Chương 34: A busy night

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Arthur was looking at a Drunk Erskine—drunk and swaying with the wind—and was very confused.

Arthur poured him a glass of water asking, "Why are you drunk this late in the night? You got rejected by a girl or something?"

Even Arthur did not realize that he had become someone close to Dr. Erskine in such a short time that he could joke with him like that.

Humans can be quite desperate to make friends. Erskine who still was not viewed properly because of his origins and Arthur—who didn't even live for a year in this world—really did have a botched view of life.

Meanwhile Dr. Erskine who had just woken up from his stupor, asked Arthur something he hid in himself for a long time.

"...Art, do you think that this… Super Soldiers Plan should even exist?"

Erskine was not joking. It was a question that chased him from when he escaped to America. He looked at Arthur with a rare serious look that he had not shown him before.

A summer night: "Why ask now?"

"I don't know… It has been hounding me… I do not know if I will end up making another Sh-…"

He shook his head, denying to even finish saying that name, "I don't know why I asked you this... But this question, has been growing in my heart, you know? It's like a thorny rose. Helping humans have a better life is such a beautiful goal but the thorns of the past pierce me. Will I never have peace in this miserable life of mine?"

"The serum was my dream, something I wanted to give to humanity. And I used everything to make it a reality."

Dr. Erskine extended a finger: "And now, It has been almost perfected. Only one last remains, a suitable candidate! But sometimes I doubt myself, after all, not every experiment succeeded on their first try. It's not unreasonable of me to be afraid, right?"

Arthur was silently listening, but he just wanted to say... You have the power of the plot armour! It will not fail!

-Old man Erskine, have some confidence! -

Dr. Erskine's thoughts were something completely normal for a human to have. Whats rare is for people to find someone to confide these thoughts onto.

What happens after Super Soldier Serum becomes a reality?

If Erskine did not die, what will the super soldier serum evolve into?...

Just thinking of a world where every human was hunky was… a soul chilling thought…

He swiftly shook his head getting rid of these images that popped in his head. As an otaku in his last life, he really wanted superpowers. But if everyone had them as well….it took away the fun of it.

Just as Arthur was thinking of saying something, the doctor had already stood up: "It doesn't matter now, everything is in place and cannot be stopped anyways…"

Dr. Erskine smiled at him, with a kind of relief that he could not understand in the summer night: "Go to what you should do, since the world is already a hell, then There is no need to fear to shape one of the most powerful devils to overthrow this hell. Even in the future world, with countless devils screaming, no one will be hurt anymore."

Then he looked at the summer night: "If it was you... how good would it be. But Rogers is not a bad seed as well... I hope that I made the right choice this time. I don't want to see... the world sink. "

As he was saying this, Dr. Erskine shook Arthur's shoulder and left.

Dr. Erskine, in that moment, felt ... vulnerable.

He understood Dr. Erskine's panic, but he could do nothing.

After all, this was Dr. Erskine's own heart. His life. And his path.

Science was inhuman. And many times, human morale did not mesh well with it.

But he is also very conscious of what he is doing, what will it bring to the world?

Now the serum will bring hope in these war times, But what about after the war ... who could guarantee that it would not fuel wars instead!?!

The doorbell rang again. Arthur felt that the night was becoming more and more suspicious. How come everyone decided to visit him this night?

-Well, lets see who it is this time…-

And lo and behold, he saw whom he least expected to come...

-Holy mother of the Devil-------

Carter!

"What's wrong? Why do you have that ugly expression on your face?" Carter looked at the Art, whose looked quite dismayed.

Arthur did not squeak a word. He cannot just open his mouth and say that he feared her visiting him and making him commit felonies, can he? ... Well, can't he?

"Won't you invite me in?", Carter spoke out loud, looking at Arthur blocking the door. Arthur just sighed and stepped back, letting her in.

Well, it won't be a waste of time, since he really did want to know what happened to Lindsey and the best person to ask was sitting right in front of him.

But whenever Carter really came to his door, Arthur always had a gut feeling that she brought nothing but bad news, that the two characters of 'trouble' were written on her squarish but otherwise beautiful face!

This was a human red flag!!!

Arthur suddenly lamented, why did his system only disassemble stuff? Could it not provide him warnings that--the area ahead had a higher difficulty and the user may face life threatening dangers?

"Oh, Art, your room is really messy, and this smell... were you drinking?"

Carter's gaze pierced Arthur, hoping to see him drunk.

Arthur just waved her questions away, trying to explain that it was someone else she was smelling.

But before he could even say something, Carter spoke uninterrupted, "Why didn't you call me?"

"Anytime you drink, you must invite me!"

Arthur sighed again, he sighed many times tonight, wonder if it would make a record…. anyway: "I know it's messy, just find a place and sit."

"…okay fine."

Carter sat in the corner of the bed and watcher him.

Arthur was also observing Carter, waiting for her to speak up and explain her presence this night.

Carter couldn't keep quiet and started: "Why do I always feel that every time I come to visit you, you don't welcome me very much?"

"You think too much ah!"

Arthur shook his head, denying such claims.

-Not just unwelcome, you are very VERY unwelcome!!!-

"We have finished interrogating Lindsey." Carter continued and further saying: "And we confirmed certain things."

Arthur was surprised as well, as Hydra agents were well known to not spilling their secrets: "So fast?"

"Well, we do have to thank you for awakening a special interest in Howard Stark."

Arthur coughed: "And? What did you find?"

"I have bad news."

-I KNEW IT. THIS JINX OF A WOMAN---

"That evening, just before we infiltrated his house, a telegram was sent. We have confirmed that your name along with other details might have already been placed on Schmidt's desk."