Chapter 30: The End of the Journey
Mason hesitated for a moment, then retrieved the super gene repair serum from his dimensional storage.
This stuff could be life-saving in a critical moment, and using it here meant Mason was losing a trump card for survival.
But looking at Professor Erskine's pale yet resolute face, Mason decided without hesitation to use this lifeline.
People aren't made of stone—how could they be without feelings? Even though Mason initially only saw Professor Erskine as a movie character he could exploit, after more than a month of contact, the old professor's integrity and character had moved him.
He pressed down on the professor's wound. "Professor, don't speak yet. I'll help you remove the bullet!"
Although the super gene repair serum could heal fatal wounds, if the bullet wasn't removed, it would remain lodged in the internal organs after the wound healed, potentially killing the professor again.
"Listen to me, Mason, there's no time! Grab your things and leave quickly. If the Strategic Scientific Reserve finds the super soldier serum I have, I won't be able to explain it away!" The professor didn't look like a seriously injured man at all—his face was flushed, and his eyes shone brightly.
Mason knew the professor was experiencing a final surge of energy, that every word he spoke was draining his remaining life force. Without hesitation, Mason drew his knife and cut open the professor's clothes.
He ignored the professor's protests and decided to remove the bullet as quickly as possible. Mason was confident that once the bullet was out, he could save the professor's life.
Although he hadn't tested the effects of the super-gene repair serum, the track record of this Dimensional Express company gave Mason immense confidence.
Snap!
Professor Erskine's bloodied hand gripped Mason's wrist tightly.
"Don't waste your time, Mason... let's end it here!"
Professor Erskine stopped Mason again. He knew where he'd been shot—the bullet had pierced a vital organ. Frankly, it was a miracle he'd survived this long.
But more importantly, the professor himself had given up the will to live. "Listen to me, just listen to me!" the professor pleaded solemnly.
"I'm tired, Mason!"
"Let my journey end here."
"I've spent my entire life believing I could use the Super Soldier Serum to solve the problems of war, disease, and the fear of death, and usher in a new era for humanity."
"But in reality, that was just naive thinking... The greed of those in power is never satisfied. Because of my weakness, the monster Red Skull was born, indirectly leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands!"
"Every time I wake up in the middle of the night, hearing those screams that seem so close, I can't fall back asleep for hours. Perhaps dying at the hands of the evil I created is my destiny." Professor Erskine's breath quickly faded, his once flushed face losing its color and becoming as pale as paper.
"Professor, it's not your fault. You can still make things right." Mason tried to pull his wrist away slightly, but the professor's grip was terrifyingly strong, and he couldn't break free without risking hurting him further.
Professor Erskine slowly shook his head. "I opened Pandora's box. If I don't die, this program will continue. What will happen to thousands of super soldiers after the war? Will it become the beginning of another, even larger conflict?"
"I don't know!"
Mason hadn't expected the old professor to have such foresight. "Once you're healed, we can find somewhere remote to live quietly and completely bury this program."
"It's no use, Mason. A program that could change the entire world will drive everyone mad! In just one day, I've witnessed the ambition of these politicians. They're not satisfied with winning this war—they want more."
"The whole world!"
"As long as I exist, all I'll bring to this world is chaos and violence..."
"Having spent half my life far from my homeland, I'm too tired. Let me rest here." Professor Erskine's eyelids fluttered, and Mason vaguely heard him humming a German folk song.
"I only wish to be buried in my homeland, where the mountains are full of..."
He trailed off, his grip on Mason's hand loosening. The father of the super-soldier serum breathed his last in an ordinary apartment in Brooklyn.
Gone...
Mason felt a lump in his throat. He understood the professor's reasoning and respected his choice, but none of this could mask the surging rage and murderous intent building in his chest.
He retrieved the briefcase from among a pile of books and pulled out a hardcover journal.
Opening the cover, the journal was hollowed out, revealing several vials of clear blue liquid inside. This wasn't just serum—it was the culmination of this brilliant man's life's work!
Just as he carefully secured the journal, a commotion came from the nearby stairwell, followed by a savage-looking Hodge bursting through!
"Mason, what are you doing? Get away from the professor!"
Hodge shouted from the end of the corridor. Several agents following him entered the hallway and saw the two corpses lying beside the door, and Professor Erskine, half-supported by Mason, clearly dying.
"You killed the professor?!" Hodge roared.
"I'm going to kill you to avenge him!"
He raised his gun and fired. The bullet hit the door frame, and Mason dove away from the doorway, smashing through the window next to the desk and rolling down onto the rooftop into the alley below.
"Get him! We can't let this murderer escape!" Hodge yelled, but didn't immediately give chase. The agents following him weren't about to let Mason go, though. They all followed through the broken window.
A calculating gleam flashed in Hodge's eyes as he quickly scanned the room, only relaxing after confirming that Professor Erskine was completely dead. He hurriedly gathered up the scattered pieces of his torn clothing, which he'd ripped during his earlier confrontation with the professor.
Just moments before, after killing all the agents in the hallway, Hodge had put on his coat and left, only to encounter agents stationed nearby. Quick thinking struck—he pretended to be visiting Professor Erskine and returned to the professor's apartment with the agents.
That's how he'd ended up at this scene.
The incident happened so suddenly that he hadn't had time to confirm the professor's death, and then remembered his torn clothing was still at the crime scene.
He'd happened to see Mason in the room as he came upstairs, and Hodge seized the opportunity to frame Mason for everything. After everyone had given chase, he calmly dealt with the evidence.
"Mason, Mason, you came at just the right time. I'll spare your life today, but next time, I'll personally snap your neck!"
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