Captain America, Steve Rogers, was encased in a thick layer of ice as if lying in an icy coffin. The gaming helmet on his head flickered with a faint blue light, pulsing rhythmically in the pitch-black space of the wreckage.
Suddenly, the Captain, who should have been lost to the deep freeze, snapped his eyes open. His stiff muscles, seized by the frost, refused to respond to his commands immediately.
"Hiss... so cold!"
The moment he opened his eyes, a bone-chilling cold swept through his entire body. It felt as though he was being pricked by countless sharp steel needles, with waves of sharp pain crashing against his mind.
Internal power began to circulate within him, dispelling the chill while gradually awakening his frozen cells.
Anyone with basic medical knowledge would know that surviving after being frozen for seventy years was pure fantasy. In the original records, the fact that Captain America could jump back into action to maintain world peace after thawing was nothing short of a medical miracle.
The inspiration for this plot point likely came from real-world cryogenics. The concept had been around for a long time, but it remained in the theoretical stage due to multiple technical hurdles that had never been overcome.
There were stories of terminally ill billionaires who had themselves frozen at the end of their lives, hoping to bypass the limitations of time and be cured by future medical technology.
Those billionaires were indeed frozen, but no one dared to unfreeze them. There was no viable method to reverse the process; human bodies are mostly water, and as temperatures drop, cellular fluids turn into ice crystals that pierce cell membranes and destroy tissue structure. Upon thawing, the person would simply become a pile of ruined flesh.
However, S.H.I.E.L.D. always managed to come up with strange black technology—likely for the sake of the plot. Currently, the Captain had not received professional treatment and was relying solely on his body, strengthened by the Super Soldier Serum, to endure the process. After cultivating internal power, he had achieved an effect where one plus one was far greater than two.
Bit by bit, his tissues were awakened and repaired by this mysterious energy. This transformation had started the moment he first cultivated internal power and had continued until today, finally reviving the vast majority of his body's cells.
Crack!
Strength returned to his body. Within his mind, he gradually felt the presence of his hands and feet. He exerted his strength to move, and fine cracks began to appear in the heavy layer of ice.
Initially, the cracks were as thin as hair, but they quickly spread and crisscrossed. The Captain struggled with all his might, his face slowly regaining color, and his azure eyes became visible beneath the ice.
Crack! Crash!
The ice shattered completely. The Captain stumbled out from the frozen fragments and sat on the ground, leaning against a piece of wreckage as he gasped for air.
The sight before him was both familiar and strange. This was the cockpit of the bomber. After his final battle with the Red Skull, he had attempted to pull the controls to save the plane, but he couldn't understand the German labels, and his efforts had been in vain.
He was truly suffering the consequences of his lack of education.
The damaged cockpit still felt remarkably intimate. Although the virtual world was beautiful and vibrant, the feeling of reality was far more grounding.
A strange sensation came from his head. The newly awakened Captain was still a bit dazed; he instinctively scratched his head, only to find that the texture felt wrong.
'Since when did my scalp feel this thick? And where is my hair? Does freezing cause hair loss?'
He turned to look at his blurry reflection in the ice. He realized that he had been wearing a helmet all along.
Although the Captain had spent his time in the virtual world, his close homie, Matt, often brought him news of the outside world. Especially after Matt cultivated the power of waves, the world he saw became even more vibrant. Matt frequently shared his colorful encounters while playing the hero, which made the Captain quite envious.
'A product of Future Technology? How did this end up on my head?' The Captain's mind was filled with questions. As someone who didn't usually rely on high intelligence—and being particularly slow due to just waking up—he couldn't figure it out.
But the Captain's greatest trait was that while he could be stubborn, he also knew when to stop overthinking. If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't. The truth would reveal itself eventually.
He rested for a long time as his internal power circulated, nourishing his newly awakened cells. Despite being in a frigid ice cave, he felt a constant warmth radiating through his body, which was very comfortable.
He opened his hands, and a glow of internal power appeared in his palms. The mysterious sphere of energy reflected in his eyes.
No matter how many times he saw it, he was still amazed by this supernatural power. How on earth had the chairman of Future Technology discovered internal power, and how had he systematized so many techniques and moves?
Steve suppressed his curiosity and admiration for Makiya. Feeling his strength return, he stood up and approached the passage leading to the cockpit. Unsurprisingly, the path was blocked by a thick, seamless layer of ice.
The good news was that there was a faint airflow within the ice chamber. Airflow meant there were gaps. Just as a small leak can sink a great ship, he could break his way out if he followed the gaps and kept digging through the ice.
