Chapter 334: The Soldier Who Crossed Time

Words : 1663 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Transmitting information takes time. On one hand, that's simply how physical transmission works. On the other, major media outlets must carefully consider what they can and cannot publish. There are certainly journalists in this world who report the truth out of conscience, but the most successful and powerful media organizations all have their own survival strategies. Five hours after the incident, the attackers were still described as "unknown armed forces." But by the tenth hour, the media had already labeled the event: Front Page Headline: "Shocking! Somali Pirates Sink a US Frigate! One Sunk, One Missing!" People clicked in to read more and were surprised—this time, the media wasn't exaggerating or click-baiting. Aside from the word "shocking," every single word of the headline was accurate and necessary. This explosive headline spread across the world within a single day. "What year is it now?" "Woke up to find Somali pirates blew up a US warship. Feels like the 18th century." "Is this how our tax money is being used?!" "Do you even pay taxes? Military spending isn't for you to criticize!" Online arguments erupted, as they always do. Still, the core of it reflected real-world conflicts. Both pro-war and anti-war stances had strong support. However, this incident gave the anti-war faction an excuse to demand a budget review. In the short term, it became harder for military funds to flow as freely as before. As for Carter... When this nearly-100-year-old veteran awoke, the news she saw was: "Somali Pirates Sink US Frigate!" She was shocked: "The British occupation forces were repelled? Somalia joined the Axis Powers?!" Wait—Somalia is a country now?! No, pirates sank a warship?! Did she travel back to the 18th century? Then she noticed a group of Black people walking around the control room. Her awakening involved some special procedures. First, they used a special method to cut the ice, minimizing the amount that needed to be melted. Then they placed multiple life-monitoring devices around the ice to ensure the thawing wouldn't cause her harm. A custom syringe pierced her skin, injecting her with modern stimulants, nutrients, and energy compounds to awaken her cells. The cells of a super soldier were fundamentally different from a regular human's. Her combat suit had prevented her skin from freezing to the ice. As her body warmed and the nutrients entered, those enhanced cells sprang back to life. The first breath of air seared her nerves—and boom! Carter suddenly sprang up and punched the glass! But even for a super soldier, being frozen for so long came with damage. Her body was stiff, and the punch hurt badly. The real marvel of super soldier cells wasn't just their strength—it was their endurance and recovery. "Whoa there. Easy, Captain." Frank stepped in from the side—a textbook American, speaking American English. Carter's legs gave way and she half-knelt, glancing around at the unfamiliar equipment and poorly built walls, full of confusion. "Who are you?" "Frank Castle. Captain of Atlas Group's Rapid Response Team. Never thought I'd meet a WWII legend like you. Captain, I salute you. But it's 2011 now. You've missed a lot." "What the hell are you talking about?" "Let me explain." A familiar but strange voice spoke. A robot rolled closer. It had wheels, a screen, and a camera—but the face on the screen... A white-haired Barnes looked back at his former captain with a complex expression. Carter could still see the traces of her old comrade in him, even if time had aged him. But... "I never heard of Sergeant Barnes having a grandfather or elder. Who are you?" She assumed he was a relative—after all, waking up after decades in ice, it was more likely he was a descendant. But then... "Carter, you've been asleep for 70 years. It's been 70 years since you and that damned plane crashed in the Arctic." "70 years? What are you talking about?" "I'm saying—I'm Bucky. Captain, it's 2011 now." Seventy years of sleep. And now, nothing around her made sense. Seeing her dazed expression, Barnes asked gently: "Are you okay, Captain? I know this is hard to take in..." "I..." Carter looked back at the thawing chamber behind her and nodded with a complex expression. "I'm fine. Just... someone still owes me a date." Everyone silently stepped away, giving the two comrades some space. Frank also moved aside and resumed his communication: [Frank: "Boss, wasn't this awakening a bit too rough?"] [Leo: "It couldn't be helped. This is the best we've got. The world's changing fast—there's no time for a slow adjustment."] [Leo: "She's a soldier. I believe she'll adapt quickly."] [Frank: "She wakes up after 70 years, finds herself in a military stronghold, and the enemy is the US... I don't know if she's that adaptable."] [Leo: "Reality is crueler