The next morning.
Luke, personally selected by the military, packed some simple luggage and took a special car to New Jersey Lehigh Training Camp with the ecstatic Rogers.
Before departing, they met several important members of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
For example, the stern-faced Colonel Phillips.
Dr. Erskine, the developer of the Super Soldier Serum.
Howard Stark, famous throughout New York.
And Agent Carter, as always wearing a cool, aloof expression.
And so on...
The Strategic Scientific Reserve was a temporary organization established by the Allied Nations specifically to win the war.
It had been personally approved by President Roosevelt and the leaders of various European countries.
It had gathered elite talents from numerous fields. Its primary purpose was to oppose Hydra of the Third Reich—an evil organization marked by the monster Hydra.
Its secondary purpose was to carry out the "Super Soldier" project and bring an end to the war sweeping across the world.
Hydra's current leader was John Schmidt, better known as the "Red Skull."
It was said that he was one of Hitler's trusted subordinates.
His authority surpassed even that of Heinrich Himmler, who had helped establish the Schutzstaffel and served as head of the Gestapo secret police.
Actually, the Red Skull might not necessarily have been Hydra's founder...
Sitting in the back of the swaying transport truck, Luke thought to himself.
He remembered that the comics had mentioned how the orthodox Hydra had originated much earlier, dating back to a far more ancient era.
The Red Skull had merely adopted the name, altered its ideals, and turned it into a useful tool.
In that respect, he was somewhat similar to Adolf Hitler, whom the Third Reich had once idolized.
"Luke, do you think we'll run into Bucky?"
Rogers asked, hugging his duffel bag.
Thinking of Bucky's surprised expression when he learned that Rogers had enlisted and headed for the battlefield, he could not help looking forward to their next meeting.
"Bucky might already have set foot in England by now, fighting for freedom."
Luke smiled. He understood why Rogers was so determined to enlist.
A little guy who had long been mocked and bullied for his weak physique.
There were often only two paths leading into the future.
Either one remained optimistic and positive, like Rogers.
Or one became cynical and withdrawn, shutting oneself away.
The former were rare, while the latter were plentiful.
And that was probably why Steve Rogers would become Captain America.
He was someone who would always walk the right path.
Rogers' eagerness to enlist did not stem from intense patriotism—he was not the kind of person desperate to earn medals through glory and military achievements.
This skinny little guy probably just wanted to prove that he was no different from those strong men.
"Luke, then why do you think Howard Stark is going to Caspian Training Camp? Is he a drafted soldier too?"
Rogers asked curiously.
He knew nothing at all about the "Super Soldier" project or the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
He only thought that he was going to Caspian Training Camp to receive recruit training.
"Stark is different from us! He's a scientific consultant! An official high-ranking officer!"
Luke shook his head.
How could the two of them, mere new recruits, compare with Howard Stark?
Even their treatment was different!
Howard Stark could ride in a smooth, comfortable private car, chatting and laughing with a group of high-ranking officers along the way.
At night, he might even go out to enjoy himself and live it up.
Meanwhile, Rogers and Luke could only stay in the back of a transport truck that rocked like a storm-tossed boat.
"Get ready to welcome recruit life, Rogers!"
Luke smiled meaningfully.
For Rogers, who was nowhere near strong enough, recruit training was no easy task.
One week later.
"Are you all right, Rogers?"
After finishing a cross-country run with a weighted pack, Luke handed a towel to the skinny little guy.
Rogers looked as though he had just been hauled out of the water. Even his camouflage uniform had been soaked through with sweat.
His chest heaved violently like a bellows, producing ragged, wheezing breaths.
Even an ordinary five-kilometer run was a daunting challenge for Rogers, whose physical condition was poor.
"I-I'm fine! I just need to rest for a bit... and I'll be all right!"
Watching Rogers speak in broken intervals, Luke feared that he might suddenly pass out.
The fact that he had persisted until now showed that the bent-over, skinny little guy before him truly had remarkable determination.
Although Rogers finished every day's training task last and had the worst results.
In terms of effort, however, he was no worse than anyone else—perhaps even better.
"I feel much better now! Thanks, Luke!"
After catching his breath, Rogers looked up at his friend and gave him a grateful smile.
If Luke had not helped him, his situation might have been even worse.
In Rogers' eyes, Caspian Training Camp was no different from the streets of Brooklyn.
There were jerks everywhere who relied on their strong muscles to bully those weaker than themselves.
Luckily, Luke had stepped forward. Otherwise, Rogers would once again have become a victim beaten by thugs in a corner.
"Assemble! Assemble!"
At the shrill blast of a whistle, the recruits, who had long developed conditioned reflexes, hurried over and formed neat ranks.
Some of them had already learned the consequences of disobeying orders or acting like troublemakers.
That cold, aloof female officer with the British accent was not nearly as fragile as she looked.
Gilmore Hodge, the recruit who had taken a punch from her, had plenty to say on that matter—his nose was still covered with a bandage.
Besides, the daily high-intensity physical training was enough to burn off everyone's excess energy.
"After observing them for the past few days, who do you think is the best-performing and most outstanding recruit?"
Standing some distance away and watching the recruits being lectured, Colonel Phillips asked.
"Luke Cahill."
Carter raised an eyebrow as she held the score sheet.
She truly had not expected that young man from Brooklyn.
Not only was his marksmanship astonishing, but he also performed exceptionally well in the other tests.
In shooting practice, weighted marches, barbed-wire climbs, and other physical training.
Luke easily took first place every time, leaving the second-place recruit far behind.
"I knew it! Erskine, I told you, Cahill is the most suitable candidate!"
Colonel Phillips clapped his hands.
He looked at the tall, powerfully built Luke in the ranks, his eyes filled with admiration.
Luke perfectly matched the colonel's definition and image of an excellent soldier.
"Wait a little longer! We still have time."
Dr. Erskine, standing beside him, replied.
His gaze did not rest on Luke, but on the particularly conspicuous Rogers in the ranks.
If the Super Soldier candidate was supposed to be a strong, burly man.
Then there was no need for Erskine to conduct this secret selection at all.
The world had never lacked excellent soldiers who knew how to obey orders and possessed strong muscles.
But finding a truly good person, a "Super Soldier" who possessed strength without using it to bully the weak, was far more difficult.
Erskine knew that he did not have much more time to search patiently and uncover the right candidate.
Therefore, he could only place his hopes on Rogers.
That skinny, undersized little guy possessed a rare quality that moved people's hearts!
"You had me investigate Rogers' background! Yes, he really is... a good person! But what does that change? If the committee bureaucrats find out that the Super Soldier candidate is a little guy as skinny as kindling, someone who gets out of breath just from running, what will they think?"
Colonel Phillips said unhappily.
In his view, war was a contest of strength between two sides, not the character of soldiers.
"The selection isn't over yet. The time hasn't come! Colonel, let's wait patiently a little longer!"
Dr. Erskine gave the same answer.
This time, however, his gaze shifted to Luke.
P.S.: I received the contract offer message, so everyone can invest with confidence~
P.S. 2: Seriously asking for recommendations, favorites, investments, and the three-piece support~
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