Chapter 53 Mach 20

You Call That a Plane?

53: Mach 20?

You Call That a Plane?

It was said that one of the earliest discovered *Homo sapiens* skeletons still had a fatal arrowhead embedded in it.

From ancient times to the present, the instinct for warfare had been deeply rooted in humanity’s genetic code.

The desire to go higher, faster, and farther—to constantly surpass one’s own limits—was something shared by practically every man.

Having started as a Foundation agent, Ethan had mastered the skills required to operate virtually every vehicle humanity had developed throughout history.

All-terrain motorcycles, assault vehicles, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, heavy tactical trucks, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, hovercraft, speedboats, warships, and nuclear submarines…

He could operate them all.

The same applied to helicopters, strategic bombers, ground-attack aircraft, and fixed-wing fighters.

After putting on a newly developed high-strength anti-G suit and picking up a pilot helmet equipped with a head-up display, Ethan stepped out of the changing room.

Excitement surged through his body.

Beside the hangar, the ground crew had already completed their preparations.

Every member of the maintenance team turned toward Ethan as he entered.

The crew chief approached and saluted.

“Sir, all preparations are complete.

The aircraft is in perfect condition.” “Thanks for your hard work, Chief.” “It’s our pleasure to serve you, sir.

Everyone is looking forward to seeing you test the new fighter’s performance.

Good luck, sir.” Ethan exhaled slowly before walking over to the FFR-41MR.

He climbed the boarding ladder, lowered himself into the cockpit, and closed the canopy.

After putting on his pilot helmet, Ethan activated its HUD and powered up the instrument panel.

The engines began warming up.

A moment later, the HUD came alive.

“This is 001.

Tower, the fighter is ready.” “Tower to Fighter 001.

Runway One is clear, and the catapult is ready.

Please taxi to the launch zone for takeoff.” “001 copies.” Ethan slowly increased the engine power and moved the controls.

The fighter began taxiing across the ground before coming to a stop in the designated launch area.

“Airspace is clear.

Catapult ready.

You are cleared for takeoff.” Every indicator light along the runway instantly turned green.

The catapult beneath the rear of the fighter began charging before launching it forward.

Blue flames erupted from the engines as Ethan was slammed back into his seat by the tremendous acceleration.

Within seconds, the fighter soared into the sky.

This was Ethan’s first time personally flying a fighter jet, yet every movement came to him with practiced ease.

He began by familiarizing himself with the aircraft’s various combat maneuvers.

After performing several standard aerial yo-yos and testing its basic thrust, he found himself captivated by the sensation of soaring through the sky.

At that moment, an exquisitely beautiful young woman appeared on his HUD.

She had white hair, blue eyes, and an ethereal presence.

“Commander, please unleash my full capabilities.” “Are you…

Yukikaze?” Despite his surprise, Ethan quickly realized that she was Yukikaze’s artificial intelligence lifeform.

It seemed this Yukikaze wasn’t the original aircraft from the anime universe.

Otherwise, it could never have received an S-Class evaluation.

From that brief test flight alone, Ethan had already discovered that the aircraft had never been designed for an ordinary human.

It either had to operate autonomously under the control of its artificial intelligence or be piloted by someone with a superhuman physique.

Even the greatest ordinary ace pilots could only withstand around twelve Gs, and that was already pushing the human body to its absolute limit.

Yet many of the maneuvers Ethan had casually performed moments ago had subjected him to forces of more than a dozen Gs, with some approaching twenty.

Even with the protection of his high-strength anti-G suit, an ordinary pilot would have lost consciousness by now.

Ethan, however, had barely felt anything.

In that case…

Limiters off!

Ethan flipped open the safety cover over the aircraft’s limiter controls and pressed the button.

The nose of the FFR-41MR pulled upward.

As the blue exhaust flames deepened in color, a deafening roar erupted from the engines.

A vapor cone formed around the fuselage as the fighter shattered the sound barrier.

The vapor surrounding the aircraft spread outward like a pair of magnificent wings made of light.

Mach 5.

Mach 6…

The fighter continued accelerating until it reached Mach 10.

Its speed had already surpassed the highest record ever set by a federal experimental aircraft.

At that moment, both the United States Air Force and S.H.I.E.L.D.

received reports concerning an unidentified radar contact.

“We’ve detected an unidentified flying object near Los Angeles!” “My God!

The object is traveling at an extreme velocity!

It has already exceeded Mach 8…

Mach 9…

Mach 10!” “Damn it!

We need to deploy the Air Force and intercept it!” “But sir, we don’t have a single aircraft capable of matching its speed!” At S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury and his assistant, Pierce, exchanged stunned looks when they received the report.

The bald director gripped his phone and questioned the monitoring officer again.

“What speed did you say this unidentified object was traveling at?

Are you sure it isn’t a missile?” “Sir!

It just reached Mach 20!

Damn it, no missile could follow a flight path like this.

It’s an aircraft!

Are we being invaded by aliens?” Nick Fury felt a headache coming on.

He immediately called Coulson.

“Coulson, didn’t your previous intelligence suggest that one of the Foundation’s bases might be located somewhere near Los Angeles?” “That’s right, Director Fury.

According to the reports from Agents Romanoff and Skye, that appears to be the case.

Why?” “The Foundation…

Uh, the Foundation hasn’t released another anomaly like SCP-096, has it?

We just detected what appears to be an aircraft, and it…

it reached Mach 20!” Meanwhile, Tony Stark was flying through the night sky in his Mark II armor when JARVIS suddenly began sounding frantic warnings.

“Sir, an unidentified airborne object is approaching at extreme velocity…

Its speed has reached Mach 20!” “What?

JARVIS, what did you just say?

Mach 20?

Damn it!

What the hell is that thing?” The instant he finished speaking, an object resembling a blazing meteor shot past him from behind.

It then pitched sharply upward and shed its speed at an almost impossible rate.

Only then did Tony manage to see it clearly.

It was a fighter jet.

“Hey, Tony.

Fancy running into you here.

Taking the armor out for a race?” Ethan’s amused voice came over the radio.

“Perfect timing.

I’m test-driving my new wife too.”