"How long until S.H.I.E.L.D. starts tracking us?"
I fed Deadpool the answer to Captain America's question.
"About 9 minutes?"
"Good. Let's begin."
At that, Deadpool plugged the USB into a laptop. I immediately started hacking. Honestly, I could have hacked all the contents, but that would deviate from the original story, so I decided only to reveal the location information. I informed Deadpool of this.
"It's protected by an AI, so I can't open the files, but I can track where this was created."
"Where is it?"
Just then, a store employee, seeing they had been using the computer for a long time, came over and asked,
"May I help you?"
Then Deadpool hugged Captain America and said,
"No~ We're planning a trip, my boyfriend and I. We were looking at destinations."
"Ah, I see. I'm envious. Where are you going?"
With perfect timing, I displayed the location on the screen.
"New Jersey."
"I see. Very well. Have a pleasant trip~"
After the employee left, I showed a more precise location. Captain America looked surprised. Deadpool asked him,
"Do you know it?"
"Long ago... Anyway, it's been over 9 minutes. Let's go."
Captain America and Deadpool took the USB and started moving. But S.H.I.E.L.D. agents could be seen searching for Captain America everywhere. I guided Deadpool, showing him the agents' locations and a safe route out. It seemed they could get out safely without any problems if they followed my directions.
But Deadpool didn't take the path I suggested.
-Hey! Where are you going!
Deadpool didn't answer and moved with Captain America. As they moved, Captain America spotted S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and warned Deadpool.
"We've got a tail. Two in the line behind us and on the opposite side... I'll take them. You head to the underground parking and bring the Talaria around."
"Shut up, put your arm on my shoulder, and smile goofily."
"What?"
"Now!"
Captain America did as Deadpool said, putting his arm on Deadpool's shoulder and smiling goofily. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents didn't notice them and passed by.
Then, as they were going down an escalator, they saw Rumlow, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent they had been looking for. Deadpool looked back at Captain America.
-Hey! Don't tell me...
"Kiss me."
"What?"
"Hurry!"
Captain America had no choice but to hold Deadpool and kiss him. I was dumbfounded. I had plotted the route to prevent this very situation, but Deadpool just went along with the original story. Anyway, Rumlow glanced at them and averted his eyes, so it seemed they had successfully fooled him. Then they casually walked out the mall's main entrance and returned to the Talaria.
"Cap, you're a terrible kisser. You should practice."
Captain America, looking embarrassed, scratched his head and replied,
"Sorry, I've never been in a relationship with a woman for very long... Anyway, let's move."
As they drove, Captain America turned on the TV to watch the news. In the meantime, I scolded Deadpool.
-Why did you do that? If you had followed my directions, you could have gotten out easily.
At that, Deadpool, pretending to drive the Talaria, answered quietly,
"You said it was important to follow the original timeline. Besides, I wanted to experience a spy thriller too."
-Still... What if Captain America finds out later?
"Well, we'll just keep it a secret."
-Geez...
Deadpool showed no hesitation about kissing a man, which flustered me. After all, this was the guy who, having become a woman, wanted to try it with a man. I just felt sorry for Captain America, who was taken advantage of unknowingly. They arrived at an old military facility in New Jersey.
"Is this the place?"
"Yeah, the file was created here."
Captain America looked around the facility, lost in memory, and said to Deadpool,
"I trained here. It was a military base."
This was the facility where Captain America trained before becoming a Super Soldier in The First Avenger. Captain America and Deadpool looked around the facility. In the basement, they found old S.H.I.E.L.D. files. Seeing them, Captain America said,
"I guess S.H.I.E.L.D. started here."
As they explored, they found signs of a person having passed through. They followed the trail deeper inside. At an empty bookcase, the trail ended. Captain America said,
"It stops here."
Then Deadpool stepped forward, grabbed the bookcase, and pushed it aside.
Creak~! Thud!
"Hiding things like this is so old-school?"
Behind the bookcase was a modern-looking door, which seemed to have been installed recently. Seeing it, Deadpool said,
"This place is from a different era."
"Yeah."
They went through the modern door. Inside was a very old-looking computer with multiple monitors. The computer was an antique model, seemingly using the entire room as its mainframe. It looked like it was built shortly after World War II.
"We're back in the olden days."
Captain America also looked around, bewildered.
"Is this the place?"
"It seems so."
Deadpool spotted a USB port connected to the old computer and plugged in the USB. The old computer hummed and whirred to life, and the monitor in front of Captain America automatically turned on. A low-resolution image of a man with glasses appeared on the screen, and a voice came through the speakers.
-Steve Rogers, born 1918. Eleanor Camacho, no data found. How strange... To have someone with no data.
"I'm a woman of mystery."
-I'm not really interested, young lady.
Seeing that, Captain America asked, surprised,
"That wasn't recorded?"
-It's not a recording, Steve. I still exist, though I look very different from the man you captured in 1945.
Then, an image of Dr. Arnim Zola appeared on another monitor.
-Dr. Zola. I thought you were dead.
-You're wrong. Look around you. I am very much alive. After the war, the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted my intellect. They recruited me. And when my natural lifespan ended, they analyzed my brain, turned me into data, and implanted me in this computer.
"I see..."
