Captain America Was Awakening

At S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick listened to his subordinate's report, his face expressionless. No one could tell what he was thinking.

With Pierce's fate as a warning, S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer dared to move against Tony, but keeping him under surveillance remained essential.

Stark Industries had already been a force to be reckoned with. Now that it had acquired a stake in the Osborn Group and become its largest shareholder, it had grown even stronger. That was bad news for every power outside Stark Industries.

Nick waved the man away, then rose and walked to the window. As he gazed outside, his eyes were heavy with concern.

Stark Industries was growing stronger and stronger, while S.H.I.E.L.D., under his command, had not only failed to grow stronger but had lost a large number of elite agents in the previous attack.

It was clear that if this continued, S.H.I.E.L.D. would only grow weaker.

Whether to protect the United States or preserve S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standing, bolstering its strength had become an urgent priority.

Especially when it came to superhuman assets. For an organization as vast as S.H.I.E.L.D. to have so few was downright laughable.

That was why Nick's first priority after taking office had been to find superhumans to recruit into S.H.I.E.L.D.

After several days of investigation, S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally found a suitable target.

The former guardian of the United States, Captain America!

Years ago, Captain America's plane had crashed, and he had vanished. But no one knew for certain whether he was dead.

To that end, Nick had specifically sent people to search the area where Captain America had disappeared, hoping for good news.

Perhaps his persistent hopes had finally been answered. Just as Nick was lost in thought, a ringing phone broke the silence of his office.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Nick answered the call.

"Boss, we've made a huge discovery. There's a massive block of ice in the North Sea with someone frozen inside. He looks like the legendary Captain America."

His subordinate's voice brimmed with excitement, and Nick's previously expressionless face now betrayed a surge of emotion.

"Good work. Find a way to bring him back!"

"Don't worry, boss. I've already got people working on retrieving him. If nothing goes wrong, we'll be back at S.H.I.E.L.D. soon."

After exchanging a few more words, they ended the call.

Nick clenched his fist tightly and let out a long breath.

This was the first piece of good news he had heard since taking office. Although its authenticity was still uncertain, at least it offered a glimmer of hope.

Time passed. Three days later, an enormous block of ice was secretly transported into S.H.I.E.L.D.

In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research lab, the scientists began thawing the ice, gradually revealing the figure inside.

Nick stood outside the lab, watching nervously. If this succeeded, S.H.I.E.L.D. would gain its first superhuman asset.

As for whether Captain America would join S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick had never worried about that. After all, anyone who knew Captain America knew he was a patriot through and through. As an official agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. only had to extend an invitation, and Captain America would surely accept.

Soon, the ice in the lab melted, and the researchers began exclaiming one after another.

"Incredible. His vital signs are recovering."

"My God, was he really frozen for seventy years?"

"Oh my God, he's come back from the dead. This is a miracle."

Amid their cries of astonishment, Captain America's eyelids fluttered as he lay on the examination table. Then he slowly opened his eyes.

At the sight, Nick could no longer remain calm. He walked straight into the lab, determined to be the first to make contact with Captain America.

Compared with the excitement at S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony's villa was quiet.

Tony and Norman sat opposite each other at the dining table, with food laid out between them.

Now that Stark Industries had successfully gained a foothold in the Osborn Group, Tony naturally had no reason to keep Norman tied up. Norman had effectively regained his freedom.

Norman devoured the food on the table, his face filled with satisfaction. During his days in captivity, Tony had not mistreated him, but he had provided only enough to keep him alive. Expecting fine meals had been wishful thinking.

So the first thing Norman did after regaining his freedom was fill his stomach. Once he had eaten his fill, a satisfied expression spread across his face.

"Well? Not bad, is it?"

Tony took a light sip from his teacup and smiled.

Norman glanced at him and nodded, then said, "Thank you for keeping your promise. If there's nothing else, I'll be going. I haven't shown my face for days, and there's plenty waiting for me to handle at the company."

"No rush."

Tony waved a hand, cutting Norman off.

"There's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you. You've already been delayed this many days. One more or less won't make much difference."

At those words, Norman, who had been about to rise, hesitated before settling back into his seat.

"All right. What else did you want to discuss?"

"As you know, this world is getting stranger and stranger. There are more and more superhumans like you and me."

"That's not good news for us."

"After all, the more superhumans there are, the less secure we are."

"That's why I've formed an alliance. We can band together and rely on one another. What do you say? Interested?"

Seeing Tony's sincere smile, Norman looked rather bemused.

This guy was a massive source of trouble himself. It was enough if he didn't bring danger down on other people, yet he was worried about someone coming after him? Who would be stupid enough to do that?

Norman instantly concluded that not a single word out of Tony's mouth was sincere. Still, he did not refuse. Instead, he asked, "What do I get out of joining?"

Although he felt Tony wasn't speaking a single honest word, Norman agreed with his point. The world was becoming increasingly dangerous, and having someone to rely on would be worthwhile.

More importantly, Tony had already become a major shareholder in the Osborn Group, bringing the two of them into a close relationship. Since that was the case, why not bring them even closer? That would not only ensure his own safety but also better protect the Osborn Group.

If he was one of their own, how could they have the nerve to seize his business?

"Benefits? How about this?"

As he spoke, Tony willed it, and the Shadow Ninjas immediately appeared before them.

Norman's expression changed at the sight. "What do you mean?"

Having repeatedly been beaten senseless by the Shadow Ninjas, he naturally knew how terrifying they were.

"Join the alliance, and you'll gain some control over them. They'll help you get things done," Tony said with a smile.

At that, Norman, who had intended to play hard to get for a while, immediately threw that idea aside. "Deal!"

Ding! A new member has joined the Dark Alliance: Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. Your reward has been issued.

Hearing the notification in his mind, Tony's smile grew even brighter. "Congratulations on making a wise choice."