Chapter 24: Shadows Cast by the Unseen

On the streets of New York, citizens and authorities alike were caught in the throes of an otherworldly crisis. The remnants of the once-majestic city lay in ruin, a testament to the cosmic upheaval that had befallen it. Alvis surveyed the devastated streets in silence, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. 

The remains of human bodies, animals, and otherworldly enemies painted the city in a morose tableau. His contribution to the destruction couldn't be easily dismissed. As the echoes of cries reverberated, a helicopter descended, kicking up dust and debris. 

The aircraft landed next to Alvis, its whirring blades casting a temporary curtain of chaos before settling. The familiar faces of Earth's heroes emerged from the helicopter—Fury, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Coulson. Their expressions mirrored the gravity of the situation, a mix of shock and fear etched across their faces.

Alvis, standing Amidst the aftermath, greeted them with a masked face that revealed nothing of his emotions.

"Look who it is, Nick Fury and the supposedly impossible-to-be-created Avengers. Interesting, Steve Rogers, how is it being frozen in ice for 63 years?" Alvis remarked, his voice carrying an air of nonchalance. He began reconstructing his clothes and mask, the fabric and material materializing with an otherworldly precision after they had decomposed moments before.

Hearing Alvis's words, Steve Roger's gave a chuckle and Nick Fury didn't answer as he began examining the people around. His gaze lingered on the Watcher's big bluish head, and he touched his own head as if trying to clear his thoughts. Continuing his examination, he noticed the Ancient One for the first time and bowed his head as a sign of respect. Nick Fury then shifted his attention to Deadpool, who was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily, and turned his head to Alvis.

"Alvis Bright, you're really a troublemaker. I truly hope I never met you, but fate doesn't follow our wishes. Do you care to explain what's happened here and what's going to happen? World leaders are coming to Washington D.C as we speak, as they want to understand what's happening. I hope you are coming with us there, as you seem to know much more than us greedy humans," said Fury, his gaze fixed on Alvis, who now wore a mask. Thoughts brewed in Fury's mind as Alvis's words shifted it back.

"Nothing much, just closed the door against an army of zombies and skeletons and some kind of beings. Oh, did I forget to say I stopped a god from coming here too? No? Okay, now I said it. So these greedy bastards are coming here, hahahaha! It's going to be fun. I don't know what they will try to do, maybe controlling me," Alvis explained as he raised his hand, constructing a holographic screen playing the scene that he saw beyond the portal. 

Fury, together with everyone around, watched the video, witnessing the hordes of enemies. Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, looked at Alvis and said, "On behalf of humanity, we thank you." Fury, upon hearing Rogers's words, didn't say much. His thoughts began brewing even more as he watched the scene unfold, and his heart rate slightly increased, a bead of sweat escaping his forehead.

As the scene continued until Alvis threw the magical circle to contain the portal and the being's hand exiting the portal, The Watcher floated closely to the screen. Seeing that everyone shifted their eyesight to this weird-looking being, before anyone could ask, The Watcher looked at Alvis and said, "Alvis Bright… On behalf of the Multiverse, I myself first thank you. I may be a god for others, standing high above, as Kang said, but I know more, and I have seen more. That being is more powerful than anything I have seen before. I don't know what we could have done if you didn't hold him back. I and the abstract and cosmic gods won't stand against you if you didn't stand against the multiverse."

Listening to The Watcher's words, Alvis had a little smile appearing behind his mask. He nodded his head to The Watcher, understanding what he meant. Alvis had received the approval of the cosmic gods, and technically, it seemed they swore to hold upon the alliance.

Coulson, observing the interaction between Alvis and The Watcher, had a glow-ish light appearing in his eyes as Alvis's power grew bigger. Alvis, sensed Coulson scrutiny, raised an eyebrow and scanned him in return.

"Interesting, Coulson. It seems you've understood how to use your supernatural power right, but I don't like to be scanned. I hope you don't do it again," Alvis remarked, his eyes emanating a dark light. Fury, instinctively protective, enveloped his group with an invisible shield.

