It was 2034, and Earth was a shadow of its former self. Skyscrapers lay in ruins, forests were scorched, and oceans had turned eerily silent. I was just 16 when the alien army invaded. They came in massive ships that blotted out the sun, their weapons vaporizing cities in seconds. They stole our food, our tech, and our freedom. Their king—a towering beast with six arms and a crown of fire—enslaved the survivors.

But me and Chase? We weren’t about to give up.

Late afternoon in what used to be New York City, the sky was a sickly orange and the air smelled like burnt metal. Alien patrols hovered overhead in sleek black drones, scanning the streets for troublemakers. Chase nudged me as we crouched behind a crumbling billboard.

“I found a tunnel,” he whispered. “Sewer entrance. It’s tight, but it leads to the warehouse.”

“The one with the alien stash?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. If that machine’s real, it’s in there.”

We slipped into the tunnel, crawling through muck and darkness until we reached the warehouse. It loomed like a haunted castle, its windows shattered and walls covered in alien glyphs. Inside, the air buzzed with leftover energy.

“Let’s be quick,” I said. “Last time we almost got fried.”

Chase grinned. “Yeah, but this time I brought backup.” He pulled out a small alien blaster. It looked like a toy but hummed with power.

We searched the shelves, dodging broken crates and glowing orbs. Then I saw it—a strange clock-like device, pulsing with blue light. A gem floated in its center, spinning slowly.

“This is it!” I shouted.

“Shhh!” Chase hissed. “You want to get vaporized?”

We grabbed the machine and bolted. Outside, we activated it. The gem flared, and suddenly the world twisted. Colors blurred, gravity flipped, and we were pulled into a vortex.

We landed in another universe—one where superheroes ruled. Iron Man flew overhead, blasting a giant tentacle monster. Captain America was rallying troops.

“Uh… hi,” I said, waving awkwardly.

Cap turned. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“We kinda did,” Chase said. “Our Earth’s been taken over. We need help.”

Iron Man hovered beside us. “Alien invasion? Time travel? Sounds like a Tuesday.”

They agreed to help. We returned with tech-enhanced suits, plasma shields, and a modified version of the time cannon that could also fire energy blasts.

Back in our universe, we launched a full assault. Aliens fell one by one. Chase flew in on a hoverboard, blasting drones. I used the cannon to tear through enemy lines.

Then came the king.

He roared, shaking the ground. “You dare defy me?”

Captain America threw his shield with pinpoint precision. It slammed into the king’s chest. Iron Man followed up with a rocket punch that sent the alien flying.

“You’re not so tough,” Chase muttered, aiming the cannon.

With one final blast, the king exploded into a burst of blue flame. Silence fell. The city was ours again.

We stood among the rubble, breathing hard.

“Think we can fix this place?” I asked.

Chase smiled. “With a time cannon and a few superhero friends? Yeah. I think we’ve got a shot.”