"…"
Silence.
After John Koehler confirmed Anton's claim, the line between them fell into a long and heavy silence.
Anton didn't mind. He sat leisurely on the sofa at home, opened the news on his screen, lowered the volume, and waited patiently for John Koehler to respond.
But Koehler clearly couldn't digest the shocking revelation so quickly. Several minutes passed, and there was still no reply.
Finally, he took a deep breath and said,
"I'll investigate this matter thoroughly."
Then, without another word, he hung up.
Toot—toot—toot…
Anton listened to the busy tone with a smile. He knew Koehler's response might have sounded noncommittal—but in reality, John Koehler had already accepted the truth.
The Justice League had never provided false intelligence to either Koehler or the World Security Council. This time was no different.
Whether Koehler believed the claim or had his doubts, once he started investigating, the truth would surface.
And even if Koehler failed to uncover any clear clues, Anton would make sure the full truth was revealed—methodically, piece by piece—until even John Koehler couldn't deny it.
Once verified, Koehler would have to make a choice.
Preventing a direct encounter between Tony Stark and the Winter Soldier, preparing contingency plans, managing fallout—for the military, preserving both assets and avoiding conflict would be the obvious path.
Although the military once had a strong relationship with Stark Industries, things had changed.
Today, Stark Industries was no longer the world's top arms dealer—it had successfully transformed into a clean energy powerhouse, with major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
This transformation meant the company had distanced itself from the military sector.
The military understood that clearly.
While they didn't oppose Stark Industries, their connection was no longer as tight as before.
Even if the relationship had remained as strong as in the past, Koehler would still lean toward preserving the Winter Soldier.
Tony Stark was brilliant—but he was also unpredictable, prideful, and nearly impossible to control.
By contrast, Bucky Barnes—the Winter Soldier—was former military. Now, as the White Wolf within special forces, he could be fully integrated into the chain of command.
Not to mention, Bucky had once fought side by side with Captain America. Through him, the military could potentially sway Steve Rogers back into alignment with their interests.
Add in Bucky's skills and new identity—his tactical value far exceeded that of Tony Stark in the eyes of the military.
Anyone with even a shred of political savvy would know what the right move was.
Countless thoughts swirled in John Koehler's mind. And the more he considered what Anton had told him, the more his headache grew.
He didn't doubt the truth of what he'd been told.
On the contrary—as soon as Anton spoke, Koehler was certain it was true.
First, because he knew Anton wasn't the type to spread false information—especially not about something this serious.
After all, the Winter Soldier had only ended up in the military's hands because the Justice League captured him in the first place.
And second—since taking custody of Bucky, the military had made significant progress in deprogramming him from Hydra's brainwashing.
And from Bucky, they'd learned a lot.
However, due to the aftereffects of Hydra's brainwashing, Bucky's memory remains fragmented. He can only vaguely recall many events, while completely forgetting numerous missions he carried out as the Winter Soldier.
Of course, Bucky didn't deny anything. He openly admitted that during his time under Hydra's control, he assassinated many important figures.
The full list remains unknown.
But over the years, every unsolved case attributed to the Winter Soldier has been automatically pinned on Bucky.
Not that it really mattered.
Because from the military's perspective, a Bucky who could now serve under their command was far more valuable than branding him a criminal.
But the situation had changed.
Even if the military didn't plan to hold Bucky accountable, they now had to seriously consider how to keep this information from reaching Tony Stark—especially the fact that the car crash that killed his parents was no accident.
"We can block Tony Stark's access to the leaked Hydra files."
That was the first suggestion offered at the meeting, after John Koehler disclosed the information. As expected, his revelation shocked everyone present.
But John shook his head.
"No, that's unrealistic," he said. "Tony was a core member of the Avengers. He has top-tier access to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s encrypted data."
After a pause, he added, "In fact, it's more likely that he can block our channels than the other way around."
Silence fell over the room again.
One by one, the attendees exchanged helpless looks. No one had a better solution.
The consensus at the start of the meeting had been clear: Protect Bucky Barnes at all costs. Prevent any conflict with Tony Stark, and absolutely do not let him learn the truth about his parents' deaths.
But the problem was... Tony wasn't easy to fool.
And there was no realistic way to prevent him from pulling information from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hydra database.
"If that's the case, then we'll take it one step at a time," John Koehler said at last, his tone resigned as he brought the meeting to a close.
The implication was clear: Delay as much as possible, and in the meantime, do everything necessary to hide the identity of the White Wolf.
Fortunately, they had prepared for this from the beginning.
By giving Bucky a new identity and integrating him into the special forces, he became known as the White Wolf—a ghostlike figure, masked like a ninja, similar to Snake Eyes.
His mask covered his entire face, revealing only his eyes.
His identity had never been exposed.
No one would assume he was Bucky Barnes, Captain America's comrade-in-arms from the last century.
After all, the truth was far too unbelievable.
Not only had Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, survived from the 1940s and retained his youth, but now even his best friend Bucky Barnes had somehow lived, unchanged from the day he was presumed dead.
As long as Bucky remained hidden, even if Tony eventually uncovered the truth about his parents' deaths and sought revenge, he wouldn't be able to find him.
The Winter Soldier was now a military asset.
If Tony came knocking, the military could simply insist: "The Winter Soldier is dead."
And there'd be nothing Tony could do.
It was a frustrating strategy, yes—but under the current circumstances, it was the most effective one they had.
