Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1092 (Second Update)

Heinrich Zemo smiled and handed over his employee badge, allowing the security personnel to conduct a routine check on him.

Just as he had guessed, the underground facility had extremely lax security procedures due to its lack of threats over the years. Even though all the security personnel were professionals, the repetitive nature of their work over the years could wear down a person's will. After clocking in with his work badge and undergoing metal scanning, Zemo passed through security without any trouble. Based on a psychological analysis document from somewhere within the organization, marked with the name of the FBI's Human Resources Department, he meticulously imitated the somewhat obsessive-compulsive and socially awkward behavior of the criminal psychology expert from the FBI's Crime, Cyber, Response, and Services Department whom he had shot dead in the bathtub. For example, when making eye contact with others, he would first lower his head and show a somewhat shy expression, then ramble on about the psychological characteristics of the criminal he had encountered this time, and tell the staff guiding him and the German person in charge of the case about the strange criminal psychology incidents he had encountered in the past, without paying any attention to their impatient expressions.

He spent three hours studying criminal psychology textbooks and browsing crime news online, all to ensure he wouldn't give himself away when discussing the matter. This job was just a formality; even if he made a mistake, no one would notice unless they were a professional. All the German professionals were excluded from this assignment, and the agent assigned to work with him wouldn't have time to verify his identity even if he sensed something was amiss. As Zemo muttered to himself, he followed the agent down the elevator to the underground, repeatedly replaying his escape route in his mind.

Now he has finally seen his goal: to destroy the lever that makes up the superhero skyscraper.

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"You've been in contact with him, haven't you! What did he say to you?" Tony Stark spat out the words through gritted teeth. He tried to hide them from the listening devices. "He's an enemy of the world now! Do you know the atrocities he's committed, huh? The Albanian genocide, his army burned civilians armed and hiding in bunkers alive with flamethrowers! To destroy religion, he didn't hesitate to drive believers out of churches, then shelled centuries-old churches with tanks, letting those who refused to renounce their faith be crushed to death by the rubble! He even forced an entire village to abandon their religion; the guerrillas who refused to be oppressed were driven into a valley by his super soldiers, who then carried out a genocidal massacre using poison gas, thermobaric weapons, and other weapons! I used to have some faith in his ideology, but now it seems he's just a madman!"

"I never expected to hear such words from you."

"I shut down the weapons development department, and that was a long time ago. You know why I did it!" Tony Stark said breathlessly. "I've changed, Steve. Do you still see me as just an arms dealer?"

“What if I told you that those so-called Albanian civilians were a coalition of Albanian gangs involved in human trafficking, arms dealing, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking, fighting against the military and police? What if I told you that those believers hiding in churches and those who formed guerrilla groups had all participated in wars with Middle Eastern jihadists and in far more horrific terrorist attacks?” Steve Rogers looked Tony Stark into the eyes. “I haven’t missed a thing while I’ve been here, Stark.”

“Agent Romanov, she’s been in contact with that guy too, hasn’t she? Hey! Turn the air conditioning down, it’s summer!” Tony Stark scratched his neck irritably. He scratched so hard that his fingernails were red. “No matter what, his actions have crossed the line of what human society can tolerate. Even if his previous actions were justified, look at what he’s done now. We see in the news that he’s killed foreign billionaires, university professors, journalists, and protesters! These are all innocent people! He’s destroying and destroying the freedom of this world!”

"What you see here is violence and slaughter; what I see is security in the Balkans. There will be no more girls from Tirana (the capital of Albania) being kidnapped and sold to Western Europe; no more ordinary people being forced at gunpoint to film torture videos; no more fanatical religious lunatics fooling children; no more drug dealers selling mind-destroying drugs. While I don't entirely condone his actions, this is war, a war to create order. People always die in war; it's either you or me," Steve Rogers said calmly. "Don't tell me the United States didn't commit atrocities in its pursuit of so-called democracy. The first book I read after waking up was about that war that promoted democracy and deceived American soldiers, and you were involved and made a fortune from it."