Alvis, amused by Fury's reaction, chuckled and reassured, "Don't worry, Fury. I won't touch you or anyone else. I don't see the benefits of either hurting or killing you. I have more in my mind to do than having everyone I know as an enemy. Relax a little, even if it appears I'm trying to control; I'm doing it for humanity's benefits."

"I don't think humanity needs your approval to know what is and what is not beneficial for us. And From your way of speech, it appears you yourself are not a human at all. Humans can't hold and lock gods," said Nick Fury, removing the shielding effect around him.

Hearing Fury's words, Alvis froze for a second, a little greyish color appearing in his eyes as he opened his mouth, "I myself don't know where I stand. It may be a selfish idea, but trust me when I say I want the beneficial side for humanity. What I know can let even the inanimate go crazy... Coulson, I think you can agree with me, right?"

As everyone focused their sight on Coulson, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Coulson nodded his head, his eyes glowing in golden colors, eliciting a chuckle from Alvis. Alvis raised his hand, and a small magical circle appeared.

Hawkeye, sensing a potential threat, raised his bow towards Alvis. However, a tremendous pressure pressed on him, rendering him immobilized. Fury, observing the situation, questioned, "Didn't you say you won't harm us?" Alvis's hand glowed in golden colors as he warped Coulson inside the magical circle. Turning his head to Fury, Alvis replied, "I ain't harming him. I'm saving him. He used his powers on me. He is dying, but he didn't notice that. Interestingly enough, he holds a power even I am a little envious about."

Looking at Coulson, Alvis realized that Coulson possessed a power that might be the strongest he had ever seen. As Alvis's mind began brainstorming, multiple ideas appeared, some of them too dark to be spoken about. However, what everyone didn't know was that one of these ideas would surface in the future, and perhaps sooner than expected.

As seconds passed, Coulson's expression returned to normal. He breathed heavily for a moment, finding everyone's attention on him once again. This time, Coulson didn't sweat as before but straightened his back to face Alvis and thanked him.

"Director, he's telling the truth. The power I received from that undefined being gave me the ability to see through lies. He hasn't uttered a falsehood since the beginning," Coulson asserted. Hearing this, Fury looked at Coulson intently, feeling the weight of his agent's assurance. Seeing that Coulson didn't blink an eye, Fury turned his attention to Alvis and posed the most crucial question that everyone wanted to ask.

"So, Alvis Bright, our esteemed dictator, what is going to happen now? I hope you can provide us with a more comprehensive explanation," Fury said, silently cursing in his mind. He couldn't see Alvis's face, and he didn't know if he could examine his physiology as before without visually inspecting it.

Maintaining his enigmatic demeanor, Alvis responded to Fury's inquiry with a cryptic tone, "Nick Fury, you're standing at the precipice of a God-level reality-altering event. The Omniverse is unraveling into a dark future, and the forces at play are beyond your wildest imagination. What you've witnessed is merely the tip of the cosmic iceberg."

Fury, accustomed to dealing with the unexpected, leaned forward and pressed, "Cut through the riddles, Alvis. What's the imminent threat, and what's our move?"

For a moment, Alvis remained silent, a flashback playing in his mind as he recalled the scenes that the narrative had shown him. As his eyes glowed in a reddish hue, he then continued, "The being you saw attempting to breach through, the one the Watcher mentioned—it's a force older than anything you can think about. Call it what you will: an ancient evil, maybe a godlike being if I'm right. It seeks to consume worlds, reshape reality into a demonic realm where nothing will find any semblance of rest. It's relentless and beyond your conventional means of comprehension. After all, it will continue to the next reality and so forth, till eternity."

Deadpool, always one to inject humor into tense situations, quipped, "Great, another apocalypse. Can't we catch a break?"

Ignoring the comment, Alvis shifted his attention to the gravity of the situation. "You can't defeat it with conventional weapons or strategies. It's a threat that transcends the boundaries of this multiverse. However, it can be contained temporarily, and that's where I come in."

