Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1039, Section 1035: Steve Rogers's Desperate Gamble (First Update)

"Are you leaving?" Steve Rogers stared intently at the Sokovia Accords on the table, his face full of worry. His actions had not only failed to demonstrate the necessity of oversight, but also failed to elicit any information about the mastermind and motives behind Rumlow's Hydra remnants. He hadn't asked about it since entrusting Agent Maria Hill with the Ebola virus sample; he hadn't even inquired why a country like Nigeria possessed such an advanced virus laboratory. "I haven't heard your opinion on this agreement," he said. "I want to know everyone's thoughts."

“I know what you’re thinking, and I know what Stark’s thinking. It’s a tough choice because you’re both right. Stark’s worried about unregulated weapons, and you’re worried about weapons being used in the wrong places. If anyone can tell right from wrong, it’s definitely not me.” Natasha Romanoff shrugged. She’d picked up on something different from what Steve Rogers had said earlier, and she instinctively thought he might have been in contact with some dangerous person, because some of the things Steve Rogers had said could only have been said by that person. Even if he hadn’t told anyone, he was still a soldier without counter-surveillance skills, which was why she had caught a clue. “For me, the best thing is for the Avengers not to split up, but now it seems impossible. I used to be a spy, but now I have the Avengers family, and I’m powerless to change the family’s disintegration… Just think of me as a teenager facing my parents’ divorce. I’m planning to drive to New York to have some fun and see if I can find any news about Dr. Banner.”

She tried to downplay the impact of the incident by using lighthearted descriptions, a tactic that works for many people.

"Thank you, Xiaona."

"You're welcome." The red-haired female agent winked, put on her sunglasses, and donned her leather jacket. Just as she was about to leave the conference room, she suddenly turned back and said, "If you want to talk about that mission, I've found some evidence about that virus lab. I have a list of people who might be buyers for Rumlow."

"No need, I already have a general idea of ​​what happened."

Natasha Romanov nodded, left the meeting room, and zipped up her leather jacket as if to strangle herself with the collar. She hurried to the underground parking garage, found her private garage, started her modified motorcycle, and roared up the sloping concrete ramp out of the garage before turning right and heading towards New York. She wasn't as energetic as she appeared; that was just a facade—in fact, she hadn't slept all day. This trip to New York was to settle scores and find out what really happened. She always remembered she held a ship ticket in her hand, which was her reason for negotiating. As soon as she left, Steve Rogers reached for the Sokovia Accords on the table and flipped through it listlessly.

At Salomon's recommendation, he read numerous records and documents, in which he saw everything he had fought for as a joke. During the war, he could only act in stage plays and sell government bonds to prove himself. For the next 70 years, he became a teen idol, and everything seemed perfect. But making educational short films for teenagers had no effect. He witnessed firsthand how educated young people were sent to places they shouldn't have been to kill and be killed, while those who manipulated them drank the blood of Americans and Afghans, reaping unimaginable wealth.

Steve Rogers understood that he had to change; this was his last chance.

He would be declared a traitor, and neither Democratic nor Republican voters would support him. Only a small minority of clear-headed people would understand why he would do such a thing. From then on, the title of Captain America would represent shame, not glory. He would destroy the reputation he had built, and the White House would install a new person to replace him as "American hero" and continue to exploit patriotism—once you join the other system, you can only play by their rules, just like the plot of *The Matrix* that Sam recommended to him. This country does not allow anyone to escape the framework that continuously creates wealth for the upper class, and for this reason, it must constantly create a false sense of security and increasingly extreme political leanings. This is also why he is not optimistic about Tony Stark becoming Secretary of Defense. He, Steve Rogers, is now the provider of false security called Captain America and the Avengers, a pacifier and consumer product stuffed into the masses, a cultural symbol alienated by capitalism. The fact that the American people are happy to indulge in this false sense of security makes him feel extremely sad.

His only curiosity was why Salomon had so openly given him books that were taboo in America so many years ago. At that time, Salomon didn't know what kind of person he was, nor whether he would accept the ideas in the books, yet Salomon still did it, even showing no restraint in front of Nick Fury. Perhaps from the moment he met Salomon, his current actions had been orchestrated by the other man. He clearly remembered Salomon privately denouncing Nick Fury's use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. It was possible that Salomon had deliberately let him hear this, intentionally arousing his curiosity, drawing him to the evils of the Western bloc after the war, including directly taking him to Eastern Europe to participate in the war—all part of a plan.

But Steve Rogers still leans toward another possibility.

"Could it be... that he can see the future?" He had always been skeptical of this claim, even after knowing the other party's identity as a mage. But judging from Salomon's actions over the years, every plan seemed to echo certain future events. When others realized a crisis was approaching, they would be surprised to find that someone had already made preparations.

If he could see the future, it would explain why, after the Battle of New York, while everyone was jubilant, Salomon not only refused to stand in front of the camera and reveal his identity, but also showed disdain for Alexander Pierce, who held a high position at the time, and even slapped a senator. Salomon had long ago determined the path he would take; he understood the essence of the Avengers from the very beginning. This foresight still amazes Steve Rogers when he recalls it now.

Are people too foolish, or is he too clear-headed?

Steve Rogers was undecided, and after witnessing the devastation in Eastern Europe, he made an impulsive decision. He had no other choice; the blood-red shield was now in his room, and it was time to use it.

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Scattered, dim streetlights illuminated the garbage-strewn pavement. Old bicycles lay haphazardly on the sidewalk, their light blurring into the darkness. Only a few of the old, worn-out GG brand banner lights, which hadn't been replaced in years, were still working, barely allowing a glimpse of the faded, worn-out, fake smiles of washed-up celebrities in the night. The sounds of televisions streaming from windows mingled together, like flies buzzing on a garbage heap, forming a persistent, faint harmony on the street. The barking of dogs and the curses of drunkards from the alleyways, along with the occasional car rushing past and then fleeing in panic, all spoke of a dying neighborhood. Natasha Romanov knew this kind of neighborhood well. She didn't look down at the unchanging scene below, but instead looked up at the person standing on the steps.

"You gave Rogers a shield?"

"Yes, and the technology is advanced, with a directional ion shield."

Natasha Romanoff didn't find her target in the hotel room, but in a residential area of ​​Brooklyn, New York. The area was notoriously dangerous, but recently, the thugs who used to roam the streets had all vanished. First, a mysterious figure led a group of hardened criminals out to sea on a ship, then a serial killer nicknamed "The Punisher" swept through all the gang strongholds, and Brooklyn's safety level reached unprecedented heights; even the police dared to venture into the slums. All of this was thanks to the person Natasha Romanoff was talking to. But at the same time, he was also supporting New York's criminal activities; the evidence she found indicated that this man had intricate connections to the heads of New York's criminal organizations.

Salomon wore a crimson robe of holy relics, and a golden-winged eagle perched on the arm guard of his raised arm. His hands were equipped with sharp, massive claws, which gleamed in the yellowish-white moonlight filtering through the polluted air, making them look like weapons salvaged from some machine.

Natasha Romanov wasn't naive enough to think he was showing off his new equipment; she secretly wondered just how much blood that giant claw had spilled during the attack.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)