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

Chapters 574, 1064, and 1065: Difficult to Distinguish Between Truth and Falsehood (Part 2)

"What is it?!" Captain America and Black Widow asked almost simultaneously.

However, they did not get the answer they wanted.

Anim Zola, still feigning helplessness, sighed and said, "Due to the strict constraints of the confidentiality agreement, I cannot provide you with any specific information related to this matter."

"Therefore, you will have to find and piece together the relevant clues yourselves, but..."

He suddenly changed the subject, making a sincere promise, "But I can guarantee that I will provide the greatest convenience and assistance for your next operation within the scope of my authority... Captain Rogers, please believe me, this is the limit of what I can do."

However, this way of saying nothing only made the already tense atmosphere even more oppressive.

For Captain America and Black Widow, the unknown threat is the most terrifying.

Captain America's mind raced as he tried to connect all the recent unusual events.

He took a deep breath and tentatively asked, somewhat nervously, "This 'unavoidable' bad thing you mentioned, could it be related to [Ultron]?"

"Don't worry, Captain Rogers."

Anim Zola's answer was unexpectedly straightforward, even containing a very obvious hint of 'disdain' for Ultron. A disturbing smile played on his lips as he replied:
"This matter has nothing to do with the insane artificial intelligence that you 'personally' developed... Ultron has its own 'grand' plan, although it seems to me to be equally full of stupid logical fallacies."

But his next words made Captain America's heart sink.

"However... Ultron's style of doing things is extremely extreme and insane. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goals and treats life as worthless."

"This reminds me of John Schmidt (Red Skull's real name), who was equally ambitious and tried to purify the world with weapons... There seems to be some kind of common essence between them."

Upon hearing this, Captain America fell completely silent.

The name "Red Skull" was like a key, unlocking the darkest box in his memory.

There is no doubt that Anim Zola's analogy is accurate.

The Ultron they are facing now is just as dangerous as Hydra, which in the past attempted to rule the world by violence, and may even be more covert and powerful.

"Alright, it seems our 'reminiscing' will have to come to an end for now..."

Anim Zola's voice suddenly became urgent, and the camera above the screen rotated rapidly. "I just intercepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal communications. They have received an alert signal that this facility has been accessed without authorization."

"Right now, a rapid reaction force is en route here at full speed in Quinjet fighters... The estimated arrival time is no more than seven minutes."

Upon hearing this, Captain America and Black Widow were immediately alarmed, and without hesitation, they turned around and quickly walked back towards the elevator they had come from.

The heavy footsteps echoed again in the empty server room, forming an eerie duet with the constant hum of the old equipment behind them.

Just as Captain America was about to press the elevator call button, Arnim Zola's synthesized voice sounded again behind them, clearly reaching their ears:

"Captain Rogers..."

Captain America paused slightly, but did not turn around.

Anim Zola's voice, as if shedding all pretense and mockery for the first time, carried a complex and enigmatic sincerity as he slowly spoke:

"Whether you believe it or not..."

“Before… I had no choice.”

"but now……"

"I really want to be a good person!!"

Captain America's broad back stiffened for a moment upon hearing this, but he did not respond. He simply raised his hand and pressed the elevator button forcefully.

Ding--

The elevator doors slowly opened, and the dim lighting inside illuminated the narrow space. Captain America and Black Widow stepped into the elevator without saying a word.

The elevator doors closed and began to ascend, leaving behind the secret of the old era buried deep underground, and the 'confession' whose truth was hard to discern, in the boundless darkness.

However, after Captain America and Black Widow left the underground server room in the elevator, Anim Zola on the computer screen revealed a smug, sinister smile that was completely different from before, and muttered to himself:
"Hehehe, very good, the fish have taken the bait... Now, let me help them speed things up a little more?!"

……

A dozen minutes later, Captain America and Black Widow drove the unassuming dark car away from Camp Caspian and sped along the highway toward Washington, D.C.

The abandoned campsite shrank rapidly in the rearview mirror, eventually becoming a blurry silhouette on the horizon, swallowed by the endless wilderness and the gradually brightening dawn.

The scenery outside the car window gradually became clearer, but Captain America, who was driving, had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery outside the window. He was still thinking about what Anim Zola had said.

"team leader……"

Sitting in the passenger seat, Black Widow clearly sensed his worry. She first tidied her slightly disheveled red hair from the previous operation, then spoke first, breaking the silence in the car, "How much credibility do you think that 'Riddler' just said?"

She deliberately used the term 'riddler,' clearly expressing her disdain for Arnim Zola's pretentious manner and a hint of caution that she couldn't ignore.

Which part are you referring to?

Captain America asked calmly, his gaze fixed intently on the still somewhat dim road ahead, as if cut apart by the beams of car headlights.

Black Widow shrugged, gracefully turned to the side, and looked at Captain America with interest, tentatively asking, "Tell me, which part do you believe?"

She seemed eager to hear the judgment of this 'old-fashioned' man who liked to act on intuition and belief.

Captain America frowned slightly, falling into a brief silence, as if recalling every word Arnim Zola had spoken in that server room. After a moment, he slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and after organizing his thoughts, he said:
"I can't really say for sure... but if we're just looking at the motives, I don't think he would have any reason to go to such lengths to deceive us, especially regarding the matter he asked us to investigate at the end, which is very likely related to S.H.I.E.L.D."

