Marvel: Age of Hero

"No Chains, No Pawns: The Alliance Assembles"

While Nathaniel and Fury stared at each other—one more word and it looked like they'd start shooting—Owen approached Captain America with steady, composed steps.

"Colonel," Steve greeted with respect, though there was a note of curiosity in his voice. After all, he was standing before another super soldier… but there was something different about Owen.

"How's it going, old school?" Owen replied with a lopsided grin. "Don't worry about formalities. Tell me—how's the modern world treating you? Have you met that sexy neighbor who seems to flirt with you every time she walks by?"

Steve frowned, visibly confused.

"Come again?"

Owen nodded subtly in Natasha's direction.

"The one over there would've been my neighbor. Though, to be honest, I barely escaped a heartbreak," he said with mock indignation.

Natasha turned slightly, shooting him a sharp glance. She'd definitely heard that.

"Are you telling me…?" Steve caught the hidden meaning.

"Told you. In our team, things are a little more relaxed. We spend a lot of time training or messing around… but at least no one watches us twenty-four-seven," Owen added, sitting down calmly.

Nathaniel, without breaking eye contact with Fury, spoke in a firm but measured voice:

"If you're going to send someone, send them with trust. Otherwise, don't send them at all. We're soldiers. And sometimes, soldiers have to trust their men to carry out impossible missions. And if they fail, they fail with our support behind them."

He paused for a moment.

"Let's drop this ridiculous contest to see whose is bigger, Fury. Yes, you started this project to bring together heroes capable of handling threats that no one could face alone. But that doesn't mean you get to blindly command them. I'm here as an advisor. My people choose whether to help or not. They don't follow your orders… they follow their principles. This is an alliance. No one will be your pawn. And the moment you understand that, your meeting can begin."

Fury held his gaze for a few seconds. Then, with a short sigh, he nodded.

"SHIELD will provide tactical and logistical support. They're not under our command… but if we want to save the world, we'll need their help."

Nathaniel didn't reply. His silence was agreement enough.

Just then, a voice called out from the console.

"We have a match! Energy signature—79%."

Coulson rushed over. "Location?"

"Germany," the agent replied without hesitation.

Nathaniel and Fury exchanged no words, but the message was clear: there would be no hierarchy. Only cooperation.

Steve looked at Owen. Both were seasoned soldiers, experienced in combat. But Owen held a higher rank—and knew the Vitae team better than anyone.

Owen straightened slightly and gave his orders with clarity.

"Captain, you'll lead the arrest. Take Tony, Banner, and Ororo. Natasha will be your pilot. For now, Loki's alone. If any of the ones he controls show up, Jean, Nicolás, and I will engage. Until then, we'll stay on standby."

Tony immediately turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously? You're letting the boy scout take charge?" he asked while tapping his watch. "This feels like age discrimination."

Owen let out a short laugh.

"Tony, you're terrible at leading teams. You always try to do everything yourself… and when you don't, you still want everything to revolve around you."

"And why shouldn't it?" Stark replied with a smug grin.

"Sure—in your talent show. But this is a military operation."

Natasha was already heading toward the hangar without waiting for a reply.

"Make sure you don't crash the damn plane," muttered Nicolás dryly as she walked past, still holding a grudge over his destroyed cars.

The team headed for the Quinjet. Back in the Helicarrier's control room, the large screens came to life. Owen, Nathaniel, Fury, and the others watched as live footage from German security cameras displayed the unfolding scene.

It was chaos: civilians running in panic, flipped cars, sirens echoing through the city. Loki had just exited a building and, with a simple gesture of his scepter, sent two police cars flying.

"Any casualties?" Nathaniel asked with a sharp frown.

Agents quickly began scanning the building's interior cameras.

"There's a man down. Injury around the eye. I can try to identify him."

"Please do," Nathaniel responded firmly.

Fury remained silent, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed his frustration.

Owen watched in silence, arms crossed, as Loki walked among the crowd. Illusions of him appeared left and right, spreading panic.

Then, Loki struck the ground with his scepter.

"Kneel!"

Fear gripped the people. One by one, they began to fall to their knees.

"Isn't this simpler?" Loki said, a wicked smile on his lips as he walked among them. "Isn't this their natural state? The truth they fear to speak is that they long to be ruled. Freedom is a burden, a lie. They were made to be conquered. In the end… they will always kneel."

Owen clicked his tongue. "Why do villains always need to monologue?" he muttered.

From the crowd, an old man slowly rose to his feet, head held high.

"Not to men like you."

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed in respect.

"There are no men like me," Loki replied, smug.

"Tyrants will always exist," the man said calmly.

"Listen to the wise one," Loki said, aiming his scepter at him. "Let him serve as an example."

