Chapter 230. Ordinary People

At the White House.

Senator Brandt was making a speech to the press in front of him.

"I am honoured to present this medal for valour to my personal friend -- Captain America!"

Steve's achievements on the front line were not only a victory of the US against the Nazis but also a very important political asset for Senator Brandt. To achieve that, he ran full steam ahead and made a big deal out of Captain America's exploits, taking him from a fictional movie character to a real war hero.

"Captain America?"

"Captain, that's your cue~!"

The senator turned back, tried to maintain the light expression on his face, and opened his mouth to shout.

"Sir, Captain America has left." After he shouted a few times, instead of Steve, the senator's aide came out and whispered to him, "He said he's going to the SSR."

"It seems that our hero has a lot more saving to do..."

Pulling up the corners of his lips into a forced smile, the senator looked at the waiting press and explained.

...

London, the secret base underground.

"The fifth one is here in Poland, right near the Baltic ...."

Steve was trying to remember what he had seen on the map in the Hydra's base previously.

Although he succeeded in eliminating Hydra's base and rescuing the captives from the 107th Infantry, Steve was well aware that Red Skull wouldn't give up. From what he had said to him earlier, Red Skull must have an even more nefarious agenda.

"These are the weapons factory that we know about. Sergeant Barnes said that Hydra shipped all the parts to another facility that isn't on this map." Looking at the location marked on the map, Steve said so with a frown.

"Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main Hydra base." Bowing his head and looking at the map, Colonel Phillips immediately ordered.

"What about us?"

"We're going to set a fire under Johann Schmidt's ass. What do you say, Rogers? It's your map. You think you can wipe Hydra off it?" Turning his head and glancing at Steve, Colonel Phillips asked.

"Yes, Sir!"

Looking back at the map, Steve answered without thinking.

"I'll need a team."

"We are already putting together the best men."

"With all due respect, Sir. So am I..."

...

"Have another drink!"

"Jim, you're drunk!"

"I'm not drunk, you're drunk!"

Having survived death on the front lines, the soldiers needed alcohol to relieve themselves from the strain they had been under.

"Why do you keep looking at that mask? "

Bucky downed his beer and looked at Dio beside him and the pale mask he was holding.

The SSR had studied the composition of the mask, but there was nothing special about it. It was just an ordinary stone mask.

"It's just a normal mask, the people in the research department said so ..."

"No, the researchers were wrong. This isn't an ordinary mask." Interrupting Bucky's words, Dio looked at the Stone Mask in his hands again. But he suddenly asked, "What do you think about the war?"

"War?"

Dio's question caused Bucky's face to stagger for a moment. He was only a sergeant, obeying orders to defend his country, and didn't think any further than that.

"On the battlefield, we're far too vulnerable as ordinary people, whether we're facing Schmidt's undead army or the weapons Hydra made, where even a single flying bullet can kill us at any time...

So, I was jealous of Steve. I trained hard, but he gained powers beyond ordinary people just by taking part in an experiment, an opportunity that should have been mine. If only I could have gained that strength ..."

As Dio spoke, his eyes were fixed on the pale Stone Mask in his hand.

"..."

Dio's words silenced Bucky for a moment.

As a soldier who came off the battlefield, he was well aware of the brutality of war, where people die every day. A fellow soldier he was talking and laughing with one day may be gone the next.

After a long pause, Bucky took a big swig of his beer and said, "At least we survived, and we successfully destroyed one of Schmidt's bases. What's more, getting strength beyond ordinary people isn't that easy. We know what Schmidt looks like under that mask. Frankly, I don't want to end up like that."

"If you can't even make a sacrifice like that, I don't think you're actually ready for war." Dio took a deep look at Bucky and said so.

Leaving those words, Dio took the stone mask and left the pub.

Bucky looked at his departing back as he wondered.

To be honest, Dio wasn't a very well-received presence in the barracks. Although he was excellent as a soldier, his indifference and selfish behaviour have always made him a bit of an outcast from the other soldiers. Even Gabe, the most active and talkative man in the barracks, would become quiet when encountering him.

"Where did Dio go?"

"Don't worry about him. He's never one to gather around with everyone, even more so since he got that mask."

"I heard he got that mask from Hydra's base. Some of us had used Hydra's weapons when we got out of there. Are you sure that thing is safe? Doesn't it have some magical powers or something?"

"Do you really believe that?" Putting down the empty mug in his hand, Jim burped loudly and replied with a drunken look on his face, "If it really had some kind of mysterious power, those researchers wouldn't have let him have it."

"Well, that makes sense."

Hearing Jim's answer, the soldiers nodded. After all, the weapons they had brought from the Hydra base had all been taken away by the SSR for research. If that mask really had powers, they wouldn't let Dio keep it.

Retracting his gaze, Jim shook his head and was about to go. When he turned his head, he saw Steve come in with his head held high.

"Hey, Captain!"

"Captain America is here~"

"A toast! To Captain America!"