Chương 167: Chapter 167: The Captain's Apology 

Gripping the railing tightly with both hands, Tony snapped his head toward Luke. "You're not joking, are you?" 

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'm not." 

Luke shook his head regretfully. Tony's breathing instantly quickened, and he slumped weakly against the railing. Luke quickly stepped forward to support him. 

"Who did it? You must know since you're telling me this, right?!" Tony grabbed Luke's collar like a drowning man clutching at a straw. 

"Hydra," Luke stated immediately. 

"Didn't that organization die with Nazi Germany?" Tony asked, bewildered. 

"They didn't die out. Instead, they scattered and infiltrated the world. Once they recovered and established themselves, it was only a matter of time before they started making moves." 

Tony took a moment to compose himself, gripping the railing as he gazed out over the bustling city of New York. 

"Actually, in my heart, my father has always been a great man. He helped defeat the Axis powers. I've always admired him." 

"In recent years, I thought I had caught up to him. But when he guided me to synthesize that new element, I realized his vision surpassed everyone in this world." 

"And in the end, he told me that I was his greatest creation." 

Tony's voice grew softer, his eyes filled with a mix of awe and melancholy as he looked toward the horizon. 

Luke stepped beside him and patted his shoulder. "Do you want to meet your idol?" 

Tony looked at him, confused. Luke draped an arm around his shoulder. "Remember that Time Variance Authority we set up?" 

"You mean...?" Tony's eyes lit up. 

Seeing his spirits lift, Luke smiled. "We can bring him to the present to experience modern technology. You can even research alongside him and show him the new element he discovered." 

Tony excitedly bumped fists with Luke. "That's a fantastic idea. I love it." 

But after a short while, Tony changed his mind. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Hydra still exists, right? I don't want my dad to have to look over his shoulder every time he steps outside or goes shopping. I need to deal with Hydra first. Do you know where these rats are hiding?" 

"I know a few places, but probably not all of them. However, someone else should know more than I do. I'll take you to him when the time comes. As for these guys, do you need my help?" 

"No. I want to handle them myself. They killed my father, after all. I need to avenge him personally." 

... 

Alexander Pierce poured himself a glass of red wine, swirling the crimson liquid before downing it in one gulp. 

Despite granting the Arctic base authorization to deploy the Winter Soldiers, he hadn't expected them to fail to capture the Captain and even lose several Winter Soldiers in the process. The loss pained him greatly. 

But what worried him most was Luke's interference. Panicked, Pierce had hurriedly emailed Luke, inquiring about the situation, but he had yet to receive a reply. 

As time passed, the initially anxious Pierce surprisingly calmed down. 

It wasn't that he had given up; rather, he reasoned that since so much time had elapsed and his head was still attached to his shoulders, Luke's intervention must have been a misunderstanding. 

Pierce placed the glass heavily back on the desk, his face devoid of emotion as he looked at Bucky standing nearby. 

After a long silence, Pierce contacted Sitwell. 

"Proceed with the preparations for tomorrow as planned." 

"But, sir, we still haven't heard from Mr. Luke." 

"Don't worry. If he wanted to deal with us, we'd already be dead," Pierce said dismissively. "Launch the Helicarriers as planned, and we'll proceed based on the situation." 

"Understood." 

Ending the call, Pierce looked at Bucky. "Tomorrow, I'm relying on you to deal with the Captain." 

Through observation, Pierce had come to understand the Captain's temperament. He never hesitated against enemies, but could he really strike down his best friend? 

The next day, Luke finally noticed the email Pierce had sent him the day before. Seeing Pierce carefully wording his inquiry about what had happened, Luke realized telling him he intended to destroy Hydra might scare the man off. So, Luke lied, claiming he had intervened and rescued the Captain because Pierce hadn't informed him beforehand that it was an operation against SHIELD. 

After sending the email, Luke knew Pierce was about to make his move, so he sent a message to Tony. 

At SHIELD headquarters, Pierce sat in his office, sporting dark circles under his eyes as he stared at his computer screen, anxiously awaiting Luke's reply. 

