Ch: 276-285
Chapter 276 Meeting
"So, are you two also here for the meeting?" Secretary of State Ross asked, seeing the Abominationand Green Goblin walk in with Wanda.
"Aren't you members of that Six-pointed Star Alliance? When did you join the Avengers?"
Listening to his old acquaintance's question, Meng Ran said in a hoarse voice, "As superheroes who jointly fight for justice, isn't it normal to have some contact with each other?"
"Today, we just happened to come over to take a look, and coincidentally, you're here for a meeting."
After speaking, Meng Ran looked at Secretary of State Ross again and said, "This meeting shouldn't be anything secretive, so I assume Mr. Secretary of State won't mind if we listen in from the side, will he?"
After speaking, Meng Ran looked at Secretary of State Ross and sat down with Harry in two seats at the back of the conference room, far from the table.
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Secretary of State Ross narrowed his eyes and said, "Of course, the content of this meeting can also serve as a warning to your Six-pointed Star Alliance."
He and the Abomination had met more than once when they were trying to capture Banner; being able to suppress the Hulk, who was like a nuclear weapon, was not something an ordinary person could do.
At that time, the Abomination's powerful combat strength left a very deep impression on him. After all, a few days after defeating the Hulk, the Abomination, who had mutated from a military super-soldier, also died directly at his hands.
The failure to capture the Hulk coupled with Bronski's mutation dealt a heavy blow to this old man. Even after this incident, his relationship with his daughter became even worse.
The superposition of various factors made this once impetuous General gradually become more composed.
If it were according to his old personality, after seeing such a powerful Abomination, he would definitely become restless and focus his attention on the Abomination.
However, under the double blow of family and career, coupled with the Abomination's unfathomable strength, he ultimately did not pursue the Abomination as he had pursued Banner before. Instead, after a period of silence, he refocused his attention on his career.
This is also why he is now the Secretary of State and is here to hold a meeting for the Avengers.
After a few words with Meng Ran, Secretary of State Ross began today's meeting.
"Five years ago, I was playing golf with some senators. Just as I raised my club to hit the ball, I suddenly had a heart attack."
"In that instant, the world spun, and by the time I regained consciousness, I was already lying in the hospital."
"Later, I found that this accident was the most unique and profound experience of my life."
"After thirteen hours of surgery and a heart bypass, I learned something that forty years in the military had not taught me."
At this point, Secretary of State Ross looked around at everyone and then said with a smile, "That thing is foresight."
"If I had had enough foresight at the time, and started checking my body early, then I wouldn't have had to suffer that hardship."
"This principle also applies to our meeting today."
"The world owes the Avengers a great debt, because you fight for us, risking your lives to protect us."
At this point, Secretary of State Ross looked deeply at Meng Ran and said, "The Six-pointed Star Alliance too, including the Battle of New York, you have always made outstanding contributions to the peace and security of this world."
"Although due to your strict control, information about you has not spread widely, and most of the public is not very clear about what you do compared to the Avengers, the fact is the fact, and your actions have been seen by the military and the government."
"Speaking of which, I can't help but admire your low profile. Although the Avengers have a bigger reputation than you, you are also more farsighted than them, because you know the crisis behind that reputation."
"I hope Mr. Abomination and your companions can continue to maintain such foresight, because this is a good thing for the Six-pointed Star Alliance, for the public, and even for the government and officials."
Hearing Secretary of State Ross's words, Meng Ran said nothing, he just let out a few hoarse, unpleasant laughs in response.
After speaking about the Six-pointed Star Alliance, Secretary of State Ross continued to address Rogers and the others, saying, "Many people consider the Avengers 'heroes,' but just as many prefer to describe you as 'vigilantes.'"
Hearing this, Natasha looked at Secretary of State Ross and asked, "So, Mr. Secretary of State, which word do you use?"
Hearing Natasha's question, Secretary of State Ross looked at her and said, "How about 'dangerous'?"
"A group of super-powered humans living in America, often disregarding sovereignty and national borders, imposing their will on any place and anyone they choose, completely regardless of the consequences."
"What would you usually call such people?"
Hearing Secretary of State Ross's words, everyone present fell silent.
After speaking, the Secretary of State of Russia walked to the large screen at the front of the conference room and began to play the images on it.
"New York."
As General Ross spoke, the screen began to show the Avengers' battle during the Battle of New York.
On the screen, a vast number of alien soldiers suddenly appeared, along with the Avengers fighting them.
Accompanied by the Hulk's roar, alien soldiers were torn to shreds by him.
Then he roared again and leaped onto a nearby building, directly smashing a Chitauri Soldier operating a flying device into a pulp.
As the Hulk leaped onto the building, the building's wall was also shattered by his heavy body.
For a time, many rubble fell from the building, directly hitting the woman filming the video.
With the sudden interruption of the scream in the video, the video screen turned black.
Seeing this scene, everyone present frowned, and Dr. Banner, sitting at the conference table, looked the most distressed.
He clasped his hands on the table, covering half of his face so that his expression could not be seen, but from his tightly furrowed brows and somewhat pained eyes, it was clear that he was feeling very unwell at this moment.
After the New York video finished playing, Secretary of State Ross continued to play the next video.
"Washington D.C."
"Wilhemnia."
"Lagos."
As he introduced the locations one by one, the corresponding scenes from that time were played on the screen.
Watching the images and listening to the sounds in the video, the people in the conference room occasionally lowered their heads. The locations in the video all had more or less a special connection to each of them.
For example, the events in Washington D.C. were related to Natasha and Rogers, and the events in Wilhemnia were related to Wanda, Pietro, and Tony.
Although they knew that they couldn't be perfect when solving these issues and couldn't take care of every citizen, when the videos and images were placed before them like this, their hearts indeed could not remain calm.
Chapter 277 Agreement
Especially the video and audio from Lagos at the end; listening to the shouts and cries in the video, Wanda also painfully lowered her head.
"Alright, that's enough." Seeing Wanda's reaction, Rogers said to Secretary of State Ross.
Hearing Rogers, Secretary of State Ross nodded and signaled the person playing the video to stop.
At the same time, he continued to address the Avengers: "For the past four years, you have been operating without any oversight or restraint."
"Governments around the world can no longer tolerate this situation."
"After discussions at the United Nations, we have come up with a solution."
Speaking of this, General Ross took a thick white paper agreement handed to him by an accompanying staff member.
He placed the white paper agreement on the table for the Avengers to read, then continued to explain to them: "The Vienna Accords."
"So far, one hundred and seventeen countries have supported this agreement, which stipulates that the Avengers will no longer be a private organization."
"All your actions will be subject to the supervision of a special United Nations panel, and you can only act when the special panel deems it necessary."
