Inside Alexander Pierce's office, the heavy curtains were half-drawn.
Pierce sat behind his large desk, his fingertips gently tapping the surface, his gaze fixed on the thin report before him.
Jasper Sitwell, standing opposite him, had fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and his eyes behind his glasses darted nervously.
Pierce finally looked up, his eyes cold and sharp.
"Jasper," his voice was low and calm, yet it made Sitwell shiver, "Where did this report come from?"
Sitwell's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice a bit tight: "Officer, it was inadvertently revealed by one of Fury's subordinates while investigating the New Mexico battlefield incident.
Later… I personally went to verify it."
Pierce's fingers tapped gently on the desk, a slow and oppressive rhythm.
His gaze returned to the report, where a prominent line of text read:
The Tesseract.
"Are you sure?" Pierce's voice was still calm, but Sitwell could feel the invisible pressure.
"Absolutely certain, Officer," Sitwell quickly replied, "Fury has been secretly studying it, trying to harness its energy to develop weapons."
Pierce narrowed his eyes: "Oh?"
Sitwell swallowed, continuing: "There's one more thing, Officer… Tony Stark recently offered to donate an Arc Reactor to the S.H.I.E.L.D. building as a gesture of 'deep cooperation' between the Arbitrators and S.H.I.E.L.D."
Pierce's fingers suddenly stopped.
"An Arc Reactor?" He slowly repeated, his brows deeply furrowed, "Stark offered it proactively?"
"Yes, Officer," Sitwell nodded, "Although it's an older model, its energy output is still astonishing.
Fury has already accepted this 'gift,' and installation is expected to be completed next week."
Pierce stood up and walked to the window, his back to Sitwell, his voice low: "This is illogical… Stark's aversion to S.H.I.E.L.D. is well-known, why would he suddenly be so generous?"
Sitwell wiped the sweat from his forehead: "We don't understand either, Officer.
But the intelligence is confirmed, Stark Industries' engineering team has already begun preparations."
Pierce was silent for a long time, then suddenly let out a cold laugh: "No matter what, the Tesseract is a must-have."
Sitwell was startled: "Officer, you mean?"
"The threat from the Arbitrators is simply too great now; if we rely solely on my splintering plan," Pierce turned around, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "it will still take too long, so we must prepare for both possibilities."
He walked back to his desk, his fingers tapping the surface again: "The Tesseract is our guarantee."
Sitwell hesitated: "Then what do you mean?"
"Heh," Pierce curled his lips into a cold sneer, "Since we know the Tesseract is in Fury's hands, and Captain America is still with the Arbitrators."
He pulled open a drawer, took out an encrypted communicator, and pressed a button: "Notify the Winter Soldier, prepare for action."
Sitwell's eyes widened: "Officer, are you saying…?"
"Around Fury," Pierce's voice was as dangerous as a viper, "there's no one who can stop the Winter Soldier."
He looked at Sitwell: "You are responsible for assisting the Winter Soldier and getting the Tesseract out."
Sitwell nodded nervously: "Yes, Officer! But… what if this is a trap?"
Pierce showed a meaningful smile: "A trap? S.H.I.E.L.D. has long been HYDRA's plaything."
He turned to look out the window, the outline of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building faintly visible in the distance.
"Hail HYDRA."
————
Arbitrator Tower · Training Room
The metal walls of the training room reflected a cold blue light.
Steve Rogers' bare upper body was covered in fine beads of sweat.
He was breathing heavily, looking at the deformed training robot in front of him—its head armor completely caved in, electric sparks sputtering from its broken joints.
"Data recorded," a mechanical female voice announced, "Training intensity: S-Rank."
Steve grabbed a towel and wiped his face, suddenly hearing footsteps behind him.
He turned alertly, seeing Chen Tian leaning against the doorframe, toying with a holographic projection device in his hand.
"Still so ruthless, Captain," Chen Tian smiled as he approached, his gaze sweeping over the wrecked robot, "It seems our training equipment needs another upgrade."
Steve didn't respond, simply picking up his water bottle in silence.
Chen Tian didn't mind, casually pulling over two hovering chairs, and with a gentle press, the chairs automatically slid to the center of the training area.
"Sit," he gestured, invitingly, "There are some things I want to talk to you about."
Steve hesitated for a moment, but finally sat down.
Chen Tian's finger tapped lightly on the surface of the round table, and a holographic projection immediately unfolded between them—it was a cube emitting a faint blue light.
Steve's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Do you recognize this?" Chen Tian gazed at the projection.
"The Tesseract," Steve's voice was a bit hoarse, "Red Skull once tried to use it…"
"To create super weapons and destroy the World," Chen Tian finished his sentence, swiping his finger, and the projection switched to historical footage of a HYDRA Base, "And now, we've detected its reappearance."
