Lord of Cinder in American Comics

The teammate next to him nudged his boastful teammate with his elbow, telling him to mind his manners.

At this moment, everyone saw Steve standing to the side and greeted him.

Steve asked, "What are you looking at? What's a 'Horsegun Monster'?"

To correct his earlier careless remarks, the team member holding the phone showed Steve the screen.

"This is surveillance footage from when the President was attacked. The technical department has been analyzing it for several days but hasn't found anything useful, so we're letting the field and operations personnel take a look to see if they can find anything..."

Pointing to the image above where the Winter Soldier fired a burst but failed to kill a single person, he said, "This kind of marksmanship is called a 'horse rifle'..."

Steve initially wanted to join in by mocking the guy's shooting skills in order to fit in with his teammates.

But when he saw the Winter Soldier, who was wrapped up tightly, and his slightly dazed eyes, a figure deeply hidden in his memory suddenly jumped out.

'This is? Bucky!'

？’

James Buchanan Barnes, nicknamed Bucky Barnes. He was one year older than Steve, grew up with him, and protected the then-weak Steve.

Bucky entered the military camp ahead of schedule and launched a raid on Red Skull's Hydra stronghold, but his fate was unknown due to the vast difference in strength.

Meanwhile, after successfully undergoing the experimental surgery, Steve became the superhero Captain America. During a tour, Steve learned that Bucky's unit had encountered misfortune. Steve went alone to the Hydra camp to rescue Bucky and eventually saved him from the flames of war.

Bucky then joined Captain America in several attacks on ***'s strongholds, until during a raid on Dr. Zola, he was blown off a speeding train by an enemy bomb and fell off a cliff in the glacier. At this point, everyone thought Bucky was dead, and Steve was also devastated.

However, Hydra was the first to discover and thaw him, and even installed a mechanical arm on his severed arm, brainwashing and training him into a loyal Hydra agent known as the "Winter Soldier."

Looking into those familiar eyes, Steve suppressed his impulse and pretended to be nonchalant as he began to help analyze the mistakes in the video.

However, one of the combatants noticed the slightly anxious look in Steve's eyes.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Steve excused himself and left. The teammate then took out his phone and sent a message.

The fish is in the pot.

Bucky's appearance unsettled Steve. After a brief moment of recognition, Steve recognized his childhood friend.

But his companion, who should have died beneath the glacier, is still as young as him after seventy years.

In his room, Steve sat in the dark, reminiscing about his time with Bucky.

That severed arm also became the reason Steve was able to confirm his identity. He had watched Bucky's left arm being blown off by a bomb before he fell into the glacier in his hands.

Until his heart was filled with Bucky's gaze as he fell from the glacier, Steve silently opened the door and began his investigation.

To avoid any problems with Bucky, Steve didn't dare use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems to look up Bucky's name, and could only temporarily obtain some information passed down by word of mouth through other people.

After another day of training, Steve, while changing his clothes, casually asked his teammates, "Have you found the person in that video?"

A teammate curled his lip and said, "The technical department didn't have any results. They compiled all the previous suspected reports based on the portrait. That guy has appeared countless times in the past seventy years, and each appearance was accompanied by killing."

This is definitely not a person; it's either a robot or an alien. You know, with things like Transformers, a humanoid robot wouldn't be surprising. Maybe it's even the work of those Skrulls!

"Fuck Nick Fury!"

Steve didn't respond to his teammate's wild and imaginative ideas; he was once again certain that it was Bucky.

The seventy-year record coincides with Pakistan's fall into the glacier, which led to the existence of this guy later.

Steve gradually calmed down, warning himself not to use SHIELD's systems to search for Bucky, but that didn't mean he couldn't search for this KB molecular with the metal arm. The technical department had already compiled the report; he only needed to...

As Steve researched Bucky's movements on his computer, he felt increasingly estranged from his childhood friend.

Massacres, bombings, assaults, infiltrations, and even orchestrating riots, coups, and terrorist attacks have led to him being wanted by numerous countries.

'Bucky! What have you been through?'

Steve searched for any information about Bucky until a confidential message appeared in his search results.

'Danger Report: The Video of Howard Stark and Maria Stark's Deaths on December 16, 1990'

On the scene, on an empty highway, a motorcycle quickly approaches a family car. The assassin swiftly fires, puncturing the tires, and the car crashes into a nearby tree stump.

The familiar figure in Steve's eyes forcefully ripped open the car door and brutally strangled the person inside to death, staging it as an accidental car crash.

Steve gripped the edge of the table, suppressing his inner panic, leaving several finger marks on the wooden surface.

A friend killed another friend. This must never be known to anyone else!

Upon seeing this, Steve's first thought wasn't to report it, but rather how to cover it up for Bucky. He even overlooked the fact that his other friend Howard still had children alive.

Perhaps in Steve's subconscious, Howard, who gave him the abilities and equipment, wasn't that important.

Steve quickly browsed the other information. He didn't notice at all that the video of Howard's death had quietly disappeared from his browsing history.

Even though his individual strength was limited, Steve had no intention of seeking help from others.

He used the most time-consuming and laborious method, meticulously sifting through information about Pakistan one by one. He conducted on-site investigations and deduced and tracked the information.

Using the most time-consuming yet effective method, Steve found a familiar tire track on the ground outside the bar where the president was attacked.

