Jay sat at the Baxter Building's kitchen counter, working through his fifth plate of food. Pasta, steak, three sandwiches, and an entire roasted chicken. His metabolism burned through calories like a furnace.

  Reed stood nearby with his tablet, monitoring vital signs. "You know, even after all your feats, the most amazed I am is with your metabolism. The sheer caloric intake required to sustain your enhanced physiology should be physically impossible to consume, yet here you are."

  "Mmph," Jay managed around a mouthful of sandwich. He swallowed, reaching for water. "Thanks, I guess?"

  A tiny cry echoed from the adjoining room.

  Sue's voice followed, soft and soothing. "Shh, it's okay, sweetie. Mommy's here. You're just hungry, aren't you?"

  Jay smiled despite his exhaustion. "How's she doing?"

  "Exhausted but happy." Reed's expression softened. "She hasn't put him down except to let me change him. I tried to explain that constant physical contact isn't necessary for infant bonding, but she threatened to make me sleep on the couch if I quoted one more parenting study."

  "Smart woman."

  "The smartest." Reed paused, extending his hand. "Jay, I don't know how to properly express our gratitude. You gave us the one thing we couldn't give ourselves. Peace of mind."

  Jay shook his hand. "You'd do the same for me."

  "In a heartbeat."

  Domino entered the kitchen, took one look at the mountain of empty plates and raised an eyebrow. "Jesus, Jay. You trying to eat Reed out of house and home?"

  Jay pushed his plate away. "Reed, I need to head out. Got some things to take care of."

  "Are you sure that's wise? Your body needs rest."

  "My body needs me to move before it gets stiff." Jay stood, wobbling slightly. Domino was at his side immediately, steadying him. "I'll rest after I handle some business."

  Reed opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. "Take care of yourself. The strain on your system was tremendous. Even with your adaptive capabilities, I would recommend pacing yourself.

  Domino's grip on Jay's arm tightened. "Don't worry, Reed. I'll make surehe doesn't do anything stupid. Or at least, I'll be there when he does."

  Sue appeared in the doorway; Franklin bundled in her arms. The baby was awake, bright blue eyes tracking movement with infant curiosity.

  "You're leaving already?" Sue's voice carried genuine concern.

  "Just for a bit. Got to check in with my people, make sure everyone survived the invasion intact." Jay moved closer, looking down at Franklin. The baby's tiny hand reached up, fingers grasping at air. "Hey there, little guy. You take care of your parents, okay? They're going to need you to go easy on them for the first few years."

  Franklin made a small noise, something between a coo and a gurgle.

  "He likes you," Sue said softly. "And we meant what we said before. When you're ready, when things settle down, we'd be honored if you'd consider being Franklin's godfather."

  Jay's throat tightened. "I'd be honored. But you might want to wait until I'm less of a walking disaster before making that official."

  "You saved our son before he even took his first breath. That makes you family, disaster or not."

  They said their goodbyes. Jay planted a gentle kiss on Franklin's forehead, making the baby gurgle again.

  "Come on, hero. Time to go before you start crying and ruin your tough guy image."

  "I don't have a tough guy image."

  "You really don't. But a girl can dream."

  Blue energy rippled around them. Space folded, twisted, and deposited them elsewhere.

  They materialized in the Savage Land base. The temperature shift was immediate as New York's autumn chill replaced by tropical heat.

  Domino released Jay's arm, looking around in confusion. "Wait, what? Why are we here? Weren't you going to meet with Bobby and the rest? Check on everyone after the invasion?"

  Jay moved toward the command center. Each step felt like wading through mud. "I need to tell you something first. About the time I was in the coma."

  Domino's expression shifted instantly. Her hand shot out, gripping his shoulder hard. "Are you okay? Do we need to go back to Reed? Is something wrong with your healing?"

  "No, no, it's not that." Jay sank into one of the chairs. "You know how I told you there are beings at the top of the cosmic hierarchy? The entities that make gods look like children playing dress-up?"

  "Yeah?" Domino sat across from him, her body language tense. "What about them?"

  "I met them again."

  The silent hum of the base's climate control filled the space between them.

  "Again?" Domino leaned forward. "Jay, what do you mean again? When did you meet them the first time?"

  Right. She didn't know about his previous encounter with the Queen of Nevers. That conversation had happened during his enhancement procedure, when he'd nearly died the first time.

  Jay took a breath. "Okay, so this is going to sound insane..."

  "More insane than aliens invading through a portal in the sky?"

  "Point taken." His fingers interlaced. "The first time was months ago, during Reed's enhancement procedure. I died. Or nearly died. The line was pretty blurred. And while I was out, I met the Queen of Nevers."

  He explained the Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be. The realm of possibility existing outside the multiverse. The cosmic entity who protected outsiders like him, people who didn't belong to the natural order of things.

  Domino listened without interrupting, her expression cycling through disbelief, shock, and finally settling on grim acceptance.

