Chapter 34: The Man on the Wall
The journey back from Siberia was a silent, grueling trek. Using the last of the Valkyrie transport's fuel, the team touched down at a hidden RAF base in Scotland. The "Real" Dugan kept his double hidden under a heavy canvas tarp, but as they rolled into the hangar, the magnitude of their victory—and Arthur's sacrifice—began to set in.
The Problem of Two Dum Dums
In the secluded briefing room, the two Dugans sat across from each other. It was like looking into a distorted mirror. The "Real" Dugan was a man of the 1940s—boisterous, hearty, and smelling of cheap cigars. The "Winter" Dugan was a man of a future that never was—silent, efficient, and smelling of ozone and sterile lab chemicals.
"The Army won't understand this," Steve said, pacing the room. "If they see two of you, the brass will want to dissect the one with the metal arm, and the press will think it's some kind of Hydra trick."
Arthur, still feeling the "mental fog" of his downgraded Intelligence (A), leaned against the wall. His thoughts were slower, more linear, but perhaps more human.
"He can't be Timothy Dugan anymore," Arthur stated. "The timeline is already straining to keep both of you in the same room. We need to create a shadow. Someone who exists outside the records."
Forging the Ghost
Arthur looked at his [Archivist Combat Shroud]. With a flicker of effort, he used his remaining energy to manifest a secondary, matte-black mask and a reinforced tactical suit for the Winter-Dugan.
"In my records of the future," Arthur began, "there is a role for someone who stands between the world and the things that go bump in the night. He isn't a soldier. He's the Man on the Wall."
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
New Unit Identity Forged: The Vanguard Ghost.
Class: Temporal Saboteur.
Trait: [Existence Denied] — This unit does not trigger 'Divergence' because the world does not know he exists.
"I don't mind the mask," Winter-Dugan said, his voice a low rasp. He flexed his bionic arm, the matte-black metal absorbing the dim light. "Dugan... the real one... he's got a family to go back to after this is over. I don't. I'm just a memory with a trigger finger."
The Strategic Payoff
While the team handled the "Dugan Paradox," the news of the 1,142 saved prisoners hit the Allied High Command like a lightning bolt.
"Colonel Phillips is on his way," Bucky said, looking out the window at the arriving motorcade. "He's bringing Howard Stark and a fleet of medical specialists. They're calling it the 'Vorkuta Miracle.' Arthur... you've given over a thousand families their sons back. But you've also given the Allies a thousand soldiers who know exactly what Hydra is doing in the shadows."
The Return of the Architect
The hangar doors creaked open, and Howard Stark practically sprinted toward Arthur. He wasn't looking at the soldiers; he was looking at Arthur's flickering, translucent form.
"Kid, you look like a radio station with bad reception," Howard said, his eyes wide. "What did you do to yourself in that ice box?"
"I traded the 'how' for the 'who,' Howard," Arthur replied, a tired smile on his face. "I lost some data, but I kept my friends."
"Well, lucky for you, I've been busy," Howard said, pulling a briefcase from his side. "While you were playing in the snow, I finished the prototype for the [Chrono-Stabilizer]. We're going to get you anchored, and then we're going to talk about that bionic arm... because that tech is fifty years ahead of its time, and I want to know whose brain I have to thank for it."
Current Status:
DP Balance: 200.
Core Integrity: 55% (Stabilizing).
Intelligence: A (1 Chapter until recovery).
Unit Morale: Unshakeable.