The vibranium shield spun through the air before returning once more to Rogers' hand.
Though he had been entombed in ice for decades, his body's coordination and his mind's sharpness had not dulled in the slightest.
Seeing the odds stacked against him, Rogers did not linger to fight nor attempt to destroy the facility.
He had only one thought now—escape.
Escape, and return to Peggy Carter's side.
Noticing the shock and disbelief on Fury's and Coulson's faces after his sudden attack, Rogers swiftly slung the vibranium shield across his back. His legs kicked off like the wind, covering distance in a heartbeat. Knees bent, toes pressed firmly against the ground, and with a burst of power, his body arced gracefully through the air.
In a single leap, he vaulted through the shattered glass window.
"Captain—!"
Coulson realized at once that Rogers had misunderstood the situation. He tried to explain, words tumbling to his lips—
But before he could get the explanation out, Rogers lunged forward in a blur, fist clenched tight, and drove it toward Coulson's chest.
The sudden strike from the living legend left Coulson stunned. Instinct told him to dodge.
But Coulson, for all his training, was still only human. A little stronger, a little sharper than most, yes. Against two armed thugs, he could end a fight in seconds.
But against Captain America?
His nerves and reflexes simply couldn't keep up.
Boom!
Rogers' fist crashed into Coulson's shoulder. The impact was so great it nearly shattered bone.
Coulson clenched his teeth, face twisting in pain as the shock radiated down his entire body. Staggering, he stumbled backward again and again.
Nick Fury, standing nearby, instinctively pulled back.
He wasn't here to brawl with Rogers—especially not while disguised in Talos' skin. And with Haruto present, he had no reason to step in.
But Rogers didn't see it that way.
Seeing Coulson forced back, Rogers immediately swung his shield down from his back, aimed it at Fury's midsection, and hurled it with flawless precision.
The motion was seamless—swift, fluid, and without flaw. Even the finest martial masters would have found no weakness in the attack.
For Rogers was the peak of human capability.
But his opponent was no ordinary man.
If this had been the real Fury, perhaps Rogers would have struck true. But the one before him possessed not only shape-shifting ability, but also heightened senses.
The moment Rogers raised his arm, Fury's body had already shifted back.
The shield cut through empty air, missing its target completely, before whirling back to Rogers' waiting hand.
Fury hadn't so much as broken a sweat. His gaze slid calmly toward Senju Haruto.
To him, someone like Rogers could never withstand Haruto's power.
Three exchanges—that was all it would take. Then Rogers would fall.
"…He dodged it?"
Rogers froze for a split second, disbelief written across his face. His attack had been perfect. His speed had been absolute.
And yet, it hadn't landed.
The shield spun in the air before snapping neatly back into his hand.
At least Fury hadn't counterattacked.
Taking a steadying breath, Rogers turned and bolted for the exit.
But before he could take three steps—
Haruto was there, suddenly blocking the doorway.
Rogers' eyes went wide, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He had no frame of reference for how a man could appear from one place to another so instantly.
The truth was simpler: it was nothing more than the Body Flicker Technique, one of the most basic jutsu in the shinobi world.
Haruto said nothing. His expression was unreadable, almost cold.
Around them, the scientists scrambled to trigger the alarms.
The awakened Captain America was fully out of control, and safety protocols demanded immediate backup.
It was instinct—an ingrained survival reflex.
But Rogers was not easily shaken.
The Super Soldier Serum had not only honed his body, but amplified his inner traits: kindness, integrity, defiance against tyranny.
Though stunned for an instant by Haruto's sudden appearance, Rogers quickly steadied himself. He tightened his grip on the shield's strap, aimed at Haruto's chest, and charged head-on.
Never in his wildest imagination could he have predicted what came next.
Haruto did not budge.
Instead, when vibranium met flesh, a surge of raw energy erupted between them, clashing violently.
The shockwave blasted outward, tearing through the lab.
Delicate equipment shattered in an instant. The lights flickered, plunging the room briefly into shadow.
And the unthinkable happened—Rogers' "indestructible" shield failed to drive his opponent back.
The impossibility of it rattled his mind.
Even more jarring was what followed: the shield's core property—its ability to absorb kinetic force—simply failed.
Bomb blasts, bullets, impacts—it absorbed them all.
But this time, nothing.
Instead, Rogers' feet left the ground, his body lifted and flung across the lab.
Thud!
He crashed down, rolling hard across the floor.
The strike hadn't broken him physically, but inside, his spirit reeled.
Slowly, Rogers pushed himself up, eyes fixed on Haruto with renewed determination.
He drew in a breath and spoke words etched into his very being:
"I can do this…"
"…all day."
Even facing overwhelming odds.
Even staring down inevitable defeat.
Rogers would never yield.
Never surrender.
Not when he believed the cause was just. Not when he believed it was right.
His eyes hardened, resolve burning brighter than ever as he rose again.
And at that moment, under the strobe of flashing red alarms, the lab doors burst open.
Heavily armed soldiers stormed in, clad in advanced armor, weapons gleaming.
They swept the room with sharp, practiced eyes—checking on Fury and Coulson first, then ready to neutralize the intruder.
But the sight before them stopped them dead.
The legend himself—the spirit enshrined in history books—was alive, standing tall right before them.
Agent Coulson was injured. Fury stood unharmed. And only one unfamiliar face remained in the room.
Without hesitation, the soldiers raised their rifles as one, barking orders at Haruto to put his hands up.
Do not move.
The reversal was so absurd that every soul present was struck dumb.
Fury: "???"
Coulson: "???"
Rogers: "???"
Haruto: "???"
They had expected backup to clarify the chaos.
Instead, the reinforcements only made the mess worse.
Seeing their arrogance, Haruto simply chose to ignore them.
...
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