The Winter Soldier's eyes glimmered faintly. The world he had awoken to was already seventy years beyond the time he remembered. Anyone from his era who was still alive now would likely be lying in a hospital bed, clinging to life through machines—or already buried beneath the earth.
Captain America had been the Winter Soldier's best friend. He was then, and he still was now. So when he heard that Steve Rogers was still alive, his expression shifted sharply; he shot up from his chair in excitement.
"Really? Where is he? Is he okay? Do you have a way to contact him?"
Han Yu smiled lightly and pressed his hand down, motioning for him to calm himself. The Winter Soldier realized how worked up he had gotten. A little embarrassed, he chuckled and sat back down.
"For Mr. Rogers, knowing you're alive is a good thing," Han Yu said seriously. "But for others, it's not. You'll be hunted."
The Winter Soldier nodded in silence. During his years of serving Hydra, he had been sent to assassinate countless figures—each one a prominent name in their own field.
If word spread that he was still alive, those very forces would surely come for him.
Seeing him fall silent, Han Yu continued, "The most important thing is this: your old friend Rogers is now part of a group of powerful individuals called the Avengers. Among them, there's a man who calls himself Iron Man—Tony Stark. And he holds a great deal of resentment toward you."
"Tony… Stark?"
At the sound of that name, the Winter Soldier's face hardened. After a moment of thought, he asked cautiously, "He's Howard's son, isn't he?"
"That's right," Han Yu nodded.
Howard Stark—Tony Stark's father—had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. back in the war, supplying Rogers' team with advanced equipment and resources.
The Winter Soldier and Howard weren't close, but they'd spoken a few times. Their last meeting, however, was when the brainwashed Winter Soldier received Hydra's order… to assassinate Howard Stark.
Han Yu went on, "His son Tony is now one of the Avengers' core members. He possesses the unique Arc Reactor technology and has built invincible, high-tech Iron Man armor. If he learns that you're still alive, he'll never let you go."
The Winter Soldier finally understood what Han Yu was implying.
All of this—Han Yu's long explanation—was meant to make one thing clear: Tony Stark and Captain America were allies now. If he suddenly appeared, it would cause trouble for both sides.
Rogers would definitely protect him, but doing so would put him at odds with Tony Stark. That wasn't a result the Winter Soldier wanted to see. He didn't want Steve to gain one friend only to lose another.
"If he really wants to kill me," the Winter Soldier said with a faint, resigned smile, "I won't blame him. Just knowing my friend is doing well… that's enough for me."
Han Yu was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Let's contact Rogers first. See what he says. This is between you two—I don't want to interfere too much."
Just as Han Yu was about to call Captain America, the screech of brakes echoed from downstairs. He walked to the window and looked out—three cars had stopped in front of the grocery store.
From the middle car stepped a man Han Yu knew all too well—Hydra's leader, Alexander Pierce.
"What's he doing here?" Han Yu muttered. "Has the dog finally gone rabid?"
Hearing the name, the Winter Soldier also walked over and peered outside. His face tensed with unease. He knew exactly what kind of ruthless man Pierce was. No one got to lead Hydra without being absolutely merciless.
"They've come for me," the Winter Soldier said quietly. "I should go. I don't want to drag you into this."
Han Yu smiled and waved it off. "Drag me into it? I already took Zola—and you. Hydra and I are enemies now, whether we like it or not. Stay here. I'll deal with this."
Then he clapped his hands and grinned. "Alright, everyone! Someone's come looking for trouble—gear up!"
"Who's looking for trouble?!" Pietro, a.k.a. Quicksilver, shouted excitedly. "I'll kill him myself!" He charged downstairs in a blur, his heavy northeastern accent echoing through the shop.
Wanda and Ultron exchanged a glance. Han Yu gave them a small nod. They smiled knowingly and followed him down.
"Listen to me—I'm not here to start trouble…" Pierce tried to explain.
But Quicksilver cut him off completely, talking over him in a rapid-fire stream of words.
"I don't care who you are! You here to buy something? No? Then I'll beat you up! My boss said if anyone comes to cause trouble—well, I saw you walk in. If it's not you, then what, the dog pissing outside?"
In less than ten seconds, he'd spat out a string of words like a machine gun.
The bodyguards behind Pierce were about to move, but he stopped them with a wave, though a flicker of irritation crossed his face. "I need something from them," he muttered. "So I'll tolerate it for now."
At that moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Han Yu descended slowly, followed by Ultron, Wanda, and the Winter Soldier.
When their eyes met, Pierce's expression twisted briefly with resentment before he quickly masked it.
Han Yu noticed—but didn't care. To him, Pierce was just a mortal. Someone like that could never stir up real trouble in front of him.
Seeing Han Yu finally appear, Pierce forced a smile and quickly extended his hand. "You must be the owner here. A pleasure to finally meet you."
Han Yu gave him a single indifferent glance and ignored the handshake. Ultron promptly brought over a chair, and Han Yu sat down casually.
"Hydra has S.H.I.E.L.D. to fight," Han Yu said lightly. "What are you doing here, at my grocery store?"
He folded his hands on his knee, smiling faintly—his expression calm and composed, not the slightest bit shaken by facing Hydra's leader.
It was the first time the two had met face-to-face. Pierce had long heard of Han Yu—ever since the Sokovia incident—but this was their first actual encounter.
Being ignored when he offered a handshake made Pierce's expression stiffen slightly, though he quickly recovered. He knew this young man—barely in his twenties—possessed extraordinary power, power enough to threaten the entire world.
So he didn't put on any airs. Instead, he kept his smile warm and diplomatic, trying to close the distance between them.
"This is a grocery store, right? You sell… everything?" he asked.
Han Yu smiled faintly. "Everything, yes. But not to scum."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)