There was even better news: Steve saw his shield.
How could Captain America be without his shield? The circular shield, two and a half feet in diameter and weighing twelve pounds, was created by the father of Iron Man—Howard Stark. Due to an accident, vibranium, iron, and a certain chemical had fused to form an indestructible, unknown metal.
Because the exact proportions and components couldn't be detected, the metal could not be replicated. Thus, the shield was one of a kind.
As long as he had his shield, the Captain felt much more secure.
His shield had somehow fallen into a corner of the ice cave and wasn't frozen shut. The side with the painted design was face down, while the inner side with the handle was facing up.
The Captain reached out his left arm, slipped it through the handle, and gripped the shield. The familiar feel and weight surged through him, instantly bringing back memories of the war-torn years.
As time passed, the oxygen in the ice cave was running low. While his peak human physique and internal power allowed him to survive for a long time in low-oxygen air, his brain would eventually slow down and stop functioning. It was best to escape as soon as possible.
The Captain didn't bother checking the shield. In his mind, it was indestructible and needed no inspection—a fact proven by countless battles.
He gripped the shield and struck the ice with all his strength. Instantly, shards of ice flew everywhere. The ice that had endured for seventy years finally met its end today.
Outside, a S.H.I.E.L.D. excavation team was moving slowly through the blizzard.
Due to the massive changes at headquarters and the internal strife breaking out in S.H.I.E.L.D. branches around the world, Nick Fury was overwhelmed. His title as a Level 10 Agent had become a laughingstock, and the five permanent members of the council were frequently sending him their 'warmest regards.'
Still, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a massive organization funded by the public. Now that trouble had surfaced, they still had to offer support. Regarding Fury's claim that he wanted to dig up Captain America, the U.S. spokesperson's reaction was lukewarm, while France was the most excited, wanting the Captain to see the light of day as soon as possible.
This result wasn't surprising. The United States had been profiteering off the Captain's legend for seventy years. With themed bars, toys, and movies, the capitalists had already filled their pockets. If the Captain returned, how would copyrights and patents be settled? What if he wanted a pension?
Well, the pension might not be an issue, since he was still young when he was frozen and hadn't paid into the system for enough years.
France was excited because the Captain was one of the factors in defeating Hitler. Fury's latest investigation reports indicated that the subversive force hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. was suspected to be Hydra, which made France even more panicked.
No one wanted to surrender instantly; only a dead Hydra agent was a good Hydra agent. Therefore, France contributed both people and resources just to dig out Captain America sooner.
The person leading the excavation team was Agent Coulson, followed by the French support crew.
"Captain, you'd better listen to this signal." A string of French came over the radio. Fortunately, Coulson was proficient in several languages and could communicate normally with the support team.
"Alright, I'm coming," Coulson replied into his mic. He arrived at another room in the giant snowcat where large equipment was set up to monitor signals beneath the ice.
"Here, not far from our three o'clock position. There's a special acoustic signature. Look, the signal waveform is very regular," a team member said, pointing at the screen.
"Let's check it out," Coulson ordered immediately. The entire excavation team began to turn, heading toward the source of the unique vibrations they had detected.
The vast snow blocked their vision. The polar day had reached its end, and the polar night was arriving, plunging the Arctic into prolonged gloom.
The excavation team's snowcat switched on its ultra-powerful headlights. The snow never ceased, with countless flakes flying through the conical beams of light.
As the excavation team advanced, a blurry figure slowly appeared before them.
A figure?
Everyone on the team was stunned. This was the Arctic! An Arctic currently suffering through a blizzard! How could there be a person out here in this weather?
As they moved closer, the figure became clearer. Captain America's iconic outfit appeared in their sight.
"Is it... Captain America?!"
The team members were filled with disbelief. Wasn't the Captain supposed to be frozen? How did he get out on his own?
If he wasn't frozen, why hadn't he appeared for all these years? Had he developed a hobby for Arctic survival?
Regardless, the look was unmistakable. The powerful headlights illuminated the Captain's face, confirming it was indeed that familiar visage.
Though it was incredible, the members of the team began to cheer. Not having to work hard at digging was great; they could go home for the holidays now. The Arctic was simply not a place for humans to stay.
Just as the members stopped the vehicle and prepared to go out to greet him, Coulson's expression suddenly turned grave as he pulled the vehicle door shut. "No... something's not right!"
[Support the story with Reviews, Power Stones, and Comments—they mean a lot and keep me going! 30+ chapters waiting on patreon.com/elite_reads]