Chapter Text
Bob left early for work, sure it was a fake work to make him feel more normal, you can guess he didn’t do much for Mr. Dubois today, he just wrote some info about what it was like being on drugs. There’s plenty of info on these. But Bob gave an anonymous interview about his drug life to one woman who was writing a paper about drugs, then wrote something about space from shorts he saw on social media. It didn’t matter that he was there for 4 hours just to feel grounded, have some time off the team, and give Robert Reynolds an identity.
Excelsior Encyclopedia was an alternative to Wikipedia, not open source, in a news format, along with a similar site. It also published research papers. They also had a book format.
“I’ve guessed I am done for today.” Bob handed Burton Dubois the info he wrote. Robert was dressed in a symmetrical grey suit with a black shirt and black shoes. He didn’t feel that confident in suits since it was his first time wearing one.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dubois, an elderly bad man with a grey beard, but no mustache, who whore a classic brown suit, with a black tie, opened the file, and even quickly skimmed through Robert’s new Encyclopedia entry.
“Excellent, Robert, you know not quite what you did here. You could make a good entryman.”
“Yeah… I guess…So, how do you know Valentina? She told me you owe her something. It’s bad if I ask.” Robert was a bit anxious to ask that question.
“Well…” Dubois choked on air a bit. “She and I were an item, a short one, when she was about your age. Before she was dating Nick Fury, not the one the Avengers worked with, but you don’t know that from me,” Dubois looked scared and a bit afraid of her, or the info he gave Robert.
“Oh… Okay…Awkward,” Robert let out a small anxious laugh, which Mr Dubois followed with. Robert hoped he wouldn’t get himself killed. Robert then changed into his Sentry suit; luckily for him, his speed was massively faster than light; he went from the Excelsior Encyclopedia to the Watchtower in less than a fraction of a second.
-The Watchtower -
Sentry went straight for the special training; it was training day for him and his team, well, mostly them training him for a bit, then them having their real training.
The training room was a massive underground bunker turned sweatbox with all the fancy holograms, training bots, and drones. Weapon range and simulations.
Sentry stood in the center, his blond hair matted, his yellow-and-blue suit fit perfectly. He looked every bit the all-American poster boy.
Bucky circled him first, vibranium arm whirring softly as he adjusted his grip on a pair of sparring pads. Barnes, the all-grizzled vet with that perpetual scowl, had seen enough combat to know raw power without discipline was just a bomb waiting to blow.
"Alright, Bob," Bucky growled, tossing a pad at Bob's face to test his reflexes. Bob caught it mid-air without blinking, crushing the foam like it was nothing, turning it into powder.
"You got the strength of a thousand-million suns or whatever. But you need to understand fighting ain't only about blasting everything to hell, at least not with weaker enemies. It's also about precision. Hit the pad, not the wall behind it." Bucky wasn’t a great teacher, and he knew that. He was a bit more awkward than Sentry here, since he didn’t feel that he was inspiring here like Steve was.
Bob nodded, flexing his fingers. He swung a lazy jab, the form not fully correct; it was too lazy, but the pad still exploded into confetti. Bucky ducked the shrapnel, cursing under his breath. "Jesus, Bob, reel it in. Think like you just want to punch, not to pulverize. Again."
Off to the side, Yelena Belova leaned against a weight rack, arms crossed, her black tactical gear hugging her curves like a second skin. The Black Widow assassin smirked, twirling a knife between her fingers. "Bucky is right, but boring," she said, her Russian accent cutting through the grunts. "Power is good, but sneaky is better. You are like a big shiny target. Everyone sees you coming. Watch." She flipped the knife and hurled it at Bob's side, not aiming for him, just for the knife to fly past him. He spun, catching it by the blade, breaking.
"Not bad," Yelena admitted, sauntering over. "But next time, dodge. Or better, make them miss before they throw. Stealth, Bob." She came closer to tap on his nose in a friendly manner.
