A night passed.
Early the next morning, Kyle was awakened by a communications soldier, who relayed the colonel's orders for him to report directly to the underground command center.
Kyle did not waste any time. After quickly washing up, he had Venom cling to his body and transform into a black Combat Suit, then strapped on his Sodium-Carbon Steel Sword and headed for the underground passage.
Upon arriving at the brightly lit command room, Kyle was surprised to find that Steve, dressed in his captain's Combat Uniform, had arrived before him.
And the colonel's gathering was not limited to just the two of them. Howard, Carter, Fury, the Colonel Officer, and more than a dozen intelligence analysts were all present, nearly filling the seats around the long command table.
"Such a grand assembly. It seems you've gotten some very important intelligence from that professor," Kyle remarked as he stepped into the command room.
"Good morning, Major Kyle!" The intelligence personnel eagerly saluted him with admiring expressions.
Howard shook his head and laughed. "Buddy, why'd you come so late? This combat meeting was waiting on you."
"I thought a war maniac like you would take the initiative to miss this operation," Fury said with a grin, flashing a row of white teeth against his dark face.
"Kyle, over here." Steve kept waving him over to the empty seat beside him.
Carter remained silent in her seat, as though she was still angry about what had happened the previous night. But when she saw Kyle arrive, some of the tension on her cold, beautiful face eased.
The Colonel Officer standing before the strategic map waved a hand and urged Kyle to sit. "I was just about to explain the intelligence, so you aren't late. Find a seat quickly."
Kyle nodded, gave a simple wave in response to everyone he knew, then took the empty seat beside Steve.
No matter what, Kyle's arrival greatly eased the tense atmosphere in the underground command room. The strained expressions on everyone's faces relaxed considerably, and they felt inexplicably reassured.
This was the unique charm of a hero who symbolized America's strength. His reputation was not mere hype, but something built through genuine personal achievements and the number of enemies he had slain.
"Then let's get to the point." The Colonel Officer cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Late last night, our intelligence personnel learned some extremely urgent information from the professor who recently joined Hydra!"
"The founder of Hydra—Schmidt, the Red Skull—does not merely seek to occupy Europe. He wants to destroy half the Earth, then rule the entire world!"
Upon hearing this shocking news, most people in the command room frowned deeply.
"That madman belongs in an asylum. Does he really think he's a god?" Carter snorted coldly.
Fury murmured thoughtfully, "That's insane. Maybe that's the root reason the German army no longer wishes to cooperate with Hydra."
Howard frowned. "We can't let him do as he pleases. Schmidt possesses power far beyond our imagination. His energy weapons are the best proof."
Kyle nodded in agreement. After all, he knew better than anyone what Red Skull had in his hands.
The Tesseract! It carried the Space Stone, containing the profound laws of the universe. Its most basic use was enough to create Infinite Energy, while the explosive power of cubes infused with Gem Energy was something ordinary bombs could hardly match.
The Colonel Officer raised his voice and said gravely, "We've also obtained even more important intelligence: Schmidt plans to fly to America today. Once he crosses the Atlantic, he can flatten the entire East Coast in less than an hour! Starting from America, he will then escalate it to half the world!"
"How much time do we have left?" Kyle asked bluntly.
The Colonel Officer answered quickly, "Less than twelve hours."
"That's enough." Kyle nodded confidently.
The Colonel Officer shook his head. "The biggest problem now is that Hydra's final base is different from the Factory Base you attacked before. It lies five hundred feet beneath the Alps, easy to defend and difficult to assault."
"I have an idea." Steve, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "If we send in the army directly, Schmidt will definitely seal the entrance to the base and flee. So we need to send one person in alone to lure Hydra into opening the base entrance, then our forces can seize that opportunity to launch a surprise assault and surround them."
"I'll go." Kyle shrugged indifferently. He had an absurd number of ways to stay alive. Even if he stormed the Hydra base alone, he was confident he could get out unscathed.
"No." Steve rejected the idea, looking at Kyle. "You're better at attacking. It would be more suitable for you to lead the army in an assault from outside. Besides, are you sure your appearance wouldn't directly scare Schmidt into running away?"
That last sentence was clearly an exaggerated joke. Yet no one in the command room disagreed; instead, they nodded in deep agreement.
The German army's butcher. The battlefield's meat grinder. The hero who symbolized America's strength. A demon with killing intent in every breath.
Kyle's deterrence when appearing openly on the battlefield was absolutely no less than that of a fully equipped elite army. Send a man like that to lure the enemy out?
What kind of imperial joke was that?
The Colonel Officer also said, half-joking and half-serious, "To be honest, if I were Schmidt and saw Major Kyle break into the base, I'd choose to run immediately."
"Don't describe me as some inhuman monster." Kyle folded his arms and shot them a cold glance.
"I proposed the plan, so please let me go." Steve stood up and said firmly, "As Captain America, I can also draw Hydra out by acting as a lone bait. Therefore, I am the only suitable candidate."
Kyle looked at Steve's resolute, righteous face, and a line inexplicably surfaced in his mind: I am Captain America. I carry the toughest shield and take the most brutal beatings.
"The situation is urgent, and we can't waste any more time. The plan is settled! Everyone at the base will cooperate with the two of you in this operation—"
After saying that, the Colonel Officer slammed his palm heavily onto the table, displaying his unwavering resolve. "Then let's begin! We will destroy Hydra's final base and send that madman Schmidt straight to hell!"
Three hours later, near the Alps.
The noon sunlight was bright and abundant, reflecting brilliantly off the snow in the mountain forests.
Vroom! Vroom!
A burst of explosive, deafening engine noise suddenly rang out. Steve, with his round shield strapped to his back, sped across the snowy forest path on a motorcycle.
His hands gripped the handlebars as he continued accelerating. Blue flames and exhaust blasted from the motorcycle's rear, while its wheels crushed snow, branches, and leaves as he raced alone at full power toward Hydra's main entrance.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—
Those sounds came from behind Steve. More than a dozen enemy motorcycles were closely pursuing him, chasing him relentlessly like shadows.
"The fish has taken the bait."
On a snow-covered mountain beside the forest, Kyle looked coldly down at the motorcycle chase below. Like a hunter preparing to strike, he patiently awaited the coming battle.
The Venom Combat Uniform he wore also subtly conveyed its excitement, stirred by its host's exhilaration.
The next few chapters will be the major climax.
As the new week begins, this author sincerely asks all readers to cast your valuable recommendation votes for this new book. Thank you for your support, QAQ.
Before you continue