Seven months until the invasion.
The alert woke Justin at 4:17 AM, AEGIS's voice cutting through his sleep with clinical urgency.
"Sir, SHIELD communications anomaly detected. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. facility has initiated emergency protocols. Dr. Erik Selvig has been relocated to the facility for specialized Tesseract research."
Justin was out of bed instantly, Natasha stirring beside him. "Define 'emergency protocols.'"
"Accelerated research timeline. Increased security presence. Energy readings from the Tesseract have spiked 47% in the last seventy-two hours. SHIELD appears concerned but lacks understanding of the underlying cause."
Loki. Justin's chest tightened. It's starting.
He pulled up data on his tablet, seeing patterns that matched his memories too perfectly. Selvig acting strangely in recent weeks. The Tesseract's energy signature fluctuating. SHIELD scrambling to understand phenomena they couldn't control.
Loki was already here. Already influencing. Already preparing.
"AEGIS, full analysis. I need projections."
"Based on energy patterns and historical data, estimated timeline to critical event: Five to eight months. Confidence level: 82%."
Seven months. Maybe less. The invasion wasn't theoretical anymore—it was imminent.
"Wake everyone. Emergency meeting in two hours. And AEGIS? Elevate ARES Division to full combat readiness. No explanation yet. Just do it."
"Acknowledged, sir."
Natasha sat up, instantly alert. "What's happening?"
"Loki's making his move. Tesseract activity is accelerating. We're out of time to prepare."
"How do you know it's Loki?"
Justin met her eyes. Saw the question she wasn't asking: How do you always know?
"Because everything's following the pattern I've been expecting. SHIELD's panicking over energy spikes they can't explain. Selvig's behavior changed. The pieces are exactly where they need to be for an invasion." He pulled on clothes, his hands shaking slightly. "I need to start moving resources into position. Now. Before SHIELD or anyone else asks questions I can't answer."
Natasha dressed quickly. "Fury's going to notice."
"I know. Let him."
The mobilization was subtle but comprehensive.
ARES Division shifted to elevated readiness—enhanced operatives conducting "routine training exercises" that happened to position them strategically around New York. Ghost Network assets received encrypted instructions to prepare emergency response infrastructure. Medical supplies moved into pre-positioned caches throughout Manhattan.
To outside observers, it looked like standard preparedness exercises. To Justin, it was choreography for an apocalypse only he could see coming.
The call from Fury came three days later.
"Hammer." No greeting. No pleasantries. Just his name spoken like an accusation. "You're mobilizing resources like you're expecting a war. What do you know?"
Justin kept his voice calm. "After Thor's arrival proved gods exist, after your Avengers Initiative started recruiting powered individuals, I'm preparing for the inevitable—large-scale superhuman conflict in a major population center."
"That's vague."
"Because I don't have specifics. Just patterns. Probability. Statistical analysis suggesting something big is coming to New York within the next six to nine months."
"Based on what intelligence?"
"Observation. Your own movements, Director. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. emergency protocols. Tesseract energy fluctuations. You're worried about something. So am I."
Fury was silent for a long moment. "You've been right before. Monaco. Red Room. Other things. So I'm not shutting you down. But Hammer? If you're playing some angle I don't see, if this is a setup—"
"Then you'll end me. I know. It's your standard threat." Justin rubbed his face, exhaustion pulling at him. "But Director, think about it. Why would I waste billions of dollars on preparedness exercises if I wasn't genuinely concerned? What's my angle? What am I gaining?"
"That's what bothers me. I can't figure out your angle."
"Maybe there isn't one. Maybe I'm just someone trying to save lives when disaster strikes." Justin pulled up his tactical displays. "You want my resources positioned when things go sideways, or would you rather I stand down and let civilians die because you don't trust my motivations?"
Another silence. Then: "Keep preparing. But Hammer? When this goes down—whatever 'this' is—you coordinate with SHIELD. You don't go rogue. Clear?"