Fury, his patience wearing thin, demanded, "Containment? For how long, and what's the cost?"

Alvis, meeting Fury's gaze through his mask, explained, "The containment is a delicate balance. I can buy time, perhaps enough for a more permanent solution to present itself. As for the cost, well, let's just say that meddling with the theater play always comes with a price, as you've seen before in the meeting."

Captain America, ever the symbol of hope, interjected, "We humans never shy away from challenges. We faced Hydra in World War II, protected the world from emotionless dictators. If there's a chance, we take it. So, Alvis Bright, what do you need from us?"

Alvis, acknowledging the hope in Captain America's voice, replied, "Unity. This fractured universe and even the multiverse need to stand together against this threat and the upcoming ones. This Earth is a pivotal point. Gather the mightiest heroes, assemble the brightest minds, and prepare for a battle that will stretch across realities."

Fury, though skeptical, understood the gravity of the situation. "You're asking us to save the universe and the multiverse? What benefits are you going to have? I don't think you're that heroic."

"In a way, yes," Alvis confirmed. "This universe specifically and the multiverse as a whole need a savior and protectors, and we're in a unique position to be just that. Now, time is of the essence. Gather everyone and be prepared. We need a collective force on Earth first, then we can plan what to do with these portals as they act as the doors for these esteemed enemies."

Pausing for a second, Alvis continued as his eyes glowed brightly, "Nick Fury, never mind everyone. You may not have known me for a long time, but let me tell you something about myself. I don't like being used as a puppet. The benefit I will get is knowing the truth. Just as I know the truth, I will send the trickster to oblivion for playing me."

As others looked at Alvis, different thoughts brewed in everyone's mind. Natasha, aka the Black Widow, regarded Alvis with a newfound scrutiny, a glint appearing in her eye as she sent a telepathic message to Nick Fury, "Director, do you really trust this guy? We don't know much about him, and how can we be sure that he is telling the truth..."

Fury, hearing a voice in his head, didn't flinch a bit as he responded in his mind, "We don't have other choices, Widow. We don't have enough information about what's happening. Multiple countries have fallen, and at this rate, Earth will fall as a whole. It's either we follow him for now and understand the situation, or we wait for our demise. If you have more ideas, feel free to speak."

Upon hearing Nick Fury's answer, Black Widow looked at him a little differently, shifting her eyesight from Fury to Alvis, who was engaged in conversation with these wizard-like individuals, standing together with a big blue guy and a weird-looking character in red tights. As Alvis looked at her, his eyes showing a slightly abstract smile, a chill ran through Natasha Romanoff.

"Interesting enough, that trickster. How did he do that? I really want to have a meeting and speak about how he did that. Interestingly enough, calculating the data and deducing the situation, the trickster either has an influence upon the narrative, or he has authority over creation itself. What an interesting world to live in," Alvis mused in his mind. These were the thoughts of his truest self, restrained similar to what was happening to the One Above All and his counterpart, the One Below All. Alvis Bright appeared to have a similar situation, but what he didn't know was that he himself didn't know that.

"Ancient One, the magical school that is going to be established should have a comprehensive influence over all supernatural powers. It shouldn't focus solely on magic; perhaps in the future, we can witness a new magical genre bloom with the power of our future students. I believe you understand what I mean by that," said Alvis to the Ancient One, a greyish hue appearing in his eyes.

Hearing Alvis's words, the Ancient One nodded as a chuckle escaped her mouth. She remarked, "Alvis Bright, you've really changed. I don't know if you're the same person I met before. What has truly altered your personality this much? Your idea is thoughtful, and I think it can work." As the Ancient One spoke, she casually nudged Alice next to her for some reason.

As Alice sensed the Ancient One's subtle nudge, she shifted her eyesight from the colossal red portal in the distance to Alvis. Observing his masked visage, Alice's eyes held a hint of curiosity, wondering why he had begun wearing one. However, upon realizing that Alvis was looking at her with a yellowish glow in his eyes, she didn't understand why, but an instinctual reaction led her to cover her body with her hands, as if she suddenly felt exposed or vulnerable.

