The next morning, when Luke, Rogers, and Howard appeared outside the barracks at the same time, things became a little awkward.
Everyone exchanged knowing smiles. Even Rogers, who had absolutely no experience in this area, chuckled along with them.
It seemed that everyone knew exactly what had happened the previous night.
"Morning, Luke. And Steve. Are you two out for morning exercises too?"
Howard coughed twice and asked in a deliberately casual tone.
Howard refused to be outdone, though there was a trace of sourness in his voice.
He had fawned over Carter before, yet she had remained unmoved and cold toward him.
But Luke had done nothing at all and effortlessly plucked that thorny rose.
That left Howard, who had always been invincible in matters of the heart, feeling rather dejected.
"If I said nothing happened between Miss Carter and me last night, you definitely wouldn't believe me."
Luke shrugged, looking utterly serious.
Sure enough, he received skeptical looks and disdainful laughter.
"Give it a rest. That's like a drunk always saying he isn't drunk, or a politician always claiming he serves the people. It has no credibility at all!"
Howard sneered, clearly unconvinced.
A lone man and woman disappeared after sharing a dance, only to show up the next morning.
Could they really have spent the entire night watching the stars and moon, talking about their dreams and ideals in life?
Rogers nodded, indicating his agreement.
It was clear that after an intensely immersive first experience the night before, he had matured quite a bit.
"Tell me, how did you do it?"
Howard looked deeply curious. He wanted to know where exactly he had lost.
In terms of looks!
Fine, Luke really was young and handsome.
But wasn't a mature, steady, and deeply cultured man like him more attractive?
In terms of achievements!
Although Luke was a War Hero of the Allied Nations, a world-renowned Superman.
In the scientific world, Howard Stark was also a rising Nova.
A newly emerged genius with the potential to stand alongside Robert Oppenheimer and Leo Szilard!
"Since you're asking so sincerely, I won't hide it from you—Miss Carter said that the moment she saw me, she was deeply attracted to me. She thinks I'm like a firefly in the darkness, so vivid, so outstanding..."
Howard froze on the spot. When he saw the teasing look in Luke's eyes, he realized the guy was just talking nonsense and viciously spat on the ground—
"Pah!"
The upbringing he had received should never have allowed him to commit such a rude act.
"If I could beat you, I'd definitely punch you!"
Howard turned and left, but because he moved too violently, he nearly threw out his back.
In the end, he departed in a sorry state, one hand braced against his waist as he hobbled away.
"Hehe. I can tell from that look on your face that you had a pleasant night."
Luke hooked an arm around Rogers's shoulder as they headed toward the barracks.
He remembered how people in his previous life had always debated whether Captain America had been a seventy-year-old virgin since birth.
Now, it seemed certain that he was not.
"Her name is Margie."
Rogers said awkwardly.
He still was not used to talking about such matters.
That afternoon, after resting up, Luke had barely entered the operations room when he heard Colonel Phillips roar.
"John Schmidt belongs in an insane asylum!"
He stood before a map, his expression shocked and furious.
Rogers, Carter, and Howard sat beside the long table, their faces equally grave.
The remaining senior officers said nothing, maintaining a heavy silence.
The atmosphere in the entire room had dropped below freezing, as though even the air had solidified.
"What happened?"
Luke asked with a frown.
When the furious Colonel Phillips saw him, his tone softened considerably as he patiently explained, "Red Skull wants to destroy half the world! Starting with New York—and he won't even spare Berlin, the Axis Powers' capital! We have to stop him!"
Colonel Phillips's finger jabbed forcefully at the marked red dots.
They represented several extremely important cities among both the Allied Nations and the Axis Powers: New York, London, and even Berlin.
Everyone present felt their hearts sink. These were all prosperous metropolises with dense populations.
If Hydra's plan succeeded, the casualties would be impossible to estimate!
The Strategic Scientific Reserve had learned this intelligence only because the Hydra base's command room contained a map of Red Skull's plan, along with detailed information.
They had not had time to destroy or take it when they fled.
Rogers, who had been searching for his friend Bucky, happened to see it and memorize it.
"Schmidt is researching a mysterious power beyond our comprehension! If he crosses the Atlantic Ocean, he can destroy the entire East Coast within an hour."
Howard's certain tone made the atmosphere in the operations room even more oppressive.
As the Strategic Scientific Reserve's chief scientist, he had specifically studied the blue energy block Captain America had casually stuffed into his pocket at the munitions factory.
Its power was immense, and its effects astonishing!
That was Howard's conclusion!
He had merely extracted a tiny particle from it for analysis and nearly blown himself to pieces.
"Luke..."
At this critical moment, Colonel Phillips could no longer bother with formal ranks.
"I've sent telegrams to Allied Command and the White House. The President hopes you'll step forward and stop Hydra's plan! At a time like this, only you can do it! In twenty-four hours, Red Skull will put his mad plan into action!"
Everyone in the operations room turned their eyes toward Luke.
The Allied Nations needed a hero to step forward and save the world!
And he was the most suitable candidate!
This young brigadier general had created miracle after miracle.
Capturing Rome, assisting the Allied forces' landing in Sicily, destroying Hydra's secret bases, rescuing captured soldiers...
Those legendary and astonishing feats were more than enough to prove Luke's capability.
People called him "Superman" and "the Savior of the Allied Forces" for good reason.
"Steve, you know where Hydra's headquarters is, right?"
A faint smile appeared on Luke's calm face.
"There's an underground base in the Alps! That's where Hydra's headquarters is located!"
Rogers answered with certainty.
"Then are you willing to come with me to destroy it and stop Red Skull's evil plan?"
After hearing the answer, Luke smiled calmly. His composed attitude affected everyone present.
"I will obey your orders without condition, Commander!"
Rogers stood tall and proud, without a trace of fear in his eyes.
In his view, this operation was certain to be fraught with danger.
But as Luke's friend and a soldier of the Allied Nations, he naturally had a duty to participate!
"Brigadier General, take me with you!"
As Dum Dum Dugan volunteered, the other members of the Howling Commandos echoed him one after another.
The honors and applause they had received all came from Luke's brilliant leadership.
The Howling Commandos admired and respected this young commander from the bottom of their hearts!
"Fine. You have two hours to prepare your equipment, then we move out!"
Luke said no more. Passionate speeches were unnecessary; final victory was what mattered.
After receiving their answer, everyone in the operations room dispersed.
Carter rose from her seat, her fingers unconsciously tracing across the table.
She had wanted to say something, and her lips moved twice, but she ultimately left without a word.
Luke curled his lip. Being a gentleman really had no good ending.
PS: Thanks to Mo Ye Ting Xue for the 100-point donation~
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