Pierce felt a thunderbolt strike on the Tianling Cap.
"Escrow?!"
He yelled into the phone, his voice broken with extreme anger.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s asset! Why do you give it to Vought?! To that third-rate actor wearing a cape?!"
"Watch your words, Pierce. You are now the Secretary-General of Security Council, not Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.." The director said coldly, "And Helicarrier is not the asset of S.H.I.E.L.D., it belongs to Security Council, and so does S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
"The handover procedure has been completed."
"Finish your work, Pierce."
"Du--du--du--"
The phone was hung up.
Pierce stood there blankly.
He looked out the window at the three giant ships hovering in the sky.
They're still there.
The muzzle is still ferocious.
But they no longer belong to him.
He spent decades and countless energy and financial resources to create this Sword of Damocles.
At the last second of unsheathing.
Was robbed.
And it was stolen legally and openly under the eyes of the whole world.
"Ho--ho--!"
Pierce couldn't take a breath. He clutched his chest, staggered back, and collapsed on the sofa.
"Vought...Homelander..."
Pierce gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.
"You robber... you despicable robber!!"
"Sir, please take care of yourself." Rumlow stepped forward and said with concern.
"Do you need me to call the doctor?"
"Get out!!"
Pierce roared angrily:
"Do you think you won?!"
"Do you think you can drive me away by getting a few broken ships?"
Pierce suddenly raised his head and looked at "Rumlow".
"We still have a trump card."
"As long as Hydra is still here, we have not lost!"
"Rumlow! You leave immediately. Go to Sokovia."
"Go to Baron Strucker, we need more power. We need the power to fight that golden retriever bastard!"
"Understood, sir."
Rumlow gave a standard Hydra military salute.
"Hail Hydra."
"Go... go..." Pierce waved his hand, as if he was about to die.
That night.
In the cafeteria of V.G.D. Base.
A unique "welcome party" is underway.
The long table is filled with pizza, burgers, fried chicken, as well as various cocktails and beers.
Bucky·Barnes, the once feared Winter Soldier, is currently wearing a cultural shirt with Homelander's mug shot printed on it, sitting in the corner.
Holding a piece of pizza in his left hand and a bottle of beer in his right hand, he stared blankly at the group of "superheroes" dancing around him.
"Hey! Ironhand dude!"
Pietro came over holding a wine glass.
"That arm of yours is so cool! Can you lend it to me? I want to make a video and send it to Twitter!"
Bucky glanced at him and said nothing.
"Wow! So cool!" Pietro shouted.
"Ignore that fool."
Jessica·Jones came over and placed a plate of plums in front of Bucky.
"Steve said you like this." She looked at Bucky, "Welcome to join. Although this is a school for troubled teenagers, everyone is in harmony."
Bucky looked at the plate of plums, picked up one, and took a bite.
The sweet and sour juice explodes in your mouth.
Time passed quickly, and the originally noisy party was coming to an end.
Most of the students had been helped back to the dormitory drunkenly, leaving only a few handymen clearing away the leftovers from the table.
In the corner, under the dim overhead light, the atmosphere seemed a bit solemn.
Bucky·Barnes sat there, the can of beer in his hand was empty, but he still held it in his hand.
He lowered his head and looked at his metal left arm, which was glowing with cold light. The mechanical fingers unconsciously scratched on the wooden table, making a slight friction sound.
"Duh, dunk, dunk."
The sound of leather boots on the cement floor broke the silence.
Homelander walked over, followed by Steve and Ashley.
Ashley is holding a stack of just printed documents in his hand.
"It seems that you are not very interested in young people's parties?"
Homelander pulled out a chair and Da Ma Jin Dao sat across from him.
"I'm thinking about something." Bucky's voice was unnatural. He hadn't spoken much in the past few decades.
"Stop thinking. The biggest trouble people have is thinking too much."
Homelander took the document from Ashley's hand and threw it on the table with a soft "pop" sound.
"This is a complete identity cleansing plan. It includes a new social security number, passport, and even a forged Harvard University diploma. As long as you sign on the last page, Winter Soldier James Barnes will completely disappear from this world, and you will have a new arm that will bleed."
Homelander pointed at the file, with a confident smile that could handle everything.
"From now on, you will be V. G. D.'s special instructor, or... you may want to be a superhero with a fan club. Vought can help you achieve it."
"Stay, Bucky."
Steve also answered eagerly and grabbed his arm tightly.
"It's safe here. Although Anthony likes to be pushy, he keeps his promises. Here, no one will brainwash you and no one will force you to do things you don't want to do. We can train new people together, just like in Brooklyn..."
Bucky raised his head, his gray-blue eyes were bloodshot, and there was deep confusion and pain.
He looked at Steve, then at Homelander, and slowly withdrew his hand.
"No, Steve."
Bucky shook his head, his voice was very soft but extremely firm.
"I can't stay here."
"Why?" Steve was anxious, "You have left Hydra..."
Bucky pointed at his temple, his eyes so hollow that it made people feel palpitating.
"I know I've done a lot of things. A lot of bad things. Some of the images will flash back to me when I'm sleeping, gunshots, screams, blood... but I don't know who it is, and I don't know why."
"I don't even... can't remember who you are, Steve." Bucky looked at Steve's expectant face and closed his eyes in pain, "I want to find it."
Bucky opened his eyes again, his gaze became sharp.
"I want to find my past. I want to know... how much debt I owe to the world."
"Do you want to get back the past?" Homelander leaned on the back of the chair and said calmly, "With all due respect, this is not a good idea."
"Sometimes, forgetting is a kind of kindness, Bucky."
Homelander's body leaned forward slightly, and his tone became meaningful.
"You know? The truth is often more hurtful than lies. Your current blankness may be a way of protecting yourself subconsciously."
"If you really dig up the buried past..." Homelander paused, his eyes swept over Steve vaguely, and then fell on Bucky again, "... you may find that some consequences are simply unbearable for you. It may even destroy the little thing you have now."
"I don't care."
Bucky met Homelander's gaze without flinching at all.
"If it's my sin, it's my sin."
"If I kill someone, I should face the victim's family. Not hide here and pretend to be a hero."
"I accept any consequences calmly. Even death!"