Hearing Secretary of State Ross's introduction of the agreement, Rogers said in a deep voice: "The Avengers were formed to make the world safer, and I believe we have achieved that."
Hearing Rogers's words, Secretary of State Ross did not refute; he merely retorted: "Then, Captain Rogers, please tell me, do you know where Thor is right now?"
"You should know how powerful Thor is; his existence is equivalent to a 30-megaton nuclear bomb."
"If I misplaced such a 30-megaton nuclear bomb, you can imagine what my consequences would be."
"We all need to move with the times, make timely compromises, and provide assurances. This is how things are done in this era."
"Believe me, this agreement is already the most compromising method."
Secretary of State Ross pointed to the white paper agreement on the table and said to them sincerely.
Hearing this, Colonel Rhodes, while flipping through the white paper agreement, asked Secretary of State Ross: "So, this agreement should have contingency plans, right?"
Secretary of State Ross continued: "The United Nations will hold a meeting in Vienna in three days to approve this agreement. You still have time to consider it carefully."
After listening to Secretary of State Ross's introduction to the agreement, Captain Rogers looked at Tony and then said: "Well, that's all for the meeting. We will discuss it."
Hearing Rogers's reply, Secretary of State Ross waved to the two accompanying personnel and then walked towards the conference room door.
"What if our decision doesn't align with the opinion you just stated?" Natasha suddenly asked Secretary of State Ross, who had already reached the door.
Hearing Natasha's question, Secretary of State Ross turned around and said seriously: "If you don't approve of the agreement, then you can only retire."
After speaking, he turned and left the conference room. He had other matters to arrange next. His visit to the Avengers today was to inform them of this agreement.
As for their final decision, Secretary of State Ross believed they would give a wise answer.
Of course, if, as Natasha said, they decided not to approve the agreement, then the Avengers would disband, or they would retire and leave their positions to those willing to approve it.
After Secretary of State Ross left, the conference room remained very quiet, with everyone silent at the moment.
"So, the situation now is that if we want to continue being Avengers and continue operating legally, we must sign this agreement, right?"
Pietro was the first to break the silence. He summarized what the Secretary of State had just said according to his understanding.
Hearing Pietro, Rhodes nodded and said to him: "That's right, there are only two choices now. The first is to sign the agreement and continue to be an Avenger."
"The second is to choose not to sign this agreement, and then, as the Secretary of State just said, retire from the Avengers team."
After speaking, Rhodes continued to quip: "Congratulations, Pietro, if you don't sign this agreement, you might not only be the fastest man in the world but also the fastest man to retire."
He and Pietro had been partnering on missions for a while, so they were very familiar with each other.
Hearing Rhodes's quip, Pietro shrugged and said: "While your joke is indeed quite good, the fastest man in the world isn't me, it's Mr. Ghost."
Ever since he fought alongside Meng Ran and them and joined the Avengers, Pietro no longer felt his speed was that fast.
After all, the man named Ghost could directly teleport, and besides teleportation, he could also open spatial gates.
A person with such speed hadn't claimed to be the fastest man in the world, so how could Pietro have the nerve to take on that title?
Hearing Pietro, Meng Ran smiled and said: "Don't be discouraged, your ability still has a lot of room for growth. Believe in yourself, one day your speed will be faster than mine."
"That's true. You can see how much older Mr. Ghost is than you, so you can be the fastest man in the world for many years after he's too old to move." Rhodes, the merciless quip machine, was still in top form.
In just a few minutes, he had already told two jokes and created several excellent gags.
After a few jokes, the atmosphere in the conference room finally became less silent and serious than before.
After hearing Pietro, Rhodes, and Meng Ran's conversation, Falcon Sam seemed to have thought of something.
He rubbed his chin and then curiously asked Meng Ran: "Mr. Ghost, both are organizations that protect the Earth and pursue justice, so why doesn't your Six-pointed Star Alliance have problems like the Avengers?"
"And from the Secretary of State's attitude just now, they don't seem to dislike your existence; in fact, they even have a somewhat affirming attitude."
Chapter 278 Politics
Hearing Sam's question, Meng Ran smiled and said to him, "The answer to that question is in what Secretary of State Ross just told me. Didn't you hear him?"
Hearing Meng Ran's reply, Sam was also a bit confused. He carefully recalled what the Secretary of State had said and then asked with some doubt, "Did the Secretary of State say that? Why don't I remember?"
"I was listening very carefully and wasn't distracted."
Hearing Sam's bewildered words, Meng Ran continued to explain to him, "Do you think he was just praising the Six-pointed Star Alliance? In fact, every word he said had a deeper meaning."
"The U.S. Government actually doesn't care what you've done, nor does it care what kind of harm you bring to other countries."
"Do you think those in power, or rather, the person in the White House, truly proposed this agreement to restrain you because you disregarded the national sovereignty of other countries or trampled on their laws?"
At this point, Meng Ran suddenly said with a teasing tone, "Disregarding the sovereignty of other countries, trampling on the laws of other countries—don't you find such behavior very familiar and sound very common?"
"Compared to the Avengers, those politicians and the military are far more accustomed to such actions than you are."
"So why would they come looking for trouble with you?" Meng Ran then looked at Sam and asked him.
"On one hand, it's because you really made too big a fuss and didn't handle confidentiality and information dissemination well."
"If everything you did was like the Six-pointed Star Alliance, where the public was completely unaware, then why would they bother to specially issue an agreement for you?"
"Rather than managing a bunch of troublemakers, they prefer groups like the Six-pointed Star Alliancethat can solve problems without causing trouble, because we resolve potential public relations issues ourselves in advance."
"The other reason is that you are too high-profile. As a group with official backing, you completely disregard them, acting independently and ignoring instructions."
"It just so happens that your actions this time led to a joint boycott from many countries, allowing them to use this opportunity to rein you in."
After hearing Meng Ran's explanation, Sam, the Falcon, suddenly realized. For a young man like him who had only served in the military, such political implications and underlying motives were indeed difficult for him to grasp.
Thinking of this, he looked at the others in the conference room and then suddenly said as if something had occurred to him, "Am I the only one who didn't understand?"
"No, I don't believe it. There must be others who are as unaware of these things as I am."
"Give up the struggle, young man, you still have a lot to learn," Rhodes bluntly retorted, looking at Sam, who didn't want to admit his mind wasn't sharp.
After his retort, he also became serious and said to everyone, "There's no point in saying these things now. The most important thing at the moment is to discuss this agreement."
"This isn't just a simple piece of paper from the U.S. Government; it's something that 117 countries worldwide are prepared to sign."
Hearing Rhodes' words, Sam retorted, "If we accept the agreement, the government will soon track us like ordinary criminals."