The moment an email notification popped up, Pierce instantly clicked refresh. Seeing it was from Luke brought his heart to his throat. 

Upon reading Luke's reply, Pierce breathed a sigh of relief, a smile gracing his exhausted face. 

Pressing a button on his desk, Pierce barked, "Initiate the operation immediately!" 

Receiving Pierce's order, Sitwell immediately marched into the main control room. "It's time. Initiate the launch sequence for the three Helicarriers. They must reach their designated positions on schedule!" 

Hydra sleeper agents hidden among the staff immediately sprang into action. The rest of the unsuspecting agents, following their lead, began the launch preparations. 

Watching the launch sequence proceed smoothly according to plan, Pierce relaxed. He instructed Sitwell to secure headquarters while he quickly touched up his makeup to hide his dark circles and headed out. 

He had to welcome his colleagues from the World Security Council. Although these colleagues would soon become his mouthpieces to relay his demands to the major world powers, the plan wasn't fully in place yet. He couldn't just take them hostage right away. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the SHIELD facility, an arrow shot from the woods, embedding itself firmly into a wall. 

The Captain, Falcon, Hill, and Barton—who had been called in from his vacation—cautiously emerged from the tree line and began scaling the wall using the rope attached to the arrow. 

Natasha, disguised as a Council member, followed Pierce into the Triskelion. 

Watching Pierce distribute badges, informing them that wearing them would grant unrestricted access throughout SHIELD, Natasha knew these badges were problematic. Nevertheless, she pinned it to her chest. 

Seeing everyone wearing the badges, Pierce smiled and led them directly to his office. 

"We can begin." 

Pierce ordered, looking at the screens before him. 

Following Pierce's command, the main control room erupted into a flurry of activity. Several technicians were preparing to open the hangar doors to launch the Helicarriers, but the internal PA system suddenly crackled to life. 

To everyone's astonishment, a familiar voice echoed through the speakers. 

"Attention all SHIELD agents, this is Steve Rogers..." 

The Captain's voice reverberated throughout SHIELD headquarters, causing countless busy personnel to stop in their tracks. 

In Pierce's office, hearing the broadcast, Pierce's expression changed. Cursing under his breath, he subtly distanced himself from the Council members. 

The moment Captain America began his broadcast, the Hydra Strike Team immediately sprang into action, storming all vital departments with weapons drawn. Pierce's office was no exception. 

The Council members, who had just been sharing drinks with Pierce, now found guns pressed against their heads, transforming from honored guests to prisoners. They glared at Pierce with murderous intent. 

Seeing control re-established, Pierce relaxed. Opening a comm channel, he ordered, "Launch the Helicarriers immediately, regardless of the situation!" 

Receiving confirmation, Pierce smiled at his colleagues, whose glares could practically drill holes in him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"You arrogant bastard!" one Council member roared. 

Unfazed, Pierce walked over, picked up his favorite red wine, and poured two glasses. 

"If one day, your daughter were dragged into a courtyard by a group of thugs to be executed, and all you had to do to save her was press a button, would you press it?" 

The Council members glared at Pierce coldly. They knew exactly what Hydra was. To claim Hydra would contribute to world peace was utterly absurd. 

These fanatics would only strive for world peace after destroying the current world and establishing their own order. 

The Council member who had been questioned, fully understanding this, stated bluntly, "If it were your button, I wouldn't press it." 

Seeing the man's complete refusal to cooperate, Pierce smiled helplessly. He drew a pistol from the holster of a nearby soldier and aimed it at the Council member. 

Pierce's action drew everyone's attention, giving Natasha the opening she needed. She easily subdued the guards watching her, swiftly took Pierce hostage, and moved to the control console. 

Outside the office, fierce fighting had broken out. SHIELD agents were practically being suppressed by Hydra, as they not only had to face heavily armed Strike Teams but also had to watch their backs for traitorous colleagues. 

After gaining the upper hand, Hydra operatives immediately opened the hangar doors, allowing the three Helicarriers to launch smoothly. 

