Chapter 16: The Marvel Universe

As Alex stood in the void beyond the shattered remnants of his universe, he marveled at the strange, surreal beauty of the glass-like wall around him that stretched for miles on end. The glass-like wall shows the remnants of his universe had dissolved like a soap bubble, leaving him floating in an endless expanse. "I can't believe I'm here," he thought, still grappling with the reality of his situation. The wonders of it all were great. 

His sensors suddenly blared an alarm, jolting him from his thoughts. Something was approaching. Adrenaline surged as he focused, scanning the vastness of the glass-like structure. "Stay alert," he reminded himself, recalling the lessons learned in countless trials. Then, a voice echoed softly beside his ear, startling him. 

"I am surprised that you got out of there alive. But I suppose, in the multiverse, everything is possible."

Alex's heart raced. Two glowing eyes appeared before him, observing him through the void. After seeing two eyes floating in the void, it appeared in front of him as it popped into existence. The figure has the giant-headed observer from the Marvel universe. His massive cranium seemed to radiate wisdom, a stark reminder of the immense knowledge and ancient wisdom he possessed. Alex was excited but also confused and a hint of resentment. He had long revered the Watcher from comics and films, yet here he stood, in a reality that had stolen so much from him.

Doubt lingered in his mind. 'Am I really in the Marvel Multiverse?' he wondered. If this was truly Marvel, shouldn't he have encountered the Avengers, the X-Men, or any of the famous figures that exist in these worlds? His universe, after all, had been a sterile void of intelligent life. His efforts to change that had been futile, his attempts to create life crumbling to dust before his eyes. The frustration still gnawed at him even after all those years of trying. But now, standing outside it all, those failures felt like a distant memory.

'Why?' That question lingered, gnawing at him more than his failure. Why had his universe been so hostile to intelligent life? He shook off the thoughts for now. What mattered was the present. Despite his doubts, he remained vigilant, glancing toward the towering figure in front of him. 

The two glowing eyes that had appeared moments ago still stared at him with an unsettling focus. 'Could this be a trick?' he thought, still on guard. Yet, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he wasn't alone. 'Thank God,' he mused, feeling a flicker of relief despite his suspicions. It was boring having only himself and AURA to talk to for all those years. He might've been an introvert, but even he craved some form of interaction.

The Watcher, with his large head and imposing presence, finally spoke in a calm, measured tone. "You are not the only one of your kind, Alex Greid. There have been others, beings who have reincarnated, or transmigrated, from different multiverses. Some have risen to power, becoming kings and emperors in their worlds. Others have lived mundane lives, while many… many did not survive the challenges of their new realities."

Alex listened, nodding as the Watcher continued. He had no illusions of being special. If he could transmigrate into a universe, then surely others had done so before him. It made sense. He wasn't unique in the grand, endless scope of existence, and he accepted that without a shred of bitterness and doubt. 

"There are those," the Watcher continued, "who became rulers, lords of their own kingdoms, driven by greed and ambition. They dreamed of conquering worlds, amassing harems of wives and husbands, clinging to fleeting ideals of power and dominance. They were drunk on their own strength, trapped by their own lusts, lust for power, lust for control, lust for flesh. Kingdoms rose and fell before my eyes, empires crumbled to dust. And through it all, they remained stuck in their own small universes, unable to break free. None of them thought to escape the confines of their reality."

The Watcher's eyes gleamed, reflecting the weight of the countless years, eons, and decades he had witnessed. "Despite the unnatural powers some carried, 'systems' they call it and gifts brought with them from their dimensions, none managed to rise above the barbaric desires of conquering worlds and people. They were trapped on their little islands, blind to the infinite sea that surrounded them."

Alex stood quietly, absorbing the Watcher's words. He knew there was truth in them. He had seen it in fanfiction, in the way characters often succumbed to their own greed for power.

"You," the Watcher said, his tone shifting, "are the first. The first among the many before you. Although you are alone in that universe, you kept moving. And now, you have achieved something none of them have—freedom."

Alex blinked, but didn't let it swell his ego. He had gotten here through sheer will and his mind, but he knew better than to think it made him unique in the vastness of the infinite universes. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady but curious.

The Watcher straightened, his presence growing even more imposing as he spoke. "I am Uatu, the Watcher. It is my sworn duty to observe the events of the multiverse and record them without interference. I have watched civilizations rise and fall, heroes and villains clash in battles that reshape worlds. My oath is to bear witness, never to act. I see all, but I do not intervene."

His voice carried the weight of ancient knowledge and timeless responsibility. "For countless millennia, I have stood outside the tides of history, a silent observer. I watch as the multiverse unfolds, knowing that my purpose is not to change its course. I cannot intervene, not even if I wish to. For in doing so, I would alter the very fabric of the realities I observe."

Alex's expression hardened. He processed what Uatu had said, and while outwardly calm, a surge of frustration simmered within him. His eyes narrowed slightly, though his tone remained measured. "Why didn't you rescue me?" he asked, locking eyes with the Watcher. "I was stuck there for thousands of years. I tried everything to escape, using only the knowledge I had from 21st-century human civilization. I could have been crushed by a black hole or wiped out in an instant. Why didn't you help me? Why did you just watch?"

Uatu met Alex's gaze, his own remaining detached yet solemn. "I cannot intervene, Alex Greid. It is not within my power, nor within my oath. And even if I could… I still could not. For that universe, the one you escaped from… was a prison."

The words hung heavy in the air.

That universe is a prison.