than people."] [Frank: "Fine. And the frigate? Did the pirates really sail it away?"] [Leo: "If they're good learners, sure. The internet can teach anything."] [Leo: "But if they want to go further, they'll have to work hard. Talented people exist everywhere."] [TN: Holy shit I had to get rid of some racist shit here for some reason they belive captain carter may be racist for being british from the WWII] At that moment, T'Challa walked up quickly. Seeing him, Frank activated audio input so Leo could listen too. "I've received word—multiple terrorist organizations are converging here." "Well, looks like there's work to do again." Frank shrugged. They were still hundreds of kilometers from the Tanzanian port. The road ahead wasn't going to be easy. But this time, they had a combat-savvy super soldier. Frank looked at Captain Carter, wondering how he'd compare to her in battle. [Leo: "Be careful. These groups may have backing. I'll increase the ratio of military gear in the next shipment."] [Frank: "Understood."] BOOM! A loud explosion rang out outside the camp! The Wakandan Royal Guard and Atlas soldiers sprang into action. Though they answered to different leaders, their movements were orderly—no chaos at all. The battlefield atmosphere snapped Carter back from her daze. Barnes nodded at her. "Captain, no matter what—welcome back to the modern world. I'll brief you on Steve and everything that's happened over these 70 years. I'm sorry—we thought that was the last war. But reality proved otherwise." There was weariness in Barnes' voice. Maybe only when facing his old captain could he show that. Especially seeing someone from 70 years ago appear unchanged—it made him reflect on how much the world had changed. Time had worn down his resistance, made him numb. But turning around like this... The direction of this world left him both confused and sorrowful. Carter had many questions, but she quickly shifted into combat mode—she'd been fighting all her life. She reached back out of habit. "Where's my shield?" Frank jogged over and shoved an AK-47 into her hands. "This is all we've got—make do!" "???" [Barnes: "She doesn't know how to use an AK."] [Leo: "It's all we have available. She'll have to make do."] [TN: lol now sexist too, don't worry I changed it, though let me know if you guys don't want me to censor it] Barnes was exasperated, but what could he say? [Barnes: "I want to know where the frigate went. And the shield—we'll send a team to retrieve it."] [Leo: "Frigate? No idea. As for the shield—Atlas can assist."] Barnes stared at Leo on the screen, then gave in, massaging his brow. Too much had happened in one day. Most importantly, a whole new world was unfolding before him. Problems were normal. But when worldviews are overturned, that's different. [Barnes: "Prepare to recover the ship. This is a military contract."] [Leo: "As part of that contract, we've compiled a full analysis of the incident. Secretary of State, your military has a lot to answer for."] [Barnes: "I'll review it myself."] He ended the call. He was far too busy—the Navy had killed over a hundred pirates before being wiped out, including many vessels. Somali pirates were a special case: their homeland lacked a functioning government, bordering on anarchy. To them, piracy was just a job. For many, it was a livelihood. Aside from the truly vicious ones, some crew were just cooks or porters—killing them indiscriminately had severely damaged the military's reputation. Which was already bad to begin with. Dead pirates, Somali civilians, dozens of US sailors, and two lost ships. They still had to face criticism from the African Union and anti-war protesters. A headache. Leo understood Barnes' situation and didn't press further. Communication issues were mostly resolved. "That was... the Secretary of State!" gasped Skye in the room. "You were just on a call with the Secretary of State!" "Yes. This secure line is now your responsibility. Remember to use encryption algorithms." The call was via the internet, with layered encryption—more secure than satellites. "Oh my god... will I talk to him too? And Captain Carter—she's my favorite superhero!" "Can you stop fangirling? This is your job. Be serious! We need to recover the shield from the sea. Also—did you look at the data recovered from the robot?" "Yes!" Skye typed rapidly. "But the data's weird. I'm feeding it into an AI for analysis." "Good. Add the African web domain to surveillance. Monitor for similar activity." "Sure. But if that kind of machine exists, why isn't it deployed in the Middle East? Isn't it weird for it to be in Africa? Also, it looks like it doesn't connect to the internet." "You never know." At that moment, Leo received a special email. [From: Tony Stark] [Subject: You killed my people. This isn't over.]

Chapter 334: The Soldier Who Crossed Time

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