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Chapter Text

Hammer Industries experimental sciences lab - location undisclosed. Five minutes before...

The flat steel walls were smooth and polished, very nicely maintained despite their lack of taste in favor of industrial stability. Everything about the hallway was crisp and clean, looking pristine and in perfect order. And for good reason.

A tall, stately man, wearing a freshly pressed grey suit, silver cuff links and shiny black shoes strode down the hallway, flanked by two female aides in black dress jackets and pencil skirts, their brown hair done up in perfect buns. Approaching a door at the end of the hall, the entrance slid open automatically, revealing a small crowd of men in women in business attire. They stood in a small room with a wide window facing a laboratory below them. They turned to see who'd arrived and quietly murmured to themselves, recognizing the grey-haired arrival. A short man wearing a lab coat and carrying a clipboard, quickly rounded the crowd and made to greet him.

"Mister Hammer! So pleased to see you've made it." He said, adjusting his glasses.

"I wouldn't miss a demonstration." Justin Hammer replied in a crisp English accent, adjusting his tie ever so slightly. "It looks like we're ready to begin... Mister Christopher, why don't you tell the ladies and gentlemen what we're doing today and who will be involved." He suggested, ordering with his calm and clipped english accent.

"Yes, of course, Mister Hammer." The assistant turned to the people assembled. "Down on the floor we have our lead scientist, Dr. Roland Reeves overseeing the team. With him are his close associate Dr. Haley Harding, chief engineer Mark Moran, our resident technician Derrick Sullivan, mechanical engineer Connor Peterson and electrical engineer Shauna Bell." He recited, listing off the crew in the lab below them. "Today, we will be going ahead with Project Zeus; an experimental power generation system which, as our numbers put it, will surpass the power output of Stark Industries' notorious ARC energy power generator,"

"Which, as I'm sure you all know, is the same energy powering the reactor in Tony Stark's chest." Hammer interjected.

"Yes. Mister Stark is not very discreet about such matters." The aide agreed.

"Regardless of such trivial matters, today is the day Stark falls behind and Hammer Industries takes its rightful place as a leading figure in the tech world." Hammer proudly said in an even tone, not one to be too boastful or too showy. That was Tony Stark's nature, the nature of a young and foolish billionaire boy with no respect for a gentleman's business.

Down on the lab floor, the team of six worked carefully in a coordinated effort to put the electro-fusion generator into action, a first time after months of tests and practices with scaled-down equipment.

"Current fusion energy readings look good." The blonde-haired Haley declared.

"Electrical levels are equally green. No fluxes." Shauna added, a twinkle in her green eyes as she adjusted her glasses.

"So far so good." Roland murmured, scribbling notes on his memo pad. He cast a brief glance up at the observation deck noting all the board members, investors and higher ups watching their every move. "Sullivan, what's our status on phase one?"

"Tech is geared up and ready to go, just waiting on our resident engineers to greenlight the next move." The dark-haired technician of European decent remarked, glancing over to Mark and Connor as the former helped strap a pair of gauntlets to the latter. Each was an original Hammer Industries heavy-duty magnet harness designed to do the work of a forklift without the expensive machinery, which also allowed Connor to move objects without having to physically touch them.

"You ready, Peterson?" Roland inquired.

"I've done this fifty times before, Doc. More than ready to do it for the fifty-first time." The dark-haired young man responded. His hair black and his eyes brown, Connor was certainly good looking for a man of his profession. He claimed to have played sports in high school and college, which might've lent to his lean physique, several of his colleagues quietly believing he really didn't look the part of a man who got down and dirty with tech all day.

"Harness is clear. You're up, Connor. Try not to muck this up." Mark stated, clapping him on the shoulder as he stepped away.

"Right, right." Connor retorted with a roll of his eyes. Flexing his hands he reached out for a nearby container, the magnetic forces casting from his hands reaching out to encircle and lift a glowing control rod. Purple in color and thrumming with powerful potential, it floated through the air, guided only by Connor's hand. "Okay, I have control over the plasma rod. Moving it into position." He stated, stepping towards the large generator already brimming with electrical energy. A plasma additive would incite the fusion process, hopefully combining the two forces to unleash power that could light up a dozen city blocks for ages. Adding his other hand to the mix, Connor tilted and adjusted the rod with simple movements from a distance. The tub flipped end over end, pausing in a horizontal position, primed to be placed within the generator. "Preparing for insertion." Connor announced. "Ready in three... two... one..."

And there came a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes were united against a common threat. On that day, they became THE AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES.

Chapter Text

Author's Note: Aaaaaah, this show takes me back. Talk about the good ol' days! And as tribute to the finest Avengers animated series Marvel has ever produced, I'm going to try and do what Disney chose not to do: give the show a few more seasons of content.

Without further ado, enjoy this little love letter of a story. A tribute to the amazing universe gifted to us in the form of EMH.

A new name, a new face! A brand new individual strides into the Marvel universe! What's he like? What's his name? Keep reading, true believers, and be there to study his-

-Chapter 1: Character Witness Part 1-

A thunderous explosion blew out the wall, raining debris across the floor and filling the room with smoke. In moments, a crew of four individuals hurried into the area, spreading out across the room.

"You sure it's here?" A woman inquired.

"Positive. Just keep looking, it's here somewhere." A man responded, rooting through the various crates sitting within the storage room. "Make it quick. They probably know we're here already." Together they searched each box, ripping open lids and tearing apart locks in a desperate effort to track down their designed prize. But as the seconds turned to minutes of fruitless searching, tensions started to run high.

"It's not here, dammit!" Another man cursed as he hurled the wrong crate across the room. "Hammer must've moved it!"

"Don't be an idiot, he'd never move it! This is the one place he could keep something like that, where else could he put it?" His partner snapped in retort.

"Well, obviously a place that's a lot harder to break into than this." A new snythesized voice announced. Whirling around, the intruding foursome were met by a man in red and gold standing in the entrance they had created, covered from head to toe in a suit of electromechanical armor… the most advanced and one-of-a-kind piece of technology on the planet. Blue energy surged from the ARC reactor in his chest to the twin repulsors in his palms facing the four would-be thieves. "While I'm no fan of Justin Hammer, breaking and entering is still a crime." The light from his weaponry illuminated the group, revealing two men and two women all clad in varying armored outfits.

"Stay out of our way, Iron Man!" A man in black and blue commanded. The armored Avenger promptly ignored him.

"See, SHIELD just had a massive breakout and I'm sure they wouldn't say no to having you guys back behind bars."

"We're not going anywhere! Not until we've had our revenge!" A woman in violet stated, raising her hand and unleashing a fireball that zipped through the air and struck Iron Man in the shoulder.

"He can't take us all." The man in blue growled. "Striker, find it while we hold him off." He ordered the other man, who was clad in green. The other three converged on Iron Man.

"Striker, eh? While I'd love to get the rest of your names, I'll just read them on your rap sheets." Tony remarked, taking flight and unleashing a volley of repulsor rays. In response, the three scattered, the other woman in dark blue fired off a bolt of yellow lightning from her hands as her violet-clad partner fired off more bolts of flame. Iron Man triggered his unibeam, the two women darting off in separate directions to avoid getting his by the explosive energy beam.

Their male compatriot made a fist with his hand, thrusting his arm skyward as a chunk of concrete beneath Iron Man slammed into his body, pinning him to the ceiling before a piece of the very ceiling drove him back into the ground. The man in blue approached the pinned Avenger, flexing a free hand to summon several chunks of destroyed wall.

"Name's Cobalt. This is Shox and Flare." He introduced. "And fighting us alone is the last mistake you'll ever make." His growled threat was intended to be intimidating but, instead, Tony just started laughing.

"Did I say I came alone?" He asked, looking up at his three foes. While he might've been the first on site, he was not the only one to respond. "Avengers Assemble!"

The rallying cry was perfectly timed as several heroes poured in through the open hole in the wall, starting with a pair of micro-sized heroes: Ant-Man and the Wasp. Clad in red and riding a flying ant, Hank Pym leaped from his mount and landed a powerful blow to Cobalt's cheek that pitched the villain to the ground while Wasp unleashed a volley of her bio-electric 'stings' that peppered Flare and Shox.

Behind them, Captain America and Thor charged into the room, the Star-Spangled-Man immediately rushing after the green-clad Striker with his shield raised while the crown prince of Asgard charged Shox with his hammer at the ready, bursts of blue lightning meeting her yellow ribbons as they collided. Captain America and Striker collided as the villain's proton-powered fists slammed into the indestructible shield of the first Avenger.

As Iron Man blasted free of the rubble, combat erupted around the room as the Avengers clashed with the foursome of villains. Bursts of power sizzled this way and that, while fists and bodies collided in heavy smackdowns as only super humans could unleash.

"These villains are far more lacklustre than I envisioned." Thor mused aloud, thoroughly unimpressed. "Their powers are rather… simplistic."

"Even so… they pack a punch!" Iron Man grunted as his repulsor beams clashed with a bolt of lightning from Shox, the two trapped in a stalemate as their power continued to swell.

"Fear not, Iron Man! Such matters can be resolved hastily." Thor remarked, flying straight ahead, he swung his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, and clobbered Shox with a devastating blow that sent her careening through the air with a cry. She slammed into a series of crates, many of them crumpling around her and falling apart from the impact. As she slumped to the floor, she shook her head in a daze, her senses rattled.

But then a glow caught her eye and her gaze was captured by a small silver cylinder, glowing blue with an unknown energy.

"That's it…!" She gasped, scrambling forward and plucking the object from the remains of its crate. Picking herself up with renewed vigour, she called out to her teammates. "I got it! Let's go!" Her cry fo success was answered by Flare and Striker, the two quickly breaking off from the Avengers they were fighting as Shox used her powers to carve a hole into the wall behind her. Striker turned back, seeing Cobalt using his abilities to erect a concrete barrier to keep the Avengers from following them.

"Moran! Let's go!" He hollered, recognizing too little too late his slip-up. Whirling around, Cobalt jogged over.

"Dammit Striker!" He swore under his breath. "We have code names for a reason, remember?!" He snapped.

"To hell with the codenames! We gotta go!" Striker urged, stepping through to the other side, as the sounds of Iron Man's repulsors and Thor's hammer blows rained down on the opposite side of the barrier.

"How're we gonna keep them off our tracks?" Flare wondered as the last of them stepped through. Cobalt turned and lifted his hands.

"Leave that to me." Flexing his powers, the remnants of the wall scattered at their feet began to reform and rise, filling in spaces within the opening until the wall had sealed itself perfectly, leaving no evidence it had ever been cut down.

By the time the Avengers had broken through, their foes were nowhere to be seen.

"Wait… where'd they go?" Wasp wondered as she scanned the room.

"It's like they just… disappeared." Ant-Man concurred.

"That can't be," Iron Man muttered in disbelief, "JARVIS, run a full spectrum scan of the area." He ordered his personal AI, which was a part of his armor. Doing as told, JARVIS swept the entire warehouse complex and it's perimeter with the armor's built-in sensors, turning up no leads and completing a negative report.

"No signs of any of them, sir." Tony sighed.

"Where could they have gone? There has to something…"

"We're dealing with unknowns here, Tony." Cap said. "We should be careful and consider all the angles." As he finished, Ant-Man grew back to his normal size.

"Maybe that one with electrical powers is shielding them with some sort of… bio-electric frequency field that makes them appear invisible on scanners." He hypothesized.

"Could be." Tony agreed. "Cap, Thor, head outside and see if you can pickup any leads." The two nodded and moved to do so while Iron Man stayed behind and performed a sensory recall of the area.

"What about us, Tony?" Wasp inquired as she also returned to her normal size.

"I thought I heard those thugs conversing on the other side of the wall." He replied. "JARVIS, playback audio recordings from the last ninety seconds of the fight."

"At once, sir." Tapping into his armor's natural receptor suite, JARVIS played back all available audio and broadcasted his findings through the suit's speaker systems. Above the noise of Iron Man and Thor pounding away at the concrete, a pair of faint voices could be picked out.

"Moran! Let's go!"

"Dammit Striker! We have code names for a reason, remember?!"

"Did he just call him, 'Moran'?" Janet wondered. "I'm not mistaking that for 'moron' am I?"

"By the sounds of it, that was Striker and Cobalt." Hank mused, stroking his chin. "That's a big step in identifying these four."

"Certainly worth a shot." Tony agreed. "JARVIS, run a scan for any individuals named 'Moran' that match his physical build and have a potential connection to Justin Hammer." Once again, JARVIS complied and used his connection to the internet to run a search with Tony's suggested parameters. Within seconds, he had a result, displayed on Tony's HUD.

"Search results turn up three possible findings, sir, the most likely of which is former Hammer Industries employee Doctor Mark Moran." He revealed, pulling up a complete profile of the former Chief Engineer.

"Huh. Simple Hammer employee… nothing too out of the ordinary…" Tony mused, scrolling through his profile. Mark Moran appeared fairly normal, nothing identifiable within his past in working for Hammer Industries… until he discovered something at the very bottom. "Hang on… he disappeared from all company records after an accident about five months ago."

"Five months?" Hank repeated, bewildered. "And he just turns up now?"

"Yeah, something seems fishy," Tony agreed, "JARVIS, run a date correlation scan, see if there's any events that coincide with Doctor Moran's disappearance." His AI did so, turning up a singular event. "Got it! The electro-fusion generator failure. That made headlines, you could see ionized blue clouds for miles around."

"I remember that… So, wait, Hammer just fired this guy after that lab accident?" Wasp asked, feeling put off by the coldness of such a move.

"Maybe not just him," Tony mused, a fresh search revealing more information, "says here he worked with a team of five others who were involved in that accident."

"Did they all just drop off the map?" Hank questioned.

"All but one." Tony answered. "Connor Peterson, the mechanical engineer. Hammer blamed his negligence for the accident."

"Poor guy. Probably got berated publically." Wasp mused.

"If I know Hammer, he'd like to make an example." Tony agreed. "Unlike the other five, who just disappeared, Connor is still a registered former employee."

"If we just encountered Moran and three others…" Hank trailed off, leaving his words to hang as Tony pieced them together.

"We could be looking at the wrong kind of reunion." He realized. "We've got no currently leads except for Connor. All that's left in his company file is an address."

"I'll go follow that up. You guys finish up here then try to track down the gang again." Wasp volunteered, shrinking down and taking flight as her wings sprouted from her back.

