Cut Off One Head, and Two More Will Grow

After a night of deep consideration, Peter finally decided to trust his idol, the former Captain America and current President of the United States, Steve Rogers.

Once he had made up his mind, Peter felt as if the sky had cleared and the world had opened up before him. He headed straight for the White House beneath the rising sun.

The White House was not located in New York’s most prosperous district but in a relatively suburban area.

For one thing, most of New York’s prime locations already belonged to someone else. Besides, those areas had long since developed established industrial chains, so building the White House there might not have been appropriate.

For another, the New White House was relatively close to the Martial Arts School. If Magneto came again, at least Zhan Liu could stand in the way.

Peter arrived at the White House, where people came and went and staff members hurried about in a bustling scene. With countless disturbances breaking out across the United States, the government departments had been given a great deal of extra work, which had also solved many employment problems. This made New York, the international metropolis, seem increasingly prosperous and affluent.

Peter’s face could now serve as a calling card. He spoke briefly with the guards at the entrance. After one of them reported through the internal communications system, Saoji Carter soon appeared at the door to the crisp clicking of high heels.

"Your Excellency Thor, welcome. Please come in!" Saoji was dressed in professional attire, brimming with vigor and carrying herself like a formidable career woman.

"Uh, Miss Carter, you can just call me Peter."

The two had often interacted during Steve’s campaign, and they had a good relationship. Saoji was being so formal now that Peter found it especially uncomfortable.

Saoji stepped aside and courteously ushered him in. She walked ahead with her head held high, not looking back, but said in a low voice:

"Peter, I’m representing the image of a White House affairs officer right now, so we need to be careful with our words and actions. Otherwise, if the media catches us, they might fabricate all sorts of news. You know what America’s media is like."

"All right, you’re right. I just haven’t adjusted yet and forgot that the Captain is President now." Peter awkwardly rubbed his nose.

"No matter what his identity is, he will always be Steve Rogers." Saoji replied in a low voice, then reached out and pushed open the heavy solid-wood door.

"Hey, Peter, thanks for coming to see me." Steve had been run off his feet these past few days, so he was delighted to see an old friend. Smiling warmly, he rose from his seat, walked around the broad desk, and gave Peter a hearty hug.

Once they entered the office, Saoji relaxed considerably as well. She poured them both coffee, then turned and left. As the White House affairs officer, she was far busier than President Steve.

After Peter and Steve exchanged a few warm greetings, Peter took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Captain, I have something to report. Hydra has risen again!"

Steve froze, then burst into laughter and draped an arm around Peter’s shoulders.

"Peter, Hydra was a matter from World War II. I defeated them already, together with my comrades in the Howling Commandos. Aren’t you a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent now? You can look through the records from that time and see how we dealt with them!"

Peter sighed and shook his head. He opened the file in his hand and passed it to Steve.

"Cut off one head, and two more will grow in its place. It’s obvious, Captain—they’ve come back to life."

Steve frowned and carefully flipped through the file while Peter explained the entire background of the matter in detail.

After reading the file, Steve said hesitantly, "Peter, perhaps this person is merely a con artist. You know how brazen scammers are nowadays. They dare to set up any kind of scheme."

"It doesn’t feel that way. An ordinary scammer couldn’t have known that my parents used to work for the CIA."

"All right, I understand. I’ll have someone investigate it. If he’s an impostor, we’ll send him straight to prison!"

Steve returned to his desk and picked up the telephone. "Have S.H.I.E.L.D. Director John Garrett come see me."

Director Garrett arrived at the President’s office soon afterward.

"Mr. President, you wanted to see me?"

Steve handed him the file from the desk. "Someone claiming to be from Hydra approached Peter. I can’t determine whether this is a scam or whether Hydra has truly risen again."

"Have an expert verify the contents of this file and determine whether they’re genuine. If Hydra really has risen again, then S.H.I.E.L.D. must follow this lead and investigate. If we were able to defeat Hydra back then, we can still do it now!"

John put away the file and thumped his chest in assurance. "Mr. President, rest easy. S.H.I.E.L.D. will always be a steadfast shield against evil."

After leaving the President’s office, John took Peter to his car, and they headed back to S.H.I.E.L.D. together.

"Peter, don’t burden yourself with this. Your parents are your parents, and you are you. Whether or not your parents were members of Hydra, it won’t affect our trust in you." John consoled the uneasy Peter as he drove.

Peter was deeply moved. "Thank you for trusting me, Director. To be honest, I hope that file was forged."

Mentioning his parents made Peter’s expression turn gloomy again.

"Whether it’s forged or not, we have experts who can authenticate it. We’ll know at a glance. Besides…" John glanced at Peter. "For something like this, you could have come directly to me. There was no need to trouble President Rogers."

"Uh…" Peter’s expression stiffened. He realized that his actions had offended someone, and Director Garrett was taking issue with it.

He hurriedly explained, "Director, let me explain. It’s not that I don’t trust S.H.I.E.L.D. I was just completely at a loss at the time. In my panic, the only person I could think of was the Captain…"

John looked at Peter’s helpless, incoherent expression and smiled as he reached over to pat him on the shoulder. "I’m not blaming you. I understand. He is Captain America, after all! Everyone trusts Captain America! If I were in your place, I probably would have done the same."

The car moved beneath the shade of the trees, sunlight filtering through the canopy and falling across John’s face in shifting patches of light and shadow.

"I just want you to know that when it comes to Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D. will always have your back. No one will care more than we do about Hydra’s every move. You can always trust us, just as you trust Captain America."

Thomas’s earlier fanatical Hydra demeanor had left a deep impression on Peter and kept him in a state of unease. But now, beneath Director Garrett’s warm smile, all the gloom was swept away.

"Of course! I’ll always trust S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Peter said gratefully.