Even Lock himself had to admit—this problem had no easy solution.
The Winter Soldier wasn't just another Hydra operative. He was Captain America's brother-in-arms, a friend Steve Rogers would take a bullet for—and who would do the same for him.
There was no way Steve would ever allow anyone to eliminate Bucky Barnes unless he was eliminated first.
And on the other side, Tony Stark's parents had been the ones murdered. There was no reconciling that blood feud.
Lock's gaze drifted toward Captain America. What if Bucky were killed quietly—without Steve ever knowing?
Sensing the weight of his stare, Steve frowned. "What? Does this… trouble have anything to do with me?"
Lock exhaled softly. "The only active Winter Soldier now—his real name is Bucky Barnes. Tell me, Steve, does that name mean anything to you?"
The Captain froze. "Impossible! Even if Bucky survived, he'd be over ninety by now—how could he still be killing people?"
Lock looked at him evenly. "You're not the first super-soldier, Steve. If science made you what you are, what makes you think Hydra couldn't do the same—with him?"
Steve's face darkened, thoughts churning.
His first enemy had been the Red Skull—another recipient of an early version of the Super-Soldier Serum. Dr. Erskine's formula hadn't been perfected back then, leaving Schmidt's face melted into that ghastly crimson skull.
But apart from that deformity, the Red Skull's strength had rivaled his own.
So, was it really impossible that Hydra had continued its research and found a way to keep Bucky alive all these years?
The thought made Steve's chest tighten. His best friend—his brother—was reduced to an assassin under Hydra's control.
"I don't believe Bucky would ever choose that," Steve said firmly. "He must be brainwashed—controlled."
Lock nodded slightly. "You're right. He is controlled. But that doesn't make him innocent. A weapon may not have a will, but it still kills. So tell me—what will you do when you find him?"
Steve fell silent.
A man could forgive his friend's weakness, but not the blood on his hands.
Black Widow stepped forward. "Lock… in 1991, Tony's parents—"
Lock shook his head ever so slightly. Not yet. Revealing that truth now would only ignite disaster too soon.
Natasha caught his meaning instantly.
She'd been shot by the Winter Soldier before—she knew his file inside out. The archived S.H.I.E.L.D. records made it clear: Howard and Maria Stark, founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., were killed under suspicious circumstances.
The trail had always led back to the Winter Soldier.
Now, she finally understood why Lock called it "trouble."
Wanda and Quicksilver, meanwhile, stood there completely lost. They couldn't follow the cryptic conversation—but they could feel the tension.
And when Wanda saw how easily Natasha and Lock seemed to understand each other with just a glance, something in her chest ached faintly.
She didn't know why.
Moments ago, her brother had jokingly called Lock "brother-in-law." Everyone had been embarrassed—but deep down, Wanda hadn't entirely rejected the idea.
After all, what woman could remain unaffected standing next to Earth's most powerful man—King Lock?
Now, seeing him talk in quiet familiarity with Black Widow, she couldn't help feeling a little… left out.
Lock broke the silence. "Steve, you should focus on finding Loki first."
He turned to Natasha. "I'm going to check in on Tony. He said he's working on something big—I want to see what it is."
Black Widow nodded. "I've got data from the Hydra base to analyze. I'll report back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and continue tracking their remnants. Lock, I can't go with you this time."
"Understood," he said simply. "Handle your end."
She wasn't the clingy type, and Lock had long been used to that.
Then he added, "Wanda, you're coming with me."
"...Huh?!"
Three voices overlapped—Black Widow's, Wanda's, and Quicksilver's—all equally startled.
Black Widow's eyes narrowed. Really? So the moment she says she's busy, he just picks another woman?
Are you doing this to make me jealous, Lock?
Wanda, on the other hand, froze.
Had… had she misheard?
Her heart thudded wildly. Did King Lock mean—? No, no way. He had just been holding Natasha's arm a minute ago.
Scumbag.
But even as she thought it, she couldn't stop the tiny spark of excitement in her chest.
Quicksilver, oblivious as ever, jumped in eagerly. "Mr. Lock! My sister and I are twins—can't we both go? I'll help however I can!"
Lock gave him a faint smile. "Then help by waiting two seconds before speaking."
"Uh…" Pietro rubbed his head awkwardly. "Right. Got it."
Even though it was clearly a joke, the aura of the man standing before him—King Lock, idol of idols—made him take it seriously.
Lock turned back to Natasha, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm bringing Wanda because this may concern her destiny—"
His tone deepened. "—and possibly the fate of another universe."
"Hiss…"
The room collectively inhaled.
Every hero dreamed of saving the world—but saving an entire universe? That was something only Lock could say without sounding insane.
If anyone else had said it, they would've been laughed out of the room.
Even Steve couldn't help but wonder if Lock was exaggerating just to impress Wanda.
Then again… if he'd been that shameless back in the day, maybe he wouldn't have lost Peggy Carter forever.
Lock offered no further explanation. The truth was complicated—and uncertain.
The Sacred Timeline had already been altered by his interference. The future was no longer fixed, and chaos was creeping in through the cracks.
Given the potential consequences, Natasha swallowed her jealousy, looped her arm around his briefly, and gave it a small squeeze—equal parts warning and farewell.
Before departing, the five of them returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to debrief.
Each had their own duties to handle.
Steve needed to dig into Bucky's trail.
Natasha had to upload the Hydra intel and coordinate pursuit teams.
Wanda and Pietro would undergo superpower registration and ability assessment for mission allocation.
As for Lock—he was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ultimate deterrent. Like a walking nuclear weapon, he didn't move unless the world itself was at stake.
It was better that way.
Just as they entered the facility, Nick Fury intercepted Lock. "We need to talk."
General Ross was there too, killing time until the new supermax facility was complete.
The sight immediately made Steve and Natasha tense. "Fury… what happened now? Another apocalyptic event?"
Fury raised both hands. "Relax. Not the end of the world this time. Just a small thing."
Steve crossed his arms. "I'll stay. I like to hear about your 'small things.' Last time, your 'small thing' ended with a demigod snake, a super-prison breakout, and a corrupted god on a rampage."
Fury shot him a withering look. What happened to trust, Rogers?
You used to be a wholesome, star-spangled Boy Scout—and now you're watching me like a hawk?
Times had really changed.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San