Guys before I start the chapter, I need to talk about something regarding Chapters 20 and 21... the scene where Pryce plants the micro-tap in the shawarma joint while the Avengers are sitting right there.
A bunch of you called that plot "retarded," so I genuinely want your opinion. I'm not here to complain or start an argument. I just want to understand where the hell I went wrong.
From my side, this is how I saw it:
Tony had literally just flown a nuclear missile into a wormhole, died for a few seconds, crashed back to Earth, and was mentally fucked up. Even if he still had his armor on, it was damaged, glitching, and not scanning shit. 2012 Iron Man suits couldn't automatically detect a tiny, passive, non-emitting micro-tap... especially one HYDRA built specifically to slip past StarkTech. And on top of that, Steve, Thor, Tony, Hill, Fury, Clint, and even Natasha had all turned their attention toward Liam ...because well the dude had just been shot in the forehead and was suddenly standing there alive like nothing happened.
Thor wasn't catching anything either. The guy's a god, sure, but he's not omniscient, he can't see through objects or a person's body, and he definitely can't sense micro-electronics. Modern spy tech is basically magic to him. And with Pryce's whole body blocking the angle plus the fact that the device was being planted three to four tables away from the Avengers... Thor had zero line of sight.
And Bruce? Come on. He was literally in Hulk form. His brain was like.. fried. His only priority was calming down and not breaking the restaurant in half.
So Pryce had the perfect moment. He wasn't sliding the tap right under the Avengers' own table, he placed it under a completely different one, several tables away, while hidden behind Daniels' corpse and blocked by angles. It was the exact second the entire room was focused on Liam. A trained SHIELD + HYDRA agent absolutely knows how to pull something like that off without drawing a single suspicious movement. In the chaos, with everyone physically and mentally drained, the device slipping by unnoticed made complete sense to me.
Before the HYDRA-related conversation even began, Fury and Hill were careful enough to send the remaining agents out of the shop entirely. They didn't want any ears around before diving into the real discussion. At that point, the micro-tap became the only "listener" in the room.
If there's any flaw in my logic, it's maybe this...after one agent shot Liam, Fury should have gotten more paranoid and suspicious of everyone in the room. That's fair. But Liam literally reviving from a headshot right in front of him pulled his attention hard. The shock factor of "holy shit, that kid is alive?!" hit before the full paranoia could kick in. Also he had no idea till then that it was actually HYDRA who had infiltrated in organisation and the agent had Liam not Fury. Even Fury, the most paranoid bastard in the MCU wasn't mentally prepared for instant resurrection.
Moreover at that time many World Security Council people too had their interests vested in SHIELD, so he couldn't directly get to the conclusion that most of his organisation filled with traitors. Still, I guess I could've added a couple more lines showing him watching the remaining agents first, confirming they had no motive to betray him, seeing them handle the body like normal, and only then turning his attention back to Liam.
Also I think I might be still missing something.
If I am, please tell me. I genuinely want to learn, fix things, and avoid making fucked up mistakes like this in the future that would make you guys drop our fanfiction.
Now after all my rant you can read the chapter...
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[Steve's Apartment...]
A few hours passed, and night had settled quietly. Cap and Liam already had dinner, simple stuff, nothing fancy. Steve wasn't much of a talker; he spoke only when he had something to say. Liam didn't mind. He wasn't exactly an introvert, but he also wasn't the type to force a conversation when the other person wasn't interested.
Besides, his mind was already occupied. He spent most of the evening training his Hardening Quirk, testing its limits without wrecking Steve's place. He practiced activating it on specific parts of his body like his arms or legs and focused on the smooth transition between his Normal and Unbreakable forms and then the smooth and jagged surface too.
It took precision and timing, especially when trying to switch the Unbreakable form on just one limb. It was tough, but he was getting better at it bit by bit. Using the Quirk and training with it was taxing on his body, which forced his regeneration to work all the time, indirectly increasing its exp too.
When he took breaks, he watched TV. Mostly news. The coverage was still dominated by the aftermath of the invasion showing collapsed buildings, cleanup efforts, politicians making speeches. Occasionally, footage of the Avengers appeared on screen, grainy CCTV clips, shaky phone recordings, anything people could get their hands on.
Even he showed up once or twice in some of them, not by name of course, but people online had started calling him "The Titan." One particular clip showed him pushing a bus out of the street to shield a group of civilians from alien gunfire.
He couldn't help but smirk when he saw it. At least now HYDRA couldn't turn him into a global criminal without causing public outrage. And with the situation the way it was, they definitely wouldn't want to do anything that made them the center of attention. It was a really delicate period for HYDRA.