She wanted to show him how to break out of an arm lock, grabbed his arm, twisting it gently into a lock that would shatter a normal man's bones (he mostly allowed her to) if she applied pressure. Bob felt nothing other than hormones since Yelena was touching him, "Feel the leverage. Use the foes’ force against them." Sentry didn’t know how to properly break out; he just teleported.
“Or do that, that works for you, good Bob.” Yelena raised two thumbs up in support, but had a hard time training him since she couldn’t really harm him, even if she knew he could take a lot of punishment.
"Enough with the ninja crap," Walker barked, slamming his shield into a heavy bag that swung like a pendulum. "This ain't some spy novel. You're America’s poster boy, Reynolds. Train like it. Discipline, structure, military way. Form up!" He snapped into a salute, then charged Bob with a tackle drill, shield raised.
Sentry met him head-on but with a gentle palm, the impact echoing like thunder. Walker flew back ten feet, rolling to his feet with a grin. "That's more like it! But control the follow-through. You ragdoll me again, and I'll make you run laps till you puke stars." Walked, picked up his shield, and left the arena with Bucky and Yelena to make room for Ghost.
Ava flickered into view beside them, her body phasing in and out like a ghost in the machine. Ghost had been the wildcard in Thunderbolts until Sentry joined the team. Intangible one second, solid the next.
"You all talk too much," she muttered, looking at Yelena and John, her voice echoing faintly. "Training needs focus, with power like yours, Bob. It's overwhelming. I get it." She phased behind Bob, her hands emerging on the other side, grabbing his neck from behind. “But you need to focus or your enemies will catch you open” Sentry didn’t know how to break her hold without tearing her arms or doing the same he did back in the tower with Yelena, so he just teleported.
Ava fell flat, then for the next minutes played tag game with Sentry, where he used his speed to avoid her and tag her, it was a game of now you see me, now you don’t. He tagged as gently as he could, sure she was sent flying one time.
Ava emerged with one hand in a thumbs-up “I am okay”.
Finally, Alexei Shostakov lumbered over, the Red Guardian, built like a Soviet tank with a gut that spoke of too many vodkas. The old bear roared a laugh, clapping Bob on the back hard enough to stagger a rhino, but not him. "Ha! All this fancy talk. Strength is simple, comrade! Someone hits you hard, you hit harder!" He dragged Bob to the free weights, loading a bar with plates that groaned under the weight of thousands of pounds, easily. "Lift! Feel the burn! In Mother Russia, we train till muscles scream for mercy. You are strong like a bear, but bears don't think. You must roar!" Alexei was full of excitement.
Bob gripped the bar, lifting it like a feather. Alexei nodded approvingly, then jumped on his back for a piggyback squat. "Good! Now with extra weight. Teamwork, da? We make you unbreakable."
Yelena put a hand to her face, which was embarrassing.
The group circled tighter, shouts and grunts filling the air.
Later, he tired again with Ava.
“Alright, Bob, you’re doing great,” Ava said, her form blinking out and reappearing a foot to his left. “It’s not about strength here. It’s about instinct. Feel the attack coming, block it, forearm or palm, your call. Don’t overthink it.”
She darted forward, phasing through the air, her fist materializing mid-swing, aimed at his shoulder. Bob’s eyes widened, and he raised his forearm in a clumsy block, catching her wrist just as it solidified. The impact sent a faint touch on his invulnerable skin, but Ava pulled back, nodding. “Good! A little slow, but you got it. Don’t be shy, you’re not gonna hurt me. I’m literally untouchable.” She winked, vanishing again.
Bob’s cheeks flushed slightly, his massive frame shifting awkwardly. “I just… don’t wanna mess this up,” he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper, like he was afraid his own strength might break something fragile in the room. Or someone.