The tracks left by the motorcycle Bucky was from a vintage BMW R-75 from World War II. He himself had once owned such a trophy.

These antique motorcycles, which have disappeared in the war, can only be maintained and repaired in a few places that still retain these antique parts.

Steve frequented various motorcycle clubs under the guise of a vacation, and as a relic from World War II, he blended in well with the group that still coveted the R-75.

Ultimately, a professional repair order from the motorcycle club for an R-75 gave him a clue.

The shopkeeper complained, "These kinds of old-fashioned parts are only available in Sokovia now. The ruler there is a rigid and inflexible old-fashioned guy, and every time we need repairs, we have to spend a lot of money to smooth things over..."

Upon receiving the information, Steve went to Sokovia without hesitation.

"Name?"

Chris Evans.

"What are you here for?"

“I’m an astronomer, and I’m looking for an unpolluted sky here, since Sokovia is still in… uh… sorry.”

Steve, disguised as Chris, gave an awkward smile, like an unsociable nerd.

Customs officer looked at Steve, his face dark, and stamped his passport.

Having successfully entered Sokovia, Steve looked at the propaganda slogans all over the streets, which brought back unpleasant memories of his past.

The title of Baron Stark on the slogan reminded him of the shameless Red Skull from before, after all, the Red Skull's original name was Baron Wolfgang von Stark.

This hereditary baronial title is practically a death sentence plastered on Steve's face.

However, Steve was anxious, and given Bucky's past actions, which had been so outrageous that he never considered reporting the matter to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Standing in the town, Steve took a deep breath. Now, he could see the castle on the distant mountain as soon as he looked up, which was the territory of the de facto rulers of Sokovia.

"Looks like I don't need to bother looking for information anymore!"

------------

Chapter 431: Captain Hydra

Steve hid himself in the snowdrifts, revealing only his observation and aiming equipment, and carefully recorded the defenses of the Baron's castle.

The closer they got, the more Steve felt a sense of unease, realizing that the operation might not go so smoothly.

For Bucky's sake, Steve didn't even bring his signature vibranium shield, venturing lightly into the perilous situation.

Steve moved with the lightest of steps through the snow until he came to a hidden sentry post.

Suddenly, he pressed his entire body down on top of the sentry, who was firmly restrained before he could react.

With his arm pressed against the sentry's throat, and with the reduced blood flow in his carotid artery and the severe lack of air in his lungs, the sentry's body slumped down, powerless.

Looking at Steve's cautious demeanor on the satellite imagery, Hydra's Viper said with a hint of disapproval, "Couldn't you just capture him directly?"

Baron Stecla, the landowner, said with great interest, "Don't you think this is interesting? After all, you also play with your prey..."

Lady Viper picked up a mirror, looked at her smooth face, glanced at Baron Strucker, and said, "The play of snakes after injecting venom is not a game for boys!"

"you!"

Seeing the conflict erupt between Baron Strucker and Lady Viper, Daniel Whitehall took off his glasses, abandoning his usual gentlemanly image.

He slammed his fist on the table and said, "Now that we've reached our target, Hydra's plan has reached a critical point. I don't want anyone to hold us back at this crucial moment! Anyone who does will become the enemy of all the Hydra heads!"

The meeting room fell silent; no one wanted to antagonize Daniel Whitehall, a ruthless man. He was a veteran who had lived since the Red Skull era.

Steve's actions, taking advantage of the unconsciousness of the sentries and the gaps between patrols, led him into the castle.

This inherited castle retains only its outer shell, which bears the marks of history, while the interior is filled with modern architectural structures.

Looking at the surveillance camera around the corner, Steve shook his head, understanding that the infiltration operation had come to an end.

Steve pried half a brick off the wall and smashed the security camera.

Smashing surveillance cameras will alert the enemy, but it can also allow you to hide in a blind spot, preventing the enemy from constantly pinpointing your location and giving you a chance to escape.

Steve quickened his pace, darting around the castle. The castle was empty, except for the lights indicating that someone lived inside; Steve couldn't spot any other enemies.

This made Steve even more panicked; he had clearly fallen into the enemy's trap.

Just as Steve was hesitating about whether to evacuate, Bucky, whom he had been longing for, appeared in front of him.

Upon seeing his familiar friend, Steve exclaimed with delight, "Bucky! It really is you!"

Upon hearing the familiar name, Bucky, who had been brainwashed into becoming the Winter Soldier, began to have his memories locked. He frowned as if trying to recall something.

Seeing his friend in this state, Steve approached Bucky while keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

"Bucky, how did you survive? Do you know... what you were doing?"

Steve grabbed Bucky's outstretched fist with one hand, and before he could ask any more questions, Bucky's iron fist followed up with a blow from his left arm.

"Bucky! It's me, Steve!"

As Steve defended against Bucky's attacks, he noticed that every time he called Bucky's name, Bucky's expression and eyes would drift into memories.

"On June 13, 1943, I disguised myself to join the army for the fourth time. I was cornered in an alley by thugs, and you saved me. On the 15th, you rushed to the front line."

On December 3rd, I learned that some soldiers of the 107th Regiment had been captured, and I found you at the Hydra Arms Factory…”

While Steve was passionately fighting with Bucky, he kept recounting his past with Bucky, trying to awaken Bucky through words.

Bucky's face grew increasingly contorted in pain, and in the end, he gave up the attack, clutching his head and collapsing to the ground.