Chapter 885: The Dazzling Stars Rotten (Part Thirty) (Patreon)

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When Captain America's figure appeared outside the base gate, everyone froze. Nightshade was the first to react, exclaiming, "Captain America?! Are you... Are you Captain America?!"

"My goodness!" Bacteria Man's voice trembled slightly as he said, "You're the living Captain America! They said you didn't die, that you've returned, but I've never seen... Oh my, am I hallucinating?!"

Fastball's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long while. He stood beside a cabinet filled with Captain America figurines, most of which he had collected at great expense.

The other members of the team had envied his collection countless times, and now, Captain America himself stood before him.

"Captain America! You... I mean, how did you come here? Earlier, we wanted to apply to join the Avengers, but they said they weren't recruiting at the moment. I've always dreamt of meeting you. Can you give me an autograph?!"

Fastball began searching for paper and a pen excitedly in the drawers under the cabinet. He quickly crossed the crowd and rushed to Captain America, eager for an autograph.

However, at this moment, Steve didn't appear as robust, brave, and energetic as the figurines on the cabinet. On the contrary, he looked extremely weary.

Even through his mask, Fastball could tell that Steve seemed to have aged suddenly. Underneath his youthful appearance, the weariness of the soul was gradually becoming apparent.

"Let's talk about the autographs later," he began, his voice no longer as clear but somewhat hoarse. He continued, "I came here to ask you about something related to Spider-Man's Death."

The enthusiastic atmosphere in the base came to a standstill for a moment, but Fastball erupted as if he had suddenly lost control. He threw the notebook he had in his hand to the ground and exclaimed, "Spider-Man! Spider-Man! The whole world is talking about Spider-Man! Why hasn't anyone come to us?!"

"We're also heroes fighting criminals! We got injured during the explosion too!" Fastball's tone was like sharp metal scraping against the wall. When he spoke, the veins on his neck were visible, and his eyes bulged out, clearly showing his extreme anger.

"Everyone is attacking us! Everyone is sympathizing with Spider-Man! Is it just because he died? Why can't those people think rationally? We're all superheroes! We all want to do good deeds. Why is he the only one considered a good person, while the rest of us have become bad guys?!"

"Please, calm down," Steve said, "I came here to talk about something else. I just want to know if you saw anyone suspicious when the explosion occurred."

Fastball used the pen in his hand to forcefully poke the table. He was trembling all over as he said, "What do you mean by suspicious? Are you implying that we are suspicious? Are you trying to say that we caused Spider-Man's death?"

Bacteria Man stepped forward and tugged on Fastball's arm, trying to calm him down. "You need to calm down. Captain is here to investigate, and he won't misunderstand us."

But Fastball had already reached a breaking point. He forcefully shook off his teammate's arm, leaned on the table, and swayed. With a teary voice, he said, "I just wanted to be a superhero. I didn't want to harm anyone! I didn't intend to cause the explosion, and I didn't want to kill Spider-Man..."

"We all know that," Nightshade stepped forward and patted his shoulder, saying, "You should go rest for a while."

Afterward, he signaled to his teammates, and Squirrel Girl led Fastball away to a nearby resting room.

Nightshade was calmer than Fastball. He approached Captain America and said, "I'm sorry, we just wanted to apprehend those criminals, but we didn't investigate them thoroughly, which led to this tragedy."

"If possible, on behalf of the New Warrior Team, I'd like to offer humanitarian compensation to his family."

"As for the suspicious individuals..." Nightshade furrowed his brow, saying, "I'm not sure about that. But at the time, we saw more than one Spider-Man, correct? There were many Spider-Men..."

"Their attire was different, and even their genders weren't the same. But they all had the same Spider symbol on their eyes and could shoot spider webs. I don't know if they count as suspicious individuals..."

"Oh, and there seemed to be two more people in the distance... I'm not sure if they were other Spider-Men..."

"I hope that you can send someone with me to the chemical factory to describe the situation at the time. I suspect that Spider-Man's death isn't as simple as it seems, and someone manipulated everything from behind."

Steve clenched his mouth, his hand gripping the shield trembling slightly. He said, "You might think you live in a peaceful era, but in reality, the shadow has never truly left us..."

"Bacteria Man, will you accompany Captain?" Nightshade said to Bacteria Man. Bacteria Man nodded and was about to leave with Steve when Fastball rushed out of the room.

"I'm going too! I'll prove that we're not the culprits! It was just an accident!" Fastball shouted hoarsely.

The others were starting to feel a headache, and Nightshade could only step forward and speak quietly to Steve, "I'm sorry, but there are many people attacking us online, and Fastball has a bad temper. His mental state isn't very stable right now..."

"No problem, he can come if he wants to," Steve seemed unwilling to say more and just shook his head before turning to leave.

Finally, Nightshade, Bacteria Man, and Fastball sat in the car heading to the chemical factory.