"How can we carry out missions then? We will completely lose our freedom of action and other activities."
"117 countries, Sam. Do you know what 117 countries means?" Hearing Sam's prediction, Rhodes couldn't help but roll his eyes and say.
"This means that the vast majority of countries in the world have already agreed to this agreement, yet you seem indifferent."
It must be said that Sam truly found these political matters naive. He completely failed to realize what 117 countries supporting this agreement meant. He also didn't perceive the power behind it, nor the immense pressure they would have to bear.
Hearing Rhodes' words, Sam crossed his arms, frowned, and asked strangely, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Hearing Sam's words, Rhodes helplessly rubbed his forehead, then prepared to continue explaining the stakes to him.
Just as their argument was about to begin again, Doctor Banner, who had been silent from the start, suddenly spoke, "Perhaps I can make this issue more intuitive."
After saying that, he placed his phone on the table and projected a holographic line graph.
Pointing to the upward trend on the line graph, he explained to everyone, "This is a data model I just derived using a calculation formula."
"We can see that ever since Tony announced he was Iron Man, the number of super-powered individuals appearing in this world has begun to multiply."
"During this same period, the number of events with world-destroying potential has also increased proportionally."
"Everyone should be very clear about what this means. Perhaps we really should think carefully about these things."
Hearing Doctor Banner's explanation, Rogers, who was reviewing the agreement, looked up and said, "So you're saying all of this is our fault?"
Hearing Rogers' question, Doctor Banner explained, "The answer can never be so absolute. The intuitive information provided by this data only states that there is a strong causal relationship between these events."
"Our superpowers attract more challenges, these challenges in turn ignite conflicts, and conflicts breed disaster."
"Just like what Mister Secretary of State just said, the number of major world-ending events in recent years has been more than in the entire previous century."
After analyzing these data, Doctor Banner looked up and surveyed everyone, then solemnly said, "From my personal opinion, I believe we should not completely oppose and resist regulation."
"We have caused too much harm to this world. If we continue like this, I truly don't know what the future will look like."
"Possessing immense power without corresponding control mechanisms is an extremely dangerous thing, just like how I was not calm or rational enough during the Battle of New York."
"Everyone should be clear about what kind of disaster it is when the Hulk, with his immense power, loses his mind."
"I don't know how many people there are like the woman who was killed by debris from my fight, and I don't have the courage to search for them in detail."
"To take on the responsibility that we should have long ago, I believe we should be subject to this oversight. At least, I myself should be subject to some constraints."
Chapter 279 Differences
Hearing Banner's data analysis and his opinion to accept the agreement, the Avengers also fell silent.
"Tony, you're not usually like this. Why are you so quiet today?" Natasha said, looking at Tony, who had moved from a chair in the corner to lie on the sofa, one hand on his forehead.
Before Tony could answer, Rogers, who was sitting next to him, said, "Because he has already made a decision."
Hearing Rogers's words, Tony also lowered the hand from his forehead, then touched his head and said, "You're right, you really know me well."
After speaking, he stood up from the sofa again and went to the coffee machine to get a cup of coffee to perk himself up.
As he walked, he rubbed the back of his head and said to the others, "Phew~ Actually, the electromagnetic waves are giving me a bit of a headache."
"That's why I'm so quiet, it's because of the pain, it makes me very uncomfortable."
"Oh, who poured the coffee grounds into the sink? Do you treat this place like a cheap hotel?"
Tony poured himself a cup of coffee while complaining to them, looking at the sink.
After speaking, he turned and sat on a stool in front, then took out his phone and displayed a holographic projection of a photo.
The photo showed a dark-skinned, but brightly smiling Black youth with gleaming white teeth.
Seeing this sudden photo, the others looked at each other, puzzled.
Tony took a sip of coffee and then said to them, "Oh, this is Charles Spencer, a good kid."
"He's studying computer engineering, has a 3.6 GPA, and his grades are excellent."
"He even found a job and plans to go to Intel in the fall."
"But before starting work, Charles wanted to gain some experience, travel around, and clear his head."
"He didn't want to go to Las Vegas or Fort Lauderdale—if it were me, I'd definitely go there. He also didn't go to fun places like Paris or Amsterdam."
"He decided to spend the summer helping those in need and seeing the world."
"So, where do you think he went?" Tony asked, looking at them.
After asking, he took another sip of coffee, then placed the cup heavily on the table and said in a deep voice, "He went to Wilhemnia."
"He might have wanted to do some good for the elderly or children there, but we smashed a building directly onto his face during our fight with Ultron."
As Tony said this, he finished his coffee. He threw the cup on the table, then walked towards everyone, saying, "We are a powerful hero organization, fighting to protect the people of the world, but we have absolutely no decision-making process."
"We need to take responsibility, in whatever form. If we don't accept limitations, we will continue to be lawless as before. If that's the case, then what's the difference between us and those villains who endanger Earth's security?"
"Hmm? Is the difference that our uniforms are more exquisite, our equipment is more sophisticated, or that we are more thick-skinned?"
Hearing Tony's point of view, Rogers also said seriously, "Tony, you can't surrender just because someone died."
"Who said this is surrendering?" Hearing Rogers's words, Tony replied seriously, crossing his arms.
Rogers continued, "If we don't take responsibility for our actions, that is surrendering. This document is clearly about shirking responsibility."
"We cannot shirk the responsibility we should bear by signing a document and washing our hands of it completely."
"Sorry, I have to interrupt you." After hearing Rogers's words, Rhode also spoke.
"Steve, you're going too far. This time we're dealing with the United Nations, not some World Security Council, nor S.H.I.E.L.D., nor HYDRA."
No sooner had Rhode finished speaking than Rogers immediately interjected, "We are indeed dealing with the United Nations, but the people who manage the United Nations also have their motives, and motives can change."
"That's a good thing. The moment I realized the unimaginable consequences of my weapons falling into the wrong hands, I immediately chose to stop production," Tony said, responding to Rogers's words.
Rogers looked at Tony and said, "Tony, you chose to do that because you had complete control of the situation; you had the right to choose."
"But if we sign the agreement, it's equivalent to giving up our right to choose."
"What if the United Nations' specialized team sends us to places we shouldn't go? What should we do?"
"What if there's a place that needs us, but they won't let us go? What should we do then?"
"Perhaps we can't be perfect, but we shouldn't be controlled by others. We can guarantee that we fight for justice, but can those in power guarantee that?"
"Just like S.H.I.E.L.D. before, before we discovered Pierce was the leader of HYDRA, didn't we implicitly help them do many things?"
"Similarly, if the United Nations' specialized team has their own agenda, and we are kept in the dark, what should we do in such a situation?"