-But I didn't just sit idly by in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands. I created a new Hydra, right under their noses. A beautiful parasite, growing inside S.H.I.E.L.D. For the last 70 years, Hydra has been secretly fomenting crises and starting wars all over the world. When history didn't cooperate, we simply changed it.
"So Hydra was ultimately controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. from behind."
-Correct. In this world of chaos created by Hydra, humanity will sacrifice its freedom for security. When the purification is complete, Hydra will rule the world.
Unable to listen any longer, Captain America punched and smashed the monitor. But Zola's face appeared on another monitor and said to Captain America.
-Futile. Didn't I tell you? I am data now.
"What's on this USB?"
-Project Insight required insight, so I created the algorithm.
"What does the algorithm do?"
-Unfortunately, you won't hear the answer to that. You're about to die.
As Zola finished speaking, the door they had entered began to close. Captain America quickly threw his shield, but it was too late.
Bang!
-I was stalling for time, waiting for the missiles to arrive. You'll die with me, for Hydra, Captain.
KABOOM!!!
With that, a loud explosion shook the building, and the ceiling began to collapse. Captain America quickly grabbed Deadpool, jumped into a crawl space, and covered their heads with his shield.
Crash! Bang!
"Ugh!"
Captain America held up his shield against a massive piece of debris, protecting himself and Deadpool. When things calmed down, they emerged from the crawl space and caught their breath.
"Eleanor, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm alive. When this is over, I'm going to demand a huge bonus from Jin."
At that, Captain America chuckled.
"Yeah, do that."
They went back to the Talaria RV to wash off the dust and debris. Just then, Director Fury contacted me.
-Jin, I need to see you. I can't tell you the location, so find me yourself. It's dangerous, so I hope you understand.
"Okay. I'll be right there."
I quietly informed Deadpool of this.
"I have to step away for a while. Work well with Captain America. From now on, it's just fighting."
-That's my specialty.
"Oh, and don't forget to pick up Falcon."
-Okay.
I went to the bunker where Director Fury was hiding. I had already located the bunker through Minerva. But even if I hadn't, it would have been easy to find by tracking his close associate, Maria Hill.
Inside the bunker, Director Fury was lying on a bed, still receiving treatment, with Maria Hill nursing him. Fury looked at me and started to complain.
"You knew about all of this, didn't you? Why didn't you tell us?"
"Back then, you wouldn't have believed me. You were too busy jockeying for position. Would you have trusted me? And internal affairs are your responsibility. Why are you blaming me?"
"This is insane..."
Fury rubbed his forehead. I handed him a thick file.
"What's this?"
"A list of the parasites inside. Information I gathered while observing S.H.I.E.L.D."
"So you were watching us."
"Of course. You're an organization that could turn hostile at any moment. I couldn't just stand idly by."
Fury glared at me, then opened the file and looked through it. His expression changed to one of shock.
"This... is more serious than I thought. From politicians to the military..."
"Director Fury, it's pathetic that you didn't notice until the cancer had grown this large. I've marked the brainwashed individuals separately. Deal with them yourself."
"Sigh... This is giving me a headache. Hill, could you get us something to drink?"
Maria Hill brought us tea. She would have brought coffee normally, but Fury was still receiving treatment, so she brought tea instead.
"What are you going to do now?"
"First, we need to stop Project Insight. You'll help, won't you?"
Fury asked for help, but I refused.
"Sorry, but I have other things to do. I'd appreciate it if you were satisfied with that file and handled it yourself."
"What could be more important than this!?"
"I have my reasons. It's a secret."
When I answered without a moment's hesitation, Fury looked incredulous.
"You're crazy..."
"I'll be going."
"Wait. If it's too much for you, could you at least send some of your people? Not that Deadpool guy."
Fury didn't like Deadpool either. But Deadpool was already assisting them. I was curious how Fury would react if he knew.
"Fine. I'll send someone. But you'll have to pay their bonus."
"Deal."
I left the bunker and asked Minerva if there was anyone resting at the company.
[No. Everyone is out on the hero business.]
"Really? Then is Tony around?"
[He is at Stark Tower in New York.]
"I see."
I went directly to Tony. I explained what had happened so far.
"God damn! Is that true?"
"Yeah, so we need someone to support Captain America."
"I see. Then I'll go see Mr. Motherfucker."
"Good. Here's the location..."
I thought this would be enough. I returned to the lab and checked on Deadpool. Deadpool and Captain America were talking at Sam's (Falcon's) house.
"So you're saying Jasper Sitwell, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was a hostage on the ship, would know about this?"
"Yeah, so we need to grab that baldy and question him."
"But how do we kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in broad daylight? We're both wanted fugitives."
Just then, Sam placed some files on the table and said,
"Simple. Use me."
"What's this?"
"My resume, I guess."
Captain America and Deadpool looked through the files he called his resume.
"Oh~ welcome aboard~"
"Eleanor, wait. We can't ask Sam to do this. He left the military because he was sick of war."
Then Sam said,
"Helping Captain America is reason enough to come back."
Unexpectedly, things were going well without my guidance.
Even with Deadpool involved, it's going smoothly? Did I underestimate him?
I decided to trust them for now and teleported to Xandar to check the situation. Something seemed off in the city. I asked a guard what was happening.
"Well, a thief stole a vibranium ingot and got away. It's chaos. What did they call him...? Ah! 'Star Prince'?"
"Excuse me???"