The journey continued in silence, and Steve showed no intention of speaking. The others, too, realized that their revered and heroic Captain America was also feeling weary and sorrowful.

In the backseat, Fastball clenched his fists tightly. When he looked out of the car window, he couldn't hold back his tears any longer. Bacteria Man patted his back and offered comforting words.

Nightshade, in the front passenger seat, had a grim expression. During this time, they had been under tremendous pressure.

Everyone wanted them to come forward and apologize, but Nightshade could only privately apologize to Captain America and offer compensation. He couldn't publicly acknowledge their mistake because it would lead to the team's collapse.

Fastball had the weakest emotional resilience among them, but it didn't mean the others were much better. They were just a group of young people, like many young people today—sensitive, confused, and lost.

When facing immense pressure, everyone held their breath. Once one person broke down, others would likely follow suit. Nightshade was determined not to give up the team he had worked so hard to build.

Fastball's sobbing in the backseat made Nightshade close his eyes in pain, gripping his weapons tightly.

He had to admit that even if they could only stubbornly refuse to admit their mistake, the sight of Spider-Man's death had filled them all with overwhelming guilt.

It was the loss of a young and vibrant life just like theirs, and in the brutality of his passing, they couldn't help but feel profound fear and guilt.

As the New Warrior Team fell into their own thoughts, the screeching sound of brakes suddenly rang out, and the car spun out of control. Just before it hit a roadside utility pole, they all jumped out of the vehicle.

Captain America grabbed Nightshade, Bacteria Man took the dazed Fastball, and the members of the New Warrior Team scrambled out of the car, rolling and tumbling. The next moment, the car exploded.

Panic filled their hearts completely, but Steve, a seasoned warrior, tightened his grip on his shield, vigilantly watching the two figures that appeared at the end of the road.

It was a male and a female, twins with strikingly similar appearances. Their blonde hair fluttered in the wind. However, when they activated their powers, their eyes emitted a shimmering light that approached the New Warrior Team menacingly in the darkness.

"Captain America, Steve, Baron Strucker sends his regards," the older sister among the Phineas Twins spoke first, followed by her younger brother, who said coldly, "The interfering individuals better get out of the way. What we want is the lives of those people behind you. They saw something they shouldn't have."

"Indeed, it's you, Hydra!" Stephen clenched his teeth tightly, tightly holding his shield. He demanded, "Did you kill Spider-Man?!"

Two cold snorts rang out, and several beams of energy shot toward Stephen. He hurled his shield, and with a resounding bang, it blocked one of the beams, while the other beam grazed along the edge of the road.

"Fastball, run!" Nightshade shouted. However, in the next moment, he suddenly paused, shaking his head vigorously, his chest heaving violently.

The younger brother among the Phineas Twins' eyes gleamed, and as Steve tried to counter the older sister's air cannon, he had to use his shield to defend himself.

He stared at the approaching adversaries, turning slightly and saying to the three members of the New Warrior Team, "Quick, go! They want to kill you. Get out of here. I'll hold them off!"

"Captain, I'll help you!" Bacteria Man, the most composed member of the team, joined the fight.

However, as a mutant, Bacteria Man, like other mutants, possessed immense powers but lacked formal education. While he could communicate with bacteria, his abilities were limited to making others feel nauseated, causing vomiting, or inducing bacterial infections. These powers could be devastating when used extensively, but in short-term combat, they were not ideal. After he joined the fight, Steve had to protect him. With Nightshade joining the battle, the situation deteriorated even further.

These young heroes of the New Warrior Team possessed great power but lacked tactical knowledge. They didn't know how to coordinate with the most experienced Captain America. They simply fought in their own way, hoping that others would follow their lead.

To deal with the formidable Phineas Twins, Steve was already overwhelmed, occasionally disrupted by his teammates, and found himself increasingly at a disadvantage.

At this moment, he noticed Fastball, who was standing at the rear of the team, suddenly collapsing to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably and clutching his own neck.

The younger brother among the Phineas Twins' eyes grew brighter. In the midst of the battle, Steve narrowly evaded an air blast from the older sister, rolled to the side, and threw his shield at his opponent.

However, at that moment, he heard a brutal roar behind him, followed by the sound of something rushing through the air. Nightshade shouted, "Fastball is being controlled! They have telepathy!"

In an instant, Fastball, who had accelerated to the extreme, collided with Captain America, who was holding his shield.

The incredible speed and power, combined with control over energy fields, made his punch devastating.

With a resounding bang, the fist pierced through Steve's chest. Steve stared wide-eyed, watching his own blood spray from his chest.

A look of agony flashed briefly across his face, and his vitality gradually faded. His strong arm, holding the shield, dropped weakly to his side, and then he slowly knelt to the ground. His bloodied shield rolled along the highway for a distance and came to rest in front of the Phineas Twins.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 886: The Dazzling Stars - Rotten (31)