The audience did not expect this outcome. Earlier, it had been said that Hawkeye was the one who had already retired. Yet now, he was standing here again, openly representing Captain Rogers's side, determined to take Wanda away.
Compared to Vision, he was clearly at a disadvantage. Almost no one believed he had a real chance of successfully getting her out. The gap in combat strength was obvious to everyone, an extremely unequal confrontation.
"If Vision can't beat him, I'll eat this whole bowl of hot sauce!"
"He must have lost his mind. He wants to fight Vision?"
"I'm not saying anything else; he is definitely weaker than Vision."
"What I care about is whether they'll really fight! Hawkeye versus Vision just to grab someone, what about everyone else?"
"What are you afraid of? Tony's got Spider-Man with him."
"Thor could probably knock Hawkeye flying with one punch."
"That's not the point. The real issue is what Wanda thinks."
"To some extent, Hawkeye can be considered Wanda's mentor."
"Yeah. He was the one who taught her at the beginning."
Vision stood at the doorway, looking at the two. "You shouldn't be here."
Hawkeye turned around, glanced at Vision, and said calmly, "I've only been retired for five minutes, and the world's already in chaos."
Vision's voice remained flat and emotionless. "Please consider the consequences of your actions."
Hawkeye nodded. "Alright. I've thought about it."
The moment his words fell, the arrows he had planted earlier suddenly detonated, bursting into powerful electromagnetic waves that forcibly disrupted Vision's systems and froze him in place.
"Now," Hawkeye said, grabbing her, "let's go."
But she didn't move. She remained standing where she was, staring at him.
He pointed toward the exit. "This way."
Wanda lowered her gaze and said quietly, "I've already caused enough trouble."
Hawkeye rushed back helplessly. "You have to help me. If you want to mope, go back to high school," he snapped. "If you want to make amends, move, now."
At that moment, Vision unleashed the power of the gem, shattering the arrows restraining him. Hawkeye cursed under his breath and drew his bow again. Vision stepped forward, seized his longbow, and struck him with a single punch, sending him crashing to the ground.
Hawkeye extended his swinging stick, stared at Vision, and said grimly, "I should've warmed up first."
He charged forward, swinging with full force, but the weapon passed straight through Vision's body. Vision phased, turning intangible at will, unaffected by the attack. Several more strikes followed, yet Vision never retaliated. Finally, he reached out and blocked Hawkeye's fist. He froze for a split second before smashing the swinging stick down toward Vision's head.
The final heavy strike shattered the rim of the weapon, but Vision didn't even move. With a bitter expression, he threw the broken stick aside and kicked forward. His leg passed straight through the intangible body. In the next instant, Vision solidified and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him backward.
"Clint," Vision said calmly, "you can't beat me."
Vision struggled, gasping. "I can't… but she can."
At last, Wanda erupted. Dark red energy surged outward, flooding the space. "Vision, that's enough. Let him go. I have to leave."
Vision shook his head. "I can't allow that."
Wanda brought her hands together, forcibly disrupting Vision's phasing ability. Clint fell to the ground as Vision's body bent under immense pressure.
"If you keep doing this," Vision said slowly, "people will always fear you."
The ground began to crack, and Vision was forced to one knee. Still, Wanda maintained control.
"I can't control their fear," she said quietly. "I can only control myself."
She pressed both hands downward. The ground shattered as Vision was driven violently into it, plunging deep underground.
"Should Thor be sad?"
"Women really are fickle."
"That ability is terrifying. She even overpowered Vision!"
"She's clearly grown stronger. Didn't Vision say he still didn't fully understand his gem?"
"This is brutal."
"Isn't this Tony's place? Tony keeps getting beaten up."
"Vision is miserable."
"I thought those two might develop something. Guess not."
Airport parking level.
A Beetle rolled in, and Captain Rogers stepped out. Clint and Wanda were already waiting.
Clint walked over. "Captain."
They shook hands.
Rogers said quietly, "If I weren't desperate, I wouldn't have come to you."
"You're helping me," Clint replied. "Besides, I owe her."
Rogers turned to Wanda. "Thank you for supporting me."
"It's time for me to act," she said.
Rogers asked, "Where's the new guy?"
Clint opened the car door. "He's excited. Maybe get him some coffee. But he should be ready."
A middle-aged man stepped out, frowning. "Where is this?"
"Go." He walked over and shook Rogers's hand in surprise. "Captain?"
Rogers smiled. "Mr. Scott."
Scott grinned. "It's an honor, I've held your hand way too long. This is incredible!"
He turned to Wanda. "I know you too. You're amazing."