Ava reappeared behind him, her voice gentle but firm. “You won’t. Trust yourself, Bob. You’re learning to control it, not just unleash it.” She phased again, this time popping up to his right, her palm snapping toward his chest in a mock strike. Bob pivoted, more instinct than thought, his open palm intercepting her hand with a soft thwap. He flinched, like he’d just swatted a butterfly, but Ava laughed softly, stepping back. “See? That’s it. You’re getting the rhythm. It’s like a dance.”
From the sidelines, Yelena snorted, flipping a knife in her hand. “Dance? What is this, ballet? I’ll show you how to really move.” Bucky shot her a look, but Ava ignored her, keeping her focus on Bob.
“You don’t need to be a wrecking ball every time. Just stay loose, feel the flow.” She phased again, this time aiming a low kick at his shin. Bob’s forearm dropped fast, blocking it, but his stance wobbled, and he gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Sorry, still getting used to… all this,” he said, gesturing vaguely at her phasing form. His golden eyes flickered with that nervous energy, like he was more afraid of disappointing her than failing the drill.
Ava solidified in front of him, hands on her hips, her expression all support. “You’re doing better than I did when I started. Took me months to stop phasing through floors by accident.” She chuckled, then clapped his shoulder, her hand solid for just a moment. “One more round. Block three in a row, and we’ll call it progress. Ready?”
Bob nodded, squaring his shoulders, though his shy smile lingered. Ava vanished, reappearing in a blur of motion, left, right, then behind, each strike faster than the last. Bob’s forearms and palms moved, blocking each one with growing confidence, the last catch so smooth it drew a whoop from Alexei on the sidelines. “Ha! Like bear swatting flies!” the Red Guardian bellowed.
Ava stepped back, fully solid now, her grin wide. “That’s my guy. You’re a natural, Bob. Keep that up.” She gave him a playful nudge; his posture straightened, a spark of pride cutting through the shyness.
Yelena came to explain to him more simply and technically how to break an armlock without tearing one of her arms, and tried to teach him how to break out of a necklock.
The Watchtower gym’s fluorescent buzz was cut off abruptly as an alarm blared, red lights pulsing like a heartbeat. Bob froze, Yelena with her arms on his forearm.
Ava stepped back, fully solid now, her grin wide. “That’s my guy. You’re a natural, Bob. Keep that up.” She gave him a playful nudge; his posture straightened, a spark of pride cutting through the shyness.
Yelena came to explain to him more simply and technically how to break an armlock without tearing one of her arms, and tried to teach him how to break out of a necklock.
The Watchtower gym’s fluorescent buzz was cut off abruptly as an alarm blared, red lights pulsing like a heartbeat. Bob froze, Yelena with her arms on his forearm.
“Avengers, get your asses to the briefing room now. We’ve got a situation. There’s a wacko with a brain hat that hit the UN embassy in New York City, and he’s tearing through security like tissue paper. Move! But not you, Robert, since you didn’t come yesterday to the event I planned to have you appear, you know, I had to fabricate a space crisis just for you. And you aren’t supposed to chat with the employer I signed you up” Valentina cut in a disappointing tone, drawing odd looks from the team.
---
-Cranio the Tri-Level Mind-
He is a mad super super-intelligent scientist, who possesses a helmet which allows him to gain mentally enhanced powers, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and insane multi-tasking. The helmet included a container with three chimpanzee brains floating in formaldehyde, the brains being genetically modified to serve as a mind power; they were also for show. He prides himself on being always three steps ahead of his nemesis.
His build is a relatively muscular dad-bob figure wearing a green baggy outfit with black accents, including a sleeveless tunic, tight black gloves, and boots. He wears a red cape. The most important feature is the helmet with the brains, it’s distinctive with a jagged, horned design and a translucent visor covering his face, giving him a menacing look.
His real name, Doug Abelard, was a scientist who was rejected for his minor criminal background by the science community. After working as a parking lot attendant, due to no other work opportunities, he had had enough. Now wants to rule the world, to make sure no one else ever gets treated like him.
