Pancho Bar

Pancho Bar is very similar to the bar that Henry once owned in Alaska, and the bar that Old John owned.

It has a typical small-town bar atmosphere, providing a social venue for nearby residents for the night. There's nothing weird like prostitution or gang activity.

A pool table and a jukebox are common amenities in bars.

What's particularly interesting is that there's an arcade machine for "Street Fighter II" here. Although it's a product from 1991, considering that United States are usually a step behind in accepting Japan entertainment, this timing just happened to coincide with the time when "Street Fighter II" was all the rage in the United States.

However, the presence of an arcade machine in the town's bar proves that the clientele is relatively young. In Old John's bar in Alaska, even a pinball machine might not attract many older men.

Inside the bar, apart from one wall decorated with a beautiful neon sign, the other empty walls are covered with photos provided by customers.

The photos included landscape shots, pictures of the bar owner and his customers on outings, and pictures of military weapons.

The last type, in particular, suggests that the bar owner might be a redneck or someone with similar tendencies. At least not an anti-war hippie, otherwise they wouldn't be displaying photos of weapons.

This stance isn't hard to understand. The victory in the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s made United States feel unprecedentedly powerful. A fascination with or even worship of military weaponry is commonplace.

The anti-war sentiment of the hippies was actually rooted in the quagmire of the Vietnam War, which claimed the lives of countless young United States and crushed their spirits. Fearing forced conscription and deployment to the battlefield, the surviving young people naturally vehemently opposed it.

Just like the common theory of morale, when the wind is blowing in your favor, everyone is like a wolf or a tiger; when the wind is blowing in your disadvantage, everyone flees like a mouse.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" The bar owner came out from the lounge.

Nick Fury glanced around and asked, "Was there a lady at your bar today? Around 5 or 7 pm, shoulder-length blonde hair. She said some weird things, like Kree and Starforce."

"There is no such person, sir," the bar owner replied honestly.

"Looks like we're getting ahead," Nick Fury guessed. He turned to the other two and said, "Bobbie, you and Henry stay in the car outside. I'll handle things here."

"I can stay too," Barbara said, but Henry interrupted, "Okay, I'll go back to the car to take care of Kitty. If anything happens, as long as you're not killed immediately, I should be able to get help."

"Oh, that's a really reassuring statement," Blacknick Nick Fury quipped sarcastically.

Henry didn't retort; instead, he turned and walked away after finishing his sentence.

Barbara Morse, left behind, looked around, somewhat bewildered. It was only after Nick Fury waved that the girl decided to follow him out.

Unlike before, Barbara didn't get into Nick Fury's car; instead, she climbed into Henry's. The daring man was in the driver's seat, stroking the tiger's head that stretched from the back seat to the front. Kitty comfortably opened her eyes, stretching her neck to enjoy it.

Barbara, sitting in the passenger seat, said with slight anger, "Why don't you stay inside? What If...? a conflict breaks out, will we be able to get back in time?"

"A little psychology goes a long way; the larger party can easily put pressure on the smaller party. This is not conducive to negotiation. Nick Fury felt he had a way to communicate with the other party instead of creating conflict, so he didn't want to exert too much pressure."

"Is that so?"

"Otherwise, why do you think I would come out? Would I be afraid of a conflict?" Henry laughed.

"By the time the S.H.I.E.L.D.. assault team arrived, you had already escaped."

"What else can I do but run? It's obviously a trap. Should I fight back, or just let myself be captured? Oh, they've issued a kill order. So should I stay put and let them run out of bullets before giving up and going home?"

A wronged Barbara pouted and said, "That's not what I meant."

"I'm not trying to blame you, Bobbie. It's just that when you choose to collaborate, you should give your partner time and space to get their job done, instead of trying to take on everything yourself or worrying that others will mess things up and insisting on participating yourself."

"But—." Barbara tried to speak, but Henry pressed his finger to her lips and then held it to his own.

Shh, it sounds like someone's coming. Be quiet.

Barbara, who was listening intently, also heard a deep, resonant exhaust note, like that of a motorcycle engine, approaching from afar.

The old car the two were in was separated from the bar entrance by a Nick Fury car, so there was no need to worry about them being seen. Unless the lady carefully checked the surroundings after getting out of the car.

As a motorcycle drove up and stopped in front of the bar, Henry and Barbara both saw the woman on it, just like the one Nick Fury had described.

Is her outfit a bit too youthful? The leather jacket and jeans are fairly normal casual style, and the T-shirt underneath is also quite ordinary. But the shirt tied around her waist makes her look like a teenager deliberately trying to appear rebellious.

As for his face, it certainly doesn't resemble that of actress Brie Larson. Although he also has a relatively prominent jawline, it's not to the point of being square-faced.

Her face doesn't belong to the type of woman who is weak and pitiful, but rather possesses a natural air of heroism, like those women who are outstanding in ability and full of confidence.

However, beneath that once dashing and heroic demeanor lies a discordant shadow. A corner of her shrouded past has been lifted on this backward planet. She herself doesn't know what she will uncover if she continues her investigation.

However, judging from her actions after parking the car—not doing much of a check, just casually looking around before entering the bar—this woman's behavior is somewhat careless.

Warrior type, straightforward, easily fooled.

This was the impression Henry got from this woman in just a few glances. There was no need to recall his memories before time travel to know what kind of personality Captain Marvel had.

It would be great What If...? it were the Original Ms. Marvel from the comics.

However, it now seems that the one is closer to the movie version.

Barbara remained huddled in the passenger seat until she saw the target enter the bar, at which point she sat up straight again. "Should we eavesdrop on their conversation? Or keep watch from the window?"

Henry was speechless for a moment. "If someone stands by the window and keeps looking inside, those who don't know there's a ghost are probably not very bright. Did you really need to remind them like that?"

"Fine, fine, I won't go then." Barbara puffed out her cheeks, pouted, and slumped over in dissatisfaction, as if she were sulking.

In fact, Henry had already used his Super Hearing to listen to what was happening inside the bar.