Chapter 36: Super Soldiers

...

John Garrett, Level 8 agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., with remarkable achievements.

"Yes, he mentioned this to me, and I'm willing to join Overwatch," Garrett said.

How could he refuse such an opportunity?

HYDRA understood the importance of Overwatch and had infiltrated its management. With the commander's position now available, there was no reason not to take it.

After Stern informed them of this, Alexander Pierce immediately agreed and had John Garrett infiltrate Overwatch to develop HYDRA within. In necessary situations, he could even bring the original HYDRA forces to assist.

As for Nick Fury's side, Pierce said he would take care of it.

Garrett's smile was sincere because he gained everything effortlessly.

Seeing Warren extend his hand and saying, "A pleasant cooperation," Garrett also reached out, saying, "A pleasant cooperation."

But after the handshake, Warren didn't let go; instead, he said, "Now, we are all members of Overwatch."

Garrett hesitated for a moment, his old face wrinkled, and then shook his head abruptly, realizing something was wrong.

"What have you done..."

He tried to pull his hand back, but Warren's grip was unexpectedly strong, and he couldn't free himself.

"Well, is it so difficult to handle someone who resists a little?" Warren remarked.

Garrett was different from Stern; he was a highly skilled agent with strong combat abilities and willpower.

This made Warren realize the feebleness of the "Twisted Faith" in distorting the unwavering will of a special agent.

As Garrett saw Warren gripping his hand and realized he couldn't escape, he quickly reached for a dagger from his waist with his other hand.

Ding!

The blade sparked as it scraped against Warren's metallic skin.

Glancing at the small knife that could only cut through his clothes, Warren said, "You should be able to hypnotize yourself, right?"

"What?" Garrett asked.

"Ordinary people can't do it, but agents should be able to. So..."

Boom!

Flames erupted from Warren's other hand.

"Hypnotize yourself, let go of all mental resistance, or else I will eliminate you," Warren threatened openly.

A blatant threat!

"..."

Garrett's thoughts raced as he discreetly scanned his surroundings but didn't see anything helpful. With Warren having transformed into a metallic being and firmly gripping his wrist, there was no way for him to escape his current predicament unless he severed his own arm. But that wasn't an option.

As an agent, he had the courage to sever his own limb, but a rational assessment told him that even if he severed his arm, there was no way he could escape. He had seen the speed Warren displayed in his fight with that monster, as documented by S.H.I.E.L.D. There was no chance he could run more than ten meters.

After weighing his options, Warren's flaming hand drew closer to his head, and the heat combined with fear made Garrett break into a sweat.

Twisted faith, violence.

"Fine..."

Garrett released the dagger in his hand, his gaze dimmed momentarily, and then ignited with fanatical adoration.

The faith was successfully twisted.

Warren let go of Garrett's hand, but Garrett lingered, touching the spot where he had been held as if it was a supreme honor.

Warren: "..."

Damn! This damn power will surely upgrade sooner or later!

"Your glory shines upon me," Garrett said, an old fanboy finally enlightened.

"Don't expose our connection. Return to your normal life and... give me the list of high-ranking HYDRA members you know," Warren demanded.

Stern's knowledge of HYDRA personnel was clearly incomplete, even S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know everything, but John Garrett should know more.

Of course, the person who knew the most should be Alexander Pierce.

And currently, Alexander Pierce was the boss of the World Security Council, located a few floors above S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

Even so, it wouldn't be difficult for Warren to deal with him. But was that all?

Stern, Garrett, these people had their own value, and as for Pierce... the World Security Council wasn't really needed, and besides, even if he talked, it wouldn't matter. Several major powers governed it.

Moreover, it would be quite interesting for Pierce to discover that all the HYDRA agents infiltrated into S.H.I.E.L.D. had joined Warren's faction.

Looking forward to that day.

Dr. Arnim Zola was adjusting the equipment because the Super Soldier Serum required not only injection but also radiation exposure, which required electricity.

Temporary power lines were set up on the Island of Icarus, and nearby power companies had allocated resources to fully support it due to the president's orders.

A group of people walked in from outside, talking and laughing.

"I didn't expect you to join in on the fun."

"I haven't even settled the score with you for poaching one of my agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. This can be considered as interest, but then you'll have to give me a few boxes of 'cigars' to even things out."

Nick Fury and Warren joked with each other.

This time, S.H.I.E.L.D. also had a participant in the experiment.

And it was someone familiar, although they had not officially met before.

