S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier - War Room
A holographic map of Cairo flickered in the dimly lit conference room, casting eerie shadows across the grim faces of those seated.
Steve Rogers sat upright, his shield resting against the chair beside him.
Beside him, Captain Peggy Carter, now the formidable Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., remained composed, her piercing gaze locked on Nick Fury, who stood with his arms crossed.
"The situation in Cairo is worse than we imagined," Steve began, voice heavy with concern.
"Apocalypse isn't just gathering forces—he's indoctrinating them. The Avengers barely made it out. Thor and Wanda are still recovering."
Nick Fury exhaled sharply. "And you're telling me Tony Stark is missing?"
"We sent him a priority distress signal," Peggy added, adjusting her gloves. "No response. He went dark after his last transmission."
Fury clenched his jaw. "Stark has a habit of playing by his own rules, but if there's one man who could come up with a way to stop Apocalypse, it's him."
A long silence stretched between them before Steve leaned forward. "Then we prepare. With or without him."
---
Hidden Base
Deep within an unmarked underground facility, a group of twelve mutants gathered around a central table, illuminated by the cold blue glow of a holo-display. Pietro Maximoff, clad in his signature silver and blue, drummed his fingers impatiently.
"This is a waste of time," he said, voice laced with frustration. "If Tony's not answering, we should be out there helping the Avengers, not sitting on our hands."
At the head of the table, Anna, a striking young woman with piercing emerald eyes and a presence that commanded respect, remained calm.
Her powers made her an undeniable leader among the group. She glanced at J.A.R.V.I.S.'s floating holographic form. "Repeat Tony's last orders."
The AI's voice was as smooth and calculated as ever. "Mr. Stark instructed that should a global threat of this magnitude arise in his absence, this unit should await further orders before engaging."
Pietro scoffed. "And if he's unavailable?"
Anna's eyes sharpened. "Then we carry out his last command until we have undeniable proof. No premature heroics."
A tense silence followed before Pietro clicked his tongue and leaned back. "Fine. But if things go south, don't expect me to just sit here."
Anna gave a small nod. "Understood."
---
Brooklyn –
The streets were chaos.
A massive, armored figure crashed into a delivery truck, sending metal and glass flying. Rhino roared in fury, lunging at a lithe figure in red and blue who flipped gracefully out of the way.
"Come on, big guy, I just webbed that streetlamp back together last week!" Peter Parker quipped, mid-air, before firing two web lines and slingshotting himself over Rhino's charge.
From the shadows, another figure—slimmer, faster—darted in. Miles Morales unleashed a venom strike that crackled with bio-electricity, stunning Rhino long enough for Peter to swing in and web the villain's arms to a nearby building.
"Teamwork makes the dream work," Miles said, dusting his hands off.
Peter landed beside him. "Not bad."
Their victory was short-lived as both of their wrist devices beeped in unison.
Miles glanced down. "Uh, Peter…? Is this what I think it is?"
Peter's playful demeanor shifted. "Yeah. We're being called in."
---
Across the country, similar beeps echoed, summoning heroes to a long-dormant initiative. From the shadows of urban rooftops to the depths of high-tech labs, individuals turned their attention to the insignia flashing on their devices.
At an undisclosed location, a sleek quinjet hummed to life, carrying its passengers toward the looming Avengers Tower.
Inside, a teenage girl in a red hood adjusted her gauntlets—Riri Williams, also known as Ironheart. Beside her, Kamala Khan, still adjusting to her Ms. Marvel status, fidgeted in her seat.
"This is crazy," Kamala whispered. "We're really being called in by Stark himself?"
The team of young heroes exchanged glances, the weight of what awaited them settling in.
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