Chapter 20: If You Don’t Agree With Me, You’ll Face It

The little girl sat on the ground, trembling. All around her were flames and charred wreckage. What was once a burger shop had been reduced to ash.

She muttered to herself, "I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to..." Her eyes darted around the devastation before landing on Jiang Chen.

"You… why are you okay?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Jiang Chen was about to respond when a flash of light tore across the sky. A loud whooshing sound filled the air, and he instinctively looked up.

"Not good!" Jiang Chen's face tightened in alarm.

A massive round shield descended from the sky like a meteor, slicing through the air with a deafening whirr.

Boom!

The shield slammed into the ground, carving into the earth as if it were butter. Half of it stood embedded in the dirt, surrounded by a cloud of smoke and dust.

Jiang Chen blinked, recognizing the iconic weapon. "Isn't that Captain America's shield?"

As the dust settled, the ground around the shield cracked, spiderwebbing out in all directions.

Then, from the haze, a figure emerged. A man dressed in a red, white, and blue suit, with a large letter "A" on his head. It was Captain America, standing tall and imposing.

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed. Captain America, leader of the Avengers, known not just for his leadership, but for his enhanced body, courtesy of the super-soldier serum. A master fighter with his unbreakable shield.

"Let go of the girl," Captain America's deep, authoritative voice cut through the air.

Jiang Chen turned to look at the terrified little girl cowering beside him. It dawned on him—Captain America thought he was the one who started the fire.

Jiang Chen opened his mouth to explain. "Wait, this isn't what it looks like, the fire—"

Before he could finish, Captain America was already charging at him, fist cocked, ready to strike.

The punch came faster than Jiang Chen could react, and just as the blow was about to land, Captain America stumbled. In a bizarre twist, the hero did a backflip and dropped to one knee right in front of Jiang Chen, fist planted into the ground.

Jiang Chen stared, dumbfounded. "Uh… are you proposing or something?"

Captain America's heart sank as he realized what had happened. In all his years of fighting, he had never imagined he'd trip over his own shield.

Unbelievable.

The superhero took a deep breath, rising from the ground with a look of sharp determination. "You know who I am," he said, his voice stern. "You'd better leave. Now."

Jiang Chen had been planning to leave anyway, but being ordered around like that suddenly made him want to stay.

"What if I say no?" Jiang Chen asked, eyes locking onto Captain America's.

Captain America's eyes narrowed. "Then I won't hold back."

Without another word, Captain America lunged again, throwing another punch straight at Jiang Chen.

But this time, Jiang Chen was ready. He twisted his neck with a crack and raised his arm to meet the blow.

Their fists collided with a thunderous crack, the shockwave pushing both men a step back.

They were evenly matched in strength—both enhanced by serums, though through different means.

However, Jiang Chen had one thing Captain America didn't. Fire.

Captain America winced, realizing his mistake. His fist felt like it had just punched a burning furnace. The heat radiating from Jiang Chen's body had numbed his hand completely.

Jiang Chen, on the other hand, barely felt any pain. Thanks to Extremis, his body could heal almost instantly, and the fire raging within him only made him stronger. He grinned, feeling the familiar sensation of flames licking at his skin, engulfing him in a fiery aura.

Captain America's frown deepened as he watched the flames rise around Jiang Chen. The burning sensation in his hand told him all he needed to know.

He's the one who started the fire.

Without hesitation, Captain America sprinted toward his shield, ready to continue the fight.