Chapter 115: Acquiring the Prize
To avoid becoming an easy target in mid-air, Mason accelerated his descent toward the ground after jumping, only deploying his parachute at the maximum safe altitude.
This technique demands extremely high physical and mental fortitude from the jumper—a slight misjudgment could result in a fatal impact.
After landing, Mason rolled to dissipate the momentum, then raised his weapon and shot several nearby German soldiers dead.
Distracted earlier, Steve had dropped his shield and was now at a disadvantage under Kroenen's relentless attacks, suffering cuts on his shoulders and arms.
While Kroenen's overall physical attributes weren't as exceptional as Steve's, his explosive power was immense, and he showed no fear or pain. He attacked with suicidal ferocity.
Steve, fighting defensively, was momentarily overwhelmed and unable to counterattack.
When his magazine ran dry, Mason didn't reload. He discarded his pistol, and with a flick of his wrists, alloy gauntlets materialized. He punched a nearby German soldier, causing his chest to cave in, and then grabbed Steve's fallen shield.
Holding the shield in one hand and picking up an MP40 from the ground with the other,
he moved with lightning speed across the battlefield, his movements so fast that ordinary soldiers couldn't track his parries, shots, and evasions.
Mason's attacks flowed like water, almost aesthetically pleasing.
In just a few dozen seconds, his marksmanship was surgical, his shots never missing, clearing out the German soldiers in his vicinity and single-handedly tearing apart the entire defensive perimeter!
"Holy shit, who IS this guy?!"
someone exclaimed from the Allied ranks.
"Compared to Steve, he looks more like Captain America to me!"
Earlier, when only one person arrived as backup, everyone was confused, but seeing Mason's incredible combat prowess, they all understood that one person was more than enough.
"It's Mason!" Bucky recognized Mason with a look of astonishment.
He hadn't had much contact with Mason, only a passing acquaintance, and many things he knew came from Steve later.
It was no exaggeration to say that without Mason, there would be no Steve as they knew him today, nor the legendary Captain America.
Without Captain America, he and many members of the 107th Infantry Regiment might have died from exhaustion at the Hydra facility in Italy.
In that sense, everyone in the 107th Infantry Regiment owed Mason their lives.
Mason estimated that his current physical condition was roughly equivalent to Steve's, or even slightly inferior.
However, since the injection of the enhancement compound, his entire spinal column had been fully activated. While his strength had increased significantly, more importantly, the synchronization between his mind and body had undergone a qualitative leap.
This allowed him to control his body with greater precision—a feeling akin to a computer's operating system being upgraded, resulting in smoother overall performance.
"Hey, buddy, catch!"
Mason spun the shield around, sending it flying toward Steve.
Steve felt a surge of nostalgia.
This was the first thing Mason had said to him when they met, but the first experience wasn't pleasant—he'd been hit in the head by the shield and nearly knocked unconscious.
Steve was no longer that person. He kicked away Kroenen's attack, rolled backward, and when he stood up, his left hand firmly caught the spinning shield.
Holding the shield in his hand, powerful confidence surged through him. Looking at the familiar yet somewhat changed figure not far away, Steve grinned, as if an invisible weight had been lifted.
"Mason, long time no see!"
Mason retaliated, using the sharp blade at his fingertips to pierce a soldier's throat.
"Now's not the time for catching up. Deal with the guy in front of you properly—don't end up like that time in the alley behind the theater, getting your ass kicked!"
"You kidding me?" Steve blocked Kroenen's attack. "I'm the damn Captain America!"
Because of Mason's appearance, the German formation was completely shattered. Bucky led the other team members to launch a counteroffensive. Mason, concerned about his mission objective, no longer hesitated and rushed into the abbey.
The German soldiers along the way couldn't even slow his advance. Even the tall, heavily augmented soldiers were nothing more than target practice in Mason's eyes.
The roars in the blue portal had gradually subsided, and then a crimson, simian-like creature leaped out, nimbly disappearing into the depths of the abbey before anyone could react.
"It's Hellboy!"
Mason was elated. The creature was highly recognizable, exactly like in the movies.
After Hellboy appeared, the portal didn't close. Next, a two-headed, crimson hound the size of a Great Dane leaped out!
Then a second, a third!
A series of roars echoed through the gateway. Looking inside, countless demons surged toward the portal across the vast, red, scorched landscape.
They varied wildly in form—this two-headed hound was just the weakest of them. From Mason's angle, he could only see the claws of some of the larger entities!
Although this situation differed somewhat from the movie plots in Mason's memory, he didn't dwell on it. If these demons were allowed to flood into Earth, Hitler might actually gain breathing room and eventually turn the tide.
"KZZZT KZZZT KZZZT!"
Intense sparks erupted from the dimensional converter device.
"Nein, too many entities are coming through! Energy overload—the apparatus is failing!" Rasputin shouted.
"Fix it!"
"Keep it running at maximum output—we need to buy time for the Führer!" the German officer roared.
In just a few breaths, dozens of crimson demons leaped out of the blue gateway. Without hesitation, Mason threw out all the grenades he was carrying.
"NEIN!"
the German officer roared, trying to block Mason's path, but Mason kicked him away, sending him crashing into a demon behind him that instantly tore him to shreds.
Six or seven grenades detonated simultaneously, not only destroying the portal device and the gateway, but also turning the dozen or so demons clustered together into a bloody mess.
Seeing Hellboy's red figure about to vanish, Mason, disregarding the remaining demons, gave chase.
"WHOOSH!"
The red figure, though small, moved with incredible agility. Mason followed closely behind until they reached a collapsed chapel.
"Grrrrr!"
Hellboy's right hand was enormous—almost half the size of his body. He used both hands and feet to leap and dart across the walls. Seeing the exit blocked by a stranger, he glared warily at Mason.
Although still an infant, Hellboy was surprisingly nimble, making him difficult to catch by force. Mason, mimicking Professor Bruttenholm from the movies,
pulled out a pre-prepared Baby Ruth chocolate bar from his pocket, took a bite, and then gestured for Hellboy to come closer.
Just like in the film, Hellboy hesitated for a moment before succumbing to the temptation and jumping into Mason's arms.
The instant Hellboy landed in Mason's embrace, Mason felt a searing pain in his hand.
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