After everyone took their seats, Nick Fury looked at Charlie.
"Tony says you guys are from another universe."
He'd seen Cap before, but this Spider-Man was completely new to him, making him the most intriguing. The other Avengers present were also eyeing Charlie and the older Steve with curiosity.
Charlie didn't pay much attention to their looks, nodding as he replied, "Yes, not just us—some troublesome folks came here too."
Nick Fury frowned. "How exactly did you come here?"
Charlie remained calm, "That's a secret."
"If we're going to work together, we need everyone to be upfront," Nick Fury pressed for answers.
Charlie glanced at him, "This is cooperation, but I'm also saving you guys. You need to be transparent; I don't."
Hearing this, the expressions of Nick Fury and everyone else at the table shifted.
The older Steve's expression turned awkward as he leaned in close to Charlie and whispered, "What are you doing? We need their help."
Charlie paused, "Sorry, couldn't help it."
"Why?"
"Just felt like it."
"Aren't you old friends?"
"I lied to him."
Older Steve: "…"
Before Nick Fury could respond, Natasha Romanoff frowned and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you're the one being hunted by those people."
"You need us to save you," the younger Steve said, sounding a little annoyed.
Charlie shrugged, "If it weren't for the other troublesome guys, I'd be the one hunting them."
"He's right," Tony interjected. "You guys don't know how strong Spider-Man is, but I do. I believe what he's saying.
"Plus, another terrifying spider monster showed up here. We need Charlie's help to deal with the problem."
"Stark, you're supposed to be on our side," the younger Steve reminded him.
Tony smiled, "Sorry, but I never really wanted to be teammates with you guys. Aside from Dr. Banner, who I admire, I don't see much use for the rest of you."
With that statement, the room fell into an awkward silence.
In the corner, Bruce Banner, who had been called out, looked around at the tense atmosphere and then quietly lowered his head.
Please don't call on me, please don't call on me… he silently prayed.
Tony's arrogance, meanwhile, had angered both the younger Steve and Natasha.
"Stark, that was uncalled for," Natasha said coldly.
The younger Steve stood, staring Tony down. "I knew from the moment I saw you, you're different from us. You're just an arrogant arms dealer. Without that suit, you're nothing."
Tony, now provoked, also stood up, locking eyes with Steve. "Without my father's shield and the super serum, what are you then? Just another grunt."
The younger Steve took a deep breath, "Let's find somewhere to settle this tomorrow. I'll show you who I really am."
"Why wait? Let's do it now, popsicle. No one calls for backup."
Tony sneered, turning and walking out of the meeting room.
"Stark, we need to plan," Nick Fury called after him.
"I never make plans," Tony said without looking back.
The younger Steve quickly passed Nick Fury, "If there is a plan, it's for tomorrow."
"Steve, come back!"
As the two left, Nick Fury couldn't help but rub his temples, clearly frustrated.
Being a leader was hard.
"Natasha, go talk to them," he said.
Natasha shook her head, "I think they need to have this conversation." She was just about done with Tony, too.
Charlie leaned closer to the older Steve.
"Were you guys always this headstrong back in the day?"
Steve shook his head, "No, back then, we weren't this extreme, and we never disobeyed orders." He paused, then whispered, "Later on, I did give him a good beating. He admitted I had him beat."
Charlie: "…"
"You didn't call for backup?"
"Of course not, it was a fair fight."
Charlie twitched, "Old man, I think you should see a doctor."
"Why, you think I'm sick?"
"Yes, probably dementia. You're forgetting things."
Charlie then turned to Nick Fury.
"This charade should end now. Let's get down to business."
He tapped the device on his wrist, and holographic images of various participants appeared.
"It really is Steve," Nick Fury murmured thoughtfully—he had already noted the presence of a third Cap through his intel.
Charlie explained, "In my universe, he's the leader of Hydra. Not the same Steve you know."
"What?"
Everyone was shocked, instinctively looking at the older Steve.
"What are you looking at me for? I'm clean," the older Steve said, clearly uncomfortable.
He turned to Charlie, "Are you sure?"
"Of course, I killed him myself," Charlie replied.
Hearing this, a chill ran down Steve's spine.
"No wonder you look at me funny. You know, bringing personal grudges into a competition is not professional."
Charlie rolled his eyes, "I think you've been bad-mouthing me behind my back."
"No, absolutely not," Steve said, patting his chest.
Ignoring Steve, Charlie continued his introduction.
"The second one is Bucky Barnes, a friend of Hydra Steve. They both have Hydra's powers and are extremely dangerous.
"The third one, the Green Goblin, is also after me. His name is Norman Osborn. Be careful of his pumpkin bombs.
"The fourth is Electro, Max Dillon. His power can shut down the entire city's power grid.
"Then there's Peter Parker, Loki, Doctor Stephen Strange, and Dr. Kurt Connors."
As Charlie finished, everyone looked grim.
These foes were far more dangerous than expected.
"Why have so many people come to our world? What's their goal?" Nick Fury asked.
Charlie, feeling thirsty, turned to Bruce in the corner, "Got any water?"
"Yeah, sure."
Finally feeling useful, Bruce quickly went to get some.
Meanwhile, the older Steve gave Nick Fury a rundown of the participants' goals.
There seemed to be no mystical force interfering, which reassured Charlie.
After listening to Steve, everyone was visibly shaken.
"They want to kill all the Avengers?"
"They don't even spare their own. It's terrifying."
"And what are these Chitauri soldiers? Will they definitely invade Earth?"
"Even Odin, the Allfather, is their target—Thor's father. This is insane."
"Oh no, Stark and Steve—what if…"
Natasha's sudden exclamation jolted Nick Fury into action.
"They could be ambushed. Get them back, now."
"It's too late. They've already left," Coulson reported, running in.
Nick Fury glared at Charlie, "Why didn't you tell us sooner? I could've stopped them."
Charlie shrugged, "I don't get involved in other people's fights."
Tony and Steve leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. was a good opportunity to see if anyone was keeping an eye on them.
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