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Chapter 21 - Planning

The Helicarrier's main briefing room was a pressure cooker of ideologies. At the holographic table, a war of words was being waged long before the first shot was fired against the Eidolon.

"A phantom universe is the only logical course," Loki argued, his hands shaping a shimmering illusion of a galaxy in the air between them. "We create a decoy reality, a feast of cosmic energy so tempting the Eidolon cannot ignore it. While it consumes the mirage, we strike at its source."

"It's a fool's errand," Natasha countered, her voice flat and steady. As Ghost Code, she saw the flaws in the system. "We're assuming we can trick a being that unbuilds reality for a living. It will see through the illusion. We need a defensible position. A fortress. We choose one reality, one timeline, and we fortify it as a last bastion."

"A direct, honorable stand is the only way," Thor boomed, siding with the spies. "We cannot win a war through tricks and whispers."

Steve, now Stormwarden, nodded in agreement. "Natasha is right. We make our stand here. We draw the line."

Clint, leaning back in his chair, saw the cracks in every plan. "And what happens when the fortress falls?" he asked, his voice grim. "What happens when the decoy is ignored? You're all planning the first move. The Eidolon is playing the last move before the game even begins." The council of war ended without consensus, a fractured alliance of clashing philosophies.

In the pristine quiet of the R&D lab, a different kind of strategy was taking shape. Shuri held up a sleek, silver-and-white uniform. It was designed to shimmer, to look like it was in constant motion even when standing still.

"Your power isn't just speed; it's the force you generate," she explained to Pietro, whose nervous energy seemed to calm in her presence. "It's forward momentum. We need that." She presented the suit to him. "On this team, you are Momentum."

Pietro took the suit, a new sense of purpose settling over him. He wasn't just Wanda's brother, the fast one. He was a force. He was Momentum.

In a quiet data analysis lab, Jane Foster showed Nick Fury a holographic map of decaying universes. The sight was horrifyingly beautiful, a cosmic web of lights winking out one by one.

"It's not just erasing things," Jane said, her voice a hushed whisper of discovery. "There's a pattern. It's avoiding certain quantum frequencies and being drawn to others... It's hunting for something specific. It's not just cleaning the slate; it's searching." Her work had deepened the mystery, making their enemy feel less like a force of nature and more like a predator with a purpose.

That predatory nature was something Wanda was becoming intimately familiar with. She sat in a quiet meditation room, the Darkhold open on the floor before her. Its dark energy swirled around her, whispering promises of power, of shortcuts, of vengeance. She was struggling to keep it at bay, her knuckles white.

The door slid open, and Pietro entered. He didn't move with his usual blur of speed, but with a quiet calm. He said nothing. He simply sat down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. His presence was a grounding force, a true north in the storm of corruption the book was offering. With his hand on her shoulder, Wanda found she could quiet the whispers, could filter the book's dark knowledge without being consumed by its hunger. Her brother was her anchor in the abyss.

The Helicarrier's mess hall offered a much-needed dose of absurdity. Peter Parker was trying to eat a sandwich while Wade Wilson gestured wildly at his new suit.

"Look, all I'm saying is that the design is derivative," Wade explained. "It needs more pouches. And maybe a unicorn logo right on the chest spider. For brand synergy!"

A deep, guttural voice echoed in Peter's mind, a voice only he could hear. "This one's mind is a void. The Eidolon will starve."

Wade seemed to hear it anyway. "Hey! I'll have you know my mind is a beautiful, chaotic landscape of pop culture references and chimichanga recipes!"

"He talks to people who are not there," the Venom symbiote continued, its tone a mixture of disgust and fascination. "We find this relatable… and pathetic."

Peter just sighed and tried to take another bite of his sandwich.

The true conflict of the day wasn't in the war room or the lab, but in the quiet of a private cabin. Logan stood before Mariko, his face a mask of fury and fear.

"This is not your fight, Mariko," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I won't lose you. I won't let our children lose you."

Mariko didn't argue. She didn't raise her voice. Instead, she turned to a long, lacquered box that had been brought aboard with their few belongings. She opened it. Inside, resting on a bed of silk, was an ancient katana, its blade seeming to drink the light.

"This is Setsudan-sha," she said, her voice soft but firm as she lifted the blade. "The Severer." She told him that her family's legacy wasn't just business; it was guarding this weapon and the knowledge of how to wield it—The Way of the Silent Dragon.

She moved to the center of the room and took a swordsman's stance. In an instant, her entire demeanor changed. The gentle mother was gone, replaced by a disciplined, focused warrior. Her eyes were steel.

"My fight is wherever our family is," she said, her voice ringing with the clarity of a temple bell. "I will not hide while you die for us. I am a samurai of the Yashida clan. I fight."

with Logan watching the woman he loved transform into a warrior he don't want to. His face was a storm of fury, fear, and a reluctant, terrified admiration. He was not ready for this, but he could see with absolute certainty that she was.

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