Chapter 236: The Dumbfounded Winter Soldier

Building an aircraft carrier isn’t something that can be done in a year or two. The Insight Program’s execution began, and if we exaggerate a bit, it could probably be traced back to ten years ago.

Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't something that happened overnight either. From the top boss down to the strike team members, Hydra worked relentlessly to mix into the ranks.

While others add sand to water, Hydra added water to sand.

Even after the Battle of New York, maybe those three airborne battleships didn’t turn out to be as useful as they had imagined.

But once Nick started noticing the enemies lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra had no choice but to act.

That’s when things got interesting.

Knowing there are superhumans out there who could tear apart an aircraft carrier, and still insisting on building one? Awkward, to say the least.

Atreus had promised Doctor Strange he wouldn’t start wars on his own or even incite conflict.

But this didn’t include History—the wild little minx—causing trouble all on its own.

If Atreus stepped in directly, it would’ve been a one-sided slaughter, especially since he knew the mastermind was S.H.I.E.L.D. Secretary Pierce. Dealing with him would’ve been too easy.

If everything ended too fast, it wouldn’t have been a war.

Atreus wanted to let things drag out deliberately.

Why not sit back and let the War God’s Power come to him? There was no downside.

Being the mastermind behind the scenes felt pretty good.

Atreus chuckled, and with just a glance, Gwen and Helen understood immediately: one jumped up to the ceiling, the other crouched down low...

Meanwhile, in the safehouse, Captain America and Black Widow started decrypting the military USB drive.

In most places, the moment they touched that USB, Hydra agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. would have immediately tracked their location.

But this safehouse was using Columbia University’s campus network, one of the most famous universities in New York.

This made S.H.I.E.L.D.’s counter-surveillance efforts much more difficult.

The Huntress said, “We’ve set up a one-mile independent line, secretly connected to Columbia’s largest library. There are over five hundred computers running there constantly. Anyone approaching will be caught on our surveillance.”

Captain America watched the facial recognition system rapidly scanning people entering the university and grimaced, whispering to Black Widow, “I’m 95 years old, but why do I feel like Kratos—who might be thousands of years old—understands computers better than me?”

Cap wasn’t wrong, considering his years frozen in ice. Technically, he really was 95.

“You’re never too old to learn,” Black Widow quipped, shutting him up.

With some quick operations, Black Widow cracked the hidden location on the USB.

Wheaton, New Jersey—the military camp where Cap had trained over half a century ago.

At the same time, the surveillance system triggered an alert.

One of the people highlighted on the computer screen, marked with a red circle, was none other than Crossbones Brock Rumlow.

The Huntress stepped forward, “Do you need us to take care of these loose ends?”

Cap was a little surprised, “Won’t taking direct action cause problems? After all, they’re technically S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at the moment.”

The white half-masked Katana spoke in slightly accented English, “We only see Hydra.”

Starlight was the most excited, “As long as we’re clean and don’t get caught, it’s fine.”

After a moment’s thought, Cap agreed. For one, Kratos was incredibly strong and fearless. For another, their tail was likely to ruin the clues they’d just uncovered.

So Cap and Black Widow drove to New Jersey.

Ten minutes later, Crossbones and his team, using their S.H.I.E.L.D. credentials, arrived at Columbia University.

Before they even reached their target, a mysterious female student approached them.

“Who are you?” Crossbones and his men instinctively reached for the guns at their waists.

To their surprise, she whispered a “speed pass” code.

“Hail Hydra!”

Crossbones jolted, and immediately relaxed.

“Come with me. I know where Captain America is.”

The dozen Hydra agents, including Crossbones, followed her into a building.

But just as they entered what appeared to be an empty library, Crossbones' instincts kicked in.

“Wait, say whatever you need to say here.”

“Here? Sure.” The female student, actually the Huntress, smiled.

In response to her words, two masked women suddenly leaped down from above the doorway.

Katana and Starlight joined in as they closed in on their targets.

Crossbones tried to pull his gun.

He pulled it—pointlessly.

Before he could even aim his Walther, it had already been cut in half. The top part—trigger, slide, and barrel—was sliced cleanly by a flash of cold steel.

A single strike that could cut through a steel gun meant these women were far from ordinary.

As Crossbones instinctively retreated, he shouted, “You’re attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents!”

At the same time, he reached for another gun.

Unfortunately for him, in Katana’s eyes, his movements were in slow motion. Before he could draw, her icy blade had already arced through the air, cutting down onto his neck.

Blood sprayed everywhere!

Crossbones was dead.

In fact, he was the last to fall; his teammates had already been taken out before him.

Looking at the bodies, Starlight was a bit shaken. “Did we just kill all these people?”

Despite her words, she’d already taken down three of them herself.

The Huntress coldly replied, “What else were we supposed to do? These are the scum of Hydra, after all.”

Letting the speed pass code leak would be a huge problem. If Hydra changed their code, it would be a real hassle.

Katana sternly reminded Starlight, “Our boss is the God of War!”

It’s either no action or a full-on slaughter.

Not starting wars across the world was already the height of Atreus’s mercy.

As he sensed their actions, Atreus smiled—there was no mercy for true evil. Keeping Crossbones alive would have only led to some minor terrorist attack down the line. Might as well give the women some practice.

Elsewhere, back at the old training camp on the shores of Lake Erie, Cap finally uncovered the secret room, confirming the shocking truth of Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. He and Black Widow soon connected with Falcon Sam Wilson and captured a S.H.I.E.L.D. traitor—bald agent Sitwell.

But as they were driving to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, an attack came.

“Boom!” A loud noise echoed from the roof of their car.

If nothing unexpected happened, within a third of a second, Sitwell would be pulled out of the window by a silver arm, violently tossed into traffic, and crushed by an oncoming truck.

But at that moment, Black Widow reacted faster than Cap, delivering a high kick that shot straight up.

That kick went right through the car roof.

Cap stared at the power of that kick, dumbfounded.

Even more stunned was their would-be attacker, the Winter Soldier, Bucky.

An attack that should have been overwhelming—how did he just get kicked ten meters into the air by a woman?

(End of Chapter)