"What's happening?"
Hawkeye and Black Widow instinctively scanned the figure ahead of them, their combat instincts sharpening in response to the sudden shift. The man lying before them should have been finished—his body slack, his eyes unfocused, completely devoid of life. Yet something about the scene didn't sit right, and a cold unease crept up their spines.
"Isn't he dead already?" Hawkeye muttered under his breath, his grip tightening around his weapon as doubt flickered across his face. The logic of the situation didn't match what he was feeling.
"We stopped a supervillain," Black Widow added quietly, though her tone lacked conviction. "That's what we were supposed to do." Even as she said it, the words felt hollow, like they were trying to justify something that no longer made sense.
The uneasiness lingered.
Before either of them could process it further, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"What the hell is this?" Captain America exclaimed, his expression shifting for the first time since the fight began. There was a flicker of genuine alarm in his eyes, something rare for a man who prided himself on control.
Nearby, the overweight woman who had been shouting moments earlier froze mid-motion, her mouth still slightly open as if the words had been choked off. Her entire body stiffened, the earlier arrogance draining away as fear took hold.
The air changed.
Silver-white arcs of electricity began to materialize, flickering into existence from every direction. They shimmered like strands of light, weaving through the ruined square with unnatural precision. Then, as if guided by an unseen force, they surged inward all at once.
Like swallows returning to their nest, every current converged on Max.
The energy wrapped around him, crawling across his body in a dazzling display of raw power. His eyes snapped fully open, the pupils turning a blinding white as the electricity coursed through him. It was as if something dormant inside him had been forcibly awakened, like a massive battery finally receiving power.
A violent surge rippled outward.
The next instant, Max's body lifted off the ground, suspended in midair as the currents carried him upward. His wounds seemed irrelevant now, his earlier weakness erased beneath the overwhelming force flowing through him.
From above, he looked down at the scene below, his gaze locking onto Hawkeye and Black Widow. The hesitation that had once filled his eyes was gone, replaced by something far colder.
"Damn superheroes," he said, his voice steady but laced with lingering rage. "Every single one of you deserves to die."
Hawkeye's expression hardened immediately, the earlier uncertainty replaced by focus. "I knew it wasn't going to be that simple," he muttered, drawing a long blade from his back as he shifted into a ready stance.
Beside him, Black Widow lowered her center of gravity, pulling two daggers from concealed sheaths at her ankles. Her movements were fluid, precise, but there was tension beneath the surface now.
Captain America stepped forward, positioning himself alongside them as he pressed a finger to his communicator. His voice was calm again, controlled.
"Agent Fitz," he said, "initiate deployment."
"What?" Black Widow's brows furrowed, confusion flashing across her face as she turned toward him.
Before she could press further, the answer arrived.
From the edges of the battlefield, a group of figures rushed in—twenty agents clad in sleek black combat suits, their movements synchronized and efficient. Each of them carried advanced firearms, and within seconds, they had formed a perimeter, surrounding Max completely.
The suits they wore had an unsettling familiarity.
The texture, the sheen, the way they clung to the body—it all resembled the infamous black suit once associated with Spider-Man.
Hawkeye's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned.
"These are…" he started, but the words caught in his throat.
Captain America didn't wait for him to finish. "Venom combat units," he explained casually, as if discussing routine equipment. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest development. They come with… certain compatibility requirements."
His tone remained even, but there was an underlying implication that didn't go unnoticed.
"You and Natasha haven't been performing at your peak lately," he added, almost as an afterthought.
The words hit harder than any physical blow.
Hawkeye and Black Widow both stiffened, their expressions darkening. For agents who had dedicated their lives to this work, who had fought countless battles without powers to rely on, the implication was clear—they were being left behind.
And worse, they weren't even considered suitable for the upgrade.
Before either of them could respond, the air crackled again.
Max moved first.
With a simple motion of his arm, a concentrated beam of electricity shot forward, cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning.
"Boom!"
The explosion was immediate and devastating.
The shockwave tore through the formation, throwing Hawkeye and Black Widow off their feet and sending them crashing into the debris-strewn ground. Dust and rubble covered their bodies as they struggled to regain their bearings.
Captain America fared slightly better, the protective properties of the Venom suit absorbing part of the impact. Still, the force drove him back several steps, his stance faltering for a brief moment.
The woman, however, wasn't so fortunate.
Even with Captain America attempting to shield her, the residual energy struck her directly.
A sharp, sickening crack echoed through the chaos.
Both of her lower legs snapped under the force, the bones breaking cleanly as her body collapsed. Her face contorted in shock, her mouth opening as if to scream, but no sound came out before her consciousness gave way to the overwhelming pain.
She passed out instantly.
Moments ago, she had been shouting, demanding compensation, basking in the protection of heroes. Now, she lay broken on the ground, her earlier confidence reduced to nothing.
Captain America's jaw tightened as he took in the scene.
"This mutant dares to hurt civilians right in front of us?" he said, his voice rising with anger. The authority he carried, the image he upheld—it all demanded a response.
Ever since Tony Stark had fallen from his former position, Steve had taken it upon himself to maintain the leadership of the team. No matter how many setbacks they faced, he refused to let that image crumble.
"This is our responsibility," he said firmly. "We will restore S.H.I.E.L.D.'s glory."
He rose fully to his feet, lifting his shield as determination hardened in his eyes.
"Venom squad," he commanded, his voice cutting through the battlefield. "Advance."
The black-clad agents responded instantly, their figures blurring as they moved in unison. Using their numbers, they closed in on Max, surrounding him from all directions.
The clash that followed was intense.
Max hovered above them, electricity surging wildly around his body as he manipulated the currents with increasing precision. The ruined ground below only amplified his power, turning the battlefield into a chaotic network of energy.
Yet the Venom agents held their ground.
Their suits enhanced their speed and durability, allowing them to weave through the attacks with unnatural agility. At the same time, their weapons fired bursts of glowing orange energy, each shot aimed with calculated accuracy.
From a distance, Hawkeye watched the exchange, a bitter feeling settling in his chest.
"So this is what Fitz has been working on…" he muttered, unable to hide the envy in his voice.
While he and Black Widow still relied on traditional weapons, these agents were already operating on an entirely different level.
Black Widow shot a glance at Captain America, her expression sharp, but before she could speak, he cut in smoothly.
"They're still prototypes," he said. "Unstable. Only specially selected personnel can use them safely."
Hawkeye let out a quiet breath, exchanging a look with Natasha. There was frustration there, but also resignation.
"Then make sure they improve quickly," he said, his tone restrained. "For people like us, our equipment is everything."
Captain America nodded without hesitation. "Of course. We're all on the same side."
With that, he surged forward, shield raised, charging straight into the ongoing battle.
The legendary hero was stepping in once more.
Another victory, another display of justice.
Another moment that would be remembered as a triumph—one that might finally restore S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standing in the eyes of the world.
.....
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