Chapter 73

Dalei: "Don't give me this nonsense. Quickly decide whether to cast the enhancement spell on the Cheshire Cat or not. Are we betting or not?" — Urging

Gordon: "Of course not. It's ridiculous to bet everything on these three minutes. If we can't win, we can still run. This isn't the final battle."

Dalei: "Alright, then I'll take on the Winter Soldier. You two try to hold off Diana and Captain America. I'll deal with him as quickly as possible and then come to help you..." — Making the decision for Gordon

Gordon: "No, no, absolutely don't kill him." — Quickly stopping her

Dalei: "What? You're worried about his life? (Surprised) Is he a double agent sent by SHIELD?"

Gordon: "No, you're mistaken."

Dalei: "Then why can't I kill him?"

Gordon: "Why kill him first? Among the three, the one we should prioritize is Princess Diana. Once she's dead, the Amazonian ronin warriors will be leaderless. My plan is for you to severely injure the Winter Soldier, cripple him, and then leave him alone. Let him cry for help and scream, so Captain America will be distracted and unable to protect Diana. While he's busy, we'll gather our strength and kill Diana to eliminate the threat."

Dalei: "Will he fall for it?"

Gordon: "Steve (Captain America) will definitely fall for it. I know his character; he won't abandon an injured comrade, especially one who is a longtime friend, not some new super-criminal. He can't bear to lose him again. If he doesn't help, the Winter Soldier will surely die on this chaotic battlefield."

Dalei: "What if the Winter Soldier pretends to be dead?"

Gordon: (Handing Dalei a vial of liquid) "This is an interrogation drug. After you cripple him, pour this on him. I guarantee that as long as he's not unconscious or dead, he'll be in pain for a whole day."

I (Voiceover): "Old man, you're too ruthless. Using such means, aren't you afraid of offending heaven and suffering retribution, shortening your lifespan?"

Dalei: "..." — Sighing — "What a vicious plan, even my father couldn't come up with something like this."

Gordon: "Your Highness, you flatter me. As the saying goes, 'It's easy to come up with a plan, but hard to execute it.' If I didn't know your true nature and that you could carry it out, I wouldn't have suggested such a plan. You're even more ruthless than I am." — Flattering

Dalei: "Director Gordon, you're too modest. When it comes to ruthlessness, we're evenly matched." — Being modest

Cheshire Cat: "You two big villains, knowing your own nature, you don't think about repentance or reform, but instead praise each other? Are you competing to see who is worse, more ruthless, and more vicious? Compared to you two, I, the assassin, am like a vegetarian old lady. Be careful, or you'll suffer divine retribution and face the consequences." — Unable to bear it

Gordon: "What divine retribution, what consequences? 'Good people don't live long, bad people live for a thousand years.' There are so many injustices in the world, and no god has truly descended to intervene in the secular world. Even when their own followers are in trouble, they don't care. So, those divine punishments and retributions are all lies. When faced with injustice and difficulties, it's best to rely on yourself."

Dalei: "Enough talk, they're almost done with the regular army around us. Let's go!" — Charging at the Winter Soldier first, with Gordon and Cheshire Cat following closely behind

Captain America: "Bucky, be careful." — Noticing that their target was not Diana but the Winter Soldier, he tried to block Dalei with Diana to protect Bucky, but found something grabbing his leg

Gordon: "Don't rush, Steve. Your opponent is me." — Activating a force field to trap Captain America's legs (the remaining energy was not enough to control his entire body)

Diana: "Eris, die!" — Shouting, she attacked Dalei from the side, swinging her fist

Dalei: "My target isn't you right now. I'll take your life later." — Dodging Diana's punch and continuing toward the Winter Soldier

Diana: "Come back, coward..." — Hearing the "puff puff" sound of gunfire (Cheshire Cat firing metal nails), she quickly turned around and used her silver bracelets to deflect the projectiles

Diana: "It's you again, you annoying fly..." — Grinding her teeth

Cheshire Cat: "Yes, who can resist being drawn to you, making me, this fly, involuntarily buzz around you, clinging to you." — Trying to provoke Diana

Diana: "You're asking for death!" — Enraged, she played a cat-and-mouse game with Cheshire Cat, everything going according to Gordon's plan.

I (Voiceover): "The initial phase is going smoothly, but I know the old man's plan won't succeed. Princess Diana won't die here, because five years later, the two Illuminati agents who disrupted the negotiations in Gotham City were her and Captain America. Captain America's demeanor was too rough before, far from the serious and upright look in the photos, which is why I only recognized him now."

Gordon: "Speaking of which, this is the first time we've faced each other directly..." — Trying to stall Captain America with talk

Captain America: "..." — Ignoring Gordon completely, he threw his shield at Dalei to protect Bucky

Gordon: "Damn, Steve, you're ignoring me. Don't you understand the principle of reciprocity? I was chatting with you and buying you time."

Captain America: "We are on opposite sides. I have no reason to let you have your way. Besides, if my team hadn't captured the acting governor as a hostage, would you have cooperated with me?" — Taunting while catching the returning shield

Gordon: "We are on opposite sides, but this shouldn't be our battlefield. You know this is an Amazonian civil war. We can conduct covert operations behind the scenes, but if we get too involved, it might lead to a conflict between SHIELD and the Illuminati, starting a full-scale war. That would be a loss for both sides. So, I suggest we both leave Paradise Island and let the Amazons decide their own fate. Neither of us will help, and we'll both withdraw. What do you think?" — Proposing a deal

Captain America: "At the time, we didn't know Eris was going to ally with you..." — Hesitating

Gordon: "Yes, we didn't know Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana had approached you. We were also deceived by Eris." — Thinking he had convinced Captain America, he quickly followed up

Captain America: "The misjudgment has already been made, and actions have been taken. It's too late to talk about it now." — Firmly

Gordon: "Too late to talk about it now? Do you mean..." — Interrupted by Lin Youde's radio communication

Lin Youde: "Bad news, Director Gordon. Analysis of the footage from the unmanned reconnaissance drone shows that the speedboats are carrying organized U.S. military forces, and some are equipped with super-powered weapons!! They have already landed on Paradise Island. Take the opportunity to withdraw with Cheshire Cat now!" — Radio communication

I (Voiceover): "It looks like they have already directly intervened militarily. The old man is in for a rough time."

Page break for AD starts

Page break for AD ends