Hearing Rogers's explanation, Tony continued, "But if we don't choose to accept it now, we will be forced to accept it in the future."
"This is the reality we have to face. If we really wait until then, wouldn't the situation be even worse?"
"By signing this agreement now, we still have a long time to negotiate and coordinate some of the boundaries and terms."
"Moreover, since you can firmly choose not to sign the agreement now, then even if you sign it now, and if the situation you mentioned really happens in the future, why can't you choose not to accept it then, just like now?"
"Why can't we choose to sign now and try to see how things develop later? See if this agreement makes us better or turns out as you described."
Rogers shook his head upon hearing Tony's words and continued, "When we are outside the situation, we may not even be able to see through those conspiracies and tricks, let alone when we are already trapped."
"Once you sign this agreement and truly obey the specialized team's command as stated in the agreement, what basis will you have to judge whether the missions they assign us are true or false?"
"If something irreversible really happens, what will you do then? Who will be responsible for such a thing?"
Chapter 280 Different Standpoints
Hearing Rogers, Tony continued, "If we don't sign now, he will force us to sign later."
"The fact is, not signing now will lead to a very unpleasant situation later."
"You have to understand that we are not facing one U.S. Government, but 117 countries, which make up the vast majority of nations in the world."
"Have you ever considered how we will carry out our future missions if we don't negotiate well with these countries?"
"We are the Avengers. Our most important mission is to protect the Earth, but if we act unilaterally, without considering the feelings of the countries that are now signing the agreement, what should we do when we need to carry out missions within those countries?"
"Should we just act directly, completely disregarding the sovereignty of these countries and their laws and regulations?"
"If we really do that, what's the difference between us and the bad guys?"
"Honestly, our previous actions were indeed somewhat reckless. This Earth is not just one country, America, nor does it only have American people, do you understand?"
"Since we are to protect the Earth, shouldn't the premise of this matter be to respect the opinions of the vast majority of countries on Earth?"
After hearing Tony's thoughts, Natasha also spoke, "Perhaps Tony is right. If we make a small compromise, we still have room to maneuver and can negotiate further with them."
"But if we completely break ties, things might not be so simple."
Before Natasha could finish her sentence, Sam, the Falcon, said to her in disbelief, "Excuse me, I'm not sure what I just heard?"
"Are you still the woman who publicly challenged the government a few years ago?"
Sam's words left Natasha momentarily speechless. She knew what Sam meant; he thought she had lost her edge and was actually willing to compromise with the government.
Natasha then explained, "It's not that I will always challenge the government, nor that I will oppose the government no matter what happens."
"I am assessing the situation now. We have indeed made some big mistakes in front of the public, especially in Wilhemnia, so now we need to regain their trust."
Listening to Natasha, Tony also said to her in disbelief, "Excuse me, I can't quite believe it, did I hear wrong? Are you supporting my point of view?"
"Uh, seeing you like this, I'm starting to want to go back on my word," Natasha said, somewhat exasperated.
"No, no, no, you can't take it back," Tony said, shaking his finger at Natasha. "Thank you so much, it's truly a first for you to support me on something like this."
While they were talking, Rogers' phone suddenly received a message.
"She passed away in her sleep."
Upon seeing this message, Rogers' heart felt as if a piece of flesh had been suddenly gouged out, and after a sharp pain, he felt as if he had lost something forever.
Although he knew this was something he would have to face sooner or later, after all, Peggy was not like him; she was very old, and her health was not particularly good when he last visited her.
But when it actually happened, Rogers realized that his previous mental preparations were useless, and his heartache was not alleviated at all.
He silently put down his phone, then said to everyone in a deep voice, "Excuse me, something urgent has come up, I have to go."
After hearing Rogers, Tony also asked curiously, "What happened?"
Rogers, who had just stood up, heard Tony's question and said softly as he walked out, "Peggy passed away."
After speaking, he walked out the door without looking back. Although there were not many words, everyone present could feel the deep sorrow on him.
After Rogers left, everyone present fell into a brief silence.
"The agreement can wait. Give him some time," Natasha said softly to Tony, looking at where Rogershad left.
Tony nodded upon hearing this and said, "I will communicate with the Secretary of State."
After that, he looked at Meng Ran and Harry, who had been sitting by, listening to their discussion.
"Mr. Ghost, what do you think about the agreement? Perhaps you can give us some suggestions or a different perspective."
Hearing Tony's question, Meng Ran thought for a moment and then said, "If I stand from the perspective of the Avengers, I would maintain a supportive attitude regarding the agreement."
"After all, unlike our Six-pointed Star Alliance, the Avengers is a world-renowned hero group. If you cannot handle your relationships with the officials and various governments well, your future actions will be greatly restricted."
"Moreover, the public's trust in you is not as strong as before, so you need to salvage your image in a timely manner, no matter what."
"And with this agreement signed with various governments, you will essentially have their endorsement. Then, if any problems arise in subsequent actions, you will not be subjected to public and media criticism and attacks as you are now."
"On the contrary, those national governments and media will explain and excuse you, because criticizing you is criticizing them."
"As for the concerns Rogers has, just as Tony said, if you find something wrong with the operation, or if the restrictions and directives they give you are inappropriate, you can completely refuse to execute them."
"If you can have such strong opinions and determination about signing this agreement now, then when real problems arise, why can't you directly confront them as you are doing now?"
Hearing Meng Ran's explanation, Sam continued to ask, "What if we don't discover their true intentions, just as the Captain just said, what if we are kept in the dark until the mission ends?"
Meng Ran heard Sam's question and then said, "You don't have to worry about this, because we exist. Don't forget the Six-pointed Star Alliance."
"If such a situation really occurs, we will certainly remind you even if you haven't noticed it."
"In that case, it seems the problem is solved," Tony said with a sigh of relief after hearing Meng Ran's explanation and clarification.
Meng Ran saw Tony's expression and heard his words, then shook his head and said, "No, no, no, the problem is not solved, because Rogers will not compromise so easily."
"You should know that he is a very firm, even somewhat stubborn person. After S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Insight Project, his fragile trust in the U.S. Government and official organizations has long vanished."
"Moreover, he is a relatively idealistic and pure person. Tony, you should know that he hasn't dealt with the government and military as much as you have, nor does he have such skilled political maneuvering."
"Rogers' character is not suited for, and it is destined that he will not play political games, because politics is about negotiation and compromise, and sometimes even involves some transactions."
"These things are completely unacceptable to him, and this is also the starting point of his previous views."
Chapter 281 Arrangements for Wanda
After saying this, Meng Ran paused again, then continued.
"Actually, Rogers's view isn't wrong, because the United Nations is dealing with you, but the people who manage the United Nations also have their own motives and goals, and these things can change."
