December 2011, the first snow fell on New York.

Levi was meditating in his secret base when a sudden, intense wave of killing intent pricked at his senses.

"This aura..." Levi opened his eyes, his brow furrowed.

A system notification sounded:

【Detecting Super Soldier Serum reaction】

【Target: Unknown. Strength Assessment: City-level】

【Killing Intent Concentration: Extremely High】

【Recommend immediate investigation】

Levi's heart sank: The Winter Soldier? On a mission this early? According to the timeline, he should still be in cryo...

He quickly stood up and changed into civilian clothes.

No matter what, he had to go check.

Levi acted alone, not informing his three Apprentices.

This was too dangerous; he couldn't let them get involved.

...

Downtown New York, the United Nations Conference Center.

Levi disguised himself as a reporter and blended into the press corps. Today, there was an important meeting on global arms control, with delegates from various countries gathered.

S.H.I.E.L.D. motorcades were parked outside the venue, security was tight.

At that moment, Levi's senses were triggered again—a figure with a metallic arm flashed past in the shadows of the building opposite.

Found him.

Levi narrowed his eyes: It's him, Bucky Barnes.

The former Howling Commando member, Captain America's best friend, now the sharpest blade in Hydra's hand.

On the rooftop of the opposite building.

The Winter Soldier had his sniper rifle set up, the muzzle aimed at a target inside the venue—a senator from Eastern Europe who had been publicly opposing secret weapons development programs.

For Hydra, this man had to disappear.

The Winter Soldier's Mechanical Eye precisely calculated wind speed, distance, and trajectory. The target was speaking, his position perfect.

His finger rested on the trigger, beginning to apply pressure slowly.

3... 2... 1...

At the moment the trigger was pulled—

An invisible wave of Psychic Energy disrupted his aim.

Bang!

The bullet shot out but deviated by 0.5 centimeters, grazing the target's ear and shattering the glass behind him.

Chaos erupted instantly in the venue. Bodyguards immediately escorted the senator away.

The Winter Soldier froze, his mechanical hand gripping the rifle tightly: How could it miss... I never miss...

The Winter Soldier's Combat Instincts flared instantly. He warily scanned his surroundings.

On another building three hundred meters away, he saw a figure—Levi standing there, calmly watching him.

The two stared at each other across the distance, time seeming to freeze.

Three seconds.

There was no hostility in Levi's gaze, only an indescribable complexity of emotion.

Not yet time. Steve is about to awaken beneath the ice. I'll make my move after you two reunite.

The Winter Soldier swiftly packed up his sniper rifle and vanished from the rooftop.

Levi did not pursue.

He knew this wasn't the best time. The Winter Soldier was still under Hydra's control; rash contact would only alert them.

And...

Levi looked into the distance: Your story needs your best friend to end it. I shouldn't take that responsibility from Steve.

However, since they'd crossed paths, Levi wouldn't leave empty-handed.

He used his system ability to trace the faint energy trail left by the Winter Soldier's retreat.

...

After crossing several streets, he arrived at a derelict industrial area in Brooklyn.

A seemingly ordinary abandoned warehouse appeared before him.

Levi didn't approach. Instead, he observed from a distance. The warehouse's doors and windows were broken, its walls peeling, looking abandoned for years.

But his senses told him this place wasn't simple.

"Spatial Energy Field... Camouflage Technology..." Levi murmured to himself, "Hydra's handiwork."

He took out a specialized camera and snapped several photos. On the warehouse wall, a deliberately concealed emblem became clearly visible through the special lens—

The Skull-and-Tentacles Insignia of Hydra.

So there's a Safehouse here.

Levi didn't recklessly enter. With his current Planet Level strength, wiping out this Safehouse would be easy, but doing so would disrupt the entire timeline.

Hydra was deeply entrenched within S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposing them now would only alert the snake, driving them deeper underground.

Better to wait until 2014, for the events of Captain America 2, to let everything unfold as it should.

Levi returned to his secret base and compiled today's findings into a file.

"Hydra... truly still alive."

He looked at the data on the computer screen, "Fury is vigilant, but he has no idea how severe the problem is."

"But revealing it now is too early."

"2014, during Captain America 2, that's the optimal time."

That was when Hydra's Project Insight was about to launch and S.H.I.E.L.D. would face dissolution. Only then could Hydra be wiped out completely.

Now? Now he just needed to quietly gather evidence.

Levi created a multi-encrypted folder.

Contents included:

· Photos of the Winter Soldier (blurry, but the metal arm was visible)

· Address and photos of the Hydra Safehouse

· A list of suspected Hydra members deduced by the system

· Records of the Winter Soldier's appearance times and locations

"I'll give these materials to Fury when the time is right."

Levi set up a timed delivery: April 1, 2014, automatically sent to Fury's encrypted email.

Right on the eve of the Captain America 2 events.

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh: "The groundwork is laid. Now we just wait."

At that moment, a system notification sounded:

【Key plot character detected】

【Winter Soldier · James Buchanan Barnes】

【Comprehensive Evaluation: A-rank potential】

【Suggest recruiting as Apprentice?】

Levi fell into thought.

Bucky Barnes... truly a promising candidate.

As a super soldier, his physical prowess rivaled Captain America's, and seventy years of training as the Winter Soldier had honed his combat skills to the peak of human capability.