Scott was clearly overexcited, barely able to contain himself. He even reached out and touched Rogers's arm muscles.
"Listen, I know you know a lot of incredible people. Thank you for thinking of me." He rambled endlessly before spotting Sam. "Hey!"
"Hello," Sam replied.
Scott rushed on. "About last time, "
"That was just a test," Sam interrupted. "It won't happen again."
"Do you know who we're up against?" Scott asked.
"Some kind of lunatic assassin?" Scott guessed.
"This operation is illegal," Rogers warned. "You'll be a criminal if you join."
Scott shrugged. "That's fine with me."
"We should move," Bucky said.
"The helicopter's ready," Clint added.
Sirens suddenly blared across the airport. "In an emergency, all passengers must evacuate immediately."
"They're clearing the airport," Bucky said.
"It's Stark," Sam muttered.
Rogers clenched his jaw. "Get ready."
Jammers slammed into the helicopter. In the sky, Tony hovered in his suit.
"I lost it, this is really happening?"
"A civil war!"
The audience watching grew uneasy. These were once comrades; now they stood on opposite sides.
Tony descended, and Rhodey followed. Tony said, "Didn't expect to meet old friends here."
"Isn't this weird?" he asked.
"Very," Rhodey replied.
Rogers said firmly, "Tony, the psychiatrist is behind all this."
A black figure rose, Black Widow.
"Steve," she warned, "you know what happens next."
Tony cut in. "Enough. I don't have time."
"Pajama baby!" A web shot out, yanking Rogers's shield away, and a red figure flipped onto a car.
"Nice job, kid."
"Thanks," said Parker, no, Spider-Man, excitedly. "I stuck the landing!"
The audience exploded.
"This kid is insane!"
"Too much chatter!"
"Why didn't Tony listen?"
"It's obvious that the captain didn't do a good job. If I made it clear before, would I be able to cooperate with the investigation soon?"
"Yeah, there can be a better solution; he insists on rushing alone."
"It's not good for them to fight."
"I support Tony; Tony is calm and rational, while Rogers is righteous, but sometimes too naive."
"Humph! I'm not saying that if Captain Rogers attacks with all his strength, no one can beat him."
"What's the matter? Did Rogers say something wrong?"
"So what? Kill someone and get away with it?"
Tony said reluctantly, "There's no need to talk about this right now."
Parker nodded quickly. "Okay."
He then gave the captain a stiff, nervous salute. "I'm your fan. My name is Spider-Man."
Tony paused mid-step. "Alright. We'll talk later. You just, "
Rogers glanced at him and said calmly, "You're working hard."
Tony snapped back sharply, "You're being ridiculous! Bring Clint in and get Wanda out of where she's been staying." The more Tony spoke, the harsher his tone became. "I've been working hard…"
In the end, he gave up arguing altogether. Helplessness and anger were plainly written across his face. He sighed deeply. "I don't want you tearing the team apart."
Rogers looked at him quietly, then replied flatly, "That already happened when you signed the agreement."
Tony froze. It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him. For a moment, he stood there completely stunned. He hadn't expected Rogers to say something like that.
"This… Tony's right! He wants to protect everyone!"
"Rogers has gone too far. Why does he look so condescending?"
"Wasn't the purpose of signing the agreement clearly stated?"
"That really hurts."
"What's wrong with Rogers? Wasn't there a psychiatrist pulling strings behind the scenes?"
"This is ridiculous! Without Tony, how could things escalate to this point?"
"They're a team, of course, they need structure and management!"
"Tony looks like he's about to cry, but Rogers is completely stone-hearted!"
"He's been frozen for decades; maybe his heart froze too."
"Fine, everyone just stand on their own side then."
Tony looked directly at Rogers. "Enough."
"Hand over Bucky and come with us."
"Otherwise, the ones sent to deal with you won't be so gentle."
"They don't speak in sympathy."
After speaking, Tony looked at Rogers with clear expectation. He hoped Rogers would agree, as only agreement could make things easier.
At the same time, on Rogers' channel, Sam reported, "We've found the Quinjet at Hangar Five on the north runway."
Hearing this, Rogers raised his hands. Suddenly, an arrow struck the spider silk binding his wrists, and the silk snapped.
Rogers flexed his hands. "Alright. Let's go, Scott."
Parker suddenly frowned. "Something's coming."
Before he could finish, a man in combat gear appeared beside him out of nowhere and kicked him hard.
Rhodey exclaimed in shock, "What was that?"
The man had appeared instantly. No one had even seen him before.
Scott, wearing a strange device, walked over and handed the shield back to Rogers. "This is yours, Captain."
