Can I Still Redeem Myself?

May, 1942!

Klausenburg, Germany!

Before 1938, this place was the Klausenburg of the Republic of Austria, but later, the unfortunate Austria was annexed by Germany, and it naturally became the German Klausenburg.

This was during World War II, almost three years after Germany's blitzkrieg against Poland, and Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries had been occupied by Germany.

The once-invincible Maginot Line was breached, and Italy, seizing the opportunity, joined forces with Germany to force France to surrender completely.

In September 1940, Germany began its massive bombing raids on London.

In July 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, drawing the America into World War II.

This marked a significant turning point in World War II, with the signing and release of the Atlantic Charter and the United Nations Joint Declaration, and the establishment of the World Anti-Fascist Alliance.

In early 1942, the German Army suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Moscow, with more than 500,000 dead and wounded, shattering the myth of invincibility.

When Russell appeared at the Klausenburg arsenal, he was completely bewildered. He was wearing a German uniform with a conspicuous badge on his left breast.

A skull with six curved tentacles!

Hydra!

One moment he's a well-rounded socialist youth with good looks, wealth, talent, and character, the next he's a ruthless Hydra. Russell finds it unacceptable. If he had to point out any redeeming quality of this identity, it would probably be just one thing... knowing which world he's in.

Marvel Universe!

It's just unclear whether it's a comic book world or a movie world. Movies would be better, comics are too much to handle. But if it's a movie, will it be a standalone "Captain America: The First Avenger" or a super long prequel to "Thanos Saga"?

The reason this place is considered to be "Captain America: The First Avenger" is because Russell met John Schmidt, the leader of Hydra, known as "Red Skull".

At this point, Schmidt had already been injected with the Super Soldier Serum. He usually wore a human skin to hide his handsome true face. This guy had a remarkable personality, and his words and actions had the demeanor of a medieval nobleman. He had money, people, and brains, and could be called a generation of heroes.

Some time ago, Schmidt obtained what he called the power to change the world in Norway, ordered the transformation of the Klausenburg arsenal, and even recruited a top scientist from Switzerland to cooperate in the research.

Dr. Zola!

Don't ask Russell, as a soldier, why he knows so many secrets; he personally doesn't want to answer that question. No one who comes to Marvel as Schmidt's bodyguard would be proud of it.

"Captain Russell, the leader is waiting for you in his office."

"Received, I'll be right there."

Upon receiving the order, Russell frowned and walked toward Schmidt's office, secretly annoyed that Schmidt might have discovered his unusual behavior these past few days and was planning to kill him to silence him.

Suddenly given a new identity and without equivalent memories, even the best agents are bound to slip up. It's already quite an achievement that Russell didn't give himself away on the spot.

"Leader!"

Pushing open the office door, Russell met Schmidt sitting behind his desk. Schmidt had a classic Germanic face and an impressive demeanor, although, like the one in Berlin, he considered himself a perfect Aryan.

There was another person in the office, Dr. Zola, who nodded to Russell and then went back to his research.

Schmidt's office was large; apart from the luxurious desk that displayed his authority, the rest of the space was filled with various research equipment.

Prior to this, Russell was unaware that Schmidt was not only an ambitious man but also an outstanding scientist. His research abilities were remarkable; while perhaps not quite on par with the very brightest minds, they were certainly among the best of their time.

"Captain, I have a task for you." Schmidt handed Russell a document and then looked at him quietly.

Russell took the document, standing ramrod straight. "Chief, are there any other instructions?"

"No." Schmidt placed his fingers interlaced on the table, raised an eyebrow at Russell, and said, "Captain, don't you want to ask anything about the mission?"

Russell shook his head decisively. "Chief, under your leadership, no problem is a problem, because... Hail Hydra!"

As he spoke, he clenched his fists, stretched his arms slightly upwards in front of him, and gave a perfect Hydra salute.

"Very good, Captain, your performance was perfect." Schmidt smiled, Russell's answer pleased him greatly.

"No, you are the most perfect."

"Alright, go down. I hope you leave today." Schmidt's smile vanished, his face turning cold. "Remember, the thing I can't tolerate is failure."

"Understood, Chief. I guarantee I will complete the mission."

After speaking, Russell turned and left the office.

Once his footsteps had completely faded into the distance, Dr. Zola stopped what he was doing, adjusted his glasses, and asked, "Captain, is there a problem? Why was he specifically sent on this mission?"

