Rory looked up at the sky in frustration and yelled, "Carol, are you fighting or not? If you're just gonna fly around up there, I'm leaving."
Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, sneered. "This time, it's my turn."
As soon as she finished speaking, she began circling overhead, charging up energy in her hands and firing it straight down at Rory.
Fwoosh!
Rory transformed his greatsword into a shield. Though the blasts couldn't harm him, they were seriously annoying.
He couldn't fly, had no long-range attacks, he was stuck just sitting there taking hits.
Inside the military aircraft, soldiers had already contacted the base, and reinforcements were en route.
A few soldiers exited the plane, rifles aimed at Carol. One shouted, "Ma'am, please cease your actions. While you may be a superhero, Dr. Rory is a military science advisor. If you don't stand down…"
Carol was still having a blast unleashing energy barrages, but the moment she heard the soldier's warning, she froze midair.
She used to be part of the military. Then the Kree whisked her away to fight in space, turning her into a superpowered warrior who helped save the universe from Thanos.
Now, seeing soldiers aiming guns at her, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had become the villain.
In that moment of hesitation, Rory suddenly leapt into the air, swinging his massive golden sword at her.
Carol was dominant on the ground, but the sky was her domain. She easily dodged the strike and floated out of reach.
She didn't retaliate, just watched as Rory landed back on the ground and said coldly, "Let's see how long you can keep showing off."
Then she turned and flew off into the sky.
Carol had realized she couldn't win. Her energy blasts were useless against Rory's shield, and she was no match for him in close combat. Continuing the fight would only waste time.
But what really shook her was the moment those regular soldiers had pointed their guns at her. That moment nearly broke her.
As she vanished into a streak of golden light, Rory dismissed his summoned sword and returned to the downed aircraft.
"Did you get through to base?" he asked.
"Contact established, they'll be here in about ten minutes."
The base was dispatching a plane to retrieve Rory, followed by recovery vehicles to deal with the downed aircraft.
The military was sure to hold Carol accountable for this incident. Secretary Ross might even take the opportunity to host a press conference or hearing, pressuring her to sign the Sokovia Accords.
If she refused, the political pressure would shift to S.H.I.E.L.D., after all, it was they who had dragged Ross before Congress over national security threats.
Now that Captain Marvel had attacked a military aircraft, the same label would be thrown back at her.
,
Rory returned to base on another aircraft. The moment he landed, he headed straight to the underground lab.
Inside, Mr. Immortal, Hollis, was playing cards with some lab assistants.
Seeing Rory walk in, Hollis tossed his cards aside. "Hey, Dr. Rory! Thought you got arrested, haven't seen you for days!"
Rory pulled on a white lab coat. "Why do you care?"
Hollis shrugged. "Those jarheads won't let me leave while you're gone. You've no idea how boring this place is."
He hadn't actually joined the trial to "kick the habit." He just wanted a break from his many wives.
Rory already knew what kind of man Hollis was. He snorted and walked into the lab.
"Be patient, Mr. Hollis. A few more tests and you'll be free."
The previously destroyed lab had been fully restored, with all new equipment.
Rory used a Vibranium needle to draw a small blood sample from himself, then began testing.
He could now control cosmic energy completely, and wanted to know how it interacted with his genetic structure. Maybe he could uncover other abilities.
He noticed that his blood cells were far more active, and many cell membranes now contained the elements required to channel cosmic energy.
But the limits on his power didn't seem to lie in the blood itself.
He'd tried to mimic Ikaris' energy eye beams, or Kingo's hand blasts, but no matter what he did, it didn't work.
"This is ridiculous. What the hell's going on?"
Despite hours of research, Rory couldn't figure it out.
He didn't even understand how cosmic energy functioned, only that his body passively absorbed ambient energy to fuel his abilities.
But that was all.
,
He worked late into the night before one of his assistants came to find him.
"Dr. Rory, Secretary Ross would like to see you."
"Where is he?"
"Waiting at your residence."
Rory nodded, pulled off his gloves and mask, hung up his lab coat, and left.
,
At his home, Secretary Ross was lounging in front of the fireplace, whiskey in one hand, cigar in the other.
Rory poured himself a glass of water at the bar, then sat across from him.
"The serum's ready. You can start trials anytime," Rory said.
Ross waved dismissively. "I didn't come for that. I just wanted to ask, what the hell happened between you and Captain Marvel?"
Ross had already read the military's report. Technically, Carol still retained her military status.
Back when she went missing, she'd been declared KIA and her file sealed. But now she was back, and with massive powers.
The military had never severed that connection.
Rory said casually, "What else? She wants revenge for Steve."
Ross had never liked Steve Rogers. Don't forget, Steve had been the one to spearhead the resistance to the Sokovia Accords.
"And yet she failed," Ross said, eyes gleaming. "I never imagined even Captain Marvel couldn't beat you."
That fight alone proved to Ross that siding with Rory had been the right choice.
He was even starting to consider forming his own team of powered individuals, with Rory at the center, to replace both the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Rory didn't know Ross was thinking this. He just said calmly, "I wouldn't call it a win. At best, it was a draw."
Carol could fly, he couldn't. That alone was a pain.
Ross puffed his cigar and chuckled. "Leave this to me. I'll handle it at the national level, limit her movements and give S.H.I.E.L.D. a taste of their own medicine."
He added, "I've submitted my application to run as an independent presidential candidate. Starting next month, I'll be doing roadshows and debates. The Eternal Society will help with fundraising and votes."
Rory yawned. "Politics bore me. Just keep your promises."
"What I meant was, when can we expect the second batch of the Eternal Serum?"
The first batch had already been administered, and it showed no side effects. In fact, the recipients' health had clearly improved, so now everyone on the fence was suddenly very interested.
Rory thought for a moment. "There's enough raw material left for ten doses, but I'll need blood samples from each recipient before I approve them."
Ross didn't understand why Rory needed blood samples, but didn't press. He agreed without hesitation.
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