Two month after Alex's fight with the X-Men, in a more isolated part of Brooklyn, closer to the destroyed section of the city, a group—probably a gang—was gathered in an alleyway, all of them wearing worried expressions.
"Seriously, man, I'm telling you. A friend of my cousin said every gang around here is being hunted down and wiped out!"
A large, muscular man with a pistol openly displayed on his waist simply laughed at the other's obvious panic.
"Stop talking bullshit, Oliver. Of course that's fake, damn it. This side of the city doesn't even have laws anymore. You know why even the damn Kingpin doesn't touch this place? Because it isn't worth it. And ever since Big Jack got kicked out of the territory by who-knows-who, nobody wants this shithole."
When he said that, the rest of the group fell silent for a few moments. As painful as it was, it was true.
Their neighborhood, and everything beyond it, had been one of the areas hit hardest by the alien invasion.
They had grown up here. Now the place was filled with ruins and debris.
The government had promised to rebuild everything and make it better than before. Back then, everyone had been hopeful that real change was finally coming and that they hadn't been forgotten.
But almost three years had passed since the attack. And still, nothing had changed.
Sure, the streets were cleaner. But only because the local residents had worked together to clear whatever rubble they could from the roads.
Even after begging for help and appearing on the news, nothing changed. Because, as the mayor himself had said:
"The budget was already stretched too thin. Helping more than this is impossible."
And just like that, they had been abandoned.
Nobody wanted to admit it, but this place was doomed. Even worse than Hell's Kitchen.
At least Hell's Kitchen had some form of order. Here, murders, disappearances, robberies, and assaults happened every day.
The young man who had started the conversation was Oliver. Just an ordinary kid who had recently joined a small gang because he needed money like everyone else.
But like any normal person, he feared death. And ever since hearing his cousin's story, he had seriously considered leaving the gang.
Unfortunately, he knew how these things worked.
If he left now, it would look suspicious. People would assume he wanted information to sell or use against them somehow.
And then they would come looking for answers. Answers that would involve threats, torture, or worse.
"Yeah, boss. You're right. My cousin was probably messing with me. Sorry."
The man glanced at Oliver and grunted before turning back toward a pile of phones, wallets, and other valuables spread across a table.
A slight smile appeared on his face before immediately disappearing.
As he reached toward one of the phones, he remembered something frustrating.
Ever since Jack disappeared, every buyer of stolen goods had shut down their operations out of fear of being robbed themselves.
Another era of chaos had begun for this side of Brooklyn. And that fear affected everyone.
Because of it, his gang wasn't making nearly as much money as they should have during a time of relative peace.
Which irritated him greatly.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it.
"Alright, let's get back to business. We'll return to smaller jobs. That grocery store near Oliver's house is a good start. I heard the old man there knows you and trusts you, right Oliver?"
The moment his name was mentioned, Oliver froze.
Because he knew exactly what they were talking about. And he hated even thinking about it.
The store belonged to a seventy-year-old man named Olaf, who still worked despite his age because his granddaughter depended on him. His son had died years ago, leaving behind a little girl who was only five years old.
Oliver knew Olaf. He had even done a few odd jobs for him before.
He liked both Olaf and his granddaughter. They were kind people.
And above all else, Oliver owed Olaf a lot. The old man had helped him many times.
Repaying him like this felt completely wrong.
"What is it, Oliver? Didn't you say you'd do anything for money, kid? Then get over there and do it, idiot!"
The gang leader had clearly noticed Oliver shrinking back when the idea of robbing the old man's store came up.
So he decided to push him and see how he reacted.
Without realizing it, Oliver froze completely.
Because he understood exactly what this meant.
If he refused, he would probably be killed. Or at the very least beaten nearly to death.
And Oliver feared death more than anything.
Knowing he was trapped in a dead end, Oliver remained silent for several moments before finally nodding in agreement.
The gang leader immediately smiled.
"Good. Here's the plan. We walk into the store, threaten the old man, rough him up a little, take whatever we can, and leave without worrying too much. I heard the old man owns a gun, but we've got our Oliver here to solve that problem, right Oliver?"
