Marvel: Copying Abilities

The sun dipped toward the horizon.

Darkness once again shrouded the land.

Streetlamps flickered on one by one, and the street vendors closed up shop and returned to their homes after a long day of work.

Wang Ye had changed into a black suit with gold trim, the well-fitted cut accentuating his tall and elegant figure. His hair, though casually styled, gave off a distinct charm.

The store was already closed. Wang Ye stood outside the entrance, waiting for Steve and Bucky. Seeing they hadn't arrived yet, he habitually lit a cigar and started smoking.

Just as he finished his cigar, the sound of a car horn echoed from the end of the street—it was Steve and Bucky, finally arriving.

A luxurious stretch limousine pulled up smoothly in front of Wang Ye. Steve stepped out first and greeted him respectfully:

"Master, sorry to keep you waiting. Please, have a seat!"

Wang Ye gave Steve a wry, half-smiling glance, then got in the car without saying much. He didn't need to ask why they were late—it was painfully obvious.

"It's nothing. I've only been standing on the street long enough to smoke a single cigar."

(Quick fact: a standard cigar typically takes 1–2 hours to finish.)

Hearing that, Steve felt a chill run down his spine. Seeing that knowing look on Wang Ye's face, he quickly closed the car door and quietly climbed in from the other side, not daring to make a sound.

And so, in a somewhat tense atmosphere, Bucky started the drive toward the expo venue.

Because they had left rather late, there weren't many cars on the road.

A trip that would normally take forty minutes, Bucky managed to complete in twenty, flooring it all the way to the entrance of the World Expo.

After parking the car, the three got out—though the mood remained heavy.

As they stepped through the gates, Steve couldn't hold it in anymore and asked:

"Master, would you like to walk around with us?"

"You two go have fun. I'll just take a look around on my own."

Wang Ye waved his hand and casually wandered toward an exhibit display.

"Hey, Steve. I went out of my way to set us up with two lovely girls tonight.

Don't bail on me—you'd better make a good impression!" Bucky chuckled, throwing his arm around Steve.

Steve glanced over at Wang Ye's back as he walked away, then turned to Bucky with mock suspicion:

"You didn't say anything bad about me when you introduced me to them, right?"

"Relax," Bucky patted him on the shoulder.

"I only said good things. They're very curious about you."

"Oh... but..."

Steve was starting to panic. Truthfully, he had never once successfully held a conversation with a girl.

"Stop with the 'but, but' nonsense.

Come on—don't keep the ladies waiting!"

Without another word, Bucky wrapped an arm around Steve and dragged him toward the agreed meeting point.

Meanwhile…

Wang Ye had bought a bucket of popcorn and was casually snacking as he strolled through the venue, clearly enjoying himself.

The expo was indeed filled with all sorts of strange and fascinating inventions—prototypes of flying suits powered by unknown energy sources, scale models of futuristic stealth fighters, and even bizarre taxidermy specimens of rare and exotic creatures.

But among all the exhibits, the most eye-catching was a red car parked on the central stage.

According to the sign beside it, this was the anti-gravity automobile—a brand-new invention by genius inventor Howard Stark.

As a burst of lively music played…

A group of young women took to the stage, performing a leg-kicking dance routine that instantly fired up the crowd.

Drawn by the noise and spectacle, more and more people gathered in front of the central stage.

Steve and Bucky, along with the two sweet and quiet girls they'd brought, also joined the growing audience to watch the performance.

"Ladies and gentlemen!

Please give a warm round of applause for the genius inventor—Mr. Howard Stark!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

The handsome and charismatic Howard Stark took the stage, flanked by the dancing girls, with spotlights converging on him.

Taking the mic from one of the girls, he stepped up to the control console and addressed the audience with a mysterious smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen,

What if I told you that in just a few short years, your cars may never touch the ground again?"

The girls stepped forward and removed the tires from the red car, revealing strange devices installed where the wheels had been.

"And this isn't just wishful thinking—

Thanks to Stark Industries' anti-gravity technology, this future is closer than you think!"

As he spoke, he gently pushed a lever on the console—and the car began to levitate.

The crowd instantly fell silent, everyone holding their breath as they witnessed this miracle.

But the anti-gravity tech was still in its early stages. After a few seconds, sparks flew, and the car crashed back down onto the stage with a loud bang!

Howard, quick on his feet, laughed off the awkward moment:

"Didn't I say it would take a few more years?"

The audience, amused, responded with laughter and another round of applause.

In the middle of the crowd, Steve was uninterested. He clapped half-heartedly, his gaze wandering as if searching for something.

Then his eyes locked onto a military recruitment poster on the wall behind him—it included the location of a nearby enlistment station.

Steve's eyes lit up. He immediately wanted to go take another physical and enlist.

But out of respect, he felt he should first ask his master's permission. He started scanning the crowd, trying to find Wang Ye.

Wang Ye, for his part, had already noticed Steve's expression—and the recruitment poster as well.

He knew exactly what Steve wanted.

However given that most of the people in the crowd were taller than Steve, his line of sight was blocked. All he could see were the backs of people's heads—he had no idea that Wang Ye was standing not far away.

"Steve, what are you doing here instead of enjoying the expo?"

Wang Ye stepped up behind Steve and tapped him on the shoulder.

Steve turned and saw his master looking at him, puzzled.

"Master… I want to try again."

"Enlistment?"

"Yes, Master. I…"

"Let's go. I'll come with you.

Quit stammering like some shy little girl."

Wang Ye walked ahead with purpose.

Steve, smiling with excitement, quickly followed behind.

Master and disciple made their way toward the recruitment station.

But before they could reach it, Bucky, who had just noticed Steve was missing, came running up behind them.

"Steve! You just ditched me and the girls without a word—that's not cool!"

"Come on, Bucky…

You know this has always been my dream."

Wang Ye quietly stepped aside to let them talk.

He wasn't about to get in the way of two best friends arguing and saying goodbye.