The holographic display changed to a blurry surveillance video: Nick Fury was standing in some underground facility, and in front of him was that familiar blue cube.
Steve's fists unconsciously tightened: "What is Fury doing?"
"That's exactly what I want to ask you," Chen Tian turned off the projection and looked directly into Steve's eyes, "As someone who once faced its power, what do you think Fury will use it for?"
The training room fell into a brief silence.
Steve's gaze fell on his hands, where the residual warmth of that battle seventy years ago seemed to linger.
"I don't know," he finally said, "But I know you wouldn't come to me just to tell me this news."
Chen Tian nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Yes, I came to you because I do have a mission to give you."
Steve frowned slightly: "What mission?"
"I need you to investigate what Fury is doing," Chen Tian's voice was very calm.
Steve's expression clearly became confused: "Why don't the Arbitrators just ask directly?"
"Because Fury won't trust the Arbitrators," Chen Tian interrupted, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "He won't trust Captain America either; to be honest, he probably doesn't even trust himself."
He took a step closer, lowering his voice: "But Rogers, you currently hold two positions, and your prestige within S.H.I.E.L.D. is unmatched.
You can more easily access areas the Arbitrators cannot."
Steve was silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his blue eyes: "You want me to be a spy?"
"You could say that," Chen Tian nodded, "After all, the Arbitrators can't just burst into Fury's office and point a gun at him, demanding he tell us what's going on."
He walked towards the door, then suddenly stopped: "Oh, right, in the equipment room, there's gear specially prepared for you.
Captain Rogers, we must find out what Fury intends to do as soon as possible; you know the consequences of developing the Tesseract."
When the automatic door closed, Steve sat alone in the training room, his fists unconsciously clenching and unclenching.
The surveillance cameras on the wall silently rotated, recording every subtle expression of his.
Blue light flickered on the holographic screen, illuminating the faces of Chen Tian, Tony Stark, and 2B.
They quietly watched Steve Rogers in the training room—he sat on the hovering chair, his fists clenched and unclenched, his gaze lowered, lost in thought.
Tony took a bite of his cheeseburger, chuckling indistinctly: "Look at our U.S. sweetheart, having another moral struggle.
I bet five dollars he'll agree in the end."
2B stood by, her voice calm: "According to behavioral analysis, the probability of Steve Rogers agreeing is 87.3%."
Chen Tian took another cheeseburger from 2B's hand and slowly unwrapped it: "No need for analysis, Tony.
He'll go."
He took a bite, his gaze still fixed on the surveillance footage, "Because his inherent sense of justice won't allow him to stand by and watch Fury research the Tesseract."
Tony shrugged, stuffing the rest of the burger into his mouth: "Of course I know.
Honestly, you're quite good at this 'justice blackmail' game."
He wiped his hands and turned to the holographic screen, "Now, are we just waiting for Captain America to make his entrance?"
"Yes, if our plan doesn't change, everything will go smoothly," Chen Tian's voice was slightly relaxed, "Now we just wait for Steve, the protagonist, to take the first step."
————
Arbitrator Tower · Equipment Room
Steve stood before the metal door of the equipment room, taking a deep breath.
The biometric identification system on the door immediately lit up with blue light, scanning his iris.
"Identity confirmed, Captain Steve Rogers," Jarvis's gentle British accent echoed in the room, "Welcome to the Arbitrators' special equipment room."
As the hydraulic door slid open, cold white lights illuminated the entire space one by one.
Steve's brow subtly raised—the equipment display here was completely different from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.
"Captain Rogers," Jarvis continued, "Mr. Chen has prepared an improved tactical suit for you."
On the central display stand, a dark blue and tactical gray combat suit quietly hovered in a holographic projection.
Its design clearly drew inspiration from the Howling Commandos' classic elements—stand-up collar, tactical straps, shoulder armor—but the overall lines were more streamlined, and the material had been replaced with lightweight composite fiber.
"This combat suit is woven from high-strength aramid fiber and memory alloy," Jarvis explained, "While retaining the classic design, it increases protection by 25% and mobility by 30%.
It has a built-in basic communication module but will not interfere with your independent actions."
Steve reached out to touch the projection, and the 3D model of the combat suit immediately rotated and magnified, revealing its precise internal tactical attachment points.
"I don't need too many flashy functions," he said in a low voice.
"Mr. Chen anticipated you would say that," Jarvis's voice carried a professional tone, "So this equipment only retains necessary tactical upgrades."
The right wall slid open, revealing a minimalist equipment rack—on it, the familiar round shield was neatly placed, alongside a matching tactical belt and boots.
Steve picked up the shield, feeling its familiar weight and balance.
"And these."
A small metal box slowly descended from the ceiling, its lid opening automatically.
