The battlefield in Vaduz smoldered. The plaza was scarred with claw marks, shattered stone, and the faint crackle of lingering energy. The Black Serpents had finally withdrawn into the shadows, leaving only silence and the ragged breaths of those who had fought.
Helena lowered her fists, blood still humming hot in her veins. Her Sisters regrouped at her side — tired but unbroken. Across from them, the Thunderbolts stood at ready, weapons raised, eyes suspicious.
Moonstone hovered above the cracked ground, her eyes glowing with restrained energy.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "And why are you fighting our battle?"
Helena stepped forward, her posture proud and unyielding.
"We are not your enemies. The Serpents plague this world, same as you've seen. We couldn't stand by and do nothing."
Taskmaster twirled his blade lazily, sharp gaze studying every movement of the Sisters.
"Convenient words. But people who drop out of the sky in the middle of a war don't usually come without an agenda."
A tense silence stretched — until Ghost, half-faded into the ether, broke it with her distorted voice.
"They fought the Serpents. That's all that matters. At least for now."
Moonstone's glare flicked toward her teammate, but she didn't argue. Instead, she descended to the ground, folding her arms.
"Fine. Then speak. Who are you?"
Helena hesitated, then answered with careful weight.
"We are the Sisters. We serve under no master but carry a mission of our own. We search for a woman named Vanessa. She's tied to the Serpents… and if she's not stopped, she'll be the key to their spread."
At the name, Ghost stiffened slightly, and even Taskmaster's expression sharpened.
"You're not the only ones chasing her," he said darkly. "S.H.I.E.L.D, Avengers, X-Men—they all whisper the same name."
Helena's heart skipped, but she kept her face calm.
"Then our paths are aligned. For now."
Moonstone studied them one last time, then gave a curt nod.
"Very well. Liechtenstein isn't safe anymore. If you want to keep fighting the Serpents, if you want to find this Vanessa—then you'll do it with us. As Thunderbolts."
Helena glanced back at her Sisters. For once, their expressions carried no doubt.
"Then it's settled," Helena said firmly. "We'll fight together."
The alliance was uneasy, stitched with suspicion and shadow, but in that ruined plaza beneath the mountains of Liechtenstein, a fragile new front was formed — one that could change the war against the Serpents forever.