Tony quickly scanned the area. "Two people on the tarmac, one of them is Wanda. I'll take her."
Jet thrusters roared to life. Before flying off, Tony shouted to Rhodey, "Rhodey, you grab the captain!"
Rhodey responded, "There are two in the waiting room, Sam and Bucky."
At that moment, the Black Panther charged out. "Bucky is mine."
Rogers hurled his shield. With a loud crash, Rhodey was knocked back.
Parker asked nervously, "Mr. Stark, what should I do?"
Tony snapped, "Didn't I say keep your distance and net them all?"
Parker fired spider silk from both hands and launched himself forward. "Alright, got it!"
Seeing the Black Panther rushing Bucky, Rogers turned sharply. The flying shield struck the Panther, staggering him. Rogers grabbed him by the neck and threw him aside.
The Black Panther growled angrily, "Stand down, Captain! I won't say it again!"
Rogers didn't answer. The Panther flipped backward repeatedly, kicking Rogers' shield. Metal clashed violently.
Viewers felt goosebumps.
"I know civil war is wrong, but this is insanely exciting!"
"Captain vs. Panther!"
"The Black Panther still believes Bucky killed his father."
"The problem is that Rogers won't explain anything!"
"They're fighting their own people, what kind of mess is this?"
"The Panther's gear is vibranium. Can the shield really hold?"
"This is going to get expensive."
"Tony's thinking about everyone, but Rogers only follows his own beliefs."
"Can't they just talk it out and catch the real villains together?"
"All I can say is that the so-called psychiatrist is a joke, played the Avengers perfectly!"
On the other side, Scott faced Black Widow nervously. "Listen, I really don't want to hurt you."
Black Widow shook her head coldly. "I don't share that concern."
She kicked him brutally, and Scott screamed. As he bent forward, Black Widow seized his arm. Just as she was about to throw him, Scott pressed a button, and his body shrank instantly.
Caught off guard by the sudden loss of force, Black Widow rolled to the ground. Her arm was forcibly twisted behind her back by the shrunken Scott. But an electric shock device activated instantly, blasting Scott away.
The audience was stunned. They had clearly seen Scott shrink.
"Shrink?! What kind of ability is that?"
"This is insane, it feels even more broken than Wanda's power!"
"That thing is amazing, seriously amazing."
"Can someone zoom in?!"
"Uh… asking for a friend."
"How does this even work? I don't get it."
"Black Widow is terrifying, that kick probably hurts a lot!"
"I once got hit by a theater seat as a kid, and the feeling…"
"He pressed a button first; it must be special equipment."
"I don't know why, but it just feels overpowered."
"No wonder Rogers recruited him; this ability could be critical."
In the Administration.
People frowned as they watched.
Odom frowned deeply. "Is that some kind of special equipment? I can't explain how the shrinking works. It's bizarre, remarkable."
The effect alone proved nothing definitive. But instantaneous shrinking, no fatal damage, and full restoration, this was anything but ordinary.
Johan added thoughtfully, "This new one, Spider-Man, and now this unpredictable individual. Are there more?"
The director shook his head. "Whether there are or not, internal conflict like this should never happen. If such power were misused, the consequences would be unimaginable."
A sociologist sneered. "Isn't it already being misused?"
At the training ground, individuals gathered and stared at the live feed. Excitement spread through them. Louis was the most obvious, jumping up and down. "Wow! Fighting! Why am I this excited?! Brother, could you beat Rogers?"
Kasey karate-chopped her on the head.
Elenora tracked the trajectory of Rogers' shield intently. "Is that pure technique?"
Everyone watched without blinking.
Meanwhile, Parker followed Tony's orders. He rebounded off the airport glass while climbing effortlessly like a massive red spider. Sam and Bucky stared at him in confusion.
Bucky muttered, "What is that?"
Sam sighed, "Everyone's pulling tricks these days."
Parker climbed rapidly; spider silk burst forth, and the glass shattered. He kicked straight at them, and Sam was sent flying. Bucky charged furiously, his metal arm exploding with force, but Parker caught it casually.
"Wow! Have you got a metal arm? That's awesome!" He pulled Bucky aside effortlessly.
Bucky stared in disbelief. That arm, capable of punching through steel, was stopped with ease.
The broadcast erupted.
"This kid is terrifyingly strong!"
"That punch was so clean!"
"Easy catch, no effort at all!"
"He's still talking like it's nothing!"
"That suit isn't armor, right?!"
"So Spider-Man's power isn't just agility!"
At the Human Potential Organization, Kayden and Ashton watched in shock.
