POV Rio (Batman)
A large meeting room contains the members of this operation.
"Rouge can never be allowed anywhere near this creature," I say firmly.
"Why?" Logan asks defensively.
"Can she control her powers?" I counter.
"Rouge... Cannot control her absorption, but she can control what she absorbs," Charles says diplomatically.
"Maybe under normal circumstances, but this isn't like that. Has Rouge ever had to take in the memories of more than one person at once?" I ask.
"No, why would she?" Logan comments.
"This creature has a high probability of absorbing the memories of those it kills alongside their powers and physical form; it's the only thing that could explain their movements. Especially its clear attempt to claim Poseidon's Trident," I explain.
"That would be thousands," Charles says with a deeply worried tone.
"Tens of thousands," I add grimly.
Everyone stops and thinks about what I was suggesting.
"Best-case scenario, her powers don't work on this enemy, though in that case she would die soon afterwards. Worst-case scenario, her powers work too well, and we have to deal with a possessed Rouge with the powers of the creature. Or a middle option where she is driven mad by the massive knowledge and attempts to do exactly what the creature has been trying to do; in any case, we lose," I say firmly.
"Can you hide her and the others?" Charles asks.
I nod.
"The Watchtower will be safe, as the creature shouldn't have learned any spatial movement abilities yet," I reply.
"So Kurt will have to stay away as well," Logan points out.
"Correct," I affirm.
"At that point, there will be hardly anyone in this fight," Jessica points out.
"Only those who can fight effectively against this creature can be allowed to participate. Anyone too weak will only feed this creature," I reply bluntly.
"Who do you think is strong enough?" Luke asks.
"Emma Frost, Charles Xavier, and Jean Grey will work for our psychic offensive. Constantine, Quicksilver, Magneto, Tony, and Ruby (Lucy) for the physical hitters," I reply.
"You can't seriously expect me to stay out of this," Logan speaks up.
"There is an 87% chance that this foe has absorbed your Brother. That alone makes him bare minimum on your level. Your bones may be indestructible, but they won't protect your skin from being pierced and you being devoured," I retort with no mercy.
Logan looks like he wants to argue, but his experience makes him realise I was right.
"What's the plan?" Selene asks.
"Quicksilver will run defence; he needs to prevent anyone from dying, and if it comes to it, evacuate anyone he can. Magneto will run containment; he will remain as far from the battle as his abilities permit him. I will supply you with Adamantium to use as a weapon and as a battlefield restrictor. Tony will strike from a distance, using his AI and flight to keep an eye on the enemy and look for openings. If needed, he can deploy to the ground using his Adamantium armour. You are not allowed to use anything less than that, understood?" I say while giving Tony my Batman stare.
Tony nods with a nervous sweat.
"What about you?" asks Lucy.
"I will be running Overwatch and assisting wherever I can," I reply calmly.
"I assume Constantine will be giving his magic skills," Magneto comments while looking at the man in question.
"Got it in one, Mr President," Constantine says while giving an exaggerated salute.
"Yes, he has the most important part to play in this battle. He will be using magic to attempt to contain the foe as well as locating any backups the enemy will have set up beforehand," I reply.
"Backups?" Logan asks.
"I have confirmed that this being has fought Ikaris in the past. Before being dismissed, he did let me know that he evaporated the Deviant," I explain.
"Clever," Tony says, as he was the first to catch on.
Everyone looks to him.
"Cough. Sorry, I just realised how he did it," Tony says sheepishly.
"Anyone want to fill us, normal people in?" Jessica speaks up.
"He severed a piece of him and regrew from that chunk," I answer.
It takes a few moments for everyone to realise what this means.
"H-How can we kill it then?" Quicksilver asks.
"We have to destroy every last cell he has all at once," I answer bluntly.
Everyone looks down, and if not just downright despairing.
"What's the plan?" Selene repeats this time with more force.
"Constantine will apply a curse to the creature that will locate his other pieces. Another team will handle the other pieces depending on how many fragments exist. Constantine will then move to use his magic to contain the foe while we prepare to open a portal to send him to another planet," I explain.
"Then how do we fit in?" Charles asks.
"You will attempt to control the creature into walking through the portal, or if that fails, then at least not resist as we push him in," I explain calmly.
"Then what?" Logan asks.
"We will orbitally bombard the uninhabited planet he lands on until he hopefully dies," I reply, making no effort to hide the uncertainty in the plan.
"Will it kill it?" Logan asks.
"Unlikely," I reply coldly.
"Can he escape?" Charles asks.
"Possibly. Both before and after he is sent," I elaborate.
