章節 43: Chapter 43: The Most Important Quality
"Congratulations, Host! You have completed the task 'Eternal Secret' Branch 1: Preventing the future Captain America and Peggy timeline from unfolding and securing the host's current timeline!"
In that instant, the possibility of Captain America's future with Peggy had been erased. The mission itself had been simple, but the repercussions were bound to be complex.
Peggy Carter's eyes sparkled as she looked at Thor. "Nice idea. Wait for me here after training tonight—I think this will be a night you won't forget."
Her tone was gentle, yet even the usually oblivious Steve shivered, and the other recruits cast sympathetic glances at Thor.
"Uh… is it too late for me to refuse?" Thor muttered to himself. All he'd meant to do was catch some attention to keep Steve and Peggy at odds. But this woman had the tenacity of a general—definitely not his usual type!
(He conveniently ignored the fact that he himself was an ancient being, too.)
…
"Alright, boys, save the date talk for later!" called a middle-aged officer with an intense, no-nonsense demeanor as he approached. "Let's get down to business."
"Colonel Phillips!" Peggy snapped to attention, prompting the other recruits to follow suit.
After a quick glance at the recruits, Colonel Phillips began his speech. "General Barton once said, 'War is fought with weapons, but it's won by soldiers.' We win battles because we have the best… soldiers?"
His gaze landed on Steve, raising an eyebrow.
What the heck? he thought. How'd this scrawny kid get in here?
Phillips's expression darkened slightly, and he glanced at Dr. Abraham, who remained impassive.
Sneaky old man, he thought, keeping his frustration in check. With effort, he continued his speech. "The Strategic Scientific Reserve brings together the best scientists and talent from the Allied nations and the free world. Our mission is to create the most powerful fighting force ever seen. We're here to select and train super soldiers."
After his speech, the recruits moved to the training field, where the exercises began. As expected, Steve fell short in most events despite his relentless effort, while Thor excelled in nearly every challenge, breaking several records in the process. Phillips even wondered if Thor was hiding a cape and tights beneath his uniform.
Later, after a quick investigation, Phillips learned that Dr. Abraham had endorsed both of them.
That crafty old man, Phillips thought, shaking his head.
…
A few days later, the recruits continued their training drills. Dr. Abraham joined Phillips on the training field to observe.
"Well?" Dr. Abraham prompted, his eyes twinkling.
Phillips nodded in grudging approval. "He's brave, strong, and adaptable. He's mastered nearly every aspect of the training, and I've got no objection if you're set on him."
Peggy interjected, "I have some reservations. He's got all the traits of a soldier, but let's not forget the number of times he's gotten into fights here."
"Oh, Miss Carter," Phillips replied with a smirk, "are you holding a grudge because he ditched you that night? Everyone knows you kept him around just to deal with him. And as for the fights, every single one was provoked by Hodge."
Realizing something, Phillips turned to Dr. Abraham with a low voice. "Wait—Doctor, are you talking about that Blake guy, right?"
"No," Dr. Abraham replied, smiling. "I mean Steve."
Phillips's mouth fell open. "You mean the scrawny guy? C'mon, even Hodge is better! I was thinking Steve was just an extra to keep Blake busy!"
Dr. Abraham gave a small shrug. "Blake is an impressive candidate, no doubt. If Steve weren't here, I'd pick him. But I'm looking for qualities beyond physical strength. As for Hodge—well, I've seen him bully Steve more than once."
Just then, they saw Hodge taunting Steve again, only to be knocked down by Thor.
"Not again!" Peggy muttered, striding forward to stop the skirmish.
Colonel Phillips observed coolly. "War isn't won by making nice. It's won by courage."
Without another word, he pulled a grenade from a supply crate, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the group of recruits. "Grenade!"
The recruits scattered in panic. Hodge dove behind a nearby jeep, missing an opportunity he'd regret forever.
Amid the chaos, only three people didn't flee.
One was Steve, who ran against the flow, throwing himself onto the grenade, fear evident on his face as he yelled, "Get back! Get away!"
The other two…
Peggy instinctively tried to rush in and kick the grenade into a safe zone. But before she could take more than a couple of steps, Thor dashed forward, tackled her to the ground, and shouted:
"Grenade! Get down!"
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