{T/N: Since my last 'T/N' got no reply, I'm guessing all the good ones are already translated...}
...
Sitwell had not been having a good time lately...
Too many things had happened over the past month; Alexander Pierce was assassinated, and the killer turned out to be Hydra's ultimate weapon, the Winter Soldier.
This left the bald agent utterly confused. Was this an internal power struggle or an attack from an external enemy?
Having lost both his superior and his patron, this opportunistic turncoat had no choice but to keep a low profile and minimize his presence to avoid being targeted and eliminated.
However, to his surprise, after Pierce's unfortunate death, Nick Fury did not return to reclaim power. Instead, the White House and the military intervened forcefully, with General Thaddeus Ross taking over as the new leader.
Sitwell couldn't help but find it ironic. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra had fought each other, yet neither ended up victorious. Instead, an unrelated third party had reaped the rewards.
As soon as General Ross took office, he immediately appointed a new commander; Helmut Zemo, reportedly from Sokovia, a former colonel of an elite unit, temporarily transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. to replace Maria Hill.
This newcomer with no established connections nearly uprooted all of Hydra's forces embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D., including long-term moles like John Garrett and his prized student, Grant Ward. These deep-cover operatives were quietly apprehended and discreetly eliminated.
From field operations to high-level internal affairs, a complete purge was carried out. The methods were swift and decisive, yet caused no panic, which was proof enough of Zemo's competence. With the strong backing of General Ross and Umbrella Corporation, he gradually solidified his position.
Sitwell began to wonder if he should proactively request a transfer, maybe to Russia, South America, or Africa, to avoid the turbulent undercurrents. After all, his close ties to Pierce were well-known. Who knew if General Ross and Commander Zemo would come after him once things settled?
This bald agent was an outright opportunist who was devoid of any fanatical loyalty typical of Hydra members. In the original timeline, a single threat from Captain America was enough to make him spill everything.
His reason for joining Hydra and becoming Pierce's loyal lapdog was purely profit-driven, with no trace of noble belief. He could be considered Hydra's greatest disgrace.
With a gloomy heart and uncertain of his future, Sitwell returned home to an apartment in Washington, D.C...
The wealth he had amassed could easily buy a villa in Manhattan, but S.H.I.E.L.D. conducted frequent unannounced audits on its personnel. To maintain the facade of a loyal, incorruptible agent, he had to live an ordinary life.
"Agent Sitwell. Long time no see." In the dark room, Steve sat quietly in a chair, his vibranium shield resting beside him.
He looked directly at the bald agent and cut straight to the point: "I want to know about the Winter Soldier."
After a series of crises, Captain America who had refused to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided to continue his pursuit of the Winter Soldier. Nick Fury couldn't just disappear without explanation, and Alexander Pierce couldn't die meaninglessly.
Everything needed closure...
"I don't know anything about the Winter Soldier. Captain Rogers, breaking into someone's home is against the law." Sitwell was startled but quickly regained his composure.
He glanced at the pistol on the table and smirked, "Are you planning to threaten me? That's not like you, Captain."
"You're right. I wouldn't do that." Steve nodded, "Sam, he's all yours."
Falcon, with his natural camouflage, suddenly appeared behind Sitwell, grabbing the bald agent and slamming him face-first onto the hard table with a dull thud.
"Wait, stop!" Sitwell, whose moral compass was nonexistent, immediately begged for mercy after just one hit.
With Pierce dead and Hydra crushed, he saw no reason to keep risking his life for a bunch of Nazis.
"I know the Winter Soldier's real identity." The bald agent clutched his gleaming head, "He is James Buchanan Barnes, a member of the Howling Commandos, your old comrade."
"Bucky… he's still…" The answer left Steve stunned.
Now he understood why he had felt that inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"After Barnes fell off the cliff, he lost an arm. Hydra found him. After their defeat in World War II, he was taken to the Soviet Union, given a metal arm, brainwashed, and trained into an utterly loyal killing machine..."
Sitwell laid it all out without holding back, "Over the past fifty years, he has carried out multiple assassinations. After each mission, he was put back into cryo-freeze, only to be awakened when needed again."
Steve was speechless. He never imagined Bucky was still alive. His eyes flicked toward the scheming bald agent. Since he had worked closely with Pierce, he might know something about Fury's whereabouts.
*BANG!*
A bullet shattered the window and tore straight through Sitwell's skull. Brain matter and blood splattered across the wall like abstract paint.
Steve immediately dropped into a crouch, rolling behind the couch, while Falcon, trained as a soldier, took cover behind another obstacle. Through the broken window, Sam caught a glimpse of a dark figure fleeing from the opposite building.
"Sam, cover me from behind." Captain America charged forward, his vibranium shield raised, and leaped through the apartment window toward the opposite building.
With his superhuman strength and stamina, he smashed through a wooden door, sprinted down the hallway, and closed in on the assassin.
Bursting onto the rooftop, Steve hurled his shield with full force. The assassin turned and caught the vibranium disc mid-air with his metal arm. The impact sent a resonant hum through the air.
"Bucky!" Steve shouted.
Even with the mask covering his face, Steve could still recognize the eyes of his old friend.
"Who the hell is Bucky?" The Winter Soldier had no recollection of his past.
He raised his metal arm and flung the shield back with terrifying force. Steve caught it, his arms trembling from the impact.
The assassin drew his pistol, but Falcon swooped in with his jet-powered wings and kicked it away.
Folding his wings, the newly recruited soldier yelled, "Do it, Steve! Whether he was your friend or not, right now, he's a killer! He got Fury and Pierce… you have to stop him!"
Steve gripped his shield, his face uncharacteristically hesitant.
Before he could decide, a repulsor blast struck the Winter Soldier as he scrambled to his feet.
A suit of armor descended from the sky...