Inside, several practical pieces of equipment were neatly arranged: a signal jammer disguised as a button, a pair of tactical headsets, and a multi-functional tactical folding knife.
"Action plan?" Steve put away the equipment one by one.
"Director Fury will leave the Triskelion at 10 AM tomorrow," Jarvis projected a holographic map. "You have a 3-hour and 27-minute investigation window."
Steve checked his gear one last time and walked towards the exit. Before the door, he paused: "Jarvis, what's the bottom line for this operation?"
"Everything will proceed according to your standards of conduct. The Arbitrators will not intervene in any way. However," the AI's voice was unusually solemn, "Mr. Chen specifically emphasized that it's best to achieve zero casualties unless absolutely necessary."
As the armory door closed behind him, Steve Rogers had transformed back into the strategist he was during World War II—sharp-eyed, with determined steps, ready to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most classified area alone.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the monitoring room, Chen Tian turned off the live feed and faced Tony and Zero: "The stage is set, and the protagonist has entered."
Tony's lips curved into a smile: "Let the show begin."
— — — —
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Triskelion
Steve Rogers stood beside a street corner coffee shop, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, holding a cup of hot coffee. He looked up at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters building, a slight frown on his brow.
"Good morning, Captain." Chen Tian's relaxed voice suddenly came through the earpiece. "Director Fury's private car left fifteen minutes ago. Why are you still drinking coffee?"
Steve nearly choked on his coffee. He instinctively looked around, lowering his voice: "How did you know I was…"
"The third surveillance camera on your right," Chen Tian said with a chuckle, "is currently pointed at the back of your head. By the way, the blueberry muffins at that coffee shop are indeed good."
Steve sighed helplessly: "I'm thinking about how to infiltrate."
"Infiltrate?" Chen Tian's voice was full of playful mockery. "Does Captain America need to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters? Rogers, have you forgotten your identity?"
"What do you mean?"
"You are a S.H.I.E.L.D. Senior Consultant and an Arbitrators member, holding two positions," Chen Tian's tone suddenly became serious. "Just walk through the front door. Your access card should still work, and even if it doesn't, just mention my name."
Steve was stunned: "It's that simple?"
"It's that simple," Chen Tian chuckled. "Sometimes the most direct route is the safest. Who would suspect Captain America walking in openly? Especially when everyone knows you are S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Captain America."
Steve threw his coffee cup into a trash can and adjusted his collar: "You're right, I might have overthought it."
"Relax, just pretend you're going back to the office to grab a document." Chen Tian's voice carried encouragement. "Remember, you are a World War II hero, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Senior Consultant. No one dares to stop you."
Steve took a deep breath and walked towards the Triskelion's main entrance. The guards at the door immediately straightened up when they saw him: "Good morning, Captain Rogers!"
"Good morning, Smith." Steve nodded naturally in response and swiped his access card. The green light came on, and the turnstile opened.
"Do you need a dedicated vehicle prepared for you?" the guard asked eagerly.
"No, thank you. I'm just here to pick up some data." Steve replied with a smile, striding into the elevator.
Chen Tian's soft chuckle came through the earpiece: "See? Much easier than you thought. Now, I've taken over the elevator's surveillance. You have three hours of free time."
Steve pressed the button for the underground laboratory, and the elevator began to descend slowly. The metal walls reflected a cold blue light, elongating and sharpening his silhouette.
"Listen, Captain," Chen Tian's voice came through the earpiece, with a rare solemnity, "I need you to enter the SSS-Rank Classified Archives. All information about the Tesseract is stored there—but the problem is, only Director Fury has access to it in all of S.H.I.E.L.D."
The elevator made a soft 'ding' sound, and the doors slid open. Steve gripped his shield, scanning the empty corridor vigilantly. "So what's your plan?" he asked in a low voice.
"Remember Director Fury's meeting at the Arbitrator Tower last month?" Chen Tian's voice had a hint of cunning. "Check the sealed bag in your right leg's tactical pocket."
Steve quickly reached for the pocket on his outer thigh and pulled out an anti-static sealed bag. Through the transparent film, he could see two perfectly preserved items inside: a palm print film as thin as a cicada's wing, and a delicate iris contact lens.
"You guys actually…" Steve's voice was a mix of shock and a hint of disapproval.
"Don't look at me like that, Captain," Chen Tian chuckled. "This is a classic old-school spy trick. The palm print film goes on your glove, and the iris lens goes on your left eye—don't worry, it's specially treated and won't affect your vision."
At the end of the corridor was a heavy metal door, emblazoned with the striking words 'SSS-Rank Classified Archives.' The biometric identification system beside the door was flashing red. Steve took a deep breath and quickly equipped both 'keys.'
"Remember, you only have one chance," Chen Tian reminded him. "The system will perform a live detection, so your movements need to be natural."