"I'll send the information to your Avenger ID card." Tony promised as she took off. He then turned back to Hank, retracting his faceplate to reveal his face. "We need to help Cap and Thor track them down."

"Maybe contact T'Challa back at the mansion and see if he can dredge up anything." Hank continued. "What did they want here, anyway?" He wondered, looking around the space.

"This is one of Hammer Industries' warehouses for experimental materials. Hammer likes to keep multiple holding locations for his tech instead of storing them in a single space like I do." Tony described. "Whatever those four wanted, they got. And knowing the stuff Hammer tends to mess with, they're likely up to something dangerous."

"Meaning we've got to find them before the timer on the bomb counts down." Ant-Man realized, shaking down to size and summoning a flying ant as he and Iron Man left the warehouse, the newest contenders in a race against time.

Later that day, elsewhere…

Cobalt led the way into the abandoned laboratory, which didn't look too terribly abandoned with all the active equipment lying around. Filing in after him came Flare, Shox, and Striker. The moment Striker closed the door behind them, Cobalt tore off his mask to reveal the dishevelled appearance of Mark Moran. His hair had grown far longer and a scruffy beard had grown across his jaw and chin, a far cry from the clean-cut distinguished man he used to be.

"Of all the dumb things to say, Derrick!" He snapped. "You just had to use my real name, in front of the Avengers no less!" Striker in turn pulled off his helmet, revealing the face of Derrick Sullivan, his hazel eyes aglow with hidden power.

"Hey! You're not my boss! And they're just stupid codenames anyway. The Avengers aren't SHIELD; they'll need more than a name to learn about us." He retorted.

"I take it there were some… complications?" A third voice inquired from a shadowy part of the lab. Flare quickly stepped forward, tugging down her mask to reveal the face of Haley Harding.

"The Avengers showed up. Took us for a bit of a ride, but not before we snagged this and left." She replied, holding out the energy capsule they had stolen.

"I see…" From within a shadows, a figure emerged, stepping into the open to reveal Roland Reeves. He looked unchanged, no different since the day of the accident… save for the full-body bracer harness wrapped around his torso. He lifted the capsule from Haley's hands. "Thank you, my dear." He said kindly, turning the tool over in his hands and a gleam of excitement flickered in his eyes. "Yes… this is it."

"Great. Too little too late," Mark muttered, "bone-for-brains over here thought it was a good idea to use my real name while the Avengers were around." He said crossly, jabbing his thumb in the direction of Derrick. "They're probably on their way here now!"

"Calm yourself, Mark." Roland offered simply. "Even if they do find this place, we will be long gone. The last piece for our plan is complete." Holding up the vial of energy, it's colours began to shift, filtering through a rainbow of shades as he continued. "Fusion energy may have destroyed our lives, but it gave us new ones in return. And we will show Justin Hammer that we are no pets of his, that our souls are not for sale and our bodies are not for his tests. He. Will. Pay."

"But the Avengers are on to us." Flare interjected. "What if they learn our past, our history?"

"If they find Connor, he could ruin everything!" Mark growled.

"You worry too much, Mark." Roland gently chided with a light chuckle. "We are too far ahead of them all to worry about such things. We move quickly and efficiently, and all our worries will be behind us."

"And what if they track down Peterson?" Mark questioned.

"Who cares? He does not know enough to damage us." Roland replied. "And even if he does, he's a useless ally to them. No one can stop us now…"

The address Tony gave her took Wasp to a rundown part of the city, known for high local crime and low-income housing. Vaguely familiar with the unsavoury neighbourhood, her first notion was to find out whatever she could about this Connor Peterson and then leave. Provided that address was accurate and that the man in question had not at all up and left after his termination from Hammer Industries.

Quickly finding the flat number, she flew to the door and grew to her normal size, planning on being polite… at least to an extent, if necessary. Her yellow-gloved hand reached for the door and she knocked three times. "Hello? Mister Peterson?" She called out, hoping for an answer. Hearing nothing, Wasp tried the door handle on a whim… watching in surprise as it twisted and gave way, the door slowly opening to her prodding. "Okaaaaaay, not creepy at all." She muttered a little unnerved.

Yet she was an Avenger. Getting jump-scared by some mad scientist was surely not the worst thing she'd ever encountered. She was strong enough to handle this.

Taking a breath, Janet pushed inside, calling out again, "Hello? Connor Peterson? Are you here?"

"In the kitchen." A man's voice replied simply. Low in tone and passive in nature, Janet did not sense any imminent danger and followed the voice. The flat was small and very interconnected, the kitchen just a few steps away from the living area and front walkway. So it did not take Janet very long to find a small dining table and chair where a man in a hoodie was seated. He turned his gaze up to meet her, brown eyes meeting blue in a moment of connection. His demeanor was meek and timid, and Janet felt safe around him. She smiled a little. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar…

"I'm Wasp, with the Avengers. I hope you don't mind." She greeted.

"No no, of course not." Connor answered. "Haven't had a visitor in months. Please, sit." He offered, gesturing to the chair across from him. Jan accepted, impressed by his courteous nature. "So… what brings a famous Avenger to my little abode?" He quietly asked.

"I wanted to ask about your former colleagues. Doctor Mark Moran and the others at Hammer Industries." Janet explained. "We've… come across some new information about them and were hoping you could provide some details." At the mention of his past, Connor exhaled in a quiet but weary tone.

"I suppose you want to know about the accident too." He mused. Janet nodded slowly.

"Well, we are kinda in the dark. Seems like Justin Hammer really wanted to keep company affairs under lock and key."

"It was primarily dealt with internally." Connor affirmed. "Been months since then… I've tried not to think about it." Wasp's expression fell.

"I'm sorry. If it's too painful for you, we don't have to-"

"No, i-it's fine." Connor quickly interjected. "Besides, it's… hard for me to forget." It was then that he removed his hands from the insides of his sleeves, revealing something that shocked Janet and made her audibly gasp.

Both of Connor's hands had asymmetrical metal patches scattered across the surface of his skin. From what she could tell, they reached as far back as his wrist but possibly even further.

"What happened?" She asked, both curious and concerned for his wellbeing.

"I was wearing a pair of magnetic manipulator harnesses. Designed to move objects without touching them. When the reactor blew, they were both fused to my skeletal system." Connor explained. "At least, that's how the doctors worded it." Janet paused and simply stared at the shiny metal spots on his hands, flexing and moving in time with his simple actions.

"Does it… hurt?" She wondered, tentatively reaching for his hands. Connor shrugged.

"Sometimes." He murmured. "Not nearly as painful as the ordeal that followed." As he made his remark, Connor's head tilted to one side and Janet spied silver lines of geometric cyberware framing the underside of his ear in a 'Y' shape.

"If it's too much to talk about, you don't have to." Janet softly offered. Connor regarded her briefly before taking a breath.

"I was the one closest to the generator, meaning I took the brunt of the fusion energy wave that followed. That also meant it was easy to blame me for everything going wrong. So the company did just that; the moment I was discharged from the hospital I was handed my final paycheque, a long list of legal dos and don'ts, and a personal letter from Justin Hammer saying I'd never work for the tech industry ever again." He finished and Janet took a moment to process everything.

"So… ever since then you've just been living here? Surviving off… what, pizza pops and bottled water?" She wondered, trying to bring a little brevity after the tragic tale. Connor huffed a laugh.

"I wish." He remarked. "Did you happen to bring any water?" He queried with a slight smile. Janet giggled and he did too.

"What about your colleagues? The others that were with you?" She queried.

"There were five of them: Roland Reeves, Haley Harding, Mark Moran, Derrick Sullivan, and Shauna Bell." Connor described. "Last time I saw them, they were all still out cold when I left the hospital." Noting her thoughtful expression, he tilted his head. "Why?" Exhaling, Janet paused to pick her words carefully.

"Connor… there's no easy way to say this, but the Avengers just tried to apprehend four supervillains breaking into one of Hammer's warehouses. Two men and two women. And… one of them called the one of the men 'Moran'." She explained. "We did some digging… and you were our closest lead to figuring them out." If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Connor leaned back in his chair, his expression passive and contemplative.

"I can tell you right now, Miss Wasp, I don't know what happened to them. I haven't heard from any of them nor seen them since that day." He answered.

"And I believe you," Janet quickly told him, "but we're hoping that maybe you can help us fill in the blanks. You worked with them, Connor. You know them better than any of us do. If they are in fact supervillains, stealing things, we need to know what for and why." While a part of him wrestled with the prospect of having to reopen an old wound, Connor found himself captivated by Wasp.

This woman, so brightly coloured, cheery and full of life, loving what she did, was offering him what he could only describe as a second chance. His life, dull and dim after that terrible accident, had new life breathed into it by her sudden appearance. Wasp was giving him a chance, something no one else had.

"Okay, I'll… I'll come along as a consultant, I guess." He finally answered. "I'm not much of a hero, but if what I can say helps, I'll do what I can." Jan smiled broadly.

"You won't regret it. You're doing the right thing, Connor." She replied, patting his hand. Her touch alone felt nice and Connor couldn't resist smiling himself.

"So, uh, what's first?" He wondered, standing up along with her.

"I'll get in touch with the others." Jan explained, pulling out her telecom ID card. "We'll bring you back to the mansion and you can tell us what you know." Sliding the card into an active state, she called up Iron Man. "Tony, I found Connor, and he's got some things you need to hear." She quickly announced.

"That's gonna have to wait, Jan. There's trouble at Hammer Industries, I'll let you guess who's causing it." Iron Man responded.

"The same four again?"

"Plus one. There's five this time and whatever they're doing is triggering massive energy readings and destabilizing the surrounding area. We're gonna need everyone for this, New York is in big trouble if we can't stop them!"

Chapter Text

Connor Peterson! A man twice wronged by Iron Man's old foe, Justin Hammer! Now his mettle will be tested in his effort to aid the mighty Avengers! Will he succeed? Will he falter? Scroll down, true believers, and take part in his-

Chapter 2: Character Witness Part 2

Within the sublevel parking of the corporate headquarters for Hammer Industries, Roland had joined his four super-powered compatriots as they set to work powering and constructing an exact replica of Hammer's failed electro-fusion energy generator.

"The power output of this thing will draw attention for sure." Shox noted as she primed the terminal calibrations. "If the Avengers didn't know where we were before, they sure will soon."

"Then it's a good thing your roles are nearly completed." Roland mused. "All you need do is defend me and this generator so that we can send a clear message to Justin Hammer uninterrupted."

"We'll get it done, don't worry." Striker promised. A rumble shook the area, causing lights to sway as bits of dust and debris fell from the ceiling. "Those tremors are kinda worrisome, though."

"Electro-fusion energy has a habit of being tumultuous." Roland mused. "We just never noticed in the confines of an immovable steel lab." His calm and cool demeanour assured most of them, but Striker remained uncertain.

Outside, Iron Man had used his scanners to track the energy pulses after a fruitless ground search with the other Avengers. Joining the complete team this time was T'Challa; the King of Wakanda but better known as the Black Panther outside of his country. Together, the team of five converged on Hammer Industries, Iron Man hovering above the building of his corporate rival and using his scanners to x-ray the complex and pinpoint the activity taking place below.

"I count five, plus some kind of generator that's the cause of the energy spikes." He reported.

"What manner of fiendish technology did these mortals construct to cause such a disturbance?" Thor wondered.

"So far, electrical readings are off the charts. Picking up some other particles too, my guess is some sort of generator system." Iron Man replied.

"But what purpose would a generator serve?" Ant-Man wondered astride his flying ant mount.

"Let's take a closer look and find out." The armored Avenger dove to the ground, dropping down on the sidewalk outside the building. "JARVIS, run a full electromagnetic spectrum scan, give me everything." The other Avengers formed around him, awaiting their next move.

Then, all of a sudden, the pavement cracked and shattered, split open by a force from below. The Avengers were scattered, some thrown aside by the sudden upheaval of the road. Rising from the ground, a platform of rock and concrete appeared, carrying with it the forms of Cobalt, Shox, Flare, and Striker.

"Looking for someone, Avengers?" Cobalt taunted, his powers in full effect as he manipulated the simple elements comprising their very foundation. A tremor shook the earth, Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man taking flight to avoid its effects, while Captain America and Black Panther were forced to crouch and contend with the seismic activity.

"Well well well, color me surprised that it's you four again." Iron Man remarked, unleashing twin repulsor rays that were met with bolts of fire from Flare.

"Your treacherous schemes will not succeed, villains!" Thor promised, Mjolnir crackling with ambient lightning.

"Take 'em down!" Cobalt ordered, the rest of his team flying into action. Summoning a pair of pavement pillars, the blue-clad villain struck Iron Man and Thor with heavy battering rams of solid substance. On the ground, Ant-Man guided his mount to avoid Shox's sizzling bolts fo electricity, while Black Panther vaulted over Flare and hurled a trio of Vibranium daggers to counter her fireballs. With energy surrounding his fists, Striker lunged towards Captain America who raised his shield to block.

Combat erupted across the street, passing civilians scrambling to avoid power blows and becoming collateral damage as the heroes and villains brawled back and forth.

Triggering his Pym Particle Belt, Hank grew to massive proportions, switching from Ant-Man to Giant Man and towering over the trio. "That's enough! I'm sure we can work this out peacefully!" He declared, grabbing all three of them in two hands. "Let's just talk about this-"

"Talk is cheap!" Flare growled, unleashing a burst of flame that struck him in the eyes. Hank recoiled with a cry as Shox unleashed an electric burst that caused his muscles to spasm, loosening his grip and dropping all three of them. She was immediately tackled by Black Panther, who took her down as Cap slammed shield-first into Flare. Striker moved to intercept them, only to be stopped by a bolt of lightning as Thor descended from above, Mjolnir aglow with power as storm clouds swirled overhead. As they clashed, Iron Man attacked Cobalt with a volley of repulsor rays, each one striking levitating chunks of concrete as the Betokinetic villain both defended himself and attacked the armored Avenger.

