Chapter 36: Return of a Living Legend Part 2
Meanwhile
Avengers Mansion
A gloved, clawed hand reached out of the darkness, carefully pressing a glass cutter against the mansion's window. The blade carved a small, precise hole before a hand slipped inside, unlocking it from within.
"Security alert. Forced entry detected." The mansion's alarm system blared. It barely had time to alert anyone before the intruder acted. A tall man clad in a skin-tight black cat suit entered. His costume obscured any defining features. Without hesitation, the infiltrator retrieved a flash-drive-like device and plugged it into the console in the foyer.
"External communications taken offline by unknown technology. Unable to send alarm." The system flickered, its failsafes overridden in mere moments.
A section of the lounge's fireplace rumbled and then slid open, revealing a hidden elevator. The figure stepped inside, descending into the depths of the Avengers Mansion.
As the doors opened into the dimly lit conference hall, he moved quickly, slipping into position at a terminal. His fingers flew across the interface, hacking into the mansion's database with a practiced efficiency.
"Accessing Avengers' personal files."
The screen is filled with dossiers, detailed breakdowns of each Avenger, their abilities, and their weaknesses. But one file stood out. Compared to the others, there was significantly less data on their shapeshifter.
The infiltrator scrolled through images, some taken from security footage, others sourced from public records. The alien's transformations were cataloged, but only in fragmented detail. And then, a photo: a brown-haired young man labeled Ben Tennyson.
A cover identity. That much was clear. But how deep did his abilities run? How many forms could he take? The infiltrator had come here to assess the Avengers to formulate a plan, but this wildcard posed an unpredictable factor. He would need to be tested.
Before he could dig further, the hangar lights flickered on. A low hum filled the underground chamber as the Quinjet touched down. Instinct took over. The intruder melted into the shadows, his presence vanishing as the craft's ramp extended.
Footsteps echoed through the space. Wasp and Captain America emerged, their voices carrying as they entered.
"Come on, Cap," Wasp said, stretching her arms over her head. "I'll show you your room."
Steve Rogers gave a small nod, rolling his shoulders. "Thank you. Maybe some quiet will do me good."
As they disappeared down the corridor, the intruder remained motionless, waiting. The hunt had just begun.
#
Despite the news and rumors that Captain America was seen alive in modern-day New York City, life continued as usual.
High above it all, Iron Man hovered, scanning the streets below through the HUD of his armor. "Alright, team, let's try out this patrol thing while Wasp is keeping the Captain busy."
"Why do this at all?" asked Hulk, who walked down the sidewalk without any hesitation. Many people opted to stand closer to the building to give the giant his proper space.
"Because, according to my PR representative, it'll be good publicity for the people to see us now and then. They'll be more assured, knowing that heroes are around.
Thor walked at a leisurely pace below as he surveyed the city with mild amusement. "Midgardians and their patrols… In Asgard, we did not 'patrol.' We rode forth in great scouting parties, seeking worthy battles!"
"Personally, I went about my day until someone or something dragged me into another situation. Been working well for a while now." Ben flew in a different area as Astrodactyl.
Hank shrugged while atop a flying ant. "To be fair, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be proactive in the community."
"Seems bothersome," muttered Hulk.
"At least give it a try," said Iron Man. "We want to keep this patrol clean. Show the city we have a quick response time while keeping minimal property damage.
Thor, Hulk, I'm looking at you, and absolutely no turning this into a contest of 'who can hit harder.'"
"You cannot restrain the fighting spirit of an Asgardian," complained Thor.
Hulk trudged down the street. "Hulk doesn't break stuff unless stuff tries to break Hulk first."
"Come on, Tony," Astrodactyl said. "What's the point of patrolling if we can't cut loose a little?"
"Yes, well, most of you didn't have to worry about getting sued for knocking over a lamp post. Property damage is a thing. Something you guys tend to forget."
Iron Man sighed. "Listen, I barely got the legal case of Thor destroying multiple city blocks dropped when we defeated Graviton."
Astrodactyl made a face. Legal teams were important. "He's got a point. We were lucky that everyone in that area was evacuated."
"Still took a chunk out of my company's funds to help repair and replace everything…"
A low huff came through the radio. "Fine…"
#
The day's first crime didn't take long to show itself: a jewelry store break-in. The front window was shattered. Inside, three masked men moved fast, stuffing duffel bags with watches, necklaces, and anything that looked expensive. The alarm blared, but they didn't seem to care.
High above, Iron Man hovered, scanning the scene through his HUD.
"Classic smash-and-grab. No creativity. No effort. Honestly, kind of insulting."
"I don't lose sleep over disappointing criminals," Hank Pym said over the comms.
Iron Man sighed. "Alright, let's wrap this up."
Ant-Man shrank and flew toward a display case inside the store. The thieves were too busy looting to notice.
With a well-timed leap, he dived straight into a half-zipped duffel bag.
The guy barely had time to frown before the bag bulged and then burst open as Ant-Man expanded back to full size, sending stolen goods flying. The impact knocked the thief into a glass case.
Hank glanced at the diamond bracelet in his hand. "It says something about our social safety nets when crime is seen as the preferable alternative."
The second thief spun, yanking a pistol from his waistband
But before he could raise it, Iron Man rocketed down from the sky, landing smoothly on the sidewalk.
"Bad idea," Tony said.
The thief hesitated.
A second later, an energy blast knocked the gun from his hands. Tony flicked his wrist, and another beam hit near the man's feet, knocking him backward over an overturned display.
The last thief bolted for the exit. He approached the door. Then the sun disappeared.
A massive shadow fell over the storefront.
The thief skidded to a stop.
Hulk stood in the doorway, unimpressed.
The thief gulped.
Iron Man smirked. "I'd suggest putting everything back before the giant green rage monster gets involved."
The thieves didn't just drop the bags; they threw them away, hands up in surrender.
Hulk snorted. "Smart."
Another crime, easily handled.
#
Astrodactyl soared above the city. "Man, flying through NYC never gets old," he muttered, glancing down at the streets below. "I get why birds love it up here." Every now and then, someone spotted him, pointing up, snapping pictures.
He chuckled. "Glad to know I'm still a tourist attraction."
Then, a sharp voice cut through the noise.
"Stop! Someone, stop him! He stole my bag!"
There.
A hooded figure darted through the crowd, moving fast, already veering toward an alley.
Astrodactyl's eyes narrowed. "Alright, buddy, let's see you outrun an alien with jet propulsion."
His wings flared as he prepared to dive
Then, a blur of red and blue swung past.
Before Astrodactyl could react, a red and blue hero swung onto the scene and fired a web that snagged the thief's ankles.
The guy yelped as his legs were yanked out from under him, sending him skidding into a lamppost.
The crowd gasped. A few clapped.
