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

Chapters 597-1111: Grief is spreading; that man is dead.
"what?!"

Nick Fury's one eye widened in that instant, his pupil contracting violently, as if he had heard the most absurd and cruel joke in the world.

His facial muscles stiffened, and he even briefly lost his speech... or more accurately, he simply didn't know what to say.

Despite Nick Fury's complete trust in Maria Hill's abilities and his knowledge that she would never make a mistake on such crucial information, the impact of this news was simply too shocking.

The person who killed Captain America was actually his former sworn brother and best friend who was willing to give his life for him.

Most importantly, his best friend is actually the murderer of Tony Stark's parents?!

Seriously, does this have to be so melodramatic?
In a sense, this can no longer be considered a simple assassination, but rather a bomb that could instantly detonate the Yu Lun (a Chinese online forum).

Even Nick Fury couldn't imagine the catastrophic consequences if this news were leaked.

Especially if Tony Stark finds out, that guy will probably go berserk, right?
The entire Avengers... no, the whole world will probably be in an uproar.

Thinking of this, Nick Fratton felt a chill run down his spine to the top of his head.

But he had to force himself to calm down quickly, and a dangerous glint flashed in his single eye.

He realized that this matter had gone far beyond the scope of a political assassination; it involved a dark period of history and was even highly likely to be related to Hydra.

"Hill!"

Having realized the gravity of the situation, Nick Fury said in a hoarse voice, "Use all available resources immediately, top priority... Investigate, you must find out for me who Bucky Barnes is working for right now."
Is it the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR, formerly the KGB), which inherited the legacy of the former Soviet Union? Or is it the military's GRU (Main Directorate General of Military Intelligence)? Or perhaps a remnant of Hydra?!

He practically shouted out the last few words.

If Hydra really is behind all of this, then that's really terrible...

Nick Fury felt a chill run down his spine and dared not think any further.

"This... cannot be determined at the moment."

Faced with Nick Fury's imposing aura, Maria Hill shook her head with a hint of helplessness. "I was able to identify the Winter Soldier so quickly largely thanks to the extremely clear video footage provided by the Daily Bugle."

"But the whereabouts of the Winter Soldier, his current affiliation, and how he was activated and put into action... all of this information has been covered up very well. We need time... a lot of time, to dig deeper and track him down."

Nick Fury remained silent.

He gazed deeply at Captain America's cold, pale body on the morgue, his expression a complex mix of grief, anger, and above all, a heavy burden, as if he were carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a resounding sense of vow—a promise to the deceased and a self-reminder:
"Don't worry, Captain... I will never let you die like this, without knowing why!"

After saying that, he turned around abruptly, the hem of his black leather trench coat tracing an arc, and strode out of the morgue filled with the aura of death without looking back.

The footsteps echoed heavily in the empty corridor.

Maria Hill lowered her head with a somber expression, took one last look at Captain America, and gently covered him with the white sheet again, as if bidding a silent farewell.

Then, she silently turned around, quickly followed Nick Fury's back, and disappeared out the door.

In the cold morgue, only Steve Rogers' body remained, lying silently under the pale light.

……

Meanwhile on the other side.

【New York】.

Outside Hawkeye's secret farm.

call--

Above the horizon, a golden and red figure, trailing a dazzling tail of flame, streaked across the sky like a shooting star, approaching from afar at an incredible speed.

It rapidly descended, and with a sharp hiss of the thrusters spraying air in the opposite direction, landed steadily in the open space in front of the small wooden building in the center of the farm.

The metal feet made a heavy thud as they touched the ground, startling several hens that were foraging nearby, who rushed back to their coop in a panic.

The Mark 45 armor slid smoothly to the sides, and a weary-looking Tony Stark stepped out.

He was dressed in casual clothes, his face showing signs of travel fatigue, but his eyes held a sense of relief that came after completing a mission.

Although he was very unhappy that Captain America and the others rejected his suggestion and instead chose to upload the artificial intelligence Anim Zola into the 'vibranium body' in the 'Cradle of Life' to help the 'Avengers' fight against 'Ultron'.

However, given the trouble he had caused before and his current embarrassing situation of having no one to support him, he had no choice but to reluctantly carry out Captain America's orders.

"I'm back," Tony Stark shouted as he pushed open the front door and walked in.

He habitually tries to create a relaxed atmosphere, as if he had just gone out to buy a cup of coffee.

But as soon as he entered the room, he keenly sensed that something was amiss.

The room was so quiet, and there seemed to be a heavy, almost suffocating atmosphere in the air.

He saw Black Widow and Hawkeye's wife, Laura Barton, sitting on the sofa. Both of their eyes were red and swollen. Laura was sobbing softly, while Black Widow bit her lower lip, staring blankly at the flames in the fireplace, trying to hold back her tears.

Bruce Banner sat to the side, his head bowed so his expression was obscured.

Even the usually most outgoing Hawkeye stood silently by the window, his back looking unusually stiff.

Tony Stark's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this, and a bad premonition instantly gripped him.

He forced himself to ignore the eerie atmosphere and, as usual, casually pulled out a dining chair and sat down, making a grating scraping sound.

Then, as if showing off a trophy, he slammed a silver portable hard drive onto the wooden table with a 'thud,' making a crisp sound.

"Where's the captain?"

He deliberately raised his voice, his eyes scanning the room, trying to find the figure who always stood ramrod straight and had an upright expression.

"The old guy you wanted has been packed up and stuffed into this little gadget... Although I think the idea is terrible, I'm just a nobody right now."

His words echoed in the empty room, but he did not receive the expected response.

No one responded to him. Nor did anyone show any interest in his 'achievements'.

No one even looked at the hard drive he slammed on the table.