---
Bob’s golden eyes flickered, a shadow of the Void stirring in his gut, but Bucky was already grabbing his gear, his metal arm whirring. “You heard her, Reynolds. Stay put. We don’t know if you’re ready for this.” His tone was gruff but not unkind, like a big brother telling you to sit out a bar fight.
“But I can help,” Bob started, his massive frame tensing, but Yelena cut him off, slinging a rifle over her shoulder.
“No, I know you can, we all know, but the risk is too great. I am sorry, Bob, I am really,” she said, her Russian accent dripping with finality. She kissed him on the cheek. She flashed a smirk, but her eyes were hard, trust was earned, and Bob was still on probation until they figured out how to fully control his powers.
Walker adjusted his shield, his jaw tight with that patriotic fervor. “We got this, it’s all ok, Bob. America doesn’t need a loose cannon today. Stick with the punching bags. Okay, buddy?” He clapped Bob’s shoulder in a friendly manner.
Alexei laughed, already halfway to the door, his Red Guardian suit straining against his bulk. “Ha! Stay strong, comrade! We crush this Brainy, then drink to victory!” He mimed chugging a bottle, oblivious to Bob’s crestfallen look.
Ava lingered for a second, her quantum suit flickering as she solidified. Her face softened, and she gave Bob a quick nod. “You’re close, Bob. Really close. We’ll be back.” She phased through the wall, leaving a faint ripple in the air.
Bob stood alone in the gym, the alarm’s wail fading as the team’s boots echoed down the hall. His fists clenched, the serum burning in his veins, whispering power, too much power. He wanted to argue, to follow, but the Void’s shadow loomed in his mind, a black smear of doubt.
‘They will die, you coward’
---
In the briefing room, Valentina stood at the head of a sleek table, her tailored suit as sharp as her glare. Holograms flickered behind her, live feeds of the UN embassy in chaos. Smoke poured from shattered windows, diplomats screamed, and Cranio’s form loomed in the footage.
“He appears to be quite smart,” Valentina snapped, pointing at the screen. “A psionic nightmare. Three minds, each running a different angle, telepathy, telekinesis, and some Napoleonic-level multitasking. He’s holding the embassy hostage, demanding that the UN order the CIA to hand over classified files on superhuman experiments. We go in hard, fast, and quiet. No collateral damage, no headlines. Got it?”
Bucky nodded, loading his pistol. “He is alone?.”
Valentina’s lips curled. “Appears so, intel says he might be after the Sentry Project files, Bob’s origin story. Probably wants to crack the serum’s code, make his own. Or worse, sell it to the highest bidder. We stop him before he gets that far.”
Yelena leaned back, twirling a knife. “So we kill the brainiac and go home? Simple.”
“Not simple, it’s never that simple with people like him,” Ava interjected, her form flickering as she studied the hologram.
Walker snorted, gripping his shield. “I say we smash his ugly head in and call it a day. No need for fancy plans.”
“Da!” Alexei roared, cracking his knuckles. “Red Guardian will crush his brains like melons! For Mother Russia and America!”
Valentina pinched the bridge of her nose. “Focus, people. In and out. Bucky leads, Yelena and Ava on stealth, Walker and Alexei on crowd control. Move out.”
The team piled into a sleek Quinjet, engines roaring as they shot toward Manhattan. The New York skyline glittered below, but the UN embassy stood out like a wound, smoke rising, lights flickering, and Cranio’s psychic aura pulsing like a migraine. Bucky gripped the controls, his jaw set. “We end this quickly. No fuck-ups..”
---
Back in the Watchtower, Bob stared at the gym’s cracked floor, his reflection warped in the polished concrete. The Void whispered, low and venomous ‘They don’t trust you. They’re right not to. He punched the wall, leaving a hole.
