Chapter 146: The Thief
At the U.S. Armed Forces recruitment office, a classic Uncle Sam poster was prominently displayed—a stern middle-aged man pointing straight ahead with his index finger. Below it read in bold letters: "I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY!"
The cheerful sound of bugles filled the air as Jake entered.
As an Asian, you couldn't expect sufficient respect in 1940s America. If it weren't for his imposing physique and expensive clothing, someone might have already told him to get lost—or worse.
Entering the recruitment area, Jake strolled around casually. His fine tailored suit and confident demeanor drew attention, though not all of it friendly. A burly soldier wearing a white MP helmet fixed his gaze on Jake, watching his every move with obvious suspicion.
Finally, just as Jake was wondering if Dr. Abraham Erskine was even present, the old scientist appeared.
Jake quickly stepped forward, extending his right hand in greeting. "Hello, Dr. Abraham Erskine."
Dr. Erskine had just emerged from the back offices, wanting to observe the potential recruits and see if any of them possessed the qualities he was looking for in a test subject.
A polite, well-dressed Asian man approached him with an outstretched hand.
As a doctor—and especially as the man who would later create Captain America—Erskine possessed virtues no less noble than the Captain's own. He wouldn't refuse a simple handshake based on prejudice.
"Hello," Dr. Erskine said, grasping Jake's hand firmly. "You are...?"
Before he could finish his question, Jake's other hand briefly touched Erskine's shoulder. At the same time, a soft snap of fingers rang in the doctor's ear.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" The MP who had been watching Jake finally had an excuse to intervene, his baton already rising.
Just then, Dr. Erskine shook his head and waved to stop him. "That won't be necessary."
"Doctor, are you alright?"
"Of course," Dr. Erskine adjusted his glasses with a slightly dazed expression. "This gentleman and I have something important to discuss. Could you please find us a private room?"
The soldier was completely bewildered. This man and Dr. Erskine were complete strangers—he'd been watching the whole time—yet now the doctor was suddenly requesting a private conversation?
Still, he was just an ordinary MP and had no authority to question the doctor's decisions. He nodded, saluted, and began leading the way.
They stopped at a small medical examination area, a cramped space separated by a curtain. Pulling back the curtain would reveal the recruits undergoing physical examinations in the adjacent area.
After showing them to the space, the soldier left—but not before giving Jake a menacing glare as a final warning, as if to say, "Try anything funny and you'll regret it."
Jake ignored him completely.
Pulling the curtain closed, Jake and Dr. Erskine faced each other in the small space.
Jake snapped his fingers again—a crisp, sharp sound—and Dr. Erskine, who had been wide awake moments before, suddenly slumped onto the examination bed, fast asleep!
His steady, rhythmic breathing indicated he was sleeping deeply and peacefully.
After confirming the surroundings were secure and no one was watching, Jake moved a chair closer, sat down beside the bed, and the very next second, he too appeared to fall asleep...
At the recruitment office, the old wall clock's pendulum swung relentlessly, ticking away as time passed second by second.
Outside the curtained area, the MP in the white helmet stood guard. From his occasional glances toward the examination space, it was clear he wasn't entirely comfortable with what was happening inside.
Meanwhile, the person constantly on his mind was doing something extraordinary.
In front of a bank building radiating 1940s elegance...
Vintage automobiles slowly drove past, and every so often, well-dressed gentlemen with canes and fedoras would step out and enter the imposing structure.
This was currently the largest bank in New York City.
Dr. Abraham Erskine, dressed in a black suit, walked purposefully toward the bank entrance. He couldn't quite remember why he was going there, nor whether he even had anything deposited in the vault, but somehow none of that seemed to matter.
If he'd been conscious of his true state, he would have realized that in dreams, everything feels perfectly logical, even without rational explanation.
Carrying a black leather satchel, Dr. Erskine entered the bank, retrieved his keys, and headed directly toward the safe deposit box area.
Just then, Howard Stark appeared.
"Hey there, Doctor," Howard greeted him, his signature mustache and charming smile radiating charisma.
Several attractive female bank employees were already casting flirtatious glances his way.
"Oh, Mr. Stark," Dr. Erskine stopped in his tracks, surprised. "Hello. I didn't expect to run into you here."
The two men didn't usually interact much outside of their work on Project Rebirth. The meticulous, serious-minded Dr. Erskine and the flamboyant playboy Howard Stark were naturally incompatible personalities.
Just like Captain America and Iron Man would be, decades later.
"Ha!" Howard laughed easily as he approached Dr. Erskine, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. "I own shares in this bank, actually. I was having dinner with a lovely young lady nearby, so I thought I'd stop in."
Showing off seemed to be a Stark family tradition—they had to flaunt their wealth and success, and do it shamelessly.
Howard waved casually, and a beautiful girl hurried over from across the lobby, obediently taking his arm with practiced ease.
Howard, completely unconcerned with propriety, proceeded to share a long, passionate kiss with the beauty right there in public.
The kiss lasted a full thirty seconds. Dr. Erskine's eye twitched in discomfort. He felt more strongly than ever that he and Howard were fundamentally incompatible. If it weren't for the Super Soldier Serum project bringing them together, he would have avoided any interaction with Howard for the rest of his life, no matter how brilliant the man was.
"I need to retrieve something," Dr. Erskine said tersely, turning away and walking briskly toward his safe deposit box.
"Take care, Doctor! I'll treat you to a party sometime soon—those beautiful ladies absolutely adore a man of knowledge like yourself!" Howard's voice called out from behind, somehow making Dr. Erskine walk even faster.
This was followed by Howard's wickedly amused laughter.
Dr. Erskine reached his assigned safe deposit box, pulled out his key, and unlocked it—only to find the box completely empty.
He paused, confused, then glanced down at the satchel in his hand. Had he come to deposit something, or retrieve something?
Following some dream-logic impulse, he placed the satchel inside the safe deposit box, locked it securely, and breathed a sigh of relief before quickly walking past Howard and out of the bank.
The instant Dr. Erskine stepped through the bank's front doors, a figure swiftly materialized before his safe deposit box.
It was Howard Stark!
Grinning confidently, he pulled out a pistol and forcefully shot the lock open!
BANG!
He quickly grabbed the satchel and opened it. As expected, it contained detailed information about the Super Soldier Serum—formulas, equations, research notes, and experimental data.
He rapidly scanned the documents, his eyes moving at superhuman speed, memorizing everything.
Suddenly, a squad of armed security guards filed into the vault area, surrounding Howard as he continued reading through the classified information.
Faster! He flipped through the pages even more rapidly!
Half a page left!
BANG!
The security personnel had no intention of capturing him alive—they opened fire immediately.
A bloody hole appeared in Howard's thigh.
Unfazed, he continued reading, his eyes never leaving the page.
Another shot!
This one hit his left arm!
"Hff—" Howard suddenly closed the documents, letting out a long, shuddering breath mixed with a pained groan.
BANG BANG BANG—!!!
Bullets rained down on him from all directions!
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