"Crystal."
Fury disconnected without goodbye.
Justin slumped in his chair, void marks pulsing beneath his sleeves. The corruption had spread past his elbows now, geometric patterns visible even through clothing. Eleven percent. Rising steadily.
"Sir," AEGIS said quietly. "Director Fury's suspicion is warranted. Your foreknowledge continues to manifest in ways that defy normal intelligence gathering."
"I know."
"Eventually, someone will demand answers you cannot provide."
"I know that too." Justin pulled up his contingency files. Emergency protocols. Dead-man switches. Knowledge uploads. "That's why I'm preparing for every possibility. Including the one where I die before explaining myself."
"A grim prospect."
"Welcome to my life."
The vault room felt different now that invasion was imminent.
Justin stood before his four captured powers, examining them like a general reviewing troops. Pyrokinesis from Eliza. Regeneration factor active in his body. Enhanced reflexes waiting. Darkforce manipulation from Marcus Daniels.
Eleven more pedestals stood empty.
His Scientific Intuition provided calculations: With four powers and current corruption levels, he could sustain two active powers for extended periods. Three for hours. Four for minutes before critical failure.
During the invasion, he'd need flexibility. Options. The ability to adapt as situations changed.
"AEGIS, update emergency protocols. If I die during the coming conflict—"
"Sir, must we discuss—"
"Yes. If I die, upload encrypted files to Fury and Stark. Passwords to be released posthumously. Include complete intelligence on threats I've been preparing for—HYDRA, Ultron, Thanos. Everything."
"And your organization?"
"Maya takes technical leadership. Frank takes operational command. Natasha..." Justin's voice caught. "Natasha gets a personal message. In my private files. You'll know which one."
"Acknowledged. Additional instructions?"
Justin thought about the Maximoff twins. About HYDRA's schemes. About threats he knew were coming but couldn't prevent. "Include extraction protocols for enhanced individuals in HYDRA custody. Locations of hidden facilities. Everything that might help them continue the work after I'm gone."
"You are preparing for martyrdom."
"I'm preparing for reality. I have void corruption killing me and aliens coming to destroy Manhattan. The odds of me surviving both are poor." Justin examined his arms, seeing the marks glow faintly. "Better to plan for the worst and be pleasantly surprised than plan for survival and leave people helpless."
He activated the enhanced reflexes power as his second active ability, feeling it settle into his body alongside regeneration. His perception sharpened. The world slowed fractionally. Combat capability increased significantly.
The void marks darkened. Corruption accelerated slightly. Worth it.
"Seven months," Justin said quietly. "Seven months to finalize everything. To fill more vault slots if possible. To hope I've done enough."
Outside his command center, New York lived its normal life. Millions of people completely unaware that in a facility beneath the desert, a god of mischief was manipulating one of Earth's brightest scientists. That a portal would soon tear open above their city. That aliens would pour through by the thousands.
But Justin knew. And he was preparing. Moving pieces into position. Building infrastructure to minimize casualties.
He pulled up a map of Manhattan, marking locations he remembered from the movies: Stark Tower where the portal would open. Grand Central where civilians would mass. The streets where fighting would be fiercest.
Red markers for medical stations. Blue for evacuation routes. Green for weapons caches. Purple for ARES Division rally points.
It looked like a battle plan. Because that's what it was.
"AEGIS," Justin said. "Continue monitoring Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. Any changes—any at all—I want to know immediately."
"Understood, sir. Though I should note: We are approaching the point where preparation becomes action. When the portal opens, there will be no time for further planning."
"I know. That's why we're doing everything now." Justin closed the tactical displays. "Because once it starts, we'll be too busy surviving to think clearly."
Seven months. Not enough time. Never enough time.
But he'd use every day he had left to make sure that when Loki finally made his move, when that portal tore open and aliens poured through—
Earth would be ready.
Or as ready as foreknowledge and desperation could make it.
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