Nathan clenched his fists, already poised to strike.
But then, the scene before him spiraled into unexpected chaos.
His gaze locked on the wounded man across the street—Captain America, bruised and stunned, his shield discarded to the side. The furious expressions of the attackers only added to the confusion.
Nathan's brow furrowed. He hadn't seen this coming at all.
It turned out, the Essex Corporation had mistaken him for Captain America that day.
They weren't after him at all.
They had meant to find and punish the real Steve Rogers—but instead, they'd targeted Nathan by accident. And today, realizing their mistake, they went straight for the real target.
Unfortunately, this meant Captain America had been ambushed and beaten before he could even understand what was happening.
Nathan was baffled, but soon his expression returned to normal. He muttered under his breath, "So they were after Captain America all along… That explains it." Shrugging it off, he turned toward the supermarket, leaving behind the chaos like it was none of his business.
After all, what did Captain America's troubles have to do with him?
Today was one of the worst days of Steve Rogers' life.
Ever since the Sokovia Accords debacle, the Avengers had gone into a sort of quiet exile. With pressure mounting from governments around the globe, the team chose to lay low, staying out of the public eye to avoid further controversy.
Now, after weeks of silence, things were just beginning to calm down. Public opinion was softening. Restrictions on their movements had loosened.
Captain America decided to enjoy the fresh air for once.
But as fate would have it, the moment he stepped outside, he walked straight into a hostage situation.
With no time to hesitate, Rogers acted.
He saved the hostage, subduing the kidnappers with ease, then handed them off to the police. What should have been a peaceful morning turned into a mess. Still, he figured the worst of it was over.
He was wrong.
Before he could even take a breath, a group of mysterious attackers descended on him with terrifying force.
Without warning, they beat him ruthlessly—an ambush that left him bleeding, dazed, and full of unanswered questions. Three of them were even stronger than the average soldier. Captain America had no choice but to flee.
He didn't know who they were, or why they had come for him.
In an alley not far away, the Essex agents were relentless.
They launched a coordinated pincer attack to corner Captain America, boxing him in. Several mercenaries blocked his retreat. One even fired a pistol, but the shot went wide. Gunfire in such close quarters was dangerous, so they closed in for hand-to-hand combat.
Captain America growled and threw a powerful punch, sending one of the mercenaries flying. "Who are you people?!" he shouted.
A brute named Donald surged from behind and slugged him, sending Rogers crashing into a brick wall.
"Give us back what you took!" Donald bellowed.
Confused, Rogers remembered the hostage rescue that morning. His eyes narrowed. "So that's it... you're just a bunch of thugs."
Wiping blood from his mouth, he straightened his back. "Sorry. But once I've saved someone, I don't hand them over to criminals."
Donald snarled, "You're just an old relic, Captain. This isn't your time anymore."
It was a cruel jab at Steve's age—technically in his nineties thanks to his time in the ice.
With a wave of his hand, Donald ordered, "Break him. Tear the truth from his mouth."
More mercenaries charged.
Steve had come out without his shield or weapons—just a day of rest, he thought—but now he was fighting for his life.
He held his own, knocking down assailants with trained precision.
Then, two clones of Wolverine entered the fight. Their bone claws gleamed—not adamantium, but still deadly.
Dr. Rice's lab had run out of the rare metal. These new clones were inferior, but still dangerous.
Captain America grunted as he took several slashes. Blood trickled from the wounds.
Donald shouted again: "Return the person you stole!"
Steve didn't flinch. "Not a chance."
He punched one clone across the face, then kicked another so hard it snapped one of its claws clean off.
The clone howled in pain.
Then Donald's iron fist struck again.
Captain America was hurled backward, crashing to the ground.
"You're finished," Donald growled.
He raised his fist, ready to strike again—
BOOM!
A metallic figure crashed from the sky, delivering a thunderous kick that sent Donald flying across the alley.
With the hiss of pistons, Iron Man landed—armor gleaming in the dim light.
"Sorry I'm late. Banquet ran long," Tony Stark quipped, straightening his tie.
Steve looked up, relief flashing across his bruised face. "You took your time."
Tony chuckled. "You look like you've been through a blender."
"Try getting ambushed by a dozen super soldiers," Steve muttered.
Tony tossed him the iconic shield. "Figured you'd need this."
Then, turning to the Essex mercs, he asked, "So, shall we clean up this mess?"
Steve took his place beside Tony, gripping his shield tightly.
"Let's send them to jail," he said.
Tony cracked his knuckles. "Love that plan."
Donald's face twisted in fury. "This has nothing to do with you, Iron Man. Stay out of it!"
Tony smirked. "I'm not good at that."
Outside the alley, Dr. Lai watched the chaos unfold through surveillance feeds.
His eyes narrowed as he saw Iron Man arrive.
"So Stark's involved… I knew it," he muttered.
The pulse weapon Captain America had used before—it had to be Stark's invention.
Lai clenched his fists. "So that's it. The Avengers want our gene-tech. They took X-24. It was all a setup."
"You act noble, but you're just like us." His voice dripped with venom.
Back in the alley, battle erupted.
Captain America's shield bounced through the air, knocking attackers aside.
Iron Man's repulsor beams blasted enemies into the walls.
The duo fought like old comrades—flawlessly synchronized.
Donald lunged, only to be kicked into a dumpster.
"I told you, they never get close," Tony boasted.
Then—scratch!
Bone claws scraped across Iron Man's chestplate.
Tony winced. "Okay… maybe sometimes they get close."
Steve shook his head with a smirk.
Finally, realizing the battle was lost, Donald snarled, "RETREAT!"
A flash grenade exploded—blinding white light filled the alley.
When Steve and Tony rushed out, the Essex team was gone.
Tony cursed under his breath. "We'll call S.H.I.E.L.D. Get medical, then track these clowns down."
In a speeding van, Donald seethed.
"You've made enemies of Essex now, Avengers."
---
Meanwhile, Nathan returned home.
Inside, Emily sat in the living room, eyes drooping during her online class.
Her private tutor droned on, trying to teach advanced subjects to a girl who clearly wanted to run around.
Nathan entered.
"Big brother!" Emily's eyes lit up.
She jumped to run to him, but Klaue held her back. "Focus. You're still in class."
With a pout, Emily sat down again.
Nathan chuckled.
He then headed downstairs.
His first stop: the containment cell holding Norman Osborn.
Green Goblin leered. "Found a way to erase me yet?"
Nathan's face remained calm. "Soon."
Norman struggled within. His face twisted.
"I'll save you," Nathan said. "Once I do, you'll work for me. Deal?"
Norman's voice rasped, "I… agree…"
Satisfied, Nathan left and headed to his lab.
But instead of working on the Goblin serum, he sat before his computer.
He opened a series of hacked surveillance feeds.
One figure stood out.
A muscular man with dark skin. Steel-bodied. Unbreakable.
"Hello, Luke Cage," Nathan whispered.
This was step one in his Superman plan—to replicate the invulnerability of Luke Cage.
Kurt, stationed near New York's prison, was already investigating.
If there were any records of the original experiment, it would make replication faster.
And so, the beam of the Avengers alliance had been formed, with Nathan's private plan quietly advancing alongside.
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