Brooklyn, New York - June 2012
Matthew was in a small cafe in Brooklyn, looking at the address Tony had texted him: "If you want to meet Cap, don't look for him in Manhattan. He goes to this gym in Brooklyn every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 AM. Early bird son of a bitch. - TS"
It was 7:30 AM, and Matthew had just finished his third coffee. He'd been waiting for Steve Rogers to come out of the gym, because simply showing up inside would have been awkward.
And then he saw it.
Steve Rogers emerged from the gym, his hair still wet from the shower, wearing a tight t-shirt that showed exactly why the super-soldier serum was so effective, a gym bag slung over his shoulder. He looked... normal. Like a regular guy going to work.
Except he was Captain America.
Matthew stopped, intercepting him on the sidewalk.
"Captain Rogers?"
Steve turned, instantly alert but not threatening. His eyes assessed him in a second: posture, body language, threat level.
"Yes? Do I know him?"
"Not officially," Matthew extended his hand. "Matthew Harkness. Though I think you know me by another name. The Shadow Guy."
Steve tensed slightly, but shook her hand. His grip was firm but not intimidating.
"Harkness. Tony told me about you. He said you were... interesting."
"Coming from Stark, I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult."
Steve smiled slightly.
"With Tony, it's usually both. Want to take a walk? There's a place that makes the best coffee in Brooklyn."
"I've already had three coffees, but they're never enough."
They started walking, side by side, two men who on the surface could not be more different, but who shared something fundamental: the willingness to sacrifice themselves for others.
"Tony says you took a bullet for him," Steve said after a moment. "That he saw the footage. That it was deliberate."
"It was deliberate," Matthew confirmed. "I saw the Chitauri aiming at him. I knew if he fired, Stark was dead. So I stepped in."
"Because?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you risk your life for someone you didn't even know?"
Matthew thought about that as they walked.
"Because it was the right thing to do. Because Tony Stark, as annoying as he is, is important. He does things others can't. And because..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "because if I didn't, someone I love was going to lose someone they care about. And that would have been a tragedy."
Steve looked at him curiously.
"You speak as if you know the future."
"I don't know the future, Captain. But I know people. And I know Stark has people who love him. Pepper Potts, for example. Imagine losing him. Imagine that pain."
Steve nodded slowly, understanding.
"You know that pain."
"We all know him, don't we?" Matthew looked at him. "You more than most. You slept for seventy years. Everyone you knew is dead or old. Your world ended. And yet, you keep fighting. You're still a hero."
"I'm no hero," Steve said quietly. "I'm just a guy from Brooklyn who hates bullies."
Matthew laughed.
"That's the most humble description of a superhero I've ever heard."
They arrived at the café, a small place that smelled of freshly baked bread and strong coffee. They sat down at a corner table, away from other customers.
"So," Steve said once they'd given the order, "according to Fury, you're a god. From the underworld."
"Technically, I'm a reincarnated god. It's complicated."
"Most things are these days." Steve took a sip of his coffee. "Where are you from? Are you like Thor?"
"Similar but different. Thor is from Asgard, a real realm in this universe. I'm from... somewhere else. Another universe, if you want to be technical. I died there, was reborn here, and have spent the last thirty-eight years building what I am now."
"Did you die?"
"I had a heart attack watching my football team lose," Matthew admitted, smiling at the absurdity. "Yeah, I know how it sounds. But it's the truth."
Steve looked at him, and to Matthew's surprise, he laughed. A genuine, warm laugh.
"A heart attack because of football. That's... well, I guess we all have our passions."
"And what's yours? Besides fighting for what's right."
Steve thought about that.
"I draw. I used to draw before the war. After the ice age, I haven't had much time, but... it calms me down. It makes me feel like myself."
"You should do it again," Matthew said seriously. "The world needs Captain America, yes. But Steve Rogers also needs to exist. You can't just be the symbol all the time."
Steve looked at him with an expression that Matthew couldn't decipher.
"It's strange," Steve finally said. "Tony told me you were mysterious, that you work in the shadows, that you're dangerous. But here you are, having coffee with me, giving me life advice like a friend."
