The X-Mansion's lawn was a scarred battlefield—craters from TNT, twisted metal from Magneto's wrath, and the smoldering husks of Sentinels. Bill stood amidst the wreckage, Clara and Lily beside him, their faces etched with exhaustion but resolve. The comics memories haunted him—Apocalypse's Four Horsemen, the Phoenix's fiery rebirth, mutant purges in dystopian futures. Magneto's retreat was a reprieve, not a victory, and Bill knew they couldn't rely on the X-Men forever."We need a place of our own," he said, voice firm. "A safe haven. Somewhere they can't touch us."Clara nodded, brushing dirt from Lily's cheek. "But how, Bill? This world doesn't stop.""With these," he said, tapping his temple where the Template System hummed. "Iron Man and Steve. Tech and crafting. I'll build us a fortress."Lily's eyes lit up, her glow flickering. "Like a superhero base?""Better," Bill said, smiling. "A home."He triggered the Iron Man template first.
"Template: Iron Man. Technological interface and repulsors activated."
Armor snapped into place, red and gold gleaming, HUD scanning the area. He salvaged Sentinel parts—circuits, power cores, titanium plating—his comics knowledge guiding him. Tony Stark had built suits from scraps; Bill could build a refuge. He flew to a nearby hill, a defensible spot, and began assembling a framework—repulsors welding metal into a skeletal structure, arc reactor fragments powering a generator.Clara watched, awestruck. "You're a genius now?""Borrowed genius," Bill chuckled, switching templates.
"Template: Steve (Minecraft). Resource manipulation and crafting abilities enhanced."
The armor vanished, replaced by Steve's pixelated simplicity. He punched the ground, dirt and stone stacking into his inventory, then crafted walls—obsidian from Lily's fire, reinforced with iron from the Sentinels. His hands moved fast, Minecraft logic bending reality: a furnace from scavenged bricks smelted ore, a crafting table shaped tools.Lily joined, her flames tempering blocks. "Dad, can I help design it?""Absolutely," he said, handing her a stack of stone. "You're the fire expert."Clara hauled wood, her strength quiet but fierce. "I want a garden. Something normal.""Done," Bill promised, crafting a hoe with Steve's skill, then switching to Iron Man to install a water purifier—Stark tech ensuring safety. Hours passed, the haven taking shape: a bunker-like base with obsidian walls, a metal roof powered by arc energy, and hidden tunnels dug with Steve's pickaxe. He added turrets—Iron Man's repulsors retooled as defenses—and a moat of Lily's fire, controlled by a switch.The X-Men arrived mid-build, Cyclops raising an eyebrow. "You're a one-man army, Bill.""Not an army," Bill said, wiping sweat. "A dad. This is for them."Storm smiled. "It's impressive. Magneto won't breach it easily."Beast examined the generator. "A fusion of Stark ingenuity and… what, a video game?""Minecraft," Bill said. "Survival's the game here too."Night fell, and they finished—a fortress blending Iron Man's sleek tech with Steve's rugged utility. Inside, Clara planted seeds in a soil patch, Lily etched flame patterns on the walls, and Bill wired a security system, HUD flickering with alerts. The system chimed:
"Host emotional state: Accomplished. Templates synergized: Iron Man, Steve. Objective: Safe haven established."Bill sat with his family in the main room, torchlight and arc glow mingling. "This is ours," he said. "No Sentinels, no Magneto, no Apocalypse gets through."Clara leaned against him. "You did it, Bill."Lily hugged him tight. "It's perfect, Dad."He held them, comics memories—Xavier's school bombed, Genosha's ruins—fueling his resolve. The haven stood, a testament to Iron Man's brilliance and Steve's grit, but it was his love for them that built it. Magneto was out there, and worse loomed, but here, they were safe—for now.