71

Chapter 71: The Chosen People

Bang! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The bandaged fist relentlessly pounded the sandbag.

Captain America, Steve Rogers, found solace in exhausting his boundless energy in such physical exertion.

It had been quite some time since he had awoken from the ice, thrust into a world seventy years ahead of his time. Everything he had known and fought for had vanished.

There were no familiar faces, only a plethora of advanced yet alien things.

The world had prospered in his absence, but it no longer belonged to him.

No one truly understood him—friends, lovers, family, even that dance—he had lost it all, left with only an empty shell.

The void in his heart tormented him incessantly. He was merely a relic of the past, abandoned by time and the world.

Boom!

The sandbag finally burst, its contents spilling across the floor.

Steve sighed and promptly replaced it with another.

"Insomnia?" a voice interjected.

Steve glanced over and replied, "I've slept for 70 years, sir. I've had enough sleep."

"Perhaps you should go out, celebrate, see the world in all its colors," Nick Fury suggested, approaching.

"What is there to celebrate? Being alive?" Steve retorted.

"Do you come bearing a mission, sir?" he inquired.

"Yes, perhaps you should go out and unwind," Fury responded, handing him a dossier.

Steve opened the file and read the bold letters on the first page: [Black Superman].

Steve chuckled softly. "Superman? In my time, he was just a comic book character."

"Along with a bit of Batman, too. I must admit, I'm rather fond of that chap," he added, finding comfort in the remnants of his era.

"Be cautious, Captain. This man is extremely dangerous," Fury warned.

"Am I to deal with him? I'm just a soldier," Steve questioned.

"No, your mission comes later," Fury clarified.

Steve continued reading.

[Iron Man, Tony Stark]

"Howard's son? The world changes so rapidly," Steve muttered.

[Kingpin]

"So, he's my target?" Steve queried.

"Yes, our intel suggests that Kingpin is involved in biological armor trafficking and recruiting superhumans, within SHIELD's jurisdiction," Fury explained.

Fury wished he could grant Steve more time to adapt; however, recent events had left him restless.

Tony, unaware his early research had jeopardized their plans.

The Hulk, Bruce Banner, concealed by Stark, Peter Parker's failed retrieval, and a strained alliance with Stark.

Dr. Connors... best left unsaid.

Everything had hit a snag, with one figure seemingly orchestrating it all—Black Superman!

"And still, Black Superman eludes us. It's frustrating," Fury lamented.

Thankfully, their benefactors remained supportive, facilitating the construction of a safehouse—an uplifting development amidst the chaos.

Steve sighed. "Alright, I'll take a look..."

"By the way," Fury added, "I'll arrange for a partner you might know."

...

New York, Hell's Kitchen.

Two formidable figures—one black, one white—strode through the night.

It was Gwen and Felicia, the Black Cat.

"Where's the location?" Felicia inquired.

"Just two blocks ahead. According to my father's intel, it's a Kingpin stronghold. There's a significant gathering tonight, involving superhumans," Gwen disclosed.

Felicia had since learned Gwen's identity, an unexpected yet logical revelation. Apart from a select few, including a certain sixth child, Gwen and Felicia had grown inseparable, becoming close friends.

"Director's daughter, huh?" Felicia teased.

"Felicia!"

"Alright, alright. It's just the two of us tonight?"

"Mr. Stark returned from vacation with Miss Pepper. He mentioned joining us later."

"Oh... So, how's things been with Peter lately? Any updates?" Felicia swiftly changed topics.

"He's doing well. Mr. Stark values him greatly, involving him in Stark Industries' latest clean energy and World Expo projects, set to launch soon! He's even contemplating a move to the Upper East Side with my father's assistance," Gwen shared proudly. "And you? How's the Black Superman intel gathering going?"

Felicia's expression darkened.

During this period, Gwen had recommended Felicia to Black Superman—an act that now haunted her.

"Black Superman... He's not human!" Felicia declared vehemently, recalling the brutal training regimen she had endured to acquire her spider-sense, an experience she wished never to relive.

However, this intense training had exponentially improved Felicia's skills and resilience.

"So, it's just ahead?" Gwen redirected the conversation.

The two arrived near their destination, preparing to infiltrate.

Their plan was straightforward: gather intel on the superhuman criminals present and devise a strategic approach.

Little did they anticipate that their plan would derail from the onset.

Gwen and Felicia had subdued a group of gangsters guarding the rear entrance when they unexpectedly crossed paths with a man in peculiar attire—resembling Captain America and wielding a shield.

Unbeknownst to Gwen and Felicia, it was Steve, responding to Fury's summons.

To them, Captain America was a figure of seventy years past, unimaginable to encounter in the present day.

And in their minds, anyone dressed in such garb, especially amidst superhumans, was a potential adversary aligned with Kingpin.

Thus, without hesitation, both sides engaged.

Steve, skilled in various combat styles and armed with his vibranium shield, gained an upper hand initially against the unprepared Gwen and Felicia.

However, Gwen's unexpectedly heightened strength and agility, coupled with Felicia's agile strikes, began to overwhelm him.

In a brief moment of distraction, Gwen seized the opportunity to disarm Steve of his shield with her spider-silk.

"Who are you? A Captain America fan? Well, this shield... it's quite impressive!"