I hope everyone had a great experience during the New Year.
-----------
The audience watched in utter disbelief. Not only had the captain openly opposed the signing of the agreement, but he had also deliberately sabotaged the signing ceremony itself. This reckless act was far too crude and brutal, an outright explosion of violence.
"Isn't this going too far?"
"If Rogers really is this kind of person, then I'm turning on him immediately."
"I hadn't even become a fan yet, and now I already hate him!"
"No way… that explosion was massive. The old king must be dead."
"I don't want them to die… these are all people."
"The smoke is too thick!"
"The key point is that whether it was the Captain or not, this will definitely mislead society! The Avengers' actions will be condemned even more harshly!"
"Yeah, I don't know who's behind this, but it's absolutely terrible."
[Black smoke surged upward; the entire conference hall had been blasted into ruins. The old king lay motionless beside the shattered podium, buried beneath debris.]
[T'Challa crawled forward with great difficulty. After checking his pulse, his expression collapsed. A grief-stricken cry tore from his throat as he collapsed onto the old king's body, hissing and roaring in despair. He clutched the old king tightly, his face blurred with tears.]
In the broadcast, the chat slowed, and the screen flickered.
[Police cars and fire engines flooded the streets from every direction, and an intense emergency rescue operation was launched immediately.]
[T'Challa sat silently on a chair by the roadside, his hand trembling as he desperately rubbed the ring he held. Blood streaked his face from the explosion.]
[Black Widow walked over from the side and sat down not far from him. She looked at T'Challa and said softly, "I'm sorry."]
[T'Challa turned his head slightly and replied in a low, hoarse voice, "In our country, death is not the end. It's more like a new beginning. You extend your hands, and the war gods Bast and Sekhmet guide you to the eternal prairie. They let you soar freely."]
[Black Widow fell silent for a moment, "…It sounds peaceful."]
[T'Challa slipped the ring onto his finger. "My father believed that too. But I am different."]
[Seeing the look in his eyes, Black Widow hurriedly said, "T'Challa, the task force will hunt down the murderer."]
[T'Challa's fist clenched violently; suppressed fury and barely restrained violence surged across his face. "Don't trouble them. I will kill him with my own hands."]
[Black Widow sensed something was terribly wrong and let out a helpless sigh. Her phone rang.]
[After it connected, Rogers' voice came through. "Are you okay?"]
["I'm fine," Rogers said calmly. "I was lucky."]
[Black Widow said urgently, "I know Bucky is important to you, really important, but please, stay out of this. If you interfere, things will only get worse. For all of us… please."]
[Rogers asked quietly, "Will you arrest me?"]
["I won't," Black Widow replied. "But others will. If you step in, it'll end exactly like this."]
[Rogers said firmly, "If he's in this condition, then it's even more my responsibility to find him."]
[Black Widow blurted out in surprise, "Why?"]
["Because I might be the only one who comes back alive," Rogers said. Then he hung up and walked into the restaurant next door.]
[Sam sat on the edge of the table, eating casually. "She told you not to interfere? Makes sense."]
[Rogers replied, "Bucky would've saved me in this situation. Same as before."]
[Sam shrugged. "Then let's be clear, anyone who shoots you usually shoots me too."]
[As he spoke, Carter approached. Without looking at Rogers, she slid a document across the table. "As soon as the footage went public, reports flooded in. Many claim they've seen the Winter Soldier. Most are unreliable, except this one. My boss ordered me to brief you. Everything you need is inside."]
["Thank you," Rogers said.]
[Carter added coldly, "Move fast. We've been ordered to kill him on sight."]
Viewers frowned simultaneously.
"What does that mean?"
"Wasn't Bucky Rogers' former teammate?"
"So now he's trying to save him?"
"T'Challa wants blood!"
"Rogers is destroying my belief!"
"He called Tony selfish before. Look who's really selfish now!"
"T'Challa wants revenge for his father, and Rogers wants to save the Winter Soldier?!"
"This is insane!"
"T'Challa can't win. Rogers would crush him."
"The Winter Soldier killed T'Challa's father, and Rogers won't let him get revenge? Are you joking?"
"They're standing in different positions, different roles, different perspectives."
"Like Black Widow said, if someone else can handle it, why interfere?"
"Still… something feels off. Like a giant net closing around the Avengers."
"No matter what, Rogers is saving Bucky!"
"I only understand one thing, revenge!"
"The revenge for killing my father cannot be endured!"
In the Administration, the group fell silent.
Johan paused briefly before speaking, "Are we certain it was Bucky?"
Xiaotian sneered immediately. "If it wasn't him, then who was it?"
No one answered.
The scene on the screen shifted.
[Inside a dilapidated rental apartment, Captain Rogers, fully armed, stepped inside with his shield in hand. The room was filled with worn belongings. He said nothing as he opened a notebook stuck to the refrigerator. Colorful sticky notes covered the pages. Several old photos were attached, images from another lifetime.]
