The Beast Tamer Takes His Leave, and the Next Act Is Called "Shield and Stars and Stripes"

Three days.

Five German outposts on the Western Front had been wiped clean off the map.

Soldier Boy had announced his presence to the entire European battlefield in the most direct way possible.

He had become a war hammer.

Every blow smashed a bloody crater into the Third Reich's territory.

Lynn followed in the wake of that war hammer.

His camera captured the moment Soldier Boy tore bunkers apart.

His words painted the despair and fear mingled on German soldiers' faces.

Every photograph, every report, struck like a bullet into the hearts of Allied soldiers numbed by war.

Under Lynn's pen, the legend of Soldier Boy fermented and grew at a nearly mad pace.

"He wasn't fighting. He was hunting!"

"I saw him smash an MG42 into scrap with his shield, along with the machine gunner's head!"

"He didn't even bother dodging artillery fire. The shrapnel couldn't so much as leave a white mark on his skin."

That was exactly the effect he wanted.

Then a communications officer interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Morris! There's a call for you at Colonel Phillips's command post. It's from back home!"

Back home?

Lynn raised an eyebrow.

He hurried after the communications officer to the command center.

Phillips handed him a crackling receiver, a questioning look in his eyes.

"It's for you. How did you two get together?"

Lynn ignored his question.

As he took the receiver, an excited voice came through.

"Mr. Morris! Is that you? It's Erskine!"

"Doctor, you sound like you're in a good mood."

"Good? It's better than good! It's perfect! An absolute gift from God!"

Erskine's voice rose an octave with excitement.

"I found him! Steve Rogers! That young man you told me about!"

"My God, I've never seen a soul like his! He's as scrawny as a reed, but he has a heart braver than a lion's! He's the one I've been looking for!"

On the other end of the line, Erskine poured out his euphoria in a stream of incoherent words.

"I've convinced the higher-ups and pulled every string I have to bring him to Camp Lehigh! The Strategic Scientific Reserve has been officially established, and the project is about to begin!"

"Mr. Morris, you have to come! You were the first to discover him. You have to witness all of this for yourself!"

Lynn listened quietly.

His expression didn't change in the slightest.

But his heart was beating faster beyond his control.

It worked!

The curtain had officially risen on Captain America's script.

"I understand. Wait for the good news."

He ended the call and handed the receiver back to Phillips.

For a moment, silence fell over the tent.

Lynn didn't leave immediately.

He rapidly sorted through the situation in his head.

The butterfly had already flapped its wings.

Because of Soldier Boy, Phillips, the man who should have been overseeing the super-soldier selection from the rear, was still tied down on the front lines in Europe.

So who's in charge of the military side of the newly formed SSR now?

Are there new variables hidden in all this, or new opportunities?

As for Soldier Boy, after being left to roam free for this time, the beast had become completely absorbed in a cycle of fighting, killing, and then enjoying the admiration of countless people and an unlimited supply of alcohol and women.

As long as he had enough fuel and a clear target, he would keep running.

If Lynn, his "instruction manual," left for now, there probably wouldn't be any major trouble.

Go!

I have to go!

After giving it considerable thought,

Lynn raised his head and met Phillips's questioning gaze.

"Colonel, I need to leave for a while."

"What?"

The cigar Phillips had just lit nearly fell from his mouth.

"You're leaving? Now? What about that treasure of yours? Who's going to handle him?"

"He's the very reason I have to leave."

The lie rolled right off Lynn's tongue, his face grave with concern for the bigger picture.

"Colonel, Soldier Boy's power is unstable. You could even call it dangerous."

"Dr. Erskine's project is meant to create a safeguard who can work alongside him and even... keep him in check when necessary."

"I need to go back and help the doctor complete this project. It's to make sure the ace in our hands doesn't one day become a blade pointed at us."

Phillips took a hard drag on his cigar.

The smoke he exhaled obscured his expression.

A check?

A safeguard?

Soldier Boy really was useful.

But the guy was a powder keg, and nobody knew when he might blow!

What Lynn had said sounded reasonable, didn't it?

It even made Phillips feel reassured.

"Then what if he starts causing trouble while you're gone?"

"It's simple, Colonel."

Lynn's tone grew relaxed, as if he were passing on a simple livestock-raising tip.

"Treat him like a breeding bull. Give him the best feed, the strongest liquor, the prettiest cows..."

"Then tell him which field he needs to plow."

"As long as you satisfy his vanity and his primal desires, he won't have the time to think about anything else. If he wants to fight, give him enemies. If he wants praise, plaster his face all over the newspapers."

"He won't even notice I'm gone."

The crude but utterly truthful "beast-taming advice" made the corner of Phillips's eye twitch.

But deep down, he had to admit it was the fucking truth.

Having reassured Phillips, Lynn turned and headed for Soldier Boy's quarters.

He pushed open the door.

A decadent air hit him in the face.

Soldier Boy was reclining shirtless on the sofa.

One of two blonde, blue-eyed women was feeding him grapes.

The other was massaging his shoulders.

When he saw Lynn come in, he merely raised his eyelids lazily and mumbled, "Got any new entertainment? The Germans in that bullshit outpost last time weren't even as tough as my armpit hair! Boring as hell."

"Not at the moment. I came to tell you I'm leaving for a while, going back home to take care of something."

"Oh."

"Then get the hell out. Don't get in the way of my fun. Remember to tell that old man to find me some tougher nuts to crack, or my shield's going to rust."

It was the reaction Lynn had expected.

Lynn nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Soldier Boy suddenly called him back.

He pushed the woman beside him away and sat up straight on the sofa.

The usual defiance and ferocity were gone from his blue eyes.

There was a seriousness in them that even he hadn't noticed.

"This time you're going back... are you finding me a bigger stage?"

Lynn stopped in his tracks and turned to meet Soldier Boy's gaze.

"Of course."

A meaningful smile appeared on Lynn's face.

"A stage... where the whole world can see you."

Soldier Boy grinned with satisfaction, slumped back into the sofa, and waved a hand.

Lynn closed the door, shutting out the sounds of revelry inside.