"I can be both," Matthew shrugged. "I can be the guy who takes down threats in the dark, and also the guy who recognizes when someone needs an honest conversation. They're not mutually exclusive."
"I guess not," Steve admitted. Then, more seriously: "Fury says you don't want to join the Avengers. Why?"
"Because you are light, Cap. You are the symbol of hope. I am darkness. And darkness needs to stay in the shadows to be effective."
"I disagree."
Matthew raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"No," Steve leaned forward. "Look, I understand the idea of working in the shadows. I did covert missions during the war. I know that sometimes you need to do things that can't be public. But you, Harkness, you're not evil. You're not a villain. I saw what you did during the battle. You saved hundreds of lives. You sacrificed yourself for a comrade. That's not darkness. That's heroism."
"Heroism with dark methods," Matthew corrected. "I killed those Chitauri, Cap. I suffocated them with shadows. Draining their life force. It wasn't clean. It wasn't quick. It was brutal."
"It was effective," Steve countered. "And you saved lives. That's the outcome that matters."
"Is that what you told yourself during the war? When you were doing things that weren't clean?"
Steve remained silent for a moment.
"Yes," he finally admitted. "Sometimes the dirty work is necessary. But that doesn't mean the person doing it is dirty. It means they are strong enough to carry that burden so others don't have to."
Matthew felt something tighten in his chest. Validation. Understanding. From someone who truly understood him.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For saying that."
"That's the truth," Steve said simply. "And my offer still stands. If you ever change your mind, if you want to work with us officially, the door is open."
"I'll consider it. But for now, I think I'm best served where I am."
"As an independent ally."
"Exact."
Steve nodded, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Then let me ask you something, as an ally. Fury is worried about Loki's 'benefactor.' The guy who gave him the army. Do you know anything about that?"
Matthew had been expecting this question.
"I know he's powerful. More powerful than Loki. More powerful than Thor, probably. And I know he's looking for something. Specific objects of cosmic power."
"Like the Tesseract?"
"Like the Tesseract," Matthew confirmed. "There are more. Six in total, if my sources are correct. And this guy wants to collect them all."
"So that?"
"Power. Control. The ability to change reality at will." Matthew looked directly at him. "Cap, when this guy finally makes his move, it's going to be the fight of our lives. It's going to make the Chitauri invasion look like a warm-up."
Steve processed that, his expression becoming more serious.
"When?"
"I don't know exactly. Years, maybe. But it will happen. And when it does, they're going to need all the allies they can get."
"Including you."
"Including myself," Matthew confirmed. "When that day comes, I won't stay in the shadows. I'll fight alongside you. I promise you."
Steve extended his hand on the table.
"So until that day, allies."
Matthew shook his hand.
"Allies."
Two hours later - Central Park
Matthew was walking through the park, processing his conversation with Steve, when he sensed the presence.
Someone was following him. Someone good. Almost imperceptibly.
He stopped at a bench, sitting down as if nothing was wrong, waiting.
Thirty seconds later, Natasha Romanoff sat down next to him.
"You're good," Matthew said without looking at her. "But not good enough."
"You spotted Black Widow following you," Natasha replied. "You're better than I thought."
Did Fury send you to watch me?
"Fury sent me to evaluate you. There's a difference."
Matthew finally looked at her. Natasha was dressed casually, in jeans and a jacket, her red hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked like a tourist. But Matthew could see the hidden weapons, the posture of someone always ready to fight.
"And what is your assessment?"
"That you're dangerous," Natasha said bluntly. "That you have enough power to be an existential threat. But also that you have a code. You protect innocents. You don't kill without reason. And you sacrifice yourself for others."
"Look at that. A balanced assessment."
"I didn't get where I am by being biased," Natasha said, leaning back on the bench. "Fury wants to know if we can trust you."
"And what are you going to report?"
"That we can. With conditions. That you are a valuable ally but not a subordinate. That you will help when it coincides with your objectives, but you will not blindly follow orders."
"Exactly," Matthew smiled. "You're perceptive."
"It's my job."
