Few days later, Stark Tower.
The meeting room on the top floor of Stark Tower buzzed with quiet conversation and shuffling chairs as everyone slowly gathered.
"Alright," Liam said. "Let's talk defense. If the Wild Hunt does manage to break through, this particular section.." He said pointing his finger at the holographic projection of Kaer Morhen, "we need to be ready. First point of resistance will be the courtyard. It's open, can install hot weapons in all sides and thus give us an edge."
"We've held the fortress against worse odds," Vesemir rumbled. "But we never faced anything like the Hunt with their coldness."
"They won't come through the usual way," Avallac'h added. "But if they find a tear or a crack in the Veil—especially with someone as Ciri who had arrived at the fortress with her abilities, it is guaranteed that Eredin would himself arrive."
"Could we reinforce Kaer Morhen more magically?" Triss asked. "Ward the castle grounds against portals and phase-walking?"
"I can prepare such wards," Yennefer replied. "But I'll need materials. Rare ones. And time."
"We've got tech that could help slow down any physical approach. Energy barriers, drones, some repulsor turrets. Think of it as a second layer behind your magic stuff." It was Tony who suggested that.
"And what's your intel on the Hunt's numbers? You've told us they're spectral horsemen, elite warriors from another plane, blah blah. But what are their weaknesses?" Nicky Fury said while looking at Avallac'h. He didn't like the fact that Avallac'h once belonged to the same legion as Wild Hunt and they broke off because of political reasons. It wasn't because of Ciri, he would have joined them too.
Yes, by now, Natasha had given him the full picture and suffice to say he had his reasons to doubt Avallac'h.
Avallac'h didn't hide this time and spoke of their weakness of how vulnerable they were to fire and how weak they were in flesh. Their armors were magic driven and thus held more defense abilities, but once it was taken off, it would mean they were very vulnerable to physical attacks. But one also had to remember that their physical attacks were powerful too.
At the level of Steve Rogers and thus they needed to very careful. Amidst the brewing tension, Keira spoke, leaning back in her seat, arms crossed and one brow arched.
"All this planning. All these strategies. But let me ask a question—what if they can't come here?"
All eyes turned to her.
"What are you saying?" Vesemir asked.
"We've been here for weeks. Not even a whisper of the Hunt. No frost, no storms, no spectral riders. And Barton's transformation—yes, it's dangerous, but it's being contained. Maybe this world is… safe. Maybe their reach doesn't extend here. So why are we preparing for a war that might never come?"
"Because if we're wrong—"
"But what if we're not?" Keira interrupted. "Look around you. This world is thriving. It's filled with powerful minds, technology that rivals magic, and a certain... comfort. No Wild Hunt. No White Frost creeping in through cracks in the sky. Maybe we're better off staying." Keira said.
"I am pretty sure that they can't come here." It was Ciri, who had also returned after a brief moment in Kamar Taj.
"How are so sure?" Yennefer asked.
"Because, I haven't felt their presence. Not even their breath. In all my years of running I could always tell that they were on my tail. But here. I don't have any of that feeling. Here I am free. I know you might think that it's because of the safety this world provides, but I believe it's also because the Wild Hunt can't find me here." Ciri replied. This made everyone silent until Geralt broke it.
"You're suggesting we just give up on our world?"
"I'm suggesting we be practical," Keira shot back. "This world accepted us. Some of us have even started to enjoy it here. Triss?" She turned toward her friend. "You said just yesterday you loved the warm showers and coffee."
"That's… not the point." Triss looked awkward.
"Isn't it?" Keira pressed. "Our world is dying. Ravaged by war, poverty, monsters, and now the Hunt and the Frost. This one? This world has heroes, money, science, and magic coexisting. Maybe we're wasting our time preparing for a fight that doesn't even belong to this reality."
Liam and others were silent about this. This wasn't their call to make and though they had their own judgement about everything, they wouldn't interfere.
"That's not your call to make." Vesemir spoke up. As the mere fact of giving up Kaer Morhen, brought him pain. "We didn't come here to run. We came here to prepare—to find tools this world could offer us to save the other."
"And if there's nothing to save? If it's already too far gone?" Keira rolled her eyes.
"Then we try," Natasha said. Though she didn't want to speak, she didn't like that her new friends would leave their home. "Because that's what people do. We fight for our homes. We fight even if the odds are bad."
"You don't understand what it's like," Keira replied. "You weren't there. You didn't grow up in a world where death walked the woods and monsters screamed in the night. You weren't hunted by kings and hanged for your gifts. This world is paradise in comparison. Why shouldn't we stay?"
"Because if we all stayed in paradise and left the rest of the world to rot, we would not be the people worth saving in the first place. It will be like Gods who left for Heaven, not bothering for humans like us since we aren't worth saving. Wasn't it the reason that people sometimes hate Gods." Yinsen spoke up for the first time.
That quieted the room.
"I've seen a lot of darkness in my time. But I've also seen light. Families worth saving. Children with hope. People who don't deserve to die under the boots of the Hunt. If there's even a chance we can stop it, I have to go back." Geralt gave his final verdict.
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