"That's not you, Bucky!" Steve stood up excitedly, "That's Hydra! You are being controlled, you are not the murderer!"
"But the finger that pulled the trigger is mine." Bucky looked at his metal arm and said coldly.
The atmosphere was tense.
Steve looked pained and helpless. He had just found his best friend and didn't want him to wander anymore.
Homelander looked at these two people, thinking in his mind.
Bucky's current state is indeed unstable. If he stays in VGD, one day he might have a stress reaction and kill the students, which would become a public relations disaster.
"Okay."
Homelander suddenly shrugged, with a helpless smile on his face that said, "There's nothing I can do about you."
"Since you want to seek salvation so much, I can't stop you."
He turned to look at Steve.
"Captain."
"Here." Steve straightened his back subconsciously.
"I'll give you a long-term field assignment."
"Follow him." Homelander pointed at Bucky, "Since he is the person we want, we can't let him run around like a homeless person outside."
"Go and accompany him to find those damn memories, and go over those old accounts of Hydra."
Steve was stunned. He was still struggling with how to ask for leave, but he is the chief instructor of VGD and now is the busiest time.
Unexpectedly...
"Anthony..." Steve was a little moved, "This... this is against the rules."
"My rules are rules."
Homelander stood up and walked to Bucky.
"Listen, Sergeant Barnes."
"You can wander, redeem your sins, and do whatever you want."
"But remember one thing."
Homelander stretched out his hand and pointed at the dim lamp above his head.
"...Steve belongs here, and there will always be a light left here for you."
Bucky looked at Homelander, and there was a slight fluctuation in the eyes that had always been full of vigilance.
He was silent for a long time, then nodded.
"Thank you."
Homelander turned to Steve again, speaking like a commander.
"As for you, Steve. Bucky is my appointed employee."
"How you took him out, you have to bring him back to me."
"Understand?"
Steve also cooperated and solemnly saluted with a military salute.
"Understood! Sir!"
He knew that Homelander was protecting his dignity and fulfilling his selfishness.
In this world where interests are paramount, this favor is so rare.
"Ding! Harvest Special Popularity Points + 5000! (from Steve·Rogers)"
"Ding! Harvest Special Popularity Points + 5000! (from James·Barnes)"
Homelander Listening to the reminder sound in his mind, he turned around and left with satisfaction.
"Don't be too sensational. I'll be waiting for your reimbursement form in the office."
Waving his hands to the two of them, Homelander disappeared at the door of the cafeteria.
Somewhere in an unknown mountainous area.
This is one of Nick Fury's many "safe houses".
It is said to be a safe house, but it is actually a luxurious villa built on the basis of a Cold War-era air raid shelter.
The thick lead plate layer can isolate all radiation and scanning. The independent ecological cycle system is enough to maintain survival for several years. There are even hundreds of bottles of fine red wine hidden in the wine cellar.
"Click."
The airtight door opens. The entire smart home system starts automatically, soft lights turn on, a warm flame ignites in the fireplace, and even soothing jazz music flows in the air.
Clint·Barton walked in carrying a bow and arrows and two huge tactical backpacks.
He looked around, looking at the open kitchen that was larger than his living room, and couldn't help but whistle.
"Wow."
Barton threw his backpack on the ground, sat down on the expensive-looking sofa and tried the elasticity.
"Seriously, boss." He looked at Fury who was making coffee in the kitchen, "If you have a place like this, why did we eat compressed biscuits in that mouse hole before?
"Cunning Rabbit Three Caves, Barton."
Fury came over with two cups of coffee, "That air raid shelter is used to avoid regular tracking. And here..."
He pointed to the top of his head.
"... It's used to avoid 'Eye of God'."
Barton sat up straight, "You mean Insight Satellite?"
"That's right." Fury's face darkened, and there was deep worry in his single eye, "Our names are definitely in the top ten of the elimination list."
Fury took a sip of coffee, and the bitter taste spread in his mouth.
"So, we have to be prepared to lurk for a long time.
"Long term?" Barton keenly captured the keyword.
"That's right."
Fury put down the wine glass and frowned.
"Our name is definitely at the top of Project Insight's removal list."
"Although Helicarrier has not fired yet, as long as the satellites in the sky are still rotating, as long as the algorithm is still running..."
Fury pointed to the sky.
"... Now that we are walking on the street, it can even see the hands on our watches clearly. As long as it shows its head, within a minute, there will be several rounds of bullets that will beat us to a pulp."
"So, Clint."
Fury turned around with a serious expression.
"Be mentally prepared. We may have to stay here for a long time. Until we find an opportunity to completely destroy the insight system."
Clint·Barton's hand holding the coffee cup froze.
His face instantly turned ugly.
"How long? How long?"
"How many months? How many years?"
Barton stood up and paced anxiously in the living room.
"Boss, you know I have a family. Laura... and children. Cooper's math scores have just improved a bit, and Lila's ballet performance will be next month..."
"And the tractor on the farm hasn't been repaired yet. If I don't go back, that season's corn production will be completely ruined."
"This is for their safety!" Fury's voice rose a few degrees, "If you go back now, you will only lead Hydra to your door! Do you want Laura and the children to watch you get shot in the head?!"
Barton was silent, sat back on the sofa, and drank all the coffee in the cup in one breath.
"Damn Pierce... damn Hydra..."
In this depressing atmosphere.
"Dip--dip--dip--"
The encrypted communicator placed on the table suddenly rang.
Fury looked stern, immediately picked up the communicator and plugged in the decryption key.
"It's me."
There was a noisy sound of electricity coming from the other end of the communicator, followed by a voice that had been modified.
"Fury..."
"Go straight to the point." Fury said in a deep voice.
"Just now, Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to activate the emergency takeover clause."
"The control of the three Helicarrier, as well as the command of the entire insight system... have all been handed over to Vought International."
"Now, those ships don't listen to Pierce. Their current manager is...Homelander."
"What?!"
Fury's hand shook and he almost dropped the communicator.
"Vought? Homelander?!"
"What's wrong?" Barton noticed something was wrong, "Hydra called?"
"No..."
Fury slowly raised his head and looked at Barton, his tone a little erratic.
"It's more... outrageous than that."
"Inside information. Security Council just passed the resolution."
Fury paused, as if trying to digest this huge amount of information.
"Project Insight... was handed over."
"Transfer?" Barton was stunned, "To whom? The military?"
"To Vought." Fury threw the communicator to Barton, "Full transfer. Those three motherships are now named Starr."
"Wait... if the mothership belongs to Vought, does that mean... no one will use it to kill us?"
"That's the theory." Fury frowned and paced back and forth in the living room, "Although Homelander is a bastard, he will not use such weapons of mass destruction to clean up."
"Then we are safe?" Barton jumped up directly, "Can I go home?"
"It's safe for now." Fury corrected, "The sword is still in someone else's hand."
Barton didn't care so much, he had already started packing his backpack.
"I'm going to call Laura! Tell her that the damn tractor was finally repaired!"
Looking at Hawkeye who looked relaxed, Fury had mixed feelings on his face.
Fortunately, tens of millions of lives were saved.
Worryingly...
Project Insight's cannon fire didn't fall, and Hydra didn't expose its fangs."
Fury sighed secretly in his heart.
"I have no evidence to prove my innocence."
"In the eyes of the world, I am still the 'S.H.I.E.L.D. Shuo Mouse' who embezzled public funds and colluded with terrorists."
Fury picked up the coffee and took a big sip.
It's so fucking painful.