112 112: Captain America Awakens, Pikachu's New Battle Suit
Somewhere in New York City.
Black Widow, dressed in black tights, sat lazily in front of Nick Fury.
Nick Fury looked at Black Widow and asked, "Are you sure?"
Black Widow nodded: "I wasn't completely certain at first, but after seeing last night's video footage, I'm quite sure now."
"Stark has developed a new energy source, and the palladium poisoning symptoms on his body are slowly recovering."
She then added: "It doesn't seem to have much to do with you though."
Nick Fury's expression also darkened: "I think so, ever since he first met the Emperor."
"He's seemed a little different."
Black Widow didn't care much about such things. In fact, she was growing somewhat tired of the agent life.
If not for being unable to escape...
"Still no information on Spider-Man and the Emperor?"
Nick Fury knowingly asked, to which she replied "None."
"Every time critical intel is searched, it mysteriously disappears."
"I think someone or some organization is covering their identities."
Black Widow smiled indifferently, then stood up: "My mission isn't over yet, I'll head back first."
"Your job now is to see if Tony Stark is Avenger material."
Black Widow bluntly countered: "Do you even have a choice?"
"This aggressive approach works for him too."
Having said that, Black Widow walked to the door without looking back, adding: "I don't think this kind of place can trap Steve Rogers."
On the surface, Nick Fury was supposedly auditioning Tony Stark, but it was actually just for show.
He knew Tony's character all too well. Inviting him directly would make Tony feel like an outsider.
To handle an egotist like Tony, you first had to reject him once, then butter him up a little.
That way, future Tony would truly see himself as part of the Avengers.
Nick Fury had to be the second best at manipulating hearts, after the mysterious Emperor of course.
Seeing Black Widow leave, Nick Fury didn't say much, continuing to watch the surveillance screen before him.
The subject under surveillance was, naturally, Captain America Steve Rogers, who had recovered to normal life signs from the ice.
To ensure Rogers remained calm after waking, Nick Fury had specially created a small room with period decor.
Playing a radio popular only in that era.
Rogers lay in bed with a baseball game from his day playing on the radio.
As it played, Rogers, asleep until then, fluttered his eyes slightly.
This was instantly captured by the observing Nick Fury.
He immediately stood up, speaking into his earpiece: "Get ready to send someone in."
"Ensure the Captain is reassured and try keeping him in the room first."
Inside a large makeshift hut, a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents surrounded a small plywood room.
They didn't understand why Nick Fury had chosen this place over the many better options.
"Ready!"
The agent guarding Rogers responded to Nick Fury.
He then nodded to a woman beside him dressed as a female soldier from that era, looking stern and holding a cup of coffee.
Receiving the cue, she slowly entered the room.
Rogers awoke from bed with a blank look. The surroundings were both familiar yet foreign.
Nearly seventy years frozen hadn't stiffened his body too much.
He still slowly got up from the bed.
His memory only went as far as crashing into the Arctic with a fighter jet, before losing consciousness.
Hearing the vintage baseball game on the old-timey radio, Rogers looked over puzzled.
The game's commentary streamed continuously from the radio.
Suspicion grew heavier in Rogers' heart.
Just then a female soldier entered, smiling at Rogers and saying "Good morning."
"Or should I say, good afternoon." She added, glancing at her antiquated watch.
"Where am I?" Rogers asked directly.
"You're in a post-op recovery in New York currently."
The game, the sunlight, this strange soldier -
Rogers' wariness rose.
Yet he still calmly asked: "Where am I really..."
"I'm not quite sure of your meaning."
The agent tried her best to stay calm, not expecting such pressure from this man, freshly woken from seventy years frozen.
And such sharpness!
Things were supposed to go seamlessly per their plan.
Rogers looked at the agent and stated "This game was in May 1941."
"I know. Because I was there."
The agent struggled to suppress her shock, not expecting the very thing meant to provide cover to raise his suspicion instead.
Nick Fury, observing it all, was not nervous but had the corners of his mouth upticked slightly.
Captain America fully lived up to his reputation.
He knew this group couldn't restrain Rogers, who'd have to venture out himself.
Having run out, Rogers couldn't comprehend the revelry and crowds before him.
Massive screens flickered with people.
The square teemed with crowds.
Some black agent cars pulled up, with Nick Fury standing behind Rogers: "Easy Sergeant."
"Sorry about the act, but we thought it best you take it slowly."
"Take what slowly?"
Their actions made Rogers grasp they didn't mean harm, and he lowered his guard.
"You've been asleep, Captain."
"For about seventy years..."
At Andrew's home...
Gwen stood before the full length mirror in her new battlesuit. This time Andrew had gone with classic red and black colors, with a red and black striped hood at the back.
Not just Gwen, even Pikachu got a new outfit.
Pikachu looked at himself in the mirror, satisfied: "Pikachu..."
To be continued...
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Hey there! 📚📆
Guess what? 🤓 It's that time of year again when exams are knocking on my door 🚪📝. So, I'll be taking a little break from uploading chapters until November 11th. 😅
But don't you worry, I promise to bring you 1-2 (or maybe even 0, depending on my study motivation 😜) awesome chapters once I'm done acing those exams! 🤞🎓
So, in the meantime, enjoy some peace and quiet, and if you miss me too much, feel free to send some power stones and some awesome Reviews... 😂 (We haven't got any ratings yet...😥)
Catch you on the flip side! ✌️📚📖📝
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