Ch 106: They/Them?

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The surface of Planet Ego looked somewhat odd and Erik didn't know the reason yet.

It's clear something changed and Erik knows it will definitely hinder his plan.

His luck is just like that... 

"I think there's some kind of anomaly, and we need to be extra careful." He turned to the girls after observing the planet's surface from the mothership's viewpoint.

Wanda tilted her head, her crimson-tinged eyes narrowing. "What kind of anomaly?"

Erik shrugged, "Not sure."

Cindy shifted uncomfortably. "And I'm guessing it's not here to welcome us with open arms?"

"I fear so too, that's why, we'll need to be ready for everything."

Erik sighed helplessly, "But there is no way to gather information. That's why we're sticking to the plan."

He began pacing slightly, the faint hum of the ship's engines in the background. "Let me repeat the plan: Wanda will track down Mantis. Use her powers to take control of her mind and then she'll force antenna girl to put Ego into a deep sleep. That should keep the planet from resisting us while we're handling the core."

"Once Ego's asleep, Cindy and I will head to the core. That's where I'll devour whatever's left of Ego's 'brain'. That should be the end of it. If it goes exactly as I've thought."

Wanda raised an eyebrow, "And if it doesn't go according to plan?"

Erik said bluntly. "Well, that's where Cindy will step in. She's back up." He turned to the spider-bride, "You'll help me however you can—webs, Fate-Sealing webs, your giant spider summons, anything. We're winging it if things go south."

Helen, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "And me? What am I doing?"

Erik turned to her, his expression softening into a playful grin. "You'll be watching the ship, making sure it's okay until we return."

He winked at her, and Helen rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, as if my skinny arms can even turn the direction of the ship."

Erik put her arms around her, "Helen, don't ever feel like you're useless, got it. This body exists because of you, remember." He said gently as slid a strand of hair past her ears.

Erik believed that she was a true genius since unlike him, she wasn't depending on Maw's memories to perform scientific tasks. He wasn't an innovator just a recreator if anything.

Helen giggled softly, 'Maybe I should gain some powers as well.'

"Let's get this over with," Wanda said as she wore her scarlet jacket over her corset.

Erik turned back to the observation window, his mind briefly wandering to the peculiar situation before refocusing. "Good. Let's gear up and move out. Ego's waiting, and so is whatever's that anomaly. Let's make sure we finish this as soon as possible."

This wasn't going to be a simple task, but they had faced worse—and they knew Erik never walked into anything unprepared.

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Helen stood by the large viewing window in the mothership's control room, watching as Erik, Wanda, and Cindy walked toward the hangar. Erik led the way, with Wanda and Cindy close behind him.

The stealth ship sat waiting for them, sleek and ready.

The ship's doors closed with a soft hiss, and its engines started with a low hum that quickly grew louder.

Helen watched as the ship lifted off, speeding out of the hangar and heading toward Planet Ego's surface. It vanished from view as it activated its stealth mode.

Helen then turned her attention to another viewpoint, showing the deployment of the Chitauri soldiers. Millions of them were being sent out from the mothership, forming a massive ring around the planet. They were completely still, waiting for Erik's orders.

"Erik likes to keep all his pieces in place," Helen thought with a small sigh.

She walked over to the cockpit and looked at the big screen showing the inside of the stealth ship.

 Erik was in the pilot's seat, flying the ship with steady hands. Cindy was busy checking the navigation system, while Wanda sat quietly at the back, meditating in her seat.

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A soft beep broke the silence. "Erik, I've found Mantis," Cindy said, pointing at her screen. The image zoomed in, showing a girl sitting alone on the grand staircase of Ego's palace.

She looked fragile, her antennae drooping, as if she were lost in thought.

"Well, that was easy as expected. Ego really left his planet baren, except for that palace," Erik muttered.

He studied the image for a moment before turning to Wanda. "You should go now. Cindy and I are heading to the core."

"Got it," Wanda replied.

She stood up, adjusted her scarlet jacket, and walked to the back of the ship.

As the ramp lowered, wind roared into the cabin, but she didn't hesitate. Red energy flickered around her hands, growing stronger as she prepared to jump.

With a single leap, Wanda flew out of the ship, her chaos magic creating a glowing shield around her. She headed straight for the palace and Mantis.

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Erik glanced at Cindy. "Set the course for the core. We'll avoid the obvious paths and go through the understructure."

Cindy nodded, already adjusting the ship's route. "Done. Let's just hope the ride isn't too bumpy."

Erik gave her a quick grin and focused on steering the ship. The hull of the ship transformed into a drill as they got closer to the surface.

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Wanda landed softly near the base of the palace staircase. Red energy glowed faintly around her as she approached Mantis, who didn't seem to notice her at first.

The girl looked up slowly, her wide, innocent eyes meeting Wanda's solemn gaze.

"Hi, Mantis," Wanda said, her voice calm. "Don't worry. This won't hurt."

Mantis blinked in confusion, her antennae twitching nervously. "Who… who are you?"

Without answering, Wanda fired a ball of chaotic blast towards Mantis. The poor alien girl couldn't even react and was brainwashed by Wanda.

"Put the Planet to sleep," Wanda ordered, her eyes glowing crimson.

"But they are already unconscious. How do I put something unconscious to sleep?" Mantis asked innocently, already completely spellbound under Wanda.

Wanda squinted her eyes, "What do you mean... they?"

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