"Dr. Arnim Zola, pleased to meet you," a special agent with a high hairline enthusiastically approached Dr. Zola to learn more about the situation. After all, he was one of the volunteers for the experiment.

Although Thaddeus Ross's face was always gloomy, this matter was of great significance, so he had to be present. Even if Warren looked down on him, he had to be there confine himself when necessary, especially for the sake of the Super Soldier Serum. It was just a minor inconvenience, like getting bitten by a dog.

Indeed, Matthew Ellis assigned the spot to Ross, hoping to reconcile their differences.

After all, Warren currently supported mutants, despising all illegal experiments... even though Bruce Banner was an exception. But Ross had also made it onto Warren's list of dislikes.

Ross brought along two soldiers.

"Sam, Riley, go and prepare with them," Ross ordered.

"Yes, sir."

The two soldiers followed the research staff into the lab to make the necessary preparations.

"Coulson."

Nick Fury called back his own people as well. "Get ready," he said.

"Understood, sir."

Warren maintained his persona of not being at odds with Ross and asked, "How about your soldiers? Can they handle it?"

"As long as your serum works properly, my men are the best."

"Oh? What's their specialization? Pilots?"

Ross smirked and said, "Pararescue."

"We're not ordinary paratroopers, right, Riley?" Sam quickly changed into his uniform and returned, laughing loudly. He followed the instructions of the lab researchers and entered the enhancement chamber.

"Exactly," the other soldier confidently agreed.

"It seems like I'm the only ordinary person here," Coulson remarked. Compared to Sam and Riley's sharp presence, Coulson appeared to be a good-natured person without any sharp edges.

"To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. Just the thought of turning into Captain America gets me excited," Coulson said. As a lifelong fan of Captain America, using the same serum was a dream come true.

As soon as Fury confirmed the authenticity of the serum, he approached Coulson and asked if he was willing to participate. Coulson immediately accepted once he learned it was the original formula. It was a dream he had cherished since childhood!

"You won't turn into Captain America; you don't have his classic American backside, at most, you'll have his pectoral muscles," Warren delivered a merciless blow, causing everyone to burst into laughter. The laboratory was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

...

The three enhanced individuals who had just finished numerous tests were resting on the side.

"Strength, speed, reflexes, jumping ability, mentality... all the test subjects have confirmed the consistency between our Super Soldier Serum and Dr. Erskine's formula. Do any of you have anything else to say?" Warren inquired.

"Can we mass-produce it?" Nick Fury and Ross asked in unison.

"Can we mass-produce it?" Nick Fury and Ross asked simultaneously.

Warren remained expressionless. "It seems you no longer have any doubts. Sign here, then."

Both of them quickly signed, and then continued their inquiries, "When can we start mass production?"

"Is there anything missing? I can help," Fury added.

"No need. As I mentioned before the experiment, we won't produce the Super Soldier Serum on a large scale. It has its flaws. It amplifies both the good and the bad, making the good better and the bad worse. I won't allow it to be mass-produced until we resolve this side effect," Warren explained.

But Ross didn't care about that. "Bad people will always do bad things, and you can't stop everyone."

"But the side effects of the serum might make them do things they wouldn't normally dare to do. In other words, it increases the crime rate," Warren responded.

"But as long as we have enough super soldiers, we can handle those problems," Ross insisted.

"Wouldn't it be better to address the issue at its source?" Warren countered.

...

The intense debate between the two caught the attention of the three newly enhanced super soldiers, and they approached Nick Fury, who was casually strolling by, to find out what was happening.

Nick Fury gave them a brief explanation.

"So, according to Mr. Worthington's idea, no further experiments will be conducted until we completely resolve the serum's flaws?" Sam asked.

"That's right. So, for an indefinite period, you three will be the only batch of super soldiers. I can only say... stay true to your beliefs and don't let down those who trust you," Fury advised.

Deep down, Nick Fury agreed with Warren. If they were to use the serum, it should be a flawless version. However, he wished he had a few more experimental slots to fill. After all, there were so many good people out there.

Well, he would have to persuade Warren later, once this period was over. He could bring his outstanding agents from S.H.I.E.L.D., and by then, Warren might be willing to allocate a few more slots. There were plenty of good people, after all.

Yes, he would talk to Warren about it later. Currently, it was pointless to argue with him, just like Ross was doing. So Nick Fury slipped away.

"We will," Phil Coulson affirmed with a nod.

Sam and Riley also nodded resolutely. At that moment, they felt the weight of immense trust.