What was meant to happen, happened. Director Nick of S.H.I.E.L.D. was assassinated, and the top suspect was Captain America. After all, the last place Nick had been seen was in Cap's apartment, and Cap broke out of headquarters afterward, which only made things more suspicious.
No one knew that most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s core squads were already Hydra operatives.
Things escalated quickly. The Project Insight had taken Hydra years of planning, and if it succeeded, they would rewrite everything.
But right at the critical moment, Director Nick handed the key USB to Captain America. Cap teamed up with Black Widow to decrypt the files and found the truth. They also managed to escape pursuit.
Even inside the agent training camp, Hydra had infiltrated. As soon as the situation broke out, they tried to take control of the camp.
But there was no way that would succeed.
"Seems like plenty of people still believe in Hydra's messed-up ideology," Liu A'dou said as he took down a cocky trainee who didn't know his place.
"Humans are chaotic by nature," Ada replied casually. She didn't even make a move—her husband had it handled.
"Exactly because humans are prone to chaos and corruption, those who stand for order are even more precious. People like Superman and Captain America are admirable. They hold on to humanity's core values with conviction that's several times stronger than others."
They made quick work of the Hydra lackeys. The rest of the trainees still hadn't figured out what was happening—they just saw their fellow cadets and instructors suddenly fighting, only to be knocked out by the instructor's assistant.
'Is this a drill?' the trainees wondered.
Ada stepped forward and said, "Cadets, I've got bad news. S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters has been completely taken over by Hydra. We've studied their history in class—they are enemies of the entire world."
"Chief Instructor, wasn't Hydra destroyed by Captain America?" That's what the history books said.
"No, Hydra was never fully wiped out. Cut off one head, and two more grow in its place. They exploit the weaknesses of human nature to control you. Their goal is global domination through fear and chaos. Now their ambitions are out in the open. Cadets, are you ready to follow me and stop Hydra's conspiracy?"
The trainees were still trying to process everything, but they trusted their chief instructor. "Yes!"
Good.
Of course, Ada wasn't going to the front lines herself. She stayed behind to command while Liu A'dou, disguised as her assistant, led the cadets in a counterattack on S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Here's the situation: Captain America and Black Widow finally uncovered Hydra's full plan. The helicarrier's targeting system had been reprogrammed. It wasn't just hunting terrorists anymore—it would now eliminate anyone who opposed Hydra.
Headquarters was totally under enemy control. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main base was a fortress, nearly impossible to storm. It was going to be a brutal fight.
Cap and his team had another problem—his childhood friend had been brainwashed into the Winter Soldier. Bucky had been picked up by the Soviets during WWII, his severed arm replaced with a mechanical one, and he'd been turned into a mindless weapon.
Out on the street, Cap, Black Widow, Falcon, and Winter Soldier collided with Hydra's strike team. The fight was fierce. Bullets and grenades exploded everywhere as civilians ran for their lives.
Wonder Woman saw the chaos. She noticed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents chasing Captain America and thought, 'What's going on here?' But the way the agents looked so aggressive, and how Cap and his team were clearly on the defensive, made it obvious who the bad guys were.
Stand up for the weak—of course she was going to help Cap.
The Winter Soldier faced off with Cap one-on-one. After multiple enhancements, he matched Cap in strength, speed, and technique. With that metal arm, he was even faster in some ways.
The metal arm's punch slammed into Captain America's shield. Though the vibranium absorbed most of the impact, it couldn't cancel out the full force. Force can counter force, but distance traveled by the impact can't always be neutralized.
Cap had to brace his arms tightly, feeling the strain in his bones from the collision. Still, his combat skills weren't for show. He waited for the Winter Soldier's strength to dip, twisted his shield to pin the metal arm down, and swung his other fist at the Winter Soldier's face.
The punch landed, but it didn't do much. The Winter Soldier straightened up immediately and counterattacked. The two exchanged blows evenly matched.
On the other side, Black Widow caught sight of a red figure joining the battle. Her bracers lifted to block, expertly deflecting bullets coming her way.
"Wonder Woman?" Black Widow let out a breath of relief. Wonder Woman was strong—she might just be saved now. Black Widow had been hunted by the Winter Soldier and nearly overrun in a firefight. She thought she was finished, but never expected Wonder Woman to appear like this.
Diana wore her usual fierce outfit, the Lasso of Truth hanging from her waist. Since they were in the city, she wasn't carrying a sword—but against these kinds of enemies, she didn't need one.
With a leap, Diana soared 5 or 6 meters high and crossed over 10 meters in distance, landing behind the Hydra squad. A swift combo of punches and kicks dropped them from behind.
She had jumped without a running start—just a straight vertical launch. Her ability left Black Widow completely stunned.
"You okay?" Wonder Woman asked.
Black Widow nodded. "I'm fine." Then she immediately turned to look at Cap, whose fight with the Winter Soldier was still going.
They watched as the Winter Soldier grabbed the round shield, twisted it forcefully, and managed to snatch it from Captain America's hands. Cap was under pressure—his opponent seemed strangely familiar with all his moves. Even though the man wore a mask, something in his eyes triggered Cap's memory. That look—he'd definitely seen it before. It felt like nostalgia.
Wonder Woman flew in. The Winter Soldier sensed her and twisted at the waist, flinging the shield at her.
That move again. Diana wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. Last time, Liu A'dou had used that same maneuver to beat her. "Let's see you try that again!"
The round shield came flying. In midair, Diana raised her bracers just in time.
Clang—
Vibranium met the Bracers of Heracles. A shockwave of energy rippled outward like crashing waves.
All the nearby car windows shattered, and bystanders were blown back. The clash of two completely different power systems created a massive shock. The shield spun away, while Diana staggered in the air, barely regaining her balance. She thought to herself, 'This shield is no joke.'
Cap stood firm. When he saw the shield fly off, he quickly moved to catch it. Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier lowered his head. The blast had cracked his mask in half—it dropped to the ground in pieces.
Cap froze. No way—it was Bucky? His best friend. His comrade from World War II. The one who had always stood by and supported him.
"Bucky?!"
But Bucky had already been brainwashed. He didn't remember Cap, though that sense of familiarity crept up in his mind. No, he had to stay focused. The Winter Soldier hurled two grenades—metallic silver, about the size of baseballs—one at Wonder Woman, one at Cap.
Diana snapped her right wrist, flinging out the Lasso of Truth like a whip and knocking the grenade away. Cap used his shield to block the explosion.
Boom! Boom! Shrapnel flew everywhere. When they looked up again, the Winter Soldier had vanished.
Only a few hours remained until the Project Insight launched. They didn't have time to waste.
Black Widow quickly explained the situation to Diana, asking for her help. At this point, the more allies, the better.
Diana didn't really know what Hydra was, but she agreed to help stop their twisted ambition.
But Cap looked troubled. Seeing Bucky again had shaken him. He didn't know what had happened to him, but one thing was clear—he had to bring Bucky back to who he used to be.