Steve made his choice just like before when he chose Bucky over Tony.
He didn't pick sides for politics. He followed his conscience.
And while he and Stark had their differences that ran deeper than battle wounds, Steve had been watching. And thinking.
"Superhumans need oversight," he'd once said.
But not at the cost of freedom. Not at the hands of people who only saw them as weapons. Over the past few weeks, he'd met too many enhanced individuals some barely educated, some barely stable. The wrong person with power could level a city block.
But that's exactly why the world needed voices like Tony's. Voices from within the superhuman community.
And if they were going to give the Illuminati a chance, they needed someone just as smart, just as visionary, to keep Tony grounded.
That's why Steve had contacted Reed Richards.
Together, they'd agreed if the Illuminati was going to exist, Reed had to be part of it.
"Captain," Shuri asked, claws flexing. "We moving?"
A deafening impact shattered the battlefield's rhythm. Dust exploded outward. Cracked concrete smoked in the sudden silence.
And at its center a man.
Standing tall, framed in gold trim and silver plating, cloak fluttering, energy humming beneath his boots.
"Superman just landed," Johnny muttered.
Even among giants, Nolan's entrance shifted the atmosphere. Enemies froze mid-punch. The battlefield fractured, no longer a war zone but a standoff.
That's what power looked like.
Skye, standing beside Cap, blinked. "This is the first time I've seen him in person..."
The man radiated presence like a force of nature.
"Hell of a way to stop a fight," Bucky whispered.
Nolan's voice echoed through the silence.
"You all seem pretty into this brawl. Just a heads-up are those choppers closing in? Daily Bugle, Global Times. The press is circling. Keep going, and you'll be on every screen from here to Wakanda."
He stepped forward, the sand and rubble parting at his boots.
Ross grunted, recognizing the unmistakable energy signature. "Nolan. You here to take sides?"
"Take sides?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "This isn't a debate. This is muscle-flexing with better PR."
His eyes drifted to Ross. "You're looking sharp, Red Hulk. You owe me one, don't forget."
Ross's eyes narrowed. "So it was you. You helped complete the serum."
Tony's mind raced. If Ross was this strong, and Nolan just casually admitted to creating him, what else had this guy been up to?
Nolan glanced past him, ignoring the tension. He pointed toward MODOK and The Leader.
"Excuse me?" MODOK snapped. "Why the hell would I work for you?"
The Leader hesitated. "You... you think you can fix this?"
"I don't think," Nolan said flatly. "I know. Do you want to keep your intellect but get your body back to human proportions? I can do that."
"How?" the Leader asked, voice tight with disbelief and hope.
"Cross-mutation with Mimic-class DNA," Nolan said. "Shapeshifting templates. We'll regulate growth while maintaining neuro-synaptic efficiency."
"Plain English, please?" Peter quipped.
"I'll make your big brain fit in a normal-sized head," Nolan translated with a smirk.
MODOK scoffed. "If I couldn't fix myself, you think you can?"
Nolan turned, deadpan. "You've got a floating toilet seat for a chair. How's that working out?"
The Leader was silent.
Ross stepped forward, arms flaring with heat, voice rising. "You come here to poach my team?"
"They're not your team," Nolan said calmly. "They're mercenaries. Contractors. I offered a better deal."
Ross's body temperature spiked, steam rising from his skin. "Then let's settle this the superhuman way."
"Finally," Nolan whispered, eyes lighting up.
"Let's see what soul magic can really do."
Ross lunged, a flaming juggernaut tearing across the battlefield.
Nolan didn't move until the last second.
With a blur of motion, he closed the distance first meeting Ross head-on.
A shockwave erupted as Nolan's palm connected squarely with Red Hulk's chest.
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