"Not everyone is as fair and selfless as the Avengers, willing to fight to protect the world and sacrifice for justice."
"Regarding the different views on the agreement, none of you are wrong; it's just a matter of different positions and ideas."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Tony also sighed, "But we are the Avengers. We can understand Rogers, but the United Nations and the people of other countries won't understand him."
"And as public figures, what we need most is the understanding and support of the public."
Hearing Tony's words, Meng Ran stepped forward and patted his shoulder, saying, "There's still time; you can still try to persuade him. If you can have a frank discussion, perhaps he can understand."
"The Green Goblin and I have bothered you for a long time, so we won't disturb you any further."
After speaking, Meng Ran walked over to Harry, signaling him to stand up. The discussion at the Avengers was almost over, and it was time for them to return to their own base.
Just as they were about to leave, Tony called out to them again.
"Wait a moment, there's one more thing I might need your help with."
Hearing Tony's words, Meng Ran immediately turned around and asked, "What is it?"
Hearing Meng Ran's question, Tony suddenly hesitated, and after struggling for a few seconds, he looked at Wanda and said apologetically, "Sorry, kid, we all know recent events aren't your fault, but because the current situation is special, you might need to stay at the base for a while."
"Originally, I wanted you to just stay here for a while, but after seeing Mr. Ghoul just now, I think you might also be able to stay at the Six-pointed Star Alliance base for a while."
"That way, you won't feel like you're grounded or under house arrest, and we can also be considered to have fulfilled the Secretary of State's request to us."
Hearing Tony's words, Wanda nodded in understanding. She smiled at everyone and said, "I understand; this must be the negotiation and compromise with the government that was just mentioned."
After speaking, she looked at Meng Ran a bit reservedly and said, "Of course, this matter still depends on Mr. Ghoul's opinion. Actually, I can be anywhere."
Although she was still a bit reserved in front of the Ghoul, compared to staying at what might become an empty Avengers Compound, she was still willing to visit the Six-pointed Star Alliance base. After all, Harry was there, as were Ghost and a few others she had chatted with before.
Moreover, Ghost and the others had mentioned to her last time that the Six-pointed Star Allianceplanned to establish a new base, and once it was ready, they were welcome to visit.
Although the reason for going there this time wasn't particularly good, it was still nice to have the opportunity to visit.
While Wanda had no objections, Pietro became a bit worried after hearing Tony and Wanda's conversation.
After all, the Ghoul's powerful strength and ruthless style had left a deep impression on him. Although everyone was now friends on the same side, he was still somewhat uneasy about Wanda.
Thinking of this, he turned to look at Wanda, who was sitting next to him. Wanda read his meaning from their exchanged glances.
Wanda smiled and nodded at him, signaling that it was okay. After all, he had some responsibility for the events in Wilhemnia and Lagos, so she would accept whatever arrangements were made.
After seeing Wanda's unspoken meaning, Pietro swallowed the words he was about to say.
During the few seconds they exchanged glances, Harry, who was standing behind Meng Ran, was frantically poking Meng Ran's back in a place they couldn't see, signaling to him.
Feeling Harry's actions, Meng Ran understood what he meant. After all, such a golden opportunity was simply heaven-sent. If he seized this chance well, perhaps his relationship with Wanda could advance further.
In fact, even if Harry hadn't signaled him, Meng Ran certainly wouldn't have missed this opportunity, as how could he drop the ball when it concerned his brother's happiness?
However, he couldn't appear too enthusiastic or eager, otherwise it would seem too strange and suspicious to the Avengers.
Meng Ran raised his hand and cleared his throat, then said to Tony and Wanda, "Don't worry, the Six-pointed Star Alliance welcomes everyone to our base as guests."
"We originally planned to invite everyone to a party at our place, but you've all been very busy lately, and then these things suddenly happened."
"This time, we'll just take Wanda to our place to play for a while. Once you've dealt with the agreement, you're welcome to come to our place for a party."
After saying these words, Meng Ran could clearly feel that Harry, who had been 'gesturing' behind him, had calmed down.
Although Harry seemed unchanged to others, Meng Ran could clearly feel that Harry, standing beside him, was radiating a sense of joy and happiness.
"This is what love feels like, truly wonderful ~ Gwen and I were like this back then; it's really nostalgic to think about now."
Looking at Harry, Meng Ran couldn't help but think to himself.
Hearing Meng Ran's reply, Tony laughed and said, "OK, then we'll book a party. You'd better prepare well, because my standards for parties are very high."
Hearing Tony's words, Meng Ran immediately said, "I'm sure I won't disappoint you, but there definitely won't be too many people, and there won't be all the beautiful women you're expecting, because the theme of the party is masks and makeup."
Hearing Meng Ran's words, Tony replied, "What beautiful women? I haven't liked those for a long time, but masks and makeup are quite interesting."
Finally, after chatting with Tony for a few more sentences, Meng Ran left the Avengers Compound with Harry, who was outwardly calm but inwardly excited, and Wanda, who was still a bit reserved.
Chapter 282 Ambush
Next to a market in Bucharest, Romania, a burly man in a hat was speaking somewhat broken Romanian to a shopkeeper, buying the vegetables he needed.
His hat brim was pulled low, almost covering his eyes, and the stubble on his face hadn't been properly cleaned, making him look somewhat weathered and dishevelled.
He picked up a few plums from a wooden basket in front of him with his gloved left hand, examined them carefully, and then asked the shopkeeper, "These... how are they? Are they... fresh?"
The shopkeeper, seeing his interest in buying, enthusiastically promoted them: "I picked these from the orchard early this morning; they're absolutely fresh."
"And my plums are an improved variety, guaranteed to be plump, refreshing, sweet but not cloying, and very thirst-quenching. You definitely won't regret buying them."
The burly man was a bit bewildered by the vendor's rapid-fire sales pitch. With his broken Romanian, he could only use the vendor's expressions and gestures to help him understand the long and fast stream of promotional words.
"Uh, then I'll take six of these," the man said, picking up six plums and handing them to the vendor.
The vendor was very happy to close the sale. Although he only sold six, he was confident that everyone who bought his plums would become a repeat customer.
"Three lei in total," the vendor quickly wrapped the six plums and handed them to the man.
"Okay, three lei. Here you go, thank you." Hearing the vendor's words, the man counted the change in his hand, and after confirming the amount was correct, he handed it to the vendor.
"You're welcome, please come again," the vendor said with a smile, hearing the man's thanks.
After buying the plums, the man continued to stroll through the market, buying other vegetables he needed.
At the same time, an ordinary-looking man was sitting not far away, drinking coffee. Although he held a newspaper, his gaze never left the man strolling through the market.
