Early 1944.
The Hydra organization that had ravaged Europe was completely surrounded and annihilated. Its founder, Schmidt, was brought to justice by Kyle and Steve and was declared dead on the spot.
The news of this crucial victory reached the United States, instantly sparking grand nationwide celebrations. Countless soldiers in hospitals or returned from the battlefield to their bases gathered together, raising their glasses in joyous celebration.
"To victory! To Major Kyle and Captain Steve!"
"To the heroes! May the world welcome peace soon..."
Countless bars in major cities echoed with such cheers throughout the night.
That same month, deprived of its manufacturing plants, the German army was severely weakened and began withdrawing from the front lines on a massive scale. This became a major sign foreshadowing Germany's surrender not long afterward.
Yet amid the jubilant atmosphere following the great victory in the Western European war, the two heroes at its center—Kyle and Steve—vanished like the final sparks trailing behind the fireworks of battle.
Although Lieutenant Steve had made contact with the American military base through a communicator aboard the enemy's out-of-control aircraft, the signal soon cut off. He only left behind a broken transmission: "I'll sink the out-of-control aircraft into the Atlantic. It cannot be allowed to enter New York."
As for Major Kyle, he seemed to have disappeared completely along with that out-of-control aircraft, without a trace or a word.
Half a month later.
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean, the warm early morning sunlight spilled over the sea, coating the emerald waves and spray with layers of gleaming golden edges.
A modern white two-deck sailboat drifted slowly across the ocean, floating like a small leaf guided by the waves and sea breeze.
On the open deck of the sailboat's lower level, a blond young man wearing sunglasses lounged lazily in a sun chair, his hands tucked behind his head, looking especially relaxed and at ease.
He wore only a pair of swim trunks, his bare torso displaying perfect abdominal muscles forged like steel as he let the sunlight bathe his strong, flawless body.
Beside the sun chair, on a round table with a small parasol, a creature shaped like black liquid wriggled about, seemingly exceptionally displeased by the scorching weather.
"It's been a long time since I relaxed like this." Kyle, lying on the sun chair, could not help sighing.
Ever since he had been reborn into the Marvel world during World War II, the past few months had been filled with endless warfare. Even with the extraordinary physique of a Super Soldier, his body had to remain in a highly alert combat state at all times.
An energy laser from nowhere, a high-explosive grenade, sniper fire, artillery bombardment, or even indiscriminate carpet bombing from bombers could send him straight to heaven.
Having remained in such a harsh wartime environment for so long, even when Kyle entered deep sleep during his rest, if someone suddenly approached his bedside, his body would instinctively react and subdue them before he even woke up.
Fury and Steve, even Carter, had all suffered because of this.
"Thinking about it now, would it have been better if I'd simply followed Brandt's suggestion, left the military, returned to New York, and lived as an ordinary civilian?"
The thought merely flashed through Kyle's mind, and he did not dwell on it.
With the Card Draw Ability, if he truly cowered away in a seemingly safe city, even he would look down on himself.
Rather than spend his entire life worrying about potential dangers in the future, he would rather take the perilous path where opportunities and dangers coexisted, constantly strengthening himself and raising his status and reputation until he feared no enemy.
If he had not joined the war on the front lines, where would he have obtained so many free materials to draw? If he had not fought alongside Steve, how could he have acquired the Super Soldier ability?
That was Kyle's true conviction. Rather than calling him a hero fighting for America, it was more accurate to call him a warrior fighting for his own future.
Moreover, gaining the sincere friendship of Steve, Joseph, Fury, Howard, Carter, and the others throughout this process was another thing that greatly comforted him.
As Kyle let his thoughts wander, a clear eagle cry suddenly rang out from the sky. Immediately afterward, the shadow cast by enormous wings completely enveloped the sailboat.
"Back already..." Kyle sat up from the sun chair and watched Blue Eagle descend near the sea surface. Its constantly flapping wings churned the waves with such force that they tossed up sprays of water.
Kyle asked Blue Eagle, "Well? Did you find any trace?"
"Chirp!"
Blue Eagle gave a soft cry and shook its head from side to side in a humanlike manner.
Kyle frowned and waved a hand to the side. "Continue conducting a detailed search of the waters within twenty miles in this direction."
Blue Eagle nodded with its sharp beak, flapped its wings, and shot straight into the sky, soon disappearing into the clouds overhead.
After Steve had flown away in the out-of-control aircraft, Kyle had sent Blue Eagle—after it returned from dealing with the Nuclear Bomb Plane—to search for the aircraft's trail. Unfortunately, after half a month, there was still not the slightest clue.
The Atlantic was vast and boundless. If things followed the original movie plot and the aircraft had frozen at the bottom of the sea, finding it would be like looking for a needle in the ocean.
"Looks like I can only give up." Kyle sighed. Just as he was preparing to consider the journey back to the military base, a faint dark shadow surfaced beneath the water beside the sailboat.
Splash!
A great white shark suddenly leaped from the sea, exposing half its body. It circled through the water beside the sailboat, nodding at Kyle and blowing bubbles as if seeking credit.
Kyle's heart jolted. Looking at the nearby great white shark, he raised his voice in confirmation. "You really found it?"
The great white shark leaped from the sea again and slapped the water, using the gesture as its answer.
"Venom, go with Little Sand and retrieve that thing." After pondering for a moment, Kyle turned his gaze toward the languid Venom on the table.
Gurgle, gurgle—
Venom, somewhat uninterested, transformed into countless black threads and bounced off the table. It truly had no interest in bonding with an animal as weak and unintelligent as a shark, but since it was Kyle's command, it could only obey.
The strands of black liquid wrapped around the great white shark in the sea, quickly covering its entire body. It was as if it had gained a tough, dark layer of keratinous armor. Even the shark's eyes turned crimson, and the teeth in its open maw became increasingly ferocious and terrifying.
With Venom possessing the great white shark, it naturally took control of its body.
"Go and come back quickly. Oh, and don't touch that thing directly with your body." After thinking it over, Kyle wedged two wooden boards between Venom Shark's teeth. "Clamp it between these and bring it up."
Venom Shark flicked its tail and rapidly dove into the sea.
Not long afterward, ripples appeared on the sea surface again as it emerged. At the same time, dazzling blue light gradually illuminated the seawater.
Venom Shark poked its head above the water, and Kyle's gaze immediately fell upon its mouth. Clamped between the two wooden boards was a square blue luminous cube, containing faint strands of mysterious, wondrous energy.
The Tesseract!
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