MARVEL/DC: DOCTOR IN THE MULTIVERSE

The airport's public-address system abruptly went silent.

In the distance, Tony's and Steve's factions entered the central apron from opposite ends of Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Lynn calmly sat down in a folding chair beside the entrance to his temporary medical station and picked up a freshly brewed cup of tea.

On the empty tarmac, the two groups faced each other.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze.

Steve Rogers stood at the front, with Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Pietro, Hawkeye, and Scott behind him.

They looked like fugitives preparing to challenge an entire system, but none of them showed any intention of backing down.

Across from them, Tony Stark stepped forward first.

Behind him stood War Machine, Black Widow, Black Panther, and Cyborg.

Tony raised one hand.

The faceplate of his Iron Man armor remained open, revealing a face marked by exhaustion and disappointment.

"Cap, this is your last chance."

His amplified voice carried across the tarmac.

"Put down the shield and hand over Barnes."

Steve stepped forward.

"Tony, you need to listen to me."

"A man named Zemo is heading to a HYDRA facility in Siberia. There may be other Winter Soldiers there."

"If we don't stop him now, the consequences could be catastrophic."

"Catastrophic?"

Tony's frustration broke through.

"You always say that!"

"And then you bypass every law, every procedure, and every authority because you've decided your judgment matters more than everyone else's!"

Steve remained calm.

"Because sometimes the procedures are too slow."

"Slow doesn't mean useless!" Tony snapped.

"At least procedure means one man doesn't get to decide what's right and make everyone else pay for it!"

Behind Steve, Bucky spoke quietly.

"Steve, let me stay. You go."

"No."

Steve didn't look back.

His eyes remained on Tony.

T'Challa stepped out from behind Tony.

His attention was fixed entirely on Barnes.

"He isn't going anywhere."

Natasha looked at Steve, her expression conflicted.

"Steve, you know there isn't much road left behind you."

"I know."

Tony was silent for several seconds.

Then he exhaled.

"Fine."

He turned slightly.

"Kid."

"You're up."

Before he finished speaking, a red-and-blue figure swung in from the elevated airport structure.

Two web-lines shot forward.

One struck Steve's shield arm.

The second attached to the shield itself.

With a sharp pull, the vibranium shield tore free.

Peter Parker flipped through the air and landed between the two groups with Captain America's shield in his hands.

He was visibly nervous despite trying to sound confident.

"Hey, everyone."

He hesitated.

"Mr. Stark said I probably don't need an introduction."

Steve stared at him.

The voice alone made Peter's age obvious.

"How old are you?"

Peter paused.

"I'm... old enough?"

Tony immediately cut in.

"Don't answer that."

Sam stared at Tony.

"You recruited a kid?"

Tony pointed across the runway.

"You brought a convicted burglar who dresses like an insect."

Scott Lang, who had shrunk down moments earlier and was now returning to normal size near Steve, raised one hand.

"Technically, burglary."

He frowned.

"Not violent crime."

"Different category."

War Machine rose several meters into the air.

His shoulder-mounted weapon systems deployed with a mechanical hum.

"Enough."

Rhodey's amplified voice carried across the runway.

"Everyone stand down."

A silver blur flashed past him.

Pietro appeared behind War Machine, tapped the heavy shoulder armor twice, and returned to his original position before Rhodey could turn.

"You people talk too slowly."

Rhodey spun and fired a burst of non-lethal concussion rounds toward where Pietro had been.

Pietro was already gone.

The battle began.

T'Challa moved first.

Black Panther launched himself toward Barnes, the vibranium claws extending from his gloves.

They scraped across the runway, throwing sparks as he changed direction.

Bucky barely avoided the first strike.

He raised his cybernetic left arm to block the second.

Vibranium claws struck metal with a shriek.

The impact sent Barnes sliding backward several meters.

"This time," T'Challa said from behind the mask, "no one will keep me from you."

"I didn't kill your father," Bucky replied.

"Then stay alive long enough to prove it."

T'Challa attacked again.

On the opposite side of the battlefield, Tony's faceplate snapped shut.

His repulsor aimed directly at Steve.

"Don't make me do this, Cap."

Steve recovered his shield after Peter's opening move and raised it defensively.

"I don't want to fight you."

"You already are."

Tony fired.

The repulsor beam struck the vibranium shield with a deafening blast.

Steve was driven backward but remained standing.

Wanda raised both hands.

Crimson Chaos Magic formed around her fingers.

Cyborg fired an energy pulse from his arm cannon.

Wanda redirected the blast with a sweep of red energy.

Victor stabilized himself in the air.

His systems began analyzing the energy signature.

"That isn't conventional telekinesis."

Wanda looked at him.

"No."

"It isn't."

Natasha and Clint collided near the baggage-service vehicles.

Natasha ducked beneath one of his strikes and countered with a low kick.

"Does Laura know you're doing this again?"

Clint drew an arrow and pulled the bowstring halfway.

"She knows I have extremely difficult friends."

Peter moved across the battlefield exactly as Tony had instructed.

Control.

Restraint.

Avoid serious injury.

He webbed one of Sam's wings, forcing Falcon into an awkward roll before Sam cut himself free.

Peter swung past Barnes and fired another web toward Bucky's cybernetic arm, trying to pin it long enough for T'Challa to disengage.

Sam fought to stabilize himself.

"Kid!"

"You're unbelievably annoying!"

Peter twisted around an incoming piece of debris.

"Sorry!"

"I'm specifically trying not to hurt anybody!"

At the temporary medical station, Lynn watched the entire battlefield with perfect clarity.