---
Inside the jet, the Thunderbolts geared up, their faces grim under the glow of the jet lights. Valentina’s briefing had laid it out.
Worse, the bastard was armed to the teeth: a drying gun that could suck the moisture out of anything, a laser gun hot enough to melt steel, and a pink glue gun that sprayed sticky goo strong enough to trap a tank. All that, and he was holding the embassy hostage for the Sentry Project files.
Bucky checked his rifle, his metal arm gleaming. “We hit fast, disrupt his rhythm. Ava, you’re on point for phasing through his defenses.”
Ava nodded. “I can phase in, mess with his focus, but those guns… we need to disarm him quick or we’re screwed.” Her voice was steady, but her eyes flicked to the live feed of Cranio tossing UN guards like ragdolls, his bulbous skull pulsing as he barked orders in three voices at once.
Yelena smirked, loading her own weapons, knives, pistols, and a few nasty surprises. “Drying gun, laser gun, pink glue gun? What is he, a sci-fi clown? I’ll cut his toys to pieces.” She twirled a blade, already itching to slit something.
“Clown or not, he’s got the UN by the balls..” Walker added.
Alexei slammed a fist into his palm, grinning like a kid at a brawl. “Da! Red Guardian will crush his stupid guns! Glue me, I rip free! Laser me, I laugh! Let’s go, comrades!” His enthusiasm was infectious, but Bucky shot him a look to dial it back.
Bucky scanned the scene, his rifle steady, but his scowl deepened. “Val said he’s after Sentry Project files, but who the hell is this guy? Three brains, fancy guns, and he’s already got the UN by the throat. Feels like we’re walking blind.” His metal arm whirred, adjusting his grip.
Yelena crouched beside him, her eyes narrowing as she clocked Cranio on the embassy steps. The bastard’s bulbous head pulsed, each lobe glowing faintly as he juggled his arsenal: a drying gun sucking a nearby tree to dust, a laser gun carving a glowing gash in a squad car, and a pink glue gun trapping guards in sticky neon sludge. “Doesn’t matter who he is,” she muttered, checking her knives. “He’s a problem. I say we cut the head off and figure it out later.”
---
The jet landed a block from the embassy, cloaked in stealth mode. The team spilled out into the chaos, NYPD cordons failing, civilians screaming, and Cranio’s psychic aura making everyone’s skin crawl.
The villain stood on the embassy steps, his triple-lobed helmet glowing faintly, each lobe twitching as he multitasked. One hand held the drying gun, sucking moisture from a nearby fountain until it cracked; another waved the laser gun, carving a glowing scar into a wall; the third, with telekinesis, ripped the pink glue gun, spraying a diplomat to the ground in a sticky pink mess.
“Cranio!” Bucky shouted, stepping forward, rifle raised. “Step down, or we make this ugly.”
Cranio’s three voices laughed in unison, a creepy harmonic. “Winter Soldier, so predictable. My mind has calculated every move you’ll make. You can’t outsmart me.” His telekinesis yanked a car from the street, hurling it at the team.
Ava phased, pulling Yelena with her through the projectile as it crashed harmlessly. “Keep him talking,” Ava whispered, flickering out of sight. She reappeared behind Cranio, aiming to snatch the drying gun, but his telepathy caught her intent, one lobe pulsed, and a psychic blast sent her staggering, half-phased.
Yelena darted in, knives flashing, aiming for the glue gun’s hose. “Stupid pink shit,” she muttered, slicing clean through. Cranio snarled, spinning the laser gun toward her, but Walker’s shield blocked the beam, the metal glowing red-hot.
Walker roared, charging forward, only to get caught in a telekinetic grip, his boots skidding.
Alexei barreled in, shrugging off a blast from the drying gun that left his armor cracked but his grin wider. “Is that all, brain-man? Hit harder!”
