S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
"You're finally back."
Nick Fury exhaled quietly as Captain Marvel walked into the room.
Due to the Messiah's recent activities, he had activated his emergency call device to summon Captain Marvel. He had been worried that something might delay her arrival or that she might take longer to get back from space. Fortunately, neither happened, and she returned to Earth relatively quickly.
Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, cast a brief glance at him.
"Fury, this isn't like you. What's got you so anxious?"
She was puzzled, unable to understand what could cause Fury to display such a relieved expression.
"And what are you watching?"
Her gaze shifted to the laptop on Fury's desk, which was displaying a series of videos.
Nick Fury sighed, "I can't afford to be calm. What I need to tell you is related to what's playing here. Take a look."
He pushed the black laptop towards Captain Marvel, signaling her to watch.
Carol Danvers eyed him with curiosity before focusing on the video on the screen.
The footage showed scenes of Apocalypse wreaking havoc and battling with Syd. The display of power, particularly the glowing light emanating from the young man, left her astonished.
After watching the entire video, Captain Marvel said gravely, "Who are these two? Their power is extraordinary."
"There are such beings on Earth?" she questioned in disbelief.
Nick Fury pointed to the blue-skinned figure in the video. "This person is called Apocalypse, but he's dead now, so don't worry about him. The one you need to be concerned about is this guy."
He indicated Syd on the screen.
"This young man is an Omega mutant…"
Nick Fury briefly explained the concept of Omega mutants and other relevant details to Captain Marvel.
The more she heard, the more shocked she was. How could such a powerful being emerge on Earth in just the short time she had been away?
After understanding the situation, Nick Fury couldn't help but ask, "So, do you think you can handle him?"
"I'm not sure…" Carol Danvers pondered.
Although she spoke with uncertainty, her tone did not convey fear, suggesting she was not intimidated.
While Captain Marvel and Nick Fury were conversing, Syd was en route to America at supersonic speed after leaving Egypt. He glanced at the display panel with a furrowed brow.
He looked at his remaining lifespan.
Age: 16 (Remaining Lifespan: 81 days)
"What's happening? Why is my lifespan decreasing?"
Syd was puzzled.
Given that his flying ability had recently been upgraded and his internal light energy had surged, his remaining lifespan should have been much longer, not just 81 days…
Instinctively, he used his mental powers to sense his internal condition.
As his perception spread, he detected some anomalies in his body.
These areas glowed red, indicating danger and abnormal energy.
They appeared to be cancer cells scattered throughout his body…
Upon closer inspection, Syd noticed that these cancer cells seemed to have undergone some changes, enveloped in a strange, eerie aura.
He even heard some peculiar whispering voices during his mental scan.
His expression changed instantly as he withdrew his senses, his face darkening.
Realizing this, Syd recalled something.
"No wonder the cancer hasn't improved…" he muttered to himself.
He remembered that in the Marvel universe, cancer was particularly unique. Many heroes had suffered from it, and some had even died because of it. Cancer was a cosmic-level affliction and difficult to cure.
The difficulty in curing cancer seemed to be related to the Old Gods, or the Great Old Ones.
Syd pondered deeply.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Old Gods do exist in Marvel. Even Ancient One's fate wasn't just a trivial fall but a death at the hands of an Old One."
Only in such a scenario would Ancient One's death be truly final, rather than just from a fall.
And if the Old One could kill Ancient One, its horror was evident.
Syd recalled that in the Jurassic era, the Old One had ruled Earth.
In modern times, it led to Ancient One's death and even Strange's eventual demise was related to it.
It had created disciples who brought crisis to the X-Men and faced off against the Avengers and other superheroes.
"In 'Doctor Strange 2', there was a similar figure, a giant eye monster with tentacles…"
"It could only throw cars, and in the end, Doctor Strange killed it."
Of course, that was just a manifestation of the Old One's power, much weaker than the actual entity, which was far more formidable than Dormammu.
Cancer's connection to these Old Gods, influenced by their power, was evident.
Syd suspected that the cancer in his body had mutated due to the influence of these Old Gods, likely attracted by his unique physiology, causing this malignant change.
Feeling the abnormality spreading in his body due to the cancer cells, Syd's face darkened.
He even sensed the Old One's intent to invade reality through him…
"Marvel really does have all kinds of strange things…"
Syd nearly swore.
He even remembered that a parallel universe in Marvel had connections to the DC universe, with interdimensional passages—a truly bewildering situation.
He was at a loss for words.
And he was the victim of these influences.
Syd sneered coldly, "If you think you can influence me, let's see if you can do it faster than I can improve!"
He refused to believe that this malignant entity could outpace his own growth.
With that, Syd focused on his flight.
Before long, he returned to his original city, avoiding the satellites monitoring from above.
Time passed quickly, and several hours later, night fell.
The sky was dark, with only a few stars visible, and the grass rustled with the sound of insects.
Syd walked down a dimly lit, deserted street, feeling an eerie silence.
Whether it was the late hour, around midnight, or the location being remote, he did not see a single person around.
Under the yellow streetlights, a row of benches caught his eye. Syd slowly approached and sat down.
(End of Chapter)