"Leader, the target is strolling through the market as usual. The operation can commence at any time," the man drinking coffee subtly touched his ear and whispered to the person on the other end of his earpiece.
Hearing the man's report, a male voice came from the earpiece: "Keep monitoring and report at all times. Tell the others to stay alert, don't let him discover you, and don't lose him."
"Understood," the man drinking coffee replied softly after hearing the instructions in his earpiece, and then returned to his work.
The man doing the surveillance was Rumlow, Crossbones' subordinate, and the burly man in the hat being watched was, of course, the Winter Soldier, Barnes.
Barnes had broken free from HYDRA's control after the Insight Project incident. After fighting Captain America Rogers, he seemed to have recalled something.
He entered a museum with this confusion, where he learned about World War II and the Howling Commandos, and also understood what kind of person he once was.
After that, he secretly travelled from America to Romania in Europe and settled in its capital, Bucharest.
Bucky chose this location for two reasons: firstly, it was far from highly developed regions and countries, yet its level of development was not too backward, making it suitable for his reclusive life.
Secondly, which was related to the first point, Bucharest in Romania was considered one of the areas with the lowest cost of living in Europe. Living there would not put too much pressure on him, as he was currently a notorious fugitive with no job and couldn't show his face too much.
He had been living in seclusion here after HYDRA's Insight Project was thwarted. He thought his whereabouts were unknown, but Crossbones, who had escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D., had acutely sensed his escape and anomaly.
After finding his whereabouts through various means, Crossbones began to arrange for people to track him.
Crossbones knew the Winter Soldier's skill and knew that with his current strength, he couldn't re-capture and brainwash him.
So he could only use the most fool method, which was to have his subordinates take turns tracking him. Although this couldn't bring Bucky under his control immediately, it could at least keep him informed of his whereabouts at all times, in case of future need.
Just like now, this preparation he made in advance was about to be put to use.
After Crossbones and the monster reached a cooperation agreement, the monster also explained Bucky's importance to Crossbones. The Winter Soldier was not only an important bargaining chip against Rogers but also subtly connected to Tony Stark in myriad ways.
The reason he knew this was because before cooperating with Crossbones, the monster had already found the officer who held the codebook to control the Winter Soldier, and this latter part of the information was all pried from this officer's mouth.
Ultimately, he couldn't obtain this information completely, mainly because the officer's mouth was too tight; he was even willing to die rather than reveal this crucial information.
When the monster threatened his life, this person decisively chose to give up his life, using his death to keep the secret.
Therefore, the monster could only infer how to obtain all the intelligence from the few useful pieces of information that were forcibly extracted from the officer before he died.
The complete intelligence would probably only be known after they captured Bucky. Based on the analysis of the fragmented messages revealed by that stubborn officer, the monster vaguely knew that the intelligence he wanted seemed to be hidden inside the Winter Soldier, Barnes' head.
His mission reports seemed to hide some secret, and this secret was so critical that the previous officer who held the notebook was willing to die rather than reveal it.
The monster and Crossbones' plan was now ready; all that was missing was the key figure, the Winter Soldier. So today was the day they would capture Barnes.
After such a long period of surveillance and tracking, Crossbones could finally get his hands on the Winter Soldier.
After all, it was a great waste for a perfect agent with such powerful strength and rich experience to just wander around all day.
But fortunately, he had now reached an agreement with the monster, and this resource could finally be utilized instead of just lying idle here.
Chapter 283 A huge difference in the battle
Bucky, who was casually strolling through the market, had no idea he had already become an unwitting bird stepping into a trap. He continued to enjoy his monotonous but peaceful life as usual.
Just as he was turning into the alley near his home, carrying his groceries, he finally sensed that someone was maliciously tracking him.
Upon realizing this, Bucky first removed the glove from his right hand, then slowly took off the glove from his left hand with his right, sighing, "Sigh~ Why do peaceful days never last? It's always fighting, fighting, fighting."
"If you come out now, I promise I'll go a little easier on you later, at least leave you with your lives."
By the time Bucky finished speaking, the glove on his left hand was completely off, revealing the silver metal arm with a red five-pointed star on its shoulder.
Not long after his words fell, figures emerged from both sides of the alley.
The figures from the east were led by a fully armed, masked wack with a white cross painted on his metal face.
The figures from the west were led by a handsome man in a white suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
Looking at the enemies gradually approaching from both sides, Bucky said in a deep voice, "There are truly more and more wack in this world."
Crossbones looked at Bucky, who was gradually becoming alert, and let out a harsh laugh, "It seems this short period of peaceful life has significantly lowered your guard."
"My people have been watching your every move, but you only noticed just now."
"If this is all you can do, I'll be quite disappointed. After all, I still want you to bear my wrath for your good brother, and this state won't do."
Hearing Crossbones's words, Bucky also said in a deep voice, "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting. I hope you'll still be this happy later."
After speaking, he suddenly charged towards Crossbones. Just as Crossbones and his subordinates thought Bucky was going to directly confront them, Bucky suddenly stopped and slammed his metal arm into the nearby wall.
"Boom! Crackle~ Crackle~ Crackle!!!"
Accompanied by a huge roar and the cracking sound of the wall, the wall hit by Bucky's iron fist immediately collapsed, and the stones shattered from the wall instantly began to fly towards Crossbones and his men.
Seeing this sudden change, Crossbones and his subordinates hurriedly dealt with the falling rubble.
Crossbones had two gauntlets on his arms, resembling external skeletal armor. He punched the falling rubble, smashing them all into tiny pebbles.
Although Crossbones had such high-tech equipment, his ordinary subordinates were not so lucky.
Except for a few lucky terrorists who dodged the rubble with their footwork, the rest were directly hit by the huge stones, suffering more or less some injuries.
Some were even hit directly in the head and died on the spot, while others had their bones broken and were severely wounded. The disparity between ordinary people and individuals like Bucky and Crossbones was immediately evident.
Crossbones also heard the screams from behind him, but he had no time to attend to his subordinates' situation.
Just as he was smashing the rubble in front of him into small stones, Bucky, the instigator who had broken the wall, had already rushed to his front.
Bucky directly raised his iron fist and swung it towards Crossbones's black-masked face.
Seeing this, Crossbones hurriedly crossed his arms, which were equipped with external skeletal armor, in front of him, blocking the heavy and powerful iron fist.
"Bang! Crack!"
Bucky's iron fist directly caused cracks in Crossbones's arm armor upon impact.
Seeing this scene, Crossbones not only felt a pang of heartache but also a shiver of fear at Bucky's strength. If that punch had directly hit his face, he would have had no chance of survival.
Crossbones used the force of the punch to retreat a short distance.