Several blocks away, Wasp flew ahead of a jogging Connor, guiding him from his apartment to Hammer Industries' headquarters. A man who normally went walking and jogging as his personal physical fitness routine, Connor was no slouch when it came to stamina, able to keep up with the flying Wasp for city block after city block. Sweat stains marred the front and back of his hoodie, but he kept going, determined to help Wasp and the Avengers. The clamour of battle grew louder as they drew nearer and Connor was very hesitant about joining the fight. He didn't have any combat experience and his fighting skills were relagated to memories of tag-team video games played as a youth. He didn't want to become a liability…

Then, all of a sudden, the ground trembled so violently that Connor last his balance and was forced to remain crouched on the ground. Wasp took notice but remained unaffected due to her ability to fly.

"Woah! What the heck was that?!" She wondered aloud.

"I-I don't know. New York's not on a fault line." Connor replied, confused by the occurrence as well. As the tremors finally eased, they resumed their journey until Connor paused behind the corner of a building, the battle occurring mere meters away. Wasp hovered close to his face in her diminutive form.

"You sit tight, Connor. We'll deal with these guys and then you can fill them in." She promised, quickly zipping into the fray and assaulting the nearest villains (Cobalt and Flare) with a barrage of her bio-electric stings. "Hey guys! Hope you saved some for me!" She called out to the rest of her team.

"Jan! Look out!" Giant Man cried in warning. Wasp quickly turned and dove to avoid a sizzling bolt of lightning fired by Shox.

"Man! There's only four but they can pack a punch!" She remarked, her hair standing on edge from her near-miss with the static bolt.

"Yeah, no kidding." Iron Man remarked, unleashing a unibeam blast that forced Striker to roll out of the way. The battle was interrupted by another ground tremor, this one far stronger than all the others. The airborne Avengers remained untouched by its effects, but everyone on the ground was flung from their feet.

All of a sudden, the ground collapsed, pavement and sidewalk falling into an open pit several feet below the surface, taking everyone with it. From his position, Connor watched wide-eyed as the Avengers and villains disappeared from sight. Those above, Wasp, Thor and Iron Man, quickly dove down into the open chasm and Connor decided to follow. Sprinting to the side of the opening, he wasted no time sliding down the edge to join those at the bottom, the Avengers and villains picking themselves up.

"Is everything okay?" He asked the group.

"Could've been worse." Cap responded, picking himself up. "You must be Connor Peterson."

"Yeah, that's me," Connor admitted, "pleasure, uh, to meet you, Captain America. You were my favourite subject in history class." He offered. Cap nodded in response.

"Okay, barring any further awkwardness, what're looking at here, Connor?" Iron Man questioned.

"You tell me. So far I've just heard that my former colleagues have turned into supervillains." Connor told him. Then his gaze shifted past Iron Man, glancing deeper into the revealed underground parking garage. "Then again… I know what that is." The Avengers turned and laid eyes upon the source of their troubles.

Roland Reeves stood behind the electro-fusion generator, using a console interface to bring the machine up to full power. Realizing he had been uncovered, he offered the invaders a simple smile.

"Ah… welcome, Avengers! Behold, our magnum opus!" He declared with a grandiose sweep of his hand.

"JARVIS, what am I looking at?" Tony asked. His AI performed a quick scan.

"An experimental fusion energy reactor, combining electrical energy for an output in excess of five-hundred pentawatts of energy." JARVIS announced.

"That's the original generator the six of us were working on." Connor pointed out.

"The one that exploded?" Iron Man wondered.

"Yeah… that one." Connor quietly affirmed, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"Set to go off once again, only this time, it'll ignite right underneath Justin Hammer and blow him and everything he loves to kingdom come!" Roland announced.

"Man, you're awfully excited about all this." Iron Man remarked, raising his arm and firing off a repulsor ray. Ever so casually, Roland raised his hand towards the incoming blue ray. In the blink of an eye, the energy bolt was transformed into a ray of light, no different than a beam from the sun. "What the-?" The armored Avenger puttered. Roland cackled.

"The very nature of energy is mine to command, Iron Man! The power is mine to decide whether you are as deadly as an atom bomb or as harmless as the beam from a flashlight! You and your Avengers cannot stop us." He revealed. With a flick of his wrist, the blue glow of Iron Man's ARC reactor turned yellow. Doubling over with a gasping cry, the Avenger clutched his chest in pain.

"Tony? Tony!" Hank cried, growing to normal size. "What's wrong?"

"M-My… reactor… It's not… working!" He gasped. Ant-Man quickly deduced the problem.

"The power of his ARC reactor has failed, he could die if this lasts much longer!" He realized.

"Leave us be and his fate can be reversed." Roland promised.

"You can't just kill a man like this!" Ant-Man replied. "Please, let's all just calm down and talk this through. Surely we can help you somehow."

"The only help I want is in giving Justin Hammer what he deserves." Roland replied. "We all banded together to ensure he receives his due penance for treating his employees as lab rats! Deeming us 'property' and stripping us of our freedoms!"

"What'd he do to you?" Wasp demanded. "Sounds like Connor was dealt the low-blow."

"Ah yes… Mister Peterson." Roland mused, finally recognizing his former associate in the room. "You know, Connor, it's not too late to join us. Surely you of all people will agree with me in saying that Justin Hammer is overdue some payback." His head falling, Connor did not respond.

"Leave our mortal ally be, foul villain!" Thor declared, unleashing a beam of lightning from Mjolnir. Lifting his hand again, Roland turned the lightning into a simple laser light.

"Cobalt, stop them!" He ordered. The blue-clad felon summoned his powers to conjure concrete chunks from the ground, quickly ensnaring the entire team within cocoons of asphalt. Despite their best efforts to struggle, the material was binding them tight so long as Cobalt was focused.

"What about him?" Striker wondered as he jabbed a thumb in Connor's direction.

"Oh, he is one of us. Come now, Connor. Join us." Roland offered. "I don't blame you for what happened. But I would like to thank you for your part in it." Connor's head bolted up.

"Thank me?!" He repeated, more than a little bewildered.

"The explosion gave us new life, remade us, turned us from mere humans into beings of godlike potential." Roland explained. "You're more than welcome to join us and transcend the position of Justin Hammer's stepping stones."

"Connor! There's innocent people in this building! Not just Hammer!" Wasp cried.

"E-Even worse…" Tony gasped from within his malfunctioning armor, "that generator… is unleashing energy pulses… that are destabilizing the ground… The whole island could fall apart… and New York… will sink!" Connor gasped in shock at the realization.

"Roland, please, you can't do this! You can't justify revenge on Hammer at the cost of millions of innocents!" He pleaded.

"Oh I'll shut it off, don't worry. I just need it on long enough to show Justin Hammer the irony of his demise." Roland promised.

"But… But there's innocent people in this building!" Connor protested.

"Don't be an idiot, Peterson! Take the damn offer!" Cobalt snapped.

"I'd listen to him, Connor. It's the right thing anyway, giving that self-centred jerk his due." Flare suggested. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Connor had to admit that the offer of revenge felt like a really good idea. To finally give the man who had ruined his life everything he deserved…

"Connor…?" He turned at the soft calling of his name, his eyes meeting Wasp's. It was a silently plea, a call to be true to himself. Another tremor shook the ground above, bits of debris raining down and reminding him of the inevitable consequences. Closing his eyes, Connor took a breath and turned back to his former colleagues.

"No, Hayley. It's not the right thing to do." He replied. "I can't let any of you hurt the innocent people in this office." A growl filled the air behind him.

"Bad call, Peterson." Cobalt remarked, stalking forward. But Connor had already planned ahead and turned around to face him. Both of his forearms began to glow with white veins of light appearing as both magnetic harnesses powered up. He already had a target in mind and reached out, the magnetic forces gripping Cobalt by his belt buckle and tugging him forward uncontrollably. Connor turned and swung his arm, sending Cobalt slamming into Shox and bowling her over as they were both laid out flat. He then turned, his magnetic grip snaring Striker's helmet and guiding him around uncontrollably.

"Hey hey HEY! Let go!" Striker cried fighting with his helmet, only to be pitched to the side by Connor with a wide sweep of his arm and thrown into Flare, the two villains quickly flattened against the ground. Jumping over their bodies, Connor threw out his left arm and grabbed Roland by the brace around his torso, quickly throwing him back and pinning him to the wall of the parking garage. Despite his efforts, his struggles were futile against the invisible grip snaring him.

As a result of the villains losing their concentration, the Avengers were promptly freed from their concrete bonds and Iron Man gasped as life giving ARC energy flooded from his reactor again. Connor did not linger and kept moving on the reactor, his eyes sweeping over its design and recalling his past in working on the device.

"What are you doing?!" Roland cried. "You can't control it, you'll detonate it again!"

"On the contrary," Connor replied, one arm extended as he rounded the console, "the past few months I've been going over the incident in my head. I ran that simulation over fifty times beforehand, there's no way I could've done it wrong." He paused and examined the control panel. "Then it hit me. There was always supposed to be an initial energy spike. Everyone just grew so worried and told me to remove the fusion core. But that was the problem; removing the core caused the final energy spike that overloaded the generator and detonated it." Connor turned back to Roland, offering him a slight smile. "So to answer your question; I'm going with my gut."

Placing his hand on the terminal, data began flying across the screen, a thousand different program executions happening one after another. It was a language, spoken and written in a way few could ever understand. But to Connor, it was no different than spoken english, his mind capable of telling the console exactly what to do. He spoke its language, communicated with it like he would another human being, until the console finally turned itself off and uploaded the shutdown command to the generator, the blue light slowly fading away until it had gone dark and ceased all functionality.

Connor breathed a sigh of relief and released his hand. But as he did, he relaxed his grip on his magnetic harnesses and allowed Roland to drop to his feet. The man picked himself up as Connor turned around to face him. "It's over, Roland."

"No… No!" He exclaimed in dismay. "You've ruined everything! How could you do this to me, Connor? How could you-" He was cut short when a yellow bio-sting struck him between the eyes. The blow was just enough to knock him over, overloading his neural centre long enough to take him down.

"He sure talks a lot, doesn't he?" Wasp remarked, hovering beside Connor.

"To be honest, they all did." He replied with a slight smile at her beaming expression.

Some time later…

SHIELD arrived as soon as they could, after receiving Tony's call. A division of the agency's finest arrived to cuff and tag the five scientists turned villains, adding them to SHIELD's roster of known villains, including the ones gone missing after the breakout. All of them, Roland, Shox, Cobalt, Striker and Flare were guided into secure armored vehicles for transport. As he was ushered inside, Cobalt cast a glare back at the assembled Avengers… his gaze landing on Connor in particular.

"Well met, Connor son of Peter." Thor applauded, a meaty hand clapping him on the back. "Thou hast served us well in the name of true justice."

"Thor's right. You had the chance to take revenge and join them, but you didn't. You opted to do the right thing." Captain America agreed.

"It is impressive to choose the right path in the face of such strong desires." Black Panther added. "You should be proud of yourself, Mister Peterson."

"In a way, I kinda of am." Connor agreed with a shrug. "I mean… I just felt compelled to do the right thing." He explained, Janet smiling at his words.

"Yeah, nice work with those magnets. That's was some impressive work with the generator too." Iron Man concurred. "How'd you do that?" Connor's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh! Uh… that's a bit of an explanation." He said nervously. Motion out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned to find out someone else had arrived on the scene. "Oh boy…" He muttered.

Approaching from amongst the SHIELD agents, a prim and proper Justin Hammer, his hair neatly combed and his suit crisp, approached the circle of heroes. Connor had a feeling he knew what was coming…

"Connor Peterson." Hammer stated, in a tone that was neither civil nor cordial.

"Mister Hammer." Connor greeted in a quiet, timid tone. The circle of heroes around him slowly opened up, the young man feeling vulnerable before the impending wrath of his former employer.

"We signed an agreement, did we not?" Hammer mused, staring down a Connor.

"Yeah…" Connor quietly answered with a soft nod. "Didn't have much of a choice, but yeah."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyers, Mister Peterson." Hammer threatened.

"Now wait just a minute, party-pooper." Iron Man remarked, stepping in between the two and triggering his helmet's faceplate. The golden mask lifted up to reveal Tony Stark in all his glory, complete with recognizable goatee and trademark smile.

"Tony Stark." Hammer growled.

"Yeah, hi. It's me. Miss me, Hammer?" Tony wondered. Before Justin could respond, he continued. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Mister Peterson is a terminated employee of Hammer Industries, for destroying company property and inexcusable negligence while on the job. He signed an agreement upon his termination, stating that he would concede to being banned from all things related to Hammer Industries. And now I hear he's violated this contract, by interacting with stolen equipment and returning to Hammer Industries property." Justin answered. "As such, it is my right to see to his immediate arrest and subject him to the judiciary system for due punishment."

"Punishment?" Wasp cried, taking flight and hovering before Hammer's face. "He just saved you and your employees!"

"It's not your place to stick your nose in my company's buisness." Hammer growled.

"Maybe it is, mister." Cap declared, also taking a step between the two. "Connor just saved the lives of every employee in the building, yours included. His heroics deserve merit, not sanctions."

"Aye. We will not let some pompous billionaire have his way with one truly as noble as Connor." Thor announced, hefting Mjolnir with both hands as he also stood up to Justin Hammer.

"Yeah, what they said," Tony agreed, crossing his arms, "you can't arrest him or sue him for anything." Hammer's steely eyes narrowed.

"And why not?" He demanded in a low tone. Tony quickly wracked his mind for an answer, and a good one at that. He knew Hammer and he knew the man liked everything done by the book. If a reason was not valid, he'd find the loophole and exploit it to no end.

Suddenly, he had it.

"Because Connor Peterson was doing hero work… as an Avenger." His words caused Connor's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Do you think this makes him exempt? That any of you are exempt from proper procedures?!" Hammer demanded. Tony could tell he was getting hot under his collar and allowed himself to smirk.

"Maybe so, Mister Hammer." A new voice stated. Hammer whirled around and found himself facing a man in SHIELD gear, his hair cut close to his scalp and his brown eyes firm. With him was a brunette woman in glasses, dressed in a pinstriped suit and carrying an electronic datapad.

"And just who are you?" The old man demanded.

"I'm Jace Carson, Agent of SHIELD, and this is Jennifer Walters with SHIELD's legal team." The man introduced.

"Legal? What's the meaning of this!" Justin roared.

