The truck sped north, fog cloaking the road. Bill's mind raced—Magneto's asteroid base, the Phoenix's cosmic wrath. The templates were his edge, but the comics showed how even heroes fell. He glanced at Lily, asleep against Clara, and his chest tightened.Clara whispered, "You're scared, aren't you? Of what you saw.""Terrified," he admitted. "This world doesn't stop. But I'll learn these powers—Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, whatever's next. For you two."The system spoke:
"Host emotional state: Protective. Templates mastered: Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine. Recommendation: Seek training to counter known threats.""Training," Bill said aloud. "If I can control this, we might survive Magneto or worse."Lily woke, voice small. "Dad, I don't want to be a weapon.""You won't be," he promised. "You're my daughter first. Always."