Chapter 60: Unexpected
Having successfully joined G.I. Joe, Mason was in high spirits. Now, all he had to do was wait for the main storyline to begin and follow the team, which would allow him to easily get close to the nano-warheads.
Completing the side missions would be a natural consequence.
After completing the side missions, he planned to follow the main storyline closely, using G.I. Joe's formidable strength to find Cobra Commander's secret base hidden beneath the Arctic ice.
As long as he didn't actively alter the plot, he should be able to storm in during the final battle and successfully capture Cobra Commander.
"General Hawk, Scarlett, it's still early. Let me show you around Paris," Mason offered.
"No need—I have a briefing later. Let's talk about it another time!" General Hawk politely declined.
Seeing that they were about to leave, Mason lost interest in staying at the bar. After asking for a few more details, they headed toward the exit together.
Paris was bustling with activity at night, and their departure coincided with the start of the city's nightlife. Long queues had formed in front of the bars.
Mason faced General Hawk. "General, I can't wait to join G.I. Joe!" he said, when suddenly a hostile voice came from behind him.
"That guy—break his legs!"
He turned around and saw the handsome man he'd met in the bar staring at him with venom. With his shout, three or four burly men surrounded the three of them.
Mason looked at Scarlett. "The milk you bought me earlier didn't seem to include this service, did it?"
Scarlett frowned. "Even if there were twice as many of these guys, I wouldn't need your help!" Her tone was full of confidence.
"Once we catch him, I'll break his bones myself." The man held a lead pipe. "Dare to threaten me? Tonight I'll make you pay!"
He turned to Scarlett, stroking the pipe in his hand. "And you, you bitch! I'm going to have some fun with you tonight."
"Get him!"
Seeing the street brawl, the surrounding pedestrians scattered.
Mason looked relaxed—with his current physical abilities, he was practically superhuman compared to ordinary people, easily handling a few thugs.
But before he could even make a move, he suddenly tensed up, his blood seemed to surge, causing his heart to pound wildly.
He looked up, his enhanced eyesight allowing him to catch a fleeting glimpse of a figure on a distant high-rise!
"Danger! Get down!"
Mason roared, diving to the side. Just as he moved, he caught a muffled gunshot.
Immediately afterward, a burly thug who suddenly appeared in front of Mason had his head burst like a melon, blood and brain matter spraying!
The bullet grazed the man's skull, its momentum carrying it into General Hawk's chest not far away!
The shot was originally aimed at Mason, but because of his dodge, it hit General Hawk instead.
With a heavy thud, General Hawk flew backward, crashing into a row of trash cans behind him. His chest caved in, and blood gushed out at a terrifying rate. His face was deathly pale.
After landing, Mason rolled away, taking cover behind a car parked by the roadside. He peered out and saw the assassin, having missed his primary target, abandon the rifle and disappear through the window.
Scarlett lunged to General Hawk's side, dragging him behind a nearby planter box, frantically shouting into her comms, "The general is under attack! General Hawk is down! We need immediate backup!"
A black van pulled up from the distance, blocking General Hawk's position. Several operators with ballistic shields surrounded him, then carried him onto the vehicle on a stretcher.
Mason wanted to help, but after thinking it over, he stopped.
Once the bullet was removed, the super-healing serum in his possession could surely restore General Hawk's injuries. However, for Mason, the super-healing serum was equivalent to an extra life. Was it worth risking his own survival to save General Hawk just to complete a side quest?
And even if he successfully saved General Hawk, he couldn't explain the super-healing serum to anyone.
"Damn it!"
Mason couldn't help but curse. He could have completed the side quest simply by waiting patiently, but now something had gone catastrophically wrong.
Although the bullet had grazed the thug's skull, reducing its velocity somewhat, it was still powerful enough to deliver a fatal chest wound to General Hawk.
If General Hawk didn't survive, not only would Mason's side quest fail, but the subsequent plot would also be significantly altered.
While General Hawk wasn't as crucial as the protagonist Duke in the entire incident, he played an indispensable role at critical moments.
In the original movie plot, the entire G.I. Joe team was detained by the French government during the Paris operation, and it was General Hawk who successfully freed them.
Then, General Hawk again defied orders and launched an unauthorized assault on MARS Industries!
Without the powerful military strength of the entire G.I. Joe team, Mason alone probably wouldn't have even been able to find the base hidden deep in the Arctic!
"Bang!"
Enraged, Mason kicked the car door beside him, causing it to cave in completely. He was filled with rage, wishing he could immediately find the culprit and tear them apart.
"The general was attacked. Come back to headquarters with me!" Scarlett walked up to Mason, staring into his eyes, and said seriously.
Mason frowned. "You suspect me?" He saw something unusual in Scarlett's eyes.
"I don't suspect you. When the general was attacked, only the two of us were present. This matter needs to be investigated." Scarlett's expression was serious, all business.
Scarlett didn't finish her sentence. That shot, if Mason hadn't dodged in time, would have been aimed at his head. In other words, the attack was likely targeted at Mason, and General Hawk was merely collateral damage.
Of course, this was just her theory—perhaps other secrets lay hidden behind it.
"The general's whereabouts are classified throughout G.I. Joe—only a very few people know. So this attack was very likely aimed at you," Scarlett said, looking into Mason's eyes.
"Do you have any leads on who's behind the attack?"
Although he had a vague suspicion, Mason didn't know how to explain and could only shake his head.
"My work has pissed off too many people—there are more than just one or two who want me dead," Mason sighed, feigning ignorance.
Scarlett said no more. Soon, a transport picked them up and took them straight to the Egyptian base.
After landing, Mason didn't even get to admire the impressive facility before being placed in a separate room, isolated from everyone else.
It wasn't until the next morning that he saw an exhausted Scarlett.
"The general is dead!" Scarlett said, her face filled with grief.
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