As the leader spoke, Oliver wasn't paying attention anymore.
Because something far more terrifying was happening.
At the entrance of the alley stood a man silently watching them.
Yet strangely, it wasn't the man himself that frightened Oliver.
Just looking at him made every bone in his body tremble.
Strange tattoos covered his body, and for some reason, his differently colored eyes seemed to glow whenever he looked at them.
Oliver was about to shout.
But before he could, the man suddenly appeared directly in front of him with absurd speed and smiled.
"Well, well. Another one who can see me. It's been a while since I found someone like you, kid..."
Terrified, Oliver looked toward the rest of the gang.
They were staring at him with confused expressions while he seemingly looked at empty air.
"Oliver, what the hell are you doing?"
The boss was already getting tired of him. The kid had been increasingly uncooperative lately and had even started questioning orders.
Honestly, he was beginning to consider getting rid of the dead weight.
Meanwhile, Oliver became even more confused.
Everyone was clearly looking at him. Yet not a single person seemed capable of seeing the man standing right in front of him.
And that terrified him even more.
"Listen, Oliver. My name is Tyon.
My father sent me on a mission to eliminate every gang inside our territory.
But honestly, I only need to kill the leaders. Not everyone joins gangs because they want to.
So, Oliver..."
Tyon's smile widened slightly.
"I have a proposal for you. Since you can see me... would you like to join our gang?
The Sanctuary."
The moment Oliver heard that name, he froze.
He immediately remembered what his cousin had told him.
About the gangs throughout the region being exterminated by this person.
Oliver wasn't stupid.
He knew that if he refused, there was a very good chance he would die alongside the rest of his current gang.
So he didn't even hesitate before rapidly nodding in agreement.
Seeing that answer, Tyon immediately turned his gaze toward the others, who were still shouting at Oliver.
"Point out the ones who deserve to die, Oliver."
Terrified, Oliver pointed toward the gang leader and two other members standing nearby.
The moment he did, Tyon moved.
With absolute speed and precision, he struck each of their necks.
Three loud cracks echoed through the alley.
And all three bodies collapsed instantly.
The remaining gang members immediately panicked and started looking around in fear.
But only Oliver could see the monster standing before him, still smiling after finishing his work.
Tyon casually patted Oliver on the shoulder and started walking away from the alley as though nothing had happened.
Oliver remained frozen for several moments, trying to process what had just occurred.
Then he remembered he was supposed to follow that monster. After all, he had agreed to join him.
Oliver quickly got up and ran after Tyon without even sparing another glance toward the remains of the gang.
The organization would probably fall apart now anyway. Its leader and both of his right-hand men were dead.
Normally, Oliver would've run as far away as possible.
But after witnessing the absurd speed that monster possessed, he decided following him was a much safer option.
Oliver followed Tyon for two straight hours without stopping.
By now, he was beginning to think the man had tricked him and was planning to kill him.
They were heading deeper and deeper into the destroyed section of the city, where nobody cared what happened to anyone.
Fear was something Oliver knew very well. He had known it since childhood.
Because of that, he had always been good at finding ways to escape dangerous situations.
But right now...
There wasn't a single idea in his head that could help him escape.
Just as Oliver was seriously considering making a run for it, he suddenly saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks.
A massive dome, seemingly made of glass.
Despite its enormous size, he hadn't even noticed it until he got close enough.
The moment he saw it, he froze and stopped following Tyon entirely.
Tyon, however, seemed to have witnessed this exact reaction many times before.
So he simply waited for Oliver to return to reality, which didn't take very long.
"W-What the hell is that?"
Hearing the question, Tyon smiled and motioned for him to hurry up and follow while casually walking through the barrier.
"That is my father's creation, the leader of Sanctuary.
He can sense and use cursed energy just like you.
Though you probably won't be able to do even twenty percent of what he can.
Still, you've got what he calls potential."
Tyon continued deeper into the barrier, which now covered nearly two hundred meters around the warehouse.
And the closer they got to the warehouse, the cleaner the streets became.
There were fewer piles of debris blocking the roads. The destroyed buildings were still standing, of course.
