Chapter 48: Allen's Military Career
Fortunately, the New York City Chief of Police arrived in time to take control of the situation; otherwise, it might have escalated into a full-blown conflict between the military and the police.
Given the special circumstances, military operations took priority. Allen, being affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D., naturally faced no trouble whatsoever.
Moreover, Colonel Phillips was increasingly impressed by him.
That resounding slap had been incredibly satisfying.
After all, Allen was officially classified as mentally ill while also holding the title of weapons expert—there was simply nothing anyone could do about him.
"Steve, it's time for you to head to the battlefield," Colonel Phillips said as he approached Steve with a solemn expression. "After much deliberation, we've decided to form an assault squad under your leadership to support high-risk areas on the front lines."
"Colonel, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Steve responded seriously.
"I'm not leaving Old Man Rogers behind. I'm coming to the battlefield too," Allen suddenly interjected.
During his time at S.H.I.E.L.D., he had maxed out almost all his skills, but his level remained stuck at fifty. It was time to grind some enemies to level up.
"You are not—"
Colonel Phillips turned his head but was so startled that he instinctively stepped back, blurting out in alarm, "Oh, what an ugly Bernese Mountain Dog!"
"Nanaue is a demigod shark-man," Allen corrected.
Nanaue waved in greeting, revealing a grin full of razor-sharp teeth.
"You stay at S.H.I.E.L.D. and continue your research. The battlefield is no place for you," Colonel Phillips firmly rejected Allen's reckless request.
But then again, who could actually stop Allen from doing what he wanted?
---
Europe, Allied Forces Camp
Agent Carter had been waiting for some time. As a lieutenant, she was responsible for the assault squad's missions and training.
A team of soldiers in camouflage stood at attention, awaiting inspection.
Upon spotting Steve, whom she hadn't seen for days, a subtle ripple of emotion flickered in Carter's eyes.
"Is anyone missing?"
"Hmm-haha-ha, I don't smell anyone missing."
Instantly, all eyes turned toward the soldier standing at the back of the formation.
His helmet was tilted at an odd angle, his combat uniform looked loose on him, and he was grinning shamelessly as if he were in his own world.
"Allen?!"
Carter and Steve both twitched at the corners of their mouths. How had he ended up in the camp?
The rest of the squad looked confused—they had no idea who Allen was.
"That's right, it's me."
Allen formed finger guns and placed them under his chin, striking a cool pose. "Surprised? Unexpected? Happy?"
"I'm calling the military right now to send you back home." Carter groaned in frustration.
"Hmm-haha-ha, as if that would stop me from running away again."
Seeing Allen's smug smirk and knowing his personality, Carter immediately realized that getting rid of him wouldn't be easy.
On second thought, though, worrying about Allen's safety was unnecessary. Even Steve, who had nearly fully adapted to the super soldier serum, might not be able to beat him.
"There's a rat! Nanaue is afraid of rats!"
From a tarp-covered supply area, a massive figure suddenly darted out.
The sight of a humanoid shark startled everyone, and several soldiers instinctively reached for their weapons, ready to shoot.
"Don't fire! He's with us!"
Steve quickly stopped them.
Nanaue hid behind Allen, shivering. "Master, there are rats here! Nanaue is scared of rats!"
Standing over two meters tall, he managed to tuck only his head behind Allen in fear.
"You're not an elephant. What are you afraid of? You're embarrassing the entire ocean race."
Though Allen's words were full of disdain, his hand was gently stroking Nanaue's snout to comfort him.
"Steve, what exactly is that?" Carter asked in shock.
"Uh… he's Allen's pet. We found him on a beach—an offspring of an Old God," Steve explained as simply as possible.
Among all the soldiers present, only Steve's uniform stood out.
The first Captain America suit… To put it bluntly, it was quite ugly.
The higher-ups in the military wanted to create a heroic symbol to inspire soldiers and strengthen their resolve.
"Allen, keep an eye on your pet," Carter warned.
"Nanaue is just a dimwit. What could he possibly do wrong?"
Allen put on a pitiful expression. "And I'm a mentally ill person, an outcast rejected by society. Nanaue, we are so unfortunate."
"Master, don't cry. Nanaue will always stay with you."
Nanaue attempted to hug Allen, but his protruding snout accidentally poked Allen right in the eye.
"Oh, shit! Your nose just stabbed my eye!"
"Nanaue didn't mean to!"
As the man and the shark wrestled playfully, Carter felt a headache coming on.
If these two came along on the mission, they'd probably expose their location before even getting close to the target.
She didn't believe Allen's sob story for a second.
Would he even give society the choice of accepting or rejecting him?
"What do you actually want?" Carter asked bluntly.
"Even after all that emotional buildup, you're still unmoved."
Allen sighed dramatically. "You really are a cold-hearted person."
"Nanaue, let's go grab some 'nibble-nibbles.'"
"Nibble-nibble! Nanaue loves nibble-nibbles!"
As night fell, smoke curled up from the campfires. A barbecue was the perfect way to break the ice among the squad.
After seeing Nanaue's goofy and harmless nature, the assault squad members stopped fearing or rejecting him.
In the cold winter night, snowflakes drifted down.
Gathered around the bonfire, the soldiers ate grilled meat and listened to the crackling of the radio, savoring a rare moment of peace.
They all knew that any day could be their last, so they cherished these moments with their comrades.
"Tomorrow morning is our first battle. We'll be coordinating with the 107th Infantry Regiment to attack Bettel City. Our task is to destroy six enemy bunker positions along the way."
The assault squad was essentially a suicide unit, assigned the most dangerous missions.
Not only were they equipped with heavy weaponry, but they also had access to helicopters.
Carter pointed to the enemy fire points on the map, and the squad listened attentively—except for Allen, who was sprawled across Nanaue's belly, fast asleep.
As a disciplined mental patient, if he had nothing to do at night, he made sure to sleep on time. Otherwise, it would be bad for his mental health.
"The 107th? That's Bucky's unit!"
Hearing about his best friend, Steve instantly perked up.
He recalled how he had longed to enlist and serve his country but had been repeatedly rejected, while his friend had successfully joined the army.
Now, they had the chance to reunite, and Steve couldn't be happier.
Carter smiled. "If we take Bettel City successfully, we'll rest there for a week. You'll have time to catch up."
"Let's just hope we're still alive to reunite," Steve muttered grimly.
War was merciless. No one knew if the next meeting would be with a friend or their corpse.
---
At Dawn
Allen and Nanaue were still sound asleep.
The squad quietly boarded their helicopters. As the engines roared to life, the rotors began to spin.
Carter had deliberately left Allen and Nanaue behind, fearing for their safety.
A weapons expert like Allen was far too valuable to risk on the battlefield.
Besides, most of the squad's firearms had been developed based on blueprints Allen had contributed.
As for Nanaue… Carter simply saw him as a pet.
"Nanaue, wake up! They've abandoned us!"
Allen woke with a start, seeing the helicopters already midair. He kicked the drooling Nanaue and muttered, "Turn over—I don't want to sleep on the cold ground."
Since there was no way to catch up, he might as well go back to sleep.
Snuggled against Nanaue's belly, it was as comfortable as lying on a giant rubber cushion.
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