The Proper Use of Super Soldiers

The Proper Use of Super Soldiers

Evenson had never understood why so many superheroes liked fighting hand-to-hand. Someone like Hulk was one thing—ordinary ranged weapons were not even as hard-hitting as his fists.

But Iron Man and War Machine could casually fly at supersonic speeds, with weapons all over their bodies—machine guns, missiles, laser cannons, all sorts of things. Why did they also insist on landing and throwing punches?

If they had run out of ammunition, then close combat would be understandable. But when they were clearly fully stocked, why did they have to swoop down, punch someone twice with a bang bang, and then start firing again? Was that fun? Couldn't they just gun the guy down from the sky?

And then there was Captain America. It was fine if carrying a shield was his personal hobby, but could he please hold a submachine gun in his other hand? Stop throwing that frisbee around all the time—the enemy was not Husky. And instead of rushing in with his shield to throw punches, what if he ran into an enemy with normal intelligence next time? What if they shot him in the legs? So, Evenson felt Captain America's fighting style should be a shield in one hand for defense and a machine gun with three hundred rounds in the other. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat. With his arm strength, that should not have been difficult.

"So, although Captain America was the first Super Soldier, I've always felt his fighting style had serious problems." Evenson spoke with a disdainful look. "He wasted too much effort on symbolism instead of considering how to kill people more efficiently. I always thought that was because, as a superhero, he needed to inspire people. But I never expected Hydra to think the same way."

"Other than Red Skull, Captain America is the only Super Soldier we've ever seen." Howitzer gave a bitter smile. "And as a leader, Red Skull would not easily go to the front lines himself. So, in our understanding, Captain America was the only combat template for a Super Soldier."

"And after them, there were no more Super Soldier warriors, so no one thought about whether those unique combat methods were actually reasonable." Howitzer stood and explained, then said, "Let's go to the laboratory. You can give us a detailed explanation of the proper combat methods there."

"Alright." Evenson stood as well, preparing to take a look at the laboratory. As he left, he put away the serum that had been sitting on the table. Until the deal was finalized, it was better to keep the thing on him. It was not that Evenson was worried—he wanted Howitzer to feel at ease when using it. The harder something was to obtain, the more one treasured it.

"You asked me how the Tyrant series should be used, Mr. Howitzer. This is how I intend to answer you." Evenson walked shoulder to shoulder with Howitzer. "First, that damned shield can go to hell. But that axe can stay."

The rest area was not far from the testing area. They arrived in less than half a minute. Both men came to Rome's side. At this point, Rome was no longer wearing the tattered clothes from when he had first transformed. He now wore a specially made black bodysuit, with the Hydra insignia painted on his chest.

Evenson circled Rome, examining him. "He should wear specially made fully enclosed armor—a bulletproof vest. The protective plates over the vital areas should use main battle tank armor plating. Naturally, it should be thinner; fifty millimeters will be enough. Don't worry, his strength means it won't affect his movements."

The so-called vital areas included the neck, shoulders, chest, back, upper arms, forearms, backs of the hands, crotch, thighs, calves, and tops of the feet. Those areas needed to be covered with five centimeters of tank armor, enough that AK-47 rounds would feel like nothing. Of course, if an ordinary person wore it, they would not be able to move at all. Once they fell over, they would never get back up without ten people coming to help.

"The connecting joints should use thickened B-fiber mixed with fireproof, heat-insulating material. Fireproof material should also be laid beneath the armor plates." Joints needed to move, so armor plates obviously could not be used there. Thickened B-fiber would have to replace them. As for the fireproofing and insulation, that was to guard against things like flamethrowers.

"That should be enough for protection." Evenson turned to Howitzer. "As for weapons, they need to have powerful, sustained firepower. They must be able to maintain long-term fire suppression, so forget about assault rifles." Even with drum magazines, assault rifles only held a hundred rounds, and their killing power was limited.

"I recommend two M60 machine guns per person, using two-hundred-round belts of armor-piercing ammunition. Don't worry, they can dual-wield them without any problem." The M60 machine gun was also called Rambo's gun by some. It used 7.62mm rounds and could fire 550 bullets per minute. Two M60s loaded with armor-piercing rounds firing at once would be a nightmare from hell for infantry and lightly armored targets.

"Then each of them should carry at least two basic loads of ammunition, twenty high-explosive grenades, and a man-portable anti-tank launcher. If conditions allow, they can also carry a fifty-kilogram aerial bomb. With their arm strength, they can throw it at least thirty meters. That is not a safe distance, but their protection will prevent any injury. Of course, I don't recommend carrying it on their backs from the start, because that would exceed the weight limit." Evenson felt that was about enough after listing everything. "That should do it. You might need to send an extra vehicle to transport ammunition."

Howitzer was already wiping cold sweat from his brow. That weapons loadout was outrageously insane. Every one of them would be a walking arsenal. He felt that if twenty people were equipped like this and had a guaranteed supply of ammunition, they could probably fight all the way from Stalingrad in 1942 to Berlin. This was too deranged, truly... truly... perfect. My Obelisk is getting closer and closer.

"So, Mr. Howitzer, do you accept my terms?" After introducing how the Tyrants should be used, Evenson suddenly changed the subject. "Siberia branch, mission report, December 16, 1991."

"I need time." Howitzer said with difficulty. "Theoretically speaking, the Siberia branch is not under my command." Seeing Evenson's expression turn cold, he quickly continued, "Of course, that is only in theory. The people there are all my juniors, and some are even my students, so I can get what you want. But I need time to communicate with them." Then Howitzer said even more awkwardly, "I guarantee I'll get it to you, so could you first..."

First what? Naturally, he meant whether Evenson could hand over the serum first, and he would give him the mission report afterward. Unexpectedly, Evenson agreed readily. "Fine."

He directly took out the serum and handed it to one of the researchers beside him. At the same time, he said to Howitzer, "Don't forget—the mission report, December 16, 1991."

"Then our deal is concluded, Mr. Howitzer." As if suddenly remembering something, Evenson added, "I need to emphasize one point: this company bears no responsibility for any consequences caused by improper use by the buyer rather than product defects, and refunds will not be accepted."

Howitzer, who had been about to shake Evenson's hand, suddenly froze. "Of course. I understand."

What Evenson meant was that he had given them the serum and told them how to use it. But if their own mistakes caused the operation to fail and they did not obtain the Obelisk, he would not care in the slightest. They would still have to give him what they owed.

"Aren't you afraid I'll default on the payment?" As Evenson was about to leave, the suspicious Howitzer asked again. Evenson had previously refused to let go of the serum, yet now he had accepted delayed payment. Howitzer would not feel at ease without getting a clear answer.

"Not at all." Evenson's tone was calm, and he still wore a smile. He turned to glance at Rome, then said to Howitzer, "Our company's accounting team is extremely... professional. No one has ever been able to owe the company a debt."