Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, Nick Fury and a group of agents escorted Steve Rogers down to the lower levels of the building.
To be honest, Fury was excited to see Steve in person. After all, Captain America wasn't just a soldier—he was a symbol, a legend who'd been immortalized in history. Even Fury, who prided himself on staying composed, couldn't help but feel a surge of respect. Steve Rogers had become more than a man; he was an idea.
Fury didn't think too deeply about the situation. Captain America had just been recovered from the ice and reawakened—of course, his mind would still be catching up. Fury assumed Steve's urgency to retrieve his shield and see the Cosmic Cube was simply a man returning to duty.
With several layers of security checks completed, Fury finally led the group into a heavily guarded basement.
Bright lights reflected off the sterile walls and countless scientific instruments. It wasn't a typical basement—it was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high-security research wings. Through a thick glass partition, Steve could see an energy cube glowing an ethereal blue atop a complex machine. The light pulsed like a living thing, hinting at the immense power within.
It was the Cosmic Cube—the very object Kurogai had been searching for.
"Captain," Fury said, stepping beside him. "As you can see, the Cube is secure. We didn't lie to you."
Steve didn't even glance at Fury. His eyes stayed locked on the Cube.
"I've seen it. Where's my shield?"
At Fury's gesture, one of the agents stepped forward, presenting a slightly scuffed but unmistakable vibranium shield.
"That's it," Steve said quietly. He took it in both hands, the weight familiar, comforting. But then, without warning—he swung it.
Boom!
The shield slammed into the glass with incredible force. The reinforced pane trembled but didn't break. The agents flinched back, startled.
"Captain, what the hell are you doing?!" Fury barked, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. He had no idea what was happening. Why would Steve attack them?
But Fury didn't know that Steve's mind wasn't his own. His body was being controlled—by Kurogai, manipulating events from the shadows.
Steve ignored Fury's shouts, raised the shield again, and smashed it down with even greater strength.
Crack!
The reinforced glass shattered, fragments scattering like shards of ice. Steve leapt through the opening, snatched the Cosmic Cube from its pedestal, and turned to face the others.
Alarms blared. Red lights flashed as armed agents rushed into position, aiming their weapons at him.
"Captain!" Fury shouted, desperate. "We're not your enemies! We're on the same side! Please, listen—you've been frozen for decades. The war is over. Everything's changed. Give us a chance to explain!"
He tried to reach the man he knew—the hero of another era—but the figure in front of him wasn't Steve Rogers anymore.
"Steve might be on your side," came the reply, calm and cold, "but I'm not."
Fury froze, his expression darkening.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"
The space around Steve began to distort, warping like heat haze. A dark ripple split open beside him, and from it stepped a tall, composed figure—the man responsible for the distortion.
Fury's eyes narrowed. "You again…"
The man smiled faintly, his eyes glinting crimson for a brief moment—the Sharingan, a power Fury had learned to fear.
"Long time no see, Director Fury," Kurogai Alexander Blackwood said smoothly. "You've been busy. I didn't expect you to gather so many interesting toys while I was away."
Fury clenched his jaw. "What the hell are you after? You really think I'll just let you take the Cube?"
Kurogai chuckled softly. "Take it? No, Fury. I'm claiming it. You shouldn't be meddling with forces you don't understand."
He nodded toward Steve, who obediently handed him the two items—the vibranium shield and the Cosmic Cube, glowing fiercely in his palm.
"Kurogai, don't do this!" Fury snapped. "That Cube is dangerous! Even Red Skull couldn't control it—it nearly destroyed everything in World War II!"
But Kurogai's expression didn't change.
"Exactly why it's not something you should touch."
With a flick of his wrist, the space around him warped again. Both the Cube and the shield vanished into the dimensional vortex of Kamui, disappearing from Fury's sight.
"Consider this a favor, Fury," Kurogai said quietly. "You wouldn't survive what's coming."
The alarms continued to wail, leaving Fury and his agents staring at the shattered glass and the empty pedestal where the Cosmic Cube once rested.
Vibranium shield and Cosmic Cube—both had fallen into Kurogai Blackwood's hands.
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Thanks for the Power stones...but it's still not enough for a bonus chapter
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