At Avengers Tower, Bucky lay restrained on a bed while the team gathered around, debating how to handle the situation.
Banner stepped forward, operating a holographic projector that displayed an image of a brain.
Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "Banner?"
Seeing Tony's skeptical expression, Banner held up seven fingers.
"I have seven PhDs. Bucky's current condition likely stems from his training under S.H.I.E.L.D."
As he spoke, he swept everything off the table, grabbing a marker to explain.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. trains agents to develop rapid memory retention and learning capabilities. I suspect that after Hydra captured Bucky, they exploited this ability to brainwash him into becoming their assassin."
"Hive sure does have a knack for brainwashing," Hawkeye added.
The group turned their gaze toward the unconscious Bucky. According to Banner's theory, once Bucky woke up, they might uncover the truth.
Banner pointed to Captain America.
"The key to Hydra's brainwashing success lies in emotional trauma. Like you, Cap, Bucky endured severe psychological shocks. Remember how hard it was for you to accept waking up after being frozen for seventy years?"
Captain America nodded slightly, fully understanding the sentiment.
Perhaps when Bucky woke up, they could find a way to restore his memories.
---
Elsewhere, in a S.H.I.E.L.D. office, Pierce's angry voice echoed as he read the latest report. Furious, he swept everything off his desk.
"Why?! Why is he still alive?! Even the Winter Soldier we sent after them has been captured!"
The failure of the operation left Pierce seething, his face flushed with rage. His subordinates stood paralyzed, too terrified to approach or speak, not knowing what else might set him off.
Before Pierce could calm down, another subordinate walked in with a grim expression.
"What now?!" Pierce snarled, his anger barely contained.
The subordinate nervously handed him a stack of newspapers. Pierce glanced at the headlines and almost passed out from fury.
"Who did this?!" he roared, his voice shaking the room.
---
Meanwhile, on the streets of New York, silent protestors stood still. They neither chanted nor shouted. The reason? Just half an hour ago, major news outlets had published bombshell revelations.
Scandalous information about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s lower-ranking officials had been exposed, sending shockwaves through the media.
Every news outlet was covering the story, and even the NYPD had begun acting. George, armed with evidence from an anonymous email, had arrested the implicated officials. Protestors who had gathered earlier now stood awkwardly, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
They had been wrong. Completely and utterly wrong about Emperor—and the superheroes they had maligned.
It turned out the ones deceiving them all along were the very people they trusted most: S.H.I.E.L.D.
The betrayed masses surrounded S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, demanding an explanation.
Pierce, maddened by the uproar outside, ordered his staff to refuse entry to anyone.
But his evasive tactics only fueled the crowd's fury. People clogged the entrance to S.H.I.E.L.D., blocking traffic and threatening to bring the city to a standstill if Pierce didn't address them.
...
J. Jonah Jameson wasn't having a good day either. Being the first to publish false claims against Emperor had made him a prime target. Now, not only was he facing backlash from his industry peers, but he was also under fire from the public, who condemned him relentlessly.
...