"We found something in the far north," Nick Fury said gravely. "A plane frozen in the ice. It has been buried there for seventy years. Inside it, we found someone very interesting."
Clint Barton frowned, his expression skeptical. "Seventy years? You're telling me the guy is still alive?"
Fury shook his head, almost amused at their disbelief. "Exactly. Otherwise, why would I call this discovery interesting? This man was a legend before the ice took him. The fact that he survived this long is both a miracle and a puzzle. And it makes him useful. Extraordinary men are the ones best suited to handle extraordinary threats."
Natasha's sharp eyes narrowed. "You're thinking of pulling Rogers into the Church of Life situation?"
"That's right," Fury replied smoothly. "Who better to confront the impossible than someone who is already living proof of it?"
Natasha considered this, then nodded. "It could work. Rogers isn't just a soldier. He's a symbol. People believe in him, and right now belief might be more powerful than firepower."
Fury's lips curled in the faintest hint of a smile. "Glad you see the picture. He's still in recovery, though. Being pulled out of the 1940s and dropped into the 21st century isn't something you adjust to overnight. His body is sound, but his mindset is… displaced. Take your time with him. No need to rush."
Natasha crossed her arms. "And what about the green monster? Any progress on that front?"
"Not yet. Ross is keeping things close to his chest. But my gut tells me it's only a matter of time before that particular storm arrives." Fury's eye glinted with foreboding. "The world is changing, and not in small ways."
---
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, Roland Phils—Jason Kin reborn—watched his influence expand at a staggering pace. The number of his followers grew beyond three thousand, their faith fueling his rise as the Lord of Life.
The surge came largely thanks to Effie, his loyal stewardess, who had stepped forward as one of his priests. She built a secondary branch of the Church of Life under his guidance, and within weeks more than a thousand new believers had flocked to it. Unlike Vog, who had drawn followers by healing sickness and curing pain, Effie understood a different kind of human weakness.
She preyed on vanity.
Women came to her in droves, drawn by the promise of beauty. The holy light of life could not only mend broken bodies but also restore faded youth. Wrinkles vanished. Scars dissolved. Faces glowed with vitality again. To a woman who feared time's cruelty, this miracle was irresistible.
It was no surprise that her congregation was overwhelmingly female, their devotion as fierce as their gratitude. In fact, Effie's results were so swift and dramatic that her numbers threatened to outpace Vog's, even though she had started months later.
Roland checked the divine interface, numbers flickering before his eyes.
Followers:
Saints: 0
Apostles: 2
Fanatics: 501
Devout Believers: 1,186
True Believers: 1,832
Casual Believers: 105
Over three thousand souls bent knee to him now. From their faith alone, Roland harvested nearly ten thousand points of divine energy each day. Two months of steady growth had filled his reserves to more than six hundred thousand.
"At this rate," he muttered, "just another four hundred thousand and I'll condense my first strand of true godforce."
The thought thrilled him. A hundred strands would elevate him into a true god, equal to Odin himself. Only then could he stand firm in the Marvel universe, where cosmic entities and ancient pantheons vied for dominion.
His divine profile shimmered before him:
Deity: Jason Kin (Roland Phils)
Domain: Flame of Life
Title: Lord of Life
Rank: Lesser Demigod
Godforce: 0
Divine Spark: Dormant
Faith Energy: 610,021.8
Followers: Human
Divine Arts: Holy Light of Life (Lv.1), Vitality Devour (Lv.1), Mechanical Life Infusion (special, female only)
Sanctuary: Realm of Life
Progress was steady, but the mountain ahead remained daunting.
Roland's musings were interrupted when Effie entered, her posture elegant as always. She bowed slightly. "Master, the Stark Industries shareholder meeting is about to begin. They are waiting only for you, the largest stakeholder."
Roland raised an eyebrow. "And will Tony Stark be there?"
Effie nodded. "All major members of the board are expected. Including Mr. Stark."
The mention stirred old history. The Phils family had built its fortune generations ago in the shipbuilding trade, but Roland's father had transformed it into something greater. A genius entrepreneur, he had expanded into finance and industry, becoming a titan of American capital.
Decades earlier, he had seized the opportunities war provided and invested heavily in Howard Stark's vision. Stark Industries had flourished into a global weapons empire, and with it, the Phils family's wealth and influence had deepened. By inheritance, Roland was now the company's largest shareholder, the silent hand behind the Stark legacy.
On paper, Tony Stark was the face of the empire. But compared to Roland, he was still small, his resources a mere fraction of the Phils fortune. The world saw Tony as a playboy billionaire genius, but in truth, Roland's shadow loomed far larger.
That power made him a target.
Hydra had not forgotten the Phils name. Rivals within his own bloodline had conspired against him. Both sought the same prize: the unfathomable weight of power hidden behind his family's legacy. It was the kind of power that could shake America to its core.
And so, even as Roland cultivated believers and stockpiled divine energy, he was forced to wear another mask, the mask of the corporate overlord, maneuvering in boardrooms while preparing for battles that reached into heaven and earth.
He rose from his seat, straightening his tailored suit. "Very well. Let us not keep Stark waiting."
Effie bowed again, following him out with quiet grace.
Somewhere deep inside, Roland could feel the weight of convergence pressing in. The Church of Life, Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark Industries, and the awakening of frozen legends like Steve Rogers threads of fate were drawing tighter. The Marvel world was stirring, and Roland would have to meet it head-on, as both god and man.
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