Marvel’s Disassembler

"Instructor." Steve looked at Arthur before speaking: "What exactly happened? When I got back to that damned plane, I saw you disappear right in front of me. Now you're alive, but what about Schmidt?"

"He… probably didn't die either." Arthur gazed upward as he spoke. Even though the car roof was between them, he spoke as if he could see through the entire sky, saying calmly: "He might still be alive somewhere in this universe…"

Steve's fists clenched suddenly upon hearing that.

Arthur patted him on the shoulder, saying: "Don't worry, even if he's still alive, it'll be hard for him to come back."

"The Tesseract… where did it take you?" Black Widow, who was sitting in the front, couldn't help but speak: "Your disappearance was indeed related to that, wasn't it?"

"Do you really want to know?" Arthur smiled before he continued to speak: "Then we'll need to have a proper discussion about it. First, are you speaking on behalf of SHIELD or just yourself?"

"I represent… the Avengers!" the Black Widow glanced at the rearview mirror as she spoke with a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Are you trying to scare me with big words," Arthur shook his head: "The Avengers have been established? Even if it has, am I supposed to be afraid?"

Steve looked at them, puzzled: "What's going on?"

"Nothing much, just a little personal history," Arthur smiled: "And it has nothing to do with her. Mainly, it seems I have a grudge against this country…"

"How so?" Steve quickly said: "Instructor, you're a hero!"

"Have you heard of my particular brand of heroism?"

Arthur chuckled as he spoke: "There are pictures of you in the National Memorial, and every year many people go to see 'You', to honor their hero. But what about me? How many people remember me? Hero? That term doesn't quite fit me, Steve. I'm more of a 'legend,' a legend passed down by a very few people."

Steve was stunned when he heard that.

Black Widow spoke from the front: "There's a reason for that."

"Ahem," Arthur waved his hand: "The reasons are actually secondary. In fact, it's for the better. I never intended to be your hero. Back then, that red-faced fucker wanted to blow up half the world to achieve his ambitions. If I hadn't resisted, I would've ended up dead too. So, it wasn't about saving the world; I was saving myself, and more so, I was probably just avenging that foolish old man. Heroes, achievements— these things don't really mean much to me."

"And speaking of heroes…" Arthur looked at Steve again: "You're the true hero."

Steve lowered his head: "Instructor…"

Arthur smiled: "Honestly, I didn't expect it to be you who came to pick me up. In fact, it's a pleasant surprise to see you in this era."

"Instructor, no one can erase your achievements!"

Steve took a deep breath: "We both lived through that era, saw many… many comrades die beside us. If it weren't for you, Schmidt's ambitions would have come true, and there would be no peace now. It was your bravery and struggle that saved countless lives, and no one can erase such achievements! They… don't deserve to!"

Screech!

The sound of brakes came on, and Black Widow turned around to look at the two men: "You two fossils, can you stop your grandstanding for now? Fury is waiting…"

Steve looked at Arthur, remaining silent and showing no intention of getting out of the car.

Black Widow also turned her gaze to Arthur.

Arthur smiled: "Sure, Fury is the Director of SHIELD, right? Actually, I was planning to find an opportunity to pay him a proper visit when I came back. Since we're meeting today, that's great."

He opened the car door, got out, and stretched his muscles, saying: "Steve, let me treat you to a good meal later. Not just steak and lettuce, but something truly delicious that will really satisfy you."

"You know a place like that?" Steve asked in surprise: "Is it really that good?"

"You won't find that kind of taste in a restaurant…" Arthur shook his head: "But my landlord can make it. She's on vacation right now and her cooking skills are simply top-notch!"

"That sounds great."

Steve's face lit up with a broad smile.

Black Widow's expression was subtle as she gestured: "Please, both of you."

They entered a building and went to the elevator.

When the elevator opened, there was another layer of security with a password. After the identity verification, the floor buttons appeared.

The next moment, the entire elevator descended with a loud rumble, but the number display showed the correct floors.

"This is a SHIELD substation."

Black Widow explained. 

After that, the three of them remained silent. When the elevator reached the designated floor and dinged, the elevator doors opened.

They were greeted by a busy office scene.

Everywhere were staff members moving around with documents, most of whom were armed.

The Black Widow led the two of them through the office to the deepest part, arriving at the door of an office.

She knocked, and a voice from inside said: "Come in."

They entered to find a one-eyed man in a black trench coat and black face looking up from his paperwork at Arthur and Steve.

He stood up: "I really wanted to come and pick you up personally, but there's just too much work on my plate. A month ago, a hammer fell in New Mexico, and Coulson still hasn't finished the report on it. Not only that, the trouble caused by this hammer isn't just because its origin is unknown. More importantly… we've discovered that beyond our imagination, there are entities in this universe that surpass even our expectations!"

"No one knows the extent of the threat they pose to humanity."

As he spoke, he personally poured two cups of coffee and brought them to Arthur and Steve, saying: "So, I've been sorting through the relevant materials recently, and we need a more detailed report."

After finishing his long explanation, he looked at Arthur and Steve with an incredulous expression, then suddenly smiled: "The legendary Assasin of Decapitations Missions. Honestly, if Coulson hadn't shown me your photo, I would've thought he was making it up."

As he spoke, he extended his hand to Arthur: "Finally, we meet."