Bucky fired precise shots at Cranio’s weapons, trying to disable them, but the villain’s multitasking was unreal, one mind deflected bullets with telekinesis, another scanned for Ava’s phasing, and the third kept the hostages pinned with psychic fear.
“You’re outclassed,” Cranio sneered. “The Sentry files will be mine, and I’ll build an army to rival your golden god.”
New Avengers all piled out, weapons hot, but their faces showed something rare embassy. Cranio was a ghost, a new player with a triple-lobed skull and a rap sheet that started tonight.
Cranio’s three voices laughed, a discordant chorus that made the team’s skin crawl. “You don’t even know my name, do you? Pathetic. I am Cranio, architect of your defeat. My minds see every angle, every weakness. Those Sentry files will birth a new era, *my* era.” His telekinesis yanked a chunk of pavement from the street, hurling it at the team.
Ava phased, pulling Yelena with her as the slab crashed harmlessly.
Bucky fired at Cranio’s weapons, trying to draw his attention again, but the villain’s multitasking kicked in again; one mind deflected bullets with a telekinetic shield. “You’re out of your depth,”
“Keep him busy!” Bucky shouted, ducking a telekinetic blast. “We don’t know him, but he knows us. That’s his edge, let’s take it away!”
Cranio lifted a massive concrete pillar and hauled it at them, then glued it up.
Bucky, Yelena, Walker, Ava, and Alexei were pinned to a massive concrete pillar like flies in a web, coated in neon-pink glue from Cranio’s bizarre gun. The sticky shit was stronger than steel, hardening in seconds, and their struggles only made it tighter. Cranio’s super-intelligence and freakish multitasking had outplayed them.
Bucky strained against the glue, his metal arm whirring uselessly, his rifle stuck to his chest. “Goddamn it,” he growled, eyes burning with frustration. “This bastard’s too good. We walked into a trap.”
Yelena writhed, her knives useless in the goo, her face twisted in a snarl. “Fucking pink glue? I’m going to gut this clown when I get free.” Her accent was thick with venom, but even she couldn’t slip the adhesive’s grip.
Ava flickered, trying to phase through the glue, but Cranio’s telepathy jabbed at her mind, disrupting her quantum control. She gasped, half-solid, her pale face slick with sweat. “He’s… in my head. Can’t focus.”
Walked in defeat.
Alexei roared, his Red Guardian bulk straining the glue, but even his bear-like strength couldn’t break it. “Coward! Fight me like a man,” His bravado echoed hollowly as Cranio ignored him, already striding toward the embassy’s upper floors.
Cranio’s three voices spoke as he ascended the shattered staircase, his drying gun holstered, laser gun smoking, and pink glue gun dripping. “You New Avengers are predictable. My mind calculated every move, your tactics, your weaknesses. The Sentry files are mine, and with them, I’ll forge a new world order.” His telekinesis ripped open a steel door where some representatives were hiding.. He didn’t even glance back at the trapped team, his confidence absolute.
Back at the pillar, Bucky’s jaw clenched. “We underestimated him. Bad call leaving Bob out.” His eyes flicked to Ava, who was still struggling to phase. “You got anything left?”
Ava gritted her teeth, her form flickering. “Trying. His psychic shit’s like a vice. If I can just… get one hand free…” She pushed harder, but the glue held, and Cranio’s telepathic pressure kept her locked.
Yelena spat, her voice low. “It’s all my fault, if only Bob were here…”
Walked joked, which she didn’t like, “He’d probably blow up the whole city. But right now, I’d take the risk.” He was the strongest non-Sentry member and almost made a crack in the glue. He needs to get going, he broke free. “Maybe we don’t need Bob. We’re enough. Just… need a second wind.” But his voice lacked conviction; it was hard for him to get out.
Alexei laughed, half-mad. “Ha! This is nothing! Red Guardian has been in worse!” he was able to break out after Walked helped him.
--At the Watchtower--
Void screamed in his skull ‘They’re done. Cranio’s winning. You know him. You can stop him.’
