Marvel Disassembler

The return journey wasn't entirely smooth; there were a few bumps along the way.

When Agent Carter drove to pick them up, she attracted some attention, resulting in two cars tailing them.

However, with Agent Carter's exceptional driving skills, she easily lost them.

Another hiccup was that Lindsay woke up.

The first thing Lindsay did upon waking was grit his teeth... to no avail.

Realizing his predicament, he considered jumping out of the car. But with his hands and feet bound, he couldn't even move three centimeters without a struggle. He could only gaze helplessly at the sky, convinced this must be a nightmare.

Arthur, however, was even more despondent and frustrated.

Despite his bold talk about fighting back, he truly didn't want to fight, at all. All he wanted was to lie low. What did World War II or Hydra have to do with him?

Absolutely nothing!

He was perfectly happy being an otaku, a job with a promising future of being happy while doing absolutely nothing. But here he was, thrust into a foreign world and antagonizing formidable enemies!

Where could he possibly hide now to stay safe?

If he couldn't hide, he'd have to fight!

This wasn't what Arthur wanted; it was what he was forced into...

...

...

The two men in the back seat, both gazing helplessly at the sky, were silent as they returned to the camp.

Agent Carter glanced at the tightly bound Lindsay and looked to Arthur for help.

With one hand, Arthur hoisted the nearly two-hundred-pound Lindsay, leaving Agent Carter wide-eyed in astonishment.

Meanwhile, a group of people emerged from the office building.

Leading them was Colonel Phillips. He wasn't clairvoyant; he had simply received word the moment their car arrived here.

As he stepped out, the first person he saw was Arthur, and the expression on his face darkened.

He shot Agent Carter a glare, then tilted his head to examine the man in Arthur's grip.

"Put him down," Colonel Phillips ordered.

Arthur released Lindsay, who hit the ground with a thud, nearly crying out in pain as his spine collided with the hard surface— a pain not easily endured.

Colonel Phillips pondered for a moment, then gestured to his men, "Untie him. We'll discuss this inside."

Arthur pulled a document from his pocket and handed it to Colonel Phillips.

Phillips, however, didn't take it, instead fixing his gaze on Arthur. "Your unauthorized action alone is enough for me to kick you out of the army!"

"I'd rather you didn't…"

Arthur sighed. He wanted out, but that was no longer an option!

This wasn't a joke; he truly couldn't leave the army now!

Within the military, he had a sort of natural camouflage, at least moving in groups provided some safety.

Leaving the army meant being isolated… the outcome of which was too dreadful to consider.

Colonel Phillips was about to say something more when he caught sight of a photograph of Arthur in the document.

His brow furrowed, and as he unfolded the document, his face turned black with anger. He glared at Arthur, "I told you not to…"

He stopped abruptly.

Glancing around at the soldiers, who were all staring wide-eyed, Colonel Phillips couldn't continue.

What could he say? How could he justify it? Was his godson's life more valuable than theirs?

Fuming, he led the way into his office, the soldiers and Arthur following behind.

Once inside, Colonel Phillips closed the door and finally allowed his anger to surface. He slammed the document on his desk and turned to Arthur, his voice low and fierce, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Arthur remained silent with a somber look on his face.

Colonel Phillips continued, "Hydra now considers you a high-priority target. You've endangered not only yourself but everyone around you."

Arthur clenched his fists. "I know, Colonel. But we now have evidence. Lindsay is a spy, and this document proves it. We can use this to our advantage."

Colonel Phillips' eyes flickered to the document, then back to Arthur. His anger didn't dissipate, but he nodded slowly. "Alright. We'll take this to command. But understand this, Arthur— your actions have consequences. From now on, you're under my strict supervision. No more lone wolf antics. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Arthur replied in a steady voice.

After all, if hiding wasn't an option, fighting was the only path left.

Colonel Phillips wished Arthur could just go home and raise a family, and he knew the other soldiers felt the same about their own loved ones. 

His frustration culminated in a long, heavy sigh.

Turning his head, he saw Lindsay standing nearby, looking indifferent with handcuffs on, flanked by two soldiers like a pair of vigilant guards.

Rage flared on his face, and he kicked Lindsay hard in the stomach.

"How dare you!" Lindsay fell to the ground, stunned and speechless.

"You're no longer an American citizen, Lindsay Cleaver! You're just a lowly Hydra spy. Why wouldn't I dare?"

Colonel Phillips glanced at the two soldiers. "I told you to bring him inside, not to pamper him! Do I have to teach you how to do your job?"

The two soldiers immediately understood that the Colonel was furious. They each grabbed one of Lindsay's shoulders, hoisting him up.

Before Lindsay could steady himself, one of the soldiers slammed the butt of his rifle into Lindsay's knee.

Unable to stand from the brutal blow, Lindsay screamed in pain and collapsed again.

The soldiers each took an arm and dragged him inside.

Colonel Phillips' anger subsided a bit. Seeing Arthur standing there nonchalantly, he glared at him before speaking. "What are you standing around for? Are you waiting for me to invite you to dinner? Get back to your duties! You, come with me!"

The last part was directed at Agent Carter.

Agent Carter gave Arthur a helpless look. "I'll handle this, and then I'll come find you."

Arthur felt a chill. Her finding him always meant trouble!

The first time, it was a high-risk decapitation mission.

The second time, she forced/emotionally blackmailed him to infiltrate to capture a spy, which ended with Hydra now knowing who he was!

And now she wants to find him again?

Girl, what grudge do you have against me that you want me dead?

As Arthur was thinking of a way to politely refuse, Agent Carter suddenly hugged him, giving him a gentle pat on the back. "I'll be inside."

Arthur was left standing there, stunned, his expression frozen.

"Aren't you the one who likes big butts?"

Colonel Phillips looked at Agent Carter's departing figure and sighed. "I still don't approve of you finding a wife in the army."

"I…"

Arthur had barely said a word when Colonel Phillips, shaking his head, entered the office building.

"Damn!"

Arthur was speechless. What a mess! He felt like he couldn't clear his name no matter what he did.

And the worst part… did Agent Carter even have a big butt? Maybe... but that's not the point here right now!

The point is, this was just a hug... a normal gesture among open-minded Americans, right?

It didn't have any special meaning, right?

Arthur tried to convince himself, but wondered if he was being a bit self-centered about this.

"Yeah, it's definitely one of life's big delusions."

With that reassurance, Arthur turned and walked to his quarters.

He needed to sort out everything that happened today. And he definitely needed to talk to Agent Carter and ask if Lindsay had sent that telegram.

(End of Chapter)

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