The Avengers (Marvel;Re)/Issue 2 (Captain America)

This is the second issue of Captain America's Avengers comic book series, part of the Marvel;Re initiative and the story arc, The Madness Beneath. The story is preceded by The Avengers (Captain America) #1 and succeeded by The Avengers (Captain America) #3.

Synopsis
The Avengers have expanded. Through the Avengers Wave protocol, Earth's mightiest heroes have expanded their ranks, inducting many other superhumans to aid them in fending off the growing threat of the universe. As the leader of the Avengers, Captain America is privileged to lead his own team of Avengers. Many were unable to fathom the Super-Soldier's choices, but the Star-Spangled Avenger knows best that nothing is impossible and his team could be an example to the world of superheroes. Together, they stand against the worst reality and unreality can throw at them as the Avengers.

Ghost Rider. Balder the Brave. Hiroim the Oldstrong. Warlock the Technarch. Victorious. These are Captain America's recruits for his new Avengers team. They may have been officially deemed Avengers, but their trail by fire is just about to begin... beneath the waves...

Previously in Avengers...

 * Captain America's Avengers have finally assembled. Despite an intervention from a certain fangirl in pink, it's safe to say that the world is going to feel more safer with the presence of even more of Earth's mightiest heroes.
 * The former Herald of Doom, Victorious, now resides in New York City in a flat just beside Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Oh, and their daughter, too.
 * Balder has decided to spend more time on Earth. That doesn't mean he's no longer responsible of Asgard, however.

The Avengers Tower
The issue starts with the introduction of a television news broadcast identified as WHiH Newsfront and promptly snaps back to reality with the view of news anchor, Gloria Grant, reporting on the news in the studio for the day. The former Daily Bugle correspondent clears up her throat before sitting down on the news table, picking up and looking at her cue cards to see what's in store for the news. The panels and news screen switch perspective to the exterior of the Avengers Tower, where a man wearing a predominantly blue attire can be seen holding a microphone, accompanied by a man standing five inches taller than him, bearing a camera and wearing a mining suit of sorts.
 * Gloria Grant: "Good morning everyone! This is Gloria Grant, and this is WHiH Newsfront! Hope you're having an amazing day and an awesome mood, 'cause today, we're going to cover some hot topics, beginning with the stealth announcement of Captain America's new Avengers! Next of that, we also have news concerning recent investigations to Baintronics Incorporated's shady business practices, the heroism of Officer Dave Lizewski in detaining the 'Punisher', Carlos Cruz, and a special coverage of SHIELD's new medical base which is set to be opened as a state-of-the-art public hospital! Without further ado, let's get right into the hot spot!"
 * Gloria Grant: "Ahem. Alright, let's get into the first big news for the day. Last night, at 8 PM, the Avengers' official website has been updated to the surprise of all of us. Was it a hacker attack? Was it the start of a virus outbreak? Fortunately, no! Instead, a new heroic division, led by Captain America, has been added to the ever-expanding roster of the Avengers! As part of the Avengers Wave program, this prestigious superhero team has substantially expanded its numbers to include a greater portion of the superhuman community to better protect this planet. Not superhero or supervillain. Superhumans. Rumors had it that the Captain's chosen were quite... unorthodox, to say the least, and the announced membership sure did us quite a number! For once, nobody expected Ghost Rider to be an Avenger, let alone the controversial Herald of Doom who was an adversary of the Fantastic Four some time ago. Oh, hold on a sec... sorry, her name is Victorious, not the Herald of Doom. Okay, back on track. According to a paragraph in the website, the Star-Spangled Avenger stated that his team is meant to be a display of diversity and strength in adversity, and that's meant to be taken both literally and metaphorically. This new team is said to be capable of handling nearly every threat there is thanks to its versatile membership, tackling every challenge there is with their strong cooperation. If you haven't guessed it, the team's core is very much styled after Captain America, whose leadership is legendarily inspiring. Have I mentioned that one of them is Thor's brother? I'm not talking about Loki, I'm talking about Balder the Brave! If you Norse enthusiasts want to see someone from Asgard aside from Thor and Loki, there you have it. Right now, we have a reporter on-scene just outside of the Avengers Tower to present to you an exclusive interview with the Avengers! We're going over live to our correspondent. How's it going there, Dick?"

Adapting to the modern world is no easy task. Captain America managed to get a hold of things rather handily thanks to the Avengers, who defrosted him, and spent a lot more time in the late twentieth century to the twenty first century. Sixteen months ago, a collection of lost heroes from the same era as the Shield-Slinger was unearthed beneath a construction site in Berlin. They woke up to a world unlike anything they've ever known, and they had to readjust their lives accordingly to the false utopia they woke up to. Not all of them survived the experience... but thankfully, those who survived the modern era attained jobs of their own and their lives.