Perched on the lamppost, Spidey spun the stolen purse on his finger. "Looks like your getaway vehicle just crashed, pal." He hopped down next to the dazed thief. "Next time, maybe try a job application instead of grand theft of a handbag?
The woman rushed over. "Oh my gosh! Thank you, thank you!"
Spidey handed her the purse with a casual shrug. "Hey, all in a day's work." He gave her a playful two-finger salute before firing a web and swinging off.
Still hovering above, Astrodactyl blinked. Then, he chuckled. "Well, guess I didn't need to do anything after all. Queens has got heroes too." Shaking his head, he soared back into the sky.
#
A red sports car blew through red lights, whether the driver was panicked, reckless, or just plain stupid.
Because up ahead, a crowded crosswalk stood in his path.
Pedestrians barely had time to react before Hulk stepped forward, planting himself dead center in the street, arms crossed, looking mildly annoyed.
The driver's eyes widened. He yanked the wheel, trying to swerve. The tires screamed, fighting for traction.
Thud. The bumper tapped Hulk's shin to a full stop.
Inside, the driver smacking into the airbag. The hood crumpled slightly, like it had rolled into a parking pole. A faint wisp of engine smoke curled into the air.
Pedestrians froze, wide-eyed.
Hulk glanced down at the barely dented car, then at the driver, unimpressed.
A familiar voice broke the silence. From the sidewalk, Hank Pym, suited as Ant-Man, shook his head.
"Well… that could've gone worse."
The driver groaned, still slumped against the fully deployed airbag.
Hulk snorted, stepping back like he was making room for a tow truck.
"Puny car."
#
Near the sidewalk, beneath a tall, large oak tree, a young girl sobbed into her mother's shoulder.
Up above sat a fluffy orange cat.
"Mittens, please come down!" the mother called.
Mittens, however, was unmoved. The cat simply yawned and blinked down at the onlookers.
Someone suggested calling the fire department.
Then a sudden gust of wind rippled as Thor descended from the sky. He landed in the park with a solid thud. "Fear not, young one! This feline shall be earthbound once more!"
The mother exchanged a glance with some of the bystanders, amused, but not at all surprised by Thor's signature dramatic flair.
Thor, oblivious to the chuckles, turned his gaze upward. With a single leap, he shot into the sky and reached eye level with Mittens.
The cat, completely unimpressed, stared at him with the casual indifference only cats could master.
Thor furrowed his brow. "Strange beast… why dost thou resist?"
Mittens flicked his tail pointedly.
Then, to the horror and delight of the watching crowd…
The cat hissed.
Instead of snatching the feline outright, Thor extended his hand slowly, letting Mittens inspect his fingers. A tense moment passed. Then another.
Finally, with all the grace of a monarch granting an audience, Mittens stepped onto Thor's arm, tail flicking in mild annoyance.
Thor's grin widened.
"A battle of patience well fought!"
Thor descended as grandly as he had arrived, landing with impeccable precision in front of the girl. Kneeling, he cradled the cat in his powerful arms. "Behold! Your feline companion, rescued from the clutches of peril!"
The girl's tears vanished, replaced by pure joy as she took Mittens into her arms.
The cat purred begrudgingly, clearly relieved to be back on solid ground.
She giggled, wide-eyed with awe.
"Thank you, Mr. Thor!"
A soft round of applause rose from the small crowd, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle.
From the sidelines, Hank Pym smirked. "Hey, a win's a win. Small victories count too."
Nearby, Astrodactyl hovered lazily, arms folded as he watched. "Gotta say, didn't have 'Thor: God of Thunder and Cat Whisperer' on my bingo card."
A low chuckle rumbled from Hulk, standing with his arms crossed. "Tiny cat. Big hero."
Thor ignored the teasing, simply standing tall, looking every bit the victorious warrior.
The mother thanked Thor profusely, grateful beyond words, before ushering her daughter away.
As they walked off, Mittens twisted in the girl's arms, shooting one last, unimpressed glare over his shoulder at Thor.
#
Their patrol had been quiet so far, a few minor disturbances, nothing serious. No major super villains. It's expected, they supposed. Then again, they should have known better. Everything was calm until it wasn't.
A sharp, high-pitched alarm erupted from their communicators, flashing "ALERT" in bold white letters.
Hulk's brow furrowed.
Then, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s calm but urgent voice came through the comms.
"Alert. Reports of giant creatures emerging from the water at Ellis Island."
A holo-image projected from Iron Man's gauntlet, the digital map zooming in on Ellis Island. The live feed flickered with static before refocusing.
And what they saw was horrifying and strange.
A massive, dough-like entity pulsed and writhed, its grotesque form absorbing everything in its path. It was out of an old sci-fi movie.
Tendrils slithered across the ground, wrapping around statues and benches, breaking them down..
Civilians screamed, scrambling to escape as the entity engulfed the ground beneath them.
Iron Man's tone turned sharp. "Avengers! Assemble!"
Silence.
Still looking at his communicator, Ant-Man barely glanced up, his tone completely deadpan. "Besides Janet and Steve, we're all right here."
Iron Man turned slowly. Stared.
Ant-Man shrugged.
A brief, awkward beat.
Hulk snorted, arms crossed. "Less talking. More smashing."
Astrodactyl narrowed his eyes, studying the mass on the holo-feed. "What the heck is that?"
Iron Man boosted higher. "Doesn't matter what it is. It's wrecking our city. We stop it. Now."
#
Tourists screamed and sprinted in every direction as grotesque masses slithered up from the water. The dockside became a writhing nightmare of pulsing slime.
Astrodactyl flared his wings overhead, surveying the chaos with wide eyes. "This is new."
Down at the docks, ferry captains blared their horns desperately, urging civilians onto overloaded boats. Ropes snapped, moorings broke, and several ferries were already pulling away, but some remained, pinned by the creeping tide of goo.
Above the mayhem, J.A.R.V.I.S. fed live tactical readouts into the Avengers' comm channels. Several civilians were trapped behind fallen debris, cut off from escape by the advancing sludge.
"Alright," Tony said, hovering above with thrusters blazing. His HUD blinked with hazard markers. "Priority one: get these people out before the goo monsters decide they want dessert."
Hulk roared and plowed through overturned carts. He swept up whole clusters of civilians into his massive arms before leaping back to the remaining ferries, carefully depositing the terrified passengers before bounding back into the fray.
Thor launched skyward, spinning Mjolnir with a rising roar. The hammer gathered a swirling cyclone of wind, sending a powerful gust across the docks. The swirling gale forced the slimy masses back, clearing paths through the tide and buying precious moments for civilians to sprint toward safety.
Astrodactyl swooped low, firing off pinpoint energy blasts. Each shot struck the ground near the blobs, erupting into bursts of force that created makeshift trenches and barriers, momentarily slowing the creatures' advance.
