Chapter 27: The Return of a Legend
The Crimson Pack began to execute Logan's orders with precision.
First, they needed the locations of the remaining Hydra bases. The Zetas, skilled in mind arts, delved into Bucky's memories and extracted a few.
From there, it became a chain reaction — infiltrating Hydra members, breaking their defenses, and uncovering base after base.
Selene's enhanced combat suits boosted the powers of the pack members to a new height. Crafted to withstand extreme conditions and amplify their strength and speed.
They moved like shadows, silent and deadly, many portals started opening to hidden Hydra strongholds. With each assault, the bases crumbled. Leaders were captured, interrogated by mind arts, and swiftly eliminated. By the morning, 80% of Hydra was decimated.
Meanwhile, Jean had made significant progress. Befriending Carol Danvers and Nick Fury, she had smoothly inserted herself into the events unfolding, helping Carol regain her memories.
The rest of the events followed the script of the movies, with Jean's added influence. Jean had tipped off Carol about the device limiting her powers, and when Carol finally unleashed her full potential, Jean couldn't help but smile. Together, they fended off Ronan's forces and secured the Tesseract, which Carol left in the care of Jean and Goose the cat to Fury.
As the sun rose the next morning, three major events had occurred:
1. The death of Howard and Maria Stark shook the weapons division of Stark Industries. Many influential figures gathered to offer their condolences.
2. Carol Danvers fought off Ronan's fleet, saving Earth, though this event remained unknown to the public.
3. The brutal and efficient destruction of Hydra bases sent ripples of fear through those who knew of it. The remaining leaders had one thought, Whoever had orchestrated the attack left a bloody trail behind them, and the few hydra heads was left wondering about the hidden power that had emerged.
Logan allowed the pack to halt their campaign as the morning approached. His anger had been sated, and he now focused on saying goodbye to his old friend, Howard.
Logan stood back from the crowd, away from the grieving officials and mourners. Despite the chaos he had unleashed the previous night, Logan wanted Howard's farewell to be peaceful, which is the reason the pack stopped their assualt.
That evening, in the graveyard, the Starks were laid to rest. High-ranking officials, Stark Industries employees, and various allies gathered to pay their respects. Tony Stark stood with Obadiah Stane, shaken but keeping a stoic facade. Peggy Carter, ever the loyal friend, stood by their side, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Selene, representing Howlett Enterprises, arrived to express her condolences. Laura also stood by the side of Peggy as a friend of Howard. Hank also came and stood beside Logan.
Jean followed soon after, having just secured the Tesseract in their lab in Whitehaven. She went to Logan who kept his distance from the main crowd. Seeing her coming to Logan, Hank went to Selene's place.
Jean gently squeezed Logan's hand as they stood together. As the ceremony ended, Logan looked toward the future with cold determination. He knew the threats that would soon rise, and he would be ready. But for now, it was time to say goodbye to an old friend.
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Years passed after the funeral of Howard and Maria Stark. In that time, Tony Stark took his father's place at the helm of Stark Industries and quickly became a legend in weapons manufacturing. His inventions revolutionized the industry, making Stark Industries a powerhouse.
But as Tony's success grew, so did his arrogance. His playboy lifestyle, filled with countless affairs and indulgence, became a subject of concern for those close to him.
Peggy Carter had tried her best to rein Tony in, but her efforts were mostly in vain. She could see the same charm and genius in Tony that she had admired in Howard, but Tony's ego was another matter entirely. She believed Pepper Potts might be able to ground Tony, but he was too lost in his world to notice.
Bucky Barnes had also returned, though the scars Hydra left on him ran deep. While regaining his memories had brought him some peace, adjusting to the new era and facing the weight of his past was a difficult process. Logan, Laura, and Peggy stood by him, offering their support.
Peggy's reaction upon learning the truth about Bucky's brainwashing had been, in typical Peggy fashion, both heartfelt and humorous. She'd beaten him senseless in a fit of anger before apologizing profusely afterward.
Emily, who had witnessed Logan giving Bucky a similar punishment earlier, couldn't help but feel sorry for the soldier. It was a painful reminder of the battles Bucky had fought within himself.
With time, Bucky began to adjust. He became more comfortable in the modern world and eventually decided he needed some quiet time to reflect. A few months ago, he left on a journey to travel the world and find some inner peace.
Meanwhile, Logan had been struggling with his own choices. After Howard's death and the acquisition of the Tesseract, the future he once knew began to shift.
For a time, he tried to follow the timeline that canon dictated, but the unpredictability of events made it impossible. Finally, Logan decided to fuck the canon altogether. It was time to make his own choices.
That's why a few months ago after Bucky went on his tour, Logan decided to bring Steve Rogers back. Steve was the symbol of hope and leadership that the world would soon need.
But even after Logan found him, and bring him back, Steve was still in a coma, a relic of the past waiting to wake up.
Hank and his team of betas ran some tests on Steve and concluded that he's fine but will take sometime to regain his consciousness.
Logan then spoke with Hank, and they injected Steve with the anti-aging serum that will stop the aging of the person, Hank had developed it using the Wolfgene a few years ago.
Now, it was only a matter of time before the world had its Captain back.
Steve was moved to Peggy's home in Whitehaven, and since learning about his return, Peggy had barely left his side. She sat by him day and night, waiting for him to regain consciousness.
She couldn't believe it—after all these years, Steve was really back. The serum did its work, healing and rejuvenating him slowly.
.
.
.
Then, one morning, Peggy's wait came to an end.
Steve Rogers opened his eyes.
The world seemed to blur around him for a few seconds before he focused. His vision sharpened, and he saw Peggy sitting beside him, her face filled with a mixture of joy, relief, and disbelief. She smiled at him through her tears.
"Steve... you're awake," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
Steve blinked, his mind slowly piecing things together. The last thing he remembered was the icy waters engulfing him. But now, here he was, in a comfortable bed with Peggy beside him—looking older but still radiating beauty, strength and grace.
"Peggy..." Steve managed, his voice raspy from disuse. "How am I...?"
Peggy laughed softly, unable to contain her joy, She hugged him tightly as he did the same and she continued. "Logan found you, Steve. You've been asleep for a long time, but you're back now."
After hugging for sometime, Steve stared at her, trying to wrap his mind around everything. "How long was I gone?"
Peggy's face softened. "It's been decades, Steve. Almost seventy years."
The weight of her words hit him hard. Seventy years. His friends, his time—it was all gone. But Peggy was here, alive, right in front of him.
"And you?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "How are you still.... here..... and more... Beautiful?"
Peggy smiled softly. "A little help from Logan and some extraordinary people. I may look young, but I've lived a full life. Now it's your turn."
Before Steve could process everything, Peggy stood up, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "I need to call Logan. He'll want to see you."
Steve nodded, still dazed, as Peggy quickly contacted Logan, informing him of Steve's awakening.
A short while later, Logan arrived at Peggy's house. He entered the room, a rare smile on his face as he saw Steve sitting up.
"Look who finally decided to wake up," Logan said with a grin.
Steve stared at Logan, recognizing him, he didn't change at all, just like Peggy. "Logan... it's good to see you."
"Good to see you too, Cap," Logan replied. "You've been out for a long time, but things are different now."
Steve's mind was still reeling, but seeing Peggy and Logan made him feel more grounded. He knew that with Logan and Peggy by his side, he could start to make sense of this new world.
As the three of them sat together, it was clear to Steve that the world had changed in ways he couldn't yet understand.
Logan and Peggy began to have a heartful talk with him.