  "So you're telling me," she said slowly, "that there's a cosmic entity out there who considers you her responsibility? Like some kind of interdimensional social worker?"

  "More like a very powerful, very ancient mother figure who collects strays from other realities."

  Domino's hands clenched into fists. Her voice dropped, rough with emotion. "That's not comforting, Jay. That's terrifying." She stood abruptly, pacing. "How many other people like you are out there? Other transmigrators?"

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  "More than I can count, apparently. But we'll never meet. The One Above All doesn't like his shows to interrupt each other." Jay's smile was bitter. "Each outsider exists in their own narrative bubble. We're effectively alone."

  "Except you're not alone." Domino spun to face him, her eyes blazing. "You have us. Bobby and the rest not to mention Franklin too." Her voice cracked slightly. "Or doesn't that count?"

  "Of course it counts. You're the reason I'm still sane." Jay reached across the table, taking her hand. "But understanding what I am, where I came from, that's something only another transmigrator could fully grasp. And that's never going to happen."

  Domino squeezed his fingers hard. "Okay. So that was the first time. What about now? What happened this time that's got you spooked enough to hide out here instead of checking on your people?"

  "I met them while I was out." Jay's voice dropped. The memory alone made his hands tremble. "And Dom, it wasn't pretty."

  His vision glazed, the command center fading as the memory pulled him back.

  Pure white stretched in every direction as the void hummed with potential and space felt solid beneath Jay's feet yet simultaneously infinite.

  Jay stood in the Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be once more.

  The Queen of Nevers materialized before him, tall and regal. Her hair shifted between silver and starlight. Her dress appeared cut from the fabric of space itself.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Jay," she said, her voice carrying maternal warmth.

  Jay bowed slightly. "The pleasure is mine, Queen of Nevers. Though I have to say, I didn't expect to be back here so soon."

  "Neither did I." Her expression grew complicated. "Though I suppose resurrecting twelve hundred souls tends to attract attention."

  The temperature dropped, not in cold, but in the absence of warmth, like a withdrawal.

  Another figure began to materialize beside the Queen. Reality flinched away from her presence. She was beautiful in a way that made Jay's hindbrain scream. Her form shifted between states of pale flesh draped in black silk, then gleaming bone wrapped in shadow and finally something between that hurt to perceive directly.

  Jay's danger sense shrieked. Every cell in his body recognized its inevitable end standing before him.

  Jay didn't need his comic nerd perk to recognize her.

  This was Lady Death herself.

  "So this is the little outsider you've been protecting?" Death's voice dripped honey-sweet poison, and Jay's heart stuttered hearing it. "How absolutely delightful. He's even more interesting up close."

  Jay's mental shields flared, working overtime. His breath came in short gasps. "Lady Death. It's an honor. Though, uh, I was hoping we wouldn't meet for another sixty or seventy years."

  Death's laugh made his bones ache. "Oh, I like him! He's got spirit! Queen, won't you give him to me? I promise I'll take very good care of him." She turned to the Queen, her expression playful like a child asking for a toy. "I'll even trade you. Name your price."

  "He's not a toy to barter, Lady Death." The Queen's voice carried steel beneath the warmth. "He's a being with his own thoughts and agency."

  "Oh, you're no fun." Death pouted, then turned back to Jay. Her expression shifted from playful to predatory. "But you're right, he has agency. So instead of hiding behind mommy, he can face his punishment like a big boy." Her eyes fixed on Jay. "Don't you think so, little outsider? After all, playing with death always has consequences. And you played on quite the scale."

  Jay's brain fired at maximum capacity, and sweat plastered his body. His voice came out steadier than he felt. "With all due respect, Lady Death, this isn't the first time death's been cheated. The Hand's been doing it for centuries."

  "Oh sweetie, that's not the same at all." Death's smile sharpened like a knife. "They loan souls to the Beast. A demon. Those souls never entered my realm. They're still walking around in borrowed time. You, however..." Her presence intensified, pushing down on him like atmospheric pressure. "You reached into MY domain. Into MY realm. And you stole what belonged to ME."

  Jay's words tumbled out faster. "Okay, what about the Avengers? They time-travelled and brought back quintillions when they undid the snap. That's way more than twelve hundred."

  "They did it because it was their destiny. Not to mention they were using the Infinity Stones, which gave them the right." Death leaned forward, towering over him. Jay's knees threatened to buckle. "Plus, you didn't just rewind time for the dead. You took their souls from my realms and infused them back into their bodies. You violated the natural order."

  Jay felt the walls closing in. His voice cracked slightly. "I had Franklin Richards' power. The embodiment of hope itself, the harbinger of the Ninth Cosmos. Doesn't that bring enough authority?"

  "Stolen. From. An. Infant." Death's aura crashed outward, and the white void cracked. Jay's legs gave out, dropping him to one knee. He couldn't breathe.