New York.
Stark Industries.
Tony sat on the sofa in the center of his apartment, staring out at the neon lights beyond the window. As he recalled the information Harry had revealed during his visit, he took a deep breath. His grip tightened around the glass in his hand, veins bulging across his knuckles.
"Your death wasn't an accident…"
"I never even questioned it back then."
He muttered to himself, eyes darkening with a deep, simmering fury. A storm of emotions churned beneath the surface—rage, guilt, and regret. The kind of regret that claws at your insides.
He hated how blind he had been.
Back then, his strained relationship with his father made it easier to bury the pain. He never once considered the possibility that his parents' deaths might have been murder.
After all, who would dare assassinate the head of a powerful arms company?
Let alone the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Not to mention the professional bodyguards who had always accompanied them…
And yet, he had subconsciously dismissed the possibility.
But Harry's warning had cracked open a door he hadn't dared approach—and now he couldn't unsee it.
"Sir," JARVIS suddenly spoke. "We've reviewed the Winter Soldier's mission records. On December 16, 1991—the day the Howards died in a car accident—he had an active mission. The location was New York."
That single line hit Tony like a freight train.
It wasn't definitive proof—not a smoking gun—but it was enough to confirm everything he feared.
The Hydra leak hadn't included a complete assassination list, but Tony knew one thing for sure: if Howard Stark, a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder, had been seen as a threat by Hydra, then targeting him made perfect sense.
Even if the data was circumstantial, it aligned far too well.
The original report of a brake failure causing the fatal crash had always sounded suspicious.
How could the brakes fail on his father's car—a man who ran a tech empire?
It was absurd.
Now, it was obvious. His parents had been murdered.
And though the file didn't outright confirm it, the clues from Hydra's records told Tony all he needed to know.
BOOM!
Tony slammed his hands down with such force that the glass in his hand shattered.
Tick. Tick.
Shards tore into his palm. Blood dripped from his clenched fist, pattering softly on the floor.
The apartment was deathly quiet.
He could hear the blood hitting the tile.
And with each drop, his fury grew louder.
"You'll pay…"
"I'll make you pay!"
Tony hissed, jaw clenched so tightly it ached. His eyes burned with rage.
"The Winter Soldier."
He turned sharply. "Jarvis—find him. I want to know where he is. Now."
"He's dead, sir," Jarvis replied after a pause. "However... something about this information is odd."
A holographic projection appeared before Tony.
It showed a prison cell.
Inside, a man with a muscular build and a metal arm lay in a pool of blood.
His chest was still. His heart, silent.
The Winter Soldier—dead.
After leaving Stark Industries, Harry couldn't stop thinking about Tony's expression when he revealed the truth. A deep sense of unease grew in his heart.
To him, there was no need for further verification—the truth was already clear.
The information from Anton had never once proven inaccurate.
And once Tony confirmed it for himself… the consequences would be earth-shattering.
Harry drove home in silence, lost in thought.
On the way, he considered the long-standing tension between Tony and Captain America, and more specifically, the Winter Soldier—Bucky Barnes.
It was clear to him now: Anton was using Bucky to drive a wedge between Tony and Cap, aiming to fracture the newly formed Illuminati before it could solidify.
And if it came down to a conflict?
Harry was leaning toward Tony's side.
A father's killer...
Harry, who had almost lost his own father once, felt a flicker of that rage. That same hatred.
"Rogers…" he muttered. "I hope you won't defend him blindly just because of who he is. No matter what, Bucky should be held accountable."
As he turned the corner, he found himself again awed by the reach of the Justice League.
How could they have uncovered this level of intel?
Had it really come from the recently breached Hydra base in Europe?
Harry doubted it.
More likely, the Justice League had known long before the Winter Soldier ever appeared—probably since the Battle of Washington, when the conflict between the Justice League and the Avengers truly ignited.
They had simply waited.
Waited for the perfect moment.
Whether it was Tony, Steve Rogers, or even Nick Fury—Anton had laid them all out like chess pieces on a board.
No wonder the Avengers had been outplayed.
From this angle, the collapse of the Avengers had never been chance. It had been destiny.
And let's be honest—if the Avengers had intelligence-gathering capabilities like that, they wouldn't have fallen so quickly.
But it wasn't just strategy.
They were outmatched in power, too.
From tactics to sheer strength, the Avengers had been completely overpowered.
"Tony, you didn't lose unfairly," Harry muttered with a shake of his head.
Despite his sympathy for Tony, he didn't believe he should take Tony's side or stand against the Justice League.
Without them, his father—and the Osborn family—might not even be here today.
By every measure, the Justice League had earned his loyalty.
His friendship with Tony was important… but not enough to abandon his allegiances and switch sides.
People follow strength.
And as both a superhero and the leader of a corporate empire, Harry was no different.
Only by following the strong could one win.
Tony wasn't weak—but compared to the Justice League's Batman?
He simply wasn't the strongest.
Back home.
Anton reviewed the information pouring in from all sides, a satisfied smile growing on his face.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he'd predicted.
A civil war was brewing—and this time, it wasn't the Avengers at its center.
It was the Illuminati.
Of course, despite the team name changing, the two figureheads in the conflict remained the same:
Iron Man and Captain America.
And the spark that would ignite this war?
Still a bill.
Still Bucky Barnes—Steve Rogers' long-lost comrade—who would drive the wedge that shattered their unity.
…
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