MARVEL: TOAA

The plane, trailing thick black smoke, slashed through the air and crashed into a small forest of withered trees. Its wreckage hung precariously across three large trunks, metal groaning under its weight.

"Crash!"

Magneto burst through the plane's crumpled wall, his abilities barely holding the scattered debris in place. Despite his powers, he was grievously injured—an iron rod had pierced his chest, pinning him to the earth below.

Sebastian Shaw landed gracefully nearby, helmet in place. He was accompanied by Riptide, the White Queen (Emma Frost), and the Red Devil (Azazel), who teleported to his side in a flash of red smoke.

Emma Frost, scanning their surroundings with her telepathic abilities, tensed. "There's another presence here—someone with telepathy. They've sensed us."

"Keep your guard up," Sebastian ordered, his tone icy.

The four mutants approached Magneto, who lay defenseless on the ground, his breathing labored but defiant.

"Eric," Sebastian said, his voice devoid of empathy, "you've made the wrong choice. Aligning yourself with humans... pitiful."

Magneto clenched his teeth and summoned a shard of the plane wreckage, hurling it toward Sebastian.

"Clang!"

Sebastian caught the jagged piece of metal mid-air, his energy-absorbing powers nullifying its momentum. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the fragment flying into a nearby tree, shearing it in half.

"Pathetic," Sebastian sneered. "Your movements are too obvious. You must learn to command with your mind alone."

Sebastian knelt beside Magneto, tapping the iron rod lodged in his chest.

"Agh!"

Magneto howled in agony as the pain coursed through his body, every nerve screaming in protest.

Sebastian leaned closer. "You should have been a god among men, Eric. But you let your hatred cloud your vision. Had you stood by my side, we could have ruled together."

Magneto spat a mix of blood and bile onto Sebastian's face. "I'd rather crawl out of hell itself to destroy you."

Sebastian's expression hardened. He wiped his face with a handkerchief, disgusted. Without looking back, he gave the order. "Kill him."

Azazel stepped forward, ready to finish Magneto, but the air shimmered with a sudden crack—three figures appeared nearby in a flash of light.

It was John, Ravion, and Reina.

Sebastian turned to the newcomers, intrigued. His sharp gaze landed on Ravion, who bore a striking resemblance to Azazel. "Interesting. Azazel, is he one of yours?"

Azazel chuckled, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. "Who knows? I've fathered enough children over the centuries. Maybe he's one of mine. Hey, kid, come say hi to daddy!"

John rolled his eyes, muttering, "What is it with villains and daddy issues?"

From behind a nearby tree, a familiar figure emerged—a tall woman with flowing blonde hair that morphed into scaly blue skin with each step.

"Raven," Ravion said, recognizing Mystique immediately.

She was not alone. Two men flanked her: Daredevil, clad in his signature red suit, and Gambit, idly flipping a glowing playing card between his fingers.

"John?" Mystique's yellow eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Raven!" John greeted her with a wave, his grin mischievous. "Long time no see. Or is it our first time meeting? Hard to keep track."

Mystique paused, realization dawning. The John she knew was much older. This version was younger, less experienced—a version from earlier in his personal timeline.

"This... is our first meeting," Mystique replied cautiously, her gaze flickering to Ravion and Reina.

"Ah, good to know," John said, feigning nonchalance. "But tell me, you don't know these two, do you?"

Mystique hesitated before shaking her head.

John's heart sank. If Mystique didn't recognize Ravion and Reina, it meant they hadn't made it out of this place with him.

Before he could dwell on the implications, Emma Frost let out a startled gasp.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his team.

Emma pointed skyward, her diamond-like skin reflecting the strange, swirling void above. "We've been exiled. We're no longer on Earth. We've been cast outside of time itself."

The mutants exchanged uneasy glances.

"Where's the sun?" Riptide muttered. "What does 'exiled outside time' even mean?"

Sebastian, ever calm, placed a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulder. "Relax, Emma. Tell me everything you've learned."

While the others grappled with the reality of their situation, Daredevil leaned toward Mystique. "Where's Alioth? Shouldn't it have shown up by now?"

John raised his hand sheepishly. "That's on me. I led it away earlier. It shouldn't bother us for a while."

"Good," Daredevil replied, though his tone carried an edge of concern. "Can you deal with him?"

Mystique cut in, pointing at Sebastian. "The real question is, can you handle him?"

John scratched his head. "Uh, not really. That helmet blocks my telepathic abilities. Why are you asking me to fight him, though?"

Mystique's expression was unreadable. "Because if we don't act now, none of us will ever leave this void alive."

Sebastian, overhearing the conversation, smirked. "A rebellion? How quaint. Let's see if you're up to the task."