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Chapter 129: Growth and Tribulation
If the ability to rewind time were external, then the most incredible surprise for George this time should be the direction of his growth.
The fusion of two laws provided George with corresponding abilities. What if, one day, George were to master these laws fully? In that case, aside from the new skills he would gain, would it be possible for him to follow the path of Pangu Sanqing in creating the Universe of his own?
George was very much looking forward to the kind of existence he would become.
With this in mind, the six Infinity Stones in the Marvel Universe must be acquired.
On the European battlefield, Steve, wearing the dark blue U.S. flag combat uniform crafted for him by Howard Stark, along with his helmet and round shield on his back, led his Howling Commandos deep behind enemy lines, continually striking key HYDRA targets.
Bucky's primary responsibility in the squad was long-range support.
After joining the army, Bucky was selected and trained as a sniper, playing critical roles in many operations.
The Vibranium shield, obtained from the Strategic Scientific Reserve, was also fully mastered by Steve.
With his superhuman strength, the shield—which wasn't particularly sharp—acted like a spinning blade when spun and used to leverage force, creating a cutting effect.
Steve and his Howling Commandos eradicated one HYDRA base after another.
Meanwhile, Lane took advantage of the chaos to collect energy blocks. Since HYDRA activated the base's self-destruct mechanism each time, no one noticed the missing energy blocks.
Facing such significant losses, Schmidt, though furious, remained helpless and could only urge Dr. Zola to accelerate the "Valkyrie Project."
Deep in the German Alps, on a certain peak, the mountain rocks were steep and the gusts of wind relentless.
At this high altitude, it was perpetually frozen with snow, and the biting cold wind made the atmosphere even more oppressive.
Steve was leading the Howling Commandos on an interception mission. At that moment, the radio operator was monitoring HYDRA's movements.
"Remember when I dragged you on the roller coaster at Coney Island?" Bucky asked, glancing at the cliff.
"Of course, I threw up," Steve replied.
"This isn't revenge, is it?" Bucky joked.
"How could it be?" Steve responded, focusing on their mission.
Based on the map obtained earlier, the Howling Commandos discovered that this HYDRA mountain base had only one hidden railway for entry and exit, and Dr. Zola was inside. Steve decided to intercept them halfway with his team.
On the summit of the mountain peak, two skilled radio operators continued to detect and monitor HYDRA's activities. The transport train was approaching.
At that moment, a Commando member monitoring the conversation noticed movement on the other side and reported to Steve, "You're right; Dr. Zola is on the train. The HYDRA personnel are telling him to open the throttle."
"No matter where they're going, they must need him," another team member observed.
"They're moving as fast as if they're preparing for a rebirth. We need to act quickly," one Commando said urgently.
Immediately, Steve decided to take out a pulley hook, attach it to the cableway, and then turned to the other team members, saying, "We only have 10 seconds. If we miss that gap, we'll be hit by the train!"
"Watch your step!"
"Get ready, brothers!"
Whoosh!
Steve and Bucky slid down the cableway, followed by another team member.
It was a rapid descent from hundreds of meters above, aimed at striking the passing train. If they released the lock at the wrong moment, the outcome would be death at the foot of the mountain.
Thud, thud, thud!
The three successfully landed on the train's roof. As Steve and Bucky flipped into the carriage, they were inadvertently separated.
A tall soldier armed with Dr. Zola's newly developed high-tech weapon pulled the trigger at Steve from behind.
Fortunately, Steve reacted quickly and dodged just in time, as the energy blast hit the train door.
Bucky encountered several HYDRA soldiers, and the two were locked in a fierce battle with ordinary firearms.
On Steve's side, the HYDRA soldier continuously fired energy blasts at him, and he skillfully dodged each attack.
When dodging wasn't an option, he used his Vibranium shield to block the blasts.
As Steve dodged while rushing towards the HYDRA soldier, he got close enough to take him down using the new weapon, and then stunned him with his round shield.
After defeating his enemy, Steve quickly went to aid Bucky. With their cooperation, Bucky was able to eliminate his opponent.
Just as Steve and Bucky thought they had defeated all their enemies and let down their guard, another HYDRA soldier appeared behind them, wielding an energy weapon, and immediately pulled the trigger.
Steve reacted quickly, pushing Bucky aside and blocking the shot with his round shield. The energy blast hit the Vibranium shield, but since Steve was caught off guard and hadn't braced himself, the force of the impact threw him into a shelf next to the carriage.
His shield also fell to the ground. More dangerously, the shield deflected the energy blast, causing it to hit the carriage wall and create a large hole.
