The first Helicarrier groaned, its massive engines priming. Natasha and Alan moved in perfect sync—Nue's sharp eye scanning for weaknesses, Alan's hand hovering over his construction technique.
"Target's locked," Natasha confirmed. "Three minutes to full takeoff."
High above, Sam and Steve were closing in on the second Helicarrier.
Alan landed silently beside Natasha, then moved with terrifying precision. His hand-to-hand combat was flawless—each movement economical, brutal, and perfectly timed. HYDRA agents fell like dominoes, no wasted motion.
Natasha observed while flipping a guard over her shoulder. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
"Self-taught," Alan replied simply, ducking under a wild punch and driving his elbow into the agent's solar plexus. The man doubled over, gasping. Natasha raised an eyebrow, continuing to dismantle approaching agents with practiced ease. "Self-taught, huh?"
"Mhm," Alan dodged another punch. "Lots of practice."
Natasha smirked as she swept a guard's legs. "Self-taught with that kind of precision? You've got to be kidding me."
She ducked under a swing, slamming her elbow into an agent's ribs. "Who'd you fight to get that good?"
Alan didn't slow down, his movements fluid and deadly. "Everyone."
Natasha burst into the control center, throwing herself at the console. She flipped switches, tapped codes—but nothing worked. The Helicarrier's engines roared louder, its takeoff sequence unstoppable. "Fuck," she hissed, banging the console. "It's locked!"
"you guys we're doing this the hard way." He sent piercing bloods at the engines.
The piercing blood shots streaked across the sky like crimson bullets, slamming directly into the Helicarrier's engines. One, two, three—they punched through the armored plating like paper. The fourth hit the main turbine, causing a catastrophic failure.
The Helicarrier lurched, engines sputtering and dying.
"What the—!" A technician screamed.
The Helicarrier shuddered violently, its engines coughing black smoke. The takeoff sequence aborted with a harsh mechanical whine.
Natasha stared at the console, then up at the sky where Alan's crimson shots had originated. "Kid," she breathed, "you just disabled a multi-billion dollar Helicarrier with four shots."
The comms crackled.
"Alan just disabled an entire Helicarrier with four shots," Steve's voice came through the comms, sounding utterly stunned. "Sam, tell me you got that on video." Sam's response was laughter and awe. "Holy shit, I did."
"did you guys manage to take down yours?"
"Not even close," Steve growled over the comms. The sound of gunshots and explosions filled the background. "This thing's got a fucking army. Maybe a division. We're pinned down good." Sam grunted, "And Pierce is fucking throwing everything at us."
thoughtfully.
"Sam, Steve," Natasha said calmly, watching the Helicarrier's engines sputter and die. "Alan just took out one. You guys need backup."
Steve grunted over the comms, "We're pinned down. Bad."
Sam added, "And Pierce is fucking throwing everything at us."
Steve paused, then asked, "Alan, you busy?"
"i'm coming." Alan's cursed energy reinforcement allowed him to leap through the air like a crimson bullet, barely catching the edge of the second Helicarrier. With a grunt, he hauled himself up onto the deck, right as a hail of bullets sprayed the area. "About damn time," Steve muttered, rolling behind cover.
Alan's fingers traced through the air, Dismantle slicing through the metal deck and the advancing HYDRA agents with surgical precision. Two men fell, cut clean in half before they could even scream.
Steve's eyes widened. "Jesus, kid."
Sam's voice came over the comms, breathless. "What just happened? The deck literally *cut through* like butter."
The slashes continued, Dismantle chewing through HYDRA reinforcements and their cover alike. Agents fell in pieces, metal debris slicing through incoming fire. Steve watched in disbelief as Alan dismantled an entire squad without moving a muscle.
"Sam," Steve muttered into the comms, "tell me you're seeing this."
Sam's voice was barely audible. "Every fucking thing."
Alan's slashes hit the control room directly, cutting through reinforced doors and consoles like they were paper. HYDRA officers and technicians fell in pieces, their screams cut short. The entire control center was reduced to a bloody, metallic mess in seconds. Natasha swore loudly. "Fuck, Alan."
