Chapter 111: An Inch Longer, An Inch Stronger
Why is he here?
Richard, Natasha, and Sharon froze in shock at the sight before them—zombie Captain America clutching both the Mind Gem scepter and his vibranium shield.
While Steve Rogers hadn't been among the first wave of infected, he'd fallen relatively early in the outbreak. Shortly after zombie Thanos had overturned Hydra's secret base and escaped with newly-infected Hydra operatives, Captain America had assembled a response team including Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, and the Human Torch to intercept the threat.
The confrontation in New Orleans, Louisiana had been brutal. Captain America and his four teammates had engaged zombie Thanos in fierce combat—only for Rogers to fall to the Mad Titan Zombie and contract the zombie virus himself.
Infection didn't impair mobility, but it stripped away all reason and higher thought. The virus reduced its hosts to beasts driven solely by primal hunger. And that made the captain's presence here deeply troubling.
New Orleans lay more than 1,500 kilometers from Washington. Such distance would challenge even a determined traveler with full faculties—let alone a mindless zombie operating on instinct alone. The probability of the infected Rogers randomly wandering to the Triskelion headquarters was virtually zero. The likelihood of him somehow accessing the Mind Gem Scepter was even more implausible.
How had he reached this place?
If zombie Captain America still possessed consciousness, Richard would have immediately employed telepathy to extract his memories and discover the reason for his appearance. Unfortunately, telepathy proved useless against the infected. Zombies possessed no memories to read—their brains contained nothing beyond the primal drive to devour living flesh and blood. Richard had confirmed this limitation when he first arrived in this reality.
"Rogers seems... different from other zombies," Natasha observed, her brow furrowed as she studied the infected super-soldier standing twenty meters away.
"He absolutely is," Richard replied quickly.
Though telepathy failed against the infected, Richard immediately identified the stark difference between this zombie and others he'd encountered. In zombie Captain America's eyes, he detected something the other infected lacked—a glimmer of rationality.
Typically, zombies attacked immediately upon detecting potential prey, lunging forward with bestial hunger. Yet Captain America hadn't charged. Instead, after a moment's hesitation, the infected hero had begun retreating, as if recognizing the danger Richard posed.
"What are you planning to do with him?" Natasha asked. "Should we take him back to our New York base for study?"
"Absolutely not!" Richard replied without hesitation.
Despite zombie Captain America displaying unprecedented cognitive function, Richard had no intention of preserving him or attempting to restore him to his former self. The infected hero was still a target that needed to be eliminated.
After answering Black Widow, Richard immediately channeled the mana flowing through his body.
Aeroga!
Under his control, a transparent wind blade over a meter long materialized instantly and shot toward zombie Captain America with devastating speed. Though Richard had conjured only a single projectile, he was confident it would prove sufficient to dispatch the infected super-soldier.
Like his other abilities, Aeroga had significantly increased in potency since reaching level 4. The wind blades he now created could effortlessly slice through most metals. Unless the target was composed of special alloys like adamantium or vibranium, his wind blade would cut through it as easily as paper.
In a heartbeat, the razor-sharp transparent crescent reached Captain America—but just as it was about to sever his neck, the zombie raised his alloy shield.
Ding!
The transparent half-moon shaped wind blade struck the shield with tremendous force, leaving a visible scratch across its surface.
He actually blocked it?
Richard, Natasha, and Sharon all frowned in unison. Though zombie Captain America had made no complex maneuvers—simply raising his shield defensively—the action itself was astonishing. The infected super-soldier had lifted his shield with the same speed and precision he'd possessed in life.
If one could ignore his decayed appearance and focus solely on how he'd raised his shield, it would seem as though Steve Rogers retained his tactical acumen and combat awareness despite the infection.
"I think we should take him back to the New York base for examination," Natasha said gravely, turning to Richard.
"That won't be necessary," Richard replied immediately.
Though mysteries surrounded zombie Captain America's appearance and possession of the Mind Gem scepter, Richard remained resolute on one point—he would not allow the infected hero to continue existing. He had already killed a version of Steve Rogers in his universe, and he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate this one as well.
Moreover, dispatching Captain America and other high-profile zombies was essential to completing this world's challenge. Even without that incentive, Richard had no intention of sparing the infected super-soldier.
Under the watchful eyes of Natasha and Sharon, Richard withdrew Masamune from his system space.
Neither woman had ever seen Masamune before. Upon witnessing the astonishingly long katana, the same thought crossed both their minds: How could anyone effectively wield such an impractically long weapon?
The adage "an inch longer, an inch stronger" certainly applied to melee combat, but context mattered significantly. In confined spaces like their current indoor location, oversized weapons typically hindered rather than helped, restricting movement and limiting attack options.
Though Natasha and Sharon remained silent, their puzzled expressions revealed their thoughts clearly.
"Masamune is no ordinary katana," Richard explained. "Beyond its exceptional length, it possesses capabilities far beyond conventional blades." He paused. "For example..."
Holding the hilt in his left hand, Richard raised Masamune and executed a casual swing.
Swoosh!
The blade passed through the adjacent reinforced concrete wall as though it were cutting through soft cake, leaving behind an impossibly smooth, flat surface.
Though both women knew Richard was formidable—having witnessed him miraculously eliminate million zombies throughout New York City during their first encounter—they hadn't anticipated Masamune's extraordinary sharpness.
This was solid reinforced concrete!
While they couldn't comprehend the principles behind Richard's demonstration, the sight of Masamune effortlessly slicing through the reinforced wall clarified why he confidently wielded such an unusually long blade indoors.
The surrounding architecture posed no obstacle to Masamune's cutting edge.
Richard paid no mind to the women's amazement, his attention fixed solely on zombie Captain America in the distance. As Richard had withdrawn Masamune from his system space, the infected super-soldier had raised the Mind Gem Scepter in response, ready to engage...
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Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars
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