The Thunderbolts' strategy room felt like a pressure chamber. The steel walls closed in as the team argued, every word sharper than the last.
Bucky's voice cut through the noise.
"We need to decide now. Do we bring them in… or cut them loose?"
U.S. Agent sneered. "Juggernaut, Vanessa, Silvanna, Aurora—too dangerous, too unpredictable. They're not assets, they're live grenades waiting to go off."
Yelena folded her arms. "And grenades kill people on both sides."
Juggernaut's glare made the table tremble. "Say that again and see what happens."
Before the tension could snap, Silvanna's communicator pulsed with light. She turned her head slightly, already knowing who it was.
Tony Stark's voice filled the room:
"Silvanna. I've located Spider-Man. He's alive, but trapped. I'll open a portal in one hour—be ready."
The Thunderbolts froze.
Red Guardian whispered, "No… impossible. Stark is dead. He died to save the universe."
U.S. Agent barked, "This is fake. A trick. A ghost in the machine."
Silvanna stood tall, unshaken.
"No. It's him. In my world, Tony Stark never died. He built the portal tech. He's the one who sent me to help Aurora."
Aurora added softly, "She's telling the truth. Without him, none of us would even be here."
The Thunderbolts' reaction wasn't relief. It was cold dismissal.
Bucky leaned forward, steel fingers tapping the table.
"Let's make one thing clear. That Spider-Man he's talking about? He's not from our world. Not our fight. Not our responsibility."
Ghost tilted her head, voice crackling. "Then why risk anything for him?"
Silvanna's eyes narrowed. "Because leaving him there would be wrong. And because in my world, Spider-Man is more than just a mask—he's a hero."
Vanessa chimed in, her golden-blonde hair catching the dim light. "Tony wouldn't risk contacting us if this wasn't important. You don't have to care about Spider-Man. But you will care when you see what's coming with him."
The Thunderbolts shifted uncomfortably. Yelena finally broke the silence.
"We didn't sign up to chase ghosts from other worlds. But… if this Stark really can do what you say… then maybe ignoring this isn't smart either."
Bucky's eyes swept the table. "Fine. We'll hear him out. But don't mistake this for loyalty. The second this Spider-Man threatens our world, we cut him loose. Clear?"
The outsiders said nothing, but their silence carried its own defiance.
For the Thunderbolts, Spider-Man was a stranger. For Aurora, Silvanna, Vanessa, and Juggernaut, he was family worth crossing worlds for.
And in less than an hour, Tony Stark's portal would force them all onto the same path—whether the Thunderbolts wanted it or not.