Ant-Man shrank down to the size of an ant, weaving through the stampede. He darted between flailing legs and shattered wreckage, using his helmet's comms to shout directions to lost civilians. "Left! Duck under that bench! Go, go, go!"
A mother tripped with her child. Instantly, Ant-Man grew back to full size, grabbed them both, and bounded over a collapsed lamp post, shrinking again mid-air to squeeze through a tiny gap in a crumbling wall. They made it to the ferry ramp just as it pulled away, gasping for breath.
As the last ferry roared into open water, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice crackled across the comms: "All civilians accounted for. The island is clear."
Iron Man exhaled before turning to face the writhing horrors still advancing. The creatures were pulsating masses of translucent ooze.
"Alright," Tony muttered, repulsors charging. "Now we hit 'em." Twin repulsor beams shot from his palms, slamming into a blob, only for the energy to vanish into its gelatinous body. "…Well, that's a problem."
The blob quivered, then lurched forward.
Thor hurled himself into the fight, lightning crackling around Mjolnir. "Have at thee, foul beast!" His hammer struck the creature's center. The goo rippled, then snapped back like elastic. Before he could react, the sticky mass latched onto him, creeping up his arms and dragging Mjolnir down. "…I am stuck. Again."
Hulk slammed his fists into another blob, sending shockwaves through the ground. The goo jiggled, then absorbed the force completely. Hulk scowled. He hit it again. Nothing.
Above, Astrodactyl unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, only to watch them pass through the creatures without effect. "Okay," he muttered. "These things don't play by the rules."
On the ground, Ant-Man dodged a tendril and pulled out a handheld scanner. Scraping a sample onto his glove, he watched it pulse unnaturally. A moment later, the scanner beeped.
On the ground, Hank ducked under a lashing tendril and whipped out a scanner. A goo sample writhed on his glove as the scanner beeped urgently. "They appear to be some kind of man-made, biological life form."
Thor strained against the goo, still dragging him down. "You say 'man-made' as if that is something to be proud of, insect-man!"
Hovering higher, Tony scanned the field, frustration creeping into his voice. "Guys, my repulsors aren't doing squat. We need a new plan fast."
Astrodactyl snapped his wings open, dodging another lunge. "It looks like dough... it acts like dough... maybe if I "
"Whatever it is," Tony cut him off, "do it now!"
Ben grinned. His mind was already racing.
"Oh, I got this."
He slapped the Omnitrix, and a brilliant green flash filled the air.
When it cleared, Astrodactyl was gone. In his place stood Upchuck, a squat, frog-like alien with a massive mouth and stubby arms.
Still tangled in goo, Thor blinked. "…Truly, now is not the time for jokes."
Upchuck cracked his knuckles and leaped at the nearest blob. His mouth stretched impossibly wide, then GULP.
A massive chunk of slime disappeared into his throat. It didn't seem like the dough creature would be coming back.
Silence. Iron Man blinked. "…No way."
Upchuck smacked his lips and patted his belly. "Oh yeah. That'll work."
On the ground, Hulk paused mid-swing, watching as Upchuck slurped up another massive chunk of creature like it was noodles. "Huh." He looked at the goop clinging to his own fists. Then, with a shrug, he grabbed a glob of dough monster and shoved it into his mouth.
"Not bad." He grunted, chewing thoughtfully. Then he reached down for another.
Ant-Man, scaling a nearby statue, watched in horror. "Are we seriously doing this now? The Hulk… is eating the monsters too?"
"They're food now, apparently," Iron Man muttered, still processing.
"Not bad."
Iron Man threw up his hands. "Oh, come on!"
Upchuck wasted no time, bouncing from one blob to the next, devouring them at a breakneck pace. Each gulp erased another mass; his stomach swelled, then instantly shrank. One by one, the creatures disappeared.
Finally freed, Thor shook off the lingering goo and adjusted his cape. He looked between Upchuck and Hulk, a mix of bafflement and reluctant admiration.
"…This realm never ceases to amaze me."
Iron Man hovered, arms crossed. "…I cannot believe this is working."
Upchuck burped before smirking. "Hey, some of my best plans are the dumbest ones."
The writhing, pulsing dough creatures continued to multiply with every passing minute. But things were finally looking up, surprisingly, thanks to Upchuck.
The small, green, wide-mouthed alien devoured chunk after chunk of the blob creatures, slurping them into his trans-space storage like a living vacuum cleaner.
Iron Man hovered above, still watching in disbelief. "Okay, I admit it. Eating the monsters is… shockingly effective."
But the blobs were learning.
They were artificial, yes, but not unintelligent. As Upchuck and Hulk's consumption rate increased, the creatures began shifting tactics. No longer content to simply absorb random objects, the blobs converged, sliding with unsettling speed toward their most immediate threat.
Within seconds, dozens of gooey tendrils surged toward Upchuck, coiling around his body.
Multiple masses slammed into Hulk, engulfing his arms and legs like living tar. "RRAAGH!" Hulk tried to tear himself free, but the creature's elastic biomass absorbed his strength like a sponge. The more he struggled, the more they compressed. He was losing leverage.
Upchuck vanished from view, completely swallowed by the writhing mound. Then an explosion of energy ripped through the mass surrounding Upchuck.
BOOM!
Bits of dough splattered across the battlefield like batter from a blender.
From the smoking crater burst Upchuck, coughing, gagging. He looked up, saw another wave of blobs surging toward him. In a flash of green light. Upchuck vanished. Astrodactyl took his place. Wings flaring, Ben shot into the sky with a sharp screech of energy, just barely escaping the grasping tendrils."Azmuth? I need a read on these things."
Azmuth's voice came through."Preliminary analysis confirms your friend's hypothesis. They are artificial. What I can tell you is that its genetic structure isn't stable, explaining its rapid regeneration and growth."
Astrodactyl's brow furrowed. "So what can we do?"
"I will need some time to perform a proper analysis and run simulations on the genetic structure. Its instability may also be a vulnerability… if exploited correctly."
"But we can stop it from growing, right?"
A pause. "Potentially, yes."
#
Meanwhile, Ant-Man shrank down and zipped between chunks of fallen debris, narrowly dodging a shifting mass of dough monsters. He tapped into the open comms, his voice tight with concern.
"Uh, guys? They're... merging."
From his aerial view, Ben saw it too. The creatures weren't just regenerating anymore. The smaller blobs were sliding together, fusing into larger, pulsing masses of semi-sentient goo that oozed hungrily across the plaza.
On a rooftop overlooking the chaos, Iron Man hovered, locking onto the growing nightmare below.
"Good thing Cap's not here," he muttered, eyeing the disgusting scene. "Pretty sure this wasn't a thing in the '40s. He'd probably lose it. Honestly? I'm halfway there myself."
A tendril whipped up toward him. Tony cursed under his breath and blasted higher with a quick burst from his repulsors, keeping just out of reach.