But the larger chunks of rubble had been removed, making movement much easier than before.
It didn't take long before they reached the warehouse.
And it had changed.
It wasn't nearly as ugly as before.
Makeshift supports made from salvaged metal reinforced parts of the structure.
Several drawings surrounded the building.
Paintings of various colors that Oliver couldn't identify.
They were abstract and seemingly meaningless, existing only to add color to the environment.
Around the warehouse, a handful of people walked back and forth carrying tools.
Others appeared to be working on some sort of construction project.
The sight only made Oliver more confused.
But that confusion was interrupted when a loud metallic noise echoed ahead of him.
The warehouse doors were opening.
What he saw inside only confused him even more.
There were only two ordinary trucks parked inside.
And what appeared to be a living room.
A child sat on the floor playing with several puzzle pieces.
Nearby, a group of people relaxed on a large, comfortable sofa while talking amongst themselves.
There was even a large flat-screen television, though it wasn't working due to the complete lack of electricity.
Normal furniture filled the room.
Tables.
Cabinets.
Shelves.
There was even a large bookcase packed with books.
For a moment, Oliver simply stood there staring.
Because this wasn't a gang hideout.
It looked more like...
A home.
This wasn't a gang or anything like that.
Why the hell were there people doing construction work outside while some weird pseudo-family sat together in a living room?
But they clearly weren't a family.
The atmosphere around them wasn't that of a family at all.
They looked more like warlords.
Even the little girl gave off a strange feeling to him.
"I'M BACK!!!"
Without showing even the slightest bit of respect, Tyon burst into the room shouting like an excited child.
Everyone who heard his voice immediately showed expressions of exhaustion or irritation.
Everyone except the little girl.
The moment she saw Tyon, she jumped to her feet and rushed over to hug him.
Oliver was confused by the sight.
But he got over it quickly.
Honestly, he wasn't really in a position to judge what was weird anymore.
He had watched alien spaceships invade New York.
This wasn't strange.
Just eccentric.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when his attention was drawn toward a giant entering through a door behind the room.
There was only one word capable of describing the being that stepped inside.
Divine.
His aura was terrifying.
Simply standing near him made Oliver feel as though he were trying to breathe in outer space.
Yet his presence was overwhelming in a completely different way.
It felt as though an amalgamation of darkness itself had taken human form and was walking among them.
And strangely enough...
It didn't make Oliver uncomfortable.
If anything, it felt as though he was standing exactly where he was supposed to be.
Alex immediately noticed the presence of another person with above-average cursed energy and turned his gaze toward him.
The moment their eyes nearly met, Oliver instinctively lowered his head.
He couldn't even bring himself to maintain eye contact.
"Tyon, I told you to stop bringing random people inside.
I can barely deal with those lunatics outside already."
Hearing the scolding, Tyon lowered his head for a few moments before looking back up with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, come on.
You said I could bring anyone who accepted the invitation.
And he accepted.
He didn't even complain during the entire trip here."
When Alex heard that, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
The last two months of dealing with Tyon had been exhausting.
Fortunately, there was a simple way to solve this.
"Kid, is what he said true?
And don't be afraid.
I'm the strongest one here, so there's no way he'll be able to hurt you."
Oliver blinked in confusion.
Part of him wanted to say he needed help.
After all, he hadn't exactly come here willingly.
But when he thought about it more carefully...
Tyon hadn't actually forced him.
He had simply asked.
And Oliver had agreed almost immediately.
Seeing the boy hesitate, Alex shifted his gaze toward Tyon.
The teenager was currently playing with Elizabeth and completely ignoring the situation.
Alex had gotten used to doing this every time Tyon brought someone back.
There had even been one incident where a person fainted from fear because they thought they were about to die.
Mostly because Tyon had essentially threatened them into coming.
This boy, however, wasn't showing any signs of fear now.
Which meant he probably hadn't been forced.
And although everyone who joined Sanctuary was, at minimum, a little peculiar...
Alex desperately needed manpower.
Even after all the people he had gathered so far, it was nowhere near enough for his future plans.
"Well then..."
Alex's expression softened slightly.
"Welcome to Sanctuary, kid."