Chapter 31: The Mirror and the Mask
The Siberian winds howled with a predatory hunger, but the silence between the two groups was colder. On one side stood the Howling Commandos, huddled in their void-treated gear; on the other, the Winter-Dugan, a silent sentinel of a dark future, his bionic arm venting steam into the frost.
"Arthur," Steve whispered, his hand white-knuckled on his shield. "Tell me there's a way to fix this without hurting him."
"His mind is locked in a recursive loop," Arthur said, his S+ Intelligence already dissecting the signals coming from the bunker behind the Asset. "Zola didn't just brainwash him; he synchronized Dugan's motor cortex with a remote server. To save him, I have to be the one to pull the plug."
The Clash of Steel and Shadow
The Winter-Dugan didn't wait for a parley. He raised a modified Hydra submachine gun—one that fired compressed Tesseract bolts—and opened fire.
The "Real" Dugan dove behind a frozen rock, his eyes wide. "That's my favorite gun! He's even got my slouch!"
Steve charged forward, his shield catching a barrage of blue energy. But the Winter-Dugan was faster than any human soldier. He used his bionic arm to catch the edge of Steve's shield, the sheer mechanical torque throwing the Captain off balance.
[ BATTLE LOG ]
Winter-Dugan uses [Bionic Overpower]!
Steve Rogers is [Staggered].
Divergence: 18.5% (The Paradox is deepening).
The Digital Trace
Arthur knew he couldn't win this with physical force. He jammed the end of [The Archive's Edge] into the permafrost, sending a wave of golden energy beneath the snow.
[ SKILL ACTIVE: DIGITAL TRACE — INFILTRATION ]
Arthur's consciousness rode the electrical grounding lines of the facility, bypassing the external walls. He entered the bunker's mainframe—a cold, dark space filled with the "Winter" programming.
Inside the code, he saw it: The Trigger. A single, high-frequency signal being broadcast from a deep-level cryo-tank. But as he prepared to sever it, a voice hissed through the data-stream.
"You are bold, Archivist. But even you cannot delete a man's own pain."
It was a backup of Thorne. Not the man, but a Neural Echo he had left behind to guard the Winter Soldier project.
The Duel of Wills
In the physical world, the Winter-Dugan had pinned Bucky against a concrete pillar, his bionic hand crushing Bucky's shoulder.
"Dugan, stop!" Bucky gritted out. "It's us! It's the Commandos!"
The Winter-Dugan paused. For a split second, the orange glow in his eyes flickered to a familiar, human blue. But the Neural Echo in the bunker pushed back.
[ SYSTEM WARNING ]
Condition: Neural Overload.
Target: Timothy Dugan (Asset).
Warning: If the signal isn't severed in 30 seconds, the Asset's brain will liquefy from the feedback.
"I've got you, Dum Dum," Arthur muttered, his eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity. He stopped trying to "hack" the signal and decided to Overwrite it.
Arthur funneled 5,000 DP directly into the [Digital Trace]. He didn't just cut the signal; he replaced the "Winter" commands with every memory of laughter, every shared meal, and every victory the Commandos had experienced together.
The Paradox Resolved
The Winter-Dugan screamed—a raw, agonizing sound that echoed across the tundra. His bionic arm seized, sparks flying from the joints. The orange glow shattered, replaced by a blinding white light that erupted from his eyes and mouth.
The Asset collapsed into the snow, the bionic arm going limp.
[ QUEST PROGRESS ]
Objective: Neutralize the Winter-Dugan (COMPLETE).
Condition: Non-lethal (SUCCESS).
Sync Level: 55%.
The "Real" Dugan ran forward, sliding into the snow next to his double. He looked at the mask, then at the bionic arm. "Well," he muttered, looking up at Arthur. "I suppose I'm going to need a bigger coat to cover that piece of scrap metal."
"He's not you, Dugan," Arthur said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "He's a record of what happens when I fail. And we aren't done yet. The cryo-tanks are still venting."
Current Status:
DP Balance: 5,200.
Core Integrity: 35% (Dangerously Low).
New Asset: [The Winter-Dugan] (Unconscious/Recovering).