After thinking for a moment, he revised his statement, his tone becoming more certain, "No, to be precise, what he mentioned is very likely related to the [Star of Lemuria]!"

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Black Widow's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Her curiosity was fully piqued, and she unconsciously sat up straighter. "Did you discover something?"

But to everyone's surprise, Captain America gave an awkward smile, shook his head again, and said with a hint of helplessness in his voice, "Uh... no, it's just a gut feeling of mine."

He has never been good at explaining his sixth sense-like intuition, which stemmed from countless battles on the battlefield.

Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, 'it' had indeed saved his life countless times in battle.

drip-drip-

Just as Black Widow was about to ask more questions, her cell phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

Black Widow raised an eyebrow. In such a sensitive time, any communication should be treated with caution.

She deftly pulled out her phone, the cold light from the screen instantly illuminating her delicate face.

But when she saw the name of the person who had just sent her the email displayed on the screen, her expression faltered slightly. Then, she parted her red lips and muttered with some confusion:

"An old friend? What the heck? I don't think I know this 'old friend' at all?"

After exchanging a quick glance with Captain America, she opened the attachment in the email.

A well-structured spreadsheet quickly loads.

However, when she saw the contents of the table, she froze for a moment, then exclaimed in bewilderment as she rapidly swiped the screen:
"Huh? This is an attendance sheet for SHIELD personnel?!"

Taking advantage of the calm road conditions and sparse traffic, Captain America quickly glanced at Black Widow's phone screen.

The list above was densely packed with the names, IDs, departments, and detailed attendance records of numerous agents. After a moment's hesitation, he said somewhat uncertainly:

“Natasha, do you think this ‘old friend’... could be Anim Zola?”

At this point in time, the only person who could contact them in this way and obtain the top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. internal attendance data seemed to be the 'electronic ghost' who had just said goodbye to them.

Black Widow pondered for a few seconds, then pursed her lips and nodded, saying, "It should be him... After all, at a time like this, I really can't think of anyone else who would do this besides him?"

Although she confirmed Captain America's guess, even greater doubts arose.

Her gaze returned to the long list, her brow furrowed, as if she were deciphering a complex code.

"I just don't know why he sent us this. Is it related to the matter he asked us to investigate before? Or... is this a key clue that can help us find out the truth about the attack on Chief Fury?"

Black Widow didn't continue speaking, but instead fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Captain America wisely chose to remain silent and did not interrupt.

He knew very well that Black Widow possessed an extraordinary talent for processing information and finding logical flaws.

Now, this old guy who's been 'outdated by the times' only needs to drive quietly and ensure they reach their destination where the Quinjet is hidden safely.

The car fell silent again, with only the soft rustling of tires against the road and the steady rumble of the engine.

Time slipped away little by little in silent contemplation.

Black Widow's fingers swiped and tapped rapidly on the phone screen... Her eyes were extremely focused, pausing occasionally and then quickly scanning through several lines of dates.

Her brain, like a highly efficient computer, cross-referenced and logically connected Arnim Zola's words, the list before her, and the scattered information about the [Star of Lemuria].

"Wait, could it be..."

Suddenly, Black Widow, who had been deep in thought, abruptly raised her head, her eyes flashing with a burning light as if she were solving a century-old problem.

She turned to Captain America, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement, "Captain, this time you might really have guessed right!"

"What do you mean?" Captain America was taken aback by her sudden reaction and asked with a blank look.

However, Black Widow did not rush to answer his question, but instead asked in return, "You should remember what Arnim Zola said before he left: 'He can't provide us with any relevant information, and we have to find the clues ourselves,' right?"

Captain America didn't speak, but nodded, puzzled, his deep blue eyes filled with confusion as he awaited her explanation.

Seeing this, Black Widow grinned mysteriously and confidently. She raised her hand and waved the seemingly boring attendance list on her phone screen, her tone becoming very certain:
"Perhaps this is the clue he provided us from the sidelines..."

She emphasized the word "side view," her eyes gleaming with the wisdom of someone who had seen through the truth. "While I was reviewing this list, I discovered that one of the people on it has recently been on several missions aboard the Star of Lemuria."

Captain America was taken aback at first, but then he realized what was happening, and a look of surprise and hope appeared on his face. He quickly asked, "Who is that person?"

“Jasper Sitwell, Level 6 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D…” Black Widow pronounced the name clearly and then meaningfully explained the significance behind this identity to Captain America:
"But don't let his low rank fool you. He's mainly responsible for personnel allocation and resource scheduling for important missions. He's a key figure in the operations department, and you could say he's one of the real power holders besides Director Fury and Deputy Director Hill. Many specific matters need to go through his hands!"

Captain America quickly processed the information, then glanced at Black Widow and offered his most direct suggestion: "So, does that mean that if we find him, we can get information about the Lemurian Star?"

Black Widow nodded noncommittally, her eyes sharp, and said, "At least he knows some things that we don't know right now, things hidden in the official records."

"Moreover... I suspect he might know the inside story of Chief Fury's attack!"

“Hitwell’s authority and position make it possible for him to access certain core secrets, or even…be involved in them.”

(End of this chapter)