The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 596, 1108, and 1109: Fury's Tragedy
In a hospital about a five-minute drive from the Supreme Court.

Brock Rumlow led a group of heavily armed members of the STRIKE special forces to supervise the attending physician's so-called rescue process for Captain America at the hospital.

They watched as the attending physician cut open Captain America's chest cavity, removed several broken and deformed bullet fragments stained with blood, and immediately declared, "The injured man suffered massive bleeding and cardiac arrest due to the bullet completely shattering his aorta. He has been confirmed dead despite all efforts to save him." Only then were they completely relieved.

"Hehe." Brock Rumlow and the others showed a relieved expression, quickly exchanging knowing glances with each other.

The mission was finally completed successfully.

After leaving one special forces member behind to assist the hospital with the aftermath, Brock Rumlow led the rest of the team to quickly evacuate the hospital and return to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to report to Alexander Pierce.

The operating room, which was filled with the smell of blood and disinfectant, was now empty except for Sharon Carter.

She stood blankly in front of the operating table, like a puppet whose soul had been taken away, staring at Captain America's body, which was covered by a white shroud with only his golden hair and part of his forehead showing. Tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, and her eyes were filled with only numb pain and helpless despair.

Even though she had just witnessed Captain America's heart shattered by bullets and heard the doctor's pronouncement of death, a corner of her heart still refused to believe this cruel reality.

The man who seemed to never fall in her eyes had actually left just like that?
More importantly, she had no idea how to tell her aunt Carter Page, who, despite her age causing her memory to often become hazy, still held Captain America in her heart, about this matter.
She could almost imagine the devastating impact the news would have on her aunt's mental well-being when it reached her ears.

It wasn't just about losing a lover; it destroyed the faith and memories that had sustained her for nearly a century.

"Madam, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have to take Captain Rogers' body to the morgue."

At this moment, a female nurse wearing a medical mask and a dark green nurse's uniform walked in and softly reminded:

"We've just been informed that S.H.I.E.L.D. will send someone to collect Captain Rogers' body later tomorrow evening..."

Sharon Carter seemed to be jolted awake by those words, and suddenly came to her senses.

She raised her hand and forcefully wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes, taking one last look at the quiet figure on the operating table.

Then, he leaned down, brought his lips close to Captain America's cold ear, and whispered, word by word, in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Don't worry, Steve, I will definitely find your killer..."

A flame of revenge gradually ignited in her eyes. "Then, I will kill him with my own hands and avenge you!!"

After saying that, she straightened up and walked straight out of the operating room, which was filled with an atmosphere of death and despair, without looking back once more.

She had already figured out what she should do next.

Even if it costs her everything, she will find that damn bastard and avenge Captain America.

After Sharon Carter left, the nurse silently pushed the stretcher carrying Captain America's body through the quiet corridor toward the morgue on the basement floor.

Upon arriving at the heavy metal door of the morgue, the nurse suddenly became more alert.

She first cautiously looked left and right at both ends of the corridor, and only after confirming that no one was there did she push open the door to the morgue.

"Sir, I've brought Captain Rogers' body over..."

The nurse's voice rang out, her previous professional indifference vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sorrow.

She reached out and removed the mask from her face, instantly revealing a delicate face with well-defined features and a slightly androgynous appearance.

If Sharon Carter or any S.H.I.E.L.D. agent were here, they would immediately recognize her as Maria Hill, who had mysteriously disappeared along with Nick Fury during the 'fake Captain America attack'.

Opposite her, a man dressed in a black leather jacket, standing with his back to the morgue, slowly turned around upon hearing the sound. It was Nick Fury, who had disappeared for several days.

Nick Fury stared at the familiar face on the stainless steel morgue bed, its features still clearly visible despite being covered by a snow-white sheet. His mind was in complete turmoil.

His signature cold, hard expression gradually crumbled, revealing a rare and intense emotional fluctuation.

A fire of rage burned fiercely within him...

Some of these targets were directed at the despicable sniper, others at the mastermind behind it all, and of course, some at himself...

Regret gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

If he hadn't chosen the so-called "planning before acting," if he had started the purge within S.H.I.E.L.D. earlier, or if he had decisively appeared when Captain America was first wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D., could this assassination tragedy that happened in broad daylight have been avoided?

At this thought, a sense of fear quietly crept into his heart.

But this was not a fear of death, but a strong fear of the situation spiraling out of control and the impending collapse of the order he had been trying to maintain.

Even though Nick Fury doesn't particularly like Steve Rogers, it's undeniable that Rogers is more than just an 'obedient and useful' super soldier.

Captain America is more like a flag, a symbol...

Now, with Captain America's fall, the special bond that has always closely connected S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers is quietly crumbling.

Nick Fury felt a surge of resentment. He was unwilling to lose such an important fighting force, even more unwilling to be outmaneuvered like this, and equally unwilling to see his carefully laid plans turn so tragically against him!
After a moment of silence, he reached out his slightly trembling hand and slowly lifted the white sheet covering Captain America's body.

Steve Rogers lay there quietly, as if in a deep sleep. The Stars and Stripes combat uniform he wore was stained red with dried blood; the upper part had been cut in half by the doctors during the recent surgery and pushed up to his waist.

Although the gruesome bullet hole in his chest had been roughly cleaned by medical staff, it still looked shocking.