Two of them, the Phantom Reporter and Rockman, were fortunate to make a living for themselves after months of tragedy and government assistance. For the former, Richard "Dick" Jones, not Rick, was lucky to have a position as both a writer at Daily Bugle and news reporter at WHiH Newsfront. His soul is of a journalist, anyway. The latter, Daniel Rose, also got a job in WHiH Newsfront, though that was because of Dick's suggestion and how he's practically the only sane person left he'd like to have as a partner. This 'cameraman' work's a side job for Rose, however. He found his true calling in Damage Control, where his strength is extremely useful in clearing out all the mess superhuman fights make. As a Stark subsidiary, Rose technically works for Iron Man, but he doesn't mind that. As long as he can do good and make a living, he's fine.

When Gloria referred to his name, Dick is still daydreaming, looking around New York in the morning hour. He can clearly hear Gloria repeating his name over and over again, but he's still distracted by both the awe of the Avengers Tower and whatever he's dreaming as of now. Mr. Rose goes on to wake him up. Dick is still looking around, turning his eyes away from the camera and his friend. The two Golden Age superheroes proceed to enter the front gate of the Avengers Tower with a special keycard. Once inside, they find themselves within the Tower's lobby where power is just beginning to be distributed across the system. The information desk is devoid of the Stark AIs that act as artificial receptionists. Truly, the Tower is empty and dead. No one has seen the top floor, though. Rockman, bearing the camera, follows the Phantom Reporter's steps to a rather famous part of the lobby often visited by tourists: the Hall of Heroes. Within the Hall, a visual history of the Avengers is displayed on the walls, as well as every single Avenger that has ever been. Holographic images of the Avengers' current and former members are seen, also showing information on their current status and brief descriptions. Avengers part of the Wave protocol is also given a special mark to identify their participation and the team they belong to. Coincidentally, holographic images of Captain America's new Avengers can be seen, newly added to the Hall. Dick once again beckons Rockman to follow him, walking down the Hall of Heroes to see the holograms of Captain America's new recruits. Upon reaching the place, the Phantom Reporter proceeds to speak to the viewers once again... ... only to stop his words when he notices another person at the end of the hallway seeing the five new Avengers' constructs. The man at the end obviously knows of their presence but keeps on ignoring the duo, walking around and observing the nearby holograms of the Avengers. With his hands in his pockets and a laid-back attitude, something is just off with him. Considering no one is supposed to be there other than the two, Dick surmises that this man is an intruder. However, he cannot just accuse and attack him. The investigator he is, the Reporter opts for a more civilized approach.
 * Daniel Rose / Rockman: "Uh, PR, it's your turn now."
 * Rockman: "Dick? Newsfront's gonna fire you if you don't get to the news."
 * Dick Jones / Phantom Reporter: "Hm, what? Oh! Oh, what was I thinking? Oh, I'm sorry, I was quite enamored by... well..."
 * Rockman: "Okay, you're daydreaming. That's it."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Yes, indeed. I apologize for losing my focus. (Clears throat) Good morning, viewers, this is Dick Jones, the Phantom Reporter, reporting live at the Avengers Tower. As you can see, it's not as crowded as usual, and that's because the Avengers Tower opens at 10 AM to the public. Luckily, thanks to an arrangement negotiated yesterday, I am given the permission to enter the Tower earlier to bring you an exclusive interview with the Avengers, starting with a good ol' friend of mine and their official leader, Captain America! While we await his arrival, I'll take you on a little sightseeing around the Tower. Now, let's get going, shall we?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "The Avengers Tower is a magnificent building, to say the least. It has state-of-the-art security, whatever that means, and it's the primary headquarters of Earth's Greatest -- I mean Mightiest -- Heroes, alongside the Avengers Mansion, which used to fulfill the same purpose back when the team was in its infancy. Of course, times change and the Avengers Tower is now practically New York's prime precinct for superpowered crime fighters. Now, with this access card that Jarvis fella gave me, we can explore most of this place and I know just the place to interest you viewers in!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Now this... is the Hall of Heroes. Been wanting to go here, myself, honestly, but I'm sure all you viewers out there have always wanted to visit this gallery. The Hall of Heroes is a pseudo-museum that tells the story of the Avengers from its beginnings up to this day. From what is known, the writings and pictures on these walls aren't real paintings or writings. They're more akin to digital screens (thank God I've learnt about those) that can be easily modified to accomodate new changes and sagas. I don't understand how that works, but hey, as long as it works! As you can see, these are holographic images of every Avenger there has been in history and if you're wondering, yes, Captain America's new bandmates have been given their own displays at the end of this hallway!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Now, you see that in a distance? Five new displays, all with holograms of our newest Avengers! And..."
 * Rockman: "Jones? I thought we're supposed to be the only ones here."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Another guest with exclusive access, perhaps?"
 * Gloria Grant: "(In the studio) Is everything alright, Dick?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "(Whispering) Something's not right. Rose, keep recording."