Schmidt smiled faintly, poured himself half a glass of wine, picked up the glass and swirled it gently. His gentle smile distorted through the transparent glass, "He's been acting a bit strange lately. His words and actions are like those of a different person, but I haven't been able to find out who he's been in contact with recently..."

"Excuse my bluntness, but you could have just killed him. There's no need to give him a chance to prove himself."

"No, he's been with me for a long time and has saved my life several times. I can't be so heartless." Schmidt downed his drink in one gulp, then frowned and poured himself another half glass.

Dr. Zola, unsure how much of Schmidt's words were true, shrugged and said, "If you're unhappy with him, you can leave it to me. I have a Super Soldier modification project that, if successful, will be no less impressive than Erskine's."

"Is that so?" Schmidt looked at Zola calmly, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Zola suddenly realized that Schmidt was Erskine's first successful Super Soldier, and thought to himself that he had deliberately courted death. He quickly changed his words, saying, "No, I... I mean, my abilities are not Erskine's, not that you will be surpassed..."

"No need to explain, I believe your abilities are superior to Erskine's, at least your mind is better than his, and you won't choose the wrong side."

Dr. Zola wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Yes, that's exactly what I meant."

Schmidt chuckled softly, picked up his glass, and downed it in one gulp. "I used to hate getting drunk. To keep my mind clear, I wouldn't even drink. But now I'm starting to miss that feeling. Humans really do only appreciate what they have when they lose it, don't you think, Dr. Zola?"

"Yes, yes!"

Leaving the office, Russell opened the file, which contained a photograph and identification document; the black and white photograph was of his mission target.

Abraham Erskine!

Schmidt orders Russell to eliminate Dr. Erskine, who is researching the Super Soldier Serum. Erskine is now working for the America, and Schmidt fears the emergence of Super Soldier like himself. He sees Erskine as a thorn in his side and wants to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Russell: "..."

This guy is going further and further down the path of villainy!

If I remember correctly, the Hydra agent who killed Dr. Erskine in the movie was crushed to death by Captain America's pectoral muscles.

"Is it too late for me to clear my name?"

Russell shook his head, got into the arsenal's car, and would make several stops before heading to his destination, New York.

There's no way he can clear his name. He's Hydra. He might be recruited by the America after the war, but turning himself in now will only get him Electric Chair. Considering he was Schmidt's bodyguard, he'll likely be tortured before he dies. The problem is, even after that beating, he won't be able to divulge any useful information. He'll definitely be branded a die-hard Schmidt fan.

Another point is the World Quest, which is triggered when you meet Schmidt.

[World Quest: Create a Superhero/Villain with Your Own Hands]

[Mission failed; teleported by the Tesseract to Thanos's bedroom bed]

The inexplicable mission and the extremely unfair mission punishment were designed to force him to stay and take root in Hydra.

One known supervillain is Schmidt, but he's already taken care of, so the upcoming superhero Captain America has nothing to do with him either. Even if he could infiltrate Erskine's research team, Captain America was created by Erskine, not him.

Russell's target is Captain America's best friend, James Buchanan Barnes / Bucky Barnes, who will become the Winter Soldier. If the storyline continues, he will be captured by Hydra and transformed into a super soldier, which is the best opportunity for him.

It's quite difficult. Russell was originally thinking about how to showcase his research abilities and become a member of the research team, but Schmidt's order pointed him in the right direction. If handled properly, he should be able to obtain the Super Soldier Serum from Dr. Erskine, which would greatly reduce the difficulty of modifying the Winter Soldier.

Furthermore, he needs to find a way to improve his status within Hydra; the position of a mere guard is far from sufficient.

Incidentally, Russell triggered three lottery draws on Schmidt and Dr. Zola, twice on Schmidt and once on Dr. Zola.

Character Card: Schmidt (Red Skull)

[Skill Card: Fencing Master (Your swordsmanship is world-class)]

[Skill Card: Eight Languages (You're a language genius)]

The first two cards were from Schmidt, and the last one was from Dr. Zola. Dr. Zola was a good man who helped Russell overcome his language barrier and enable him to speak fluent German so that he wouldn't be exposed.

Thanks to him, Russell's "English Mastery" skill was permanently upgraded after using the "Eight Languages" Skill Card.

[Language Proficiency (even if you are mute, you can communicate with others using sign language)]