20
Chapter 20: Tesseract
As the first experimental product of Dr. Abraham, the Red Skull was deemed a failure in certain aspects, such as the transformation of its appearance. However, in terms of physical enhancement, Red Skull received significant improvements.
Steve Rogers was astonished to find that Red Skull's fighting prowess was on par with his own. Despite several rounds of combat, Steve was unable to gain the upper hand and merely succeeded in knocking off Red Skull's mask.
Clearly, Red Skull was no longer interested in continuing the fight. He lowered the suspension bridge to separate Captain America from him and took a special elevator up to the top of the base where the airport was located.
"Boom—"
…
When Steve and Bucky emerged from the base and joined their comrades, a helicopter slowly lifted off and flew toward the northeast.
"Boom..."
A violent explosion followed, signaling the activation of the base's self-destruction mechanism, engulfing the area in flames.
Observing the wounded comrades around him, Captain America managed a smile of relief.
Suddenly, Steve's expression changed: "Where's Donald Blake? Why haven't I seen him? Wasn't he with you?"
A soldier holding a HYDRA black-tech rifle responded uncertainly, "He led us out of the siege early on, but I didn't see him afterward..."
Bucky, also unsure, added, "Could he have gone back to meet us?"
The atmosphere grew tense.
Gazing at the inferno behind him and the sky turning white, Steve gritted his teeth and said, "We need to go back! I trust him!"
Had he been alone, he would have searched for Donald without hesitation. However, with a group of injured comrades to care for, he hesitated.
…
High above, Red Skull Schmidt watched the flames below with a cold smile, saying, "Wait, Captain America, we'll meet again—if you're still alive!"
"Whoosh—"
A projectile suddenly soared through the sky at high speed toward the helicopter.
"Damn it!"
Red Skull quickly spun around, narrowly avoiding the incoming projectile, and looked down.
At such a height, most would only see a small black dot, but Red Skull's enhanced vision allowed him to clearly see a figure on the ground, who was also looking up at him.
Red Skull: "???"
…
"Sure enough, it's still off! My throw is usually 100% accurate!"
Thor on the ground shook his head, then picked up his next big weapon—a bag of grenades.
He expertly spun it around a few times before tossing it into the air.
This was a familiar move for him, one he had perfected through countless repetitions.
"Boom—"
"Boom—"
Red Skull's luck ran out; the grenade struck the helicopter, causing a violent explosion that sent it plummeting to the ground like a broken kite.
"Damn it!!!"
The rumbling continued...
…
As the smoke cleared, Red Skull staggered to his feet, checked the box in his hand, and sighed in relief.
"Curse you! I'll make sure to find you!"
He cursed angrily.
"Did you come to deliver it yourself, or should I retrieve it from your corpse?"
An indifferent voice replied as Thor approached him.
"Is that so? And who do you think you are?"
Red Skull's demeanor shifted to one of mockery. "You're just an ordinary soldier. I, on the other hand, am the most successful creation of Dr. Abraham. I've surpassed ordinary people!"
Tonight hadn't gone as planned for Red Skull, but with a chance to put on a show, he felt somewhat vindicated.
Unbeknownst to him, he was facing a genuine god, far superior to his genetic enhancements...
"Boom-boom-boom-ah—"
After a series of punches and kicks, the renowned Red Skull Schmidt lay unconscious on the ground.
Thor initially considered decapitating the vile figure, but recognizing that Red Skull might have other significant roles—possibly affecting the Soul Gem—he decided to let him live for now...
Opening the box Red Skull had been holding, Thor saw a faint blue light flickering.
The Tesseract, the container of the Space Gem among the six Infinity Gems!
Thor smiled in satisfaction as he grasped the Tesseract.
"Wait!!!"
Suddenly, a very urgent voice from the system interrupted his thoughts.