MARVEL:When Heroes collide

The Avengers had never been this split before.

After the bad loss against Magnus and Solaris, and with Eclipse threatening everything, Steve Rogers made a tough call: the team needed to split up. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was clear they couldn't stay in the same place anymore. They needed different spots to work from, to find new leads and to stay hidden from their enemies. If they kept doing things the same way, they'd lose.

Steve didn't want to do it, but it was the only way. They were falling apart, and if they didn't do something fast, Eclipse would take them down for good.

Tony Stark was already working on the first new base in the city. It wasn't just any building—it was hidden inside a normal-looking skyscraper, but once it was done, it would be a fortress. Tony was making sure everything was locked down tight. It would have the best tech, the strongest shields, and every system to keep it safe. But most importantly, it would give them a place to breathe. The team needed somewhere they could work without worrying about Eclipse watching them.

"FRIDAY, let me know as soon as the shields are up," Tony said, tapping at a few buttons on his desk.

"They're almost done, sir," FRIDAY replied. "The building will be fully secure in five minutes."

Tony nodded, but he still didn't feel completely relaxed. He knew the tech would work, but they were still separated. There was a chance the Avengers were more vulnerable now than ever before. He couldn't stop thinking about the data Vision had taken. What were Eclipse really after? They needed to be ahead of them, not just reacting to their moves.

Steve Rogers was busy with the second headquarters. This one wasn't fancy like Tony's. It was built into the mountains, hidden and quiet. It wasn't meant for comfort, just for staying under the radar and getting things done. Steve knew they had to have a place where no one would find them, a place where they could train and plan without any interference.

"Natasha, Clint—get on the perimeter," Steve said, pacing through the room, looking over maps. "We have to be ready for anything. If this place is compromised, we go dark. We disappear."

"Got it," Natasha replied, already putting her gear together. She was serious, focused. She didn't need any more words from Steve.

Clint looked over at Steve, tightening his bowstring. "You sure splitting the team up is the best idea? Feels risky."

Steve stopped for a second, thinking. "We don't have a choice. Eclipse is everywhere. If we keep one big target, we're dead. We need two places to keep them guessing."

Natasha came over to Steve, adjusting her gun. "Let's just make sure we don't get caught off guard again."

"I'm counting on you both," Steve said. He turned toward the command center, feeling the weight of the decisions he had just made. Every move they made from here on out would be a test. A test of whether the Avengers could still pull together after everything they'd been through.

Back in the city, Tony's headquarters was coming together fast. It wasn't quite ready, but the building was taking shape. Tony stood in front of one of the huge windows, staring out at the city. There was a lot riding on this new base, but there was still a sinking feeling in his stomach. The Avengers were scattered, and they had no idea how Eclipse would strike next. Was it really enough to just hide out and wait for them to make a move?

Tony knew one thing for sure: they couldn't wait too long. The clock was ticking.

Tony knew they didn't have forever to figure this out. He couldn't just sit around and wait for something bad to happen. He had to make sure everything was ready, every defense in place, every system running at full capacity. But the uncertainty gnawed at him. Even with all the technology, all the security, there was still that feeling in the pit of his stomach—that they were missing something. That Eclipse was always a step ahead.

As he paced back and forth in the lab, he glanced at the clock again. It wasn't just the building they were constructing—it was a new era for the Avengers. They had to be smarter, quicker, and more careful than ever before. If they couldn't outsmart Eclipse, they'd lose the whole war.

Tony stared at the digital map on his screen. The data that Vision had taken still bothered him. He couldn't shake the thought that whatever was on that drive would be the key to everything—maybe even the key to stopping Eclipse. If they could get it back, maybe they'd finally have an edge.

"FRIDAY, run another search on that data," Tony ordered. "I need to know if there's any way to trace it."

"Of course, sir. I'll let you know immediately if there's any update."

Tony rubbed his temples, his mind running in circles. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like they were being played. It was almost like they were the bait, and Eclipse was waiting for them to make a wrong move. If they didn't catch on soon, it would be too late.

At the mountain base, Steve was still running through plans. The war room was set up, the monitors flashing with all sorts of data, but it was still a feeling of emptiness. They were spread thin, each person in their separate locations, doing their best to prepare, but it wasn't the same as when they worked together.

"We need more intel," Steve said, looking over to Natasha. "We can't just sit here and hope Eclipse makes a mistake. They're too smart for that."

"I know," Natasha replied. "But we don't even know where to start looking. They're too good at covering their tracks."

Clint was sitting nearby, cleaning his bow, but his mind clearly wasn't on it. "We could start by finding out where they've been hiding all this time. If they've been planning for this, they have to have a base somewhere, right?"

"Maybe," Steve said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But we can't just rush into anything. We need to be careful. One wrong move, and we're the ones on the defensive."

The tension in the room was thick. There was no easy answer, no clear path forward. But there was a resolve in Steve's eyes. They would find a way to beat Eclipse, even if they had to tear apart the world to do it.

Back in Tony's city base, things were getting closer to completion. But every time Tony tried to focus on the progress, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Something bigger was out there, pulling the strings, waiting for them to slip up.

"FRIDAY," Tony said, walking over to a terminal, "how's the progress on the AI protocols? I want every piece of data locked down. No more surprises."

"Understood, sir. All protocols are being upgraded. However, I recommend we focus on securing physical entry points as well. We can't rely solely on digital defenses."

Tony nodded, a little too distracted to fully appreciate the advice. His mind was still on the unknown—on Eclipse, on what they wanted, and how they could stop them.

Back at the mountain base, the team was getting ready for their next move. Steve gathered everyone in the small, cramped conference room. There were no grand plans, no complicated strategies, just a simple goal: survive long enough to make Eclipse show their hand.

"Listen up," Steve said, his voice steady but firm. "We're not just fighting some random enemy. This is a threat unlike anything we've faced. And right now, we're not in control. But we can't let that scare us. We've been in worse situations before."

Clint shot him a look. "You sure about that, Cap? Seems like we've got a lot of things working against us right now."

Steve nodded. "Yeah, we do. But that's why we're going to keep moving. Eclipse is playing a long game, but so are we. We're not going to sit back and wait for them to decide when we're finished. We'll be the ones making the next move."

They all nodded, knowing what had to be done. The clock was still ticking, but for the first time in a long while, Steve felt like they were finally starting to take control again.

Back in Tony's city base, the tension hadn't eased. He stared at the screens, trying to get something to make sense, trying to get a breakthrough on where Eclipse was hiding. The longer they took, the harder it would be to find them, and the harder it would be to stop whatever they were planning.

But Tony wasn't giving up. He couldn't afford to.

The Avengers were more than just a team—they were the last line of defense. And no matter how tough things got, he knew that they would fight until the very end. The only question now was: how much time did they have before Eclipse made their next move?

And when that time came, would they be ready?

The division of their headquarters had set them on a path that no one had imagined. But the Avengers were still the Avengers, and they would find a way to win, even if it meant starting over from scratch. Time was running out, but they weren't done yet.