SHIELD – Washington D.C.
Nick Fury Jr. sat in his office, one eye narrowed, glass of whiskey trembling in his fist. The cracked tumbler finally gave way, shards glittering on the floor.
"Who the hell does this biomechanical bastard think he is—calling me Junior?" Fury snarled. "And a damn cat?!"
Coulson opened the door just in time to see the remains of a chair embedded in the wall but fury sitting in his seat with another glass of whiskey and lots of composure.
"Sir… Tony Stark's been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Banner's surfaced in Brazil. General Ross poked the bear again."
Fury Jr. closed his eye, breathing sharp. His father's voice echoed in his head.
Composure, boy. A spy without composure is already dead.
"Thank you, Coulson. Dismissed."
Nicholas Joseph Fury Jr. crushed his whiskey glass as Coulson left the office. His jaw clenched tight, the "N" in his eagle-shaped earring pulsing faintly as the anti-surveillance tech swept the room.
"A cat?" he muttered, rage simmering. "That biomechanical bastard thinks he can call me Junior… send me a cat?" He hurled a chair into the wall.
"Composure, Fury," he muttered, his father's voice echoing in his head again. He straightened his coat and faced the window, one eye burning with a fury no eyepatch could hide.
"Steel… when I find you, you'll wish you'd stayed a machine."
Afghanistan – Ten Rings Cave
Sparks lit the dark. Tony Stark, gaunt and sweating, tightened the crude rivets on his first armored gauntlet. The glow of the electromagnet in his chest cast sharp shadows on Yinsen's weary face.
"Tony, hurry. They'll come soon."
Tony smirked faintly despite the grime. "Relax, Yinsen. I'm about to reinvent the military-industrial complex… in a cave… with a box of scraps."
Yinsen rolled his eyes. "Americans."
Outside, the Ten Rings guards prepared their rifles. None of them noticed the faintest pulse of energy across the desert sky — a blue streak, watching from above before vanishing.
Queens – Rooftops
Peter B. Parker swung through the night in a prototype suit that screamed "budget cosplay." A blue hoodie with a stitched spider, sneakers duct-taped for grip.
The Lizard roared from below, tearing a car door in half.
"Really, Doc? The sewer again?" Peter quipped mid-swing. "You know what they say about clichés—"
His Spider-Sense flared. He twisted in the air just in time to dodge razor claws that shredded his hoodie.
"Aw, man! That was my favorite discount rack outfit!"
The Lizard hissed, slamming into a building, vanishing into the shadows below.
Peter crouched on a rooftop, clutching his side, already healing faster than he had any right to. His mind raced. I've got strength, speed, Spider-Sense, webs… but no clue what I'm doing.
From across the city, a silver-haired man in a trench coat watched from a rooftop, eyes glowing faint blue. He smirked. "The boy's not ready yet. But he will be."
The Collector's Ship – Deep Space
"Quill, what did you just touch?" Gamora snapped as sparks flew from a shattered console.
"I didn't touch anything!" Quill protested, holding his hands up. "Okay, I touched a little something—"
A cryogenic pod hissed, ice steaming off its glass. Inside, a figure stirred.
Blue-green hair shimmered faintly as his eyes snapped open, glowing neon. His chest bore a strange tattoo — an Omega Ultralink in the shape of an M.
The man gasped for air, his voice echoing with ancient weight.
"Where am I… and who the hell are you people?"
Rocket raised his blaster. "Oh great, another shiny guy. Just what this ship needed."
The man staggered forward, hands trembling as if remembering a hundred lifetimes. "No… not another shiny guy. I am… Ma'ex Ja'em Mk'Raah. Last Emperor of Takion."
The lights of the ship flickered. Even Groot tilted his head, uneasy.
N-Tek Base – Evacuation
Sirens blared. Cindy Moon stumbled through the underground tunnels, pulled along by Jake and Molly. Forge slammed a wall panel shut, revealing a hidden passage.
"Move! Hydra's already breached the first ring!"
Jake's heart pounded. His skin faintly glowed silver-blue, the aftershocks of his collapse not entirely gone.
Cindy glanced at him as they ran. "Jake… what's happening to you?"
"I… don't know," he admitted, his voice ragged. "But whatever it is, it won't stop me from getting you out."
Above them, metal boots echoed on steel — the Winter Soldier advancing through the ruined base, silent and merciless.
Meta Excerpt // Deadpool's Unauthorized Commentary
"So, let me get this straight: Tony Stark's building a bucket of bolts, Peter's cosplaying in duct tape, the Guardians just woke up Space Dad, and Jake's glowing like a rave stick? Yeah, that's totally normal Tuesday Marvel.""Also, can we talk about the Collector's freezer section? Like, who just leaves emperors on ice? That's some Costco-level neglect.""PS: if Winter Soldier's involved, I'm stocking up on popcorn. Dude broods harder than Edward Cullen on a bad hair day."