[A teammate's voice sounded through the channel, "Attention, team. Local forces are approaching rapidly from the south."]
["Understood," Rogers replied.]
[The moment the transmission ended, he turned around, and Bucky stood behind him.]
[Rogers looked at him and asked softly, "Do you remember me?"]
["You're Steve," Bucky replied flatly. "I saw you in a museum display."]
[Rogers placed the notebook on the table. "I know you're nervous. You have every reason to be, but you're lying."]
[Bucky shook his head immediately. "I wasn't in Vienna. I stopped doing those things."]
[A voice came through Rogers' earpiece. "They've entered the building."]
[Rogers said to Bucky, "The people who think you did this are here, and they don't plan to take you alive."]
[Bucky let out a short laugh. "Good tactics."]
[Fighters rapidly surrounded the building.]
"What?! He didn't do it?"
"Then who did?"
"Did they get it wrong?"
"Rogers could've explained this!"
"This feels completely wrong…"
[Bucky sensed danger and moved toward the door.]
["It doesn't have to end in a fight," Rogers said.]
[Bucky pulled off his left glove, revealing a gleaming metal arm. "It always ends in a fight."]
[The attackers moved fast.]
[Rogers shouted, "Why did you save me from the river?!"]
["I don't know," Bucky answered.]
["You do," Rogers insisted.]
["They're attacking!" A shock grenade flew in.]
[Rogers reacted instantly, slamming his shield down, and the blast was suppressed.]
[Boom! The door was smashed open with a battering ram. Gunfire erupted. Glass shattered as a fighter dropped in from above.]
[Bucky knocked him away with a single punch.]
["Stop!" Rogers shouted. "You'll kill them!"]
[Bucky slammed Rogers to the ground, cracking the floor beside him. "I'm not killing anyone."]
[More fighters poured in, firing wildly. Rogers raised his shield while Bucky extended his metal hand, bullets striking harmlessly against his palm. The room was torn apart.]
[Suddenly, Hawkeye burst through the doorway, knocking enemies aside. He grabbed the broken ram and sent the fighters flying. With one final punch, Bucky bolted down the stairs.]
[Rogers caught him and pulled him up. Bucky tore the steel handrail free and used it to swing down.]
[Another fighter raised his weapon, and Rogers hurled the shield, deflecting the shot.]
[Bucky glanced back once, then leapt.]
[Rogers followed without hesitation.]
"Rogers is actually blocking bullets for him?"
"Was Bucky framed?"
"That arm is insane!"
"True Kirin Arm!"
"Did he really suppress a bomb with a shield?"
"Emotional damage!"
"Bucky said he wouldn't kill anyone…"
"Rogers has only Bucky in his heart."
"T'Challa… Tony… everyone's paths are colliding."
[Bucky smashed open the stairwell window and leapt. He rolled onto the neighboring rooftop, absorbing the impact. Grabbing his backpack, he sprinted forward.]
[Suddenly, a shadow expanded rapidly beneath him. Bucky snapped his arm up...]
[Bang! As they tumbled apart, a figure in black armor emerged. A hood shaped like a black panther covered his head. His hands spread slightly, razor-sharp claws extending from his fingers. They were deadly sharp.]
This scene had never been witnessed before, and the viewer instantly descended into a frenzy.
"Who am I supposed to be rooting for?!"
"So violent! Is this some brand-new equipment?!"
"Those claws, did they just spring out of his hands?!"
"Was he transformed from a cat?"
"My god, what kind of cat turns into this?!"
"That's a leopard's head! Incredible!"
"So gorgeous, just like Tony's suit!"
"I really want one of those!"
At Essen Heavy Industries Group headquarters, Astor and the others stared fixedly at the man dressed in black.
A staff member behind him stammered, "Th-this… is this metal equipment? No, some kind of full-body metal suit?! How is it possible for metal claws to pop out directly from the fingers? It looks like it wraps the entire body… even more integrated than Tony's combat suit."
Astor's pupils trembled violently. "He jumped from that height just now and wasn't injured at all. To a certain extent, the shock-absorption technology of this suit is far stronger than Tony's steel suit!"
His expression hardened. "Our progress is far too slow. We don't even know how many other kinds of equipment exist out there. It makes us look like complete amateurs."
The members behind him exchanged uncomfortable glances. The gap was simply too large. They weren't even on the same level.
[On the rooftop, Black Panther and Bucky clashed fiercely. Metallic clangs echoed across the rooftop.]
[Bucky's metal arm hammered against Black Panther's body again and again, producing nothing but sharp metallic impacts. The arm that could shatter a wall with a single punch couldn't dent the opponent at all.]
[Bang! Black Panther smashed Bucky away with a punch, sending him flying into an outdoor air-conditioning unit.]
[The Panther surged forward, sharp claws tearing effortlessly through the metal casing. With a burst of force, the steel shell shattered instantly, and Bucky recoiled. Black Panther's physical ability was exceptional, overwhelming Bucky.]
