Chapter Forty-Nine: The End of the Frozen Silence

The transport aircraft cruised steadily above the clouds, basking in golden sunlight, racing toward the far end of the Atlantic. Kyle and Steve, one wielding a sword and the other a shield, cautiously entered the cockpit. The Red Skull had clearly fled in haste, with only a handful of armed guards aboard; those thrown out of the cabin earlier by the two men had been all there were. Now, the spacious cockpit was silent and empty.

The controls showed no sign of a pilot, the plane following its preprogrammed route on autopilot. Directly behind the pilot’s seat was a storage device emitting a mysterious blue glow. Through the glass, one could vaguely make out the cube-shaped object within.

Kyle’s gaze immediately locked onto the item inside the storage unit, his blue eyes reflecting its radiant light. Even from a distance, without the card’s information appearing, he knew there could be no mistake. The Cosmic Cube—there was no doubt.

Even from ten meters away, with layers of metal and glass between, its powerful, intoxicating aura was palpable. Steve, still holding his shield, attempted to step cautiously into the cockpit, but Kyle shook his head. The commotion in the rear cabin had been impossible to miss; the Red Skull surely knew they were on board by now—any attempt at a sneak attack was pointless.

Their adversaries lurked in the shadows while they stood in the open, a disadvantage; yet the Red Skull, wounded and alone, could not hope to reverse the overwhelming odds against him.

Kyle strode forward, sword in hand, his tone cold: “Schmidt, only you remain. You call yourself Hydra, but don’t skulk like a rat! If you have any tricks left, use them now!”

Steve stepped up as well, warning: “It’s time to end your evil, Schmidt!”

In response to their taunts, a chilling voice echoed from the pilot’s seat: “You two just won’t quit, do you? Do you really think you’ve won? Just because you wear the star-spangled uniform, does that make you the nation’s symbol? I have seen the future—a world without borders, united under my rule!”

Having located the Red Skull, Kyle and Steve exchanged a glance, then moved in from left and right, coordinated and silent.

The Red Skull, still seated, continued: “It’s not over until the last moment. Victory is never certain!”

He struck the control panel, slamming the yoke all the way down—

The transport aircraft, which had been cruising smoothly, suddenly lurched, its nose plunging straight down through the clouds at a ninety-degree angle.

Everything in the cockpit—Kyle, Steve, and all objects—lost gravity, tumbling and floating at odd angles.

“This is just the beginning…” The Red Skull, strapped in with a safety harness, sneered, raising a large laser weapon—not to aim at Kyle or Steve, but at the cockpit window before him.

“Die, all of you!” His scarlet skull twisted with fury, hollow eyes blazing with madness, as he fired at the glass.

In an instant, the window shattered. The enormous pressure difference between inside and outside created a violent gale, sucking everything in the cockpit toward the breach and out into the high-altitude sky.

At ten thousand meters, any ordinary person would have lost consciousness from the pressure alone!

“Kyle, watch out!” Steve managed to grab a steel beam overhead, his worried gaze fixed on Kyle, who was still airborne.

“That lunatic doesn’t care about his own life!” Kyle gritted his teeth, and as he was dragged toward the window, he reacted swiftly, driving his sword into the floor.

“Thank goodness.” Using the sword to anchor himself, Kyle exhaled in relief, only to notice something alarming—the blade was embedded directly atop the glowing glass storage unit, shattering it and cracking open the mysterious aura of the Cosmic Cube.

God, this…

Kyle’s scalp tingled as he recalled the fate of the Red Skull in the movie—banished beyond the stars, alone on a desolate planet guarding the Soul Stone for seventy years.

Now, the Cosmic Cube sat exposed, less than half a meter away! The sword strike seemed to stimulate it, causing its blue glow to intensify, and beams of light burst forth, projecting dazzling cosmic patterns into the air.

Space twisted inch by inch, the Cube irresistibly drawing Kyle closer.

“This is it…” Trapped, Kyle watched helplessly as the Cube slowly opened a spatial tunnel.

Was he about to be transported away?