They slowly walk towards the man, doing so in a casual manner, with ease and relaxation. Upon reaching a few meters of him, the Phantom Reporter, with his regular reporter smile, delivers a string of friendly yet inquisitive words to him. That question would be delivered with pressure if it wasn't delivered by Jones. Instead, he asks him in the same manner he asks tourists of their purpose of coming to the locale. The man pulls out a hand from his pocket and hands him the special pass. Upon having it in his hands, Dick thoroughly examines the ticket. Legit, it's the exact type of ticket as his. Emphasis on exact; its serial number is the same as Dick's own ticket. The early entry pass can be bought either online or directly in the Avengers Mansion. PR went for the latter and acquired the pass from Edwin Jarvis himself for free due to his affiliation. Jarvis is also the administrator of the Avengers website, and despite his age, there's no way he can make the mistake of granting someone the same ticket as him.
 * Phantom Reporter: "Good morning, sir! Dick Jones, WHiH Newsfront, how are you doing?"
 * Man: "I'm doing great! Thanks for asking. What abou you, Dick?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Oh, I've never been better, sir! Now, if I may ask, what are you doing here?"
 * Man: "I'm just looking around, you know? Heard last night that the Avengers got bigger and I wondered to myself if they'd add the new folks' statues in the Hall. Turns out, I was right."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Good to know. Now, tell me, did you get a special admission pass to the Tower beforehand?"
 * Man: "Yep. I got myself a Jarvis pass. Bought it yesterday online from the Avengers website."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Awesome! Can I take a look?"

After taking a good look at the ticket, PR smiles at the man and returns it to him. Then he takes another good look at him and begins to work on his instinct to see if this man is truly another tourist. Back in the studio, the entire news crew goes silent as they hear his statement. In the background, Gloria can be heard speaking to another person behind the camera. Unbeknownst to the man, his very statement is being broadcasted in many different televisions across America. His opinion resonates with the grumblings of many disgruntled and mistrustful Americans for a good reason. Others? They're certainly either confused or amazed... or both.
 * Phantom Reporter: "Alright, nice to see that. Now, sir, if I may know, what do you think of Cap's new Avengers? Are you surprised at the line-up?"
 * Man: "All of us are surprised, you know. I mean, who could've predicted that Cap recruited murderers?"
 * Gloria Grant: "Gary, get me an ID on this guy."
 * Phantom Reporter: "I... beg your pardon?"
 * Man: "You recognize Ghost Riders, right? They burn criminals without mercy left and right without considering them and hurt innocents caught in the middle without a care. Then we have this... Victorious gal. She used to be Doom's slave! I'm not too convinced on the idea that she's free from her so-called 'mental conditioning' or the fact that she's still eighteen or so. I think she lacks the responsibility, and that she could end up killing undeserving people with all her angst. Plus, who's not to say that she's killed people on Doom's behalf?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "I see. And what about the others? Hiroim and that Warlock fella seem to be good. Balder? He's a warrior from another dimension, anyway, so it's obvious that he's killed people before."
 * Man: "All three of them already have obligations that fulfill the same purpose of being Avengers. Yeah, three or so X-Men are already in this overrated band, but must the Avengers steal from other superhero gatherings to make up their stuff? Sounds pretty egoistic, I should say. Plus, will any of us know if they leave the team immediately because they're recalled somewhere else to handle a global threat while they already have their hands full? I can't put my trust in a team of vigilantes with availability as scarce as food in the Third World."

(In the Baxter Building...)

Two of the Fantastic Four are watching television while sitting on a couch. Quite an obvious guess of who they are.
 * Benjamin Grimm: "Who da palooka is this guy? Gotta give 'im cred, though. He's got guts."
 * Johnny Storm: "I dunno, Ben, but you're right. This guy's blazin' bold!"

(In the Bar Sinister...)


 * Mister Sinister: "(Is seen making an omelette) This display of bravado would be inspiring if he wasn't this stupid to be so bold..."

