Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1097 (First Update)

Sharon Carter had been waiting for a long time in a secluded underpass in the countryside outside Berlin.

From afar, she saw Steve Rogers slowly approaching in a beat-up old car. The car was barely big enough for two adult men, let alone the driver's seat. The other two passengers were crammed together awkwardly, and although she couldn't hear what they were saying, Sharon Carter was certain they were blaming each other. Upon arrival, Sam, sitting in the passenger seat, eagerly jumped out, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "You told me you knew some people, but you didn't tell me I knew this person too," Sam Wilson said, hands on his hips, looking at Sharon Carter standing before him. "I didn't expect you to help us, Ms. Carter. Aren't you with the CIA?"

"While I work for the CIA, that doesn't mean I'll stand idly by. Besides, the CIA isn't monolithic; factional struggles for the black market happen every day. Even a Hydra attack on Langley headquarters wouldn't unite those bureaucrats. If you want to hear it, I can tell you about the dirty work the CIA has done, enough to keep you up at night." Sharon Carter opened the trunk of her car. "Your birdman suit and Captain's shield—that's all I can do for you."

"It's not a bird costume," Sam Wilson protested.

"That's enough." Steve Rogers picked up the shield, trying to regain his feel for it.

In fact, it was Sharon Carter who contacted him first; otherwise, he would never have known that Peggy Carter's niece would help them steal equipment. As for where she got the contact information, only Natasha Romanoff could have given it to her. During the Vienna bombing, it was Sharon Carter who gave Steve clues about Bucky. Now that she has betrayed the CIA, the consequences will certainly not be as easy as she makes it out to be; she might even face a warrant for arrest and assassination.

"I owe you another favor."

"I remember everything." She gestured with her chin towards Bucky, who was still sitting in the back seat. "Take care of your own problems first."

Steve Rogers nodded and got back into his car.

Sharon Carter wasn't the only one contacting him; even Natasha Romanoff, who had already signed the Sokovia Accords, sent him a startling message via a secret communication channel: a modified Quinjet belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D. had been transported into Germany. All they had to do was travel south along Highway 9, passing through Fleming Natural Park and Bütelfeld-Wolfen, and then turn onto Highway 14 near Leipzig to reach Halle Airport. In just two hours, they could climb over the fence near the airport, where someone would meet them, and they could find the necessary transportation to leave Germany from the hangar.

More importantly, the Quinjet possessed the necessary clearance to enter Latvian airspace and land at a Latvian military airfield. Once aboard, he could simply fly southeast, passing through Czechoslovakia and Austria, and enter Latvian airspace, shaking off the pursuing German and American air forces. No European country dared to invade Latvian now, because the whole world knew how powerful the Latvian emperor was; the devastation on Wall Street served as a warning to all European nations.

Bucky told him that the fake doctor's destination was the Winter Soldiers in Siberia.

Regardless of what the fake doctor was up to, Steve Rogers intended to stop him and uncover the truth behind the Vienna bombing to clear Bucky's name. If the masters of Latvia were willing to help, they could reach Siberia even from halfway around the world, perhaps even faster—provided he agreed to stay in Latvia after this was over, helping the government maintain order, fight crime, and strive for a peaceful life for the people of Latvia. The masters of Latvia wouldn't refuse such a small favor as sending the three of them to Siberia. Moreover, Steve Rogers believed there was probably no better place in the world for Bucky to stay than Latvia. He knew that even if Bucky was exonerated, he would still be a Winter Soldier possessing Hydra secrets, and only there could he escape the pursuit of those who wanted him to reveal secrets, and avoid terrifying interrogations and torture.

Steve Rogers silently thanked Natasha Romanoff for her help, then started the car and drove onto Highway 9.

"Will Clint be our contact?" Sam Wilson asked anxiously as Steve Rogers recounted the entire escape plan. "Agent Romanoff told me she's brought over the man I found. I'm a little worried about whether that guy can be of any help; you know, Clint's very strict."

"That's because you don't understand him..."

Sharon Carter stood watching the three leave. Only after the beat-up car disappeared from sight onto the highway did she take out her prepaid phone and dial a number. A German legal consulting firm answered. Sharon Carter provided the client's information, and the operator transferred the call to a secret line. She was then given a long string of numbers. After memorizing them, she hung up, removed the SIM card, broke the phone, and drove away from the underpass—her story to Sam Wilson about the internal factional struggles within the CIA wasn't untrue. In fact, she had been carrying out CIA missions, including stealing the equipment and the methods used to execute them, all originating from the CIA. She simply didn't know who her superiors were or where the missions came from, but she was certain such missions wouldn't be registered for public scrutiny.

Similar covert operations are countless within the CIA. They are typically ordered directly by high-ranking officials and then delivered through clandestine channels to completely unsuspecting agents, who in turn manipulate informants to carry out the missions. All links are single-line communication, employing the strictest secrecy measures to prevent any possible leaks. All missions are untraceable; no one except the person issuing the mission knows what the combined objectives are. Now she has received the next steps for her mission. By following the predetermined procedure to decode, she can obtain the specific mission information—however, she skillfully begins the decryption in her mind, without needing paper, pen, or a computer. She is about to depart for Southeast Asia to carry out her mission; her next step is to establish a criminal organization there.

Upon receiving the news, Tony Stark immediately set off with his men.

Although the German police and Secretary of State Roth had a falling out, and the Foreign Ministry lodged a protest, German intelligence meticulously completed their work. They not only moved all the cargo from the passenger plane to the command center but also promised appropriate intelligence and logistical support. However, Tony Stark felt the Germans only agreed to this to get rid of them quickly; otherwise, accessing those supplies would normally take NATO and German bureaucrats at least a full day. Throughout the journey, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes kept asking about Steve Rogers, repeatedly confirming whether they were really going to fight Captain America—a World War II veteran, Steve Rogers, was an idol to almost all American soldiers, liked by many right-wing conservative voters, and was considered the best representative of American patriotism. Perhaps Generation Z didn't have many thoughts on this, but for patriotic soldiers born in the 8s and 90s, the thought of confronting Steve Rogers always made them feel uneasy, always made them feel like they had done something wrong, and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes was no exception.

"If we can, all we need to do is stop them," Tony Stark said confidently from the passenger seat of the Hummer. "As long as they don't resist, we won't have a conflict."

"But I don't think they'll just give up," Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes said frankly. He followed the lead vehicle of the convoy towards Leipzig, a city south of Berlin. They were now thirty kilometers away from Berlin, and the long convoy had attracted considerable attention from Berliners. "I've never heard of Steve Rogers surrendering to anyone, never."

“This time is different, Roddy,” Stark shook his head. Due to the congressional hearing, his Iron Man suit and Rhodes armor had to be temporarily held by US forces in Europe upon entry, as per the agreement. Although it was called "held," the two suits of armor were no more than a hundred meters away from them, currently in the troop transport truck behind them. “The Secretary of State will be there in person. Rogers will feel unprecedented pressure this time; it's not like on the battlefield. Secretary Ross has promised to add some safeguards to the agreement. No matter what Bucky Barnes does, he'll spend the rest of his life in a quiet sanatorium, not in prison. He knows what to choose; believe me, he's not stupid.”

"I'm not that optimistic," Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes said grimly. "I suggest you prepare yourself mentally."

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(End of this chapter)