Avengers Mansion
Wasp knocked gently against the doorframe. "Cap? Steve?" No response. She waited before stepping inside.
The room had clearly been put together with care, wood-paneled walls, vintage furnishings, and an old phonograph in the corner. It was Tony's attempt at recreating a 1940s sitting room.
Steve sat on the edge of the bed, holding a black-and-white photo. He and Bucky were standing side by side in their original uniforms.
Jan stepped in quietly, taking it all in. "Tony really tried to make it feel like the '40s," she said softly, offering a small smile. "Right down to the stitching on the couch. Said it might help ease the adjustment."
Steve didn't answer. His thumb ran along the edge of the frame. Jan moved a little closer.
A soft beep cut through the silence.
They both turned. The old turn-dial radio on the dresser clicked and shifted, revealing a small glowing interface. JARVIS's voice came through, calm and clear.
"Excuse me, Miss Wasp. A guest is requesting entry at the main gate."
Jan smiled faintly. "As close to the forties as you can get minus the talking computer." She chuckled. "Though I bet Howard would've loved that."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Jan eased into the nearby armchair. "You've been quiet since the mission. Just wanted to check in. You doing okay?"
Steve looked at her, then back down at the photo.
"When I first woke up, I honestly thought I should've stayed asleep. The world I knew was gone. The people I fought beside... gone." He paused. "I'm a soldier after the war, we used to talk to me, Bucky, the others about what we'd do when it was over. A little house, maybe a family. Peace. But I didn't wake up to peace. I woke up to a world that moved on. That didn't seem to need Captain America anymore."
Jan didn't speak. She just listened.
Steve's voice grew steadier. "That's changed. Meeting people like Logan, like Laura, seeing what they're up against. Hydra didn't die. It just got smarter. It's still out there, hurting people."
He set the photo gently on the nightstand and stood. His shoulders squared, his voice steady.
"There are still people who need someone to stand between them and what's coming. If I can be that if Captain America can mean something again, not just to the past, but right now, then maybe this all starts to make sense."
Jan's smile returned, warmer this time.
"You already do," she said softly. "You always have."
The moment is broken when a loud explosion erupts from beneath them, shaking the whole mansion.
"I need my shield!" Cap announces as they run to the halls.
"C'mon! We're almost there!" Wasp urges, zooming ahead of the rest in her miniature form.
"Wasp, wait!" Cap calls out, but she's already too far ahead to hear.
Wasp zipped around the corner, wings buzzing, then froze midair.
Hovering ahead in the hallway was the "intruder."
An oversized, grotesque ball of dough pulsed with sickly life, its bloated body quivering with each lurching movement. Two spindly arms and legs dangled uselessly from its sides, more for show than anything else. Its slimy skin shimmered under the flickering lights, and from the center of its mass, a jagged-toothed maw leered at her. Its doughy yellow eyes locked onto her, mindless and hungry.
Even worse, it phased right through the marble columns, splitting and reforming with a wet, nauseating squelch.
Wasp gagged, wings faltering for a moment. "Ew!" she blurted, recoiling.
But she recovered quickly, smirking as a familiar mechanical whir-click filled the air.
J.A.R.V.I.S. had activated the mansion's internal defenses.
From a hidden panel in the floor, a compact missile turret snapped into place, locking onto the blob with a sharp beep.
FWOOSH-FWOOSH-FWOOSH-FWOOSH!
Four micro-missiles launched, exploding against the creature with rapid bursts.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The monster ballooned grotesquely with each blast, its body stretching to the breaking point before snapping back with a wet slap. It burped out a foul cloud of smoke, completely unfazed.
Wasp grimaced. "Ah? Okay. You're fat, disgusting, and, lucky for me, slow."
She dove in, unleashing a storm of bio-electric stingers. Thin arcs of yellow-green energy peppered its surface, leaving hissing black craters wherever they struck. The blob writhed and gurgled in pain.
She seemed to have the upper hand.
Then it shrieked and lurched forward.
"Okay, I take it back! Not slow!" Wasp yelped, banking hard as the creature's jaws snapped shut inches from her.
She blasted it as she retreated, trying to slow it down, but her stingers only seemed to make it angrier. Its eyes narrowed into furious slits, and it lunged again.
As Wasp dodged frantically, Captain America burst in from a side corridor, shield up and ready.
Timing it perfectly, Steve leapt, slamming his shield into the blob's side with full force. The impact sent ripples through the monster, but it barely budged.
Before he could pull away, a doughy arm swung out and smashed into him, hurling him into the wall hard enough to spiderweb the marble.
"Aah!"
Wasp wheeled back, peppering the monster's face with stingers to draw its attention away. Smoking holes opened across its doughy hide, and it shrieked again.
But now it was focused entirely on her.
It lunged upward, maw gaping impossibly wide.
Wasp tried to pivot, but it was too fast.
With a loud, wet sluuurp, it swallowed her whole.
"No!" Steve shouted, scrambling to his feet, panic flashing across his face.
The monster gurgled, lurching toward him, its body bloated and rippling with satisfaction.
Then bright yellow flashes sparked from inside its translucent mass.
The creature staggered, confused, its movements sluggish.
Its body bloated, bulged, and then.
SPLAT!
The blob exploded in a rain of steaming, slimy muck, coating the hallway and Cap in sticky dough.
From the mess, a pair of slimy insect wings fluttered free.
A tiny, coughing figure rose out of the goop, dripping head to toe.
Wasp floated unsteadily, hacking up slime. "Okay, that was disturbing."
Steve chuckled as he peeled a goo off his shield.
But before they could regroup
CRACK!
A sharp blast of energy zipped past Steve's ear, striking Wasp mid-hover and sending her spinning into the floor with a cry.
"Ahh!"
Steve whirled, shield raised.
Standing atop a shattered pillar was a figure in a deep purple baron's coat, yellow boots, and gloves that gleamed. A tight purple mask covered his face, but the arrogance in his posture and the still-smoking pistol in his hand left no doubt.
The man spoke, his voice smooth, mocking, with a faint German accent.
"Captain America," he said, savoring the words. "It's been a long time."
Steve's grip tightened on his shield. His jaw set.
"Zemo," he growled.
Chapter 37: Return of a Living Legend Part 3
Avengers Mansion
Captain America didn't hesitate. The moment his eyes locked on Zemo, the old instincts kicked in like muscle memory. He charged.
Zemo fired his energy pistol rapidly, each blast tearing through the air with a sharp vrrrp! Cap ducked beneath the first, sidestepped the second, and deflected the third with his forearm bracer. As he closed the distance, he suddenly twisted, launching into a low spin kick that cracked against Zemo's wrist with precision. The weapon flew from the baron's grip, clattering across the marble floor.
Before Zemo could recover, Cap surged forward and stomped down, pinning the former HYDRA leader with the full weight of his boot. His blue eyes were hard with focused fury.