The HYDRA soldier continued to attack under Dr. Zola's command. Bucky, who had taken cover, quickly picked up the fallen Vibranium shield to protect himself and returned fire.
Unfortunately, the weapon disparity was too significant; Bucky was knocked back by an energy blast, causing the shield to fall once again, and he found himself hanging from the broken opening of the carriage.
Seeing this, Steve quickly stood up, retrieved the shield that had fallen to the ground, and threw it directly at the HYDRA soldier, knocking him to the ground.
Steve didn't have time to check on the enemy's injuries; he rushed toward the opening in the carriage to pull his friend Bucky, who was still clinging to a handle.
Unfortunately, the wind outside was too strong, and the carriage suffered severe damage. Bucky fell off the cliff before Steve could reach him.
"Bucky!" Steve cried out in agony, believing his friend was dead. Although the mission had been completed and HYDRA's chief inventor, Dr. Zola, was captured, Steve was devastated by the loss of Bucky.
Unbeknownst to Steve, Bucky had miraculously survived the fall but was now unconscious.
His left arm had been torn off by sharp rocks during the descent. Soon after, a fully armed team in black combat suits arrived at his side.
"Officer, the target has been found, but he is seriously injured and urgently needs treatment," the leader of the group reported into a walkie-talkie.
"Take him back to the safe house immediately. Someone will pick him up."
"Yes, sir."
One day later, Bucky, whose injuries had been treated by Lane using a healing spell, lay unconscious on a laboratory table in Dr. Abraham Erskine's lab.
George had arranged for Bucky's rescue because he admired him. Bucky wasn't just a loyal soldier; he could take on Lane's burdens after some training.
Lane, now over 50, had even started a family, which made it time for him to consider retirement.
"Bucky! Bucky!"
At the sound of his name, Bucky opened his eyes and saw the old man sitting to his left. He attempted to sit up, but due to the loss of his left arm, he lost his balance and fell off the laboratory table.
"I'm still alive, but my left arm..."
"We'll talk about your arm later; it's not the most important thing right now," George interrupted, sitting calmly with a cup of tea in hand.
"Mr. Swent, why are you here? What is this place? Did you save me?" Bucky asked in surprise as he propped himself up with one arm to stand.
"You have a lot of questions. Do you remember what happened before?" George prompted.
Bucky thought for a moment and replied, "I remember being on a mission with Steve, then I fell off a cliff, grabbed onto a rock, and felt a sharp pain in my arm. After that, I don't remember anything."
"Hmm, that's about right. After you fainted, you were lucky enough to land in the water at the bottom of the cliff. Using your arm to slow your fall saved your life, but it did result in your arm being torn off. My team found you, but you were already unconscious," George explained.
"But don't worry, losing one arm isn't a big deal," George added comfortingly as he watched Bucky stroke his left shoulder with his right hand.
Bucky, recalling his earlier encounter, found it incredibly unbelievable. Despite the scrapes and bruises he had sustained, even the wound where his entire arm had been torn off at the shoulder had already scarred over.
If it weren't for his missing left arm, he wouldn't have been able to tell that he had fallen from such a high cliff.
"Alright, Sergeant Bucky, you'll have plenty of time to reflect on what happened. For now, we need to discuss your left arm," Dr. Abraham Erskine said.
"What about my left arm?" Bucky asked, puzzled.
"You're fortunate, kid. Mr. Swent saved you and is preparing to offer you a chance," Dr. Erskine said, glancing at George.
"Yes, Mr. Swent, thank you very much for saving me! Thank you!" Bucky exclaimed, grateful.
"Bucky, saving you is nothing. What you choose next is what's important," George said, taking a sip of tea from his cup and setting it down on a nearby table.
"I'll give you two choices. The first choice is to stay here for a month, after which I'll send you back to Europe. You'll return to a peaceful life, but you won't remember what happened, and you must promise not to tell anyone who saved you. The second choice is to work for me. I'll strengthen you and make you as strong as Steve, and I will also provide you with a new arm."
Bucky, turning slightly toward him. "You didn't just save me. You gave me options. That's rare. Especially for someone like me."
He looked down at his arm, where his hand was no longer there.
"I've served long enough to know people like you don't ask twice. And I've seen enough to know... men like you don't stay on the same level as the rest of us."
George raised an eyebrow. Bucky kept going.
"I'm not like Steve. I wasn't born to lead. I'm just a guy who followed orders and pulled the trigger when told. But I still think, and I know the game of big people like you."
He paused again, weighing his words.
"I don't know what you're building here, or what it'll cost. But I do know this: I've got no home to go back to. The army's just gonna hand me medals. I have seen how far it's led to common people like us. And if what people whisper about Blackshield is even half true... then working for you is the best future a man like me's gonna get."