He smiled bitterly, resigning himself and closing his eyes, when Steve’s voice suddenly rang out: “Kyle! Get out of the way!”

The next moment, a round shield shot across the room, striking the Cube and knocking it away from Kyle, sending it hurtling toward the broken window.

“That was close!” Kyle’s face went pale. Just a fraction more, and he’d have been sent God knows where by the Cube!

I love Earth!

Flooded with relief, Kyle almost wanted to bear-hug Steve.

“No!” The Red Skull shouted, watching the Cube fly past him toward the open window. In a frenzy, he reached out and grabbed it.

The cosmic projection flared anew, and a rainbow beam descended from the sky, engulfing and vaporizing the Red Skull.

The Cube, having completed its spatial manipulation, continued its trajectory, tumbling out of the aircraft toward the ocean below.

The aircraft, still in a suicidal dive, was less than a thousand meters from the ground. Battling fierce winds, Kyle fought his way to the cockpit and righted the controls.

As soon as he did, the plane stabilized, though the controls were smoking, dangerously close to failure.

“Whew.” Kyle slumped onto the floor, exhausted.

The wind still howled, but the aircraft was steady now, and at a lower altitude, the pressure had lessened enough to be bearable.

“You alright?” Steve, smiling, climbed down from the ceiling, secured himself in a seat, and buckled up.

Kyle waved him off. “I’m fine. Contact the base—tell them to arrange a landing for this plane.”

“Okay.” Steve nodded, but as he operated the instruments, his relaxed expression gradually turned grave.

“What’s wrong?” Kyle, noticing the change, stood and asked.

Steve took a deep breath, his voice cold: “Bad news. The autopilot can’t be disengaged, and most manual controls are damaged. This plane is headed straight for its original destination—New York.”

“What!” Kyle realized the danger at once, his voice tense. “Don’t panic, let me think!”

“There’s no time.” Steve shook his head, his fists clenching as if steeling himself for a difficult decision. He smiled, resolved: “Kyle, go to the rear cabin and prepare a parachute.”

“What do you mean?” Kyle hesitated.

Steve replied firmly: “I’m going to sink this plane in the ocean. You need to bail out now.”

“Wait, there must be another way. Besides, if someone has to stay, then I—”

Before Kyle could finish, Steve interrupted: “Enough, let me handle this.”

Gripping the controls, Steve’s youthful face was set with determination. He smiled: “Kyle, you probably don’t know—I’ve always been chasing after you.”

“From training camp to competitions and the battlefield, I’ve only ever seen your back, chasing with all my might, always accepting the opportunities you passed to me.”

“If I claim to be Captain America, then let me surpass you just this once—let me lead the way.”

He spoke as if returning to the frail young man he once was, stubborn and unyielding.

“I understand.” Kyle replied, then silently walked to the rear cabin, knowing that nothing he said could change his comrade’s mind.

Steve was more than a teammate—he was a brother, the true Captain America. No matter how many times danger struck, he’d always be at the front, willing to sacrifice himself to protect what mattered.

“Oh, and take care of Carter for me,” Steve reminded.

“Damn it, why should I take care of your girlfriend? I’ll be waiting for you at the base!” Kyle shouted back.

“I… I do like Carter, but she’s not my girlfriend,” Steve said, gathering his courage. “Carter—she’s always liked you.”

“Don’t joke about that. How could she like me? You must be mistaken.” Kyle was bewildered. Sure, he’d flirted a few times, but nothing serious.

“Take it as a joke, then.” Steve shrugged. “Friday night at eight, I’ve asked her to the Falcon Club. If I don’t make it, go in my place.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll reserve the place and wait for you to come back and dance with her.” Kyle waved, leaving the cockpit. Behind him, Steve’s voice echoed faintly:

“Brother, I leave everything to you…”

Fifteen seconds later, a figure leapt from the rear cabin, opening his parachute at a hundred meters, drifting slowly toward the blue sea.

Under the parachute, Kyle gazed at the distant horizon, where the aircraft sped away and soon vanished beyond the clouds.

“Steve, no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes— I believe one day, we will meet again.”