"You've received a remarkable gift, Alice. I hope you understand how to use it. If not, you can come to me, and I shall teach you. Interestingly, your senses are quite good too," said Alvis, his voice carrying a hint of interest.

In Alice's ears, it appeared as if it was an approval, and she smiled a little. However, upon noticing a hint of sadness in Alvis's eyes, she couldn't fathom the reason but felt like she was marked by something.

'Bastard trickster has meddled too much,' cursing in his mind, Alvis turned his head to Uatu, The Watcher, who was examining Deadpool, levitating him as he bathed Deadpool in cosmic energy, testing something out. Alvis, raising an eyebrow in interest, continued to let thoughts brew in his mind.

"Uatu, what are you trying to do?" asked Alvis.

"I'm trying to search if there is any backdoor to the portals. As Wade said, he appeared to have a connection to the place where the portals start. If I'm right, we can find a way to either close them or even open them ourselves," explained Uatu. His eyes bloomed in bluish colors as he cast more cosmic energy into Wade Wilson, Deadpool, who was floating above. As he bathed in the energy, Deadpool began swimming in the air, pulling his katana and attempting to cut whatever was holding him aloft. Amidst his attempts, he didn't forget to curse at Uatu, demanding to be let down, "UATU, LET ME DOWN, YOU BASTARD! I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS!"

Observing the comic scene unfolding before him, Alvis raised his hand, and a purplish-golden aura appeared, enveloping Deadpool within it. In that moment, Alvis felt something, and his Divine Eye opened by itself, swiftly closing. However, a sudden pressure emanated from Alvis, freezing him in place. The intensity of the pressure was so strong that it seemed as if the air had been removed from the entirety of New York.

"Bastard," Alvis cursed, coughing violently. As Everyone around him shifted their focus on him as the pressure was strong enough to remove the cosmic power of the watcher acting on Deadpool sending him to the ground ,Alvis eyes glowed in reddish color. A red aura enveloped his hand, and with a powerful punch into the space in front of himself, he sent some kind of invisible disturbance into a distant building.

"What happened, Alvis?" asked Mordo, warping his hand in a golden aura, assuming a fighting stance. He was focused on the now-visible, ghost-like creature that Alvis had sent. Not only Mordo, but everyone around was ready to fight, utilizing their powers as they observed the strange creature in the distance.

The creature itself looked peculiar, lacking a normal face structure. Its eyes were oddly shaped, resembling a torn-apart visage with only black dots inside, void of a nose and mouth.

"Don't try to fight; it has a rebounding effect." Coughing more, Alvis warned, looking at the creature in the distance with a mix of hatred. His attempt to examine Deadpool with his omni-essence had resulted in a powerful backlash, the first time he had experienced such a repercussion with omni-energy. As he focused on the creature in the distance, a new, profound light illuminated Alvis's face, revealing a dark expression.

"What is that? Do you know it, Alvis?" asked Nick Fury, his body wrapped in an invisible armor as he focused his eyesight on the ghostly creature in the distance.

"I don't know this creature's race specifically, but I know another race with similar powers. It was sucking Deadpool's life force. I think it came through with him when he traveled here from his reality. I hope this is the only one that came through, or we will be in deep trouble. Natasha, try controlling it. I know you can do that," said Alvis. His body was being warped by omni-essence, attempting to heal himself from the rebounding effect of his own powers—a rather amusing predicament for the typically calculative guy.

"Didn't you say it has a rebounding effect?" asked Coulson, golden light appearing in his eyes as he looked at the ghostly creature in the distance. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and he thought, 'Damn, this power is tiring to use.'

"Don't worry, Natasha's powers can confuse the rebounding effect. She has a powerful talent, maybe even equal to yours in status. I'm really envious, damn it," Alvis assured.

Hearing Alvis's words, Natasha looked at him in confusion, her mind brewing with thoughts about how he knew about her powers. Glancing at the creature in the distance, she thought, 'Let's trust him once.' 

