The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 570, 1056, and 1057: Capture and Escape (Part 2)
"Um?!"

Brock Rumlow knows Captain America very well—his physique, gait, habitual movements, and even his unique leadership qualities.

So even though Captain America was wearing a baseball cap and deliberately kept his body low, that fleeting profile and familiar feeling were enough to alert him.

Almost simultaneously, Black Widow also sensed the danger.

Her reaction was astonishingly fast. Just as Brock Rumlow's gaze was about to lock onto Captain America, she suddenly stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his neck, then pulled him down forcefully while standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his.

She wanted to use a seemingly passionate "kiss" between lovers as a perfect disguise, using her body to create a temporary visual barrier to avoid the scrutinizing gaze of the other person.

Completely caught off guard by this sudden 'sneak attack,' Captain America's body stiffened instantly.

He could feel Black Widow's warm breath on his face, and smell the faint, unique fragrance emanating from her hair, completely different from the perfumes wafting through the mall.

But reason told him immediately that this was not ambiguity, but self-preservation!
So Captain America forced himself to relax, lowered his head cooperatively, and wrapped his arms around Black Widow's waist, deepening this helpless 'performance'.

The escalators on the left and right move up and down, slowly alternating.

Brock Rumlow, who was walking upwards, glanced suspiciously at the suspicious couple. He frowned, seemingly finding the man's back view somewhat familiar, but the woman's proactive posture and the noisy surroundings somewhat interfered with his judgment.

But just as he was about to look away, perhaps it was the striking outline of Captain America's bulging back muscles, or perhaps it was the hat pulled down too low on his head... In any case, driven by some kind of intuition, Brock Rumlow, whose gaze had already swept over the man, suddenly turned his eyes back and stared intently at Captain America.

Oh no, I've been recognized!

Captain America and Black Widow immediately sensed something was wrong, and their hearts sank simultaneously.

The hint of doubt on Brock Rumlow's face instantly turned to excitement. He quickly pressed his earpiece and called for backup at lightning speed:

"Target spotted! On the escalator from the second floor to the first floor on the south side! Repeat, target confirmed. Everyone move to me immediately and seal off all exits..."

At the same time, his hand swiftly lifted the hem of his jacket, revealing the black grip of a pistol in its holster.

However, he didn't immediately draw his gun. Instead, he used body language and a sharp gaze to put pressure on Captain America. Just before they were about to cross paths, he deliberately raised his voice and commanded in an unquestionable tone:

"Captain Rogers, please stop your futile escape and resistance immediately and come back to the station with me for questioning!"

If it weren't for the crowds and distractions in the mall, he might have already opened fire.

The sudden confrontation startled some of the people on the escalator, and a low gasp and commotion arose nearby.

Some sharp-eyed people looked at the weapon that was faintly visible at Brock Rumlow's waist with a look of horror, and subconsciously stepped back, wanting to get away from that dangerous area.

"Sorry, Rumlow, not right now." Captain America took a deep breath, released Black Widow, and pulled her behind him protectively.

He knew that pretending was no longer effective and he had to face reality.

So he grabbed Black Widow and pushed through the crowd, speeding down the stairs, intending to use the opportunity to rush out of the escalator on the first floor.

However, when his gaze swept downwards, his heart sank.

Because at this moment, several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, dressed in civilian clothes but with fierce expressions, had gathered below the escalator on the first floor.

They stood there seemingly casually, but in reality, they formed a tight blockade, lying in wait for their prey.

All of them had their right hands on their waists, using the hems of their clothes to conceal their gun-wielding hands, maintaining a posture that allowed them to draw their guns at any moment.

Captain America's heart skipped a beat when he saw this. He turned to look up again, only to find that several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were blocking their escape route at the escalator entrance on the third floor.

Right now, he and Black Widow are completely surrounded on this slowly descending escalator.

The enemy has already put them in a very difficult situation!

"Captain Rogers, stop making futile struggles."

Brock Rumlow stood on the ascending escalator, parallel to Captain America, as they drew closer together.

He put on a businesslike, helpless expression, but deep in his eyes gleamed a playful and excited glint, like a cat playing with a mouse.