There was a moment of comfortable silence. Then Matthew asked:
"How's Barton? After the whole thing with Loki."
Natasha tensed slightly.
"Recovering. Mind control was... difficult for him. Guilt. Shame. Even though it wasn't his fault."
"It's never easy to feel like you've lost control of your own mind," Matthew said softly. "Tell him he's not alone. That the people who love him understand. And that they don't judge him."
Natasha looked at him curiously.
"You speak as if you have personal experience."
"Not with mind control," Matthew admitted. "But with feeling like you have no control. With dying and waking up in a new body, in a new world, without choosing it. That feeling of powerlessness... I know it well."
"And yet, you built something from that. Power. Wealth. Influence."
"Because I decided I was never going to be impotent again," Matthew looked at her. "I decided I was going to have control over my destiny, no matter what. And so far, it's worked."
"And what about when the day comes that that guy, Loki's benefactor, comes for us?"
"So I'm going to use all that power I've built up to kick his ass," Matthew said with a fierce grin. "Because nobody threatens my home. Nobody threatens the people I care about. And nobody, NOBODY, tells me what to do with my life."
Natasha smiled slightly.
"You're going to get along well with this team. Even if you don't officially join."
"Is that a compliment?"
"It's a fact."
Natasha stood up, preparing to leave.
"One more thing, Harkness. When that day comes, when the great threat arrives... don't try to face it alone. The Avengers are strong because we're a team. You're strong, but no one is invincible alone."
"Wise advice," Matthew agreed. "I'll consider it."
"Do it."
And with that, he left, dissolving into the crowd as if he had never been there.
Matthew stayed on the bench, looking at the park, thinking.
"An ally of the Avengers," he murmured. "Unofficial, but an ally nonetheless. It wasn't the original plan, but..."
He thought about Steve. About Tony. About Natasha. About Fury.
"But they're good people. And when the time comes... when Thanos comes..."
Her eyes glowed violet for a second.
"They're going to need all the power they can get. Including mine."
That night - The Sanctum
Matthew sat on his throne in the Underworld, summoning his closest advisors. Kaius the Shadowy, now his master of dark lore. A Celtic warrior named Brigid, who commanded his forces. And a Roman strategist named Marcus, who planned his moves.
"Change of plans," Matthew announced. "For years, I've been building this kingdom in secret, staying in the shadows, avoiding attention. But the situation has changed."
"How, my lord?" Marcus asked.
"There are forces at work. Threats are coming. Thanos, the Mad Titan, will eventually come to Earth seeking the Infinity Stones. When he does, it will be the biggest fight this planet has ever seen."
"And what does this mean for us?" Brigid asked.
"It means we need to be ready. We need to expand our kingdom. We need to recruit more souls, train more soldiers, amass more power. Because when that day comes, the Underworld will go to war."
"War against a Titan?" Kaius sounded skeptical. "My lord, with all due respect, we are not ready for..."
"We're not ready NOW," Matthew interrupted. "That's why we have years to prepare. And we will prepare. We're going to turn this kingdom into a fortress. We're going to build an army that can fight against cosmic threats. And we're going to make sure that when Thanos comes..."
He stood up from his throne, his armor gleaming with power.
"He's going to discover that there's someone in this universe who controls something that not even the Infinity Stones can touch: death itself."
The three councilors knelt down.
"Your orders, my lord," they said in unison.
"Marcus, start planning expansion. I want maps of every death realm in this universe. We'll negotiate alliances or conquer territories. I don't care which."
Brigid, start military training. I want every soul in this kingdom to know how to fight. Infantry, cavalry, siege tactics. Everything.
Kaius, investigate the Infinity Stones. I want to know everything: where they are, what they do, how to counteract them. Use every resource you need.
"Yes, my lord."
Matthew dismissed them, remaining alone on his throne, gazing upon his kingdom.
"Hela said that true death is coming. Thanos is out there, collecting Gems. And I'm here, building an empire."
She smiled.
"This is going to be epic."
"Or it's going to be a complete disaster."
"Probably both."
He laughed, the sound echoing through the dark palace.
"But at least it won't be boring."
END OF CHAPTER