Tony Stark stared in disbelief, leaning back in his chair. "I never expected to hear something like this from you," he retorted, repeating the same words verbatim. "Have you been brainwashed? Let me tell you, I'm about to become Secretary of Defense, and under my control, the United States will not wage war abroad. I can solve this problem, but I can't solve him. He's too powerful. I need you! I need a united Avengers!"

“I didn’t grow up in this entertainment-obsessed society, Stark. I grew up in the shadow of war. Perhaps the United States won’t wage war abroad after you become Secretary of Defense, but…” Steve Rogers pointed to the thick agreement, “This is also war, and it’s even more brutal. It’s a sword of judgment that only a few countries can wield. Once we sign the agreement, we become a sword in someone else’s hands.”

"What you say may have a point, but such a thing could never happen under my control."

“You’re always so confident, Stark. The last time you were this confident, it led to the destruction of Sokovia,” Steve Rogers said. “He promised to wage a war for justice and righteousness, and he has done it. I know you can’t understand what it feels like to wake up and find that everything you believed in has collapsed, Stark, but nothing makes me more trustworthy than him and Bucky. Since it’s war anyway, I choose to stand on the side of justice.”

"He's lying to you!" Tony Stark finally snapped, roaring. He realized with dismay that all his efforts had been in vain; no one was willing to listen to him, everyone was blindly charging headlong down their own perceived right path. "Why?" He loosened his tie and slammed his clenched fist against the fiberglass table. "Why do you all think you're right and I'm wrong! You know I'm doing this for your own good!"

“I will stop him and correct his behavior.” Steve Rogers stood up, looking down at his old friend. “That’s what he told me. He said he needs me to uphold justice, and I believe he will change.”

"You're not leaving here! There's a whole federal command task force waiting for you outside!" Tony Stark was both anxious and furious, wishing he could punch Steve Rogers in the face. "They'll kill you, do you understand? That's what Ross wants, he wants to kill you!"

"I know," Steve Rogers nodded calmly, "which is why I need help."

"You hopeless idiot!"

A muffled explosion echoed faintly in the air, and the lights in the command center flickered incessantly. Steve Rogers instinctively glanced at the screen he had been watching. In the last image before the screen went dark, he was astonished to see his good friend Bucky Barnes break free of his restraints, frantically smashing the temporary prison made of tempered glass and high-strength alloy with his mechanical arm. As the entire facility plunged into complete darkness, silence followed, but explosions outside continued to erupt one after another.

Tony Stark looked at Steve with a complicated expression, then took a few steps back. "Is this what you prepared?"

"No, absolutely not!" Steve Rogers exclaimed in horror. He didn't know what had happened, nor why Bucky, who had seemingly lost the will to fight, had suddenly erupted. "Something's wrong with Bucky. I have to stop him. I won't let him hurt anyone!"

"I trust you. Put on the headset." Tony Stark hesitated for a moment, then tossed him a miniature headset. "I'll give you directions on Friday."

"What about the task force at the gate?"

"They should be heading underground. If you want to save Barnes' life, you'd better leave now."

Tony Stark was right; the Joint Command task force had already reached the floor where the Winter Soldier was being held via the stairs when the explosion occurred. When they finally arrived, they found all the red emergency lights in the corridor were out, and even the few tactical flashlights hanging on their rifles had malfunctioned—without exception. Supporting their teammates' shoulders and carrying their weapons, the task force cautiously entered the dark corridor, extremely vigilant and prepared for any sudden enemy attack. Because of the mission requirements, none of them had carried night vision goggles; instead, they had carried grenade launchers—a decision that now seemed utterly ill-considered.

"Stop," the captain said softly. "Something's not right." As soon as he finished speaking, they heard the heavy sound of mechanical respirators and heavy footsteps coming from the other end of the passage.

In the dark and deep passage, a blood-red light suddenly appeared, illuminating the dark figure shrouded in a black robe who was holding it.

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(End of this chapter)