The Italian front, Allied Forces temporary camp.
The bustling tour stage was dismantled.
The true face of war slapped Steve Rogers across the face like a heavy blow.
He was no longer the stage idol who lip-synced under the spotlight, performing farces with a group of backup dancers.
Here, he was just a puppet in a costume that felt completely out of place with the surrounding cruelty.
"Captain, drink some water."
Jim Hammond handed over a Military canteen.
"Why... did they get hurt? Why didn't they dodge the flying shrapnel?"
Steve took the canteen but didn't drink.
He looked at Jim's naive face.
For a moment, he didn't know how to explain the fragility of humanity and the absurdity of war.
He could only answer bitterly: "Because they are soldiers, Jim. Protection requires a price."
Just then, an officer wearing the rank of Lieutenant Colonel walked over in a hurry.
"CaptainRogers, the 107th Infantry Regiment was ambushed by HYDRA forces during a raid. Tomorrow's performance is canceled."
The 107th Regiment!
Bucky!
His best friend, Bucky Barnes, was in the 107th Regiment!
"Where are they?!"
Steve grabbed the Lieutenant Colonel's arm.
"Not clear."
"In enemy territory, the Austrian border is full of HYDRA's secret Base(s). We are formulating a rescue plan, but it takes time! What you need to do now is stay here and prepare for the next USO show!"
"Performance?"
Steve's voice trembled.
He glared at the Colonel, asking word by word:
"My brother's life and death are unknown in an enemy Base, and you want me to... perform?"
"That is an order, Captain!"
The Lieutenant Colonel's voice rose an octave.
"You are not a soldier; you are just a symbol! Your task is to boost morale, not to go and die! Acting alone will only disrupt our deployment!"
After speaking, the Lieutenant Colonel ignored him and turned to walk away quickly.
Steve froze in place.
A symbol?
A puppet?
He looked at the ridiculous Stars and Stripes uniform on his body, and an unprecedented sense of humiliation and powerlessness swept over him.
Was everything he had done really just a play for people to watch?
The night was deep.
Steve tossed and turned, his mind filled with Bucky's image.
He couldn't wait.
He couldn't wait a single minute.
The Military's bureaucracy would kill Bucky; he had to do something.
He thought of one person.
The man who could always create miracles, the man who was omnipotent.
Lynn Morris.
Steve snuck out of the tent and came to the camp's only encrypted communication room.
He didn't know Lynn's number.
However, Steve knew that as long as he gave his own name, the call would definitely connect to Lynn.
The call connected quickly.
Lynn's calm voice came from the other end.
"Steve? It's so late, what happened?"
"Lynn..."
Steve poured out everything about the 107th Regiment and Bucky.
He poured out his inner anxiety, anger, and the cold prohibition from the Military all at once.
He was prepared to be dissuaded, pacified, or even lectured like an immature child.
Lynn on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment.
When he spoke, his voice carried a gravity that Steve had never heard before.
"I understand, Steve."
"Some things cannot be expected from those generals sitting in offices. Some things must be done by us ourselves."
It was understanding!
Not perfunctory, not pacifying, but heartfelt understanding and support!
Steve's eyes felt hot; he felt he had found the only person in this World who could understand him.
"Lynn, I..."
"Say no more, Captain."
Lynn interrupted him.
"Prepare your shield; I will have Jim assist you, and he will light the way forward for you."
"In one hour, an unmarked transport plane will be waiting for you on the auxiliary runway on the east side of the camp."
Lynn's arrangements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation.
"Thank you, Lynn!"
Steve's voice was full of gratitude.
"We are partners, Steve."
Lynn's voice sounded very sincere.
"Go and bring your brother back."
Hanging up the phone, Steve felt his body filled with strength again.
...
Lynn hung up the phone, his face devoid of any expression.
He walked to the console of "prometheus", and the screen was displaying real-time satellite images and internal structural diagrams of a HYDRA factory on the Austrian border.
Through the car phone, he dialed the number of Tom, editor-in-chief of "The Stars and Stripes".
"Tom, are you asleep?"
"God! Lynn! For you, I won't sleep for twenty-four hours!"
"Very good."
Lynn looked at the red dot on the screen.
"Contact your frontline reporter; I have prepared a headline for you that will make the entire HYDRA kneel and pray."
...
Austrian border, HYDRA arsenal.
A shrill alarm pierced the quiet night sky!
A towering fire suddenly ignited in the fuel depot on the west side of the factory!
"West side! The west side fuel depot exploded! Go put out the fire!"
"All guards to the west side!"
The HYDRA soldiers were in chaos.
Most of the forces were attracted to that eerie fire.
At the other end of the factory, Steve Rogers smashed open the fragile iron door of the prison area.
At a glance, he saw the dying prisoners of war locked in cages.
Steve smashed the cell door open with his shield and yelled at the hundreds of captured soldiers behind him: "Anyone who can still move, follow me! We are going home!"
The desperate prisoners of war erupted with an astonishing will to survive, following Captain America as they rushed out.
On the retreat, these remnants of troops were met with crazy interception by the remaining guards.
Steve stood in the very front, using his shield to protect the comrades behind him.
Just then, a wall of scorching fire descended from the sky, standing between them and the pursuers!
Human TorchJim Hammond hovered in mid-air, his whole body burning with raging flames.
He stretched out his hands, and two violent fire dragons swallowed up the pursuing HYDRA soldiers and armored vehicles.
"My God..."
The rescued soldiers were all stunned.
They knelt on the ground, constantly making the sign of the cross toward that figure in the flames.
Seeing the Human Torch make his move, the Captain didn't hesitate anymore; he turned and rushed into the arsenal to look for Bucky.
On a hidden hillside in the distance, the reporter sent by Tom was using trembling hands to permanently freeze these scenes onto film.
Captain America was no longer a clown on stage.
He had broken into the enemy camp alone and rescued hundreds of comrades.
The Human Torch had paved the way home for the hero with flames like divine punishment.
Once this report was issued, the entire United States completely boiled over.
Overnight, Steve Rogers was crowned from a "Stage Idol" to a universally admired "Combat Hero".
Facing the overwhelming public opinion, The Pentagon could no longer force him to return to the stage.
Steve formally submitted an application to the front-line command headquarters, requesting to be sent to the front-line battlefield.
Meanwhile, far away on another battlefield, Soldier Boy was unstoppable on the Western Front.
The Human Torch was transferred to the Eastern Front.
Three "gods" launched the most violent general offensive against HYDRA from three directions.
The Alps.
Red Skull looked at the battle reports of continuous defeat on the screen and those three figures representing "Strength", "Fire", and "Spirit" respectively.
He angrily smashed the monitor in front of him.
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