  "AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED IF THE HARBINGER HIMSELF DIDN'T ALLOW IT!" The Queen stepped forward, her own power rising like a tidal wave. The void stabilized. Two cosmic entities faced each other. "YOU KNOW THIS, DEATH! DON'T PLAY GAMES!"

  Power crackled between them all the while, Jay remained frozen on one knee.

  Then Death laughed.

  The sound was like wind through a graveyard. Her power retracted, and the pressure vanished. Jay finally gasped, sucking in the metaphorical air.

  "Oh, you're so easy to rile up, Queen." Death's tone shifted to amused affection. "I was just having a little fun. The boy's panic was absolutely delicious. How could I resist?"

  She turned to Jay, her expression deadly serious. "But listen carefully, little outsider. You get one. One violation of my domain. One theft from my realm. If you try this again, if you dare reach into death's domain without proper authority, I will take something from you in return. Something you can't bear to lose. Are we clear?"

  Death then vanished with grace, dissolving into dark mist.

  Jay's legs nearly gave out completely. He remained kneeling, his entire body shaking.

  "She's being real, isn't she? Am I marked by Death now?"

  The Queen moved closer, her hand settling on his shoulder. "Who among you humans isn't marked by death? As for her threat, it's her right to warn you. So, tell me Jay, do you regret it?"

  Jay thought back to every face and every name. Twelve hundred lives given back, and his trembling slowed.

  "I don't regret it. Especially if I'd dealt with the consequences on my own and dealt with Loki beforehand. But that would have led to weakening Earth's defences, leaving them unable to enter the age of heroes. So, I guess I took the best route available."

  "A good answer." The Queen's expression softened. "And your act wasn't without merit or reward. Look at yourself, Jay. Really look at what you've achieved."

  Jay examined his form in this space. His body hummed with new energy. Where before reality manipulation had felt like acid waiting to burn through him, now it felt manageable. He concentrated, and the white void rippled around him.

  "Using Darwin's adaptation and merging it with your inherent abilities, your body has grown to accommodate much grander power than was possible before." The Queen's voice carried pride. "And since you carried the highest order of reality warping, you're now resistant to it. At low to mid-levels at least, you're effectively immune."

  Relief flooded through Jay. "So, I can actually deal with reality manipulators now without worrying they'll accidentally erase me?"

  "To a degree. Beings from universes like 616 would still pose a significant threat. But most Earth-based reality warpers in your universe? You're safe against most of them." She smiled.

  Jay's form began to blur at the edges. "It's time to go back, isn't it?"

  "Yes. But Jay..." The Queen's expression grew serious. "Your actions didn't just attract Death's attention. My beloved noticed as well."

  Jay's eyes widened. "You mean Eternity himself?"

  "Go. Reach Eternity first in your universe. He's waiting." The Queen's form began to fade.

  The white void collapsed inward.

  Jay's eyes snapped open with a gasp.

  Domino gripped his shoulders, her face inches from his, eyes wide with panic.

  "Jay! Fuck! You've been staring into space for five minutes! I was about to slap you!" She shook him.

  "I'm okay." Jay's voice came out rough. He realized his hands were trembling, sweat soaking through his shirt. "I'm okay, Dom. I was just... remembering."

  He told her everything. The Queen's warning. Death's threat. The fundamental changes to his physiology. And finally, the summons from Eternity himself.

  Domino listened without interrupting, her expression cycling through disbelief, terror, and finally settling on grim determination.

  "So the universe itself wants to meet you," she said flatly. "And you're just going to go?"

  "It's actually an opportunity for us," Jay mentioned, the cards he gave her. "Now that we have bargaining chips with us."

  Domino moved closer, her hand finding his and holding tight. Her voice trembled slightly, but her grip was iron. "When do we leave?"

  "We don't. I go alone."

  "Like absolute fuck you do." Her other hand came up, cupping his face, forcing eye contact. "Not happening. Not a chance. Not in this universe or any other."

  "Dom, it's dangerous—"

  "Everything we do is dangerous!" Her grip tightened. Nails dug into his skin. "You're exhausted. Still healing. About to meet a cosmic entity that could blink you out of existence. And you think I'm letting you go alone? Are you fucking insane?"

  Jay started to argue. Then saw the absolute refusal in her eyes. The fear underneath. The determination to face cosmic horrors with him. Regardless of the cost.

  "Together," he said softly, turning his hand to lace fingers with hers. "Like it should be."

  "Damn right together." Domino pressed her forehead against his. "So how do we find Eternity?"

  "We just wait for the All-Father's envoy to come and fetch his son."

  "That sounds extremely dangerous."

  "Everything I do is extremely dangerous." Jay squeezed her hand. "At least this time we know the direction we want to go."

  Jay took one last look at the Savage Land base.

  Blue energy began to ripple around them. Space folded, preparing for teleportation.