"We've been looking into Connor's case ever since it was revealed to us," Jennifer stated calmly, "and by the very nature of your own agreement with him, you actually have no grounds for legal action as making a presence on Hammer Industries grounds was not included in the contractual obligations listed in his termination of employment papers." She elaborated. "Furthermore, he was not working with Hammer Industries equipment as Doctor Roland Reeves already confessed to being the owner and constructor of the generator. That it was, and I quote, 'My idea from the beginning'." Jennifer continued. "Pressing any legal action now would leave you vulnerable for a counter suit for defamation of character. Trust me when I say you don't want to do that, as you have no evidence and no grounds for even a defence." She added. While he didn't show it outwardly, Justin Hammer was fuming.

"Sounds to me like after everything you've done to him and everything he's done for you, you owe Connor a thank you and a little restitution." Wasp remarked, even sticking her tongue out. With a growl, Hammer turned back towards the Avengers. There were too many obstructions here, and the man had been in the business long enough to know when it was safe to proceed and when to back away.

"Consider my non-involvement an act of mercy, Mister Peterson." He gruffly stated, turning on heel and leaving without another word.

Exhaling, Connor's shoulders slumped from exhaustion. "Not gonna lie… I don't like him much." He whispered to the Avengers.

"Me neither. But I learned to put up with him." Tony remarked.

"Ugh! What's with that guy?" Wasp wondered. "Are all stuffy billionaires as bad as him?" As the tension of the moment died down, Connor figured it was best to excuse himself.

"Well… I guess I'll be going now. Glad I could help." He offered, having every intention of leaving. Turning around, he started walking,

"Leaving so soon?" Tony's voice stopped him and Connor turned. "I meant what I told Hammer, Connor. You were an Avenger back there."

"But… B-But I'm no hero." Connor sputtered.

"Maybe you don't wear a costume. But you took the high road, you did the right thing. And that's hero material." Captain America inferred. "It's not so much the look of a person, but what they're made of, that makes them Avengers material. Back there, Connor, you were a hero."

"Aye, the Captain speaks truly." Thor agreed. "I would be honored to have you fighting by my side." Suffice to say, Connor was thoroughly stunned. He could not believe that these world-famous, newsworthy heroes were asking him to join them. Him!

"You guys just… give out memberships?" He asked with a nervous laugh, still half expecting this to be some elaborate prank.

"Not to just anyone." Tony said. "Alright, team. What do we think?" He asked, turning the discussion over to his fellow heroes. "Does a man who's been wronged and treated unfairly deserve a second chance?"

"Of course." Ant-Man quickly concurred.

"Yeah, totally!" Wasp chimed in.

"Verily." Thor agreed.

"Absolutely." Cap stated.

"It is the right thing to offer." Black Panther mused. If his jaw could drop any further, it would, and Connor stared at the heroes in disbelief.

"So… you really mean it?" He asked.

"It's unanimous." Tony stated, walking towards him and extending his armored hand. "Welcome to the Avengers, Connor."

In all his life, Connor had never felt more pride in shaking a man's hand.

Chapter Text

It's a new day and he's a new man! Connor Peterson; once a nobody, now a superhero-somebody! But has he got what it takes, true believers? Can he stand shoulder to shoulder with titans like Thor and Captain America? Bear witness to his struggle as Connor Peterson enters-

Chapter 3: Superhero Tryouts

The laboratory at Avengers Mansion was a true wonder of scientific and technological possibility. Tony had spared no expense in turning the subterranean levels of the mansion into a true superhero headquarters, complete with analysis, research and development, as well as a command center for tactical data and coordination.

Connor found himself in the portion of the lab somewhat deemed for medical affairs, giving Hank an opportunity to study his body and abilities. "This is incredible! These metallic engravings are molecularly in line with your skin cells… they've been bonded, almost to a point of being indistinguishable!" Using a multi-positioning electron microscope, Hank studied a shirtless Connor and the lines of cyberware reaching up from the metal patches in his arms. Those on his left side rose high enough to wrap around his ear and across his back, while those on his right side stretched broadly across his pectoral.

"They showed up after the accident. I can only assume they're some side affect of the electro-fusion energy." Connor explained.

"It's still very astounding," Hank went on, "almost like living metal. We've yet to see anything like this in the field of science."

"Well, you're the microbiologist, you would know best." Connor remarked. "I remember reading about your insights in science journals. Those were my bread and butter while I was working for Hammer."

"Do you consider yourself a scientist, Connor?" Hank wondered, taking a moment to scribble some notes on a large pad of notepaper.

"Eh… maybe in a roundabout way. I have a degree in mechanical engineering. I know machines inside and out."

"Ah, so you're more along the lines of Tony's work then." Hank mused.

"Not to his level of success. I'm just a guy who knows machines well." The double-meaning behind his words was still known only to Connor and it was a secret he knew would only remain so for a little while longer.

At that moment, Janet entered the lab, still clad in her black and yellow dress. "How're we doing, boys?" She asked with a chipper smile.

"Just getting the old rundown before I tryout for the team." Connor answered, smiling a little. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, more so than he had for the past half a year.

"I hope Hank isn't boring you to death with his diagnosis." She joked.

"We share common interests, Jan. It's hard to be bored when Connor's just as invested as I am." Hank remarked as he turned back to his notes.

"Yeah, well, I'm just excited to work on your new outfit. I haven't had a decent project like this in forever!" Jan told the new recruit excitedly. "I made my own outfit, like it?" She wondered, twirling around in front of Connor to show off her dress and matching black-yellow boots and gloves. Connor stared for a moment.

"Yellow's my favorite color." He said quickly, not even thinking about what he was saying. Jan smiled in reply. "You make your own outfits?"

"I do a little fashion design on the side. My dad always said I was good at it, ever since I was little." She explained.

"Your dad… oh! Vernon Van Dyne, the chemist. Right?" Connor recalled, very knowledgeable about most of the Avengers public identities. With nothing to do other than wait around for his next unemployment check, he did his best to learn whatever little facts he could about a variety of topics.

"Wow, looks like someone's good a Trivial Pursuit." Jan teased.

"Connor here is a science journal aficionado." Hank elaborated. "He's very familiar with my thesis on microbiology and entomology."

"Don't pat yourself on the back too hard, Hank. You'll knock something loose." The brunette joked. "I'm gonna get to work on a little something for you to wear in the field." She promised Connor with a twinkle in her blue eyes. Then she leaned over and kissed Hank on the cheek. "You boys have fun." She said with a wave, making to leave. Connor watched her go, his brain mildly obsessed with the act that had just taken place.

"So… you and her are… together?" He slowly inquired of Hank.

"Huh? Oh! Yes. Yes, we've… been together for some time. Ever since her father was killed." The doctor responded, not even looking up from his notes.

"Oh…" Connor said simply. He turned back to the lab entrance, watching Janet leave with a sway in her step. His eyes were glued to her until she disappeared completely. "You're a lucky man, Hank." He said wistfully.

"Hm? Oh, thank you." Hank replied, rather absentmindedly.

Later that day…

With his medical profile completed, Connor was ushered into the expansive training room of the mansion, a sense of utter giddiness filling his soul. It was his first big step forward, graduating from washout scientist to Avenger. Already waiting for him were Tony, Cap, Black Panther and Wasp.

"Welcome to our little training center, Connor." Tony announced, his Iron Man helmet off and under one arm. "You'll be spending the next few days in here, getting ready for field work."

"Field work, eh? You really want me out there with you guys."

"You managed to take down and stop Roland and his gang by yourself. You've got talent, it just needs to be refined." Steve Rogers told him, the hood of his Captain America suit removed.

"Speaking of abilities, any more we should know about before we get started?" Tony inquired. Connor swallowed nervously, the moment he had been fretting over had arrived. He closed his eyes and took a breath, believing his one shot at the Avengers would be totaled.

The world generally frowned upon people like him.

"Well, you see… I'm a technopath." He confessed in a sheepish tone of voice. "From birth, I've had the power to interface with machines and technology on a telepathic level." The news surprised the Avengers.

"Doesn't that technically make you a 'mutant'?" Tony asked.

"According to all existing definitions and policies, yes." Connor said with a shrug. "My parents didn't care much for the term, though. It never manifested in strange ways and came in real handy whenever the home computer was on the fritz." The explanation out of the way, he looked up into the eyes of his teammates, all of them on him. "I, uh, hope that doesn't change things…"

"Are you kidding? We're not like those bigots who hate mutants. We love them!" Wasp announced.

"Well, 'love' is a loose term," Tony mused.

"What he means is, we'll accept you regardless." Steve told Connor. "So long as you remain a man of upright moral character and are willing to act the way you did at Hammer's headquarters, we'll back you one-hundred percent."

"So long as I can run some tests to see this in action. I mean, if you're better than my own IT guys, I might have a job for you at Stark Industries." Tony remarked. Connor allowed himself to smile, a small one.

"Thank you. I mean it, thank you. I've kept this under wraps from years, fearing I'd get put on some list and be hunted down by the government."

"Rest assured, you're safe with us." Steve promised, laying a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Now, what do you know about hand to hand combat?"

"All I know is moves from playing Street Fighter when I was younger. Even then, they're not all that realistic." Connor admitted.

"Everyone starts somewhere." Steve said. "Now, let's go a couple rounds with the bag." He suggested, guiding Connor over to a punching bag. "Arms up, loose yet coiled. Ready to spring at a moment's notice. You want your stance tight but nimble." The captain described, guiding Connor's arms and feet into an appropriate boxer's stance.

"Tight but nimble. Got it." The technopath replied, taking a few breaths and waiting until Steve had moved. Then he landed his first punch on the bag. The material was sturdy and far less flexible than he took it to be at first glance. The result was a solid impact.

"Good. Right's and left's. Go." Steve instructed. Connor did as told, applying his left hand to the mix as he drilled the bag with a steady series of basic punches. Steve watched, impressed as rough, hesitant moves become faster and more fluid. The longer Connor worked, the better he became. "And roundhouse." Connor did as asked, his right arm hooking around into the side of the bag-

"YEOWCH!" He screamed, his hand recoiling as he clutched it in pain. Steve and Wasp were there in a moment.

"What happened?" The captain asked, sounding concerned.

"I have no idea!" Connor cried, his eyes watering. "But that was the most painful thing I've ever felt!" Tony stepped in, sliding on his helmet.

"JARVIS, give me an x-ray." Using his multi-spectrum optical scanners, a blue beam swept over Connor's hand, drafting a holographic render of its findings. "Hm… no breaks…" Tony mused. "Huh. Looks like there's a space between the metal and your bones in the knuckle region."

"Oh goodie." Connor winced, still shrugging off the painful aftermath. "The force of impact must've rubbed some nerves the wrong way…" He groaned.

"Yep, looks like it." Tony surmised, his scan complete. "Hang tight, I'm sure we have gloves around here." As he walked off, Connor tentatively flexed his hand.

"Gonna be okay?" Wasp asked.

"Yeah… Yeah… just hurt like the dickens, that's all." He murmured. Soon enough a pair of fingerless gloves, padded around the knuckle, were around Connor's hands and he went right back to punching the bag… admittedly throwing out hesitant, ginger punches with his right hand until his confidence was restored.

Later, Connor was ushered into the room's sparring ring, shaped much like the typical boxing/wrestling ring. "So, uh, what's next?" The rookie wondered.

"Time to test your mettle against a real opponent." Steve told him.

"Uh… so soon?"

"We've got to get you up and ready for missions. Nothing like experience for a teacher." Steve declared, sliding his shield into place over one arm. "First, you'll face off against Panther. He'll teach you a few things about holding your own." At his word, Black Panther vaulted into the ring, always spry and agile.

"Are you ready, Connor?" He asked.

"As ready as I can be." Connor sighed, putting up his arms.

"Lesson one, be prepared to get back up again." Launching forward feet-first, Panther's boots collided with Connor's rapidly-raised arms, the blow pitching him back into the ropes of the ring. The Wakandan moved relentlessly fast, landing two blows into Connor's guard and then a roundhouse to his stomach, causing him to double over with a gasp. A final leg sweep knocked him flat on the mat, groaning as he made impact.

"I think I get it now." He grumbled, pushing himself back to his feet. "Alright, get back up. What's lesson two?"

"Use your strengths to any effect." T'Challa came at him again, Connor quickly raising his arms and blocking incoming punches. Then his arms began to glow with white veins as his magnet harnesses powered up. Quickly crossing his limbs, he reached out with the magnetic field, desperately hoping some magnetic material was lacing Panther's gloves. To his delight, they found something and latched on, managing to hold both his limbs at bay, the natural forces too much for even T'Challa to overcome. But he found a way and used the hold on his arms as a foundation to launch a dropkick that caught Connor in the chest.

"Oof!" The air rushing from his lungs, Connor was knocked flat on his back. "Ow…!"

"Lesson three, always be ready to move." Black Panther stated.

"R-Right." Connor groaned, picking himself up.

From there, the training session went much the same. Lesson after lesson, generally involving Connor getting laid out on the mat and suffering a few bruises in the process. Eventually, Black Panther switched out for Steve, the captain taking a turn as Connor's sparring partner.

"Please tell me you're gonna actually teach me some moves." He begged, feeling sore from having his ass handed to him by T'Challa.

"Pain is a part of the learning process, Connor. It helps you grow accustomed to it. And in this business, pain comes often." Steve replied, slipping his hood on. Leaving his shield strapped across his back, Captain America raised his arms like a boxer and beckoned Connor forward. "Hit me. Give it everything you've got." Striding forward, but not with much confidence, Connor swung with a right then a left. Cap dodged him with ease, landing a single punch that connected with his jaw and planted him on the floor of the ring almost instantaneously. The powerful blow was enough to cause Janet to wince uncomfortably.

With a pained groan, Connor forced himself back up and kept going. But after another handful of bruising defeats, getting laid out continually and only ever landing a blow against Cap's impenetrable block, Connor called it quits and limped over to the post of the ring for a breather.

"Feeling alright?" Tony asked as he strode over.

"I haven't felt this bad since the accident." Connor groaned, running a hand through his sweat-slicked black hair. "I can't fight like that… I-I don't know a thing about punching properly or whatever."

"Neither can I." Tony sympathized. "Cap just likes to make sure everyone can hold their own." With much difficulty, Connor crawled out of the ring and sat down beside it with a groan. As he did, Tony held out a small briefcase. "Here, I brought something I thought might be of interest." Flicking a pair of tabs the case fell open, revealing neat rows of six metal cylinders. Thoroughly interested, Connor lifted one out, the metal cold to the touch and about 8 inches in length. They were all identical.

"Huh. What is this… iron?" He wondered.

