The past life segment continued to play.
[ Rogers was relentlessly pummeling a heavy sandbag, his fists cracking through the air with thunderous precision. ]
[ Bang! Bang! Bang! Each strike reverberated like a drumbeat, a visceral reminder of the strength packed into every blow. ]
"Rogers? In the same era as Commissioner Fury?"
"What's going on? Cloning tech?"
"No way! We haven't perfected cloning. If this were real, we'd be seeing entire armies of Rogers marching around by now!"
"Cloning isn't viable anymore, why jump to the apocalypse every time? What era even is this?"
"Wait, if that's Rogers, did Fury track him down to recruit him into S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
The live chat in the broadcast room lit up in confusion and disbelief, sparking heated debates over Rogers' sudden appearance. But the playback rolled on, undisturbed.
[ Rogers' punches quickened, each hit heavier than the last, until one final blow sent the sandbag bursting apart. Without hesitation, he hoisted another sandbag with one hand and hung it effortlessly. Fury approached from behind. ]
[ Fury said, "Can't sleep?" ]
[ Rogers, glancing at him, continued punching. "I've been asleep for 70 years, sir. I've slept enough." ]
[ Fury clasped his hands behind his back. "Then take a walk, enjoy life. See the world." ]
[ Rogers muttered, "When I went under, we were still fighting. When I woke up, they said we'd won, but no one told me what we'd lost." ]
[ Fury sighed. "We've made mistakes. One of them… just happened." ]
[ Rogers stopped briefly. "You're here with a mission, aren't you?" ]
[ "Yes." ]
[ "Want me to save the world?" ]
[ Fury handed him a dossier. "Not save it. Protect it." ]
[ Rogers flipped it open, revealing the image of the Cube. "Hydra's secret weapon?" ]
[ Fury nodded. "When Stark pulled you out of the ocean, he suspected the same thing we did. The Cube might be the key to limitless energy, something our world desperately needs." ]
The nearly one hundred million viewers of Terra Federation's broadcast fell into stunned silence. Rogers' words carried weight far beyond entertainment; they shattered assumptions about what was possible.
"70 years in stasis? Recovered from the ocean floor?"
"That's scarier than cloning!"
"This guy should be over a century old!"
"Over a hundred and still this strong? He's like a young man!"
"Unscientific nonsense again! Look at him, lifting a sandbag with one hand?!"
"Immortal? Is that what this is?"
"Where's the Human Potential Organization's head? Somebody explain this!"
Speculation flooded the screen while, in a separate feed, several top Terra Federation biologists conferred with the director, their expressions grim.
"What tech could keep a man alive after 70 years?" the director asked.
The biologists exchanged wary glances.
"We believe it's cryonics," one finally said.
The room fell silent. The word alone drew sharp breaths. Cryonics, still experimental on Terra, aimed to preserve human bodies at the moment of death or stasis, with hopes of revival decades or centuries later. Yet progress on the technology had been agonizingly slow.
"Earth's science from that era already surpassed ours," one biologist whispered.
"A civilization flourishing under pressure," another added. "They thrived because their world was never at peace."
Heads nodded in agreement. In Terra Federation society, unchallenged prosperity had dulled innovation. Now, with the looming Chitauri threat, their complacency felt like a liability.
"If cryonics is real, it'll revolutionize interstellar travel," a scientist murmured. "But this Cube, it could provide a limitless power source. That's even more critical."
The discussion turned sober as they revisited the implications of "Immortal Warrior" reincarnations. Every recovered artifact from these visions filled gaps in Terra's technological knowledge. With each glimpse, the stakes grew higher.
"I've already deployed additional teams," the director said gravely. "We must secure the Cube before our enemies do."
"Even with Rogers, S.H.I.E.L.D. feels understaffed," someone muttered.
"Agreed," another replied. "Facing threats that can unleash a mechanical leviathan… we're not ready."
The historian Johan chuckled darkly. "Howard Stark was right. The key to the future likely lies in that Cube. We'd better pay attention."
The others nodded. Howard's legacy threads ran through every clue, shaping decades of strategy and science.
The director leaned back, rubbing a scar across his forehead, thoughts heavy. "What did these Immortal Warriors achieve in their past lives? Did they repel the Chitauri? Did they win at all?"
His doubts mirrored a collective unease. If these past-life archives held the truth, the Federation needed to uncover it fast.
[ Rogers asked, "Who has it?" ]
[ "His name is Loki," Fury said. "He's not from Earth." Fury met Rogers' gaze. "You'll need some catch-up. The world's changed more than you can imagine." ]
[ Rogers stood, slinging the sandbag over his shoulder. "Beyond my imagination? Hard to believe." ]
[ Fury smirked. "Ten dollars says you're wrong. Mission details are in your apartment. Learn what you can about the Cube." ]
[ Rogers paused at the door. "Should've left it at the bottom of the ocean." ]
The chat erupted in laughter.
"This guy's confidence is next-level!"
"Wait until he sees modern tech, he's gonna freak out!"
"Seventy years asleep, and his first instinct is sarcasm. I like him."
Then the footage shifted.
[ A dark seafloor. Tony Stark, clad in his iconic suit, blasted through steel cables with precise palm beams. After installing a new interception device, Tony rocketed skyward, streaking toward Stark Tower. He landed smoothly on the skyscraper's elevator platform, a circular rig of robotic arms instantly dismantling his armor piece by piece. ]
[ "Sir," Jarvis' voice chimed. "Agent Coulson is requesting a meeting."]
[ "Tell him I'm not here. Because I'm not," Tony replied.]
[ "He's persistent, sir."]
[ "Then teach him persistence, Jarvis. I'm busy dating."]
[ Inside, Pepper studied a holographic display of Stark Tower's clean energy grid, unaware of Coulson's arrival. ]
[ "Security has been breached again," Jarvis warned. Moments later, the elevator opened to reveal a calm, smiling Coulson. ]
Viewers burst out laughing at the awkward standoff.
"Tony's ego writes its own comedy script."
"This guy's a genius but never serious!"
"Classic Coulson versus Stark. Who wins?"
"No way Tony says yes to the Avengers Initiative. Fury embarrassed him last time."
"Oh, this is about to get good…"