47

Chapter 47: Bucky Disappears

"Oh, how dull!"

In a barracks on the Italian front, Thor sighed in frustration.

It had been several months since he arrived, with the two sides evenly matched and the war in a state of stalemate. This was partly due to Thor's deliberate lack of urgency; had he been more serious, they might have already reached Berlin.

He wasn't in the mood to exert much effort and become a Yankee war hero.

If he were assigned to the Pacific battlefield, however, he would have gladly shown the enemy the wrath of the gods.

But thinking of Captain America still being a media sensation made him laugh out loud...

"What's so funny? Whose head did you steal this time?" Peggy Carter approached and sat down.

"Why are you here?" Thor winced. Recently, many soldiers had complained to the officers, claiming that Thor was a shameless thief who specialized in stealing heads, often blowing up opponents' heads as soon as he aimed at them. This earned him the nickname "The Head Hunter" among the soldiers.

Thor wasn't bothered by it. If he used his abilities to take heads, he didn't care .

Two soldiers passed by, chatting and laughing. One said, "Did you hear that the circus troupe is coming to perform at our barracks?"

"Forget that. I'd rather have a dozen girls!"

Thor suddenly became excited and said, "Steve is here! Let's go cheer him on!"

Peggy couldn't help but pat him and smiled gently, "Is this how you support your friends? You're so full of yourself!"

In this era, entertainers and actors were far less popular than they would be in the future. To most guys, guns were the true symbol of romance.

…

On stage, Steve's performance didn't have the expected impact. Soldiers who had seen the horrors of war were not easily impressed.

Only Thor cheered from the audience, waving his fist and shouting, "Great! Fantastic!"

Steve's face fell. He felt as though he was a street performer.

Peggy Carter had to cover Thor's mouth; it was too embarrassing.

The audience was not impressed and booed loudly, shouting, "Get off the stage! We want to see the girls!"

Eggs and fruit were thrown towards the stage. Steve hurriedly raised his shield to block them, only to realize he was inadvertently facing his own side...

"Sweetheart, give me an autograph!" one man shouted, pulling down his pants and turning towards Steve.

Steve frowned and stepped aside. A team of cheerleaders took the stage, and the mood became more lively.

…

"Hey, big star, you're doing great! I heard you're a household name now," Thor joked.

Steve gave a wry smile. "I can only improvise. Most of my previous audiences were children."

"Hang in there. You're America's new hope."

"Yeah, every time I visit a state, bond sales go up by ten percent. At least I have something to do. Colonel Phillips even wants me to stay in the lab."

"So, do you only have two options: the lab and the stage?" Thor asked seriously. "You can do far more than that."

Steve sighed, "I've always dreamed of going abroad to serve on the front lines. Now that I'm finally here, this is how it turns out."

"You need an opportunity, a chance to break the rules!"

"People don't see it that way."

"If you truly followed the rules, you wouldn't keep signing up to join the army."

Thor paused before continuing in a deep voice, "Now is the time for you to be bold. I heard today that the 171st Division was in Ah Zano and had a skirmish with Schmidt's men. Out of 200, less than half came back."

"And Bucky?" Steve asked, his voice tight with worry.

"I didn't see him among those who returned."

"What?!" The news struck Steve like a bolt from the blue. He immediately stood up and ran toward Phillips' barracks despite the pouring rain.

"This is the opportunity you mentioned?" Peggy Carter asked, breaking her silence.

"Yes. Hero shouldn't just stay on stage. He needs a chance to prove himself!"