(In a suburban house far away from New York...)


 * Abigail Boylen / Cloud 9: "(Watching TV while being huddled up on a couch) He's got a point. I'm a 'superhero' though, so..."

(In a classified safehouse, hidden in the wilderness...)


 * Nathan Summers / Cable: "(Is seen maintaining his futuristic arms and armor while watching the TV) Can't that oldie just shoot him in the face?"

(In Wakanda...) The most advanced nation in Africa objects to the man's Third World statement.
 * Shuri: "See, this is why I suggested the aid programs, brother!"


 * T'Challa / Black Panther: "(Sigh) Shuri..."

(In the Peak, high above Earth's orbit...)
 * Abigail Brand: "Asshole."

Back in the Hall of Heroes...


 * Phantom Reporter: "Mhhm, I see. You're not too keen on this whole superhero thing, aren't you?"


 * Man: "They make other people's lives miserable, buddy. You know, this world would've been free of supervillains and other freaks if superheroes hadn't been present."

The man pulls no punches in his words despite the presence of two superheroes in front of him and an audience that doesn't just encompass regular Americans.

(In an advanced hideout somewhere in Egypt...)


 * En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse: "(Is watching a giant screen while armoring up) Clearly you know nothing of the world, lowborn!"


 * Phantom Reporter: "Right, superheroes. Well, thank you for providing some of your time, sir. I hope you have an enjoyable day. Oh, by the way, may I ask you another question?"


 * Man: "Sure. Just make it quick, I got places to be."


 * Phantom Reporter: "What's your superpower?"

The flustered man immediately goes through a brief shock as he is stunned by the Phantom Reporter's statement. Despite this, he remains collected and displays no signs of fear.

The man's superhuman hearing silences Gloria and attracts the Phantom Reporter. Turning his body partially towards him, Jones stares at him in conviction and gets himself ready for a scuffle. Rockman immediately puts down his camera, placing the still-active device next to the display base of Starfox and cracking his knuckles after doing so. As the news studio scrambles to respond to the situation by calling the police, Rockman and the Phantom Reporter prepare to fight the mystery man, taking their combat stances. The man simply smirks upon seeing this.
 * Man: "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "I can't help but notice the nice handiwork you've been trying to hide from everyone. I see that you're a good welder, but you came here without any tools, so I assume your powers are related to heat. I mean, seriously, did you cut through that wall I see with your superheated hands? Too bad you can't hide the weld marks. Speaking of which, nice work with bringing the counterfeit card. Too bad you didn't even enter by the front door to deny my access. See this (takes out his own pass) thing over here? It has the same serial numbers as yours. You can't enter using cards of the same number, otherwise you'd be suspected as an impersonator."
 * Man: "(Sniggers) You're a smart man. I'll give you that."
 * Phantom Reporter: "They call me the Phantom Reporter for a reason. Gloria, you seeing this?"
 * Gloria Grant: "(In studio) Dick, you have to get out! You're in great danger! He's... he's..."
 * Man: "Do you mind telling her to shut up, 'Dick'?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "I don't know what you're planning here, but you're not getting away from this."
 * Man: "You know, I've always wanted to be on TV. Show the world what a 'forgotten' man can do. You are a forgotten man, too, yes?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Either way, I'm not a hooligan or some terrorist armed with thinly-veiled threats and awful facades. The cops are on their way, now."
 * Man: "It's 8:45 AM and the capes haven't awakened from their slumber parties yet."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Daniel and I? We beg to differ."
 * Gloria Grant: "Daniel? Dick? What's going on?"
 * Rockman: "Call the cops, Glory. Just call whoever's on. We're gonna need detainment."
 * Gloria Grant: "Hold on! Help is on the way! Rhodes, call NYPD! I'll go get Spider-Man."
 * Man: "Two men out of time, and none of you are Captain America. At least I get to kill someone other than Stark."
 * Rockman: "You got a bone to pick with him?"
 * Man: "I don't appreciate getting disintegrated."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Well good for you, 'cause you're getting something far worse than disintegration."
 * Man: "(Laughs) You don't know what you're dealing with. Poor you."
 * Phantom Reporter: "You mind telling us first why you're here?"
 * Man: "No."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Smart. Care to tell us your name?"
 * Man: "Mallen."

In an instance, the Extremis-powered terrorist bolts forward and delivers a mighty haymaker that sends both PR and Rockman, who's standing behind him, flying through the hall. The Reporter's impact is absorbed by Rockman's body, but that doesn't help him in recovering from that punch Mallen gave.