If he could take him as an Apprentice, the system's feedback would surely be substantial.

But...

"But not now." Levi shook his head, "He's still brainwashed, his consciousness unclear."

"Recruiting an Apprentice requires the disciple's willingness, trust between master and Apprentice. The Bucky of now is merely Hydra's tool."

"Wait for Captain America 2, wait for Steve to awaken his memories, wait for him to regain his own consciousness..."

Levi selected 【Defer】 on the system interface.

System: 【Recorded. Awaiting subsequent activation.】

...

The scene shifted to the underground of that abandoned warehouse.

It was a different world here—advanced laboratories, armories, Cryo-Chambers.

The Winter Soldier sat in a chair as Hydra technicians inspected his mechanical arm.

"The mission failed." A man in a suit walked over, a high-level Hydra agent.

The Winter Soldier's expression remained blank: "Interference encountered."

"Interference?" The man frowned, "Are you certain?"

"Certain." The Winter Soldier's voice was flat, "Someone stopped me."

"It seems that Mysterious Mentor has noticed you." The man sneered, "Interesting... but it's not yet time to confront him."

"Mission aborted. Return to cryo-stasis and await further orders."

The Winter Soldier nodded, stood up, and walked towards the Cryo-Chamber.

In the final moment before entering cryo, an image flashed through his mind—

That man standing in the distance, his gaze complex.

Why... did that gaze make him feel inexplicably uneasy?

As if that person... knew all his secrets.

But this thought was quickly erased. Cryo-process initiated, consciousness plunged into darkness.

...

Inside the secret base, Levi was formulating a new training plan.

There was less than a year until the Battle of New York. His three Apprentices were progressing quickly, but it wasn't enough.

"Peter is now City-level, but lacks combat experience and is too impulsive."

"Kamala is also City-level. Her energy control has improved, but she still doesn't fully understand her own power's limits."

"Kate is at Street Level peak. Her Archery is impeccable, but her close-quarters combat is too weak."

"They must become stronger."

Levi wrote several keywords in his notebook:

· Team Coordination

· Extreme Training

· Combat Simulation

· Mental Resilience

"The Chitauri invasion in 2012 will be their greatest test."

"If they can't even pass this hurdle..."

Levi shook his head, unwilling to consider that outcome.

For the next few weeks, the three Apprentices faced the most rigorous training yet.

Levi created various simulated battlefields:

Rescue in a Sea of Fire, escape from a Collapsing Building, dealing with Multiple Enemy Assaults, Hostage Crisis management...

"Remember," Levi emphasized repeatedly during training, "A real battlefield won't give you a second chance."

"The cost of failure is innocent lives."

Peter got pinned under rubble five times in the simulation before learning how to protect civilians in extreme situations.

Kamala passed out three times during energy-depletion training before understanding how to ration her power.

Kate was "ambushed" by Levi himself countless times before mastering basic close-quarters combat.

But none of them gave up.

【Three Apprentices have completed extreme training】

【Rating: A-】 【Feedback Multiplier: ×800】

【Acquired: Advanced Combat Instinct (feedback to Peter)】

【Acquired: Deep Energy Perception (feedback to Kamala)】

【Acquired: Tactical Awareness · Hawkeye Edition (feedback to Kate)】

【Levi's strength slightly adjusted】

Levi felt the growth of power within him and nodded in satisfaction.

Though still far from Skyfather-level, he was advancing steadily with each step.

...

...

At the same time, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.

"Director," Coulson entered with a report, "There was an attempted sniper attack at the UN Conference Center."

Fury took the report and skimmed it quickly: "Target was that anti-weapons senator?"

"Yes." Coulson said, "The bullet grazed his ear, missed by a few millimeters."

"The sniper?"

"Got away." Coulson pulled up surveillance footage, "Cameras caught a blurry figure, couldn't make out the face. But..."

He zoomed in on one frame: "This person has a metal arm."

Fury's lone eye narrowed slightly: "Metal arm... super soldier-level skills... Damn, the legendary one?"

"The Winter Soldier." Coulson uttered the name quietly, "If the rumors are true, he should be Hydra's..."

"Don't." Fury cut him off, "Don't record this. Don't investigate. Act like it never happened."

Coulson was taken aback: "Director?"

"We have Hydra eyes inside."

Fury lowered his voice, "Investigating the Winter Soldier tells them we know. Then they'll scrub all evidence."

"So we do nothing?"

"No." Fury took a file from his drawer, "I'll investigate privately. But on the surface, this ends here."

Coulson nodded: "Understood."

After Coulson left, Fury picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"It's me," he said, "I need you to look into someone for me..."

...

December 31, New Year's Eve.

Levi stood on the base's rooftop, looking at the New York nightscape.

In the distance, the sound of New Year's bells rang out.

Dong— Dong— Dong—

Twelve chimes.

The year 2012 had arrived.

System notification:

【Key Plot Countdown】

【Time until Battle of New York: 5 months】

【Time until Captain America's Awakening: 3 months】

Levi turned and walked down from the rooftop.

A new year, new challenges.

He was ready.

...

【Because the setup for The Avengers 1 is grand and requires a lot of information, the next couple of chapters might feel slightly slow-paced. Feel free to skim through them quickly; the upcoming climax will satisfy everyone!】