"You have a plan to kill it for good, so what is it?" Jean Grey speaks up for the first time since this meeting started.
I look at her and then Charles.
"I can't kill it. I don't have the means to do so. And there are only 3 beings that can do so. Ikaris has refused to interfere in what he perceives as a Deviant hunting its descendants. Gaia Everfree is... dormant for the time being and may not awaken for some time. That leaves only one last being with the potential to erase this being completely," I explain.
"How long will Gaia Everfree be dormant?" Charles asks with clear desperation.
"Months. Years. Decades. I have no idea," I say bluntly.
Charles looks sad and then decides to speak up.
"How long can we expect the creature to remain on this other world?" Charles asks.
"Best-case scenario, a couple of months. I am certain it has magical knowledge, as it has avoided the wards installed around the temple of Apocalypse. As such, it is only a matter of time before they learn magical teleportation. If they don't already know how. Once that happens, nothing we can do will contain it for long," I reply.
"And before you ask, no, blocking magical teleportation on an entire planet isn't feasible. Sure, I can do it, but the creature can just find what I am using to power it and disable it that way. The energy required would also be ridiculous. Unless you have several thousand souls in your back pocket to make it more robust, don't even bother," Constantine adds.
"What aren't you telling me?" Jean asks.
I look at Charles, and Magneto does the same.
"Sigh. You already know I set up barriers in your mind to keep your power in check; what I didn't tell you was how much it is containing. You are by far the strongest person on the planet if you were completely released. But that power is uncontrollable, so I have kept it locked away," Charles says with a sad sigh.
"Those barriers are also slowly eroding away," Constantine comments.
Everyone looks at Charles for confirmation, and he nods.
"How dangerous will it be when they fail?" Jean asks.
I answer for Charles by showing an animation of the estimated power she would release.
"Theoretically planetary," I say bluntly.
Jean looks at the calculations I made in horror, then back at Charles.
"How long do I have?" Jean asks.
"Well over a decade before we even have to start worrying about it. I routinely reinforce the barriers. There is no risk to anyone currently," Charles defends strongly.
"That assumes nothing goes wrong," Constantine adds, and I have to glare at him to shut up, as this clone was getting out of hand.
"What? I'm just saying the bloody truth," Constantine says while holding up his hands.
"There has to be a better way," Logan brings us back to the main topic.
"There is another way, but it may make things even more dangerous, and I cannot guarantee it will work at all," I say.
"Well, spill it," Logan demands.
"We can send the creature to another universe," I reply.
"Another universe? You would have us doom another universe for our failures," Magneto was the first to object.
"I can eventually find an uninhabited universe, though of course all of this would only delay the inevitable. They can still sharpen their skills while away, and of course I cannot even guarantee that I can both find a truly uninhabited universe and that we can banish this foe there, as the portal prototype that has been designed is highly experimental," I reply.
"More like unlikely to work; we both know that portal device was never meant to be used like that. We can't use it on Earth, so we would have to send him to the barren world first, but by then they would surely be more cautious of us. He would almost surely escape, and if even we do banish him, there is no guarantee he would stay gone for long," Tony complains openly as he reveals the issues with the plan.
"Correct, but it is an option," I reply.
"Why can't it be used on Earth?" Magneto asks.
"The backlash from the device would likely split the Earth in half, or if we're unlucky, it would take a massive bite out of the planet instead. Either way, a likely mass extinction event," Tony explains for me.
"What about Asgard?" Lucy asks.
"They can't help us. Thor still hasn't regained his powers, Loki is far too weak, and if Odin dies, then we will have far greater issues," I say while not elaborating on the exact reasons.
"Are there truly no other options?" Jean asks.
I shake my head. I had run the numbers based on what I had, and I was almost certain that even a Nuclear warhead wouldn't do much to the creature other than increase its power, as it likely contains some level of Hulk powers in it, so radiation would only make it stronger.
"I am willing," Jean says after much thought.
"Jean," Logan speaks up.
"No, I want to do this. This creature killed my fiancée, my friends, and thousands more. We cannot allow it to continue to grow in power. It has to be stopped now. And if I die, then I will die for what I believe in," Jean says firmly.
"Very well, but if you are going to do this, I will give you the best chance of coming home," I say firmly.
"I can enchant some items to boost your willpower and control. It might not be much, but it will give you a fighting chance," Constantine says with a smile.
"I can do the same, but with technology," I speak up.
"Same here," Tony adds.
"Shaw's Helmet might help," Magneto adds.
Everyone starts adding what they can, and we prepare the trap. All of us would stand together to protect the home we live in.