"You're still fast," Zemo remarked with that infuriating calm, even as he lay beneath Cap's heel. "Excellent. I was worried you wouldn't be as I remembered. I wouldn't want you anything less than perfect for this."
With a sudden burst of surprising strength, Zemo twisted and kicked upward. Cap was launched off him, flipping once in mid-air before landing in a controlled crouch.
Zemo sprang to his feet, fluid as a dancer. He kicked at the ground, sending his ornate saber flying up from where it had fallen. He snatched it midair and pointed it at his foe.
"All these years, I believed the Red Skull had finished you," he sneered. "Now, fate has offered me the honor. My revenge is finally in reach!"
With a sudden blur of motion, Zemo lunged, slamming a powerful boot into Cap's midsection. The hit drove the wind from Steve's lungs and shoved him back several feet.
The two men began to circle, slow, tense, watching for any opening.
Cap's voice was cold. "How are you still alive, Zemo?"
"Death means nothing to me," Zemo replied mockingly. "I've rebuilt, refined, and evolved my body over the years. You? You've clung to the past. You fight with honor, but I fight with vision."
Without warning, Zemo struck. His saber danced through the air like a ribbon of death. Cap blocked the first two swipes with his forearm and dodged the third, but the fourth slipped through, slashing across his chest. Fabric tore, and blood bloomed against his suit. He staggered, the pain stealing his breath.
But only for a second.
Cap surged forward with a snarl, throwing a powerful right hook aimed for Zemo's jaw, but Zemo dipped under and spun with surgical grace, slashing again. His blade bit into Cap's side, and this time the pain sent the soldier stumbling, collapsing onto his forearms with a grunt.
Zemo stalked forward, saber glinting in the emergency lighting. "You are alone, Captain," he said, his voice a venomous whisper. "A relic in a world that's moved on. Arnim Zola will handle your new 'friends.' And as for Bucky? You let the Skull take him. And now?"
He raised the blade high, tip angled to pierce.
"Your life is mine to take!"
Zemo leapt, screaming in fury.
Then
CLANG!
A streak of red, white, and blue screamed across the room, smashing into Zemo's saber mid-air. The impact threw him off-course, and he crashed to the ground with a thud. The iconic shield embedded itself in a nearby marble column, humming with vibration.
Everyone froze.
Zemo blinked. Cap looked up.
Their eyes followed the shield's arc back to its origin, where, perched silently atop another marble column, stood a new figure: tall, poised, clad in a sleek black catsuit. The silhouette was sharp, feline, regal. Arms still extended from the throw.
The figure flinched as mechanical guardians began turning toward him, eyes glowing red.
And just like that, he vanished, vaulting off the column and disappearing into the adjacent hall.
Cap didn't waste the moment. He sprinted forward and ripped his shield free from the column, slipping his arm through the familiar straps. The weight grounded him. Centered him.
A new strength coursed through his veins.
Zemo scrambled to his feet, snarling. "You want to fight?!"
"You've got one." Cap's voice was low, steady.
Zemo struck first. His saber came down in a brutal arc, but Cap blocked it with a roar, sparks flying as metal clashed against vibranium. Cap retaliated instantly, slamming his knee into Zemo's ribs before launching a roundhouse kick to the baron's chest.
Zemo stumbled back, but recovered quickly, only for Cap to whip his shield in a spinning throw. It missed the first strike, bouncing off the far wall behind Zemo.
But Zemo's moment of triumph turned into a stunned gasp as the shield ricocheted and slammed into the side of his neck with a thwack, flooring him.
Cap caught the shield on the rebound with fluid grace.
Zemo rolled, grunting, then surged back up with a front flip, blade raised again. This time, he wasn't alone; he pulled a second dagger from a hidden sheath beneath his coat, twinning it with his saber.
He thrust the dagger straight for Cap's heart, only for Steve to twist aside, letting it stab deep into the wall behind him.
In one fluid motion, Cap kicked the hilt with brutal force. The dagger snapped at the base, leaving Zemo holding a useless handle.
"No more tricks," Cap growled, ramming the edge of his shield upward into Zemo's chin with a brutal uppercut. The baron's head snapped back, blood flying.
Cap followed through with a crushing boot to the chest that sent Zemo tumbling across the marble floor, colliding hard with a pillar.
The super soldier moved with precision, keeping his shield raised as he approached.
"Give up, Zemo."
The baron coughed, blood staining his teeth as he forced himself upright, breathing heavily.
"Never!" he spat. "This is my world now! And you, you don't belong in it!"
Cap's eyes narrowed.
"I may not know much about the future… but I know one thing about the past."
He raised his shield with conviction.
"You lost the war. You'll always lose whether I'm here or not."
Zemo's breathing was ragged now. He staggered back, hunched and unsteady, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His saber hung limp at his side, and his left leg visibly shook under his weight. Captain America's relentless precision had worn him down, every counterstrike chipping away at the once-confident baron.
His eyes darted between Steve's raised shield and the corridor behind him.
He snarled.
With a sharp twist of his wrist, Zemo pulled a small canister from his belt and slammed it to the floor. A sharp hiss erupted, followed by a thick cloud of smoke that poured out and filled the hallway in seconds.
Steve raised his shield instinctively, eyes narrowing as the white fog swallowed Zemo whole.
"Zemo!" he called out, voice cutting through the haze.
No answer, just the echo of boots retreating into shadow.
By the time the smoke cleared, Zemo was gone.
Steve lowered his shield, scanning the thinning cloud. Nothing moved. The air stank of chemicals, and the silence that followed was deafening.
"Coward," he muttered.
The faint flutter of wings made him turn.
From above, Wasp drifted into view, still glowing faintly with bioenergy. Her suit was scuffed, her hair a mess, and she looked winded as she hovered beside him.
"Well," she said, catching her breath as she glanced at the wreckage around them. "What'd I miss?"
Steve finally let some of the tension ease from his shoulders. A small, wry smile tugged at his lips.
"Another old enemy."
Wasp raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."
Steve's smile widened slightly. "You okay?"
She shrugged, rolling her bruised shoulder. "Been through worse. Though I wouldn't say no to a hot shower..."
Steve chuckled, then turned toward the far end of the hall, his expression tightening. "I'll explain on the way," he said, shield back at the ready. "Your team's in trouble."
Wasp's smirk faded. She gave a quick nod and zipped ahead without another word.
Ellis Island
At Ellis Island, the Avengers weren't fairing as well in their fight as those back at the mansion.
Thor's lightning rains down on the mass of living dough that nearly encompasses the whole island. Right now, the Thunderer is struggling to untangle himself and his hammer from the living mass.
As his lightning is able to strike enough mass of doughboys, it's only seconds later that they all reform, bigger and angrier than before.