After retreating to a safe distance, he gasped for breath and looked at the Monster and others not far away, then said, "Are you laughing at me? Why aren't you doing anything?"
"My apologies, I thought you wanted to teach him a lesson first." Hearing Crossbones's words, the Monster said to him with 'surprise' while quickly charging towards Bucky.
Seeing the Monster rushing towards him, Bucky repeated his trick, smashing the already unstable wall on their side to delay their advance.
Judging from Crossbones's reaction to that attack, Bucky estimated these people would be similar.
As he thought this, the Monster simply extended one hand towards the falling rubble, and the stones, as if hitting an invisible air barrier, all lost their momentum and fell to the ground.
Furthermore, the few people behind the Monster also displayed their unique physiques. These individuals could achieve the same effect as Crossbones just by using their fists, directly smashing the falling rubble into tiny fragments.
After seeing this scene, Bucky's expression became solemn. This special situation was something he hadn't anticipated.
He had thought that the Monster and his people would be similar to Crossbones and his men, but he hadn't expected such a significant difference in combat power between the two sides.
Bucky's anticipated delay did not have much effect. The Monster covered the distance in just a few large strides and was directly in front of him.
This time, he did not get the right to strike first, as the Monster's hand was already coming down on him.
Seeing the bizarre scene earlier, Bucky knew that the man in the suit in front of him possessed extraordinary abilities.
So, when facing the Monster's attack, he went all out, controlling his mechanical left arm to strike the enemy in front of him with maximum force.
"Swish!" As the sound of air being torn echoed, Bucky's left arm, carrying unparalleled power, slammed towards the Monster. However, the Monster's expression remained unchanged upon seeing this iron fist.
A faint smile always adorned his face, which, while polite, always gave off a rather punchable vibe.
He simply crossed his hands in front of him, and Bucky's incoming fist, just like the earlier falling stones, suddenly stopped about 10 centimeters away from him.
Because this time he was experiencing this bizarre scene through his own fist, Bucky noticed something different from what he had expected.
He had originally thought the falling stones were blocked by an invisible wall, but through this punch, he finally understood.
It turned out that there wasn't an invisible wall in front of the man in the suit; rather, all force, whether from falling stones or a fist, would suddenly lose all its kinetic energy after reaching a point 10 centimeters away from him.
Chapter 284 The Power of Technology
"Surprised? The real show is yet to come." Seeing Barnes's wide eyes, the monster smirked at him with a sinister smile.
Before Barnes could respond, the monster's next attack immediately came crashing down.
He quickly extended his right leg, kicking Barnes with the lightness of a dragonfly touching water.
Barnes, seeing this, hastily retracted both arms, then lowered his steel left arm to block the monster's attack.
He had prepared himself for injury, but he didn't expect the force from the monster's right leg to be immense.
He easily blocked the monster's attack with just his left arm.
Though Barnes was puzzled, his combat instincts immediately prompted him to prepare a counterattack.
Just as he was ready to counterattack, a massive force suddenly erupted from the foot pressed against his steel left arm.
This sudden, colossal force surged like a collapsing mountain, directly kicking Barnes a great distance, sending him crashing into the wall ruins that had already become a pile of rubble.
After doing all this, the monster lightly landed on the ground, then stood in place, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his eyes; the recoil from the battle had inevitably left some dust on his glasses.
"You really are an annoying fellow. Why can't battles be clean and swift? You have to smash things everywhere, getting my clothes and hair dirty."
The monster spoke to Barnes, who had fallen into the ruins, while tossing the handkerchief he had used to wipe his glasses onto the ground, then lightly flicking the dust off his clothes.
As he spoke, Barnes, who had fallen into the ruins, pushed aside the rubble above him and stood back on the street.
He looked much more disheveled than the monster; crawling in and out of the ruins had covered his body and hair in dust.
The hat he had been wearing neatly on his head was nowhere to be found, and several scratches marred his face from the rubble and rebar in the ruins.
Even more exaggerated was his left arm; on the forearm of his metal arm, there was a faint footprint.
This footprint wasn't very large, only half a sole, the mark left by the attack he had just blocked from the monster.
"Motherfucker Inhumans."
After seeing the state of his right arm, Barnes spat on the ground, then coldly cursed at the monster in a suit.
After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a threat from behind him.
Sensing this, Barnes, relying on his instinctive combat intuition, quickly dodged to the side, then simultaneously turned and blocked with his metal left arm.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Several yellow brass bullets were blocked by Barnes's metal arm, then fell lifelessly to the ground.
At the same time, several bullets also shot towards the monster, but he easily deflected them.
It was unclear whether these bullets shot towards the monster were due to Barnes dodging in time or if the person firing them had intentionally aimed in that direction.
Thinking this, the monster raised his eyes and coldly looked at Crossbones, who was aiming a gun behind Barnes.
"Motherfucker!" Seeing his miss, Crossbones angrily threw his empty pistol to the ground, then cursed loudly.
It turned out he had tried to take advantage of Barnes and the monster's standoff to launch a surprise attack with his pistol, but he hadn't expected Barnes to react so quickly, causing all the bullets to miss.
Feeling the monster's somewhat cold gaze, Crossbones showed no fear, staring directly at him and saying coldly, "Why are you looking at me like that? If he hadn't dodged, those bullets would be in him, and you weren't hurt, were you?"
Hearing Crossbones's words, the monster immediately retracted his cold gaze, then showed his signature smile again.
Although Crossbones acted tough, seeing the monster's sickly smile made him feel a little uneasy.
After all, this man's personality was too strange, and his strength was so formidable; cooperating with him made one feel very insecure.
Thinking this, Crossbones's heart sank, and at the same time, he secretly pondered.
"It seems my current strength is completely insufficient to cope with future situations. Perhaps it's time to use that thing. Although there's a bit of risk, compared to living so stifled now, it's better to take a gamble and live a more exciting life."
Crossbones thought, secretly making some decisions in his heart.
Meanwhile, Barnes, who had dodged Crossbones's sneak attack, was also furiously brainstorming.
The current situation was too disadvantageous for him; just that one mysterious man in a suit was already making him struggle, not to mention the several unusual henchmen who were unscathed by the falling rock attack.
"I have to run!" After quickly analyzing the current situation, Barnes swiftly concluded that he had to escape.
After reaching this conclusion, he immediately took action. Fortunately, the walls on both sides had already been shattered by him, otherwise, he would have nowhere to run.
Barnes first quickly grabbed several relatively large pieces of rubble from the ground and threw them at the monster, then flipped over the wall of debris and ran into the alley outside the nearby residential building.
Seeing the stones flying towards him, the monster immediately raised his hands and, using the same method, caused the stones to lose momentum and fall to the ground.