He brandished the gun handle under his jacket at Captain America, his voice laced with threat: "I hope you can cooperate and not make things difficult for me... After all, there are too many civilians here, and if something unexpected happens, it won't be good for anyone."

"Damn it!"

Black Widow muttered something under her breath behind Captain America, her voice filled with regret, "I should have known better than to listen to you and brought the equipment here."

Clearly, she was referring to her signature "Electric Widow Sting" and the handgun she always carried.

However, both of these items were placed in the safe house at Captain America's urging before this operation.

“Uh, you’re right… If we had brought the shield, we should be able to break through easily now.”

Captain America reluctantly agreed, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings while his brain raced, trying to calculate the possibility of a forced breakout.

If he had the Vibranium Shield, he was confident he could break through the blockade below instantly and even use the complex environment of the escalator to launch a counterattack.

But now, with his bare hands, he also has to protect Black Widow and consider the safety of pedestrians around him... the chances of success have plummeted.

Black Widow, who is traveling with him, will most likely be captured or killed on the spot, both of which are situations Captain America doesn't want to see.

Furthermore, if a gunfight were to actually break out in this crowded shopping mall, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But if he were to obediently surrender, he would be even more unwilling.

After investigating for several days, he had only just obtained a few useful clues, so he naturally couldn't give up now. Otherwise, the truth about Nick Fury's attack might just disappear without a trace...

At that time, he will forever be the scapegoat for the real culprit!

At this critical moment, when Captain America was struggling with how to break the deadlock,...

Woo-woo-woo-woo!!!
A sharp, piercing fire alarm, blaring without warning, shattered the mall's previous hustle and bustle like a razor blade.

The sound surged wildly from the speakers in every corner of every floor of the mall, instantly drowning out all other sounds.

At the same time, the emergency lights on each floor began to flash wildly, and the green "EXIT" signs became particularly eye-catching.

What's truly bizarre and perplexing is that the sprinkler systems on the ceilings of each floor of the mall didn't activate along with the alarm, and no one saw any fire or smoke rising from any particular spot.

But these anomalies don't matter right now...

Driven by fear, the crowd in the mall was initially momentarily stunned, but their survival instincts were quickly ignited.

"It's on fire!"

"Run!" "The alarm's on! Get out of there!"

"Please don't push, I'm pregnant, please let the elderly, pregnant women and children go first..."

Someone shouted first, and panic broke out in the crowd like a virus.

The people who were leisurely shopping just moments before are now like a flock of frightened sheep, screaming, pushing, cursing, and rushing toward the nearest exit without regard for anything else.

The crowd instantly became chaotic and surging.

The agents who were originally guarding the top and bottom of the escalator were the first to be bumped and pushed by the large, out-of-control crowd.

They initially tried to use their large size to maintain order and shouted at the passersby who were rushing towards them.

But faced with immense panic and chaos, their voices quickly faded into silence.

Faced with the surging, completely irrational crowd, they dared not fire their guns. Even drawing their weapons became extremely difficult, for fear of accidentally discharging them and injuring innocent people or causing a larger stampede. Otherwise, they would be the first to suffer.

In the blink of an eye, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' formation was shattered.

"Great, our chance has come."

Captain America's eyes lit up with delight. Although he didn't know why the fire alarm had sounded so 'timely,' this coincidence had obviously done them a great favor, creating an excellent opportunity for them to escape the encirclement.

So he grabbed Black Widow's hand tightly and whispered in her ear, "Follow the crowd, head down... Let's go!!"

The two immediately bent down, trying to hide themselves as much as possible among the crowd of pedestrians surging down the escalator.

Captain America led the way with his superhuman physique, while Black Widow followed closely behind him.

In the blink of an eye, they successfully used the cover of the fleeing crowd to quickly move to the first floor via the escalator, and then disappeared from Brock Rumlow's sight without stopping.

"Fuck! Target lost... I repeat, target lost!"

On the ascending escalator, Brock Rumlow was jostled about by the crowd. He struggled to push aside the people in front of him who suddenly turned and rushed down the escalator, but he could not move an inch, and could not even turn around.