He finally faced George fully.
"So, yeah. I'm in. I'll work for you. I'll earn whatever you're offering. Just don't expect blind loyalty. I want to know what I'm signing up for."
George leaned forward,
"That's more honesty than most men would have given me."
He studied Bucky for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. I don't need blind loyalty. I need people who can think—who know the value of what I'm building."
George stood.
"And if you play this right, Sergeant Barnes, you'll never be discarded again."
Bucky gave a slight nod.
"That's all I want."
"Very good! Trust me, you won't regret this decision," George replied with a laugh.
Looking at the flashing signal on his wristwatch, George said to Dr. Erskine, "I have something to attend to. You can continue speaking with him."
As he reached the door, he paused and added, "Oh, and once he adapts to his new strength, bring him to see me."
"Okay, Mr. Swent."
"Yes, Mr. Swent!" both Bucky and Dr. Erskine replied.
Once George had left, Dr. Erskine spoke to Bucky.
"Now, let's discuss your arm. You have two options. One is to get a cloned arm. Don't worry; it will be identical to your original one, but you'll have to wait a bit for it. The other option is a mechanical arm, which will also function like your original one. However, this choice requires Mr. Swent to prepare it for you, as I cannot."
"What about the enhancement?" Bucky asked, clearly more comfortable with Dr. Erskine than with George.
"Do you know how Steve became like this?" Dr. Erskine responded with a question.
"I know a little. Steve told me he participated in an experiment conducted by Dr. Abraham Erskine, but he didn't go into detail. He only mentioned that a HYDRA spy eventually killed Dr. Erskine. Oh, I apologize; I haven't asked for your name yet," Bucky said, realizing his oversight.
"I am the Dr. Abraham Erskine you spoke of," Dr. Erskine replied with a smile.
"Steve said you were already dead?" Bucky asked, surprised.
"Yes, it is incredible, isn't it? But don't worry—when you truly join us, you'll witness even more astonishing things," Dr. Erskine said casually, recalling experiences from the island.
"We can discuss those later. For now, you need to rest and then tell me your choice, Bucky," Dr. Erskine said.
"Which arm is stronger?" Bucky asked, after considering for a moment.
"The metal arm would likely be more powerful. Since Mr. Swent is giving you a choice, it certainly won't be worse than your previous arm," Dr. Erskine suggested.
"Then I choose the metal arm!" Bucky declared, eager for a powerful weapon after learning that he could have a strong body like his friend's.
"Alright then, come with me. I'll arrange a place for you to stay first. You need to recuperate for a few days. The new super serum experiment has one final step to complete, so you're fortunate, kid," Dr. Erskine said, giving Bucky a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
As soon as George walked out of the laboratory, he spoke to the air, "Monday, what's the matter?"
"Master, news has come in from Britain. Dr. Zola, HYDRA's chief researcher, has been captured by Steve and his men. He is currently imprisoned in the Strategic Scientific Reserve's underground base in Britain and is scheduled to be extradited by the U.S. in a week," Monday replied.
"Understood. No need to intervene. Maintain the status quo and continue to lie low," George said.
"Yes, Master," Monday responded.
Turning into another laboratory, George noticed that many items were brought over along with Bucky. In addition to some HYDRA technology, there were also numerous energy blocks.
George first held several magic bags containing energy blocks in his hands, then transported himself into the Chaos Space.
In the Chaos Space, George had the authority to control everything. Instantly, the energy blocks floated out of their containers and disappeared into the surrounding barrier.
As the energy blocks vanished, the Chaos Space slowly expanded.
Eventually, all the energy blocks obtained from 15 HYDRA bases disappeared, and the Chaos Space became a hemisphere with a radius of 140 meters.
Upon returning to the laboratory, George discarded the magic bags that contained empty energy clips and began to sense the surrounding space.
As expected, with the expansion of the Chaos Space, his teleportation distance also increased.
Although this didn't have a direct impact on improving his strength, it confirmed that George's direction was correct, which was the most critical aspect.
Next, George remained in the laboratory, continuing to study some of HYDRA's high-tech innovations.
After examining these technologies, he realized that if HYDRA and Hitler had genuinely cooperated, the outcome of World War II could have been uncertain.
HYDRA's mechanical prosthetics, stasis pods, and the technology to replicate Dr. Abraham Erskine's enhanced serum were all incredibly impressive.
Even George needed a considerable amount of time to grasp this knowledge fully.
Meanwhile, Schmidt, recognizing the grim situation, was also preparing for one last gamble.
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