Chapter 4

In the confines of the Van Wall Research Center, Tony was at a disadvantage. Between Black Widow's blasts and Falcon's swooping, circling, and smashing, Tony was getting crushed. Just as he'd right himself, he'd be hit with another attack.

The ceiling was high but not high enough for powered flight. Falcon could glide, so he had the tactical advantage. Black Widow used her expert acrobatics and leapt across the enormous machines that lined the walls.

Tony just couldn't match the speed and agility of Black Widow or Falcon. On top of that, the only way he could defend himself was to hurt his friends. But what kind of friends attacked their own?

“Multiple life-forms detected,” declared J.A.R.V.I.S., distracting Tony for a moment . . . which was all Falcon needed to swoop down and grab Iron Man. Falcon flung Tony into a solid granite wall.

Then came the sound of something hurtling through the air, followed by metal hitting metal.

Tony looked up to see a familiar red, white, and blue uniform standing before him. Captain America! Black Widow and Falcon turned their combined gaze on Cap.

Cap adjusted the shield on his left arm, deflecting one of Widow's blasts. “I was supposed to catch a ride with you,” Cap said.

“I was just on my way to pick you up,” Tony said with a sigh of relief.

“I'm glad to see you found Black Widow and Falcon. They just don't look too glad to see you. . . . Did you find the scientists?”

“Negative,” Tony answered. “Not sure if you noticed, but I've been a little busy fighting our ‘friends.’”

“Point taken . . .” replied Cap.

Falcon and Black Widow charged toward them. Cap used his mighty shield to block the two and send them flying.

“Those two seem very interested in this,” said Cap, motioning to a circular framework at the center of the room. Inside the framework was a large gateway—big enough to fit the Hulk—surrounded by a series of metal beams that protruded at odd angles. Within the gateway was a swirl of light against dark, color against black. It looked like the universe itself was contained there.

“Oh, no! It's the Cosmic Bridge Generator,” Tony said. “I invented it.”

“They haven't taken their eyes off it,” said Cap.

Eyes . . . eyes . . . thought Tony. Eyes! That's it!

“Cap! You notice something off about Widow and Falcon?” he asked.

The sentinel of liberty stood his ground, deflecting Widow's attack while taking note of everything around him. It was a skill honed in combat, from his days battling Red Skull and Hydra to his time fighting alongside the mighty Avengers. “Their eyes,” Cap answered with authority. “They're red!”

“Good guess!” said Tony. “I owe you shawarma when we're back in New York. Now I've got a hunch. . . .”

Without skipping a beat, Captain America extended his right arm with incredible force, throwing his shield directly at Falcon's hard-light wings. “Play your hunch!” he called. “I'll draw their fire!”

That's when Tony heard it—a distant thumping, mixed in with what sounded like moans or cries for help. The scientists? Maybe I did see their faces before. They must be nearby!

While Captain America fought, Iron Man moved to the metal gateway in the middle of the room. Tony flipped up the cuff on his right gauntlet to access a touch pad. Moving his index finger along the pad, he hacked into the generator's controls. Tony was now in command of the machine.

It glowed purple, then green, and finally red, crackling with orbs of black energy.

“Hey! Bad teammates! Over here!” shouted Iron Man, waving at Black Widow and Falcon.

The generator pulsed, red light illuminating everything in the room. Bathed in the light, Black Widow and Falcon cringed, their shapes shifting then returning to normal. The red light glowed stronger and stronger, and its effect on Black Widow and Falcon grew stronger, too!

Without warning, Iron Man zapped Black Widow and Falcon with his repulsors, knocking them in front of the Cosmic Bridge Generator. In a flash, they both vanished from view.

“Did we just lose Black Widow and Falcon . . . again?” Cap said, shaking his head. “Fury won't like this. What's going on, Tony?”

Iron Man looked at Cap, then at the generator. He had gambled with the lives of people he had known for years. If he was right, then everything would be fine. But what if . . .

What if I was wrong? he thought. What if I made a mistake? What if I have lost Black Widow and Falcon . . . forever?