The lights in the briefing room came back on. For a moment, no one spoke; only the tap-tap of Dugan's fingers against the table could be heard. Everyone wore complicated expressions—shock, doubt, and a spark of excitement that had been ignited.
Hydra, energy weapons, Super-Soldiers. Those words were like massive stones crashing into the hearts of these battle-hardened veterans, stirring up no small amount of turmoil.
Logan was the first to break the silence. He rose from his chair and cracked his knuckles, his face carrying a mix of impatience and bloodlust. "Cut the crap. When do we move? Who are we killing?"
He didn't care whether it was Hydra or some octopus, nor did he care about Captain America or the President of the United States. There was only one thing he cared about: whether the enemy was tough enough and whether he could kill to his heart's content. The sight of those Hydra soldiers being reduced to ash by energy weapons in the film hadn't frightened him in the slightest. Instead, it had stirred the savagery in his bones.
Dugan gave him an approving look, clearly appreciating such a straightforward attitude. "Easy, Logan. Brute force alone won't be enough against Hydra." He pointed toward the door. "Come on. I'll show you your new home first, then we'll pick up some good gear. Get some proper rest tonight. At dawn tomorrow, we move out."
Their so-called "new home" was a barracks with one large communal sleeping area. More than a dozen field cots stood in two neat rows, their blankets folded into crisp squares. Compared to the foxholes they had dug at the front, this was practically heaven.
As soon as they entered the barracks, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. The team members who had barely spoken before began introducing themselves.
The Black guy who played the harmonica was Gabe Jones, a technical soldier proficient in all sorts of machinery. The bespectacled Japanese American was Jimmy Morita, an explosives expert. The Frenchman with the pipe was Jacques Denier, skilled at infiltration and poisoning. Every one of them had a special talent.
In his previous life, Chu Hang had been the sort of person who could chat with anyone at work. He took the initiative to greet everyone and offer them cigarettes. Before long, he had gotten familiar with the whole group. He knew full well that these people would become comrades who could entrust their backs to one another. Building good relationships with them could only help.
Only Logan, upon entering the room, picked a cot in the farthest corner, tossed his battered leather jacket onto the pillow, and began polishing his combat knife by himself. His entire body radiated an aura that said, "Keep away."
Chu Hang didn't try to force his way into Logan's good graces. He understood Logan's temperament too well. The man was a lone wolf; getting him to blend into a group would be harder than getting him to quit cigars. Still, it didn't matter. As long as they were on the battlefield, Logan only needed to know who his own people were.
While joking around with Gabe and the others, he was also quietly calculating something important.
Four days.
His copying ability still had four days left on its cooldown. Yet the mission would begin tomorrow morning.
That gap in timing was practically fatal.
In other words, for at least four days after the mission began, he had to ensure that both he and Captain America stayed alive. During that time, he also had to create an opportunity to "accidentally" come into contact with the Captain.
That wouldn't be easy. He could guess with his toes what kind of death trap a Hydra base would be. In the movie, Bucky had fallen off a cliff there. Chu Hang had no desire to follow in his footsteps.
"Hey, Chu!" Jimmy Morita pushed up his glasses and leaned over curiously. "I heard Officer Dugan say that you and Logan are... well, really hard to kill. Is that true?"
Chu Hang knew what he wanted to ask. Smiling, he pointed to the uniform still marked with bullet holes and bloodstains. "On the battlefield, I was just lucky."
Of course, he couldn't say that it was because of his Healing Factor, so he gave a vague answer to brush the question aside. Fortunately, these men were all sharp. Seeing that he didn't want to say more, they didn't press him.
After the group had made some noise for a while, Dugan led them to the base armory.
The instant they stepped through the heavy iron doors, the cold smell of metal and gun oil hit them head-on. Chu Hang's eyes immediately lit up.
This armory was far more impressive than the little storage room in his previous unit. The walls were covered with all kinds of firearms, from Thompson Submachine Guns to M1 Garand Rifles. Rows of grenades, explosives, and ammunition of every caliber were arranged neatly across the tables, glinting coldly beneath the lights.
An old man who looked like a quartermaster handed them a list. "Standard issue: one submachine gun, one pistol, and four grenade magazines per person. Pick what you want."
Logan couldn't even be bothered to look. He took two Colt M1911 Pistols straight from the wall and tucked them into his waistband, then grabbed a large handful of bullets and stuffed them into his pockets. He casually pocketed several cigars as well, and that was that. To him, his own pair of claws was more useful than any weapon.