"Cast-iron. Leftover from a project that never went anywhere." Tony explained. "Naturally magnetic. Thought you could possibly find a use for it." Testing his words, Connor triggered his magnets and let the device hover above his palm, suspended in place thanks to the projected magnetic field.

"Maybe so. Thank you, Tony." Connor offered in reply. He took the case and studied the rods for a moment longer… maybe he could come up with some way to make use of them…

"Pardon my interruption, sir, but Interpol data has pinpointed the location of one of the breakout escapees." JARVIS suddenly announced through the room's speaker system.

"Which one?" Tony asked.

"The Crimson Dynamo, sir. Located in skies over Switzerland." Tony's brow furrowed into a glare.

"Him again!"

"The who-now?" Cap wondered with a raised brow.

"We'll explain on the way." Tony mused, quickly popping on his helmet. "We'll go handle this one, Connor, stay put and keep training."

"Yeah, sure thing." He affirmed with a nod. Cap and Panther abandoned the ring as Wasp shrunk down and took flight in pursuit of her comrades, Iron Man broadcasting an alert to Thor and Hank.

"Avengers, Assemble!"

And just like that, they were gone and the training room fell silent, Connor its sole occupant.

Picking himself up, the dark haired man paused to examine the iron cylinders he'd been gifted. He studied them for some time, turning them over in his grip, feeling their cold smoothness and questioning, pondering what he could do.

"I wonder…" Reaching out with his magnets, he grasped each piece of iron and levitated them into his hand. Tapping into his technopathic abilities, he boosted the power and strength of the magnetic generators, allowing him to seamlessly manipulate the field projected around the iron rods. Pulling them into a line, each cylinder came together with a soft metallic clink, forming a single staff 48 inches long.

Taking it in hand, Connor promptly smacked one end of the staff against the training room floor, hard. A loud clang echoed throughout the room, but the staff remained intact, held together by the powerful force of his magnets. "Okay, okay… getting somewhere." He mused, a faint excitement bubbling up within him. T'Challa's words echoed in his mind, possibly the most useful ones he'd heard all day. "Use your strengths to any effect." Grasping both ends of the staff, he tugged and pulled it into equal sections of three each, forming a pair of batons. They still held together, his magnetic fields strong and nigh unbreakable. "Now these I need to learn how to use." He said to himself. He was a scientist, a mechanic, he needed to study the issue of training to be a superhero from a mechanic's point of view. "Take the situation apart. See what makes it tick." He murmured. "Once we know each working part, we deal with it one part at a time." With his batons in hand, he left the ring behind him and ventured over to the holographic display station, capable of generating enemies of any type and caliber. The room was thick with data leaping back and forth, conversations between different devices that Connor was fully capable of dissimilating into individual connections.

He reached out with his mind, his thoughts entangling with each connection one by one and deciphering their language. He could soon speak it fluently and the holograms came to life one at a time, representing faceless Hydra footsoldiers. "JARVIS? You still there?" Connor asked aloud.

"Of course, Mister Peterson." The AI answered.

"Can you play music?"

"If you mean, can I play musical tracks via the mansion's speaker system, then yes."

"Got it. Play Hearts on Fire by John Cafferty. Filter into this room only, please." Connor requested.

"Right away, sir." JARVIS replied. Moments later, the heavy synth and electric guitar opening for the headline tune from Rocky IV filled the room, Connor rolling his shoulders and psyching himself up.

"Okay, Connor," he told himself, gripping his batons tightly, "time for some trial and error."

Later, Swiss airspace…

"Tell me more about this 'Crimson Dynamo'." Cap asked as the Quinjet streaked through the frigid alpine air.

"He's a Russian national named Anton Vanko. He's a brilliant engineer that created a suit of armor similar to Iron Man's… but a lot bigger and with more weapons." Ant-Man explained from the pilot's seat.

"The Soviets were our allies against Hydra. Did things change that much while I was frozen?" Steve queried. Hank was forced to pause, realizing the Captain America had missed the entirety of the Cold War.

"Um… yes. A lot. It's complicated." He replied. Now was not the time for a history lesson that packed. "Good thing for us, Vanko isn't. He's obsessed with destroying Iron Man. His armor is based on Tony's technology. And Tony is… well… let's just say he's a little protective of his technology." Hank surmised. "He's been trying to take Vanko down ever since they first met. And he finally did."

"Until the breakout." Cap concluded.

"Right. We've been tracking all the escaped villains, but I'm pretty sure this one's at the top of Iron Man's list. Sometime's I forget who is obsessed with who." Ant-Man mused.

"You said this 'Vanko' had weapons?" Steve wondered, glancing out the side viewport.

"Yes. A lot. Why do you-?" Hank queried, only to find his answer the moment he glanced out the same viewport. Multiple red explosions dotted the snowy terrain below, each one larger than the last and growing in ferocity. "Ah. Nevermind. If I had to guess, I'd say we've found the Crimson Dynamo."

Down on the ground, Thor, Wasp and Iron Man wound their way around swarms of incendiary missiles and plasma blasts as Crimson dynamo attacked from below. Iron Man promptly retaliated with heavy repulsor ray barrages.

"Pour it on Avengers!" He shouted over the din. "Whatever it takes, just put him down!"

"You are a coward, Iron Man! Do you hear me? A coward!" Dynamo roared from below, his armor tanking each repulsor blast. "You knew I would destroy you during the breakout, so you ran! And now you bring others to fight for you!" More explosive ordinance filled the air from Dynamo's shoulder launchers, Thor batting side missiles with Mjolnir as Tony's defence protocols took them out one at a time.

"Truly, Iron Man, this Dynamo talks too much." The Asgardian remarked.

"Well, feel free to shut him up, Thor." Tony offered. With a grin, Thor dropped to the ground, his hammer fully charged and unleashing a powerful shockwave that bowled over Dynamo.

"HAVE AT THEE, VILLAIN!" He roared, powerful lightning strikes from Mjolnir driving Crimson Dynamo flat on his back and into the snow. Wasp swooped in from up high, peppering the Russian's large glass dome with her biostings.

"So, let me get this straight: you're a second-rate Iron Man knockoff who really likes the color red. I can't believe you're the reason I'm not skiing in the Swiss Alps right now!" She jeered, flying circles around him as electric yellow stings landed scattered hits across his armor.

"No… not knockoff, my armor is superior." Dynamo countered. "Allow me to demonstrate…" Reaching up out a massive mechanical hand, he snatched Wasp out of the air, pinning her tiny body within his grip. Releasing a cry of pain, Wasp struggled vainly as Dynamo laid Thor out flat with his plasma caster.

Dropping down from above, Black Panther and Captain America went on the attack. Launching a series of explosive Vibranium daggers, the Wakandan scored good hits on Dynamo's dome, cracking the glass. Moving in next, Cap swung his shield like a battering ram, shattering the glass and smashing Dynamo across the head. "Back off, 'comrade'!" He remarked as Dynamo was driven once more into the ground, smoke rising from his shattered helm as various subsystems shorted out. The Avengers gathered before him, Ant-Man dropping down to join the ensemble.

"Stay down, Vanko. It's over. You're done." Tony snapped. "You steal my tech, this is what happens. You're going away for a long-"

"Uh, Tony?" Hank interrupted. Iron Man waved him off.

"He needs to know, Hank. They all need to know, my armor will not be used for…"

"Iron Man…?" Cap trailed off.

"Just turn around, Tony!" Wasp shouted, finally drawing his attention to the item of importance that had enraptured his colleagues.

The moment he did, he found out why it was so important.

Four individuals stood on a nearby peak. Leading them was a man in blue, black and yellow, his identity concealed by a domino mask while the iconic USSR emblems of a hammer and sickle adorned his chest, identical weapons also gripped in each hand. The blonde haired Nikolai Krylenko was a man who showed no fear and beheld a commanding presence as the team leader: Vanguard.

Beside him was a woman in a skintight black and yellow bodysuit, her long blonde hair flowing in the chilly mountain air while vibrant violet energies surrounded her fists. Unbeknownst to the team, Laynia Petrovna (Nikolai's twin sister) drew her power from the Darkforce Dimension, hence her alias of Darkstar.

Behind them sat a massive brown bear, bigger than any normal species, its expression tightly furrowed in a rather human-like fashion. Under any other circumstances, he would've masqueraded as a normal man: Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus. But under these circumstances, he was Ursa Major; the only mutant accepted on Russian soil.

Hovering above them, a man in an electromechanical suit of armor with a vaguely green tint provided their air and fire support. Heavily armed and capable of mid-air combat, Boris Bullski was a force to be reckoned with as the one-man army: Titanium Man.

"The Winter Guard has come for Crimson Dynamo!" Vanguard announced. Leading his team down into the plateau, the Russian superhero squad stood opposite the Avengers. "I recommend you do not stand in our way." He added. The Avengers tensed at his words, the possibility of a brewing fight lingering in their minds.

"Who are you?!" Tony demanded. "If you're working with Dynamo-"

"We are not, Iron Man. I am called Vanguard, and my team and I are servants of the Russian Federation." Nikolai promised. Iron Man paused, assessing them all, then chose to continue… warily.

"What do you want with Dynamo?"

"He has committed crimes against the Russian people. We are here to see he faces spravedlivost. Our justice." Vanguard explained.

"Vanko seems like a popular man." Cap mused. Hank took even more positively to the situation.

"Tony, this could solve our immediate problem. We don't have anywhere to put the Dynamo, we can't trust SHIELD to hold him, and Hydrobase hasn't finished construction yet." He suggested. But Iron Man whirled on him.

"What? I'm not turning Dynamo over to these guys." He sharply retorted.

"Tony…" Cap responded in a low, wary tone. Iron Man turned on him next.

"Vanko stole from me, Cap. He hurt people with my technology! We're taking him." He stated, ending the discussion. Meanwhile, Thor, Panther and Wasp remained vigilant by the downed Dynamo, watching the newcomers from a distance.

"They have a giant bear. Freaky." Janet mused.

"Indeed. Such creatures are seldom seen even in my native Wakanda." T'Challa concurred.

"Verily." Thor agreed. Vanguard took a step closer.

"We are not asking, Mstitel. This is going to happen." He stated gravely. Titanium Man touched down beside him, his visor and central reactor glowing green in an almost-radioactive fashion.

"The Winter Guard is here with the permission of the Swiss Goverment. Are you, comrade? By what authority do you take Anton Vanko?" Boris questioned.

"Step away from the Dynamo. We do not wish for any beda." Vanguard commanded. Despite their heavily accented voices, Iron Man's HUD was able to translate and Tony knew just how to respond.

"You don't want any trouble? Well, guess what…" His ARC reactor glowed brightly, blue energy forming within the central focusing lens as Tony charged up his unibeam, "you got some!" Unleashing an almighty blast from his chest, Iron Man struck the quickly-raised weapons of Vanguard, hammer and sickle glowing brightly as they shielded him from the blast, shunting him back and leaving trails through the snow.

"Tony! Stop!" Hank cried, grabbing his shoulders in an effort to subdue his attack. But the damage had already been done. With his weapons aglow, Vanguard urged his team onwards.

"Winter Guard, attack!" The trio sprang into action, Titanium Man blasting Iron Man with twin beams of emerald energy and pitching him across the ground into a snowy cliffside.

"JARVIS, analyze that armor's systems!" Tony ordered.

"Unable to comply, external sensors offline." His AI grimly reported as Titanium Man closed in. Meanwhile, Thor moved in to take his place against Vanguard, ducking low as a sizzling energy beam from his hammer narrowly missed his head.

"Your weapons are impressive, mortal… but allow me to show you the power of a true hammer!" He thundered, retaliating in turn with the electric might of Mjolnir. As they struggled, Cap and Panther struggled against Ursa Major, the Wakandan pouncing on the ursine mutant's back and attempting to throw him, only for the bear to grab Panther's glove with his teeth and pull him off, sending Black Panther crashing into a rocky outcrop.

"Panther!" Cap cried, quickly raising his shield to block against Ursa's claws.

"Walk away Captain, before you and your komanda are hurt. Or worse." The bear growled. Cap raised a confused brow beneath his hood.

"Talking bears?! The future gets weirder every day…" He muttered under his breath.

Flexing her impressive powers, Darkstar shrouded herself in Darkforce energy as she challenged Wasp and Ant-Man. "You chose this, Avengers, not us! T'ma poglotit tebya!" She cried, unleashing a burst of pitch-black energy that consumed Wasp whole, Janet disappearing into the dark with a scream of terror.

"Jan!" Hank shouted in alarm, quickly toggling his belt regulator and growing to Giant Man size. He moved on Darkstar, a massive hand reaching for the woman and severing the Darkforce flow enshrouding Wasp. Her beams colliding with his hand, Darkstar turned frightened as she struggled to maintain her control.

"No, no! Stay away koloss!" She shrieked as Janet renewed her flight with a shake of her head.

"Ugh! What is that? It's like I was stuck inside the color black!" She questioned aloud.

"She's manipulating some kind of energy, it might be other-dimensional. That's amazing!" Hank said, awed by Darkstar's powers.

"Amazing?! It tried to eat me!" Wasp exclaimed in disbelief. Diving in to attack Darkstar, Wasp peppered a hastily-raised shield with her biostings. "And that's for blasting me with your weird black stuff!"

Grappling in the sky, Iron Man and Titanium Man went head to head, trading metal, mechanized blows and sizzling energy bolts. "Are you insane, Iron Man? We both want the same thing: Crimson Dynamo in prison!" Boris shouted.

"Is that right? Well, here's a question for you: where did you get that armor?" Tony retorted. "Because I can't help but notice the similarities to Dynamo's… and that means it's mine!" Unleashing a barrage of micro-missiles from his shoulders, Tony called up his AI again, "Talk to me JARVIS, I need to know what's in that armor."

"Sir, sensors are still offline. Repair systems still need time." JARVIS responded as Titanium Man's energy field blocked out his explosive ordinance.

"Dostatochno! We do not wish to fight!" He shouted. His voice carried over the din, drawing the attention of both the Avengers and the Winter Guard.

"Your armored warrior wishes to stop the battle?" Thor questioned as Mjolnir's lightning battled the energy beams from Vanguard's hammer.

"We did not come here to battle the Avengers. Your Iron Man attacked us." Nikolai grunted. "But if you wish to fight, we will oblige you!" Hearing his words, Giant Man broke through the din, trying to bring some common sense to the chaotic scene.

