Marvel: The Villain Chapter 372 Roaches

The Vice President was an old fox in the political arena, but even he was momentarily stunned by the sheer conviction in Norman’s performance.

After a brief pause, Norman countered without missing a beat, "Mr. Vice President, Steve Rogers is also in his nineties. That didn’t stop him from murdering the President, did it?"

"Steve Rogers was frozen in a glacier for seventy years," The Vice President explained. "That’s how he stayed young."

Norman shook his head and let out a weary sigh. "I used to believe that too, but we were all wrong. They didn’t stay young because of the ice. They stayed young because they were both injected with the Super Soldier Serum. It doesn’t just grant strength; it slows aging to a crawl, keeping them in their physical prime indefinitely."

The Vice President didn’t want to get bogged down in a scientific debate. "Fine. Let’s move past that for now. What happened next?"

"I intended to gather enough evidence to build an airtight case—something they couldn’t talk their way out of," Norman continued. "But Director Fury’s sudden assassination made me realize Hydra was preparing for a massive move. They wouldn’t resort to sloppy hits unless they were in a rush. I knew I couldn’t wait. I had to get the files to the President immediately. In my mind, he was the only person in the country who couldn’t be Hydra; otherwise, Alexander Pierce’s plan would have succeeded years ago."

"But I slipped up. Hydra caught wind of my movements. The night after Director Fury was killed, they breached my apartment and took me. They were going to execute me right there, but I bluffed. I told them I’d already handed the evidence to a friend and that if I died, every Hydra secret would go live. They knew I’d been digging, so they believed me. That’s the only reason I’m still breathing."

The Vice President remained silent for a long time after Norman finished his tale. He shook his head slowly. "I have to say, your story is incredible. But without concrete evidence, it’s just a bedtime story."

"Who told you I didn’t have evidence?" Norman challenged. "The chain isn’t complete, sure, but the video from my hidden cameras is enough to prove Bucky Barnes killed Nick Fury."

"Where is it?" The Vice President asked. "You can tell me now."

Norman nodded. "In the building across from my apartment. Room 502. Have your men go into the master bathroom and tear down the ceiling tiles. Chisel away the concrete behind the vent, and you’ll find an evidence bag. The drive is inside."

The FBI Director immediately looked to the Vice President. Upon receiving a sharp nod, the Director left the wing personally, leading a team of tactical agents to the apartment.

*

Tony watched the screen, leaning back and letting out a breath. He managed a small, cynical smile. "Cap, it looks like I’m winning the bet."

He’d said from the start that Norman was the problem. Steve had wanted to believe in the man’s innocence, and now... the slap to the face was deafening. Steve’s expression was grim, his eyes locked onto Norman’s face on the monitor.

Steve thought.

A few hours ago, he had briefly wondered if Tony’s intel was wrong and they were hounding an innocent hero. But hearing Norman speak now, Steve knew he had been wrong—dangerously wrong.

Norman might not be a Joker member. He might not even be Hydra. But Steve was certain the man was a monster. Why? Because Steve knew for a fact that Norman had never spoken to Alexander Pierce on the phone, and there was no hit list on his mobile.

The tragedy was that Steve couldn’t walk into that room and debunk the lies. He had to sit there and watch his reputation being methodically dismantled by a master manipulator.

Half an hour later, the FBI Director returned with the drive. Technicians set up a laptop on a rolling stand next to Norman’s bed, patching the signal into the large wall monitors.

"Wait," The Vice President frowned. "It says ’Access Denied.’"

"The drive is encrypted with a proprietary protocol," Norman explained. "It can’t be overwritten or deleted, and it only opens for me."

Norman leaned forward, typing in a complex string of characters before triggering a combined fingerprint and facial recognition scan.

The encryption dissolved, revealing a drive packed with folders and sub-directories.

"This is two years of work," Norman said, clicking on a video file. "And this... is Bucky Barnes murdering Nick Fury."

The screen flickered. Because it was recorded at night, the image was bathed in the grainy green of night-vision. The camera was aimed directly at Steve’s beach house, with a flat dirt ridge visible in the foreground.

"I hid the camera in a tree," Norman narrated. "Deep in the foliage. Unless you had a professional thermal scanner, you’d never spot it with the naked eye."

The officials leaned in. To ensure authenticity, the footage was unedited. After a few minutes of static, a massive, muscular man carrying a long black case entered the frame. He chose a spot on the ridge and began assembling a high-caliber sniper rifle with mechanical precision.

"That’s Bucky Barnes," Norman said, pausing the video. He opened a high-res still from the drive—a candid shot of Bucky’s face.

The officials stared. One pointed at the screen. "What’s with the silver arm?"

"Haven’t you played Cyberpunk 2077?" Norman remarked dryly. "It’s a Hydra-tech prosthetic designed for high-intensity combat. Don’t underestimate that limb; it’s strong enough to stop an armor-piercing round and can lift over two tons. Only a serum-enhanced Super Soldier can handle that kind of feedback without snapping their spine."

