When Luke broke into the lowest level of the base, he saw that Red Skull's new aircraft had already started its engines, warmed up, and was slowly taxiing across the runway.
"Rogers, I'll leave this place to you!"
Luke turned to Captain America at the entrance. The latter was using the exceptionally handy Vibranium shield to knock over Hydra soldiers swarming toward him.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds carried a strangely rhythmic beat!
Captain America effortlessly took down the enemies in a few moves!
It felt as though his combat power had improved drastically...
Watching this, Luke could not help but have that thought.
"No problem! You have to stop Red Skull, Luke!"
Rogers swung his right hand, smashing an enemy down with the shield before finding time to turn around and speak.
Then, he hurled the incredibly defensive Vibranium shield.
After knocking down two Hydra soldiers in succession, the round shield traced an arc that defied the laws of physics and flew back into Rogers's hand.
"As expected, Captain America with a shield is the real deal."
Luke smiled faintly, took a deep breath, and sprinted toward the accelerating aircraft.
His legs drove forward, and his figure shot out like an arrow.
The Hydra soldiers who tried to stop him were like mantises trying to block a chariot, utterly useless.
They were either sent flying by the impact or knocked to the ground.
Like Moses parting the sea, Luke used his Steel Body to forcibly carve out a path.
Colonel Phillips, who had led the Allied Nations forward in an unstoppable advance to the lowest level, watched that sprinting figure and could not help sighing. "Erskine's serum created a Super Soldier beyond imagination, and also..."
He glanced at Rogers, who was wielding his shield, and continued, "A comparatively normal Super Soldier."
"Both of them are Super Soldiers. Why is the difference between them so... huge?"
Carter could not help asking.
She had read Dr. Erskine's experimental reports. The serum concentration and dosage injected into both of them had been exactly the same.
Yet the results they displayed were worlds apart—perhaps that was not quite fair to Rogers, and it would hurt his pride.
But judging from the combat strength they had shown, that was indeed the truth.
"How would I understand all that scientist stuff? Still, it might have something to do with Rogers's physical condition. He used to be a frail little runt, and now he's turned into a big guy..."
Colonel Phillips's analysis sounded perfectly reasonable, and after speaking, he even wore an expression of complete conviction.
Carter had no response. She could only rise slightly onto her toes and gaze at the gradually blurring, upright figure with complicated eyes.
Red Skull's aircraft sped down the runway and was about to leave the ground.
Luke pursued it relentlessly from behind. The gale whipped up by the propellers pressed his neat military uniform tightly against his body.
With a powerful leap!
A Kryptonian Battle Suit like steel armor covered his entire body. The rapidly spinning propellers struck its surface, producing a piercing metallic screech.
"Whew, that almost ruined my face."
Luke touched the small cut on his face and grabbed hold of the aircraft's retracting landing gear with both hands.
After entering the interior, he saw city names printed on each of the Valkyrie Missiles.
There was New York, Chicago, and more.
Side Quest: The Arrival of a New Era, the Fall of Hydra! Requirement: Defeat Red Skull. Reward: Green Lantern Disc (a one-use substitute for a power ring)
Seeing the quest appear, Luke felt his body fill with motivation.
He strode forward, knocking every Hydra soldier standing in his way to the ground.
"This time, you can't run away again, can you, Mr. Schmidt?"
Before long, Luke appeared in the spacious cockpit.
"You really are persistent, Commodore Cavill!"
Red Skull, seated in the pilot's chair, turned around and stared directly at Luke, who had torn open the metal hatch with both hands.
"What can the Allied Nations give you? The title of hero? Empty verbal praise with no real meaning? Believe me, Commodore Cavill, once the war ends, they'll cast you aside!"
"Do you know why? During wartime, you are a Great Hero, a brave warrior. But once there are no enemies, those politicians will begin to fear you and guard against you."
"A Superman with a Steel Body—what if one day he wants to become a tyrannical dictator? That thought will inevitably arise in their minds!"
"Once the seeds of fear take root and sprout, they will quickly grow strong. This is advice from someone who has been through it, Commodore Cavill."
Luke remained unmoved. The corner of his mouth twitched as he said softly, "Mr. Schmidt, are you trying to persuade me to join the Axis Powers? Isn't it a little late for that?"
"No, no, no! Commodore Cavill, these are my heartfelt words. You and I are both Super Soldiers, different from ordinary people, so we are the ones best able to see the road ahead!"
Red Skull stepped down from his seat. The aircraft had long since been set to autopilot.
Before long, this massive new aircraft would follow its predetermined route and ravage the planet until it was left in ruins.
Dr. Zola, who stood beside Red Skull, was a scientist. He was completely useless in a situation like this and could only hide to the side, trembling.
"I once served Hitler and was his loyal follower. That short-sighted Fuhrer had a secret research institute called Ahnenerbe, dedicated to researching supernatural forces..."
The leader of Hydra racked his brain and unleashed all the eloquence he had cultivated in his life, trying to shake Luke's resolve.
"At that time, I thought Hitler, with his belief in mysticism, was pursuing truth and seeking the path to godhood. But he was merely obsessed with astrology, ancient scripts, the Spear of Longinus, and other insubstantial things, relying on cocaine and morphine to sustain the fantasies he created..."
"So I began seeking true divine miracles myself! I glimpsed a clue in Norse Mythology and found the hidden treasure within Odin's Vault!"
"I possess the key to the road to godhood! Commodore Cavill, powerful lives like ours should not fight for some country or organization! The future will have no national flags! We should make all humanity kneel at our feet, then lead them in creating a better new world!"
"Mr. Schmidt, I'm very disappointed. I spent so much time patiently listening to your grand speech, but in the end, you gave me no surprise at all."
Luke shook his head gently and spoke calmly.
"Rather than wasting your effort like this, you should honestly hand the Tesseract over to me. I don't necessarily have to kill you. Handing you over to the Allied Nations would also be a good option."
What Red Skull had just said was far from enough to make the young commodore turn around and join him.
The other man had indeed looked far ahead, and some of his words made a great deal of sense.
But the leader of Hydra had overlooked one thing: Luke was not a Super Soldier, and his future was not limited to the planet beneath his feet.
"I'm disappointed too, Commodore Cavill. We should not be enemies. You are the most perfect Super Soldier I have ever seen."
Red Skull pulled out a remote control and said in a deep voice, "There are twenty-one Valkyrie Missiles aboard this aircraft. I can detonate them immediately—this is my final measure! Even if you are an indestructible Superman, you'll be blown to pieces!"
"Commodore Cavill, join Hydra! Once the vast empire is established, you will become a ruler of the new world, just like me!"
Luke was speechless. That threat was far too lacking in intimidation.
If he had not been unwilling to take too much of a risk, he would genuinely have liked to try finding out what it felt like to be hit by twenty-one Valkyrie Missiles.
After all, a Superman who had never been nuked was incomplete!
Although he was currently a budget version, trying Valkyrie Missiles, which were slightly weaker than nuclear weapons, would probably feel about the same.
At that thought, a gleam of eager anticipation rose in Luke's eyes.
"Don't come any closer! Commodore Cavill, I'm serious—I really will press it!"
Seeing Luke walk toward him with firm steps, Red Skull stared in stunned disbelief.
He had not expected this Superman of the Allied Nations to possess such noble conviction that he would rather sacrifice his own life than allow Hydra's Valkyrie Project to proceed!
Before you continue