"THOR, STOP!" Giant-Man exclaims, his head barely above the endless swarms of doughboys flooding around him. "YOU'RE ELECTRICITY IS MAKING IT GROW!"
Thor immediately ceases his lightning attack with Mjolnir. No sooner had he done so than the doughboys swarmed and ensnared him. "You say science is responsible for this monstrosity?"
"Well...People are responsible for it." Grunts Giant-Man as he struggles to physically shove the growing swarm of living dough off him. "Bad people. Using science very irresponsibly."
Iron Man is facing his own struggle. Repulsor blasting the creatures proves only useful for a few seconds before they regrow and drag him back down again. "Someone, do something!"
#
The battlefield on Ellis Island had devolved into a full-blown nightmare. Grotesque dough creatures, each a shifting mountain of gelatinous mass, slithered over everything, buildings, statues, the very earth itself. Every time one was smashed or blasted apart, it simply reformed, growing bigger, stronger, merging into hideous new behemoths that oozed toward the Avengers without pause.
The air was thick with smoke, the ground slick with slime, and the soundscape was a cacophony of roaring monsters and desperate heroics.
Above it all, Jetray, sleek and blazing fast, zigzagged between snapping tendrils. Each dodge was razor-close; if he slowed even a little, the creatures would grab him out of the air like a fly caught in syrup.
Ben's mind raced even faster than his body.
Speed alone won't win this. Hitting them doesn't work. They just reform.
He gritted his teeth.
If hitting doesn't work… maybe cooking them will.
Ben slammed his fist onto the Omnitrix, green light exploding outward.
"Time to turn up the heat!"
In a flash, Jetray disappeared, replaced by the magma-cracked form of Heatblast. Fire licked off his rocky frame, casting fierce, dancing shadows across the ruined island. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the advancing dough horde.
Without hesitation, Heatblast thrust his arms forward.
A roaring inferno erupted from his palms.
The searing wall of flame tore across the battlefield, washing over the nearest dough beasts. The monsters screeched and recoiled, their once-shimmering skins bubbling, blistering under the intense heat.
And then it happened.
Their outer layers began to darken, crisping into a blackened, cracked shell.
The doughy masses hardened, losing their oozy flexibility.
They didn't reform this time.
Under the relentless heat, the dough creatures began to bake alive, their bloated bodies stiffening, cracking, and hardening. Steam hissed from their bubbling surfaces. Hollow blisters ballooned under their skins before popping with loud, wet bursts, sending fragments of burnt crust flying through the air.
One by one, they collapsed under their own weight, crumbling into scorched, brittle husks. Across the battlefield, the ground was littered with what could only be described as grotesque, steaming loaves of burnt bread.
Nearby, Giant-Man, now towering at thirty feet, charged forward like a walking earthquake. Each footfall shook the island. A half-hardened dough creature lunged at him, but Hank met it with a titan-sized punch.
CRACK-THROOM!
His fist tore straight through the brittle mass. The creature exploded into dry chunks, raining down like a bizarre hailstorm of burnt croutons.
Hank let out a booming laugh. "Ben, whatever you're doing. keep it up!" he bellowed over the comms. "Cook 'em and they can't pull themselves back together!"
Above, Heatblast grinned fiercely, fire crackling along his arms like molten veins. He flexed his fingers once and unleashed another blast.
A roaring torrent of flame swept across the battlefield, carving a path through the enemy. Wherever the fire touched, the blobs shriveled and cracked, their doughy bodies hardening into useless, brittle wreckage before they could adapt or merge again.
The creatures let out wet, gurgling cries, but it was too late.
Ben's flames were everywhere now, scorching the ground, leaving behind nothing but blackened earth and piles of ash where horrors once slithered.
One massive blob, the size of a semi-truck, lurched toward him.
Ben didn't flinch.
Instead, he rocketed forward, a spinning comet of fire. He punched straight through the monster's center, bursting out the other side in a spray of flaming, crumbling chunks. The beast barely had time to shudder before collapsing into a smoldering heap.
Hovering midair, Heatblast drew the inferno back into his hands, condensing it into a swirling, blinding orb between his palms. The ball of fire grew heavier, denser, until the very air around him shimmered and warped.
Nearby marble statues cracked. Metal railings twisted and sagged from the heat.
Ben narrowed his burning eyes. "Time to cook this problem for good."
With a roar, he hurled the fireball downward.
It slammed into the center of the horde,
FWHOOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the island, a shockwave of searing heat blasting outward. Dough creatures nearest the impact didn't even have a chance to react, they were baked solid in an instant, turning into blackened statues before disintegrating into ash.
#
Thor swung Mjolnir in wide, punishing arcs, each strike smashing into the writhing creatures. One blob exploded into pieces, but before the shards even hit the ground, three smaller blobs formed, lashing toward him like liquid fists.
Thor caught one midair with a brutal uppercut, sending it flying. Another latched onto his leg, trying to drag him down.
With a roar, Thor summoned a lightning bolt from the storm clouds overhead. The bolt tore through the blob clinging to him, frying it into a blackened husk. But even as it burst apart, two more oozed forward to take its place.
Nearby, Hulk was deep in the chaos, smashing anything that moved.
He roared and slammed both fists into a particularly massive blob, the ground trembling under the force of the blow.
For a moment, the goo flattened out.
Then it shivered, and snapped back, slapping Hulk across the face with a wave of sticky sludge.
Hulk snarled, ripping the slime away, only to get tackled by another blob, sending him skidding across the battlefield in a rolling heap.
Above the mess, Iron Man hovered, firing pulse after pulse into the swarm. Each shot lit up the field in bursts of sharp blue light. For every blob he blasted apart, two more seemed to grow from the remains.
Tendrils shot up, wrapping around his arms and legs.
Tony blasted at them with his repulsors, twisting in midair, but the mass was too much. More tendrils piled on, yanking him down inch by inch.
Slowly, his armored boots began sinking into the quivering sludge, pulling him in like quicksand.
"Uh, guys?" Tony crackled over the comms, struggling against the pull. "Little help?!"
He unleashed a barrage of micro-missiles in every direction, blowing chunks out of the mass, but the blobs kept coming, relentless.
Thor broke off, charging toward him, Mjolnir whirling desperately to clear a path. Hulk peeled himself free from a heap of goo, roared, and barreled into the swarm, smashing a wide opening through the blobs.
Before Iron Man could be dragged under the slithering sea of living dough, a sharp whistling crack split the air.
A red, white, and blue shield carved a perfect arc through the mass, slicing clean through tendrils and sticky limbs. The force of the throw ripped the blobs away from Tony's chest and arms, freeing him, but sending him tumbling fast.
Reacting on instinct, Tony fired his repulsors full-blast, stabilizing himself just inches from the ground in a burst of burnt, dough-scented dust.
Above, the Avengers Quinjet hovered like a silent sentinel. From the rear ramp, two figures leapt into the fray: Captain America and Wasp.
