Chapter 91. Fire Steve?
No wonder Tony and the others were so shocked—the scene before them was simply unbelievable! Even Felix stood frozen in astonishment.
Inside the room, Captain America's eyes suddenly snapped open, and a burst of vivid orange flames erupted from his hands. The flames rapidly expanded, rising without wind, engulfing his entire body in a raging inferno. In moments, he was completely wrapped in fire, resembling a living torch.
"Get in there and save him! Jarvis, activate fire suppression!" Tony shouted, panicked, urging Jarvis to deploy emergency fire control measures.
Even though Steve had a body far stronger than an average person, Tony doubted he could withstand such heat for long.
"Wait, Tony, don't panic! Steve's just awakening his superpowers!"
To everyone's astonishment, despite the heat being intense enough to melt steel, Steve looked completely unaffected—if anything, he appeared to be enjoying it.
The bed beneath him, however, didn't fare as well. The flammable materials had already burned away, leaving only a glowing metal frame that looked ready to melt under the extreme temperature.
"This is Steve's superpower awakening? Incredible! His body temperature has already surpassed a thousand degrees Celsius. That's hotter than most industrial flames! How is his body enduring this?"
"And he's still heating up he might even reach 2,000 degrees Celsius!"
Fortunately, Tony had anticipated unpredictable events when designing this room. Everything—from the walls to the viewing glass—was made of materials tougher than steel, specially crafted to withstand extreme conditions. So even though Steve was practically an inferno inside, those outside felt no heat at all.
"What now? Are we just going to let him burn like this? I mean, what's even fueling this fire?"
Tony was at a loss. This wasn't anything he'd seen in any of their simulation tests. The sudden emergence of a new, powerful ability had completely blindsided him.
"Tony," Felix said calmly, "you won't find a scientific explanation for everything—especially when it comes to superpowers. I think he'll come out of this state soon. I'm just curious how high his temperature will get."
Felix's calm demeanor didn't reflect his inner thoughts. He was just as stunned as anyone else—not by the heat itself, though. Felix's heat vision could reach around 6,000 degrees Celsius, several times higher than Steve's current state.
What truly surprised Felix was how familiar this power felt.
It reminded him of another marvel superhero known as Human Torch, who gained his flame-based powers after exposure to cosmic radiation. Steve's transformation was nearly identical.
Even more bizarrely, in Felix's world, the same actor who played Captain America also portrayed the Human Torch in the movies. And Steve Rogers, standing before him now, looked exactly like both versions.
The resemblance was uncanny. Whether it was pure coincidence or something deeper, Felix couldn't say.
Time ticked by slowly. Steve remained engulfed in flames for over five minutes, and his temperature continued to rise.
"Looks like he capped at around 1,900 degrees Celsius. Not quite 2,000, but still insanely hot," someone noted as the heat readings began to drop.
Gradually, the flames surrounding Steve started to subside. The fire weakened much faster than it had ignited. Within seconds, most of the flames had vanished, and Steve's body was returning to normal.
"Cough—Jarvis, shut down the visual window. I don't need to see a naked man strolling around in there. Also, send him a fresh set of clothes. I doubt he wants to come out like that," Tony instructed hastily, realizing Steve's clothing had long since turned to ash.
Instantly, the observation glass frosted over, blocking any further view of the inside.
Of course, if Felix wanted to, he could activate his X-ray vision to see through anything. But he wasn't in the habit of peeking at anyone—especially not a man.
About a minute later, the door opened. Steve, now fully dressed, stepped out.
"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting. Has Thor returned yet?" he asked, trying to deflect attention from his earlier spectacle.
"Don't bother changing the subject!" Tony teased with a grin. "We didn't see anything—promise. But you do owe us an explanation about that new superpower of yours."
With a smirk full of curiosity, Tony leaned in, clearly eager to hear the story.
Of course Tony was curious—who wouldn't be? Everyone present was eager to understand what kind of superpower Captain America had just awakened. Even Felix found himself intrigued. Was this power truly the same as Human Torch? While it looked similar on the surface, there could still be key differences.
Cough. Steve scratched the back of his head, clearly a bit embarrassed.
"Honestly, I don't really know what the hell happened. After I took the serum, I felt this intense, unbearable pain flooding my entire body. Every single nerve felt like it was on fire."
Relieved that Tony had brushed off his earlier embarrassment, Steve began to describe the sensations he'd experienced.
"But just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the pain vanished—like a tide pulling away. Then, a strange calm washed over me. It was... euphoric. Almost like I'd broken through some invisible barrier –and entered a whole new world."
"In that state, I somehow understood how to control this new power. I could transform my body into living flame. The fire you saw earlier? That was me. But since it was my first time using it, I couldn't control it properly. It took me a while to revert back to my human form."
Though Steve explained what he'd felt, he was still uncertain about the nature of his powers. He had only scratched the surface.
"So," Tony said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "what you just showed us might actually be the standard version of awakening. Compared to you, the reactions of Felix and Thor were more exceptional cases."
