The problem with the multiverse wasn't how big it was—it was how small it could feel.
Iris Cole leaned back in her chair, her sharp green eyes scanning the holographic projection hovering above the cracked tabletop. The faint hum of the quantum stabilizer filled the dimly lit room, punctuated by the occasional hiss of steam from faulty vents. The hideout wasn't much: a derelict bar on the outskirts of a forgotten Rift Zone. Neon signs flickered outside, casting strange, broken light patterns on the stained walls. The floor creaked with every step, sticky with the residue of its former life.
To Iris, it was perfect.
Leona "Leo" Voss lounged on the couch across the room, her legs draped over the armrest. She twirled a slim lock-picking tool between her fingers, her eyes half-lidded but alert. Leo was always like that—disarmingly casual but dangerous as hell.
"So," Leo said, breaking the heavy silence. Her voice was low, amused. "You're really going through with this. Steal the Quantum Anchor. From him."
Iris didn't look up. She traced a finger across the hologram, zooming in on a fortified structure bristling with defenses. "Unless you have a better idea."
Leo let out a short laugh. "Plenty. Most of them don't involve ticking off the most dangerous man in the multiverse."
"Then why are you here?"
Leo shrugged, grinning. "Maybe I like the thrill. Or maybe I just want to see if you're crazy enough to pull this off."
Before Iris could reply, the door slid open with a low hiss, and Dr. Renji Tanaka stepped inside. His lab coat was wrinkled and stained with grease, and his glasses were slightly askew. He carried a battered briefcase in one hand, his expression caught somewhere between exasperation and nervous excitement.
"You're late," Iris said without looking at him.
Renji muttered something under his breath and placed the briefcase on the table with a heavy thud. "You're lucky I showed up at all. Do you know how many Nexus Patrols I had to dodge just to get here? This plan of yours is insane, Iris."
Leo smirked. "Welcome to the crew, Doc. Insanity's kind of our thing."
Renji ignored her, flipping open the briefcase to reveal a sleek, dangerous-looking device that pulsed faintly with blue light. Circuits shimmered like liquid metal across its surface, and the hum it gave off sent a chill down the spine of anyone close enough to hear it.
"This," Renji said, his tone sharp, "is the Quantum Rift Stabilizer. Without it, none of this works. But I need to remind you—this tech wasn't designed for… whatever the hell this is. It's experimental. Dangerous."
"Everything we do is dangerous," Iris replied. She leaned forward, locking eyes with him. "But you wouldn't be here if you didn't think it was worth it."
Renji hesitated, his fingers brushing the edge of the device. "Valtor's already testing the limits of quantum merging. If he succeeds—"
"He won't," Iris cut him off, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
The tension in the room was palpable as the three of them stared at the device. Leo's usually playful smirk faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.
Before anyone could say more, the sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway. The door hissed open again, and Morgan Reeves stepped into the room. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his presence commanding immediate attention. His dark hair was cropped short, and his intense gaze swept across the room, taking in the hologram, the device, and the weary faces of his new teammates.
"Am I late?" Morgan asked, his voice calm but laced with tension.
"Just in time," Iris replied, gesturing for him to join them.
Morgan crossed the room, his steps measured. His left hand, enhanced with biotech, flexed unconsciously, the faint hum of micro-servos filling the silence. He stood beside the table, arms crossed, and glanced at the hologram.
"So this is the plan," he said, his tone neutral. "Break into Valtor's fortress, steal the most secure piece of tech in the multiverse, and get out alive?"
"That's the short version," Iris said.
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "What's the long version?"
Leo grinned. "You don't want to know."
The hologram shifted, expanding to reveal a sprawling fortress surrounded by layers of defenses. It was a marvel of architecture—sleek, imposing, and alien. This was Alexander Valtor's stronghold on Earth-Prime, the heart of his operation and the resting place of the Quantum Anchor.
"This," Iris said, pointing to the hologram, "is our target. Valtor's facility is a fortress, layered with multidimensional defenses. Getting in will take precision, timing, and a hell of a lot of luck."
"Luck," Morgan muttered. "Always a reliable plan."
Iris ignored him and continued. "Valtor's not just a man. He's a nexus point—a convergence of versions of himself. We're not just stealing from one Valtor. We're stealing from all of them."
Renji frowned. "And you think we can pull this off?"
"We don't have a choice," Iris said firmly. "If Valtor activates the Anchor, he'll rewrite the multiverse. Entire worlds will vanish. Alternate selves will be erased. He'll reshape everything to fit his vision of perfection."
The room fell silent. Even Leo, usually the first to crack a joke, looked uneasy.
Morgan broke the silence with a question. "What's the catch? There's always a catch."
"The catch," Iris said, her voice steady, "is that the Anchor is powered by a quantum core that destabilizes the multiverse every time it's used. If we screw this up, it could rip reality apart."
"Fantastic," Leo muttered. "So it's not just suicide—it's multiversal suicide."
Iris shot her a glare. "This is bigger than us. Bigger than one crew, one heist. If we don't do this, no one will."
Morgan stared at the hologram, his jaw tightening. He thought of his wives—Samaya and Olivia—and his daughters, Maya, Matilda, and Margaret. He thought of the day he'd left them behind, the day everything changed.
"When do we start?" he asked.
Iris allowed herself a small smile. "Right now."