Chapter 24: Countdown!
"It's nothing. The professor just said he's swamped right now and to come back in a few days. He also mentioned Colonel Phillips is in there complaining about me," Mason said vaguely.
Carter looked somewhat suspicious, but seeing Mason's resolute expression, she didn't press further and drove them off Camp Lehigh.
Mason was anxious, but there was nothing he could do except wait. He frowned the entire drive, replaying his actions since entering this world.
The mission had become exponentially more difficult at this stage, far beyond his current capabilities.
One misstep had led to another, and the cascading events made Mason realize the harsh reality of this world. Perhaps it would have been easier if he'd remained just an observer.
Fortunately, things had taken a turn for the better, and he breathed a sigh of relief when Carter asked while driving,
"Where am I dropping you?"
"Take me to Kardashian's place."
"Steve, what about you?"
"Oh, just take me home." Steve was a bit reserved.
Based on the distances, Carter first dropped Mason off near Kardashian's apartment, then drove Steve toward his place in Brooklyn.
Mason was unaware that the letter he'd received was merely a ploy by Dr. Zola to lure him out of Camp Lehigh. He lingered near Kardashian's building for a long time, unable to bring himself to knock.
"Mason? It really is you! Were you planning to surprise me?"
A familiar voice rang in his ears. Mason turned around as a soft body pressed into his arms.
It was Kardashian.
She looked much the same as a month ago, though her personality seemed even brighter. Seeing Mason, she was clearly thrilled, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately, completely oblivious to passersby.
"Ahem!"
"Some decorum, please. There's a lady present."
A playful voice came from nearby.
Kardashian turned, shooting the other woman a sharp look. "Oh please, Jenny. I remember when you were with Bucky Barnes, you two were practically attached at the hip."
It was Kardashian's best friend, Jenny, who waved at Mason before preparing to leave, giving the long-separated couple some privacy.
Mason suddenly remembered why he'd come to see Kardashian. Seeing she was in good spirits, he breathed a sigh of relief. He gently placed his hands around Kardashian's midsection. "You're pregnant and still bouncing around like this—you need to be more careful!"
"Pregnant?!"
The gossip-loving Jenny exclaimed, her ears perking up.
"Oh my God! Kardashian, you're pregnant! Why didn't you tell me?"
Kardashian blushed and pulled away from Mason's embrace.
"Who told you I was pregnant? I'm not!"
"Mason just said so—how could it be wrong!" Jenny looked incredulous.
"Don't listen to his nonsense! Damn it, Mason, you better explain to Jenny right now!" Kardashian was practically jumping with anxiety.
"Didn't you write saying you were pregnant? You even asked me to meet you the day before yesterday, but something came up and I couldn't make it." Mason looked bewildered, genuinely confused about the situation.
Jenny also suspiciously glanced between the two of them.
After some explanation, Mason finally understood what had happened. Kardashian wasn't pregnant, nor had she written to him. Although the handwriting on the letter resembled Kardashian's, it wasn't actually hers.
Mason wracked his brain for a long time but couldn't figure it out. Even if he'd thought for days, he wouldn't have imagined that just two days ago, an operation targeting him had nearly been executed—one directly authorized by the Red Skull himself.
"Alright, alright, since you two are busy making babies, I'll leave you alone," Jenny teased. "I'm just saying, Kardashian, you should look in a mirror and see yourself right now. You're like a cat in heat, ha!"
"Shut up, you're just jealous!"
A huge weight lifted from his chest, and Mason felt considerably more relaxed. Despite everything, he valued family and legacy. If Kardashian had really been pregnant, he honestly didn't know how he would've handled it.
The appointment with Professor Erskine was for the evening. With nothing much to do during the day, and having not seen each other in so long, their passion ignited and things quickly escalated.
After several intense encounters, Kardashian lay languidly in Mason's arms.
She told Mason she hadn't been idle this past month—instead, following his previous guidance, she'd begun taking over part of the family business and making some small-scale investments.
Though there hadn't been major success yet, the development trends were exactly as Mason had predicted, making her admire him even more. She
felt confident about other projects as well.
Watching Kardashian speak so enthusiastically, Mason suddenly felt that under his guidance, this woman might actually grow into a formidable business mogul.
Mason pulled out the note Professor Erskine had given him. Besides the address, the note indicated the location of a hidden spare key. With it, Mason could enter the professor's apartment first, avoiding the risk of being spotted waiting outside.
The two exchanged sweet words for a while longer before saying goodbye and parting ways. Kardashian now had her own career and could no longer spend all her time with him, while Mason was preoccupied with his mission.
It was still early, so instead of going to Professor Erskine's address, he caught a cab back to Steve's place.
Without knocking, he casually pushed open the door. "Steve, got anything to eat?"
Holy hell!
A clatter of chairs being knocked over echoed as Steve stumbled backward in a panic. Opposite him, Agent Carter—usually cold and professional—stood there, her face slightly flushed and looking somewhat awkward.
"Did I interrupt something good?" The atmosphere froze. Mason gave an awkward laugh, turned, and closed the door.
"Nobody's home. I'll wait outside."
He circled around outside for a bit, then Carter quickly departed, trying to act nonchalant.
"Bro, next time you're doing something like that, you should lock the door first,"
Mason advised Steve with an air of experience.
"It's not what you think. Our relationship isn't like yours with Kardashian," the innocent Captain America waved his hands defensively.
"You just want to hang out with her, but don't want to take things further?" Mason asked, incredulous.
"Of course not!" Steve protested, feeling a bit embarrassed under Mason's look before adding,
"Maybe we could try dancing first." Steve looked wistful.
After grabbing a quick bite and checking the time, Mason quietly slipped into Professor Erskine's apartment.
This was clearly just a temporary residence—the room was sparsely furnished, but crammed with rows upon rows of books.
Mason patiently waited until 8 PM, but Professor Erskine didn't appear. He steadied himself and continued waiting, but even by midnight, Professor Erskine still hadn't shown up.
"What's going on?"
He paced impatiently around the room. Time crawled by, and suddenly he felt a burning, stinging sensation on his left hand. He quickly looked down.
On the original mission interface, the text for Mission Two was now clear and deeply etched, while Mission One appeared as if it had been water-damaged, looking like it might disintegrate at any moment.
Not only that, but a countdown timer had appeared next to the mission!
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