"But your body temperature nearly hit 2,000 degrees Celsius. Didn't it hurt at all? And what's fueling the flames? Do you know what's allowing you to keep burning so intensely?"
Steve blinked, stunned. He hadn't realized how extreme the heat had been.
"Wait," Tony continued. "Was that your maximum power? Or is there room to go beyond?"
"Also, is your ability limited to turning into flames? Can you manipulate fire in other ways—like throwing fireballs or absorbing nearby flames?"
Steve shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've only just awakened. I haven't explored any of that yet."
"I think he can do more," Felix suddenly interjected, breaking his silence. "Based on what I've seen, he should be able to fly using this power too."
Tony turned toward Felix, intrigued. Felix had a confident expression, suggesting that he had pieced things together. Given how similar Steve's transformation was to the Human Torch, it made sense.
"Flying, huh?" Tony muttered, thinking aloud. "Yeah, theoretically, the propulsion from that kind of combustion could lift him off the ground. That's... amazing."
Tony couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The ability to fly—something he had engineered with his suit—Steve had accidentally gained through –awakening.
"But still," Steve said with a conflicted expression, "I don't know how to feel about this power. I mean, sure, it's powerful, but every time I use it, my clothes go up in smoke!"
He looked half-exasperated, half-amused. "How am I supposed to use this power in public if I end up naked every time?"
"Oh, come on, Steve," Tony said, shaking his head with a smirk. "You've awakened a fire-based superpower, and that's what you're worried about?"
"It's not about being ungrateful," Steve sighed. "It's just embarrassing! You saw what happened back there. I can't afford to destroy a whole outfit every time I use my power!"
Tony chuckled. "That's what you're stressing over? Relax. This is an easy fix!"
Steve raised an eyebrow. "Really? You have a solution?"
Tony grinned, purposefully teasing. "Oh, I do—but I'm not the one who can help you directly."
Steve leaned forward, intrigued. "Then who?"
Tony turned dramatically and pointed. "The answer lies with T'Challa. You probably don't know this yet, but aside from being a Justice League member, he's also the prince of Wakanda."
Steve's eyes widened. "Wait… Wakanda? That Wakanda? The place with... vibranium?"
Tony nodded. "Exactly. And they don't just have vibranium—they also have the tech to make flame-resistant suits. Just imagine: a uniform that doesn't burn, no matter how hot you get."
Steve's conflicted expression slowly turned hopeful. Perhaps his fiery new power didn't have to be such a burden after all
However, Felix promptly exposed Tony's dramatic setup and spoiled the suspense without hesitation.
"Prince of Wakanda? Sure, that's an impressive title—but what does that have to do with solving the downside of my superpower?" Steve asked, clearly puzzled. He glanced around and fixed his gaze on the only black face in the room.
Though he had interacted with many members of their alliance over the past year—and had even become good friends with T'Challa—Steve had never been told about his royal status. T'Challa had always kept a low profile, never boasting about his identity.
"Felix, seriously? Why'd you have to ruin the moment?" Tony sighed, throwing a mock glare at him. Then, without waiting for more interruptions, he turned back to Steve. "Look, Steve, you don't get it. T'Challa's family is loaded. And not with regular money—his house literally sits on a mountain of –the rarest and toughest metal on Earth, Vibranium."
In the end, the issue was resolved smoothly. As expected, T'Challa wasn't the stingy type. He immediately contacted his father and arranged to have two custom-made Vibranium suits designed for Steve—flame-resistant, high-tech, and stylish.
Around this time, Thor returned—but not with his usual carefree grin. His face looked drained, and he moved sluggishly. The moment he heard that Steve had awakened his powers, his interest briefly perked up but then he clutched his stomach, groaned, and dashed back to the bathroom without saying a word.
"Tony," Felix said, watching the scene unfold, "how long is Thor going to be like this? Please tell me this isn't permanent…"
Seeing Thor's pitiful state made Felix shudder. The thought that he might have ended up like that if the serum had failed chilled him to the bone.
Tony let out a half-hearted cough. "Well… for someone with a normal human physique, it could last about a week. But Thor? I'd say he'll be done suffering in a day or two."
He sounded unsure—even worried. Truth be told, the side effects of failure were the only thing keeping Tony from using the serum himself.
But now, seeing the incredible powers Steve had awakened, Tony couldn't help but feel tempted.
"So what if I'm stuck in the bathroom for a week?" he muttered. "At least I'll know I tried. And hey, it's not like I'm guaranteed to fail. The odds are in my favor."
Suddenly, he stood up, fire in his eyes. "Alright, that's it. I'm next!"
With that declaration, Tony marched confidently toward the room, exuding absolute determination.
"Jarvis," he called out mid-stride, "prepare another bed for me!"
Unfortunately, as he stepped into the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. The last remaining bed had already been scorched to ashes by Steve's earlier transformation.
Tony blinked and sighed. "Well, that figures."
"Cough… alright, Jarvis—make that another another bed."
...….
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