"Steve!"
Agent Hill's voice was tight with rising panic. She couldn't contact Steve. She tried to reach the others, but every channel was met with dead silence. All attempts failed. Having lost control of the situation, Hill decisively abandoned her post and headed for the exit, only to find the blast doors sealed shut.
"The main gate is sealed!"
A cold dread washed over her. She heard footsteps and spun around to see a figure approaching through the chaos. He was cloaked in darkness, with shimmering black scales tracing patterns across his cheeks. His eyes were terrifyingly cold, and wherever he passed, dark matter radiated outwards like a plague, causing the potted plants lining the corridor to wither and die in an instant.
"John Wick," Agent Hill's expression changed dramatically, her hand unconsciously moving to her sidearm.
John moved like a dark monarch, utterly composed amidst the destruction. An agent foolishly took a shot at him, only to have his body pierced through by a tendril of living shadow, an Obscurus that then wrapped itself around the three distant Helicarriers. John's gaze settled on Agent Hill.
"It seems fate has brought us together, Agent Hill."
Hill's brow furrowed, her palm damp with sweat as she fought to keep her voice steady. "Why are you here, Mr. Wick?"
"Skrulls broke into my manor," John's voice was deceptively calm. "They transformed into my family members. This makes me very angry."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "And I see that the Skrulls and S.H.I.E.L.D. have a very close relationship."
Agent Hill spoke urgently, trying to de-escalate the situation. "There must be a misunderstanding here. Please, let us investigate, Mr. Wick."
"If that's a misunderstanding, then what about this?"
Dark tentacles erupted from the floor, throwing a large pile of advanced weaponry at her feet—equipment developed specifically to target and neutralize wizards.
John's voice was devoid of warmth. "You would rather accept a group of alien shapeshifters than trust wizards."
Agent Hill took a deep, steadying breath. "HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. We will give you an explanation, Mr. Wick. I promise."
"You know, I once believed in you," John said, his voice a low murmur. "I believed in Fury, and I believed in S.H.I.E.L.D. But you all are consistently disappointing."
"In that case," he raised an eyebrow, a flicker of dangerous power in his eyes, "let me just bypass you."
"You are not irreplaceable."
After speaking, his figure transformed into a writhing mass of Obscurial energy and shot up into the sky. The supposedly impregnable S.H.I.E.L.D. building was pierced through as if it were made of paper.
A large mass of dark matter enveloped the Helicarriers, then suddenly contracted with immense force. The living darkness pulled the massive ships together, crushing and breaking them down into scrap metal.
John's human form reappeared in the sky. He raised his right hand, his arm covered in shimmering silver. With a forceful pull, one of the crippled helicarriers smashed directly into the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. The people inside screamed in terror.
Fury acted decisively, preparing to escape by helicopter. Natasha didn't forget to grab Alexander's phone, which was still connected to MOSS. Flying the helicopter, they also managed to rescue Sam, who had jumped from the collapsing building, along the way. The helicopter flew away from the chaos.
Agent Hill, watching the building crumble around her, was trapped with no escape. Just then, a beeping sound echoed through the hallway. The main gate opened again. Agent Hill didn't hesitate and ran out.
The building shook violently, and Rumlow was caught in the collapse. Fortunately, he had taken an Extremis virus capsule. Having escaped death, Rumlow crawled out from the rubble. He looked up with fiery eyes at the rampaging energy, a hungry look on his face. This was the power he sought. He pounded his chest with his fist, then turned and staggered away into the dust.
Over on the Helicarrier, Steve had just managed to move the debris pinning the Winter Soldier, only to be met with a punch to the face from his resurrected friend. A solid, brutal punch. Who knows how thick Steve's skin was to be able to speak after taking so many blows from the Winter Soldier's metal arm. He tried to awaken Bucky's memories, but his only response was a series of ever-heavier blows.
Steve slowly closed his eyes. Another punch landed, and his head turned to the side. He saw the dark matter contract into a human form. Then, the Winter Soldier's body was hit hard and sent flying.
The figure gradually came into focus. John glanced at Steve, whose eyelids were swollen from the beating, and stepped past him, drawing his wand.
Seeing John, the Winter Soldier raised his metal fist and swung.
"Crucio!"