Raising her hand in the spectrum of sight of that creature, her eyes glowed in an orange-like color. In the same moment, the creature in the distance seemed to sense something. Previously just looking at everyone without taking any action, it now began shaking and floating until it reached in front of Natasha, with an orange-like color appearing on its strange, ghostly eyes.

'Cursed trickster, damn soul manipulators. What the heck is that being trying to do, influencing even the soul continuity?' cursed Alvis in his mind. Moving closer to the ghost-like creature, he raised his hand, warping it with omni-essence. The essence appeared in golden and purple hues, accompanied by a reddish aura as he punched the ghost once more. However, something confusing happened. Just before Alvis's fist could make contact with the ghost, he froze and then retrieved his hand.

Breathing for a moment, Alvis lowered his anger and glanced at the ghost before turning his head towards Natasha. He said, "Black Widow, I think this creature can become your weapon or pet. Use it right. It has a rebounding effect against physical and energy attacks, and as your powers are more conceptual than physical, I think it will be a great help." Saying this, Alvis wasn't necessarily the generous type who would give someone a semi-invincible shield for no reason, but that's a tale for the future to tell.

Coughing again, Alvis looked around and examined everyone. As he scanned each person, he saved their data—a calculated move. It was a swift and strategic action to collect the structure of their powers. Alvis understood some truths when he observed the ghost-like creature.

Finding everyone lowering their defenses, Nick Fury looked at Alvis, wanting to ask something. However, before he could do so, he received a phone call. Retrieving his phone and accepting the call, ten seconds passed before Fury looked at Alvis and said, "Everyone has arrived at the White House. The Global Summit will start soon, and we need to go there. I hope everyone here will follow."

"Interesting, shall we go and see the leaders of our lovely Earth?" said Alvis, his voice carrying a hint of amusement and a touch of jest. He genuinely looked forward to what these leaders would say about the unfolding events—whether they would fight for control or take a united stand. As thoughts brewed in Alvis's mind, omni-essence began moving through his body, constructing a new set of clothes. 

His appearance changed from battle-like medieval armor to a black and white suit. As the energy moved towards his face, the mask also changed. It became half black and half white, and the forehead side closed, transforming the shape of the mask into an emotionless visage with a gear symbol in its forehead.

"I didn't know you have respect for these people," said Fury, turning his back to Alvis and moving toward the helicopter. As he walked, he heard a cough and turned his head to find Alvis, who was coughing and gaining his attention. Fury's party, which was heading towards the helicopter, observed Alvis walking further ahead. In a swift motion, Alvis moved his hand, and a purplish-like portal appeared, leading into the Cabinet Room inside the White House.

"I didn't change my clothes for them but for humanity. Wait, and you will see what I mean, Nick Fury, as you will understand," Alvis remarked, hinting at a deeper purpose behind his actions.

As Alvis went through the portal, arriving first at the Cabinet Room inside the White House, he was not welcomed by a friendly voice but instead by a hail of bullets. It seemed he had anticipated this, as when the bullets hit his clothes, they did no damage. The hail of bullets continued for a moment, and in front of Alvis, any bullet that veered off course froze in the air. As everyone behind him came through the portal, Nick Fury patted his hand to his head, turning his head to Alexander Pierce, who was sitting next to the United States president.

"What a beautiful welcome. Is this how humanity welcomes their heroes?" Alvis chuckled, raising his hand in a crunch gesture, and all the bullets in the air turned to dust.

"Wait, Alvis. They don't know about you. Relax, don't kill anyone!" yelled Fury, turning his head towards Alexander Pierce. "Pierce, this is Alvis Bright, the one I spoke to you about before. He is the person who is the most knowledgeable about the situation."

Before Fury could continue speaking, Alvis cut him off. "Pigs. I don't care what your statuses are or how many weapons you hold. First of all, I'm the one who helped you unlock and use your powers. Second, I'm the one in control from now on. Third, anyone who doesn't like that can raise his hand," said Alvis in a voice devoid of any human-like emotion.

