At the same time the battle on the Moon erupted…
On the other side of the universe, passing through the portal were: Captain America, War Machine, Black Widow, Quicksilver, Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Sersi of the Eternals.
The seven of them stepped into the DC universe together.
"Thank you, Eternal, for your support," said Captain America, dressed in his Patriot armor, as he approached the portal.
"No, thank you. And I speak only for myself," replied Sersi, waving her hand dismissively.
After the incident with Ikaris, only a few of the nine Eternals remained. Aron had eliminated three of them on the spot. Of the remaining six, two were gravely injured, one had gone insane, and one had lost his powers.
Now, only Sersi and Thena were still capable of fighting. Yet Thena had withdrawn and no longer wished to involve herself in any battles. Practically, the Eternals existed only on paper.
That was why Sersi's participation was entirely her own choice.
"Very well then. Thank you personally."
---
After passing through the portal, the group found themselves surrounded by a hot, dry climate.
"A desert?" asked Black Panther.
"No. Egypt," replied the Captain.
Before them stretched the harsh, endless sands. In the distance, several massive pyramids rose above the horizon.
"It seems something interfered with the teleportation coordinates," murmured Ant-Man.
"It forced us to land… slightly off target."
Holding the energy detector designed by Dr. Hank Pym, Scott Lang pointed the device toward the horizon.
"Detected! The energy waves match! It's the Power Gem!"
Everyone immediately turned their gaze toward the gigantic pyramid.
"Why would anyone put an Infinity Stone inside a pyramid? Are they trying to summon a pharaoh?" joked Rhodey, better known as War Machine.
"Something doesn't feel right," commented Black Widow.
Her agent's instinct warned her.
Without hesitation, she activated her Phantom suit, equipped with the latest optical cloaking technology.
A shimmer of light distorted around her, and in an instant, she vanished from sight.
Even her footprints in the sand disappeared as soon as the antigravity system engaged.
"Well, now she's really become a ghost widow…" quipped Rhodey with a grin.
Even his advanced War Machine systems couldn't detect her.
"Hey, don't talk behind my back. I can hear everything," came Natasha's voice through the comms, startling him.
"Oh, for crying out loud, you scared me," muttered Rhodey.
"Alright, enough jokes. We're close to the Power Gem. Even if there's an ambush waiting, we can't retreat," said the Captain firmly, closing the visor of his armor.
"Rhodey, take to the air. Cover us from above. Provide fire support if needed!"
"Roger that!"
Jets of heated particles burst beneath War Machine's feet as he lifted into the sky.
"Quicksilver, Ant-Man, you're in charge of retrieving the Stone."
"Natasha, stay hidden."
"Everyone else, with me!"
The team was split up. Quickly, they moved toward the pyramid.
---
"There they are."
On a sand dune far from Captain America's team stood Batman. He wore a classic wind-resistant outfit styled like a post-apocalyptic desert wanderer.
Goggles protected his eyes from the sand, and his cape was already covered in dust.
At that moment, he activated the wrist screen, the scanner displayed a satellite image of Captain America's team.
"Six people?"
Batman's eyes analyzed every individual in an instant.
Exoskeleton armor, one black, one gray, then a slim combat suit, a figure resembling Ant-Man, a silver-haired youth, and… an ordinary-looking woman with Asian features.
"The silver-haired one is probably that speedster Atom Man mentioned..."
His mind immediately calculated the threat level of each individual:
Two in exosuits, most likely regular humans. Threat level: medium.
The gray armor, likely War Machine, while the one bearing the American flag was Captain America.
Both classified as low-risk.
The greatest threat… the Asian woman in casual clothing.
No protection. No armor. No visible combat abilities. Which meant she was either completely unaware of danger… or powerful enough not to need protection.
"There's no record of her in any of the comics."
Batman frowned. The lack of precise intel on the Marvel universe was his weakness, but…
"I've prepared well enough."
He switched on his communicator:
"Victor, did he agree?"
---
Northern Sinai, nation of Kahndaq.
Deep within the catacombs, Cyborg responded through the communicator.
Beside him stood Black Adam.
Massive. Bald. Intimidating. His suit black, adorned with a golden lightning emblem across his chest.
"Bruce, he's angry… but he agreed."
---
Hearing the response, Batman simply nodded.
Without a word, he stepped into the Batmobile, hit the accelerator, and sped directly toward the pyramid.
---
Meanwhile...
Captain America and his team had reached the source of the energy waves, the Power Gem.
But it wasn't inside the pyramid itself…
It was at the base, in a newly constructed research facility.
"Looks like they found a quiet place to run experiments... too bad..." muttered Rhodey through the communicator, hovering above the base.
"I was expecting them to summon a pharaoh."
His sensors quickly scanned the location: only a few human soldiers and scientists. No superpowered targets.
"Captain, looks like it's a false alarm."
"It's always better to be cautious," replied Steve, entering the base.
"Pietro, get the Gem. Make sure no one gets hurt."
"Count on it." Quicksilver vanished in an instant, turning into a silver blur.
But…
…he never returned.
"Pietro? Quicksilver? Respond! Do you hear me..."
Silence.
"There's no need to shout."
An unfamiliar voice echoed inside Captain America's head.
And then...
The human soldiers and scientists began to disappear.
Like fading balloons in a dream, they evaporated into thin air.
The base emptied within seconds.
"Illusion… telepathy!" shouted Sersi.
She instantly recognized it, they weren't real people.
The base was a trap.
"It's the Martian Manhunter!"
Ant-Man's knowledge from the comics hadn't failed him.
A green figure emerged from the shadows, carrying an unconscious Pietro.
His presence was undeniable.
Although they had entered with a mission, it was now clear: they had walked straight into a trap.