Wasp zipped ahead in a blur of wings. "I'm here! Hang tight!" she called, twin stingers already crackling.
Her first volley of bio-energy blasts slammed into the blobs latching onto Hulk, Thor, and Giant-Man. Wherever her shots hit, the creatures recoiled, their sticky grips weakening just enough for the others to break free.
Cap hit the ground running. Shield in hand, he slashed through the tendrils binding Tony's legs, then knocked away a second mass with a hard bash.
Tony immediately surged upward, grabbing Cap by the arm. "Hang on!" he shouted.
With a blast from his repulsors, he launched them both skyward, just ahead of a tidal wave of fresh goo reaching for them.
They landed hard atop a mound of scorched, hardened dough. Tony let out a short, relieved grunt. "Thanks."
Cap nodded, eyes already scanning the battlefield. "We're not done," he said grimly. "This stinks of Arnim Zola's handiwork."
Inside his helmet, Tony's mouth twisted into a grimace. "Zola. Should've known. Only he could weaponize a bakery disaster."
Nearby, Hank Pym, now back to human size, dodged a lashing tendril and slid into cover beside them, tapping rapidly on his belt controls.
"That's why Wasp's stingers are working," Hank panted. "Bio-energy. It's messing with their unstable genetics."
"You know this guy?" Cap asked, keeping his shield up as blobs shifted toward them.
Hank nodded grimly. "I studied Zola's experiments. They all had one weakness, genetic instability. Hit the right energy frequency, and their structure collapses."
Just then, the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist beeped.
A miniature hologram of Azmuth flickered to life, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.
"Preliminary analysis confirms the theory," Azmuth said crisply. "The creatures' genetic structure is unstable. A targeted energy disruption will rapidly trigger total collapse."
"Perfect," Hank said, snapping his fingers. "Iron Man! Modulate your repulsors to my helmet's energy signal!"
Tony didn't miss a beat. "JARVIS, you heard the man."
"Already adjusting, sir," JARVIS replied.
Tony's repulsors shifted, their usual blue-white glow turning into a golden pulse synchronized with Hank's readings.
Meanwhile, Ben slammed down on the Omnitrix. A green flash filled the air, and when it faded, Heatblast was gone, replaced by Gutrot.
The stubby, gas-bellied alien belched a puff of vapor and looked around.
"Gross," he muttered, voice bubbling inside his mask.
Azmuth's projection hovered nearby. "Your job: synthesize a neutralizing gas tuned to their DNA. It will erode them at a molecular level."
Gutrot paused. "Safe for humans?"
Azmuth gave a curt nod. "Safe. But you'll need help to disperse it."
Without hesitation, Gutrot turned and shouted: "Thor! I need a wind assist!"
Across the battlefield, Thor, still battling a mass of dough, heard the call. With a roar, he spun Mjolnir faster and faster, whipping up a cyclone.
"Ready, foul gas creature!" Thor bellowed.
Gutrot inhaled deeply, swelling like a balloon, and exhaled a thick, swirling cloud of greenish vapor.
Thor's cyclone caught the gas instantly, sweeping it across the battlefield.
The effect was immediate.
The nearest dough creatures shuddered, their bodies bubbling and cracking. Some imploded, collapsing into piles of steaming, lifeless dough. Others gave shrill, wet shrieks before dissolving into dust.
Explosions of goo and sickening squelches echoed across the field.
Some blobs simply deflated into harmless puddles. Others tore themselves apart in violent spasms as their unstable DNA unraveled.
The tide turned almost instantly.
Victory, but not without cost.
Every Avenger still standing was absolutely coated in foul-smelling, sticky muck. It clung to armor, suits, hair, wings, everything.
Thor shook his head and blew a thick strand of dough from his face, grimacing.
"Victory…" he said solemnly, brushing gunk off Mjolnir. "…such as it is."
Wasp fluttered up beside him, struggling to stay airborne under the weight of the slime.
She wiped goo from her face and sighed. "Hooray," she muttered flatly.
Gutrot doubled over laughing, hacking slightly from the fumes.
Slowly, from the ruined buildings and docks, civilians emerged, blinking at the destruction.
Then came the applause.
Cheers, whistles, and clapping rang out as they celebrated their unlikely, goop-covered heroes.
Standing there, shield caked in dough, Captain America couldn't help but smile under the mess.
It wasn't pretty. It wasn't clean. But it was a win. And sometimes, that was enough.
#
As the last of the monsters dissolved into harmless piles of steaming dough, Gutrot staggered, coughing out the remnants of the chemical gas he had produced. His job was done.
He tapped the Omnitrix, and with a flash of green light, the sludgy, gas-belching alien was replaced by the short, round form of Upchuck. He still reeked faintly of chemical fumes, but he barely noticed.
"Alright," Upchuck muttered, stretching his stubby arms with a satisfying pop, "time for clean-up duty."
He waddled through the wreckage, surveying the battlefield. Twisted beams, shattered columns, and scorched earth stretched out in every direction. Smoke curled from collapsed structures, and small fires flickered in the rubble.
Spotting a collapsed slab of wall, Upchuck inhaled sharply, SHLOOORP!, his mouth stretching impossibly wide before snapping shut. The broken stone vanished into his strange internal storage with a gulp.
Nearby, heaps of inert dough littered the ground. He made quick work of them, slurping up massive chunks like a living industrial vacuum cleaner.
Halfway through the cleanup, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye, a flicker of movement.
Upchuck turned, ready to blast or devour whatever was left.
But as the smoke thinned, he blinked in surprise.
Emerging from a pile of debris was a tiny dough creature, no bigger than a kitten. It quivered slightly, its surface smooth and pale, with two wide yellow eyes and stubby little legs that wobbled with every step.
It didn't lunge. It didn't growl.
It just shuffled forward, tentative and clumsy, like a lost animal.
Upchuck tilted his head. "Well, hello there, little guy," he said, his voice softening.
The mini blob blinked up at him with big, blinking eyes. It let out a small, wet gurgle, not a snarl, but something closer to a whimper, and stumbled closer.
It bumped gently against his foot, sticky and warm, like it was seeking comfort.
Upchuck chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "You're not gonna try to eat me, are ya?"
The little blob gave a soft chirp and pressed closer, almost nuzzling him.
Later, Avengers Mansion
The Quinjet touched down on the mansion's landing pad, its engines winding down with a low hum.
The heroes disembarked in various states of exhaustion and slimy ruin, some dragging their feet, others peeling bits of dough off their gear as they went.
Most of the team made a beeline for the showers or the decontamination bays, muttering about needing industrial-strength soap.
Meanwhile, Ben, now back in human form, strolled casually across the tarmac, his jacket stiff with dried dough stains.
Just as they reached the mansion entrance, a faint squelching noise came from inside Ben's jacket.