Then he shook his head, looking at Barnes, who was rapidly fleeing, and laughed disdainfully.
He turned around and took a cannon-like device from one of his subordinates, then located the rapidly moving Barnes through the display scope. After doing this, he immediately pulled the trigger on the cannon.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a loud noise, three flaming shells instantly shot out of the cannon, then rapidly flew towards the fleeing Barnes.
These three shells all had a targeting function, so they quickly chased Barnes's figure, flying at high speed.
Barnes, who was fleeing, also heard the whooshing sound from behind him. While running, he grabbed useful things around him and threw them behind him without looking back.
These scattered items had no effect on the shells rapidly pursuing him from behind; the distance between them and Barnes was getting closer and closer.
Just as the shells were about to hit him one after another, Barnes suddenly turned around and punched the first shell, blowing it up.
Then he swung his fist at the second shell, but before he could break it, the third shell, accelerating suddenly, crashed into him.
After hitting Barnes, the shell quickly transformed into a fine metal net, thoroughly wrapping him up.
Just as he was about to struggle, small blue electrical arcs suddenly lit up on the metal net.
"Buzz! Buzz! Zzz~ Zzz~ Zzz~!"
As the arcs flickered and the sound of electricity continuously rang out, the perfect cold-blooded agent, the valiant Winter Soldier - Barnes, fell unconscious.
Chapter 285 Reboot: The Winter Soldier
In a secret base under an abandoned building in Northern Europe, the unconscious Winter Soldier was firmly secured to a specialized chair.
"Splash!"
A bucket of ice-cold water was poured directly over his head, and the biting cold instantly woke the unconscious Winter Soldier.
His opened eyes were first a little confused, then slowly refocused, staring fixedly at the Monster and Crossbones standing in front of him.
"S***," the Winter Soldier cursed softly. Seeing the current scene and setup, he knew what he was about to face next, as he had experienced it countless times over the years.
He was like a computer; whenever his mind became too cluttered and difficult to control, his handlers would forcibly restart him, wiping all information and returning him to factory settings.
So, looking at the familiar scene and the same type of chair, he roughly knew what would happen next.
"Bring it on, you sons of bitches," the Winter Soldier snarled, glaring at the Monster and Crossbones in front of him.
Hearing his curses, the Monster revealed a sickly smile, then walked up to him and slowly caressed his head, which was already fixed in place by the apparatus.
"Be good, quiet down, it's about to begin," the Monster whispered, stroking the Winter Soldier's head.
"It seems your mind is very active right now. To ensure the effectiveness of the control, we should first do a few powerful brainwashes to make your head nice and empty."
After speaking, the Monster didn't wait for the Winter Soldier's reply before stuffing a wooden gag into his mouth.
This gag would prevent him from biting off his tongue later, and also allow him to bite down to vent his extreme pain.
After doing all this, the Monster stepped back and waved to the subordinate operating the machine.
The subordinate operating the machine nodded upon seeing the Monster's gesture, then began pressing buttons on the machine, finally pushing the rightmost lever all the way forward.
As the lever was pushed forward, the device fixed to the Winter Soldier's head began to work. The device slowly released tiny currents, stimulating his brain.
These electrical stimulations were the source of the pain during this process. With the continuous stimulation of the current, the Winter Soldier's head felt like a million needles were pricking him, causing unbearable agony.
"Ah! Ah!"
This pain even made the Winter Soldier, with the wooden gag in his mouth, let out suppressed screams.
Just like that, the painful brainwashing continued for several minutes before stopping.
After the brainwashing ended, the Winter Soldier's eyes were now unfocused, as if he had become a walking corpse; his soul seemed to have been drawn out by the machine's operation just now.
Seeing this, the Monster, standing to the side, pulled out the red codebook he carried, then, while looking at it, shouted loudly at the Winter Soldier.
"желание (desire)!"
"ржавчина (rust)!"
"семнадцать (seventeen)!"
"рассвет (daybreak)!"
"печь (furnace)!"
"девять (nine)!"
"доброта (kindness)!"
"Вернуться на родину (homecoming)!"
"один (one)!"
"Грузовой вагон (freight car)!"
As these Russian words were shouted, the Winter Soldier's face gradually became distorted, and at the same time, his eyes gradually became less unfocused, instead becoming numb and mechanical.
By the time the last word was uttered, his face was completely expressionless, calm and unperturbed.
Looking at the restarted and activated Winter Soldier, the Monster also spoke to him in Russian: "Здравствуй, солдат (Hello, soldier)."
Hearing the Monster's Russian greeting, the Winter Soldier quickly replied in Russian: "Готов следовать вашим инструкциям (Ready to follow your instructions)."
Seeing that the Winter Soldier was fully activated, the Monster secretly became excited. "Let me see what secrets you're hiding."
He then closed the codebook and gave an instruction to the expressionless Winter Soldier: "Mission report, keyword, Tony Stark."
Rogers was unaware of what his good brother the Winter Soldier was going through. He was currently sitting sadly in the church where Peggy's funeral was being held; he had been helping to prepare Peggy's funeral these past two days.
The priest on the stage had finished a long eulogy, then he continued in a normal tone, "Next, I'd like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."
As he finished speaking, a young woman with blonde hair slowly walked up to the platform where a microphone was placed.
After she came on stage, she gazed deeply at Rogers, who was sitting in the front row.
Rogers, at this moment, had his head down and didn't notice her gaze until Sam, sitting next to him, nudged him with his elbow. Only then did he look up at the young woman on the stage.
Rogers looked up and met Sharon Carter's eyes.
Sharon Carter and Rogers exchanged glances for a moment, then she turned to look at the other people sitting below, who had come to the wedding, and spoke aloud.
"Margaret Carter is best known as the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., but to me, she was just my Aunt Peggy."
"There's a photo in her office of her standing alongside Kennedy."
"As a child, that photo made me feel very cool, but at the same time, it was a lot of pressure, so I never told anyone we were relatives."
"Once I asked her how she became a successful diplomat and spy in an era when women faced so much discrimination."
"She replied, 'Compromise where you can, but where you can't, don't.'" As she said this, Sharon Carter's gaze returned to Rogers.
Rogers was also watching her at this moment. The two of them looked at each other as Sharon Cartercontinued speaking.
"Even if everyone around you tells you that wrong is right, even if the whole world tells you to move, you must stand your ground like a tree, and then look them in the eye and say, 'No, you move!'"
Rogers looked into Sharon Carter's eyes, and as he heard these words, he even had a momentary illusion, as if it wasn't Sharon Carter standing on the stage, but his beloved Peggy.
In that instant, Peggy seemed to be standing before him, looking into his eyes, telling him to steadfastly believe in his inner convictions.