin a charred, blistered brown. He lashed out with a fierce kick, which Russell dodged easily, releasing him with a calm smile.

"How's that for heat, Mr. Thunderbolt?"

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