The Higher-Ups Have Already Decided

New York, at a military camp.

In the conference room, a valiant female officer was reporting to her superior.

"Colonel Phillips, I think there's something suspicious about that guy named Luke Cahill!"

After briefly summarizing the attack Dr. Erskine had encountered at the Tomorrow Expo venue, Carter brought up Luke, who had been listed as a suspect.

"I examined the German Spies' wounds. Every one of them was killed with a single shot! An ordinary person simply couldn't pull that off! Cahill must have trained with firearms, and he's exceptionally skilled!"

The female officer delivered her conclusion with certainty.

Ever since leaving the recruitment station, the doubts in her heart had never faded.

A young man from Brooklyn had taken down trained professional spies all by himself. It sounded utterly unbelievable.

There were simply too many things that didn't add up!

Therefore, Carter believed this was most likely Hydra's scheme.

They had sacrificed those German Spies in order to get an opportunity to approach Dr. Erskine!

Then they could carry out their evil plan!

Compared to killing Dr. Erskine, Germany might have preferred kidnapping him.

The value of the Super Soldier Serum was right there for all to see.

Whoever obtained it could influence the course of the war.

Its potential impact and threat could not be ignored!

Colonel Phillips, seated in his chair, shook his head and said gravely, "There's nothing suspicious about him."

"I had someone investigate him. Luke Cahill's parents were Irish immigrants, and they died when he was young. He dropped out of Bronx High School of Science at seventeen—his teachers all regretted it, because Cahill had excellent grades and a real talent for learning. He received scholarships every year!"

"Then why did he drop out?"

Carter did not understand.

"You should know that Irish immigrants aren't exactly welcome. Bullying and pranks are common. Cahill often got into fights with people at school because of it. When teachers encountered situations like that, all they could do was call the parents, but he had no parents..."

Colonel Phillips shrugged helplessly. "After every fight with those brats at school, he still had to deal with unreasonable adults. For a seventeen-year-old kid, that wasn't a problem he could easily handle."

Carter fell silent.

She could imagine just how difficult those years had been for Luke Cahill as an orphan.

"But... where did he get access to guns? Where did he learn to shoot?"

Carter asked hesitantly.

After hearing the colonel's account, her suspicions had faded.

Still, Carter could not understand how an ordinary young man from Brooklyn could possess such precise marksmanship.

"Cahill's uncle, Frank, is a veteran—the kind who truly fought on the battlefield and survived. Later, he joined the Irish Mob and did some dirty work that couldn't see the light of day. He's retired now and serves as the honorary president of a local branch of the truck drivers' union."

Colonel Phillips told his subordinate the results of the investigation.

Carter had always been competitive and highly capable at her job.

She was simply somewhat fixated on proving that she was no worse than any man.

That gave Colonel Phillips quite a headache.

If she had not been British and outside the factions of the American military, he would not have been nearly so patient.

After all, the Strategic Scientific Reserve had a complicated membership, with talented people drawn from all over the world.

Carter was one of them.

"Luke Cahill isn't a German spy. He has absolutely nothing to do with Germany! No matter how good Hitler was at stirring people up, I don't think he could turn a young man raised in Brooklyn into a German spy."

"Of course, Cahill has done a few less-than-honorable things, but the Strategic Scientific Reserve isn't interested in that. Cracking down on gangs isn't our job! Fighting Hydra, crushing the Axis Powers, and winning the war—that is!"

Colonel Phillips emphasized his words, signaling that his subordinate did not need to keep dwelling on the man.

He had no desire to see Carter stir up that hornet's nest known as the Irish Mob!

Those people had now formed powerful alliances with unions, helping politicians gather votes and meddling in elections.

Their influence had grown stronger and stronger in recent years.

Even Colonel Phillips did not want to invite such unnecessary trouble!

Who knew how many Capitol Hill congressmen stood behind them!

Then, as though remembering something, he said, "Still, Erskine seems quite interested in those two. Luke Cahill, and... what was that little guy's name again?"

"Steve Rogers."

Carter answered.

"Right, right! Erskine wants to recruit both of them into Caspian Training Camp."

After pondering for a moment, Colonel Phillips asked, "What do you think, Carter?"

On the surface, Caspian Training Camp was a place for drilling recruits.

Its real purpose, however, was to select test subjects for injection with the Super Soldier Serum.

What Erskine had implied was undoubtedly that Luke Cahill and Steve Rogers should be chosen.

As for the former, Colonel Phillips saw no problem.

Luke was tall and powerfully built, and he had handled three German Spies by himself.

Even if he was not selected in the end, that would not change the fact that he would make a good soldier.

But—

Steve Rogers?

That scrawny little guy who looked like a gust of wind could knock him over?

If the Allied Nations had to rely on someone like that to save them, it would be truly ridiculous!

"If that's Dr. Erskine's idea, then I have no objections, Colonel!"

After thinking for a while, Carter gave her answer.

"Very well. I'll leave this matter to you. I want to see them on the train to New Jersey."

Colonel Phillips nodded and assigned her the task.

He had figured it out. With Rogers's physique, he might not even survive basic recruit training.

As for being selected and becoming a Super Soldier?

Compared to that, Colonel Phillips would sooner believe Adolf Hitler would suddenly grow a conscience and announce his surrender at once!

Knock, knock, knock!

Luke, having returned to his residence, opened the door.

"Steve, can you tell me what's going on here?"

Looking at Rogers standing outside the door, along with the stone-faced female officer, Luke asked in surprise.

He had expected the Strategic Scientific Reserve to investigate him, perhaps even haul him in for questioning under the pretense of assisting with the case.

As someone important enough to be protected by the military, Abraham Erskine absolutely warranted that level of attention.

But—

Steve, why are you so happy?

The smile on his face was practically about to burst free!

Could being dragged off by agents for interrogation really be a good thing?

"Luke! I can enlist! We're leaving for New Jersey tomorrow!"

Rogers's joy erupted like a volcano.

The frustration he had bottled up for days had finally vanished completely!

Luke's heart stirred, and he understood immediately.

They had been recruited!

Although the plot had changed somewhat, under the inertia of the timeline, Steve Rogers had still embarked on the path to becoming Captain America.

"I thought the process would be a little more complicated."

Luke reined in his emotions and regained his composure.

It seemed his plan to obtain the Super Soldier Serum had successfully taken its first step.

"Luke Cahill, are you willing to serve your country and devote yourself to this anti-fascist war for freedom?"

Carter asked coldly.

As if I have the right to refuse...

Luke glanced at the two fully armed soldiers standing behind Carter and thought silently.

Since he had chosen this method to enter the military's field of vision and attract Dr. Erskine's interest,

he would not back down now!

"Ahem, since the higher-ups have already decided, then I..."

Suppressing the urge to recite a few lines of poetry on the spot, Luke accepted the military's summons.