 * Phantom Reporter: "God, that hurts! What is he made of?!"


 * Rockman: "Jones, you good?"


 * Phantom Reporter: "Give me a sec, I'll..."

Mallen continues his assault by breathing fire at them in hopes of incinerating them. Rockman puts his arms up to block the fires while the Phantom Reporter simply gets up and reacts quickly by burning him back with a stream of mystic fire. This sends Mallen stumbling back and falling on one of his knees as he is surprised at what he has just received. From his palms and fingertips, Mallen unleashes powerful electrical discharges that PR barely evades. Unfortunately, they hit the newly-recovered Rockman, who has to endure the shock while screaming. Noticing this, Jones utilizes his superhuman leg strength to leap on to Mallen, unleashing a mighty knee strike that stuns the Extremis host. For Mallen, this is just a momentary disadvantage as he quickly dodges the Reporter's next attack, side-stepping his next punch to get behind him and suplex him.
 * Mallen: "(Already standing near the two) You don't have a second."
 * Mallen: "What the–did you just burn me?!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Courtesy of my old pal, Jack Castle!"
 * Mallen: "Guessing that's magic, but that won't matter. I got a few tricks myself!"

Before Mallen can execute him, Rockman lunges forward with a battle cry and puts him down. On top of him, Rockman unleashes mighty earth-pounding smashes that visibly hurt him until he catches both of his hands. Mallen breathes fire point-blank at Rockman before kicking him up so high he hits the ceiling. When he falls down, Mallen punches his face so hard he gets sent into the lobby of the Tower. The Phantom Reporter, having stood up again, shoots his back several times with a pair of M1911 pistols. Problem is, he simply regenerates the wounds as if they're nothing. He attempts to blitz him once again, but the anticipating Golden Age hero blasts a large fireball at him to halt his advance, opening him up for a boxing combo. The moment he tries to uppercut him, however, Mallen catches his hand and cuts his forearm with his pincer-like claws. Jones yells out in pain but gets silenced as Mallen chokes him, lifting the helpless hero up. Dick is freed from the restraint when the Rockman signals his recovery by throwing three empty trash cans at him to distract Mallen. He charges at him with the intent to beat the pulp out of him, but Mallen being the lightning-fast terrorist he is responds with a tackle of his own that screws up his balance. Off-balance, Rockman was about to fall, but Mallen embeds his superheated hand into his chest before throwing him over his head to send him mewling on the ground. Mallen blasts a stream of electricity meant to cripple Jones' legs, but the relentless vigilante erects a flaming shield around him to absorb the damage. His opponent simply stops the attack a few seconds after the shield is made and opts to melee him again. Noticing this, Jones maintains the shield, but found it unable to prevent him from getting tackled through the hall and into the wall where he first entered through. Leaning on the welded wall, Jones tries his best to get up but gets kicked back to the wall by Mallen, who's already there before he can even fully stand. Mallen answers his own question by dismembering both of Jones' legs, nearly killing him but leaving him in pain. Mallen proceeds to kick aside the crippled Golden Age hero to exit the place the same way he did. When he tries to superheat his hands and open the wall, however, he finds himself unable to even heat it up. Mallen turns around to see Rockman standing tall without a single trace of his previous wounds. His clothes look as if it's just been washed and his chest is without a hole, and his chest piece has no mark of Mallen's hot punch. Much to his surprise, Victorious, the new cosmic-powered Avenger, flies up from behind Rockman's back, hovering and fully garbed in his battlewear with his spear at hand. Seeing this, Mallen gives a snarl before tilting around his head to see other ways to escape. Apparently, Victorious has healed the Phantom Reporter, giving back his legs and arms, as well as an enhancement to his pyrokinesis. With this enhancement, he dishes out two mystic fire-infused punches at the Extremis host before throwing him down to the ground near Rockman and Victorious.
 * Mallen: "(Spits aside) That... hurt."
 * Rockman: "Plenty more where that came from!"
 * Mallen: "Unfortunately, I heal fast."
 * Mallen: "Told you."
 * Mallen: "Pitiful."
 * Phantom Reporter: Urgh... you're going down!"
 * Mallen: "Actually, you're going down."
 * Mallen: "See, this is why you old timers should stay out of the superhero business. Times have changed. You're obsolete. Not even your brains are fast enough to see me jogging. At least Daniel over there can still put up a fight... but nevertheless, both of you are going to die here, 'tween the rubble of this forsaken tower."
 * Phantom Reporter: "You're... bombing this place?"
 * Mallen: "You figured it out even without half an arm. Good. Thing is, you're too wounded to escape this place within thirty seconds, so you're as good as dead. Am I going to leave you here alive for the last seconds of your life?"
 * Mallen: "Yes, but not with your legs. Now, if you don't mind, I got places to be. See ya."
 * Mallen: "The *@(! is this?"
 * Rockman: "That would be karma."
 * Mallen: "Heh. You heal, too?"
 * Rockman: "We all heal, Mallen. I just got an extra R&R courtesy of Ms. Victorious over here.
 * Mallen: "You... you won't leave this place alive! None of you will!"
 * Victorious: "Your bombs are small and many, but the Power Cosmic is greater and everywhere. It's not hard to disarm them if you just will it to."
 * Mallen: "You think I don't have a back-up plan, huh?"
 * Victorious: "Oh, those spare bombs in your pocket? They won't be beeping any time sooner. You may want to be careful of who's next to you, by the way."