"Cap! Panther! Thor! This is pointless! We're the problem here, not them!" Still grappling with Ursa Major, the Wakandan and the supersoldier had the mutate in a combined chokehold, struggling to contain him.

"The words of the Winter Guard appear to ring true." T'Challa noted.

"Your Ant-Man speaks the truth, chelovek-kot." Ursa rumbled. Hearing his affirmation, Cap paused and slowed his shield from around Ursa Major's thick neck.

"We… We need to stand down, Iron Man." He concluded. Pausing up above, Iron Man hovered in place as a silence crept across the land. It was broken by a synthesized chuckling, wrought from a revived Crimson Dynamo.

"You are right to suspect them, Stark. Who do you think their first recruit was for the Winter Guard?" He asked in a rather leading tone. "Who do you think designed the Titanium Man armor?" Tony paused, putting the pieces together in his mind.

"Dynamo…" He trailed off.

"He lies. You cannot listen to that lzhets." Titanium Man urged. Thor clued in.

"The Dynamo is a villain and cannot be trusted, friend Stark. He is manipulating you!" He called out. Cap nodded in agreement as a released Ursa Major mutated back into his human form, clad in a jumpsuit marked with Soviet emblems.

"They're willing to talk. Let's listen to what they have to say… carefully." Steve urged. Darkstar also stood down, prompting Giant Man and Wasp to do the same.

"And if we don't like what you have to say, then zapping will resume." She promised, hands on her hips.

"Jan… that's not helping." Hank sighed, moving on. "Iron Man, I know what's going through your head. These people are not the enemy."

"And what if you're wrong, Hank?" Tony questioned. "You don't know what my tech can do in the wrong hands. I do. I've seen it."

"I sense no trickery among them. The Winter Guard are formidable, and while their tone is filled with arrogance-"

"The truth is that you did attack them first. Let's hear them out." Cap finished on his behalf. Iron Man stayed silent, dwelling on their words.

"We could do that…" he slowly replied, turning on Titanium Man, "or I could just take my armor back and then we could talk!" He shouted, barreling towards the verdant armor suit.

From his position, Crimson Dynamo cackled. He had sown the seeds of discord and chaos, dividing both of his enemies against each other and doing away with what could've been a potent alliance. Now all that was left was for him to do was to destroy both sides.

Unleashing a volley of heat-seeking missiles, his incendiary salvo bore down on an oblivious Iron Man, but Titanium Man took notice right away.

"Vysmatrivat'!" He cried in alarm, streaking past the armored Avenger and taking the incoming volley point blank, an explosion enveloping his verdant frame as Tony whirled around in surprise. Shocked by the Winter Guardsman's selflessness, he looked in on shocked horror as Titanium Man disappeared from view in a fiery plume.

"No!" Down on the ground, Thor, Darkstar, Wasp and Vanguard joined forces to attack Crimson Dynamo, beams of Darkforce, bio-electricity, lightning and photons striking his electromechanical suit. "Villain!" Thor cried, channeling his angry power into Mjolnir.

"Perhaps. But I am not a liar nor thief. Not like Stark." Vanko retorted, using his surviving traversal systems to escape the onslaught.

Catching Titanium Man in his arms, Iron Man brought him to the ground. "Stay with me, I've got you!" He promised, setting Brois down as his restored external sensors quickly swept over his chassis. "You saved me… Why? Why would you-" He abruptly stopped, his scans drawing a negative response that caused a look of horror that dawned on him. "Your armor, I… oh no, I… that's not my design at all." He realized. His gaze lingered on the exposed, sparking reactor core powering his suit. It glowed green, possibly dangerously so, energy readings were climbing and far too quickly for it to be a safe thing.

"I-Iron Man," Boris sputtered, "the power core… it is still unstable. High intensity radiation. A design flaw…" he rasped, "it is going to explode."

"What's the blast radius?" Tony asked, concentrating on variables.

"Several miles… you must run…" Boris urged. Reaching into his chestplate, Tony tore out the power core instead.

"I don't think so." With that, he took to the skies at top speed, his boosters propelling him at a supersonic pace into the upper reaches of the sky. He disappeared moments later when Titanium Man's core detonated, filling the sky with a man-made dawn that illuminated the plateau below with orange and gold. Avenger and Winter Guard alike stopped to watch, each offering a silent prayer in hope that Tony had survived his suicide mission.

The moment a larger piece of smoking debris plummeted from the cloud of smoke and flame, Thor took off in hot pursuit. He came across the scorched and shattered remains of Iron Man's armor, a bloody and bruised Tony visible beneath the broken faceplate, catching his friend and ally in his arms and able to listen to a few scant words muttered between coughs, "Sorry… Avengers… may… m-may have been wrong…" he apologized before passing out.

Some time later…

Coming to with a cough, Tony felt the chilly alpine air bite at the exposed flesh of his bruised face before he groaned, "ow… being dead sucks." The friendly faces of his colleagues and newfound allies above him, it took Ant-Man and Vanguard to hoist him to his feet.

"I think you're gonna be okay, soldier." Cap commented.

"Where's Dynamo?" Tony queried.

"Gone. He escaped during the explosion." T'Challa answered.

"It was really big." Wasp emphasized. Tony nodded in agreement, having experienced it for himself, and turned to the Russian heroes.

"Look, Vanguard… I'm sorry. This is all my fault." He apologized. Nikolai nodded in acceptance and agreement.

"You are right. But we were entirely truthful either. The Winter Guard did try and recruit that zlodey Crimson Dynamo." Vanguard confessed. "We realized our mistake, but not before people were hurt. Now we try to make up for that mistake, nashe pokayaniye." Tony seemed to understand better this time around, nodding as Nikolai spoke. "When next we meet, let us meet as allies, tovarish." He offered. Tony quickly nodded.

"Agreed." The Winter Guard turned to leave, Vanguard offering a hand of salute.

"Proshchaniye, Avengers. And good hunting!" The Avengers waved them off before Tony turned inwards, one more apology to make.

"Guys… I'm sorry. Dynamo… I got blinded. I just had to be the one to take him down."

"Of course. For all your gold and science, you are still a warrior at heart." Thor sympathized, a hand on his shoulder.

"It's just… I've seen my technology destroy lives too often. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by it." Tony explained.

"Understandable. But you're not up against this alone." Steve offered. Tony sighed.

"I know. It's just… It takes some getting used to. This 'team' thing." He replied. "And now, because of me, Crimson Dynamo is still on the loose."

"Wakandan elders often say 'he who recognizes his fault is already fully healed'." Black Panther sagely offered. "Now the question is, will you learn from this or repeat the lesson later?"

"The former, I hope." Tony answered. "And, well, next time I'll just bring the handy-dandy technopath we have on hand."

"In that case, I think we should head back to the Mansion and bring Connor up to speed. He can't be an Avenger if he's not properly run through training and such." Hank proposed, earning the agreement of everyone.

Later, back at Avengers Mansion…

The irons split into three pieces, spinning around Connor's hands until they became a blur of motion. Sprinting forward, his motions were precise and fluid, bashing two Hydra troopers in the head with heavy-metal impacts that knocked them down. The irons reformed into batons as he slid across the ground on his knees, quickly two more Hydra troopers down with quick assaults to their legs.

Yellow bullet rounds whizzed past him as three separate defence turrets attacked him with their salvos. Quickly snapping his batons together to form a staff, he planted his weapon on the ground and used his magnets to vault off, Connor flying through the air and barely managing to land on top of the central turret. A mere touch was all he needed to interface with its circuits, overriding its commands and implanting new ones in the wake of his efforts. The turret then turned first to its left, shooting the turret there before it exploded, before doing the same with the turret on its right. An explosion of sparks and rippling electricity followed suit as Connor hopped off, the turret shutting down in obedience to his new command.

Retrieving his staff, Connor paused to breathe. The turrets were down, the Hydra soldiers were down, all in all a pretty successful training run with his newfound capabilities. "JARVIS, how long was that?" He asked aloud.

"In accordance with existing Avengers training times, you have the twenty-seventh fastest time Mister Peterson." Breathing a sigh of acceptance, Connor figured it was time for a break. Sweat matted his hair to his brow, stained his shirt front to back, he was in desperate need of a shower. But not before he made sure he had something to show for his efforts.

Spying a nearby bench, he made to sit. Splitting the staff into its components, he dropped the iron down on the space beside him before also taking a seat. Connor wiped the sweat from his brow, noticing other stains under his arms as well. Footsteps suddenly sounded from the room's entrance and his head rose to check…

In strode Janet, still in her hero dress, carrying a bottle of water and a towel.

"Caught sight of you on security and figured you could use these." She said with a smile. Connor allowed himself to smile, Janet's very presence bright and cheery.

"Oh… thank you," he replied, accepting the items from her, "you didn't have to."

"Looked like you were going hard. I thought you could use a break." Janet said. With a nod, Connor happily chugged half the bottle before running the towel through his hair, doing his best to wipe up the excessive amounts of sweat. "You've been training ever since we left?" She asked. Connor nodded.

"Had to keep trying. I needed to have something to show everyone." He explained. Janet offered him a friendly smile.

"All your hard work is bound to pay off." She promised. "You're doing good, Connor. You ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me." His smile broadened, his brown eyes meeting her blues in a moment of connection. For the first time, in a very long time, someone made his heart sing with elation. Someone looked upon him with favor and friendliness.

"I… I will. Thank you, Janet." He offered softly in reply.

"Feel free to call me 'Jan', all my friends do." She told him. "I'm gonna go work on your suit now. Catch you later!" With a cheery wave, Jan made to leave. Connor remained where he was, entranced and enraptured by her very presence. He breathed a happy sigh, content with the interaction that had just taken place.

If only she were single… He thought to himself.

Elsewhere, on the northern coast of Germany…

Having limped his Crimson Dynamo suit back to his secret home, Anton stripped off his armor and hung it up for some much needed repairs. Scorch marks, dents and other superficial plating damage were the least of his worries. Entire systems needed to be rebooted and overhauled, a near-complete internal makeover scheduled in the pilot's mind.

But it would all be worth it.

"I will make my armor better, more powerful. I will destroy him." He murmured in the dim light of his workshop. Running a hand across crumpled crimson plating, Anton knew that the freedom the breakout had provided him was an opportunity to be better than before. He had to make the Crimson Dynamo armor the best it could possibly be. "I will destroy Tony Stark, even if I have to destroy the Avengers to do it." He vowed.

A green glow suddenly lit his shop and Anton whirled around as a voice with a feminine lilt called his name. "You wish to destroy the Avengers, Anton Vanko?" His eyes adjusting to the light, Anton quickly took note of a woman in green, flanked by the regal form of Baron Zemo, the imposing Skurge and the unstable Wonder Man. Enchantress offered him an alluring smile, "We can help." She promised.

"Join our ranks, Doctor Vanko, ranks of men just like you… men who want the Avengers dead." Zemo offered. Anton didn't say a word, but his smile was all they needed…

Chapter Text

His first day on the job! The time has come for Connor Peterson to take to the world stage, true believers! Bear witness as he embarks on his first-ever heroics with the mighty Avengers! Interested? Intrigued? Scroll down to read all about his-

Chapter 4: Life in the Limelight

A bright, mid-morning sun shone brightly across the metropolis of New York City, the crimson and gold armor of Iron Man bright and visible as he flew across the skyline. To the Avenger, it was another day of seeing the same sights from high above, watching vigilantly for any sign of crime or criminal activity. "Ahhhh… a balmy eighty degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Normally, I'd say its time to take a trip to Miami, but oh well. Someone's gotta watch the city." Tony remarked, setting down on a rooftop. "How about you, Connor? Feeling the vibes of the day?" He wondered.

The man in question was right behind him, clad in an all-new outfit designed by Janet. Primarily a metal-mesh bodysuit of silvery-grey, a large black chevron spread across his chest. Above it, the suit covering his shoulders and neck was dark grey, which wrapped around his head and across his eyes in a chevron-shaped mask. His arms were wrapped in linear strips, save for the padded gloves covering his forearms, which allowed he lines of cyberware along each to be exposed. He truly looked a bit more like a superhero. "I'm-woah! Getting the hang of it…!" Connor exclaimed as he stumbled into a standing position on the same rooftop. He took a moment to regain his footing and affirm it before he straightened up. "Clever of Jan to think about putting metal soles in the boots so I can use magnetic forces to move around in the air." He mused, checking the bottom of his black boots to reveal a silver patch between the heel and toe grips.

"Actually, that was my idea." Tony revealed, his golden mask sliding up to reveal his face. "Figured your magnets could do something with them."

"Uh, well… yeah, I guess so." Connor mused, rubbing the back of his head. "I… It's gonna take some getting used to, this hero stuff." Turning, he rested a boot up against the edge of the building's roof. "I've never done anything like this before… as far as I'm concerned, I'm still just a nobody scientist. This is way above my pay grade."

"Give it time, not everyone adapts to the hero life right off the bat." Tony assured him. "Well, except for me, that is. I was a natural." Connor snorted in amusement.

"Well, can't say that about everyone."

"Hey, buck up! You just need some experience is all." Tony promised. "Listen, I meant when I said when I told you you were Avengers material. The whole team meant it. Your abilities can propel us light years ahead when it comes to deal with technological threats. You're unique and you've earned your place with the team, Connor. Do you think any of us knew what we were getting into when we started this group?" After a moment of consideration, Connor simply shrugged. "Well, we didn't. Even now, we're still feeling our way through this. But you can help us, you add a new piece to the equation. You're a pioneer into the realm of technology and cybernetics unlike anyone else. You can help us do things no one else can." Connor stayed silent, processing everything Tony had to say.

"Wow… you really mean that?" He asked after a moment.

"Of course I do." Tony said sincerely, a hand on his shoulder. Before he could continue, the sound of an explosion ripped through the quiet air, coming from further down the street below him.

"That… didn't sound good." Connor remarked.

"Certainly not the ten o'clock subway." Tony agreed, his mask flipping into place. "JARVIS, what are we looking at?"

"Multiple armed hostiles are attacking a building belonging to Roxxon Oil, sir." His AI revealed, a scan showing a dozen armored and armed individuals on the warpath.

"Wow, definitely a party down there. Ready for your first day on the job, Connor?" Tony asked.

