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."
#
AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, vividlearner744, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, Dragon lord, Shooter1344, Ajax Roranson, trey, Asaf, DJC, Shane, Xela, nighnight, SpeX, Giorgie, Adam, yosief, Primordial, Author of Purpose, Jeremy, JamPoe81, Lord McDeath, Mystbornwolf, BigTyson, Andr, Nezih, puggle, eric, Satan King, Spartano, THEREAL, Peter, Jose, WeirdoNerdo, Gage, Homicidalbunny, Mario, Jonas, Erudual, Hunterruin, W01F, Michael, Hydro, Jack, SirSlaps, Seraphtor, Dplet, Sky, Aaron, Lettered Wolf, Just Graham, Peter, Wing, Eragon, Rocky, Jade, Hayden, Amaury, Ralph, Jonas, Huw, Harpy, Writer, Monkey, Akbar, Megajoke, Noir, Allaris, Elia, Technobread, Phat, stephen!
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