Seeing him agree, Captain America's smile widened. Right in front of the Green Goblin, he calmly removed every bullet from the revolver, leaving only one inside.
He glanced once at the chamber's position, then flicked his fingers. The cylinder spun in a blur, and with a light tap, it snapped shut.
"Who goes first?"
He handed the gun to the Green Goblin with absolute confidence.
Osborn chuckled, took the revolver, and pressed the muzzle directly against the vulnerable point between helmet and armor.
He pulled the trigger. "Bang—"
The shot rang out, blood spraying—Green Goblin collapsed in disbelief—
That was the illusion in his mind.
In reality, it was just a "click." The cylinder rotated, and no bullet fired.
Osborn instantly burst into manic laughter. "Hahaha! Fortune doesn't favor fools! Steve Rogers, prepare to accept your fate! Hahahaha!"
Still laughing, he handed the gun back.
"Click."
Captain America pulled the trigger on himself without hesitation. "Aren't you celebrating a little too early?"
Osborn's grin stiffened. Before he could even speak, Rogers was already circling him, leaning in close, eyes wild with a ferocity sharper than Osborn's own. "You got one thing right."
He pressed the gun to his temple again.
"Click." Smooth as ever.
"Fate doesn't favor fools."
"Click." A third empty shot.
"So…"
"Click." No gunshot. Rogers had already slipped behind him, pressing the revolver against the back of Osborn's exposed neck. Under Osborn's horrified stare, Rogers asked, "Are you ready to accept your fate, Green Goblin?"
Osborn heard the death sentence like a demon whispering in his ear. He couldn't even form a plea before Rogers pulled the trigger.
"Bang—"
The bullet tore through the back of his neck, blood blooming as Osborn collapsed to the floor.
Rogers let out a laugh. This idiot. His brain really wasn't working. Didn't he know Rogers had memorized Red Skull's entire base layout at a glance? He'd marked the bullet's position, judged the spin strength, calculated every rotation of the cylinder the moment it closed.
This so-called gamble, this life-and-death bet—had been a guaranteed win.
The moment Green Goblin agreed, his death was sealed.
The serum had strengthened Osborn's body, but apparently skipped his brain. With his unstable, manic mind, this outcome was practically predetermined.
After finishing him off, Captain America crouched down, unbuckled the helmet, and raised a brow. "So it really was that idiot Osborn."
Pocketing a few pumpkin bombs, he continued forward. The Goblin had already cleared the place out—guards and prisoners alike were blown apart, bodies scattered in mangled pieces.
Rogers hummed lightly as he walked, soon coming upon another group.
Bullseye. Kingpin. Sandman. Electro. Doctor Octopus. Lizard. And a crowd of prison-gang lackeys behind them.
"What's that line?" Kingpin rumbled, his oversized prison uniform stretched to its limit by his massive frame. "Enemies meet on a narrow road."
Captain America felt a surge of wariness. The script was supposed to be a series of trials, yet the author had suddenly thrown them into a group battle instead.
"One against six, or six against one? Captain, take your pick." Bullseye's voice dripped with malice as the others closed in like predators.
"Funny thing is, I actually like Captain America," Electro said, electricity crackling between his fingers.
Rogers' heart tightened, and he subconsciously lowered his weapon. "Gentlemen, I've always wondered—why would infamous supervillains like you follow a nobody like Kingpin?"
"You all gave up once Loki was gone, didn't you?"
The villains exchanged confused glances and, almost in sync, turned to Bullseye. In truth, none of them cared who led them. As long as their desires were met, they would follow anyone. The only reason they'd come to rescue Kingpin was because Bullseye told them to.
Kingpin, incensed by the insult, snarled, "A nobody? You dare call me that? You're nothing but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s obedient mutt!"
Rogers smiled, perfectly calm. "Well, I'm going solo now. Compared to following this hopeless Kingpin, any of you interested in joining my team?"
The entire group froze. Even Kingpin stared at him in disbelief. "What are you blabbering about? You're Captain America—a symbol of patriotism!"
"No, no, no!" Rogers waved him off. "I'm sick of smug politicians and their endless speeches about protecting the country, the people, the world—blah, blah, blah."
"Being a superhero just means getting morally blackmailed every other day. I think living freely suits me far better."
He raised his voice like a charismatic cult leader giving a sermon. "If I throw away my morals, nobody can manipulate me!"
"So here's your golden opportunity—join my team, and together we'll create a new age of glory!"
"Forget being some American mob boss. My goal is the world!"
The speech hit them harder than they expected. Before anyone else could process it, Electro shot his arm up, eyes shining. "I'm in! I'm totally in!"
He looked left and right, then boldly stepped forward. "Look, I don't care who leads us, but following Captain America is clearly way cooler than sticking with this fat lump of lard!"
"Welcome, young man!" Rogers spread his arms wide with a radiant smile, pulling Electro into a big, enthusiastic hug.
Instant mistake.
A surge of electricity blasted through him. Rogers convulsed violently and collapsed in a twitching heap.
And that wasn't even Max going all out. If he had used his full voltage, it was questionable whether Rogers would still be breathing.
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