NOVEL NEXT Chapter 283: Captain America
A week later.
In the Arctic glaciers, Coulson led a S.H.I.E.L.D. search team, following computer-simulated crash coordinates in hopes of finding Captain America's remains.
He and Agent Ward swept the ice with first-generation scouters, scanning for any trace of energy.
Ward muttered as he worked,
"After all these years… do you really think Captain America could still be alive?"
Coulson shook his head, though not without hope.
"It's been seventy years since the crash. Survival isn't likely. But until we see a body, there's always a chance. In this world… anything is possible."
Ward nodded, knowing the scouter would pick up any life force if Rogers somehow lived beneath the ice. Though realistically, he expected nothing.
Then, suddenly, his scouter pinged—life energy detected.
Eyes widening, Ward sprinted toward the signal. He scraped away snow and peered down through the translucent glacier… and froze.
Encased in crystal-clear ice lay a man in the star-spangled uniform.
"Captain America…" Ward whispered, stunned. The scouter reading confirmed it: Steve Rogers was alive. Seventy years, and he hadn't perished.
His mind reeled. Could the Super Soldier Serum also grant longevity? Cryostasis survival?
Shaking off the thought, he shouted,
"Coulson!"
Coulson hurried over. Ward pointed down. "I found him. He's alive!"
Coulson leaned over, staring into the ice. The scouter reading confirmed it beyond doubt. His face lit with awe.
"My God… we really found him. He's alive!"
He immediately ordered the team to cut around the ice block and extract Rogers intact.
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Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Nick Fury read Coulson's transmission. Rogers found. Vital signs stable.
Fury's lips curved into a rare smile.
"Alive… even better."
A living Rogers was worth far more than a corpse. If he regained his old combat form, he could be enlisted into S.H.I.E.L.D. Even if not, regular "medical examinations" could yield endless samples to attempt recreating the Super Soldier Serum. And politically? Having Captain America in his ranks was a card few could match.
For once, Fury's day was looking good.
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Elsewhere, Alexander Pierce received the same intel. He chuckled darkly.
"Seventy years… Hydra didn't die because of you, nor did you die because of Hydra. What a cycle."
He had no intention of assassinating Rogers. Too much attention surrounded the legend's return. Besides, in this new era, one Super Soldier was hardly terrifying. Pierce already commanded Winter Soldiers—each on par with Rogers, some stronger.
Let S.H.I.E.L.D. study their "precious hero." It might even improve the next batch of controllable weapons.
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Days later, Smith Dole received encrypted intel from Natasha: Captain America had been found, alive, and would soon awaken.
He smiled faintly, pleased with Natasha's initiative, though unsurprised by the news. Rogers was always destined to resurface—this wasn't Carter, after all.
Smith bore no hostility toward Rogers; in fact, he respected much of his character. Rogers' revival simply meant Fury would gain another asset—but nothing troublesome.
His focus lay elsewhere: the third revival of the Dragon Balls, preparations for the second Dragon Ball War, and the looming Battle of New York.
Glancing at the calendar, he thought,
"The Dragon Balls will awaken again soon…"
And he wasn't the only one waiting. Xu Wenwu of the Ten Rings, Odin of Asgard, even Tony Stark—all had their eyes on the Dragon Balls. Even Bruce Banner, in hiding but slowly mastering the Hulk, nursed curiosity.
Though Banner knew well—with Hulk's instability, the Dragon Balls would never be his. At least, this time, he still kept ties with the woman he loved.
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(End of Chapter)
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