Captain America's face is still handsome, with strong features, but after losing all vitality, it now presents a pale and cold appearance, similar to marble.

Those once clear and resolute blue eyes are now tightly closed, never to open again.

This man, who survived the smoke of World War II and slept for seventy years under the Arctic ice without dying... this superhero whose noble character was almost superhuman, ultimately fell to a bullet from the shadows, dying so miserably and meaninglessly.

Nick Fury's fist clenched suddenly without his notice, his knuckles cracking from the excessive force.

"If we had shown up sooner, Captain Rogers might not have died..."

Maria Hill's face no longer held its usual competence and composure; instead, it displayed a mixture of sadness, self-blame, and a hint of barely perceptible resentment.

She knew very well that her words might anger Nick Fury, since this boss never allowed anyone to question his decisions, even if the decisions themselves were flawed.

But this time, she couldn't help but say it.

The overwhelming sense of guilt almost suffocated her.

Captain America's death is undoubtedly directly and inextricably linked to Nick Fury's plan after the attack: to "lie in the shadows," "observe the situation," and "wait for the best opportunity to act."

If he had shown up earlier when S.H.I.E.L.D. issued a warrant for Captain America's arrest, the scene of Captain America being shot dead on the steps of the Supreme Court today would not have happened.

However, there are no "what ifs" in reality!

Furthermore, Nick Fury is simply not the type of person who can listen to advice... even if that advice is correct.

Nick Fury trembled slightly upon hearing this, but he did not turn around. However, Maria Hill behind him could clearly feel the muscles in his back tense up instantly.

Clearly, Maria Hill's words had struck a nerve with the slight regret he felt, but his pride and strong desire for control instantly transformed that emotion into anger.

"You know nothing!"

Although Nick Fury felt some regret, he still turned and glared fiercely at Maria Hill.

A terrifying light shot out from its single eye, as if it wanted to devour her alive.

He would never admit to his subordinates that he made a mistake in his decision-making, even if it was just a minor error that led to disastrous consequences.

He needs to maintain his image of absolute authority at all times, especially in times of widespread anxiety.

But he didn't want to dwell on the matter, so he abruptly changed the subject, asking in a cold voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Have you found out the identity of the bastard who fired the shot?"

Maria Hill trembled slightly at his fierce gaze, but quickly regained her composure. She knew Nick Fury well and knew that angering him at this moment would be of no benefit.

He took a deep breath, a complex expression on his face as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, seemingly weighing his words.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he revealed the even more startling findings: "We found it, sir, but... the situation seems to be more complicated than we initially thought."

She paused deliberately, seemingly observing Nick Fury's reaction. Seeing that there was nothing unusual on his face, she continued:
"Based on the high-definition on-site video footage previously released and repeatedly broadcast by the Daily Bugle, we have successfully identified the suspect through facial contour comparison and analysis..."

Maria Hill pulled out a tablet, swiped her finger across it, and brought up old archival photos of two young men in World War II uniforms, arms around each other, smiling broadly.

One of them is Captain America, and the other is the suspect who was previously suspected of assassinating Captain America in the video released by the Daily Bugle.

However, unlike the cold-faced assassin with a mechanical left arm in the video, the man in the photo has bright eyes and is full of energy, and no matter how you look at it, he seems to have a very close relationship with Captain America.

Bucky Barnes, born in 1917 in Brooklyn, knew Captain Rogers since childhood. During World War II, he served as a sergeant in the 107th Infantry Regiment. Due to his outstanding performance, he was recruited and became a core member of Captain Rogers' Howling Commandos, as well as Captain Rogers' most trusted partner. Together, they carried out many secret missions against Hydra...

"Archived records show that in 1945, during a mission to capture Dr. Arnim Zola, the chief scientist of Hydra, Sergeant Bucky Barnes, in order to cover Captain Rogers, unfortunately fell from a speeding train into a deep ravine... After multiple unsuccessful search and rescue operations, he was officially declared dead by the military."

After a pause, Maria Hill's tone became more serious: "But our subsequent cross-verification and partially declassified KGB files show that Sergeant Bucky Barnes was not dead at the time; he was found and secretly rescued by a former Soviet patrol."

"Due to the severity of his injuries and his near-death experience, he was handed over to the relevant research departments of the former Soviet Union... They used cutting-edge technology, which was still immature at the time, to carry out large-scale physiological modifications and brainwashing on him, giving him enhanced physical abilities and a mechanical left arm."

She then pulled up a slightly blurry black-and-white photo with a strong Cold War feel, showing a burly figure wearing a mask, with empty eyes and a metallic glint in his left arm.

"He was known as the Winter Soldier... For nearly fifty years, Bucky Barnes was considered the deadliest ace assassin in the hands of the former Soviet Union and certain forces after its collapse."

"Intelligence indicates that he was involved in at least twenty highly classified terrorist attacks and political assassinations, with operations spanning the globe and targets including politicians, scientists, and dissidents..."

Maria Hill paused again, glancing at Nick Fury with a strange heaviness in her eyes, before slowly uttering the most explosive piece of information:

"...This includes the 'car crash' that occurred on the night of December 16, 1991, on Long Island that resulted in the deaths of Mr. Howard Stark and his wife Maria Stark...The perpetrator was none other than Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier."

(End of this chapter)