Vukovic lands on the ground, standing just in front of Mallen. In rage, Mallen tries to claw off her face to no avail, even breaking apart his claws and prompting him to yell in pain. In response, the unhurt Victorious simply puts her hand on his neck and channels the Power Cosmic to both knock him out and neutralize the Extremis virus within him without hassle. In an instance, Mallen falls down on the ground, blacked out in unconsciousness. Rockman goes over to the Starfox display to recover his camera, thankfully surviving the entire experience. While doing so, NYPD's finest timely arrives and swarms the scene, apprehending the motionless Mallen. Rockman examines his camera and sees that it's well. For a moment, the screens of a million televisions are filled with Daniel's face until he turns it around to resume his job. Victorious promptly propels PR's microphone towards her, which was dropped during the fight near the display of Falcon. In the studio, Gloria Grant hastily makes her way back to the recording area, resuming her duty as a news anchor after Spider-Man apparently failed to respond her call. (Camera is active once again.) True to her cosmic sense, the name of 'Captain America' is spoken in excitement and enthusiasm by the police officers near the front gate and around the scene. In his civilian clothes, Rogers makes his way to the Hall of Heroes, where Mallen caused quite the ruckus. On the way, he takes a look at the unconscious Mallen himself and shakes his head in disapproval. Once in the Hall, however, his expression turns into one of glee upon encountering two of his fellow 'old timers' and a new recruit of his. Rogers proceeds to hug his old friend and give a handshake to Rockman, who's bearing the camera. Victorious gets a nod of approval from him and blushes, of all the reactions that can be expressed. Victorious turns her face to Captain America to ask him so by raising an eyebrow. Rogers takes a moment to digest his question, thinking as if the universe stops for a while. Even Victorious can sense the confusion and doubt in his mind. In her mind, Victorious realizes the true genius of Captain America as she recounts how every single one of her teammates are capable of fast transportation. Ghost Rider can practically teleport using whatever magic she has and if it's not viable, she has a bike. Balder can literally jump from one galaxy to another with the presence of light. Hiroim can teleport using his Old Power and Warlock can become anything, so he can just transform into a supersonic spaceship for transport purposes. Her? She may have taken the cab to the Tower, but she can do what the Silver Surfer can do; she just needs further training.
 * Victorious: "That should do it."
 * Rockman: "We nearly died trying to hit him and he couldn't even scratch you!"
 * Victorious: "I guess I have the Power Cosmic to thank for."
 * Rockman: "Well, whatever it is, you have our thanks, Mrs. Victorious."
 * Victorious: "You... are welcome, Mr. Rockman."
 * Phantom Reporter: "(Walks towards the two while examining his arm and legs) I don't know how you did that, but I guess I know why the Captain chose you, Vic. You have my gratitude."
 * Victorious: "Thank you, Mr. Reporter."
 * Phantom Reporter: "(Laughs) You're welcome. Daniel, is the camera still alive?"
 * Rockman: "I'm pretty sure it recorded my near-death experience. Hold on... fixin' it in a second."
 * Rockman: "We're goin' live, PR."
 * Phantom Reporter: "I ain't got a mike, I'm afraid."
 * Victorious: "(Gives the mike to PR) Here you go. It is undamaged, trust me."
 * Phantom Reporter: "I trust you in that, kiddo (giggles). Daniel, roll it!"
 * Rockman: "It's already rolling."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Oh, uh... good morning, folks! I'm Dick Jones, the Phantom Reporter, back at you again with the Avengers Tower report! Uh... Glory, are you there?"
 * Gloria Grant: "Yeah, yeah, I'm here! Good God, are you okay? We just saw Daniel nearly die!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Don't worry, Glory. He's back in one piece thanks to a certain Avenger standing right beside me. We gonna resume this?"
 * Gloria Grant: "Yup. Hold on a minute, there. (Turns to studio camera) Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the previous interference, because apparently, that interview with Captain America turned out to be a supervillain disaster. Guess we have a new headline for the day, so I hope you viewers out there are still up for the latest news! The Avengers Tower was apparently intruded upon by one of Iron Man's old rogues named Mallen, who possesses powers granted by the Extremis virus, which was thought to have been destroyed... until now. Luckily, both our reporter and cameraman are former superheroes, and a certain angelic Avenger arrived just in time to apprehend the crook. Let's go live once again at the Avengers Tower with our correspondent, Dick Jones."
 * Gloria Grant: "How's it hangin', Dick?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "We're fine, Gloria, we're fine! In all honestly, we nearly died trying to fight against that Mallen fella, but we were fortunate to have Mrs. Victorious over here saving us and the Tower at the last moment. Mallen was about to bomb the place to oblivion with particularly powerful small bombs, but they've been deactivated by our new Latverian Avenger, effectively saving the day. The cops have just arrested Mallen, and I'm quite sure Mr. Stark will want to have some words with him once he is imprisoned. In the meantime, that Captain America interview I promised may have to wait. Instead, we'll settle for our lifesaver this very day, Victorious. Would you like to say hello to the viewers at home, Ms. Victorious?"