Seeing that every leader was looking at him with expressions as if they had eaten sour candy, their status seemingly affording them little respect. However, what they didn't know was that their status was worth nothing in front of Alvis.

"And who the heck are you to tell us that you're going to control the situation? Even if you helped us before, we don't know anything about you," said General Thunderbolt Ross. His tone carried a hint of authority and anger, receiving nods from everyone sitting with him.

"Hmm, you're right. Who am I to breach into the White House and do all that? I have an announcement, and I hope everyone here won't intervene much as I explain it," said Alvis. As he spoke, a dark smile played on his mouth. The mask covered it, but his eyes glowed in a dark hue. A pressure so strong emanated from him, starting as a ripple and turning into a wave. In a matter of seconds, it spread from the White House, reaching half of the American continent. Warping the entire Earth in seconds, the pressure circled around three times, causing everyone and everything to stop moving for a moment.

As Alvis moved forward toward the rounded table, soldiers on both sides wanted to move, but Alvis's pressure still held them in place, rendering them unable to move. Nick Fury, for the first time since meeting Alvis, didn't take any action, sensing that something important was about to happen. Trusting his instincts that had saved him before, he looked at Alvis.

"Ahem, ahem," Alvis arrived in front of the table, looking down at some country leader. A deep black color appeared in his eyes, and the country leader suddenly felt able to move. Standing up, he let Alvis take his position, moving toward some soldier and taking cover behind him. The country leader saw death in Alvis's eyes.

Alvis, looking at the chair, pulled it but didn't sit. Instead, he moved forward and stood in front of the table. His hand glowed red, and in a swift gesture, he clapped his hands. With that movement, reality around the room began to shift as Alvis leveraged his omni-essence to warp reality. The room started to grow bigger, and the table along with it. Multiple chairs began popping out with different sizes and shapes as the reality-warping effect unfolded.

Portals with different sizes and colors appeared from these portals, and from them, everyone who was part of the Marvelous Alliance began to appear.

Finding that everyone had arrived, Alvis nodded his head to acknowledge them. "Ahem, ahem. We can't have our first meeting without the consent of the people, can we?" In that moment, Fury understood what Alvis meant before. Alvis raised his hand, colored with reddish hue, as purplish-gold also appeared.

Warping the space in front of himself, he shaped an eldritch-like eye and holographic screen. The combined power of omni-essence and the weird reddish aura moved towards Alvis's brain, opening his Higher Consciousness to the limit. Alvis connected the eyeball into every being residing on Earth, letting them view the room through the eye with the assistance of the holographic screen to watch everything in a comprehensive view.

"Ahem, ahem. Welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Marvelous Alliance. Today, we are gathered to understand and unite for a higher cause." Pausing for a moment, Alvis's eyes glowed in golden colors.

As his voice grew more commanding, he continued, "Today, I, Alvis Bright, act as the leader of the Marvelous Alliance. We will unite the entire universe into a collective unity. But before that, let everyone take a seat, and then I shall introduce everyone."

On Earth, as the first legitimate Marvelous Alliance meeting was happening, a lot of things were brewing on the omniverse hierarchy.

But our focus should be In a place so illogical that the mind couldn't comprehend, in what appeared to be some kind of library, a being could be seen sitting on a chair. In front of it was a round table with different types of chairs numbered from one to five. As the being looked around, a holographic screen in the middle of the table appeared. As the being looked at the screen, a deep, misfit smile appeared on its face.

"Alvis Bright, calculative little guy, acting as a hero, but deep down inside, you know the truth... What an interesting guy. If I hadn't been there too, I wouldn't know much about your personality. Hahahaha, soon we shall meet, little guy..." As the being tapped the table in thought, looking around the room, the being gazed upwards and said, "Alvis Bright, the first to exist and the last to remain. Shall the experimental loop finally be broken, or will it continue?" The being switched its eyesight from the sky as it locked onto Alvis, a reddish glow appearing in its eyes.