Everyone's expression seemed frozen in a deep sorrow.

Tony Stark's smile faded, his brow furrowed, and his unease grew stronger.

"What's wrong with you?"

His voice unconsciously lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension, "Where's the captain? Why isn't he here?"

The room fell into a deathly silence; it seemed everyone was avoiding the question.

A moment later, Black Widow, her eyes reddening, choked up as she raised her head and said in a barely audible voice, "Tony, Captain... he's been assassinated!"

Those few words seemed to have used up all her strength.

"What did you say?!" Tony Stark sprang up from his chair as if struck by lightning, the chair legs scraping loudly against the floor.

His face instantly contorted with absurdity and disbelief, and his voice rose several octaves, filled with the rage of being mocked: "Natasha, this joke isn't funny at all, it's absolutely awful!"

"Rogers is a super soldier, a monster who can survive being frozen in an ice cave for seventy years at sub-zero temperatures. How could he possibly be assassinated? Tell me, who could assassinate him?!"

He waved his arms excitedly, trying to deny the terrible news with exaggerated gestures and tone.

However, his response was not a rebuttal from Black Widow, but rather an uncontrollable breakdown and sobbing.

She covered her face, her shoulders trembling violently, tears streaming down her face through her fingers.

Seeing this, Laura, who had been suppressing her sobs, finally broke down.

At that moment, the color drained from Tony Stark's face at a visible speed.

Looking at the grief-stricken people before him, and seeing Hawkeye turn around with a heavy, sorrowful look in his eyes, he finally realized one thing: Black Widow wasn't joking with him.

A chilling coldness instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Tony Stark frantically pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling so much they almost wouldn't obey him. He then growled hoarsely at his AI assistant:

"[Friday], immediately search for all news related to Steve Rogers and [Captain America]..."

“Okay, boss.” Friday’s voice rang out.

The next second, a series of news notifications popped up on Tony Stark's phone screen.

The headlines of each item are shocking:
"Shocking! Captain America was assassinated in front of the Supreme Court!"

"A tragedy of the century! Heroes shed their blood..."

"【Daily Horn】Exclusive Live Broadcast: Recording Captain Rogers' Final Moments..."

The identity of the mysterious gunman remains a mystery, and the police and S.H.I.E.L.D. are engaged in a full-scale manhunt for him...

The top trending topic, followed by a bright red "hot" character, is the link to the live stream of [Horn Daily].

Tony Stark's fingers clicked the link with incredible stiffness.

The screen on the phone changed, and a high-definition video that was playing on a loop appeared.

The scene shows the solemn and majestic Supreme Court. Captain America, wearing his iconic Stars and Stripes combat suit, is walking through the crowd toward the steps in front of the courthouse, accompanied by several members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. special forces.

Captain America's expression was very calm, even somewhat composed.

The sunlight shone on his golden hair, as if gilding it with a halo.

Then, without warning, Captain America's body suddenly leaned back, and a dazzling flower of blood burst open on his chest.

His tall body fell straight backward like a felled tree, landing on the cold steps, where he remained motionless.

Then the camera began to shake wildly and zoomed in rapidly, precisely capturing Captain America's face as he rapidly lost his life, and the pool of dark red blood spreading rapidly across his chest... Immediately afterwards, the scene switched again to a gunfight on a distant street corner.

A burly figure, dressed in black tactical gear, with shoulder-length short hair and a silver-white metal arm, was seen exchanging fire with a group of bailiffs who were surrounding the courthouse with astonishing speed and accurate marksmanship. Finally, he disappeared into the chaotic crowd like a ghost...

Tony Stark stared blankly at the screen, as if he had been petrified.

The phone slipped limply from his hand and fell to the floor with a 'thud,' its thin, paper-like LCD screen shattering instantly, mirroring his current mood.

His eyes were wide open, his mind replaying the final, gruesome image of Captain America lying in a pool of blood on the screen.

His eyes quickly turned red, and blood vessels spread out visibly like a spider web.

After a few seconds of deathly silence.

"Why……"

A roar, like that of a wounded beast, filled with endless pain and rage, erupted from the depths of Tony Stark's throat.

He slammed his fist on the wooden dining table beside him with a loud thud, then whirled around, his eyes bloodshot like a volcano about to erupt. His gaze swept across everyone in the room with a furious, piercing intensity, his voice distorted with extreme rage: "Who the hell can tell me? What the hell is going on?!"

"Why is Rogers suddenly at the Supreme Court? And why did he surrender to S.H.I.E.L.D.? And who is that son of a bitch who shot him in the back?!"

His roar echoed in the room, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

Black Widow, suppressing her grief, wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Her voice was still choked with emotion, but she tried her best to keep the narrative coherent:
“Tony, while you were away in New Jersey copying Arnim Zola’s consciousness data… the captain and I secretly went to Washington… and successfully extracted some useful information from Sitwell…”

She then recounted, in fits and starts, how they had forced the truth about Project Insight into them, and how Captain America, unable to bear seeing millions of innocent people slaughtered by the three Helicopters, decided to take the risk alone and personally take Sitwell to S.H.I.E.L.D. to 'confess' to Alexander Pierce, hoping to successfully stop it all.

"...Later, news of Captain America's arrest was broken by the Daily Bugle, which quickly sparked strong public reactions and protests. Under pressure from President Ellis and Secretary of State Ross, S.H.I.E.L.D....or rather, Alexander Pierce had to compromise and decide to hold a public trial for Captain America in the Supreme Court."

“Originally, we…we all thought this might be a good turning point…but who would have thought that the captain would be assassinated outside the Supreme Court…”

Black Widow's voice was interrupted by crying again, making it impossible for her to continue.

(End of this chapter)