Hawkeye POV:
Life is good for Clint Barton — Hawkeye. He's amazing at his job. He has a beautiful wife, two lovely children, and the best friend and partner anyone could ask for — someone he can trust with his life. Everything was looking up.
But in a way, his life's always a bit hectic. He's a Level 7 agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., specializing in espionage and combat. Today, though, Clint decided he just wanted to have a normal day to himself — and that's exactly what he did.
He went around New York, relaxed, grabbed some coffee, and watched the news…
"After being held captive for three months in Afghanistan, Tony Stark — the CEO of Stark Industries — returned to the spotlight today.
In his first public appearance since his rescue, Stark delivered a shocking announcement that could change the future of one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers.
'I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. That's why, effective immediately, I'm shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.'
The room explodes into chaos — flashing cameras, reporters shouting questions, chairs scraping across the floor as the press surges forward.
'Until I figure out what the future of this company is — a future I can actually get behind. I'm talking about something that actually matters. Not just for this country, but for the world.'
Tony Stark's words hit hard. After his escape from a terrorist group overseas, everyone expected him to double down on weapons manufacturing. Instead, this crazy announcement left investors baffled and governments silent.
Still, Stark insists that weapons aren't the future of Stark Industries. He hints at a shift toward clean energy and advanced technologies aimed at improving everyday life. The ripple effect is already being felt worldwide.
But questions remain. How exactly did Tony Stark escape his captors in the desert? Some speculate that he must have built a new kind of prototype weapon — a breakthrough so powerful it allowed him to fight his way to freedom. Others wonder if this is the very reason behind his sudden rejection of arms manufacturing. Until Stark provides answers, theories will continue to spread, and the world will be watching closely."
"Ha," Clint chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he watched the broadcast. "Never thought I'd see the day the great Tony Stark wanted to save the world instead of destroying it. Good for him… gonna make my job harder, though. But still… good for him."
Clint got up, paid for his coffee, and left. He wasn't gonna drive today. Nope. He was taking the train.
"Excuse me," he said as he nudged past someone. It was crowded — too crowded for his liking. This was why he hated trains, but today was supposed to be normal, so he put up with it.
He steps inside the train. Hissss — the doors shut immediately behind him.
…Weird.
That's… unusual. Clint frowns, glancing around, but brushes it off. Until —
Wait.
He looks around again. And suddenly… he realizes there's no one else on the train.
"Okay…" Clint mutters under his breath. "Something sketchy's going on."
He slowly shifts into a combat-ready stance, eyes scanning for anything off. That's when he hears it:
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
A strange pounding sound outside the train's windows. It's moving so fast he can't even make out what's passing by.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Then, suddenly…
A door appears at the far end of the train. Out of nowhere.
Clint narrows his eyes, cautious, and walks toward it. Slowly, he reaches for the handle.
Creeeaaak
it opens, wheezing.
Inside… pitch-black darkness. Except for one thing.
An altar.
And on that altar… a purple ring.
Clint freezes. He doesn't know why, but his feet start moving on their own — like his body isn't listening to him. Step by step, he approaches the ring, reaches out, and grabs it.
And then—
WHOOOSH.
The ring floats up, then, at a speed so fast he barely even sees it, it's already on his finger.
And Clint… feels it.
Power. Limitless power.
It's like the universe is in his hands. He feels like he could make anything.
"Whoa…" he mutters to himself. "This is… incredible."
Suddenly, his vision blinks. And just like that, the train stops.
The doors open. People flood in like nothing happened. No strange door. No altar. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Except the ring is still there.
And Clint still feels the power burning through him.
He quickly steps off the train, pulls out his phone, and dials a number.
It rings. Once. Twice. Click.
"Agent Barton. What is it?"
"…Director Fury, we need to talk."
Well, looks like I won't be getting that ordinary day anytime soon
Captain America POV:
Steve Rogers — also known as Captain America — doesn't know what to do with his life. Everything got confusing so fast. Honestly, he preferred it back when he was out there fighting Nazis and punching Red Skull in the face. Back then, at least, he understood the world and his place in it.
But now?
Now he's sitting on an ice throne at the very top of a massive ice cave, inside his… well, his giant ice castle — and he has no idea how his life got here.
The Minions — yes, that's what they insist on calling themselves — are the perfect minions… but there's a downside. They try way too hard. It hasn't even been a full day, and somehow they've already built him this ridiculously huge castle. Like… who does that?
So here he is, sitting on a throne, overlooking thousands — and thousands — and thousands of minions below. He lets out a long sigh, then lazily lifts a hand and gives them a little wave.
Big mistake.
Instantly, the once-silent crowd erupts.
"AH! KING STEVE!" one of them screams.
Then another one climbs onto that minion's shoulders and yells even louder, "KING STEVE!"
Then another jumps on that one's head and screams even louder, "KING STEVE!"
And it just… keeps going. A literal pile-up starts happening, minions stacking on top of each other like deranged penguins, all screaming his name in an endless loop.
Steve drags a hand down his face.
"…What am I doing with my life?" he mutters under his breath before slumping forward and faceplanting into his icy armrest.
Another sigh escapes him. A long, tired, "I-can't-believe-this-is-my-life" kind of sigh.
King Steve. Ice castle. Endless minions.
How did it come to this?
++++++++
Author Note -
Truly, Steve is off doing some side quests in Antarctica. Meanwhile, Hawkeye is finally getting a power-up. Even though it's purple, it's basically just a limited version of the Green Lantern Ring. I made it purple because that fits his theme—when you think of Hawkeye, you think of purple. Anyway, I'm not feeling well, so there won't be any more chapters today. Goodbye.