"You lead I'll follow." Connor promised, quickly leaping up onto the edge of the rooftop. Iron Man took off with his jet thrusters as Connor levitated into the air, using his magnetic control over his plated boots to fly under his own power.

Down the street, about a dozen individuals in SWAT-style body armor, armed with advanced energy-based rifles as they stormed a simple brick-front building. One of which was hefting a massive cannon over their shoulder, clearly a weapon capable of causing plenty of harm.

"Attention wannabe-thieves!" Iron Man announced, drawing their attention to the airborne duo. "You know, there's more constructive things you could be doing with your time. I mean, if you're this dedicated to busting into someplace, imagine what you could do if you applied yourself to a real job." In response, all of them simultaneously opened fire on Iron Man.

"Woah!" Connor immediately dropped to the ground and reached out with his magnets, snaring two rifles and pulling them from the hands of their users. With a flick of his wrists, the weapons were sent hurtling into other felons, smashing them upside the head. Iron Man promptly nailed the other two with repulsor blasts. "These guys aren't kidding around!" Connor remarked.

"You're telling me," Tony agreed, his sensors sweeping over the crook with the shoulder-mounted weapon, "that's a proton cannon; powerful stuff!" The moment he finished, the cannon-wielding fiend turned and fired on the armored Avenger, Iron Man quickly countering with his chest-mounted unibeam. The two beams of energy collided, a struggle for dominance unfolding as Connor continued to dismantle the rest of the goons.

A flick of his wrist propelled a rifle back into the face of its user while he made a fist with his other hand that caused another rifle to be crushed. Turning towards a pair of three villains, Connor drew his irons from their sheaths on his pants and sent them flying towards the trio with a flick of his wrist, all three taken down as two cylinders apiece slammed into their heads and knocked them out cold. Recalling the pieces, Connor quickly forged a pair of batons and sent them hurtling towards another pair of felons, his weapons smashing into their helmets and taking them out cold. Reaching out with his magnets, Connor grabbed two by their chestplates and yanked them ahead, slamming them both into his still-spinning batons.

Diverting more power to his unibeam, Iron Man won his stalemate by overpowering the proton beam and simultaneously destroying the cannon. The goon was laid out flat as his remaining fellows resumed firing. Iron Man took them all down with a quick volley of repulsor blasts, taking down the last of the goons with ease. "Well, that was eventful." He remarked as he touched down. "Nice work, Connor."

"Helps they're full of metal objects." The technopath remarked, sliding his irons back into his pant slips. "Any idea what they were after?"

"Well, it's Roxxon, so it could be just about anything." Iron Man mused, walking over to the destroyed proton cannon. "What I'm more interested in is this tech…" His optical scanners raked over the device and began tracing the various components, comparing them to known diagrams and existing company patents. "This stuff was built by Stane International." He announced after a moment.

"A competitor? I'm not familiar with him." Connor asked.

"He filled in the gap in the weapons-manufacturing business when Stark Industries backed out." Tony explained. "He's got all sorts of contracts… but what's his tech doing in the hands of lowlifes like these?"

"Sounds to me like he was either robbed or he's paying this lot to steal something from Roxxon, and supplied them too." Connor suggested.

"Could be. I've suspected Stane was up to something, but I've never had any proof. Maybe I should have a chat with him, CEO to CEO." He mused, standing up. "Notify the authorities, Connor, I'm off to have a little chat." With that, Iron Man took flight and was rocketing across the city.

Stane International was a towering monolith of glass and steel, refined and cutting edge in its efforts to emulate the will of its owner and founder, Obadiah Stane. An older man, complete with balding grey hair, beard, and piercing eyes, Stane was a masterful strategist and a cutthroat businessman who was absolutely merciless when it came to making advances within the market. His company made and produced weaponry of all kinds for many different organizations and contracts… not all of them legal.

Seated at his opulent desk of custom-crafted stainless steel, the last thing he was expecting was for his secretary to poke her head through the door, announcing a visitor he was also not expecting.

In strode Tony Stark, clad in a fine-pressed and expensive business suit, his hair neatly brushed and his goatee immaculately combed. Walking with a proud sense of purpose, he ventured into Stane's office undeterred as the older CEO stood. "Tony Stark. Whatever earned me the pleasure of receiving a visit from the 'Iron Man' himself?" Stane inquired, a partial smile on his face as he tolerated the presence of his rival.

"Long time no see, Stane. Just figured I'd pop in, see how things were going." Tony nonchalantly replied.

"Really." Stane remarked. "Color me surprised if I don't believe that."

"Yeah, you're right." Pulling a device from the inside of his jacket, Tony placed a holographic projector down on the desk and triggered a display. "Was running around the city today and discovered some goons who turned out to be carrying weapons made by your company." He announced, the blue image showcasing the shattered proton cannon. "Thoughts?" Studying the image with a shrewd and scrutinizing gaze, Stane had an answer in moments as his expression softened.

"Well… this is most… unexpected." He replied, picking his words carefully. "There was a break-in a few weeks ago at one of my warehouses. Looks like this is what become of the lost goods."

"Do tell," Tony mused, swiping the device and tucking it back into his suit jacket, "I know what that feels like, to have your stuff stolen."

"I'm sure you do." Stane remarked. "Don't tell me you're getting envious that I took your place in the weapons business." Tony simply smiled.

"Hardly. Stark Industries is doing just fine. And, hey, you wanna do weapons, that's on you." He said. "And, well, you know; when you have something actually worth stealing, everyone wants a piece. It's a feeling I know well." He replied. Stane frowned.

"Indeed." He stated as calmly as he could. "If that will be all, Tony, I do have a business to run."

"Sure sure, sorry for taking up your valuable time." Stark agreed. "I'll see myself out. But, uh, do me a favor and change the locks on the warehouses alright? I'd hate to see more of your stuff get stolen… and then have to deal with it." He mused with a cheeky smile as he paused by the door. Obadiah offered a simple smirk in return.

"As would I." With that, Tony disappeared as quickly as he came… and Stane's pleasant demeanor ended just as quickly. "Arrogant pup." He growled, facing his office window that offered him a brilliant view of New York's skyline that included Stark Tower. "He thinks he can make a mockery of me, in my own office?" Turning around, Obadiah paused by the game of chess off to one side of his desk and maneuvered the black king and the white king into a showdown position in the center of the board. He then triggered his personal phone, opening a direct line to his secretary. "Contact Doctor Zeriah. Tell him I'm on my way."

Taking a private elevator down to the lower levels of the company headquarters, Obadiah Stane entered his personal research and development labs where only projects that piqued his interest were studied and commissioned. Disembarking the elevator, he was greeted by a thin man with sparse brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses. "Zeriah, I want results and I want them now." Stane commanded simply.

"Y-Yes sir! I was just assembling a little presentation for you." The lead scientist quickly stammered in reply, hurrying to match Stane's determined stride. "The micro-scanners placed around the city have been collecting data every day for the past few weeks. We've got perfect scans of Iron Man's armor every time."

"Good. And what are we doing with that data?" Stane inquired.

"Using it to further Project Warhorse." Zeriah answered. "And… well, the results need to be seen to be believed." They paused before a railing, a mechanics bay beneath them. Gripping the barricade, Stane looked down on a most impressive sight.

A replica of Iron Man's armor; bigger, cast in blue and far more massive than the armored Avenger, sat on a production table as both drones and humans worked on it. It was mighty, it was impressive, it made Obadiah Stane smile broadly.

"If I wasn't a believer before, I am now." He mused. "Finally! A weapon to surpass all others… a machine that is superior to Iron Man in every way."

"We have yet to run any tests, but construction should be finished today." Zeriah quickly informed him.

"Fine. We'll start same-day trials today." Stane announced, surprising him.

"T-Today?! But Mister Stane-"

"No excuses, Doctor! Trials start now and that's final." Obadiah told him with a sharp glare, causing him to shy away. "And you know as well as I do that there's nothing like a field test to test one's mettle. Now contact the Chessmen, and tell them Operation: Absolute Pin is a go."

Later that day…

Avengers Mansion was an impressive estate that had been in the Stark family for generations. Located within Manhattan's district limits, the old-style mansion was quite the sight amid the towering modern skyscrapers of the city. Within its walls, the Avengers partook in simple, daily activities. Steve, Janet and T'Challa found themselves in the kitchen, the captain snacking on an apple while the Wakandan king enjoyed a fresh cup of tea along with Janet.

"I never took you for a tea granny, Panther." Janet mused, stirring her cup.

"In Wakanda, we have over three-hundred different flavors of tea. We mix different wild herbs to create new flavors." T'Challa replied, slowly sipping from his cup.

"Three-hun-… have you tried all of them?" An incredulous Janet asked.

"Most of them." He answered with a simple, knowing smile.

"Back in my day it was coffee or nothing. Now they serve it all kinds of ways; cold, with a dozen different flavors, on ice even…" Steve remarked. "I didn't even think it was possible to enjoy coffee cold. Now everyone's drinking it."

"Cap, if you don't like a caramel macchiato, I don't think we can be friends." Janet teased with a giggle. As she did, Connor slowly entered, mask lowered and on the phone.

"…I'll catch up with you later. Yeah, sounds good. Bye." Clicking the device off, he slipped it into one of his many pant pockets. "I forgot how nice it is to have a working cell phone." He remarked.

"Who was that?" Steve asked.

"Just my younger brother. We check-in on each other once in a while." Connor replied.

"I never knew you had a brother," Jan said with a slight gasp, "you're full of surprises, aren't you?" Connor smiled and shrugged.

"Pretty sure I'm winning the next round of 'two truths and a lie'." He joked. Just then, Hank dashed onto the scene.

"Have you guys seen the news?" He asked urgently.

"I didn't think you watched the news, Hank. There's no tv in that lab of yours." Janet remarked. With a roll of his eyes, Hank glanced to the kitchen's roof.

"JARVIS, bring up the current news program." He tasked. A hidden panel opened as a basic television monitor descended, quickly flicking on to reveal a live broadcast featuring multiple armored felons armed with powerful weaponry attacking a building.

"Huh… kinda reminds me of the gang Tony and I stopped this morning." Connor mused, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"And speaking of Tony…" Hank trailed off, pointing at the monitor to reveal the building currently being attacked.

"Wait! That's Stark Tower!" Janet realized.

"How long has this been going on for?" Steve asked, ready to spring into action.

"Must be recent if they're reporting on it now." Connor suggested. "But why wouldn't Tony call us?"

"It's his company, his responsibility. Something about pride of ownership getting in the way of him seeking us out." Hank theorized.

"Now that we know, it's our obligation to help a fellow Avenger." Steve declared, slipping on his hood to complete his Captain America suit. "Avengers Assemble!"

The forces assaulting Stark Tower were far from the average ensemble of faceless foot-soldiers or recognizable supervillains. Each one was unique in their own way, the number of forces even, their maneuvers strategic and almost militant at a glance. This is what Tony Stark observed as he jetted onto the scene in his Iron Man armor.

"Show's over people!" He announced, unleashing a burst of micro-missiles from concealed shoulder launchers. Some took cover, while others opened fire on him with a variety of weapons, Iron Man dipping and rolling through the air to avoid getting hit as crackling electrical beams, sizzling energy blasts and a staccato of rapid-fire rifle rounds zipped through the air around him. "Need another notice of eviction, huh? Alright, can do." Pausing in midair, he charged his repulsors with his unibeam and unleashed a triumvirate blast that ripped through the midst of their forces, causing goons to scatter left and right as his beams tore up concrete and shattered the pavement.

Amid the smoke, a pair of hulking mechanoids stepped forth to attack. Their design reminded Iron Man of a fusion between SHIELD Mandroid tech and Hydra's own armored Dreadnought troopers. Their hands containing heavy auto-repeating cannons, they blitzed him with a barrage of firepower that marred his armor, Tony raising his hands to keep his face from getting struck. The mechanoid then unleashed multiple rockets from ports on their backs, the projectiles screaming through the air and slamming into Iron Man, pitching him back and through a wall with a cry.

With their focus on Iron Man, none of the goons noticed he arrival of the Avengers further down the street. Captain America and Black Panther led the way, while Ant-Man, Wasp and Connor flew in under their own power. "Alright guys, who do we think? Hydra? AIM?" Wasp asked.

"I see no green and no yellow. I don't recognize any of them anyway." Ant-Man replied.

"These guys really look like the ones I dealt with this morning." Connor remarked. "But I can't figure out the helmets and weapons, though." Panther slid to a halt, a keen eye scanning every single felon on the ground.

"There appeared to be a uniform element to their attire," he observed, "each one of them bears a resemblance to the pieces in a game of chess." Connor dropped down to the ground, stumbling a little as he caught himself and found sure footing.

"Of course!" He cried with a snap of his fingers. "I see it now! Those are pawns," he stated, pointing to the ones carrying combat rifles and wearing dome-shaped headpieces. "Those two are rooks," he said, gesturing to each mechanoid whose cycloptic heads were shaped like the tower of a castle, "that pair has to be bishops," his finger drawn to the two with electro-staves in hand and adorned with cone-shaped helmets. "There's the knights," The two most-burly goons equipped with energy lances and their masks shaped like a horse's head. "Which makes her the queen." He concluded, pointing to a masked woman in far more elaborate armor with a crown upon her helmet.

"But who's the king?" Cap wondered aloud, seeing as they were missing one of the sixteen pieces.

"That we must ascertain from the others, I suspect." Panther determined.

"Villains modelling themselves after board games… what's next? Checkers? Poker?" Wasp remarked. The Chessmen closed in on the recovering Tony as he pulled himself free from the debris of the wall.

"Let's folks on one batch of games at a time." Cap suggested. "Starting with this lot. Keep them away from Stark Tower!" The group sprang into action, dividing into teams as Panther, Wasp and Connor went after the Chessmen while Captain America and Ant-Man made to protect Iron Man.

Just as Tony realized one of the rooks had him in its sights, the star-spangled red white and blue of Captain America came between them, his shield raised high and tanking every shot from the mechanoid with ease. Beside him, Ant-Man grew to his normal size and offered a helping hand. "Next time, just call us in advance. Waiting for the news to inform us you're in trouble isn't exactly a time-saver." He quipped.

"Thanks, I'll remember that the next time I'm ambushed." Iron Man retorted as he stood, JARVIS quickly performing a scan of his suit's integrity and coming back with an 81% functionality report.