He chuckled and pulled something out from underneath.
Nestled in his arms, wobbling slightly but looking perfectly content, was the tiny dough creature.
Ben flashed a sheepish grin as he cradled it. "Hey, uh... I brought something I'd like to share with the class," he joked, strolling through the front hall.
The little blob let out a soft, delighted blorble and tried to burrow deeper into his jacket.
Captain America caught sight of them and stopped mid-stride, folding his arms across his chest. "Ben... tell me you didn't."
Ben shrugged innocently. "What? He's harmless! Besides, he reminds me of an old pet I had. Not the weirdest thing I've tamed, either."
Nearby, Wasp wrinkled her nose, backing up a step. "Ugh, he smells like burnt toast."
Hank studied the blob thoughtfully. "Might not be a bad idea to keep him around. Could be useful if Zola's monsters show up again."
Thor leaned in, poking the blob gently with the end of one thick finger. "It is... oddly adorable."
Across the room, Iron Man, still scraping crusted goo off his armor, let out a tired sigh. "Fine. But he's your problem, Tennyson."
Ben's grin widened. "Deal."
#
With the battle finally won and the sun sinking low over the horizon, the Avengers retreated back to the mansion to rest and regroup.
The halls still faintly smelled of soap and sterilizer from the post-battle cleanup, but for once, the place was quiet, peaceful.
In the lounge, a big flatscreen TV flickered with images of Ellis Island's battered remains. News anchors breathlessly described the chaos, praising the Avengers' quick response, and noting, with barely concealed amazement, the very unconventional method of saving the day.
Tony and Steve sat side by side on a battered couch, both nursing mugs of coffee, watching the coverage roll.
Tony smirked, swirling his cup lazily. "Bio-engineered monsters. Living goo. Is this what fighting evil was like back in the '40s?" he teased, elbowing Steve.
Steve shot him a dry glance. "No. Sometimes it got stranger."
Tony blinked, mock-offended. "Hold on. Was that... a joke?" He leaned in dramatically, hand cupped to his ear. "Did Captain America just make a joke?"
Steve chuckled quietly, the faintest edge of a grin tugging at his mouth. "Don't get used to it, soldier. And..." he added, softer now, "just call me Steve."
Tony grinned, tipping an imaginary cap. "Steve it is."
Across the room, sprawled across another couch, Ben stretched and let out a long, satisfied groan.
"If it makes you guys feel any better," he said, smirking, "this was pretty tame compared to some of the stuff I dealt with growing up."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Enlighten us, Mr. Alien Hero. What other fever dreams made up your childhood?"
Ben leaned back, grinning mischievously. "Well... there was that time I stopped a hive mind of mushroom aliens from taking over my summer camp."
Steve and Tony exchanged a long, skeptical look.
Tony raised his coffee mug like he suddenly needed something stronger. "I'm almost scared to ask... but how exactly did you pull that off?"
Ben winked. "Foot fungus powder."
Tony just stared at him, deadpan. "No. No way."
Ben shrugged, feigning innocence. "Worked like a charm. Mushrooms hate the stuff."
Steve let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Well... whatever works."
Tony snorted and casually tossed a pillow at Ben's head. "You're either the luckiest guy alive or the universe's personal chew toy."
Ben caught the pillow easily, tossing it back with a grin.
The moment lightened, but Tony's smile lingered a little longer this time. After a beat, he stood and crossed to a nearby side table. "I found something," he said, his voice lower now. He picked up a small, worn picture frame and turned to Steve. "Wanted you to have this." He held it out.
Steve took the frame carefully, and when he looked down, the world seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
It was a black-and-white photo, old but clear: Steve Rogers, standing tall in uniform; Bucky Barnes, grinning at his side; and Howard Stark, looking proud as ever.
Steve's breath caught. A bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. "Howard Stark," he said, almost reverently.
Tony nodded. "My dad. He... looked up to you. More than he ever admitted." He paused, steadying his voice. "We all did. We still do."
Steve ran a thumb lightly along the edge of the frame, his voice low. "That was a long time ago."
He looked up, meeting Tony's gaze. "Thank you. This... means more than you know. It's good to have something to remember him by."
Tony shrugged, trying and failing to hide the warmth behind his usual bravado. "You saved our lives. Again. You're going to be needed a lot more before this is over."
He extended his hand. "You've got a place here, Steve. With the Avengers."
Steve hesitated, just long enough for the weight of it to sink in. Then he smiled, brighter this time, and shook Tony's hand firmly.
"I'll be honored," he said.
Something shifted between them, something real. A bridge between the past and the future finally built.
Steve released the handshake and glanced around the room. "So," he added with a small grin, "when do I meet the Avenger who saved me from Zemo? The one in the black cat suit?"
Tony blinked, confused. "Wait. Who?"
Ben, mid-sip of water, almost choked.
His mind immediately flashed to a very specific, very embarrassing memory from one of his earlier offworld adventures. 'Please tell me there isn't a Nyancy Chan situation happening here,' he thought grimly.
Setting the bottle down a little too carefully, Ben forced a laugh. "Ehh... I'm sure it's nothing."
Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "Ben. Spill."
Ben spread his hands innocently. "Who, me? I'm just as in the dark as you."
From across the room, Wasp floated down, grinning wide. "Well, whoever they are," she said brightly, "they definitely know how to make an entrance."
Steve nodded thoughtfully, still thinking about the mystery figure who had thrown him his shield in the chaos.
Somewhere out there, another ally was watching. And Steve Rogers was determined to find out who.
Hydra Base
Zemo stormed into the chamber, his fury barely contained. "Your creatures failed me, Arnim," he hissed, his voice thick with venom. "They were supposed to overwhelm the Avengers, tear Captain America from his pedestal, and leave the world broken."
He stalked closer to the central console, the dim lights casting his figure in a ghostly glow.
With a sharp growl, he slammed his fist onto the metal surface. A loud metallic clang echoed through the room.
"In order to defeat Captain America," Zemo snarled, his voice rising, "we must destroy the Avengers. All of them."
Silence.
The machines hummed softly around him, the air heavy with heat and the stench of chemicals, but Zola's corrupted systems offered no reply.
Zemo turned his head slowly, scanning the shadows at the edge of the room, suspicion crawling up his spine.
"Arnim?" he barked, sharper now.
Still nothing.
Then, from the darkness, a soft, mocking laugh echoed, smooth, sharp, and unmistakably feminine.
Enchantress stepped forward, her emerald cloak flowing like liquid silk, her golden hair catching the flickering light. Her piercing green eyes locked onto Zemo with an amused, predatory gaze. "Baron Zemo," she purred, her voice like velvet laced with poison. "Your machines have failed. Your monsters crumble. And your anger blinds you."
She advanced slowly, each click of her heels deliberate. "But," she continued, a sly smile playing at her lips, "fortunately for you... I have an offer."