Chapter 010: Steve's Arrest
Mason pushed through the crowd to the front.
Standing before several stone-faced MPs was Steve, his face bruised and bloodied. He'd clearly tried to resist arrest; his face now bore several fresh wounds, and his collar was torn.
"Oh my God, what happened?" Bonnie exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock.
"I heard this little guy went to five different recruitment offices using falsified documents. If the processing officer hadn't recognized him today, they probably never would've caught him," said one of the bystanders.
"I heard falsifying enlistment papers is a federal offense. This punk'll probably be locked up for months. Looking at his build, I hope those boys in lockup don't tear him apart!" Two crude-looking men snickered darkly.
"What falsified documents? I heard the argument during his arrest. He might be involved in espionage. You think someone would be dumb enough to apply five times in a row unless they had an agenda?"
"If you ask me, he's definitely got ulterior motives..."
"Ugh...!" The man was suddenly kicked to the ground from behind. He whirled around, about to unleash a string of profanity, but seeing Mason's murderous glare, he wisely shut his mouth.
"How the hell did this happen?"
Mason was completely thrown. He distinctly remembered Steve meeting Dr. Erskine here at the Expo. Then they'd enter the Super Soldier Program together, which would lead to Captain America's creation.
If the timeline had diverged here, and Steve hadn't become Captain America but had been replaced by someone else, then Mason's mission could never be completed. Mason wasn't naive enough to think that Dimensional Express would just let him live peacefully in this world until old age.
If someone else replaced Steve, his mission would fail!
It seemed his very presence had subtly altered the timeline, causing him to miss that crucial conversation. It was the conversation between Steve and Bucky that had drawn Dr. Erskine's attention, leading the scientist to actively approach and observe him, discovering his noble character.
But now, with one interference cascading into another, and no serendipitous encounter, how could Steve be brought to Erskine's attention?
"Mason, what do we do?"
Barnes asked, his brow deeply furrowed. This was his last night stateside before shipping out, a night he'd hoped to spend relaxing, but things had gone completely sideways.
He'd warned Steve beforehand, but hadn't expected Steve's repeated enlistment attempts to be mistaken for espionage.
"We can't let them take Steve away,"
Mason said, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he calculated his next move. He understood that at this critical juncture, with a "guilty until proven innocent" wartime mentality, once Steve was hauled away, he wouldn't be released anytime soon.
"Buck, you're a fully enlisted sergeant, and you've known Steve your whole life. Get over there and intervene. Use your status as a federal soldier to vouch for him and try to explain the situation. The key thing is—don't let them take Steve away!"
Barnes' eyes lit up. Mason's words made perfect sense, so he pushed through the crowd.
Seeing someone approach, the MPs surrounding Steve immediately raised their rifles to port arms, on high alert. Their expressions softened marginally when they noticed Barnes' uniform.
"Sir, please maintain your distance. We're conducting an arrest!"
Barnes blocked their path. "What's this all about? The guy you've got there is a close friend of mine. He's a patriotic kid who's always wanted to enlist and serve his country overseas." Barnes gestured diplomatically. "Is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"
"Misunderstanding? We suspect he's falsifying personal information with intent to commit espionage! And who are you, exactly, and what's your relationship with the suspect?" At that moment, a young officer with a stern face and military bearing approached.
"Sergeant James Barnes, 107th Infantry Regiment!" Barnes snapped a salute. "Sir!" Clearly, the other man held superior rank.
"His name is Steve Rogers. We grew up together in Brooklyn. I'm vouching for him, sir—he's not a spy!"
"Bucky!" Steve looked devastated. "I'm sorry, I didn't listen to you. I just wanted to try one more time, but I never thought..."
"Sergeant, please fulfill your military obligation. This matter doesn't concern you. We'll investigate the follow-up thoroughly!" The young officer showed no leniency. "What are you men waiting for? Take him into custody!"
"Wait!" Barnes stepped directly in front of the group.
"You're obstructing military operations?!"
The young officer barked, his right hand dropping to his sidearm. "Sergeant, this is your final warning, or I'll have no choice but to arrest you for interference with federal law enforcement!"
"Buck, this isn't your problem. Get out of here, or you'll miss tomorrow's deployment!"
Barnes stood his ground, refusing to move. "Sir, please believe me—he's really not a spy. He has asthma, heart palpitations, chronic fatigue, and several other medical conditions. If he were a spy, would any intelligence agency send someone this incompetent?"
"He just wants to serve his country, even if it kills him!"
Barnes' voice carried across the crowd, and many people nearby heard their exchange, casting sympathetic glances toward Steve.
As the crowd grew larger, the young officer's expression darkened considerably. He growled, "I'm giving you one final chance. Stand aside now, or else...!"
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Mason spotted a middle-aged man with wire-rimmed glasses and a scholarly demeanor standing near the recruitment booth entrance, observing the commotion around Steve with keen interest.
Mason recognized him instantly—it was Dr. Abraham Erskine, the father of the Super Soldier Serum!
Mason's mind kicked into overdrive. A desperate plan crystallized in his thoughts, and he took several quick steps forward, breaking into a run toward Dr. Erskine. But before he could get within fifteen feet of the scientist, two figures suddenly materialized from the shadows. Mason felt sharp pain in his ribs as he was caught between them. Then, something cold and metallic was pressed against his lower back.
"Don't move!"
It was a gun!
Mason was startled, cursing himself for his carelessness and how Hollywood had misled him. This was the real world, after all. A scientific asset of Erskine's caliber was practically a strategic national resource—of course he'd have SSR security personnel protecting him!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
As if concerned about disturbing Dr. Erskine, one agent clamped his hand over Mason's mouth, while another agent's iron fist hammered viciously into Mason's torso.
An ordinary person would've blacked out from such brutal strikes. But Mason, with his enhanced physique, stubbornly endured it.
When he saw Dr. Erskine begin to turn away, a life-or-death desperation surged through him. He knew that if he missed this opportunity, he might never encounter Dr. Erskine again—and endless interrogation and imprisonment awaited him!
Mason summoned every ounce of strength and thrashed violently, prying the agent's hand off his mouth, and shouted desperately toward Dr. Erskine:
"Doctor! I have intelligence on Schmidt!"
Immediately afterward, he felt explosive pain at the base of his skull, followed by warmth trickling down his neck, and then his vision erupted with stars!
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