The original plan was for Lelouch to control Hydra's leadership and use them to attack Steve. Meanwhile, Steve, with the assistance of Saiki Kusuo, would fight his way to freedom and expose Hydra's resurgence to the world.
However, Hydra seemed to have realized they had been exposed. Just as Lelouch predicted, the impact wouldn't be significant. History is written by the victors, and if Captain America triumphed over Hydra once again, he would be hailed as a hero. Public opinion would favor him, and with the financial influence of Tony Stark and the connections of Nick Fury, there would be no need to worry about being branded criminals by the global government for attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. In fact, this would be the perfect opportunity to undermine S.H.I.E.L.D. from within.
But first, they had to win.
"Jarvis, contact Fury for me."
Shen He flew in Lelouch's direction while attempting to notify Fury.
"Sir, Director Fury's communication cannot be reached."
"Well… that guy isn't easy to kill. Tell Tony not to say I didn't give him a chance to be a hero." Shen He suspected Fury was in trouble but wasn't too concerned. The old spy had likely foreseen part of this scenario. Half of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were compromised, especially with Hawkeye still analyzing the secret base linked to the Tesseract.
While Shen He prepared for battle, Steve sat quietly in his special cell within a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. prison. There had been no interrogation or torture—just restraints placed on his wrists and ankles before he was left alone.
"According to the information, you can hear other people's thoughts. Is that true?" Steve thought to himself.
"…It's true," Saiki Kusuo's voice suddenly replied in his mind. He stood invisibly beside Steve. Given their close proximity, Captain America had easily sensed him.
"What's it like to see through others' thoughts and feelings?" Steve mused. "I once wished for that ability—to know who is good, who is bad, who needs help, and who must be stopped. It could have saved many people I failed to save."
"I'm not here for casual conversation," Saiki Kusuo replied flatly.
"Uh, sorry, I just—"
"Dr. Abraham Erskine," Kusuo interrupted. "That name keeps surfacing in your mind. Was he one of those people?"
"…Yes, he was the first person to die in front of me. He was important…" Steve admitted.
Saiki Kusuo sighed. Steve's mind was filled with thoughts of self-doubt—worries about fulfilling Erskine's expectations in this unfamiliar world, concerns about civilian casualties in the coming battle, and even suspicions about the true motives of the Chaldeans.
"A lot of people are coming!"
Kusuo interrupted Steve's thoughts and sighed in relief. Being alone with a hero was overwhelming.
As Kusuo predicted, an entire elite strike team arrived, fully armed and in combat readiness.
"Mr. Rogers, we're here to rescue you."
One soldier placed a plastic explosive on the lock. With a small detonation, the cell door burst open. The soldiers entered, unshackled Steve, and led him outside.
"What happened?" Steve asked.
"Hydra has staged a coup! We don't know how long they've been infiltrating us. They're seizing control of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Fury ordered us to extract you."
The leader of the team was a tall, strong, young man with a trimmed beard. He looked like an experienced elite fighter.
"What's your name, soldier?" Steve asked as he exited the soundproof prison, noticing that the guards outside had been silently taken down. That alone was proof of how skilled this team was.
"Ward, Mr. Rogers."
"Well, Ward," Steve nodded, "I'll remember you as the first Hydra agent I knocked out today."
"—!"
Ward reacted instinctively, but Steve's punch still connected, sending him flying into the wall unconscious.
Somehow, Steve's restraints had already been unlocked. At such close range, the elite unit barely had time to react before Steve incapacitated them all with a dazzling combination of strikes.
Steve was a master of close-quarters combat, and his enhanced physique made him far superior to his captors.
"You should have played along," Saiki Kusuo commented, appearing behind Steve. "Or at least followed them to see what their plan was."
"I'm not great at torture," Steve admitted, lifting Ward's unconscious body. "But I am good at capturing prisoners. Any updates from Shen? Or was this part of your plan all along?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Kusuo replied. "But right now, more people are coming."
As Kusuo finished speaking, the surrounding doors and windows exploded. A second wave of elite soldiers stormed in through the smoke.
Without hesitation, Captain America charged forward. His speed and explosive strength brought him to the enemy in an instant. He knocked down a few soldiers, then used their bodies as shields against incoming fire—all within seconds.
"…They're not Hydra," Saiki Kusuo suddenly stated.
"Mr. Rogers, I am ordered by Director Fury to extract you," Agent Hill announced, raising her pistol at Steve. "Please stand down."
Steve hesitated, then gently set Ward down. "I'm sorry."
At that moment, he wished he had Saiki Kusuo's ability. The enemy and allies wore the same uniforms, bore the same ranks, and spoke the same justifications. This was far beyond the straightforward battles of World War II.
"Mr. Saiki," Hill turned toward Kusuo. "Director Fury is aware of your presence. Can you identify the traitors among us? They seem to be everywhere."
"Easily."
The moment Kusuo's voice echoed in everyone's minds, some soldiers immediately turned hostile. One tried to pull his trigger—only to be slammed against the ceiling by Kusuo's psychic power.
One of Kusuo's many abilities, Empathic Detection, was perfect for situations like this.