Chapter 122: Plot Inertia!
"BOOM!"
Although the ice field was smooth like ordinary ground, its excessive slickness made it impossible for the plane to slow down properly. It could only make a hard landing once the speed decreased to a certain level.
So, when Mason's plane stopped not far from Kardashian, the entire nose of the aircraft was already deeply embedded in the ice.
As soon as Mason disembarked, Kardashian rushed over and threw herself into his arms.
"How was it? Did anyone spot you?"
"Don't worry, because of the ongoing attack, my whereabouts are classified, and Carter is busy coordinating the assault on the Hydra base; she doesn't have time to track me."
"Unload the plane!"
"Hurry, I can't afford to waste too much time here," Mason ordered loudly.
He had planned the entire operation before departure, having Kardashian leave New York early and discreetly position herself nearby.
Now, they were transferring valuable equipment extracted from the Hydra base without anyone noticing.
Mason lined up the nine operatives, granting Kardashian the highest authority besides himself, and assigned two female operatives to accompany her for constant protection.
Monica, a former soldier, didn't see anything particularly special about Mason at first. However, she noticed the nine enhanced operatives; each was powerfully built and moved with unsettling precision, almost mechanically.
Just then, a small, bright red head poked out from Mason's collar. Kardashian was startled, and seeing her panicked reaction, Hellboy laughed gleefully.
"What... what is that?"
"Some kind of exotic animal?"
"You can call him Hellboy, this is my son," Mason said with a grin.
Kardashian stared at Mason with a bewildered expression.
"Please, don't tell me his mother looks like him!" Kardashian looked at Mason with disgust; she couldn't imagine Mason with this bright red creature.
Mason laughed heartily and briefly explained Hellboy's origins to Kardashian.
"In short, he's my son from now on." Mason patted Hellboy's head, and the boy obediently nuzzled against his palm.
Then he gestured to Kardashian and introduced her to Hellboy, "This is your mother, call her 'Mom.'"
Hellboy tilted his head and mumbled, "Mom..."
This recognition delighted Kardashian. She reached out and took Hellboy, and perhaps because of Mason, he didn't show any resistance to Kardashian. He found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, the valuable equipment on the plane had been mostly unloaded. Mason instructed Kardashian to keep watch over Dr. Zola and then observed the convoy drive away.
The howling wind and swirling snow quickly erased all traces of their presence.
Mason activated the plane's communication equipment, found the secure channel, and contacted Carter.
"This is Mason, this is Mason. What's the status at the base?"
"Thank God, you finally responded!" Carter's relieved voice came through the communicator. "How are you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but Schmidt was killed in the confrontation. I'm sorry, I couldn't take him alive."
"I'm just glad you're safe."
"How's Steve's situation? Has the base been secured?"
"The entire base has been completely captured. Allied forces are currently sweeping through and securing the equipment." Carter's voice was full of excitement.
With this victory, the Strategic Scientific Reserve had completely eliminated Hydra's core operations. All that remained was cleanup. Without Hydra's support, the war effort would likely collapse soon.
This battle marked a turning point for the Allied counteroffensive!
"Where's Steve? Where is he?" Mason was also pleased. "Have him send someone to pick me up. My plane made an emergency landing, and I'm afraid I can't return alone."
"You might have to wait a while."
"One of Schmidt's officers flew a weapons-laden plane toward New York, and Steve pursued him. The base can't spare any personnel right now, so you might have to wait for his return!"
"What?!" Mason was shocked.
"When did this happen?" His eyes widened, and dread filled his chest.
Carter seemed to sense something as well. "Shortly after you pursued Schmidt..." Mason was chasing a super soldier like Schmidt. Logically speaking, Steve's mission should have been simpler and should have been completed already, but there was still no word.
"I'll contact him right away!"
The plane Mason was on had Schmidt's aircraft communication channel saved. Mason activated the channel and called out several times before Steve's intermittent voice came through.
"Is that Mason? It's so good to hear your voice. How'd it go? Did you get Schmidt?"
"I already killed him!"
"How's it going on your end?" Mason asked urgently, trying to keep calm.
Silence.
In the command room, Carter's hands were clenched together, her knuckles white.
"To be honest, not good!"
Steve sighed.
"Maybe I need you to tell Carter that our wedding will have to be postponed!"
"No, Steve, I need you back!"
Carter's voice came through the device, breaking with emotion.
"Carter, can you hear me?"
Carter nodded, wiping her eyes. "Steve, you have to come back. You haven't even seen the wedding dress I picked out. You promised me that as soon as Hydra was eliminated, you would marry me immediately!"
"Maybe I'm going to break that promise!"
"What happened?" Mason interrupted their conversation, his voice sharp with urgency.
He had clearly killed Schmidt beforehand, preventing the tragedy depicted in the film, yet at the last moment, the inertia of the narrative pushed Steve down the same path.
This feeling of having worked so hard only to achieve nothing left Mason deeply unsettled.
Was it because he hadn't done enough? Or was some unseen force manipulating events, reverting the plot changes he had made to their original course?
What was the reason?
Was it related to the merging of realities, or was it all orchestrated by the Time-Space Express Company?
For the first time ever, Mason was desperate to advance his position.
"Steve, what happened? Don't give up until the very last moment. Maybe we can find a solution," Mason took a deep breath to steady himself and asked again.
Hope you liked the chapter
Want more?
500 Power Stones = New Chapter
10 Reviews = New Chapter
30+ chapters ahead on P8treon: DarkFoxx