Steve Rogers
"I want the real Steve Rogers back, and the imposters gone!"
Nothing happened.
The laboratory was quiet.
"It seems we still need to collect all the fragments," Natasha said.
The Highbreed breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, gave up the idea of killing Black Widow and taking the fragment for himself.
If all the fragments must be collected for the Cube to unleash its true power, then he cannot be impatient now.
There's still one last fragment to be obtained; revealing oneself too early wouldn't be a wise choice.
"However, we can use the energy from these fragments to create a the Cube illusion."
"I'm sure they'll be pleasantly surprised."
Natasha spoke as Ben had instructed her.
The boy seemed to know everything; he knew the imposter's purpose and what actions the imposter would take.
"It will be all right."
Highbreed no longer care much about these things.
His mind can't hold anything else now; it's filled only with Cube Fragment.
"Wait!" he suddenly said, pressing Natasha's hand anxiously.
So Natasha used the Cube's energy to create a fake, incomplete the Cube and stuffed it into the modified armor.
"Now let me keep it safe."
"The Highbreed couldn't wait," said the man.
He reached out to take the Cube Fragment, but the moment he made contact, his body twisted, and the next moment, he seemed to be sucked into the fragment and disappeared.
"Call!"
"The plan is going smoothly."
Natasha breathed a sigh of relief.
The fake [Steve] disappeared, and she believed the real Steve would return.
And at this moment.
In the dense jungle, an old man, his body hunched over, struggled forward.
He didn't know why he was there, where he should go, or even who he was.
It was as if he were a person forgotten by the world, wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.
Even today.
That's when he met the other people.
It was a thin, frail child and a strong, robust "monster".
It had a white body, and its skin was covered with moth-like downy hairs. When the old man first saw it, he thought the monster was going to eat the thin child.
The old man's aged lungs felt hot and rapid. Without hesitation, he lunged from the side of the bushes, his staggering body unable to stop his righteous heart.
But that monster was too powerful.
It only shook its body slightly, and the old man almost fell apart.
A black, claw-like hand grabbed the old man's collar and lifted him high into the air.
Don't even think about hurting that child!
"If you're going to eat, eat me!"
The old man shouted.
"I think you've misunderstood." The Highbreed looked at him for a long time before gently putting him down.
Just then, the thin boy walked over, coughing violently as he said, "Thank you, but he didn't hurt me."
"Cough cough..."
He had only uttered one sentence when the boy began coughing violently, his face turning bright red, as if he were coughing up his lungs.
The white monster quickly moved away, putting distance between itself and the boy, and explained:
"I want to help him, but the dust on me will irritate his respiratory tract."
As he spoke, he thought that the two lives before him were so similar that they must be the same species.
How pathetic.
Frail and aged, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
"I have asthma," the boy said.
Having cleared up the misunderstanding, the old man asked, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake. May I ask where this place is? I don't know why I'm here, nor do I know how to leave?"
"The same to you?"
The thin boy was somewhat surprised.
"We're all like this, we've even forgotten who we are. The only thing we remember is that we must leave this place, there are very important things waiting for us."
The white monster said, "It's surprising how different we are, yet somewhat similar. In that case, let's leave together. There are dangerous beasts in this forest; you are too weak to deal with them."
He thought that such a pitiful life was as insignificant as an ant in his eyes.
I am different.
He was strong, powerful, agile, and capable of anything.
I can help them through their sadness; I have that ability!
"Don't underestimate me, I can fight all day long!"
The old man and the child said in unison, and all three of them laughed.
They traveled together, the elderly supporting the sick and weak children, while the white monster vanquished the enemy.
At first, there were wolves, but soon more and more enemies appeared, well-equipped, and their leader was a terrifying Red Skull.
The two frail individuals did not shy away from battle because of their weakness; in every fight, they played a vital role, leaving the white monster in awe.
"You may look weak, but you are more resilient than I imagined."
For the first time, he felt that even such a pathetic race might have its merits, and that even weak lives could display great brilliance.
"But without you, the journey would have been even more difficult," the old man said sincerely.
The boy also said:
"Yes, you're like a friend to me, always helping me and giving me confidence."
"Unfortunately, I've forgotten who he is."
The old man also became melancholy.
He also forgot his friends, and many more.
When it comes to forgotten things, all three of them have the same answer.
But as they continued forward, they always felt that those things were within reach.
night.
The old man used his wisdom to light the bonfire, driving away the cold night.
"I don't like this, it will burn me." The white monster fearfully avoided the torch.
For the first time, he discovered that even someone as powerful as himself had weaknesses.
I am not perfect.
He thought.
"Then let's snuggle together."
The child got up and extinguished the flames. The old man wrapped his few remaining tattered clothes around the child, and the white monster spread out his wings to shield them from the cold wind.
Ben 10 Universe.
Earth.
Outside the steel tower, a terrible cold wind froze the moisture in the Liaokong, and the snow had piled up to waist-deep.
It's not the waist of an ordinary person, but the waist of Connorson the dinosaur.
The Winter Soldier was completely overwhelmed.
"Aren't you called the Winter Soldier? How come you're so useless?" Connorson had to use his claws to hook the Winter Soldier's shoulder straps and lift him out of the snow.
"I'm called that because Hydra keeps freezing me with ice, not because I can control ice and snow."
Winter Soldier Way.
"Still haven't found Steve?"
"No," Dinosaur Connorson shook his head. He didn't like the low temperature either, as it would impair his bodily functions.
"Agent Venom and Sandman pushed through three towers, but found no trace of Steve," he said, his dim, vertical pupils narrowing as he looked at the tower before him. "This is the largest and also the coldest. Norman said its interior might connect to the monsters' lair. If it's not here, then we're in trouble."
"Whether it's their hideout or somewhere else, I have to rescue my friends!"
The Winter Soldier deftly pulled the safety on his machine gun and said, "He's been bullied since he was a child, and he'd cry if I didn't help him."