"These guys just came out of nowhere?" Cap questioned as he adjusted his stance to take the incoming fire of both rooks.

"One minute I'm in my office, the next JARVIS is telling me there's fifteen individuals attacking the tower." Iron Man replied, quickly priming his weapons systems. Before he or Cap could take necessary action against the rooks, Connor climbed atop one and unleashed his technopathic abilities. The coding and computations were easily within the scope of his understanding, his mind quickly synching with the processors and data transmissions until he himself had been integrated with the CPU of the mechanoid. With a single thought, the rook turned and fired on its equal, quickly evaporating it's armaments with rockets before shredding its chassis with sustained autocannon fire. Using his magnets, he then grabbed the head of the mechanoid he was atop and released it from his control before leaping off and dragging the head with him, tearing out all manner of wiring and cabling as the rook shorted out and collapsed to the ground.

Black Panther, the claws of his gloves sharp and humming with raw Vibranium, cut cleaning through the weaponry of the knights, the King of Wakanda's superior athleticism and combat prowess on clear display as he singlehandedly took on the more-powerful Chessmen alone. Wasp was doing her part barraging the pawns with her bio-stings, keeping them distracted and trying to fire on her instead of Tony and Stark Tower.

"T'Challa and Connor noted this lot resembles chess pieces." Cap informed his armored comrade as he promptly socked out a pawn with a hard jab that cracked his dome-shaped helmet. "There's fifteen different individuals here, but the normal chess game involves sixteen."

"Which piece are we missing?" Tony wondered, vaping another pawn with his repulsors.

"The King." Hank answered before growing to his massive Giant Man form and swinging a colossal hand down and across the ranks of the Chessmen, sending the remaining pawns flying helplessly through the air. A quick infusion of yellow Pym Particles shrank him back to normal as he continued. "There's a queen, bishops, knights, rooks and pawns, but no king. My guess is the 'king' is the mastermind behind all of this." Tony could see the logic in his assessment.

"Maybe a bit on the nose, but-"

"Tony Stark!" Interrupted by a synthesized voice bellowing his name, Iron Man turned as a new player arrived on the battlefield. A massive electromechanical suit of blue armor touched down from the skies, dwarfing all of the Avengers. Staring in shock and awe, Iron Man reached a singular conclusion.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say that's the king." He remarked. "JARVIS, scan this guy. What am I looking at?" A cross-referencing grid search allowed JARVIS to analyze every inch of their new foe… and draw a startling conclusion.

"Over seventy percent of the armor is similar to yours, sir. Including microcircuitry and power distribution."

"What? How?" A shocked Tony gasped. Before he had a chance to answer, the queen agent stood by the armor's side.

"Prepare for your end, Tony Stark!" Its wearer announced.

"Not on my watch!" Rocketing past Captain America and Ant-Man, Iron Man surged ahead and slammed into the massive suit of armor, the two quickly travelling skyward as the queen made to engage the other Avengers.

Brandishing a scepter glowing with red energies, she fired a bolt that struck Cap's shield, the first Avenger retaliating with a shield toss that smashed into a force field hastily projected. Black Panther moved in next, hurling a trio of Vibranium daggers the queen shot from the sky, his claws striking the scepter to no effect.

"It appears to be shielded with a micro-transistor shield generator, drawing power from the scepter itself!" He announced to the team. Thinking quickly, Cap drew up a strategy.

"Connor, can you interface from a distance with your powers?" He asked the technopath, who shrugged.

"I'll give it a shot, but it might take some time." He replied.

"We'll buy you some," Cap responded, "Avengers! Hit her with everything you got!" He called to the team, hurling his shield in emphasis. Panther renewed his efforts as Ant-Man and Wasp joined the fray, bio-stings and a small army of ants quickly attacking the queen. From his distant vantage, Connor allowed his mind to drift, sensing various different technologies in the area. He closed them out and narrowed his focus, his mind processing various data outputs and circuit signals until he zeroed in on the one he was not familiar with…

In the skies above, Iron Man grappled with his blue-plated foe and having already borne the brunt of several missile and energy-based attacks. Thankfully the reactor powering this machination was nowhere near as good as his own ARC reactor, but that didn't mean it didn't pack a punch. "My particle beam emitters have twice the capacity of yours, Stark! I don't have to divert energy to keeping myself alive!"

"Man, this guy's a blowhard!" Tony grumbled as he burst free of a crushing hold and unleashed his unibeam. "JARVIS?"

"I have successfully analyzed his voice patterns, sir, and run it through a speech-comparison algorithm." His AI responded. "I have deduced with ninety-nine percent accuracy the wearer of that suit of armor to be Obadiah Stane."

"Stane?!" Tony cried in disbelief, promptly hammered with a big blue fist moments later.

"Well well, you've figured me out, have you? Now you can give your impending doom a name!" Stane roared as he blasted another missile in Iron Man's direction. Acting quickly, Tony destroyed it with a repulsor blast before Stane tackled him and flew them both into the ground, slamming Iron Man into the stairs leading to Stark Tower's front entrance. Despite the high-velocity impact, Tony struggled to free himself from Stane's grip.

"What's this about, Stane?" He rasped, fighting hard to overcome his enemy's far stronger pneumatic grip. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's simple really," Stane replied, grabbing Iron Man by the head and slamming it into the ground, "you're on top, even after you left the weapons game, and I want what you have: prominence!" Another slam, another cry from Tony as his armor impacted with the concrete stairs. "I'm better than you Stark! You really should fear an old man in a profession where men fall out young. I've got a better suit, a better business, and I make my own weapons… with which I'll raze your company to its foundations!" Forcing some additional power form his reactor into his pneumatic servos, Iron Man pushed against Stane's armored hand, managing to free himself.

"Trying to beat me at my own game, push me out of the hero market," he grunted, "you're just a regular monger, aren't you?"

"Ha! Maybe so!" Stane cackled, smashing his fist into Iron Man's helmet before lifting him up with the other. "An Iron Monger! That's what I am!"

Meanwhile, Connor had done his best to harmonize with the data transmissions of the queen's power scepter and, while difficult from a distance due to the lack of physical touch, he had finally integrated himself with the coded programming and accessed the scepter's functions. A single thought was all it took to force an override, sending jolts of energy into the user and freezing the queen in her tracks with a pained cry.

She was unable to defend herself as Cap landed a solid right cross on her jaw, sending her spinning into Ant-Man's path as he leapt from his insect mount and landed a super-powered microscopic punch that snapped her head to the side. Wasp flew in to finish her off, unleashing a potent two-handed sting that struck the queen in the forehead, overloading her neurons with a blast of bioelectricity and causing her to collapse flat on her back. Miming a gun with her thumb and index finger, Wasp blew nonexistent smoke away with a smile.

"Checkmate." She quipped with a smile. The celebration was short-lived, interrupted by a thunderous cacophony of metal on metal as Iron Monger landed another punch on Iron Man. Connor was already moving, sprinting towards the unsuspecting Obadiah Stane and reaching out with his technopathic senses. The suit was comprised of common technology, surely he could find a weak point.

Bent over the pinned Iron Man, Iron Monger was unable to react the moment Connor leapt on his back and touched his suit. Instantly, a whole new world of cybernetic connections and complex data transmission was opened to him, like seeing the stars of the cosmos for the very first time. It was brilliant, wonderful even. So complex in its own way that Connor lost himself for a moment before forcing himself to renew his quest. His mind synced up with Iron Monger's very processing systems, a complete readout of the suit's functionality and system mapping available to his mind's eye.

He needed only the briefest of glances to find Iron Monger's first flaw.

"His joints… His joints!" He cried out to his fellow Avengers. "They're based on a chain-drive system, hit them!" Black Panther wasted no time hurling a Vibranium dagger with precise timing, the weapon burying itself in Iron Monger's left elbow and shattering the whirling gearbox with a shower of sparks. Within the suit, Stane growled in frustration as he turned around and tried to whip Connor off his back. Using his magnets to remain attached, Connor held on for dear life as Captain America sent his shield spinning towards Monger like a discus, ricocheting off his right elbow and cutting the local gearbox to pieces.

Stane uttered a roar as he struggled to regain control of his suit. "No, NO! You are beneath me! You will not best me!"

"I'll tell you what is underneath you," Ant-Man remarked, his silver helmet generating harmonic infrasound frequencies that drew an entire army of ants up out of the ground, "Camponotus pennsylvanicus. Better known as black carpenter ants… pack quite the bite too." He recited from memory as the colony swarmed Iron Monger's legs, quickly cutting through all sorts of wires and mechanical components in the suit's knees, forcing Iron Monger to fall to the ground. Unleashing one more technopathic thought, Connor successfully shut down the suit's onboard computer systems before restraining Stane's arms by pulling back with his magnets.

Down for the count, Stane's struggles were for naught and he loosed a roar of outrage from the confines of his helmet. Rising to his feet, Iron Man approached him and ripped off the blue faceplate, revealing the red face of Obadiah Stane contorted into an expression of rage. "Three strikes and you're out, Obi." Tony teased. "Guess you didn't think this plan through, did you?"

"Do you really thinks this changes anything?" Stane sneered.

"Sure does. Mainly my perception of you as a mere business rival. Now you're one of my rogues gallery." Tony remarked. "By the way, while you're in prison, make sure you design something that's not a simple knock-off of my armor. This thing looks like you bought the oversized version from China."

"I made it myself!" Stane snapped, done taking barbs.

"Well, guess that's about the same as being made in China then." Tony quipped.

SHIELD and the local authorities arrived within the hour to haul off Stane and his Chessmen. The Avengers stood by to observe, ready to take action if necessary, Wasp and Ant-Man normally sized and standing tall and proud alongside their teammates. The queen agent was revealed to be Indries Moomji, an Indian supermodel that had been missing for quite some time… and was also a former interest of Tony Stark.

"Always wondered where she went…" He mused.

"Do they know why she partnered up with Stane?" Cap inquired.

"SHIELD suspects hypnosis, she's not acting like herself." Iron Man replied. "But they'll run some tests to find out for sure."

"Man, what is it with these big-buck CEO's and their mad schemes?" Wasp questioned. "It's like they need something to blow those six-figure cheques on."

"Eh, Stane's a one-off." Iron Man replied.

"Uh, do you know Justin Hammer?" Connor shot back. "Trust me, it's most of them."

"You would know." Iron Man relented. "Speaking of you, good work back there. Managed to help us all out of a jam, first with the queen and then with Stane. I for one owe you for ensuring he didn't turn my suit into a soda can." He continued, thanking Connor in his own way.

"I guess being an Avenger means helping your friends too… provided you consider me a friend." Connor replied, feeling somewhat bashful after the compliment.

"Aw, of course you are!" Janet stated with a cheery smile. "You're one of us now. Hey, speaking of which, what're we gonna call you? It's high time you picked out an alias." She queried. Connor scratched the back of his head, pondering the same thing.

"More like, what are they going to call him." Black Panther corrected as he pointed out several arriving news vans eager to cover the story now that the battle had ceased.

"Oh good, a press conference, just the quiet thing I needed to end the day." Iron Man quipped. "Guess you better piece together a name quick, Connor. You'll never get any sleep if you stick with your real name."

"Paparazzi. Got it. No pressure." The technopath remarked. He started thinking, pondering dozens of possibilities as a female reporter approached with cameraman in tow. He needed something, something that defined him and who he was; another unique member of the Avengers. It was then that he recalled Tony's words of encouragement from earlier that morning.

"You're a pioneer into the realm of technology and cybernetics unlike anyone else. You can help us do things no one else can."

He dealt on words such as technology and cybernetics, then pioneers. When he thought of pioneers he thought about trailblazers… Techblazer? No, too much of a mouthful. Old-time settlers, greek sailors, the first astronauts…

Astronauts. That was it!

Snapped out of his thought by Tony's words to the reporter, Connor came around just in time to hear, "It would've been a lot harder if not for our new recruit here." The reporter turned to him.

"A new recruit? And who might you be?" She asked, turning her microphone over to him. Rushing for an answer, Connor pieced together a word he could be proud of… a name he could go by and do good under.

"Cybernaut." He finally answered with a smile. "My name is Cybernaut."

Elsewhere…

After the massive breakout involving the escape of over seventy different super criminals, SHIELD was working on a brand new installation to hold the returned escapees, one that would have no weaknesses like installations such as The Raft or The Cube. So far it was being tested on new criminals captured by the Avengers, namely the five scientists turned villains hellbent on revenge against Justin Hammer.

Alone in his cell with a power-dampening collar around his neck, Mark Moran stewed in his anger and loathing for Connor Peterson. If not for him, his life would've stayed the same, he would've been fine. Now he was a freak, a tier lower in the evolutionary chain as far as he was concerned. The brutish nature of his powers had demoted his life from scientist to mere grunt.

His colleagues always said he was too emotional, too quick to give into whatever he was feeling. Right now, he was not interested in their thoughts. Only in revenge.

It was then that the dimness of his cell was illuminated by a green flame, one that formed a rectangular shape across the door of his cell. His vision narrowed, Mark peering into the foreign act with intense curiosity as the flame formed a portal and from the portal stepped a woman. Clad in green of varying shades, her corset-style top boasting much cleavage, even her emerald eyes shone with a wicked gleam as she offered him a smile.

"Who are you?" Mark demanded, lurching against his shackles.

"I, Doctor Moran, am here to offer you a chance." She replied, casting her hand towards him and unleashing a bolt of magical flame that shattered his collar and snapped loose his bonds. Mark slowly rose, still clad in his blue suit.

"What kind of chance? And that doesn't tell me who you are." He growled.

"Do calm yourself, Doctor. I am not your enemy, but a friend." The woman replied in a voice as smooth as silk. "I am The Enchantress and I offer you what you desire most."

"And just what is that?" Mark questioned, reaching for his mask.

"The world has turned its back on Doctor Mark Moran," Enchantress continued. Behind her the portal flashed and a second individual emerged into the cell. Clad in purple and gold trappings, the royal garb of Baron Heinrich Zemo concealed his face behind a mask of indigo but Mark knew him well enough to recognize him. "But as Cobalt," Enchantress mused, her lips curling into a smile, "we can offer you the chance to take your revenge."

Author's Note: Man I hope you all are loving this as much as I am. Returning to this old idea and acting on it is like a breath of fresh air. Anyway, we're off to the races now, folks! Season 1 Episode 12 coming up next!