Reaching New York City, Captain America
and the three change agents, Skinz, Becca, and Malik, with the latter’s
protectors, Guardian and Julie, are on their way to the Front Door Cabaret but
have hit a snag. An enormous mob of citizens, mind-controlled and empowered by Death,
have filled the streets to stop the heroes from reaching their destination;
Death himself confirms this over a radio broadcast. Seeing this, Becca suggests
they retreat and try again another time; Cap informs the group that they cannot
turn back as Lyra has promised that whatever is going to happen will happen
today. Cap and Skinz try to break through the mob on motorbikes only to be
pelted with Molotov Cocktails; Skinz comes through the fire with his skin
burned but he is okay. The mob charges the team so Guardian emits a blinding
flash of light, forcing a retreat. Cap asks Becca to survey the cameras in surrounding
streets to see if there is an open way; Becca, secretly working for the enemy,
spots an empty street but tells Cap there is nothing they can use. Malik
addresses Becca, telling her that she always has the power to change her
decisions. Becca sees a handgun sitting on a pile of rubble, as if it were a
gift, so she takes it. They continue down the street and Death himself appears,
hovering in the air. Becca takes out the gun and Malik again reminds her to do
as she wishes not as she believes she must….
Cap realizes the power of the
rings Lyra gave them but they are not as they assumed for each group member to
have one as a form of protection but for one person to wield them all. Cap
collects the six rings and puts them on his right hand (two on his middle
finger), and, advising the group to seize the opportunity to go, takes on Death
in a fistfight. Counting on Death to be clumsy as he is not used to having a
human body, Cap presses the attack, sustaining a great deal of damage from his
bigger opponent. Cap then realizes that to get Death to remove his power from
the captive humans he must convince Death that he (Cap) will not give up until
he does. So Cap redoubles his attacks until Death does relent a take back his
power. Death transforms into his larger and scarier appearance so Cap thinks
this is the end…but Death sees that Lyra has won so he tells Cap that they have
merely prolonged the suffering of the human race. He adds that Cap is now guaranteed
to face the death that Lyra would not tell him about, should she win the
battle. Promising to see Cap again that day, he vanishes in a flash of light.
Cap heads to the Front Door Casino, only to find it gone, an empty space in its
place….
Over the next week, Steve searches
the Internet for any trace of the Cabaret but finds nothing. He wonders if he
will ever see any of them again, unaware that the dead flowers in his window
box have just bloomed…