The air in the command room vibrated before the first warning alarm blared. A sharp crack split the silence, blue-white light twisting open like a wound in the air. The Thunderbolts snapped into formation instantly—U.S. Agent's shield raised, Ghost flickering, Yelena's knives flashing in her hands.
Aurora felt her skin prickle as the portal widened. Silvanna stiffened beside her, her eyes glowing faintly red.
Two figures stepped through.
The first was a towering mountain of muscle clad in crimson and steel, a helmet sealing half his face like an iron battering ram. His boots shook the floor with every step.
The second was a young woman with golden blonde hair that caught the portal's light like fire, her eyes burning with the glow of someone who carried far more power than she should.
"Who the hell—" Red Guardian started, only to be cut off as U.S. Agent barked:
"Identify yourselves. Now."
Silvanna's lips parted in shock, and then in relief. "Vanessa?"
The young woman's eyes softened. She crossed the space in a heartbeat and clasped Silvanna's hands. "I found you." Her voice cracked slightly, then steadied. "Tony sent me—and him—" she tilted her head at the armored giant "—to help. To find Spider-Man."
Juggernaut's deep voice rumbled like an avalanche. "Didn't think I'd be walking into a military daycare." He folded his massive arms, unimpressed by the Thunderbolts' drawn weapons.
The MCU Thunderbolts didn't budge.
Ghost hissed, "Juggernaut? Vanessa? Never heard of either of you."
"Of course you haven't," Vanessa said, looking around at their suspicious stares. "Because in your world, we don't exist. But in ours—we've fought, we've bled, we've stood with the X-Men, the Avengers, and more. And if Tony Stark trusted us to follow, then you can too."
The room was thick with tension. U.S. Agent's knuckles whitened around his shield. Yelena flicked her knives, eyes flickering between Vanessa and Juggernaut.
Aurora glanced nervously at Silvanna. "This isn't going to end in a fight, is it?" she whispered.
Silvanna's voice was grim. "That depends if they listen."
Bucky finally stepped forward, meeting Juggernaut's towering glare with his own. "If what you're saying is true, then you'll prove it. Not with words." He turned his head slightly toward the others. "Next mission, they come with us. Then we'll know."
Juggernaut smirked under his helmet, his voice like rolling thunder. "Finally. Someone who speaks my language."
Vanessa squeezed Silvanna's hand once more, her golden hair falling into her bright, determined eyes. "We're in this together now."
Aurora, standing between worlds she barely understood, felt the weight of it settle on her chest. The alliance was growing—but so were the risks.