As soon as Captain America arrived at the plane, Su Zhan greeted him with a casual wave. In an instant, a field of energy enveloped Steve Rogers, lifting him gently into the air. Steve was surprised to find himself flying at high speed, yet he felt no discomfort—just a sense of wonder at the power Su Zhan wielded.
"You already know what's happening?" Steve asked, marveling at the effortless flight.
Su Zhan nodded. "I know where he is. But I need you to fill me in on the details first."
Steve quickly recounted the events that had led him here. It all began with Natasha's last mission to recover the Berserker Staff. The mission failed, and the staff ended up in Su Zhan's hands. Nick Fury was frustrated but powerless to retrieve it. The presence of Asgardian artifacts on Earth meant Asgardians themselves might be involved, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was determined to track them down.
After much investigation, they finally identified Elliott Randolph as the Asgardian blacksmith living on Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D. sent Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow to find him. But when they arrived, they discovered that Randolph had just completed forging the Twin Blades of Fear. Their sudden appearance startled him, and in his panic, he grabbed the blades. Unlike the Berserker Staff, the Twin Blades were far more dangerous—Randolph was instantly overwhelmed by the power of fear.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Black Widow went to seek reinforcements, Hawkeye stayed behind to evacuate civilians, and Captain America came to Su Zhan for help.
Su Zhan listened, then asked with a hint of amusement, "Who decided to send you to ask for help? Wouldn't Natasha be better? After all, men are less persuasive when it comes to asking favors."
Steve chuckled. "It was Natasha's idea. She said, You'd definitely help if you knew the situation."
Su Zhan nodded, understanding. Natasha's connection to Skye likely influenced her decision.
"By the way, Steve, who exactly is Natasha hoping I'll help?" Su Zhan asked.
Steve shook his head. "She didn't say. I'm just the messenger."
As they approached Seville, the city where Randolph was hiding, Su Zhan could already sense the chaos below. The army was evacuating civilians, and a palpable atmosphere of fear hung over the city. The emotion was so strong it seemed to seep into every corner, infecting even the sky above.
"Impressive," Su Zhan murmured, surveying the scene.
Steve looked at him, incredulous. "Impressive? The whole city is terrified!"
Su Zhan smiled faintly but offered no explanation. The truth was, the stronger Randolph became, the more powerful the fear of double blades would be. And the stronger the blades, the more valuable they would be to Su Zhan. He felt no fear at all; the emotion had no hold over him.
They landed just outside the city center, where Hawkeye was waiting, bow in hand. "You're finally here," Clint said, relief in his voice. "The city's been evacuated, but Randolph is getting stronger by the minute. I've never seen anything like it."
"Are you going in?" Steve asked Su Zhan.
Before Su Zhan could answer, a Quinjet descended nearby. Natasha emerged, her face pale but determined. "I've contacted Tony. He should be here any minute."
"You called Tony Stark?" Su Zhan asked quietly.
Natasha shook her head. "I just gave him a heads-up. This is too dangerous for me to get close. The last time I touched an artifact like this, it nearly broke me. Now that these blades can release and absorb fear without direct contact, I can't risk it."
Su Zhan nodded. Natasha's experience with the Berserker Staff had clearly left its mark. The fear radiating from the double blades was even more intense.
"Su Zhan, are you sure you can handle this?" Natasha asked, her voice trembling slightly.
He smiled reassuringly. "You invited me, didn't you? If I weren't confident, that would be embarrassing. But don't worry—someone else is about to arrive who's even more confident."
"Who?" Natasha asked.
Su Zhan pointed to the sky, where a streak of red and gold flashed overhead. Tony Stark, in full Iron Man armor, soared into view and headed straight for the heart of the chaos.
Tony wasted no time. "Let's see what this guy's got," he quipped over the comms. Without waiting for a plan, he fired two shoulder-mounted missiles directly at Elliott Randolph.
The explosion rocked the ruins of what had once been a luxurious villa. When the smoke cleared, Randolph stood in the center of the devastation, his body now three or four times larger than before. His clothes were shredded, revealing bulging, fear-fueled muscles. In his left hand, he gripped a silver-white Tang blade, which was steadily absorbing the fear around him. The blade darkened with every passing moment, turning from silver to black. In his right hand, he held a blade already as dark as ink, radiating a terrifying aura.
One blade absorbed, the other released.
Tony hovered overhead, trying to make light of the situation. "Did I interrupt your party? Sorry, but I've got somewhere to be. I'll wrap this up quick—can't keep the ladies waiting."
He fired another barrage of missiles. The explosions lit up the sky, but as the dust settled, Randolph barely seemed affected. Suddenly, with a roar, he swung both blades, sending a wave of pure fear energy hurtling toward Iron Man.
Tony barely had time to react. "Whoa—what the—" he shouted, but the energy wave struck his armor, sending him spiraling out of control. Alarms blared inside the suit as Tony fought to stabilize himself.
From the ground, Natasha, Steve, and Clint watched in shock.
"Tony, fall back!" Steve shouted. "We need a plan!"
But Tony, ever the showman, ignored the warning and circled back for another pass.
Su Zhan turned to the others. "Let's move. I'll get us closer."
He wrapped an arm around Natasha's waist and summoned two spheres of energy, one for Steve and one for Clint. Together, they soared over the ruined city, landing just outside the epicenter of fear.
The scene was apocalyptic. The once-beautiful villa was now a wasteland, and at its heart stood Elliott Randolph, transformed by the power of the Twin Blades of Fear.
Su Zhan stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the Asgardian. The time had come to face the true power of fear.