[One kick sent him crashing to the ground, and the Panther's claws clamped straight toward Bucky's head. This strike would tear his skull apart, so Bucky grabbed an iron rod from the side and raised it horizontally.]
[Ding! A piercing crash rang out. The iron rod snapped cleanly under the Panther's claws, sparks scattering in all directions.]
"Damn! That suit is powerful!"
"If that claw grabbed Tony's armor, it would probably rip straight through!"
"What the hell is it made of? Even Rogers' shield might not stop it!"
"Not only is the suit alarming, but the wearer's combat awareness and strength are terrifying, too!"
[Rogers lay prone on the balcony, watching the battle unfold. He turned and saw Sam flying in on mechanical wings.]
["Sam! South rooftop!" Rogers shouted as he sprinted.]
[Sam asked midair, "Who's the other one?"]
[Rogers vaulted over the railing and leapt across buildings. "I'll know in a second!"]
Landing heavily on the rooftop, Rogers saw Black Panther snap a steel pipe apart with ease. [Bucky grabbed the Panther's wrist with both hands; the two were locked in a deadlock.]
[The claws hovered only centimeters from Bucky's face. Suddenly, a hail of bullets swept down from above and slammed into Black Panther's body. But to everyone's shock, the tight-fitting black suit showed no change at all, not even a tremor ran through his body.]
[Black Panther slowly looked up, and a gunship hovered above.]
["Sam!" Rogers shouted.]
[Sam flipped midair. "I'll handle it!"]
[The wings accelerated, and his kick slammed into the helicopter's tail, causing the aircraft to lose balance and veer violently away.]
[Bucky roared, flipping Black Panther over and grabbing his bag as he fled.]
[Black Panther clawed into the wall. With a shrill, tearing sound, several deep grooves were ripped into the high-rise exterior as he stabilized himself. He pursued relentlessly.]
[Bucky panicked and leapt directly into traffic while Black Panther and Rogers followed immediately. The three sprinted through traffic at terrifying speeds, faster than the cars.]
Everyone watching was stunned.
"Rogers is fast, I get that, but what about those two?!"
"Bucky was injected with serum like Rogers?"
"Then what about Black Panther?!"
"This is insane! How many superhumans existed on Earth during that era?!"
"Anyone who shows up is absurdly strong!"
"They're faster than cars!"
"They'd dominate track and field competitions!"
"No more worrying about being late for work!"
"Car: I don't exist anymore!"
At the Human Potential Institute, Ashton stared in disbelief. "These two are as strong as Rogers."
Kayden whispered in shock, "Bucky was probably transformed like Rogers. His left arm is mechanical; its explosive output must be terrifying. But even so… he's still inferior to Black Panther. Is it all because of the suit?"
Ashton shook his head. "The suit is extremely thin. It's not just equipment; the person beneath it must be unbelievably powerful."
An existence beyond ordinary human limits now stood clearly before them, and their resolve hardened. Human potential was limitless, they simply hadn't found the right path yet.
Kayden murmured, "The Virus, divine, Rogers… and now this unknown Black Panther powerhouse."
She took a deep breath. If only she had lived in the same era, how thrilling it would have been.
[The chase continued, and danger escalated. Rogers hijacked a police car to continue the pursuit. Ahead, Black Panther used vehicles as springboards, leaping onto Rogers' car.]
["Sam! I can't shake him!" Rogers yelled.]
["I'm almost there!" Sam replied.]
[Police cars surrounded them, so Bucky veered onto another road, hijacked a motorcycle, and sped off. Black Panther leapt after him, causing metal and asphalt to scrape violently. Sparks exploded everywhere, turning the tunnel into chaos. In the end, Rogers tackled Black Panther away from Bucky, and police cars swarmed in.]
"Wow… they got caught."
"That fight was insane."
"They'd be dead ten times over if they were normal people."
"Did Bucky kill someone?"
"See? This is why agreements exist, the tunnel is gone!"
"That suit ignores bullets!"
"They could break speed limits on foot!"
[A heavy figure descended from the sky. Rhodey, controlling War Machine, aimed his weapons downward. "Surrender immediately!"]
[They raised their hands. Black Panther retracted his claws and removed his helmet.]
[Rogers froze, and Rhodey gasped, "Your Majesty… the King."]
The broadcast flared.
"It's him, the Prince of Wakanda!"
"T'Challa?! How is he this strong?!"
"No wonder he wanted to kill Bucky!"
"Avenging his father!"
"I thought he'd call the police!"
"He came personally!"
"This hatred had to be answered!"
Black Panther, Prince T'Challa of Wakanda, shook the Federation. A prince with such overwhelming combat power, nothing about this was ordinary.
At the Administration, the silent director finally spoke: "I don't think it's that simple, as Bucky's behavior didn't match that of a murderer. If it wasn't him… then who was really behind it?"