Hearing Captain Steve's words, everyone fell into thoughtful silence.
"Yeah, the Captain's right. The Hellblood Demon's methods are vicious and hard to stomach, and he acts outrageously—but he's never slaughtered civilians."
At that moment, Captain Steve looked to Nick Fury and spoke. He would go.
The room erupted in shock.
"What? Captain, you're going yourself? Do you not understand how terrifying the Hellblood Demon is? If you say the wrong thing and he slaps you into next week, you'll need to be rebuilt from scratch."
Tony shot Steve a wicked grin. "Honestly, the Captain's the perfect pick for this."
Righteous words on his lips, Tony was cackling inside. Steve, go sample one of the Hellblood Demon's famous slaps for us.
"Captain, the Hellblood Demon is extremely difficult to deal with," someone added. "I'm afraid if you go, something might happen."
Steve smiled faintly. "Director, the moment I put on a uniform, I put life and death aside. Even if the worst happens, we'll at least learn more about the Hellblood Demon—and I'll have merely died sooner rather than later. The important thing is buying time for everyone else."
A respectful hush settled over the room.
Nick Fury finally sighed. "Since you've decided, I'll give you the Hellblood Demon's address. He also has an uncle and an aunt."
Steve nodded and left.
By noon, Maguire was at home wrapping dumplings for Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Ever since the last time—pork with scallion, and a vegetarian three-delicacy filling—they'd become die-hard fans of Chinese food.
The doorbell rang.
A moment later Uncle Ben's puzzled voice drifted over. "You are…?"
"Hello, sir. I'm Peter's friend. I'm here to see him."
"Come in, come in. Peter's wrapping dumplings—stay for lunch with us."
"Is it Harry, or Garfield?" Maguire called from the kitchen.
"Hello—it's me."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Maguire turned—and froze.
The Captain. Steve Rogers. What's he doing here?
He didn't want Uncle Ben and Aunt May learning who he really was. Hopefully Steve wouldn't say anything he shouldn't.
"Do you need me for something?" Maguire said evenly. "Let's talk upstairs."
Steve nodded. They went up.
Maguire's gaze went cool. "Are you here on behalf of the Avengers?"
"No. Just on my own behalf."
"Sit," Maguire said with a faint smile. "How long have you been keeping tabs on me?"
"A month," Steve answered, taking a seat. "I came to tell you something."
"No need," Maguire replied. "I already know—the Cosmic Cube was stolen, right?"
Steve startled. How does he know that? Is he really a spirit?
He quickly steadied himself. "Yes. S.H.I.E.L.D. suspects it's tied to Asgard. A war between humanity and Asgard is possible."
Maguire couldn't help laughing. "Ha! That's what Fury thinks? Asgard go to war with humans? He really doesn't understand Asgard."
Steve nodded slightly. "In that case, I have nothing else."
"Then go. I won't see you out," Maguire said, dismissive.
Steve took no offense. He turned to leave, and Maguire followed—no need to act too strange in front of his family.
Downstairs, Aunt May had already boiled the dumplings and set them on the table.
Seeing the two come down, warm-hearted Aunt May waved them over. "Dinner's ready—come eat! What's your name, by the way? The dumplings Peter wrapped are fantastic. Try them!"
Steve was about to refuse when Maguire shot him a look. Given he was "a friend," skipping the meal would only sour Uncle Ben and Aunt May, so Steve sat.
Urged on by Aunt May, he scooped up a dumpling with a spoon and popped it into his mouth. His eyes lit. "This… this kind of food is incredible."
After the meal, Steve said polite goodbyes to Uncle Ben and Aunt May and left Maguire's home.
Thousands of kilometers away, in the boundless Pacific, a colossal shape cruised beneath the waves, blue light pulsing along its back as it headed toward the United States.
An hour later, Steve returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters—the Triskelion. The Avengers had waited for his return.
The door opened, Steve walked in, and Tony looked him over from every angle, muttering under his breath, "Huh. Not even red?"
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