A red light flashed, and the Winter Soldier's body was thrown backward. He gritted his teeth as cold sweat poured down his face, his body wracked with unimaginable pain.
John stood before the Winter Soldier, his expression cold and unforgiving. "A metal arm?" His gaze moved to the limb. "You are the Winter Soldier."
He remembered Natasha talking about her sister being attacked, and then thought of his own parents. His eyes grew colder.
"No, John!"
Hearing the desperate call, John didn't turn back. Steve crawled over, struggling to his feet, panting heavily, his face pleading. "Please."
"He almost killed my sister, Steve," John said coldly, his wand unwavering. "And I recently found out he went after my parents, too."
"John," Steve looked at him, his own pain evident, "Bucky is being controlled."
"So what?" John didn't turn his head. "That's no excuse for the wrongs he has committed."
Steve knew Bucky was at fault for all of this, but he couldn't give up. "He was brainwashed. HYDRA and those who used him are the ones at fault." Steve softened his voice again, "Give him a chance to make amends."
"Equivalent exchange, Steve." John finally turned to look at the superhero he had once greatly admired. His usual smile was gone, replaced by a cold calm. "You choose him, then you will lose my friendship."
"John..."
"Make your choice, Steve." Light gathered on John's wand.
Steve was silent for a long moment. "Sorry, John."
"You've made your choice."
After John spoke, a bolt of light pierced through Bucky's body. But he didn't die. John didn't look at the anxious Steve, only allowing himself a moment to calm the storm of emotions in his mind. He suddenly raised his wand, and a brilliant white light turned into lightning, tearing apart the already damaged Helicarrier.
After the lightning faded, John lowered his wand.
"Goodbye, Captain America."
He no longer called him Steve, because their friendship had disappeared with Steve's choice. His figure vanished.
Steve knelt down as if all his strength had been drained. The Helicarrier, destroyed by the recent attack, fell toward the ground. And Steve had no strength left. Along with the wreckage, they fell into the water together.
On the top floor of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building, Alexander opened his eyes. The bullet hadn't killed him. The collapsing building let him know that he could no longer escape. He forced himself to stand up, his gaze falling on the person who had appeared before him.
"Do I need to bow to you, Wizard King?" Alexander laughed and said to himself, "So I was just a part of the plan, too." He looked at the emotionless John and asked, "Can I know why I lost so completely?"
"You were targeting me?" John frowned. "Give me a reason."
"Reason? Does HYDRA need a reason to conquer the world?" Alexander laughed loudly, then gasped in pain as he pulled at his wound. "But, I'm willing to give you one, for the Wizard King's sake."
Alexander leaned against the slanted table to keep himself from falling. "During World War II, HYDRA was founded," he said, now with the demeanor of a true leader, speaking of history calmly even in front of the Wizard King. "Only the high command of HYDRA knew that its establishment wasn't just about the Red Skull. Or rather, the Red Skull was influenced by one person."
Alexander's speech became difficult due to his wound. He smiled, "He's an acquaintance of yours, a wizard. He sowed seeds throughout the world, calculating until the end of the century for these seeds of ours to blossom."
A white-haired, charming man appeared in John's mind.
"You think this is all?" Alexander laughed, his voice sounding unpleasant like an owl's. "This is just the beginning."
He reached out his hand and struggled to walk in front of John. That finger pointed at John's heart. He asked in an inquisitive tone, "Tell me, is there a heart in here?"
"Wizard King."
"No!"
"I should call you..."
"The Critic!"
As the building was about to collapse, Alexander's final mad roar echoed before the collapsing twilight.
John watched the destruction of the building and Alexander's death. Along with them, the once-proclaimed protector of the world, S.H.I.E.L.D., and HYDRA, which had re-emerged into everyone's sight after decades.
Those seeds sown in World War II had, after crossing a century, blossomed again.
"Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place?" John said lightly. "Then let's burn the body and turn the soul to ashes."
Someone was pushing the waves, and even Alexander hadn't known he was being played. That's why he only realized he was part of the plan at the end of his life. This was a conspiracy against the Wizard King. Whether it was the Convergence before or the appearance of HYDRA now, it was all just a prelude to a storm.
John touched his heart.
Would there be a heart in there?