Bob stood frozen, his golden eyes locked on the cracked TV screen mounted on the wall. The news feed was a shitstorm, live footage of the UN embassy in ruins, smoke billowing, and the Thunderbolts glued to a pillar like some twisted art installation.
‘They’re fucked. You’re their only shot.’ For once, he didn’t argue with the Void.
His hands trembled, not from fear but from the serum’s raw power surging through him. He closed his eyes, focusing, and his molecule manipulation kicked in, golden energy swirling around his body, reshaping his tattered gym clothes into the Sentry suit. The yellow-and-blue fabric materialized, hugging his chiseled frame, the cape snapping into place like a flag in a storm, his belt the finishing touch. But his movements were slow, hesitant, that shy streak still lingering as he glanced at the window, ready to fly but unsure if he’d save the day or doom it.
Behind him, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine stood with her arms crossed, her tailored suit pristine despite the chaos. Next to her was Mel, looking mortified as she clutched a pair of golden cheerleader pom-poms. Val’s idea of “motivation” was ruthless, she’d forced Mel to play hype-girl, and the absurdity of it almost broke Bob’s focus.
“Come on, Bob, you are Earth Mighties Hero,” Val encouraged, her voice cutting through the gym’s hum. “Your team’s getting their asses handed to them by a three-brained freak. You’re the Sentry, for Christ’s sake. You are Earth Mighties Hero, Strongest Hero There Is, The Golden Guardian of Good. Act like it.”
Bob’s shoulders hunched, his voice low. “What if… what if the Void takes over? I could make it worse.”
Val rolled her eyes, then jabbed Mel in the ribs. “Go on, do your thing.”
Mel, red-faced and clearly hating her life, shook the pom-poms halfheartedly. “Uh… go, Bob! You’re, like, super strong and handsome! Save the day!” Her voice cracked, but there was a genuine spark in her awkward cheer, and Bob’s lips twitched into a shy smile.
Val leaned in, her tone softer but still sharp. “Listen, Cranio’s about to get several hostages, very important people, to force the Sentry files, and we both know what that means, your secrets, your power, maybe the whole damn world in his hands. The team didn’t want you out there because they’re scared of the Void. Fine. But you’re not a coward. You’re the Sentry. Fly out there, smash that bastard, and show them you’re more than a walking apocalypse.”
Bob’s golden eyes flickered, the Void’s whispers drowned out by Val’s words and Mel’s clumsy pom-pom waving. He took a slow step toward the window, then another, his cape billowing as he reached the glass. Mel, gaining a bit of courage, shook the pom-poms harder. “You got this, Bob! Kick his… uh, brains out!” She grinned, and Bob’s shyness melted just enough for a nod.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, his voice barely audible. Then, with a deep breath, he pushed through the window, glass parting like water under his molecule manipulation. Golden light flared as he took to the sky, streaking toward the UN like a comet. The Void was still there, lurking, but for now, Bob was in control, and Cranio was about to learn what a pissed-off god could do.
Back in the gym, Val smirked, tossing Mel a glance. “Nice work, cheerleader. Now get rid of those damn pom-poms before I make you do it again.” Mel groaned, dropping them like they were cursed, but her eyes stayed on the sky where Bob’s golden trail burned bright.
---
The Manhattan skyline shuddered as a sonic boom ripped through the air, the Sentry’s golden form blazing like a second sun. Bob Reynolds hit the UN embassy plaza with enough force to crack the pavement, his yellow-and-blue suit glowing, cape snapping in the wind. His shy hesitation was gone, burned away by the serum’s fire and the sight of his team. Bucky, Yelena, and Ava, still glued to the pillar, struggling against Cranio’s neon-pink sludge.