"That arm can stop a speeding car, and he caught it with ease," she whispered. "This young man is terrifying."
Ashton frowned. "He doesn't look wealthy. So where does this power come from? If this were an artificial enhancement, he wouldn't be living a normal life. An accidental mutation… If it can be replicated…"
Compared to Rogers, Hulk, even Extremis, Parker's accident might represent a simpler path, a universal breakthrough. Ashton's expression turned grim.
The memory footage continued.
Sam spread his wings and grabbed Parker, lifting him into the air. Parker pushed his chin back. "You have the right to remain silent."
One kick sent Sam flying. Parker webbed the ceiling and swung. Gunfire rang out, but he dodged easily. A steel plate was hurled from behind.
"Hey, buddy, looking for this?" Parker caught it and threw it back.
BOOM! Concrete pillars shattered.
Sam tried to ambush from behind, but spider silk snapped tight, causing Sam to crash through the glass. Parker clung sideways to a pillar, and two more webs fired. Sam's hands were pinned.
Parker tilted his head. "Carbon fiber wings?"
Sam gasped. "Did you just spit that out?"
Parker smiled to himself. "No wonder, great stiffness and elasticity."
"I have to say, that's amazing."
Sam groaned, "You talk too much for someone in a fight."
Parker chuckled, "Sorry, bad habit."
With a final kick, he sent them both crashing down.
"Hahahaha! I'm dying!"
"Spider-Man talks way too much!"
"Sam is hilarious, too. Who says normal people don't talk this much in battle?"
"But no matter what, Parker's combat strength is fearsome. He held his own in a 1v2 and didn't lose at all!"
"Spider-Man…"
"I think he's just messing with them!"
"Can Rogers really beat Spider-Man?"
"And that spider silk, how strong is it?!"
Parker crouched casually atop a post. With a sharp flick of his wrist, two thick clumps of webbing shot out, instantly binding Sam's hands together. At the same time, Bucky's metal arms were firmly anchored to the icy ground, completely immobilized.
"Look, I really want to keep fighting you guys," Parker said helplessly, "but I've still got a mission. I have to impress Mr. Stark. So… I'm really sorry about this."
Just as Parker prepared to fire another strand of webbing, Sam's reconnaissance drone suddenly swooped in from above. It wrapped itself tightly around the spider silk, violently yanking Parker off balance. With a deafening crash, Parker was smashed away and sent flying across the frozen ground. The two struggled to their feet amid the ice.
Sam exhaled and muttered, "That was long overdue."
Bucky glanced at him coldly. "I hate you."
Airport vacant lot. Tony hovered midair, the panels on his shoulder armor snapping open, and a missile was launched instantly. It streaked toward the area where Patton and Wanda were running. Tony accelerated forward, intercepting them.
Reaching out toward Wanda, he said, "Wanda, you really hurt Vision's feelings."
Wanda replied coldly, "You locked me in a room."
Tony sighed. "First of all, that's an exaggeration. Second, I was trying to protect you."
Wanda tilted her head slightly, unimpressed. Tony then turned to Patton. "Hey, Clint."
Patton grinned. "Hey."
Tony shook his head. "Looks like retirement didn't stick. Tired of golf already?"
"Hole-in-one every time," Patton said casually. "Hard to miss."
In the same instant, he drew his bow and loosed an arrow. Tony spun around, repulsors firing as he blasted the arrows midair.
"Isn't that cheating?" Tony protested.
Patton laughed. "Not necessarily."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Cars suddenly dropped from the upper levels of the parking structure behind Tony. They came crashing down in a torrent.
Wanda hovered nearby, eyes glowing faintly as she controlled the vehicles. Too many cars. And under Wanda's acceleration, their speed was terrifying.
Tony managed to destroy only a few before being buried beneath a mountain of steel. The armor was completely submerged.
Inside the suit, FRIDAY reported calmly, "Multiple contusions detected."
Tony groaned. "Yeah… I noticed."
The live stream instantly exploded.
"Technology still isn't everything!"
"Wanda literally summoned cars from the sky!"
"That's brutal, Tony got flattened!"
"Spend the most money, take the most beatings!"
"Tony's heart must hurt."
"He clearly didn't want to hurt them; he kept aiming at the surroundings."
"But Patton and Wanda showed zero mercy!"
"This is gods fighting gods!"
"Tony's been holding back the entire time."
At the edge of the square, Captain Rogers was locked in brutal close combat with the Black Panther. Vibranium claws scraped across the shield.
Rogers dodged repeatedly. Black Panther suddenly grabbed the shield with both hands, trying to wrench it away. At that moment, Rhodey, piloting War Machine, descended from above. He reached back and pulled a massive weapon from the suit's spine mount.