 * Victorious: "Uh.. hi!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Awesome! Now, can you please tell me what you were doing before coming to the Avengers Tower? From the looks of it, you seem to be the only Avenger to be here! Where are the others?"
 * Victorious: "Well, you know... yesterday, there was an initiation ceremony of sorts for the Captain's new Avengers, which... includes me. He had us all exclaim 'Avengers Assemble', but none of us could shout out such a battle cry because my new teammate, Warlock, bellowed so hard we were paralyzed for a second... hehe. Then, we were supposed to go to the Avengers Tower to see our supposed headquarters at the top floor, but Iron Man said that we should do that tomorrow... which is today. We agreed to confer in this precise second, so it seems that I'm the first Avenger to come here and attend to this... massacre (slight laugh). For the others, I'm sure they will be here any moment now..."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Whaddaya know, Vic? The first of the others turns out to be Mr. Star-Spangled Liberty Man himself!"
 * Steve Rogers: "If it isn't the infamous Phantom Reporter and the King of Abyssmia!"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Well, folks, it seems that we're getting that Captain America interview after all! Heck, maybe we'll get the entire Avengers to be interviewed!"
 * Steve Rogers: "They'll be here, Dick. I'm not sure if they are going for the lobby, though."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Alright then. You people aren't in a hurry, right?"
 * Steve Rogers: "Avengers Wave hasn't popped off, yet, so we should be able to give you five-and-a-half-minute. We need to be prepared at any given moment, Dick."
 * Phantom Reporter: "I understand, Captain. Now, how do you feel about founding a new Avengers team? You should know that none of us were expecting yesterday's announcement, so it's quite a surprise for us all to know that you didn't do a press conference of sorts to announce the line-up."
 * Steve Rogers: "A press conference would be a disaster, Dick. There's no telling what manner of interference could happen there. Judging from Mallen's appearance here, who knows what manner of damage he could bring to such a public event? Besides, it was an opportunity for me to try some of those editing things."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Oh! So those are your words stamped in the website, yes?"
 * Steve Rogers: "My very own, Jones. Stark had to help me with the more technical stuffs, but it worked in the end."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Hm, I see, I see. Alright, Cap, how long do you think that your Avengers will last?"
 * Steve Rogers: "I'm sorry, could you repeat that question?"
 * Phantom Reporter: "How long do you think that your Avengers will last? Or, perhaps, the entire Avengers team as a whole?"
 * Steve Rogers: "I'm looking forward to working with the team for another decade or so. There may be casualties considering our line of work and the many enemies we have from both outer space and the inner boroughs, but I believe that the team will survive. I think that the very concept of being an 'Avenger' will remain until the next decade or even century. There may be a time when superheroes won't be required anymore. But when that time comes, we, the Avengers, will remain fighting for good in more mundane ways. That's all I say, and for once, I made my choice in recruiting these Avengers, so I'm not backing off from them."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Amazing! Considering some — if not all — of your Avengers and the main team are immortal, we might as well believe in what you just said."
 * Steve Rogers: "Most of us are still humans, I must remind. It's just that when some of us pass away, others will carry our torches 'til the end of the line."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Quite the positive outlook there, old buddy. I like it! Speaking of which, Captain, not all of your recruits are into the Avengers considering that most of them are already parts of other superhero agencies. What would you do if one day your team is called upon to deal with a global threat, only for some of them to be called back to their home teams to deal with other equally-endangering situations?"
 * Steve Rogers: "We will see how severe the cases are. Otherwise, we're sticking together. I'm not restricting them from returning to their home teams, but I'd rather have all hands on deck to handle the biggest threats that I'm sure we'll be tackling. On another note, I am working on a reserve program, but that'll take some time."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Good to know! At least we know that you're not without contingencies. Am I in your reserve list?"
 * Steve Rogers: "(Chuckles) We'll see."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Anyways, the Avengers may be busy in defending our world from exploding or imploding, but what would you guys do if you get a couple of day-offs?"
 * Steve Rogers: "That depends on the time. I'll let them do anything that's rational or just alright, but I expect them all to be present once their presences are required. Besides, there's a reason why most of my Avengers can teleport."