Cranio’s three voices laughed, a grating chorus of smugness, as he spotted Bob. “The Sentry! Predictable, yet delightful!” His bulbous skull pulsed, each lobe twitching as his super-intelligence calculated. He raised his drying gun with one hand, laser gun with another, and clutched the pink glue gun with the third, ready to multitask Bob into oblivion. “You think you can stop me? I’ve planned for every contingency!” He slammed a button on his belt, grinning wickedly. “Ursus the Ultra Bear, my beast, arise!”
Nothing happened. No monstrous bear, no bio-engineered nightmare. Just silence, and Cranio’s grin faltered, his three minds scrambling to process the glitch. Bob didn’t wait for an explanation since he melted the device with his mind. He surged forward, faster than sight.
“You planned for everything, huh?” Bob’s voice was low, no trace of shyness now, just raw power. He grabbed the drying gun mid-blast, crushing it to dust with a flick of his wrist. Cranio’s telekinesis lashed out, trying to hurl Bob back, but the Void stopped him, shrugging it off like a breeze. “Guess you didn’t plan for *me*.”
Cranio’s laser gun fired, a beam hot enough to melt titanium, but Bob’s hand shot up, palm catching the blast like it was a flashlight. He twisted, redirecting the energy into the sky, where it fizzled harmlessly. The pink glue gun sprayed next, a sticky torrent aimed at Bob’s legs, but he vibrated his body, shattering it.
He grabbed Cranio by the collar, lifting the villain like a ragdoll, his super-intelligence useless against raw, godlike strength.
Bob growled, slamming Cranio into the embassy wall, the impact shaking the building. “You don’t get to touch my friends.” Then one push, and Cranio’s skull lobes broke free from the glass helmet, losing his powers.
“No more games,” Bob said, and drove his fist into Cranio’s chest, not hard enough to kill, but enough to knock the wind out. The villain crumpled, gasping, his guns useless, his arrogance shattered.
Bob stood over him, breathing hard, the Void’s whispers fading as he restrained himself. He turned to the pillar, golden energy flaring from his hands as he melted the pink glue, freeing the Thunderbolts. Ava staggered free first, giving him a nod. “Nice work, Bob. Knew you had it in you.”
Walker dusted off his shield, muttering, “Not bad for a loose cannon.” Alexei roared a laugh, clapping Bob’s back so hard it would’ve crushed a normal man.
Cranio groaned on the ground, his triple-brained genius humiliated by the one thing he couldn’t outthink: the Sentry’s raw, unstoppable power.
Cranio lay crumpled on the shattered UN embassy plaza,
NYPD tactical units swarmed in, their boots crunching on debris as they slapped reinforced cuffs on Cranio’s wrists, specialized tech designed for freaks like him, courtesy of SHIELD’s leftovers. His voice muttered weakly, cursing in disjointed harmony as they dragged him to a reinforced paddy wagon, its doors clanging shut like a coffin.
Bob stood back, his golden glow dimming as the adrenaline faded, the Void’s whispers quiet for now. Bucky, Yelena, Walker, Ava, and Alexei brushed off the last of the pink glue, their eyes on Bob, a mix of respect and lingering wariness. Bucky gave a nod, his metal arm whirring as he holstered his rifle. “Nice work, Bob.”
Yelena smirked, leaning in for a kiss on the cheek. “My hero, maybe we keep you off the bench next time.” Her tone was teasing, but there was a spark of approval in her eyes.
Walker adjusted his shield, grudgingly admitting, “America owes you one,” as he put one arm on Bob's shoulder.
Alexei roared a laugh, slapping Bob’s shoulder. “We drink to you tonight!”
He’d stopped Cranio from cracking open his past.
---
The New Avengers went to Diner Seven-Eight to celebrate. They were served by a woman named Jenny, who claimed she once served Steve Rogers, since he only wanted to eat at places like this, after he was defrozen.
Bob noticed the girl eyed him during the dine-in, since she slipped a phone number paper (Love you, Sentry, Jenny). Not aware that Yelena might have caught a glimpse of it.