But Steve Rogers didn't know that the world had long since changed.
Back in his era, everything was simple. Hydra and the Nazis were evil enemies, so he grabbed his weapon and went with his squad to crush Hydra's schemes.
Nowadays, right and wrong have become blurred.
Even if he wanted to do the right thing, he might not even know what the right thing was.
If he asked Ben what was right, Ben would definitely tell him to turn himself black, then announce to the whole world that he was gay, get a sex change, and join an environmental organization.
What is right?
This is right!
How can you, Captain America, be a white-skinned adult male?
Of course, Ben wouldn't actually say that. The three of them walked into the elevator, and Steve said he'd take them to the deck for some fresh air.
The giant deck, dozens of times larger than a sports field, had already deeply impressed Steve the first time he saw it.
As the three of them walked into the empty elevator, just as Ben thought it would be a good space for a conversation, several members of the Special Task Force ran over from a distance.
"Wait, Captain."
Crossbones waved from afar, asking Captain America to hold the elevator for him.
Then several people squeezed in together. Crossbones said, "Thank you, Captain. Otherwise, we would have had to wait for the next one."
Elevator, Hydra...
This strong sense of déjà vu made Ben think of a certain line in an instant.
However, it wasn't time for Hydra to show its fangs yet. Crossbones wasn't here with the intention of attacking Captain America.
He had gone on a few missions with Captain America, and they were quite familiar with each other, so he was sent to monitor them.
He glanced at Ben and Peter and asked, "New members?"
Before Captain America could answer, Ben spoke first, "Of course, secret identities!"
Ben declared:
Don't pry into the affairs of superhumans!
This made Crossbones chuckle.
He said, "The world is indeed too complicated now. Superhumans like you seem to be increasing, some doing good deeds, some doing bad deeds. Of course, most of the time they want to keep it a secret."
"That's because the world is too hostile towards us. Who knows how many people would try to get rid of us if they knew our identities," Ben said.
There wasn't much exchange between the two sides.
To avoid appearing abrupt, Crossbones led the other Special Task Force members away before Ben reached the deck.
"Nice, isn't it?"
Captain America's voice was drowned out by the sound of the waves, only carrying a short distance.
Ben couldn't help but sigh, Captain America had chosen a good spot.
The deck was very spacious.
In this situation, any agent approaching them would seem very out of place.
Perhaps cameras would be watching them all the time, but as long as they couldn't hear the sound or see the lip movements, it would be fine.
Ben's gaze swept across the dark night. Peter quickly jumped to the edge of the aircraft carrier, his face full of surprise as he examined it closely.
It could be said that this aircraft carrier fulfilled many of his fantasies from sci-fi movies.
He leaned over the edge of the deck and asked loudly, "Captain, I see the aircraft carrier's turbines are parallel to the surface. Does that mean it can fly?"
"You'll have to ask Fury about that."
Seeing Peter's energy, some of Captain America's gloom was also swept away.
Ben turned around, and Eunice's voice came through his earpiece.
"Seven surveillance cameras have been identified."
On the lenses of his mask, Eunice lit up all the detected surveillance locations. Ben turned sideways, facing the sea, concealing himself, and then said, "Captain..."
"Have you heard of Operation Paperclip?"
"Operation Paperclip?" Hearing this, Captain America was taken aback.
He was indeed completely unaware of it.
After all, Operation Paperclip officially began in September 1946, and he had already been frozen in the Arctic in 1945.
"Then you'd better be prepared."
"Control your emotions, don't get too excited. We're still being monitored."
Ben warned him in advance, then began to drop a bombshell on Captain America.
Operation Paperclip.
It refers to a plan by America to absorb German Nazi scientists during World War II. This plan did indeed exist in reality.
Initially, the project was called "Operation Cloud Cover," but due to strong domestic opposition, it was forced to halt.
However, the project was far from dead.
It rebranded itself, operating under a new name and structure, transferring Hydra's technical experts and high-level researchers into the country.
The driving force behind this plan was the support of Howard Stark, a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.
He believed that after Hydra's decisive defeat, their researchers posed no real threat.
But he never dreamed that this very plan would allow Hydra to preserve its core, its eggs hatching in the fertile ground of S.H.I.E.L.D. Like inconspicuous little snakes, they burrowed into everything, consuming their hosts from the inside, and re-emerging wearing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "skin."
Furthermore, the countless small snakes within this massive nest spread to every corner of the country.
You could find Hydra anywhere.
In the chaotic streets of Hell's Kitchen, among wealthy capitalists, and within powerful government officials...
They were everywhere, yet no one knew.
Even high-ranking Hydra members might not know the location of every operative or their assignments.
They had long since grown beyond nine heads, now numbering in the tens of millions!
"What are your thoughts, Captain?"
After speaking, Ben turned his head and saw Steve Rogers.
Of course, he hadn't told Steve the whole truth. He only revealed the contents of Operation Paperclip and how Howard Stark had trapped himself, ultimately dying at the hands of those hidden Hydra agents.
Sometimes, too much detail can make something seem less real.
Steve Rogers was a man of strong convictions. Telling him everything now would be less effective than letting him discover it for himself, letting him see for himself.
Facts speak louder than words.
At that moment, Steve's body trembled.
"Is everything you're saying true?"
"Or are you just trying to drive a wedge between me and S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
He couldn't believe it.
He couldn't believe that everything Ben said was true.
Even the small portion Ben had revealed was difficult for him to accept.
If Operation Paperclip was real, then what had all his efforts been for?
Looking back at the first half of his life, he had been fighting Hydra relentlessly, sacrificing everything for it:
His gravely ill parents, his fallen comrades, seventy years of his own life... and that date, and Bucky...
What was the point of all the sacrifices, all the blood shed by soldiers?
What was he, a "hero" who fought Hydra to the bitter end, worth?
A joke?
This was a monumental betrayal!
It wasn't Steve Rogers who betrayed America, but America that betrayed Steve.
It betrayed Captain America!
Thank you to the passerby who enjoyed the novel for the 100-point tip, thank you, dear!
Only two updates today, as I'm experiencing significant writer's block. I'll be organizing the upcoming plot and will resume writing 10,000 words tomorrow.
-----------
Translation by: randomtranslator.com
Read 2500+ original & fanfic translations and Translate for Free at: randomtranslator.com