Chapter 29: Ruthless Killing
Professor Erskine stepped aside to let Hodge into the room. He closed the door and, without any pleasantries, asked curtly, "What are you doing here?"
"Father of Super Soldiers—as the man who created me, I've come to see if there's anything wrong with you." Hodge seemed unconcerned about Professor Erskine's attitude, though the faint serpentine patterns on his cheeks betrayed his true feelings.
This second encounter with that sudden weakness made Hodge suspicious. If the first time—when he faced those Hydra operatives—he might have attributed this weakness to aftereffects of his recent enhancement,
this time the weakness was clearer and stronger, making Hodge realize this was no accident, but rather an unknown threat.
"I'm tired and want to rest. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, please leave." Mason could arrive at any moment, and if Hodge saw him, things would turn deadly.
"Bang!"
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Hodge slammed his fist on the corner of the table, smashing a hole through the solid wood desk. He lowered his voice, barely containing his rage. "Do you really hate me that much? What did I do wrong?"
He tore off his coat, casually ripping open his shirt to reveal a body as hard as steel. "Open your eyes and take a good look. I, Gilmore Hodge, am the first super soldier in human history! I have superhuman physical abilities and lifespan! Eventually, this country will fall into the hands of someone like me, and one day I'll even become king of the world!"
Professor Erskine remained calm, as if looking at a second Schmidt. "You're insane! Choosing you as a super soldier was absolutely the biggest mistake the committee ever made!"
Bang!
Hodge kicked the desk aside, stepped forward, and stared down at Professor Erskine. "Old man, I know you wanted Mason to be the first super soldier. Were you waiting for him just now?"
Professor Erskine's cheek twitched slightly.
Hodge's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I'll wait right here. When he walks through that door, I'll break every bone in his body right in front of you!"
"Professor! What happened?"
The door opened, and an agent asked warily, clearly having heard the commotion inside.
"Nothing, just showing off my strength," Hodge said casually.
Looking at Hodge's imposing stature and powerful physique, the agent was filled with envy. Seeing that the professor didn't speak up, he silently closed the door and left.
Hodge casually pulled over a chair and sat down arrogantly. "Old man, shouldn't we have a proper conversation now?" Hodge asked pointedly.
"Talk about what?"
Hodge sat up straight, then gestured to his powerful physique. "Tell me, what did you do to me? Why do I always feel weak at crucial moments in battle?"
Professor Erskine was taken aback. He'd truly underestimated Hodge's perception—he hadn't expected him to notice the anomaly so quickly.
"The enhancement serum affects you when your emotions fluctuate drastically. The symptom is a rapid decrease in your physical abilities as a warning. This is a characteristic of the serum and cannot be changed."
"You're lying!"
Hodge's eyes seemed to be developing vertical pupils, and under his intense gaze, the professor broke out in a cold sweat.
"I checked the enhancement data, and there's no mention of this. Either you've deceived the committee, or you've deceived me!" He roared, leaping from his chair and grabbing Professor Erskine by the collar, lifting him up.
"Tell me the truth now, or I'll kill you!"
Professor Erskine looked at Hodge with contempt. "Killing me won't solve anything with the committee. After all, they want an army of soldiers, not just one super soldier!"
Hodge paused slightly, then his face darkened. Dark serpentine lines visibly spread across his face, and his eyes turned bloodshot, looking like a predator ready to strike.
Professor Erskine's words deeply wounded Hodge. He thought he was unique, but in the committee's eyes, he was just one of many test subjects. Before long, hundreds, even thousands of super soldiers would be created.
And what would he have left besides the title of "Humanity's First"?
Thinking of this, his murderous intent surged, and a insane idea crystallized. "Kill him! If I kill him, I'll be the one and only!"
Evil thoughts burned like wildfire. At this moment, Professor Erskine realized things were spiraling out of control. "Listen to me, Hodge, calm down! If anything happens to me, the committee won't let you off!"
With his mind made up, a sinister smile appeared on Hodge's lips. "Who says I did it? This kind of thing is obviously the work of Hydra operatives!"
"And I am your greatest creation... my father!"
"Professor, Terry went to grab coffee. You want some...?" A voice rang out as the door opened.
"What the hell are you doing?" the agent at the door exclaimed.
"Help me!"
The agent drew his gun without hesitation. Hodge threw the professor to the ground and retreated.
Two shots missed their target. Hodge grabbed a chair and hurled it, then lunged forward. The distance from Hodge's position to the doorway was only a few meters—barely a blink of an eye for him.
The agent had barely dodged the chair when Hodge's menacing face appeared before him. He initially intended to snap the man's neck with one blow, but then suddenly changed tactics, snatching the gun from the agent's hand and firing two shots through his throat.
Another agent, hearing the commotion, had just drawn his weapon when Hodge shot him through the skull. But then he felt a sharp pain in his back, hurriedly dodged to the side, and fired two shots in retaliation.
Clatter—the gun fell to the ground, and Professor Erskine clutched his chest and collapsed. Hodge, enduring the pain, turned and fired another shot.
Hearing the gunfire, the other agents guarding downstairs rushed up the stairwell. Hodge, not daring to delay, grabbed another pistol from the ground and charged out.
In the narrow stairwell, these men were no match for Hodge, who easily dispatched all the agents who tried to stop him and fled into the night.
Meanwhile, Mason, who had rushed to the scene, arrived at a nearby street corner. Hearing the gunshots in the distance, Mason's heart seized and he sprinted toward Professor Erskine's apartment.
Several bodies lay scattered on either side of the entrance, and multiple agents lay face down on the floor in the stairwell.
"Professor, you absolutely cannot be dead!" Mason cried out in panic, pushing open the door and rushing inside.
In front of the collapsed bookshelves, Professor Erskine lay on the floor, his chest soaked with blood. Seeing Mason enter, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, and he pointed to the briefcase beside him, shouting urgently,
"The serum... it's in my journal! Grab it and get out of here! If you wait for the Strategic Scientific Reserve to arrive, you won't be able to leave!"
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