Chapter 68: Shock—Allen Is an Undercover Agent
Steve was the first to seize the Tesseract.
The mission objective came first.
With a few swift strides, he grabbed the Tesseract single-handedly.
At that moment, a large number of soldiers arrived to stop the strike team.
"Old Den's eldest son, hand over the Blue Diamond to me for safekeeping."
Allen reached out, and Steve, trusting him without hesitation, handed it over.
After all, a fierce battle was about to ensue, and carrying the Tesseract would be inconvenient.
"Kehehehehe…"
Suddenly, Allen let out an eerie, sinister laugh. Holding the Tesseract high, he taunted the strike team, "You've fallen for it."
Both the enemy and allies froze in confusion.
What the hell was this guy saying?
Allen pulled off his mask and cheerfully walked toward Schmidt.
A soldier raised his gun to shoot, but Allen smacked it away with a backhanded slap, scoffing, "Relax, I'm one of you."
One of them?
Everyone on the scene was utterly dumbfounded.
"Imperial Iron Curtain Agent Allen, mission accomplished, returning to base."
Allen had almost reached Schmidt when Dr. Zola suddenly recognized him and hurriedly whispered, "That's the lunatic agent."
"So it's you. Hearing about you doesn't compare to seeing you in person." Schmidt's face broke into a smile.
"You've heard of me?"
Allen raised an eyebrow, looking both proud and smug.
Red Skull was unmistakable, with his crimson skull-like face. He immediately recognized him as the leader of Hydra.
"Thanks to the intel you provided, the Imperial Army discovered Wakanda in Africa."
"You actually found it!?"
Allen had only been laying a trap, never expecting the Nazi forces to actually make contact with Wakanda.
In reality, too many troops had been deployed to the African front, making it impossible to end the war quickly. Because of this, Schmidt had secretly developed intercontinental bombers and annihilation bombs to strike America, hoping to relieve pressure on the European battlefield.
"Hm?"
Schmidt gave him a puzzled look. "Are you saying you didn't want us to find it?"
"Of course not! I'm thrilled!" Allen bared his teeth in a forced smile.
"Allen, what's going on!?"
Steve demanded angrily.
He never would have imagined that Allen was actually a spy for the enemy.
"I'm done pretending. Time to reveal the truth." Allen spread his arms and announced gleefully, "I'm the Captain of Hydra!"
His words left the strike team utterly dumbfounded.
How insane was the Nazi side to make a lunatic their undercover agent?
Then again, their own side wasn't much better—they had treated him as an important weapons expert.
Schmidt extended his hand. "Give me the Tesseract."
"You're trying to steal my Blue Diamond?"
Allen protectively tucked it under his arm, his face full of wariness.
"It doesn't belong to you—"
"Ah-da!"
As Schmidt reached for the Tesseract, Allen mercilessly kicked him off the second-floor platform. Leaning over the railing, he smirked and declared, "Forgot to mention—I'm also a proletarian warrior, serving as the Red Guardian for the Soviet Union."
Well then, the Soviets were insane too.
One second, he was calling Schmidt "one of us," and the next, he was kicking him down a flight of stairs.
The constant twists and turns were too much for everyone to process.
A lunatic with multiple undercover identities—he was playing every nation like a fiddle.
Steve, who knew Allen well, immediately realized that this guy had no sense of loyalty whatsoever.
He was just showing off, deliberately revealing his identity for fun. He couldn't keep a secret to save his life.
"You damn sissy, time to settle the score."
Steve glared at the fallen Schmidt and hurled his shield without hesitation.
Bucky's death had always weighed on his mind.
Meanwhile, up on the platform, Allen turned to Dr. Zola and grinned mischievously. "Are you going to jump, or should I send you down?"
Zola glanced at the height, then promptly leaped off the platform—demonstrating remarkable adaptability.
"Eh? Uncle, who are you?"
On the platform, a middle-aged man in a suit stood calmly. Allen squinted at him, trying to recall. "You look familiar, but I can't place you."
"Do you recognize me now?"
Ares shifted, his armor materializing over him.
"What a coincidence, brother-in-law."
Allen hopped onto the railing and casually said, "My mom's calling me for dinner. Let's chat another day."
So, Ares had fled to Europe and gotten involved with Hydra?
It was unexpected, but not entirely surprising. The larger the war, the stronger Ares became. It made sense for him to dive into the battlefield.
"Ares!"
With a fierce shout, Diana flung her Lasso of Truth.
The golden rope wrapped around Ares, binding him.
"Sister, it's been a while. Looks like you've mastered your artifact."
Ares remained unfazed, gripping the lasso and pulling her closer.
Diana drew her God Killer Sword, ready to fight.
At the same time, Nanaue led the strike team in breaking through.
Allen slipped back into the group amidst the chaos, making his escape. Before leaving, he casually asked Steve, "Need any help?"
"I'll avenge Bucky myself."
With that, Steve clenched his fists and roared, "Helmet-wearing sissy, take this punch!"
Both he and Schmidt had been enhanced by super soldier serum, making them evenly matched.
However, Steve's serum had been optimized by Allen, granting him superior endurance. Victory was only a matter of time.
"I'm not wearing a helmet."
Schmidt removed his officer's cap, revealing a crimson, skull-like head.
In the end, he had become what he was always meant to be.
During the retreat, Allen examined the Tesseract and realized a major problem—he had no idea how to use the Space Stone.
Honestly, if it were the Power Stone instead, he could have embedded it into his armor and pummeled Ares with it. But the Space Stone? It seemed to be limited to teleportation, and he had no clue how to open a portal.
"Boss Ma, I want a refund. This Blue Diamond is a fake."
Annoyed, Allen used the Tesseract as a blunt weapon, smacking down enemy soldiers left and right.
The group successfully made it out of the base.
Rumble!
The roar of engines filled the air as a massive bomber emerged from the underground bunker, ascending rapidly.
"We might be about to lose Cap…"
Dum Dum Dugan's tone suddenly grew heavy.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest wireless radio, he had clearly heard Steve's final words of sacrifice.
"Give me the headset."
Allen immediately realized that, despite all the changes, Steve's fate still aligned with the original timeline. The details had shifted, but the outcome remained the same.
As he put on the headset, he caught the tail end of Steve and Carter's farewell conversation.
"Sorry, I won't be able to take you dancing."
"Steve, I believe in you. I'll wait for you to come back."
"Sheesh, the stench of romance."
Allen rudely cut into their emotional moment. "Old Den's eldest son, whatever you decide, I support you."
"Thanks." Steve sighed. "You're always acting crazy, but I'm glad I met you."
"Thanks my ass. You're not even gonna die. Remember—Bucky's alive. Silver arm, shoulder-length hair, black mask. When you wake up, trust me."
Allen added one last comment before hanging up.
"See you later."
As the bomber flew farther away, the signal weakened, leaving the final moments to the lovebirds.