When Steve Rogers received the call to test the new equipment at the training ground, he didn't show much enthusiasm. As always, he carried himself like a man burdened by ideals, someone who still believed in peace even in a world that kept proving him wrong. He let out a quiet sigh, muttering about how difficult it was to achieve true stability in such chaotic times, before following the agent assigned to guide him.
The training ground was already prepared.
After brief greetings, the group got straight to work. Steve stepped forward, picking up the black combat suit that Fitz had designed, his expression calm but slightly skeptical. Still, he didn't refuse. He put it on smoothly, adjusting to the fit as the system activated around his body.
The moment it synced with him, the change was immediate.
Steve already possessed peak human physical capabilities, the result of the super soldier serum pushing him to the absolute limits of human potential. But with the addition of this symbiote-inspired suit, his strength surged even further, enhancing every movement, every exertion.
It wasn't just an improvement.
It was a leap.
When he stepped up to the testing equipment and gripped the force gauges in both hands, the readings spiked instantly. The machines strained under the pressure as he pulled—harder, faster—until both meters hit a staggering two tons of force.
Nick Fury's single visible eye widened slightly.
"…That's a significant boost," he admitted.
Behind his calm exterior, his mind was already racing. If every Avenger had access to this kind of enhancement, their combat effectiveness would skyrocket. Against threats like rogue mutants or uncontrolled enhanced individuals, they would finally have an overwhelming advantage.
He could already picture it.
An entire team of super-powered agents.
No more worrying about unpredictable variables. No more struggling against individuals like Liam.
Just absolute control.
But while Fury was imagining a future of dominance, Fitz stood off to the side, frozen in place.
His breathing grew uneven.
His eyes locked onto something behind them.
"There…" he stammered, raising a trembling hand. "There's something in the ventilation… a monster…"
The room fell silent.
Fury's expression hardened as he gestured to a nearby agent. "Check it."
"Click."
The vent cover was removed.
Everyone waited.
Nothing.
No movement. No sound. No sign of anything unusual.
Steve frowned slightly, turning toward Fitz. "Agent Fitz, if this is some kind of joke—"
"It's not!" Fitz dropped to a half-crouch, clutching his head as panic overtook him. "I saw it. I swear I saw it…"
Steve's tone softened slightly, though doubt still lingered. "You've been pushing yourself too hard. Get some rest."
Fitz hesitated.
Then slowly, uncertainty crept into his expression.
"…Am I… imagining things?"
With the help of another agent, he stood up and left the training ground, his steps unsteady.
Fury watched him go, a hint of concern flashing across his face.
"Maybe I've been pushing him too far…" he thought. "Still, the results speak for themselves. He's too valuable to lose."
But before he could dwell on it further—
Steve's expression changed instantly.
He raised his shield, body tensing as he shifted into a combat stance.
Fury noticed immediately.
"What is it—"
"SPLASH!"
Two black, viscous tentacles shot out from nowhere, wrapping tightly around Fury's waist. Before anyone could react, he was yanked off the ground, his body lifted helplessly into the air.
Disorientation hit him instantly.
By the time his vision cleared, he was already being swung around like a ragdoll. A foul, wet tongue brushed against his face, and a monstrous voice echoed beside his ear.
"This… will be delicious…"
Fury's heart skipped a beat.
Venom.
Its blood-red maw opened wide, teeth glistening as it leaned in closer.
"Damn it…" Fury growled, his arms restrained, unable to draw his weapon. "You're forcing my hand…"
In the next instant—
"Boom!"
A violent explosion erupted from his own body.
The hidden device detonated, blasting both him and Venom apart. The force of it sent them crashing in opposite directions, tearing through the air with brutal impact.
Venom shrieked, clutching its head as the flash and shockwave disrupted it. Its massive frame staggered, momentarily disoriented.
Fury, however, paid a far heavier price.
He lay on the ground, gripping what remained of his mangled thigh, his face twisted with pain and fury. The explosion had obliterated his lower body, leaving behind a gruesome injury that would have crippled anyone else completely.
Even so, his voice still carried authority.
"Captain… take it down," he rasped.
Steve didn't hesitate.
"It's done."
"Whoosh!"
His shield flew from his hand, cutting through the air with precision before slamming into Venom's body. Steve followed immediately, launching himself forward and striking with enhanced force, sending the creature reeling backward.
Compared to his previous encounters, this was different.
Stronger.
Faster.
More controlled.
The suit had elevated him beyond what he had been before.
Confidence surged through him.
He could win.
But that confidence lasted only a moment.
Venom's claws lashed out, striking his shield with terrifying force. The impact reverberated through Steve's entire body, and before he could recover, another blow sent him flying backward.
Fury, still on the ground, clenched his fist.
"Nice hit—"
He never finished.
"Boom."
A figure dropped from above.
A single kick slammed into Fury's face, knocking out two of his teeth instantly. Before he could react, another punch followed, driving him unconscious on the spot.
Steve's eyes widened.
"…Peter Parker."
His voice hardened instantly.
"You've gone too far," he said, tightening his grip on his shield. "You think you can attack S.H.I.E.L.D. and walk away?"
Peter grinned, his expression twisted with manic excitement.
"Walk away?" he laughed. "Who said I was letting you off that easy?"
The next second—
They attacked together.
Venom surged forward.
Peter struck from the side.
The coordination was brutal.
Relentless.
Steve blocked one strike, only to be hit by another. A punch landed squarely against his ribs. A kick followed, slamming into his shoulder. Blow after blow rained down on him, forcing him back step by step.
He tried to counter.
Tried to regain control.
But the pressure was overwhelming.
For every attack he stopped, two more followed.
His footing broke.
His guard slipped.
He was sent flying again.
Reality hit him harder than any punch.
He wasn't enough.
Even with the enhanced suit, even with everything he had—he was still just one man.
A super soldier.
Not a god.
"…Damn it…"
The thought surfaced unwillingly.
If Liam were here—
That relentless, brutal swordsmanship. The kind that didn't hesitate, didn't hold back. Against enemies like this, there would be no drawn-out fight.
Only one outcome.
Death.
Steve's jaw tightened.
He had always believed in restraint. In justice without crossing the line.
But now—
He understood the gap.
Under Peter's next strike—
"BANG!!!"
Steve was driven into the ground.
The reinforced concrete shattered beneath him, forming a deep crater from the impact. His body lay at the center, battered and broken, his face swollen, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Two teeth rolled across the ground beside him.
Peter stepped forward slowly, looking down at him with a mocking smile.
"Wow… such a strong superhero," he said lightly.
But there wasn't a trace of praise in his voice.
.....
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