After finishing their broadcast, the Captain, Falcon, and Barton immediately rushed to the hangar doors. Each leapt onto a different Helicarrier, preparing to forcefully seize control. 

However, having failed at the Arctic base, Pierce anticipated they would attempt to sabotage the launch. Since Fury was absent, Pierce had deployed truckloads of Hydra soldiers onto the Helicarriers. Now, the Captain and his team faced furious attacks from countless enemies. 

The Captain was forced into a corner by a swarm of enemies, huddled behind his shield. Falcon was being chased around by numerous fighter jets. Only Barton fared slightly better, returning fire with his bow and arrows. However, as the battle raged on and his arrows dwindled, his combat effectiveness rapidly declined. 

Just as the entire team found themselves pinned down, multiple figures descended from the sky, ignoring the incoming bullets. They unleashed a barrage of micro-missiles, instantly obliterating a large swath of enemies. 

Sensing the incoming fire lessen, Steve peeked out from behind his shield and saw the metallic figures standing before him. "Tony?" 

At that moment, a suit of armor with a distinctly different aesthetic flew in from the horizon. It didn't use repulsors or missiles; instead, it continuously gathered various magical energies and bombarded the Hydra soldiers. 

The overwhelming magical barrage destroyed everything in its path. Whether soldiers or cover, everything struck by the magic was corroded into nothingness, leaving no trace behind. 

Watching the enemies vanish before him, the gloom in Tony's heart gradually dissipated. He waved his hand, ordering the Iron Legion to disperse and eliminate all remaining enemies as quickly as possible. Then, Tony landed in front of the Captain. 

"What, don't recognize me?" 

The faceplate opened, and Tony looked at the stunned Captain, continuing, "Where did you find that kid who can fly?" 

The Captain remained silent, staring at Tony. He couldn't help but recall what his future self had told him: his best friend Bucky had killed his other good friend, Howard. And the Tony standing before him was Howard's son. He didn't know how to face Tony. 

"What's wrong with you? Did they beat the sense out of you? If my old man saw this, he'd definitely scold me for not taking good care of the elderly." 

Tony taunted the Captain as usual, but his inadvertent mention of his father made the Captain think Tony was mocking him. 

"You know? About your father?" 

The Captain swallowed hard, moistening his dry throat, and spoke slowly to Tony. 

"My father? You mean about them being murdered by Hydra in a staged accident?" Mentioning this, Tony's expression darkened. "I'm here to avenge him, and this is just the beginning. One day, I will kill every last Hydra agent, and then... I'll let him see this brand-new world." 

Unaware of Tony and Luke's plans, the Captain assumed Luke had already told Tony everything. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry." 

"You definitely owe me an apology." Tony pursed his lips. If this guy had been beaten stupid, he'd surely get an earful from his dad once he brought him to the present. 

Seeing Tony's reaction, the Captain continued, "I never thought things would turn out like this. I'll find Bucky and bring him to you." 

"Bucky? Your best buddy? What's up with him? Is he still alive too? Don't tell me he survived by getting frozen in a block of ice as well?" 

Tony asked, bewildered, which only confused Captain America further. 

"Didn't Luke tell you?" 

"I haven't told him yet. I figured it's better to explain things gradually; it's easier to accept." 

Luke appeared nearby. He looked at Captain America and continued, "Otherwise, making rash decisions in the heat of the moment might lead to regrets in your old age, wouldn't you agree?" 

Hearing Luke's meaningful words and remembering his future self's lonely demeanor, Captain America nodded. "You're right. Only with a clear head can one make the best decisions." 

"What kind of riddles are you two speaking in?" Tony asked, playing with a magic array in his hand as he looked at them. 

"Nothing. There are just a few things left to discuss. I'll tell you everything once this battle is over," Luke said, turning to Tony. 

"What things? Does it have something to do with his buddy Bucky?" Tony asked directly, recalling what the Captain had just said. 

"You don't need to know right now. Just know that I won't hurt you. Whatever decision you make, I will support you," Luke said earnestly to Tony.