Steve steadily pressed the hand with the palm print film onto the recognition panel, simultaneously aligning his left eye with the iris scanner. After a brief silence, the system suddenly lit up green.
"Identity confirmed, Director Nick Fury," a mechanical female voice announced. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest classified archive."
As the hydraulic door slowly opened, Steve couldn't help but hold his breath. The space behind the door was much smaller than he imagined—only an isolated black metal cabinet stood in the center of the room, with precise security sensors covering the surrounding walls.
"It seems Director Fury really values this data…" Steve murmured.
"Don't waste time," Chen Tian's voice suddenly became tense. "According to energy readings, this cabinet has an independent security protocol. Our 'keys' will only grant 90 seconds of access."
Steve quickly walked towards the metal cabinet. A holographic operating interface immediately lit up on its surface. He swiftly browsed the file directory and soon found the folder labeled 'Project Pegasus - Top Secret.'
"Found it!" He clicked on the file, and a holographic projection immediately expanded, displaying detailed research reports and weapon blueprints for the Tesseract. "My God… is Director Fury rebuilding HYDRA's super weapon program?"
"Copy everything!" Chen Tian urged. "Only 35 seconds left!"
Steve quickly operated the interface. Suddenly, the projection flickered, and a bright red warning box popped up:
[Abnormal access detected...]
"Damn it!" Chen Tian's voice suddenly rose. "They found us! Captain, immediately—"
A piercing alarm blared, and the archive room lights instantly turned a blinding red. The metal cabinet's holographic interface began to automatically close.
"No time!" Steve gritted his teeth, rapidly using his tactical goggles to photograph the last few pages of data. The moment he turned around, the archive room door was suddenly violently forced open from the outside.
"Captain Rogers?" The S.H.I.E.L.D. special forces Commander at the door was clearly stunned. "How could you… Wait, is that Director Fury's clearance?!"
Steve didn't hesitate. His shield had already left his hand, tracing a perfect arc in the narrow space, precisely hitting the ceiling's fire sprinkler system. A cold curtain of Water instantly enveloped the entire room.
"The back exit is in the ventilation duct!" Chen Tian shouted into the earpiece. "Now!"
Taking advantage of the special forces' momentary confusion, Steve dashed towards the ventilation shaft, his shield returning to his hand with a spin. In the last moment before leaping into the ventilation duct, he looked back—the mysterious black metal cabinet was automatically sinking, disappearing beneath the reinforced floor.
Steve crawled quickly through the ventilation duct. Behind him, he heard the agents' chaotic shouts and hurried footsteps, but the complex structure of the ventilation system clearly made it difficult for them to track him for a while.
After a few turns, Steve kicked open a ventilation cover and landed lightly in an unoccupied equipment room.
He quickly shed his dust-covered outer jacket and took out the pre-prepared plain clothes from his backpack to change into. On a display screen on the wall nearby, it showed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had initiated a Level 3 alert, and all exits of the building were sealed. Steve pressed his earpiece: "Chen Tian, I need an extraction route."
Only harsh static filled the earpiece.
"Chen Tian?" He tried again, his brows furrowed. In the corridor outside, the footsteps of security personnel were getting closer.
Steve took a deep breath, pushed open the equipment room door, and blended into a group of emergency-evacuated office workers. He kept his head down, following the crowd towards the building's side exit. The security at the door was checking IDs one by one. Steve's gaze swept around, looking for a possible breakthrough.
Just then, the building's fire alarm suddenly blared, and the ceiling sprinkler system activated, plunging the crowd into chaos. Steve seized the opportunity and slipped out the side door amidst the confusion.
The sunlight outside made him squint. Steve walked quickly towards the street corner, trying to contact Chen Tian again while vigilantly observing his surroundings. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents had already begun setting up checkpoints in the surrounding blocks.
Just as he was contemplating his next move, a yellow taxi slowly pulled up in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing a rugged Slavic face—a thick beard, high cheekbones, and a hideous scar extending from his eyebrow to his chin.
"Get in, Captain America." The driver's English had a strong Russian accent.
Steve's hand unconsciously went to the shield hidden under his clothes: "Who sent you?"
The burly Russian man suddenly broke into a surprisingly delicate smile, utterly at odds with his rugged appearance, and even his voice transformed into a familiar female tone: "Chen Tian said you would ask that question."
Steve's pupils constricted. This voice was all too familiar to him—it was Natasha!
"Romanoff?" He looked in disbelief at the burly Slavic man in front of him.
"Don't be so surprised, Captain." The burly man—or rather, Natasha in disguise—winked playfully, her movements revealing the Black Widow's characteristic grace. She handed him a cell phone. The screen displayed an unread message: [Trust her. The password is "Howling Commandos 1943." — C]
------------------------
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(End of Chapter)