"Sorry, Captain," Rhodey said grimly. "You won't die, but this won't feel good either."
Black Panther kicked Rogers away, and Rhodey leapt forward. As he landed, the weapon slammed down violently. Rogers raised his shield just in time.
BOOM! Sparks exploded everywhere. Both were forced several steps back by the impact.
At Essen Heavy Industries Group.
Astor stared at the weapon Rhodey had just deployed, his eyes lighting up instantly.
Someone behind him exclaimed, "Holy hell! That thing is insane!"
"Electromagnetic throwing weapon? That design is genius!"
"Remember the whip from before? We could integrate similar weapons into the new suit!"
Astor frowned deeply, inspiration flashing through his mind. His heart raced.
"I've got an idea for the weapon system," Astor said quickly.
Everyone turned toward him. "The biggest advantage of battle armor is flexibility. We can absolutely adapt cold-weapon-style devices while preserving mobility. Like the whip earlier, or that weapon in Rhodey's hands."
His voice grew more excited. "Electromagnetic oscillating blades… or even oversized conventional weapons. They could serve a completely different tactical role."
Everyone nodded in agreement. "Mr. Astor is right! If we had something like vibranium, our development direction would explode."
As an advanced suit R&D team, the material requirements were brutally high. Vibranium's importance was now universally understood. Unfortunately, there were still no leads.
Inside the Norland Base, Guerino watched War Machine deploy yet another new weapon. Admiration flickered across his face.
"Still no progress on new elements…" he rubbed his temples in frustration. Without a breakthrough in energy supply, achieving that level of output was impossible. Even if it worked, it would burn out instantly.
"The creation of new elements… may only rely on memories tied to the awakening of the Immortal Warrior." Guerino finally considered abandoning the project. Even with unlimited funding, this was unsustainable.
Back on the battlefield, Rogers knocked Rhodey airborne, and Rhodey slammed into the ground. Rogers flipped backward, then kicked Rhodey away. The shield came down in a sharp arc. Rhodey collapsed, and the weapon shattered.
"Nice," Rogers muttered. He tossed the shield aside as Rhodey charged again.
Suddenly, Scott rushed in and threw something. "Captain! Catch!"
Rogers caught a model car.
Scott produced a small disc. "Throw it at this!"
Rogers nodded and hurled the model. Midair contact, the car instantly expanded into a full-sized bus.
BOOOOM! Flames erupted as the bus slammed into Rhodey and Black Panther. Rogers and Scott raised their arms to shield themselves.
Scott muttered, "I thought there was water in it…"
The chat went insane.
"Quantum mechanics again?!"
"That thing just got huge!"
"This tech is terrifying!"
"What if it killed Black Widow?!"
"This shouldn't even be happening!"
At the Administration, Hawking smiled. "Mr. Odom, people are asking, could Scott's scaling ability be related to quantum mechanics?"
Odom sighed. "That's just internet humor. If it really were quantum mechanics, it would be alarming. We haven't even scratched that field."
Another physicist spoke up. "It could involve altering intermolecular distances."
Odom froze, then gasped. "That… actually makes sense. If molecular gaps were compressed… scaling without changing properties might be possible."
Arden nodded. "But realizing that technology? I can't imagine how."
Odom inhaled deeply. "If that works on living organisms… It's more shocking than Rogers, Hulk, even Thor. This is world-changing technology, comparable to the Infinity Stones."
The room fell silent.
A massive explosion rocked the square, and Black Widow was thrown to the ground.
Rhodey rose angrily. "Now I'm mad!"
Tony helped Black Widow up. She asked flatly, "Was this part of the plan?"
Tony shrugged. "I was trying to be polite. Want to change tactics?"
Across the field, Patton and Wanda spotted the aircraft and ran. Rogers called out, "Move!"
The six sprinted forward, but a yellow laser cut down from the sky, scorching the ground before them. Vision hovered above, the gem on his forehead glowing.
"Captain Rogers," Vision said calmly, "I know you believe you're right. But for the sake of everyone, you must surrender."
Tony and Rhodey landed opposite them. Black Panther flipped into position. Parker descended on webbing beside Rhodey. Vision floated down between the two groups.
Six on each side. The Avengers are completely divided. The battlefield was scarred and burning. A deep cut across the ground, like a crack tearing the Avengers apart.
Viewers surged as anger and sorrow filled the chat. The team that once saved the world now stood as enemies.
Sam whispered, "Captain… what do we do?"
Rogers didn't hesitate. "Fight them."