On the other side of the window, Malrick watched Captain Arica as Coulson debriefed him.
"I said it's better to lay everything out than dress up era-specific scenes," Malrick remarked. "Look how quickly he's accepting it—yet you can see he's one step from falling apart."
Tony observed Steve's pupil tremble and felt a tug of recognition—he'd seen that look in himself back in the Afghan cave: the grief of being separated from everything he loved. Seeing Steve wasn't a flawless legend anymore but a human weighed with regret—especially about Peggy Carter.
"Tony," Malrick said softly, "every kid knows that dance was a century of regret… but Peggy is gone, even has dentia now. His chance is gone."
He then ntioned the alternate-universe Steve who stayed past the Blip to live with Carter, only showing again in 2023 to hand over the Captain Arica mantle to Sam and Bucky. Tony's expression darkened.
"Carter remarried? A secret union with soone classified?" Malrick asked, his super-hearing confirming Tony's vague half-mory.
The idea sparked in Malrick's mind—no jealousy, just a touch of mischief. He turned to Tony: "Are you sure about recruiting him?"
Tony didn't hesitate: "Avengers need an active symbol. Rogers provides that."
Malrick replied, "Superman might fit—but he won't join. Because you only act when Earth's crisis is dire, you need Rogers in the day-to-day."
"And Bucky?" Malrick asked. "You going to hide the truth from Steve?"
Tony's eyes flickered. "No. I'll tell him, face-to-face, but gently."
Malrick chuckled and handed Tony a bottle of Zeus Spring Water as he headed for the door. "Here—decide when to use it."
Tony fingered the jade bottle, its cool touch sending a shiver of purpose through him. He believed Malrick ant it as compensation—yet also trickery with kindness.
With renewed resolve, Tony approached the room beyond the glass. He pushed the door open.
"Soldier Steve Rogers, you have an appointnt, I believe?"
---
anwhile, on Earth: The Skrull Exodus
Nick Fury's warning to Talos had limited impact. While many Skrulls in shelters evacuated, the majority embedded themselves—so replaced high-ranking officials, others took normal jobs. They'd grown accustod to life on Earth; giving it up ant leaving stability behind.
They believed their disguises were secure—even to genetic test—and scoffed at the n in Black as incompetent clowns.
That confidence shattered when identification devices began deploynt globally: black conical towers, three ters tall, emitting interference radiation across ten kiloters. Skrull disguises flickered—shifting between human and green-skinned forms.
The fallout was extraordinary:
In the White House, a cleaning staff mber was revealed as a Skrull
Buckingham Palace found one among the Queen's attendants
New Delhi's governor exposed
Streets flooded with green-faced figures in broad daylight
Martial law was declared worldwide. The n in Black mobilized. Avengers, led by the newly awakened Steve Rogers, joined the hunt.
For the first ti, Skrulls felt fear. Status ant nothing once identities were exposed.
By nightfall, thousands of ships lifted off toward space. In just one day, millions of Skrulls evacuated Earth—leaving behind a planet forever altered.
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