Norman switched back to the video. Bucky lay prone, eye to the scope, staring at the beach house. Minutes later, a car pulled up. Steve got out, carrying groceries, then vanished into the house through a window after hearing movement inside. The audio of their conversation—already leaked to SHIELD—played in sync.

A minute later, Bucky found his mark and pulled the trigger. The dirt on the ridge kicked up from the massive muzzle blast. Once the hit was confirmed, Bucky dismantled the rifle and vanished into the woods, never suspecting the hidden lens behind him.

The video ended. The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

The footage was raw, unedited, and undeniable. It was a smoking gun. The man who killed Nick Fury was indeed Bucky Barnes—Steve’s best friend, the man who had supposedly died seventy years ago.

The irony was crushing. Nick Fury had died believing in Steve, even entrusting him with his final secrets. And Steve was working for the very people who killed him. Meanwhile, the man they hunted as a Joker mole turned out to be a lone patriot who had risked everything for the truth.

"Aside from the video," The Vice President asked, "You mentioned a detailed Hydra dossier and a sleeper list?"

"I have it," Norman nodded. "Once I got the names, I started my own vetting process. The numbers were staggering, and my time was limited. I only have hard evidence on a small fraction of them—stuff you can verify tonight. I’m handing the list to you now. I need you to round them up before they realize I’ve talked."

"You have my word," The Vice President said. "We will investigate everyone."

"There’s one more thing," Norman added, his voice dropping an octave. "The reason I didn’t give this to the FBI agents earlier is because the Bureau has been compromised too."

The FBI Director frowned, but he didn’t look surprised. If SHIELD had fallen, the FBI was likely riddled with holes as well.

"There are Hydra sleepers inside your investigation task force," Norman said. "Their goal is to muddy the waters, scrub the evidence for their brothers, and ensure the loyal SHIELD agents rot in prison while the traitors walk free."

The politicians began to whisper frantically. They weren’t idiots; they were foxes. They knew Norman was essentially handing them a purge list. They had to weigh the risk of his words being true against the risk of them being a calculated lie.

"You mentioned a secret concerning me personally?" The Vice President asked.

Norman nodded. "Yes. It’s the reason I asked for these other gentlemen to be present."

"Why?"

Norman looked him dead in the eye. "Because I was afraid that once you heard it, you might turn traitor yourself. That you would abandon your oath and choose to collaborate with Hydra to save what you love."

The tension in the room spiked. Norman didn’t make idle threats. If he was saying this, he had something devastating. The other officials glanced at the Vice President, a seed of doubt already sprouting.

The Vice President managed a calm, public-servant smile. "I’ve spent my life serving this country. Making America great is my only dream. Whatever your intel is, I will not betray my nation. Stop the games and speak."

Norman composed himself. "While I was being held by Hydra, I overheard them talking. I pieced together a terrifying secret. The President wasn’t killed just because he was a threat. He was killed because he refused to collaborate. And now that you are the Acting President... you are their next target."

The officials shared a look. It was shocking, but not enough to make a man betray his country.

"They think violence will break me?" The Vice President scoffed. "If they kidnap me or put a gun to my head, I still won’t break. I’m not that easy to catch."

"I know," Norman whispered. "But I heard your wife and daughter are currently touring Europe. What happens when Hydra takes them instead?"

"WHAT!"

The Vice President’s face went white. He surged out of his chair, his expression so feral he looked like he might leap across the bed and strangle Norman.

Norman managed a sad, empathetic smile. "Hydra was right. You really do love your family, don’t you?"

"Their itinerary was classified!" The Vice President roared, lunging toward the bed. "How do they know where they are!"

"Sir, calm down!" The other officials grabbed him, holding him back.

"Hydra infiltrated SHIELD and the FBI," Norman said calmly. "Tapping a family vacation is child’s play for them."

The Vice President was panting, his eyes bloodshot. "What do they want? Why my family?"

Norman shook his head. "I don’t know the specifics. But it’s never anything good."

He reached out and unplugged the USB drive, setting it on the nightstand before sinking back into the pillows. "The files are there. I can swear that every word I’ve said is the truth as I saw and heard it. Whether you believe me... that’s up to you. As an agent, I’ve done more than my duty."

He looked exhausted. He pulled the blanket over his head, signaling the end of the meeting. The high-ranking officials had no choice but to take the drive and leave. The information was too critical; they had to deliberate immediately.

*

Once the monitors went dark, Steve and Tony sat in a heavy silence.

Steve rubbed his temples. "Tony... those files. Are they real? If they’re fake, the government’s analysts will tear them apart in hours. Norman isn’t stupid enough to miss that."

"But if they’re real, where did he get them? And why is he doing this?"

"Jarvis, order some coffee," Tony said, surprisingly calm. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself. He saw Steve’s tortured expression and explained, "Stop overthinking it, Cap. The answer is obvious."

"Did you forget? The Joker Organization and Hydra used to be partners."

"Hydra is in the dirt now, but they still have thousands of roaches left in the walls. These grunts need a new home if they want to survive. They’re going to defect to the Joker."

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