Steve laughed darkly over the comms, "He just..."
"He just cut the fucking control room in half," Steve finished, chuckling darkly. "And the fucking engines. And the fucking deck." Sam's voice came through, sounding completely stunned. "Kid just... dismantled an entire Helicarrier. With a flick of his wrist."
The winter soldier landed on the deck with a crash, arming a shotgun. Steve moved fast, slamming into the metallic assassin with a punch that echoed like a gunshot. The Winter Soldier rolled with the impact but bounced back instantly, eyes cold, expressionless. Steve stopped him cold.
A dark, calculating gaze fixated on Steve with a chilling intensity. Something clicked.
"do you wanna handle this one cap? It seems personal."
Steve's breath caught. The Winter Soldier's gaze was hollow, empty—like something had been hollowed out and replaced with cold steel. Steve's jaw tightened. "I'll handle it."
He stepped forward, shield raised. "Bucky."
The Winter Soldier didn't respond. Just raised the shotgun, aiming directly at Steve's chest.
The fight played out exactly as destiny intended—Steve trading blows with the Winter Soldier, the weight of decades of betrayal and brainwashing between them. The Helicarriers lay in ruin across the globe. S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA were permanently dismantled, their secrets exposed to every corner of the internet. Pierce's empire crumbled.
The wreckage burned in the distance. Steve knelt beside Bucky's unmoving form, pulling him from the river. Natasha stood by Alan, both watching the burning remnants of the Helicarriers sink below the waves.
Natasha broke the silence. "You realize what you did today, right?"
Alan shrugged. "Stopped some bad people."
Natasha shook her head slowly.
"You didn't just 'stop bad people,' Alan," she said firmly. "You single-handedly dismantled the single most dangerous criminal organizations in history. S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA are gone. Pierce's entire empire? Poof." She gestured vaguely at the smoke-filled horizon.
Alan shrugged, his expression flat and unreadable. "Guess I can't keep a job."
Natasha's eyebrow shot up. "That was supposed to be a self-deprecating joke. You failed." She shook her head slowly. "You're a threat. One that's been hidden in plain sight. And you don't even understand yourself."
"what are you trying to say?" He asked
Natasha sighed, watching Alan's unreadable expression. "I'm saying you're not going anywhere, kid." She crossed her arms. "Tony already called me. We talked it over."
Alan blinked. "Talked over what?"
"You," Natasha said firmly. "You're joining the Avengers."
"really."
Natasha scoffed. "Really, really. Stark's already drafting your spot. Thor and Bruce are fine with it too." She watched Alan's face closely. "You don't have a choice either, kid. You're dangerous. Unpredictable. And quite possibly the most powerful asset I've ever encountered."
*He's an outlier.*
"fine with me as long as I get a roof over my head."
Natasha smirked. "Stark Tower. Top floor, penthouse suite, room with a view. Three meals a day, paid for by the guy who can afford to buy a small country." She paused. "You'll have to meet the rest of the team. Bruce'll probably want to run tests on you. Clint'll want to spar. Thor'll want to... bro."
Alan stared at her flatly.
"What?"
Alan remained silent for a long moment, then gave a short, stiff nod. "Fine with me."
Natasha turned away, walking across the deck and grabbing her bag. "Don't look so thrilled. You're not getting a choice here." She glanced over her shoulder. "The quinjet leaves in ten minutes. Tony's pilot will meet you." She added.
"Twenty-five and you've been living off the grid, hiding powers that could reshape the world." Natasha studied him, her tone shifting. "No wonder Stark wants you on the team. You're an anomaly. An outlier." She checked her watch. "Nine minutes. You should pack." She paused, studying him. "One more thing. Don't scare Bruce."
"I know I know if I scare him the Hulk comes out."
Natasha nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Bruce is... sensitive. The Hulk comes out when he's threatened or angry." She stepped toward the quinjet, pausing to look back at him. "And trust me, you do *not* want to meet the Hulk on your first day."
She waved him forward. "Come on, Alan. Let's get you to Stark Tower."