Location: Earth Orbit, Skywatch Phoenix Time: 12:00 GMT, Two Weeks Later
The stars streaked past as Skywatch Phoenix dropped out of Andromeda jump-space. Earth floated below, blue and green against black.
Henri Voss stood on the command deck, his gauntlet now fully merged with his skin, golden circuits glowing faintly even through his uniform sleeves.
Eyla and Sorin flanked him, while Peter Parker leaned casually near the viewport.
"Home sweet home," Peter said quietly. "Any bets on how messed up things got while we were away?"
Sorin checked sensor readouts. "Atmospheric levels stable. Global sync signature holding. No major anomalies."
Henri exhaled slowly. "Let's head down."
---
Location: New York City, Skywatch Base Tower
As the ship descended, Henri noticed subtle changes from orbit: new construction sites, energy fields stabilizing certain zones, and more visible sync markers over major cities.
Wakandan tech specialists met them on the landing pad. Shuri led the team.
"You took your time," Shuri said, hands on her hips. "We've been holding things steady, but there's a situation."
Henri frowned. "Situation?"
Shuri handed him a tablet. On the screen: a global map with flashing sync nodes.
"System fragments," she explained. "Since you renewed the System, uncontrolled echoes have been appearing. Not dangerous yet, but unpredictable."
Eyla tilted her head. "How many?"
"Two hundred, spread worldwide."
Henri set his jaw. "Then we get to work."
---
Location: System Field #1, Northern Canada
First stop: a frozen wasteland. Henri, Eyla, Sorin, and Peter deployed via dropjet.
In the middle of a glacier, a sync fragment pulsed inside a pillar of ice.
> System Notice: Sync Fragment Detected. Classification: Tier III Echo.
The ice cracked as they approached. From inside, a creature emerged: a bear-shaped entity made of crystallized energy, roaring as it charged.
Peter jumped back, webbing freezing mid-air.
"Giant ice bear. Definitely wasn't in the travel guide."
Henri stepped forward, raising his hand. Golden light flared. With precise energy control, he channeled a containment field around the creature.
> System Notice: Echo Stabilized. Fragment Collected.
Eyla sheathed her blades. "One down, one hundred ninety-nine to go."
---
Location: System Coordination HQ, Wakanda Global Network
Back at base, Henri coordinated teams of sync users around the world. Spider-Man, Black Panther, the Dora Milaje, and new recruits trained under Skywatch guidance.
A holographic map displayed active sync zones.
Shuri commented as she worked beside him, "You've become something of a legend now, Henri. Not just a user. A guide."
Henri didn't answer. His focus was total.
---
Location: Private Balcony, Skywatch Base
Later that night, Henri stood alone, looking over the city skyline. Eyla joined him, silent for a moment.
"It's not over, is it?" she asked quietly.
Henri shook his head. "No. This is just stabilizing one world. There's a whole system web out there. More Creators. More fragments."
Eyla leaned against the rail. "And us?"
Henri met her eyes. "Us? We keep moving. Together."
For once, Eyla allowed herself a small smile.
---
Closing Scene:
Back inside, Henri's gauntlet flared with an unexpected alert.
> System Notice: Unknown Transmission Detected. Origin: Deep Space. Unregistered System Class.
Henri glanced over his shoulder. Another signal. Another unknown.
"Here we go again," he murmured.
End of Chapter 22