Clad in the Killmonger suit, Erik exuded an aura like a predator locking onto its prey—like a panther ready to tear its target apart with fangs and claws at any moment.
"So you're the one who attacked my uncle?"
Erik didn't give Bucky any time to respond. He lunged forward instantly, swift as a leopard, slashing his claws straight toward Bucky's chest.
Bucky barely dodged and countered with a punch. The two exchanged blows, each strike landing with solid impact.
But gradually, Bucky began to lose ground. Physically, the Winter Soldier was enhanced only by the Super Soldier Serum, while Erik had taken the Heart-Shaped Herb—far superior. On top of that, Erik's combat experience far surpassed that of a long-dormant Winter Soldier.
In just a few moves, Erik sent Bucky flying with a kick, then surged forward again like a hunting beast. Leaping into the air, he drove his knee hard into Bucky's chest, sending him flying seven or eight meters. If not for crashing into an air-conditioning unit, Bucky would have been knocked straight off the rooftop.
Erik immediately followed up with a claw strike. Bucky dodged quickly, and the claw tore the air-conditioning unit behind him into scrap.
"Erik, stop!!"
Steve rushed in at that moment, kicking toward Erik's chest. But Erik didn't dodge at all. A golden glow flashed across his chest as the suit absorbed the kinetic energy of the blow.
The moment Steve saw the black-and-gold suit, he recognized Erik and moved to stop him from harming Bucky.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—
Suddenly, an armed helicopter swooped in from around the corner, its mounted machine gun spraying bullets at Erik and Bucky.
Steve quickly raised his shield to protect himself. Erik, however, stood his ground, tanking the barrage without flinching.
"Sam, take out that helicopter!"
Steve called out immediately. Just because Erik could withstand heavy gunfire didn't mean others could—Steve himself wasn't bulletproof.
Sam dove down at once, delivering a kick to the helicopter's tail. It spun wildly, forcing the pilot to pull away to regain control.
Seizing the opportunity, the fake Bucky leapt off the rooftop terrace, using the protruding ledges to cushion his fall before dropping toward the ground.
Erik was even faster—he clung to the wall and slid downward. Steve followed without hesitation, jumping off the roof, curling his body midair and using his shield to absorb the impact.
The three of them burst into a high-speed chase through the streets. None of them were ordinary—their running speeds quickly surpassed even the cars racing around them.
Bucky sprinted along the road, with Erik and Steve close behind. After dropping off an overpass, Bucky dashed straight into a tunnel.
Erik snorted coldly and leapt down as well. Activating the stored energy in his suit, golden light gathered around his feet, and his speed surged dramatically—he shot forward like a bullet.
Steve chased after them, pushing himself to the limit. He used nearby vehicles to gain speed, leaping from one car roof to another.
Up ahead, Bucky glanced back and saw Erik closing in like a hunting beast. He slammed a punch into a nearby car. The vehicle, driven by inertia, flipped upright, blocking Erik's path.
Erik leapt effortlessly over the vertical car. He wasn't a superhero—he didn't care about the passengers inside and didn't even spare them a glance as he continued the pursuit.
Behind them, a convoy of police vehicles arrived—fully armed special forces units joining the chase.
Seeing himself fall behind, Steve commandeered a car and sped forward.
Bucky burst out of the tunnel, grabbed a motorcycle, and continued his escape. Meanwhile, Erik was intercepted by Steve's vehicle.
Steve repeatedly rammed the car into Erik, trying to slow him down. But Erik was unfazed. He leapt onto the car roof, tore it open with his claws, and slashed down toward Steve.
Outside the tunnel, Sam hovered in the air, tracking Bucky's movements. The moment Bucky emerged, Sam dove down—but before he could reach him, a black blur flashed past, tackling both Bucky and his motorcycle to the ground.
Sam immediately halted midair and got a clear look at the newcomer. The man wore a black suit with faint purple energy flowing across it. Aside from its color and patterns, it looked almost identical to Erik's suit.
It was the Black Panther—T'Challa—though Sam didn't recognize him.
At the same time, Steve drove out of the tunnel. He slammed on the brakes, throwing Erik off the vehicle as it flipped. Steve reacted instantly, jumping out.
He then rushed toward Bucky, trying to stop T'Challa from attacking him—but Erik blocked his path, slashing toward his face. Steve raised his shield to defend, and sparks flew as five claw marks appeared on the vibranium shield.
Even so, the shield wasn't as durable as a full vibranium suit. After all, it was only partially made of vibranium, with the rest being alloy—unlike Erik's suit, which was entirely composed of vibranium.
Suddenly, sirens blared from all directions. Several helicopters hovered overhead, and countless special forces soldiers aimed their weapons at the group in the center.
At that moment, with a thunderous boom, a suit of armor descended from the sky. Heavy machine guns deployed from its back, and repulsors charged in its palms—it was Rhodey in the War Machine armor.
"Everyone, stand down—now!"
Rhodey's voice rang out, and only then did the fighting stop.
"Congratulations, Cap. You're a criminal now."
There was no hint of congratulations in his tone—only heaviness. A former comrade had become a criminal overnight. Even as a soldier, it was hard to accept.
Special forces soldiers quickly surrounded Steve and Bucky, weapons trained on them as they moved in to restrain them.
Neither Steve nor Bucky resisted. This, too, was part of the fake Bucky's plan—to make Steve believe he was the real Bucky and to drive a wedge between the Avengers. And now, it was already starting to work.
Not far away, Sam slowly approached under the aim of multiple rifles. At the same time, T'Challa and Erik removed their helmets.
"Your Majesty?!"
Sam's eyes widened in shock upon seeing them. Among the Avengers present, he was the only one who didn't know the identities of Black Panther and Killmonger. Steve and Rhodey both knew—they had once fought alongside them.
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