Finally, he could only watch helplessly as Captain America and Black Widow were swallowed up by the crowd. Enraged, veins bulged on his forehead, and he roared furiously into the communicator:
"Seal off all the gates! We absolutely cannot let them escape... Repeat, seal off all the exits immediately!"

However, before he could finish speaking, his subordinate's anxious and helpless voice came through the communicator, mixed with screams, shoving, and curses from the crowd: "Captain Rumlow, it's no use! There are just too many of them! We can't hold them off! Requesting backup! Requesting backup..."

"damn it!!"

Brock Rumlow watched helplessly as the cooked duck flew away before his eyes, a surge of anger rising to his head.

He clenched his fists, his burly body trembling slightly with extreme anger, but ultimately had nowhere to vent his frustration, so he could only slam his fist hard against the hard glass railing of the escalator beside him.

boom!
With a muffled thud, the tempered glass remained motionless, but his knuckles instantly became red and swollen.

However, this insignificant pain was far less than the frustration and anger he felt at the moment due to the failed capture.

He stared intently at the chaotic crowd downstairs, who were surging toward the main entrance, his eyes filled with a terrifyingly sinister glint.

At that moment, Captain America and Black Widow, like fish swimming freely, successfully rushed out of the shopping mall with the terrified crowd and quickly disappeared into the bustling streets of Washington, D.C. in the afternoon.

Next, they will head straight to Witton County.

Perhaps this clue can act like a faint oil lamp, guiding them out of the current fog.

……

Night fell like thick ink, spilling across the winding highway leading to Witton County, New Jersey.

An inconspicuous dark sedan broke the silence of the night, its engine emitting a low rumble, carrying Captain America and Black Widow, who had previously escaped a trap in the mall.

At this moment, they are heading to the location where the signal was emitted, based on the previously located coordinates.

The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat somber. Apart from the two people breathing, the only sounds were the soft rustling of the tires against the road and the faint whirring of the air conditioner.

Black Widow leaned back in the passenger seat, looking utterly bored, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the edge of the car window beside her.

Suddenly, she turned her head and, using the faint light emanating from the dashboard, looked at Captain America, who was intently driving the car beside her.

The other person's angular face was full of solemnity, and his tightly pursed lips revealed a hint of confusion, which was mostly due to worry and doubt about the unknown road ahead.

"Hey, Captain..."

Seemingly trying to pass the time during the journey, Black Widow suddenly broke the silence in the car, chuckling mischievously as she jokingly asked:
"I really want to know, where did our Captain America, who upholds justice and fights crime every day, learn such skillful car theft techniques?"

Since their whereabouts had already been exposed, continuing to operate in the Quinjet would be too conspicuous. So, after leaving the mall, the two simply stole a car from the roadside to use as temporary transportation for their journey.

Captain America's hand on the steering wheel trembled slightly, and a look of surprise flashed across his face, as if he hadn't expected the other party to ask such a trivial question.

He glanced quickly at Black Widow, and seeing the mocking look on her face, he gave a helpless smirk and immediately offered a classic, Captain America-style, and very righteous answer:

"The Nazi German manual for operations behind enemy lines records at least seven methods for urgently requisitioning civilian vehicles when keys are unavailable..."

Then he corrected her seriously, "Also, Natasha, we're 'borrowing' the car, not 'stealing' it... We'll find a way to return it after this mission is over."

"Oh right, maybe we should fill up their tank with gas too."

If anyone else had said those words, Black Widow would have had countless ways to shut them up and leave them speechless and humiliated.

But the fact that these words came from the mouth of the man in front of her made Black Widow feel powerless to refute them.

Because that's just how the other person behaves normally.

"cut!"

Black Widow rolled her eyes dramatically, as if to say: I knew it would be like this. What a boring old man. Even his excuses are so uninspired.

She then turned her head to look out the window, and in the bright moonlight, she watched the blurry tree shadows rushing past on one side and the vast cornfields. The carriage fell silent again for a short while.

But this silence did not last long.

Black Widow's thoughts clearly didn't stop there. She turned her head again, the playful smile on her face gradually fading, replaced by a sharpness and prudence unique to an agent.

"Captain Rogers!"

When discussing serious matters, Black Widow habitually switched to a more formal form of address, "So, who is that person who secretly helped us in the mall...?!"

(End of this chapter)