The weapon began to glow—charging to fire.

But just as the blast was unleashed, Captain America's shield flew through the air, deflecting it with a loud clang. Loki staggered back, startled.

Steve stepped out from the crowd, tall and resolute.

"Last time I was in Germany, a man tried to assert his dominance over others. We didn't exactly see eye to eye."

"Coming from someone wearing that flag-suit, I can't tell if that's brave or ironic," commented Owen from the control room, arms still crossed, a faint smirk on his lips.

"Anyway, this'll be over quickly. Do we have the injured man's identity yet?" he asked, eyes still fixed on the screens.

"Yes," the agent replied. "It's Dr. Heinrich Schäfer."

"What's his field?" Nathaniel asked sharply.

"Radioactive materials. Especially iridium. Also… his lab was attacked recently. Some of his staff are down."

Nathaniel clenched his jaw.

"This was a distraction all along…"

…

"I don't like this," Steve muttered, glancing at Loki, who sat handcuffed and defeated in a corner of the Quinjet.

"That he gave up so easily?" said Tony, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "We didn't even use our heavy hitter."

His eyes briefly shifted to Banner, who sat quietly scrolling through a tablet, then to Storm, who was staring at the ceiling with a slightly puzzled expression.

"He didn't fight at full strength," Steve replied, recalling the short exchange of blows he had with Loki before Tony ended it with a single blast.

"And you… you're pretty strong for your age. What do you do, Pilates?" Tony joked, flashing his trademark sarcastic grin. "Our star-spangled supersoldier's been training with the big green guy."

"What?" Steve asked, visibly confused.

"Modern workout. You missed a lot while you were a Capsicle," Tony said with a smirk. "Or maybe you're talking about Owen fighting alongside Hulk? Those two are insane. Last time, Hulk launched him like a hundred meters into the air. I had to catch him with my suit."

Steve shot him a look, clearly annoyed by his mocking tone.

"Fury said some people from Vitae would help. He didn't mention you."

Tony shrugged.

"Fury leaves out a lot. Like HYDRA infiltrating SHIELD. Or what they were really using the Tesseract for. Or… that sexy neighbor Owen mentioned? Turns out she's real. Lives right next to the apartment—surprise—that SHIELD gave you. Single. Gorgeous. How convenient."

"I remember Natasha was sent as your fake assistant too, wasn't she, Tony?" Banner chimed in with a faint smile. "And it was Owen who told you she was a spy."

"Yeah, yeah... but I would've figured it out anyway," Tony defended, raising a hand. "Besides, her awkward flirting was so weird it convinced me to hire her."

Just then, a thunderous rumble shook the air. A bolt of lightning flashed past the Quinjet, momentarily lighting up the interior. Everyone turned to look at Storm.

She slowly shook her head and raised her hand to stabilize the air currents around the jet.

"Wasn't me. Looks like someone else is playing with the weather," she said with a frown.

Loki, upon hearing that, visibly tensed. His shoulders hunched, and the arrogance faded from his face.

Steve noticed immediately. "What's wrong? Not a fan of lightning?"

"It doesn't exactly make me happy to know what's coming," Loki muttered, looking down.

Tony tilted his head and smirked. "Looks like the arrogant kid's back."

Something slammed into the top of the Quinjet, making the aircraft jolt slightly.

Without hesitation, Tony pressed a button on the control panel.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, confused.

"Opening the door," Tony said casually.

An instant later, lightning filled the sky as a figure descended through the rear ramp, thunder crackling around him.

Thor had arrived.

He walked forward, eyes locked on Loki… until he recognized some of the faces on board.

"Well, well… Goldenlocks. I didn't expect to see you again. Thought you'd gone back to your alien kingdom. Maybe we should issue you a visa if you're gonna keep dropping in every year. Let me guess—dropped something again, didn't you? Something that's about to cause a lot of trouble in our world," Tony said with his usual unfiltered sarcasm.

"Man of Iron. Where is Owen?" Thor asked, his tone calming slightly though his eyes stayed fixed on Loki.

"We're headed to him now. Why don't you take a seat?" Tony offered calmly.

"I have unfinished business with my brother," Thor said, stepping closer to Loki and grabbing him by the neck with one hand. His hammer, crackling with energy, hovered menacingly by his side.

"Whoa—wait!" Steve interjected quickly. "If you kill him, we won't know where the Tesseract is."

Thor froze, frowning.

"I don't intend to kill him. I'm looking for the Tesseract as well," he said finally, dropping Loki back into the seat with a grunt.

"Well, looks like we've got another member joining the band," Tony commented as he sat down again, unfazed.

"Thor, Owen wants to talk to you," Banner said, stepping forward with his phone in hand.

Thor looked at him, nodded seriously, and took the phone.