The others also began selecting weapons that suited them.
Chu Hang, however, didn't move. Standing where he was, he rapidly recalled the plot of Captain America: The First Avenger.
Where exactly was that Hydra Factory the Captain had gone to rescue people from? It seemed to be somewhere in the mountains of Austria, freezing cold. The factory's internal structure was also complicated, with plenty of platforms and walkways at varying heights.
With that thought, an idea formed in his mind.
He walked up to the quartermaster with an especially sincere smile. "Sir, aside from these, could I request a few other things?"
The quartermaster lifted his eyelids. "Go on."
"I want the thickest cold-weather underwear you have, preferably wool. I also need a climbing grappling hook and at least fifty feet of rope. Oh, and do you have high-calorie hardtack and chocolate? The more, the better," Chu Hang said in one breath.
The moment he said that, the entire armory fell silent. Everyone looked at him as though he were some kind of monster.
Dugan frowned. "Chu, what do you need all that for? We're raiding a factory, not going on a winter mountain trip."
Chu Hang had already prepared an explanation. He scratched his head and put on a slightly embarrassed expression. "Sir, it's experience from my previous battles. The place we're going is behind enemy lines. No one can say for sure what the exact conditions will be. If it turns out to be some mountain valley and it's cold, dressing warmly can't hurt. If we freeze stiff, we won't be able to fight. As for the rope and grappling hook, they'll be even more useful—for climbing walls, getting down slopes, or pulling wounded brothers out of holes."
He paused, then added, "High-calorie food is even more important. No one knows how long this mission will last. If we get trapped, having something to eat means we can hold out a little longer. I've personally seen brothers who weren't killed in battle—they starved to death."
His words were logical and well-supported, all based on a veteran's combat experience. No one could find any fault with them.
Dugan fell silent after hearing him out. He looked at Chu Hang with a little more scrutiny and appreciation in his eyes. He had thought this Eastern kid, like Logan, was merely a fearless brute. He hadn't expected him to be so meticulous, considering matters even more thoroughly than Dugan himself, the commander.
"You have a point." Dugan nodded, then said to the quartermaster, "Give everyone a set, just as he requested."
Then he turned to Chu Hang. "Anything else?"
Chu Hang's eyes shifted as he remembered the impenetrable armor worn by those Hydra soldiers in the movie. He pointed at a type of sticky explosive on the table. "Sir, could we get more of this C2 Plastic Explosive? I have a feeling it'll work better than grenades against walking tin cans."
This time, even explosives expert Jimmy Morita looked at him with newfound respect.
Once they had collected all their equipment, every member of the team looked like a mobile fortress, covered from head to toe in gear.
Logan looked deeply displeased at the thick clothes and extra equipment that had been forcibly piled onto him. He muttered, "Troublesome."
Chu Hang, on the other hand, was completely satisfied. He knew that everything he had requested would definitely prove useful in the coming mission, perhaps even save lives at a critical moment. This wasn't just for himself, but for the entire team. After all, his strength alone was limited. The more teammates who survived, the higher the mission's chance of success—and the better his chance of copying Captain America's ability.
Once everything was ready, Dugan gathered them in front of a C-47 transport plane. Its enormous propellers had already begun turning slowly, producing a deep roar.
"Target: Klausberg, Austria. Hydra's weapons research factory." Dugan pointed at a red dot on the map and gave his final orders. "Our mission is to infiltrate the factory perimeter, create chaos, and draw the enemy's attention, creating an opening for the Captain's infiltration and rescue operation. Remember, we are the bait, and we are the support team. Understood?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
"Board!"
The team members climbed the transport plane's boarding ramp one after another. Chu Hang was the last to board. He looked back at the brightly lit base, then raised his eyes toward the pitch-black night sky.
He took a deep breath. The air was icy, thick with the smell of aviation fuel.
He could feel his heartbeat accelerating and his blood growing hot. This wasn't fear, but an indescribable excitement.
At last, he was going to take part in this magnificent era firsthand.
The plane jolted violently, then slowly rose into the air and flew toward the unknown darkness. Chu Hang found a seat, sat down, and closed his eyes.
In his mind, that cold countdown continued to tick away, neither fast nor slow.
[Cooldown Remaining: 3 days, 9 hours, 46 minutes...]
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