The Organization Has Decided

New York, some military camp.

In the meeting room, a sharp female officer was reporting to her superior.

"—Colonel Phillips, I think there's something wrong with that guy Luke Cahill!"

Carter briefly summarized the attack Dr. Erskine had faced at the Tomorrow Expo venue, then brought up Luke, who was under suspicion.

"I've looked at the wounds on those German spies—every single one was a kill shot! An ordinary person couldn't possibly pull that off! Cahill must have trained in marksmanship, and he's damn good at it!"

The female officer stated her conclusion with certainty.

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

A young man from Brooklyn, single-handedly taking down well-trained professional spies—it sounded utterly unbelievable.

There were too many inconsistencies!

So Carter believed this might be a Hydra plot.

Sacrificing those German spies to get close to Dr. Erskine!

Then, carry out some evil plan!

Compared to killing Dr. Erskine, the Germans might prefer kidnapping.

The value of the Super Soldier Serum was obvious.

Whoever got it could tip the scales of the war.

The influence and threat it could pose couldn't be ignored!

Colonel Phillips, seated in his chair, shook his head and said in a low voice, "He's clean."

"I had people investigate. Luke Cahill—his parents were Irish immigrants who died early. He dropped out of Bronx High School of Science at seventeen. His teachers were sorry to see him go, because Cahill had excellent grades and a real knack for learning. He got scholarships every year!"

"Then why did he drop out?"

Carter looked puzzled.

"You have to understand, Irish immigrants aren't exactly welcome. Getting bullied, pranked—it's all pretty common. So Cahill was always getting into fights at school. When that happened, the teachers had to call his parents, but he didn't have any..."

Colonel Phillips shrugged helplessly. "After every fight with those school kids, he still had to deal with unreasonable adults. For a seventeen-year-old kid, that wasn't an easy mess to handle."

Carter fell silent.

She could imagine how hard those years must have been for Luke Cahill, an orphan.

"But... where did he learn to handle guns and shoot like that?"

Carter hesitated.

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

Still, she couldn't understand how an ordinary young man from Brooklyn could have such precise marksmanship!

"Cahill's uncle Frank is a veteran—the kind who actually survived combat. Later, he joined the Irish Mob, doing dirty work on the side. Now he's retired and serves as the honorary president of a local chapter of the truck drivers' union."

Colonel Phillips shared the results of his investigation with his subordinate.

Carter had always been competitive and capable at her job.

But she was a bit too fixated on proving she was no less than any man.

That gave Colonel Phillips a headache.

If she weren't British, and not part of the American military's faction, he wouldn't have been so patient.

After all, the Strategic Scientific Reserve was a mixed bag, with talent pulled from all over the world.

Carter was one of them.

"Luke Cahill is not a German spy. He has nothing to do with the Germans! I don't think Hitler, no matter how good he is at stirring people up, could turn a kid raised in Brooklyn into a German spy."

"Sure, Cahill has done some shady things, but the Strategic Scientific Reserve isn't interested in that. Taking down gangs isn't our job! Fighting Hydra, crushing the Axis Powers, and winning the war—that's what matters!"

Colonel Phillips emphasized his tone, signaling his subordinate to stop dwelling on this guy.

He didn't want Carter poking the hornet's nest of the Irish Mob!

Those people had teamed up with the unions to help politicians win votes and rig elections.

In recent years, their power had only grown.

Even Colonel Phillips didn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble!

Who knew how many Capitol Hill congressmen were backing them?

Then, as if remembering something, he said, "Still, Erskine seems interested in those two. Luke Cahill, and... what was the short guy's name?"

"Steve Rogers."

Carter answered.

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

Colonel Phillips paused to think, then asked, "What do you think about that, Carter?"

The Caspian Training Camp was, on the surface, a place to drill new recruits.

The real purpose, however, was to select candidates for the Super Soldier Serum injection.

Dr. Erskine's implication was clearly that Luke Cahill and Steve Rogers would be chosen.

As for the former, Colonel Phillips saw no issue.

Luke was tall and powerfully built, taking down three German spies single-handedly.

Even if he wasn't ultimately selected, it wouldn't change the fact that he'd make a good soldier.

But—

Steve Rogers?

That scrawny little guy who looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over?

If the Allied Nations had to rely on someone like that to save them, that was just laughable!

"If that's Dr. Erskine's thinking, then I have no problem with it, Colonel!"

Carter thought for a moment before giving her answer.

"Fine, then this is your responsibility. I want to see them on the bus to New Jersey."

Colonel Phillips nodded and handed down the task.

He'd made peace with it—given Rogers's physique, he probably wouldn't even make it through basic training.

As for being chosen, becoming a super soldier?

Compared to that, Colonel Phillips would rather believe Adolf Hitler would have a change of heart and immediately announce surrender!

Knock knock knock!

Luke opened the door to his quarters.

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

Staring at Rogers standing outside, along with the frosty-faced female officer, Luke asked in surprise.

He'd figured the Strategic Scientific Reserve would investigate him, maybe even drag him in for questioning under the guise of assisting with the case.

As a key figure under military protection, Abraham Erskine was certainly worth that level of attention.

Only—

Steve, why are you so happy?

You can barely hold back that grin!

Since when was being interrogated by agents a good thing?

"Luke! I can enlist! We're heading to New Jersey tomorrow!"

Rogers's joy erupted like a volcano.

The pent-up frustration of days finally dissipated!

Luke's mind stirred, and he immediately understood.

This was recruitment!

Though the plot had shifted, under the inertia of the timeline, Steve Rogers was still set on the path to becoming "Captain America."

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

Luke reined in his emotions, returning to calm.

It looked like the plan to obtain the Super Soldier Serum had taken its first successful step.

"Luke Cahill, are you willing to serve your country and join this war for freedom against fascism?"

Carter asked coldly.

Like I actually have the right to refuse...

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

Since he'd chosen this way to enter the military's sights and pique Dr. Erskine's interest, he wouldn't back down now!

"Ahem, since the organization has already decided, then I..."

Luke suppressed the urge to recite a couple of lines of poetry on the spot and accepted the military's summons.