 * Phantom Reporter: "Wow, your team is versatile. If I recall, your team is meant to handle many, many different perils, right?"


 * Steve Rogers: "Magical threats, domestic crisis, interdimensional intrusions, you name it."


 * Phantom Reporter: "Public relation problems?"

The two share a laugh over the subtle joke and Victorious simply smiles in response, briefly looking at the camera before turning away in embarassment. (In the studio...)
 * Steve Rogers: "That'd be domestic crisis."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Oh, that was good. Anyways, folks, I guess we all can feel far more secure knowing that Cap's Avengers has us covered. Before going back to the studio, however, I'm going to move over here and ask Ms. Victorious a few questions myself. Do you mind, Lady?"
 * Victorious: "Yes. Wait—no, I mean no! Just... ask me what is appropriate, sir. Sorry"
 * Phantom Reporter: "Ah, that's okay, just relax, alright?"
 * Victorious: "Yes."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Mrs. Victorious, how do you feel being an Avenger? It must be hard for a person with a... let's just say 'tattered' past like yours to be a major superhero."
 * Victorious: "I'm... anxious, but I admit that I've felt better ever since Mr. Rogers came to me. People don't like me because I used to work for Doom. I say this: I fight for Latveria as an Avenger. I care not for what anyone thinks of me, I'm still an Avenger who wants to make the world a better place for everyone, Latverian or not."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Now that's the spirit! Victorious, does Doctor Doom approve your status as an Avenger?"
 * Victorious: "Yes."
 * Phantom Reporter: "That is comfortably assuring. By the way, do you count as a US citizen or Latverian?"
 * Victorious: "Uh... uh..."
 * Captain America: "She has dual-citizenship to allow her to reside both in the United States and Latveria."
 * Victorious: "O—okay, I don't recall..."
 * Captain America: "I've spoken with the immigration, Vic. You're already considered a US citizen, but you and I will have to manage your ID card together one day."
 * Victorious: "You did this yesterday? After..."
 * Captain America: "After that little festivity we did? Yes."
 * Phantom Reporter: "O, that's so generous of you. At least now we know that bureaucracy isn't going to be the death of any Avenger!"
 * Captain America: "(Chuckles) Hopefully."
 * Victorious: "Uh, Captain, I think I can sense Alejandra, Warlock, Balder, and Hiroim upstairs."
 * Captain America: "Well, guess it is time to assemble."
 * Phantom Reporter: "That was quite an informative interview, I should say! Even though I honestly have a lot more questions to ask for the viewers! Nevertheless, thank you for providing us with some of your time, folks. See you around, Cap!"
 * Captain America: "See ya around, too, Dick. Hope you got the coverage you needed."
 * Phantom Reporter: "Don't worry. I think we just got way too much coverage earlier this morning. Thanks! Alright, Gloria, handing this one back to you.  I'm Dick Jones, WHiH Newsfront."
 * Gloria Grant: "Alright then, marvelous job! Thank you, Jones, and yup, it's certain, folks. The world is going to feel so much safer with the presence of Captain America's Avengers, and by now, we can all surmise that they'll be bringing justice to every corner around the world! It's just up to the governments on this planet to allow their operations to run on their soils, and let's wish they all are approving of the Avengers. Even Doctor Doom permits his nation's champion to join the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Regardless, there's no telling what change the Avengers could bring upon this world with another team of powerful beings, but here's hoping that they can change the world thoroughly. Alright then, moving on to the next segment..."

Top Floor of the Avengers Tower
TBA