Liam suddenly slapped both of his cheeks. The recent abilities, the power he had gained from them, were getting to his head. The rush from his upgrades was still fresh, and it made him feel almost invincible, which was dangerous. He knew that kind of arrogance could get him killed fast in this world.
'Alright, ego check done,' he thought, rubbing his face. 'Let's not turn into a power-drunk idiot.'
He turned off the TV, stretched, and glanced at the couch. Sleep sounded appealing. Ever since upgrading his regeneration, he hadn't really needed rest. His body healed constantly, leaving no trace of fatigue. But a thought crossed his mind. Could he even sleep anymore? Or was that part of him gone?
He decided to test it.
Liam lay down on the couch, staring at the ceiling. A few minutes passed. His breathing slowed, his thoughts drifted, and before long, he was asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, it was early in the morning. He blinked a few times, surprised. "Huh… guess I can still sleep."
He ran a hand through his hair, feeling oddly refreshed, not because of sleep but because of his blue wheel. Thankfully his regeneration might have erased exhaustion, but it hadn't taken away the comfort of rest.
He turned his head and saw Steve already awake, doing his morning workout such as pushups, stretches, and squats, all in perfect form in the living room.
Liam yawned. "Do you always wake up this early?"
Steve looked over with a small smile as he stopped his workout. "Old habits. Back in the army, if you weren't up early, you were running laps before breakfast." He then added, "You could join in. Wouldn't hurt to train the normal way."
"Oh yeah?" Liam grinned. "How about a bet?"
Steve raised an eyebrow. "A bet?"
"Yeah. Pushups. You and me. Loser owes the winner a favour."
Steve gave a half-smile. "You sure? I'm not easy to beat."
Liam cracked his knuckles. "Neither am I, old man."
Steve laughed quietly. "Alright then. You asked for it."
They dropped into position on the floor, side by side.
"On three," Liam said.
"Three," Steve replied and started immediately.
"Hey!" Liam laughed and began too.
They kept going, neither one willing to give up. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours.
Steve's movements were steady and precise, every push-up perfect, like a machine. Liam's were heavier and louder, but just as steady. Time didn't matter anymore. It was just the two of them locked in a quiet contest of will and endurance.
By the time Steve's breath started turning heavy and sweat rolled down his temple, his muscles were already burning with that familiar sting. Liam, though, didn't slow down. His regeneration worked quietly in the background, healing every micro-tear before it could even become pain. He didn't feel tired... not even close.
Eventually, Steve pushed up one last time and sat back, letting out a slow breath. "Alright," he said with a tone of defeat. "I think I'll call it there."
Liam kept going, grinning mid-rep. "You giving up already?"
Steve looked at him with an accusing glance. "I'm only human."
Liam chuckled, doing a few more before stopping. "Fair enough." He sat beside him, not even a bit tired. "Guess that's one favour you owe me, Cap."
Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "You earned it."
From that day on, Liam stayed at Steve's apartment, waiting for Nick Fury's call. The days slid by in quiet routine. Mornings were for training, sometimes with Steve, sometimes alone. Liam worked on his Hardening Quirk, pushing it further each time. He practiced switching between normal and Unbreakable forms, hardening single limbs, and making his transitions smoother. It took focus and timing, but he was getting better.
The constant use made his regeneration work overtime, healing his body nonstop and growing stronger bit by bit.
By the seventh night, the wait was starting to piss him off. He was bored, just sitting at home all the time. He had decided that if Fury didn't call him in two more days, he would take the matter into his own hands.
---
[Eighth Morning...]
Sunlight crept through the curtains, spilling across the room. Liam sat on the couch, bored out of his mind. Then he sighed and decided, 'Screw it. Let's see how much I've actually improved.'
The moment he thought it, the familiar blue panel appeared in his mind.
***Interface***
Abilities:
1. Wolverine's Regeneration
Level 2: (23/100,000) exp
2. Perfect Pain Immunity
Level Max
3. Hardening Quirk
Level 2: (28/10,000) exp
4. Mind Fortress
Level 1: (00/1,000,000) exp
5. Flight
Level 1: (04/1,000) exp
Plot Points: 45
Conversion Rate:
1 Plot Point = 5 XP for any ability
100 Plot Points = 1 spin
***
Liam stared at it for a moment, smiling faintly. 'Not bad,' he thought. 'Guess all that training wasn't for nothing.'
He closed the panel with a thought, the blue glow fading away.
Just then, a buzzing sound broke the silence. Steve's phone vibrated on the table.
Steve walked over, picked it up, and glanced at the screen. His expression hardened.
"From the Director," he said, looking up at Liam.
Liam let out a slow breath and laughed softly. "Well… guess the break's over."
He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders as he walked closer. "What's the message?"
Steve read it again, his tone turning serious. "He asked us to be prepared to depart for Sokovia."
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