Fortunately, the New York City Police Commissioner arrived in time to control the situation; otherwise, it would have turned into a full-blown military-police shootout. In times of crisis, the principle of military priority was followed, and since Alan was affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D., nothing came of the incident.
In fact, Colonel Phillips was impressed. He had been surprisingly delighted by the loud, chaotic standoff. Alan was a mentally ill person who also happened to be a weapons expert. There was nothing anyone could do about him.
"Steve, it's time for you to go to the battlefield," Colonel Phillips said, walking up to Steve. His tone was serious. "It has been decided that you will lead an assault team to provide support in the most dangerous areas of the European front."
"Colonel, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Steve responded solemnly.
"I'm worried about my son, so I want to go to the battlefield with him," Alan suddenly interrupted. During his days at S.H.I.E.L.D., his skills had almost maxed out, but his level was stuck at 50. He planned to go kill some monsters to level up.
"You are not allowed to…" Colonel Phillips turned to look, then immediately recoiled, his expression one of pure shock. "Oh my God, what kind of ugly monster is this."
"Nanaue is a demigod shark-man," Nanaue waved hello, flashing a toothy smile.
"You should stay in S.H.I.E.L.D. and do research," Colonel Phillips said, flatly rejecting Alan's ridiculous request. "The battlefield is not suitable for you."
However, who could stop Alan from doing what he wanted to do?
In Europe, at an Allied camp, Agent Carter had been waiting for a long time. Now a lieutenant, she was responsible for commando missions and training. A team of soldiers in camouflage uniforms stood tall, waiting for inspection. When Carter saw Steve, whom she hadn't seen for many days, was among them, her eyes couldn't help but sparkle.
"Is there anyone who is supposed to be here but hasn't arrived yet?"
"Hmmmm, I don't smell anyone missing."
Suddenly, everyone looked at the soldier at the end of the line. His helmet was askew, his combat uniform looked loose, and he was grinning as if no one was around.
"Alan?!" Carter and Steve's mouths twitched in unison. How did he get here? The others looked confused, having no idea who Alan was.
"Yes, it's me." Alan put a pistol finger under his chin and said coolly, "Surprised? Unexpected? Happy?"
"I will contact the army immediately to send you back to the country," Carter said, her voice tight with annoyance.
"Oh, ha ha ha, it seems you won't be getting rid of me that easily." Looking at Alan's nasty, raised eyebrows, Carter realized it was easier to summon a god than to send one away. On second thought, she shouldn't worry about Alan's safety. Even Steve, who was now close to fully integrating with the serum, might not be able to defeat him.
"There are rats! Nanaue is afraid of rats!" A large figure suddenly jumped out from the material supply area, which was covered by a waterproof tarp.
The appearance of the humanoid shark immediately frightened everyone so much that they drew their weapons, ready to shoot.
"Don't shoot! He's one of us!" Steve hurried to stop his colleagues.
Nanaue hid behind Alan and trembled. "Master, there are rats here. Nanaue is afraid of rats." The two-meter-tall creature had only its head hidden behind Alan.
"You are not an elephant. Why are you afraid of mice? You are bringing shame to the entire sea tribe." Alan said with disgust, but his hand was stroking Nanaue's nose in comfort.
"Steve, what kind of creature is this?" Carter asked in surprise.
"Um… he's Alan's pet. A descendant of an Old God that we caught on the beach." Steve didn't know how to explain it accurately, so he could only briefly describe his origins.
Of all the people, only Steve's uniform was different. To put it bluntly, the first Captain America suit was pretty ugly. The military top brass wanted to create a hero who was a spiritual symbol, to foster firm beliefs among the soldiers.
"Alan, please keep an eye on your pet," Carter reminded him.
"Nanaue is just a simpleton. What could he do wrong?" Alan's expression was charming. "And I am a mental patient, an alien who is not accepted by society. Nanaue, we have such a hard life."
"Master, don't cry. Nanaue will always be with you." Nanaue wanted to give Alan a hug but ended up hitting his protruding snout against Alan's face.
"Oh, shit, your nose is in my eye!"
"Nanaue didn't mean it."
The man and the shark were playing together, and Carter was developing a headache. If she took these two on a mission, their whereabouts would be exposed before they even got close to the target. Carter didn't believe Alan's sob story for a second. Would he even give society the choice of accepting him or not?
"What do you want?" Carter asked bluntly.
"I couldn't move you even with all my sentimentality." Alan looked as if he knew it. "You are such a cold-blooded woman."
"Nanaue, let's go together."
"Yay! Nanaue likes this!"
In the camp, wisps of smoke rose up, and a barbecue brought everyone closer together. After discovering that Nanaue was cute and harmless, the commandos no longer felt afraid or repulsed. On a winter night, snowflakes fell. Everyone gathered around the campfire, eating barbecue, listening to the radio, and enjoying the rare quiet time. They knew very well that one day they might not come back, so they cherished every day with their comrades.
"The first battle is in the early morning. We will cooperate with the 107th Infantry Regiment to attack Bethel City. What we need to do is destroy the six bunker fire points along the way." The commandos were a death squad that specialized in carrying out dangerous missions. Not only were they equipped with heavy firepower, but they also had helicopters at their disposal.
Carter pointed out the location of the firing points on the map, and everyone listened attentively. Only Alan was sleeping soundly on Nanaue's belly. A self-disciplined mental patient had to go to bed on time if he had nothing to do at night; otherwise, it would be harmful to his mental health.
"The 107th Regiment. That's Bucky's regiment." Steve immediately perked up when he heard the news about his good friend. He had been determined to join the army and serve his country but had been repeatedly frustrated and could only watch his friends enlist. Now that the two of them had the chance to meet again, he was naturally happy from the bottom of his heart.
Carter smiled. "If we successfully recapture Bethel City, we will stay there for a week to recuperate. You can catch up with him then."
"I hope we can both be there, alive." Steve's tone was slightly pessimistic. After all, war was ruthless, and no one knew whether the next person they met would be a living person or a corpse.
It was daybreak.
Alan and Nanaue were sleeping comfortably. The commandos quietly boarded the helicopter. As the pilot ignited the engine, the blades began to rotate. Carter had deliberately not taken them, fearing their lives might be in danger. An expert in the field of weapons was a very valuable resource. Moreover, the firearms equipped by the commandos were all based on the drawings Alan had contributed. As for Nanaue, he wasn't even considered. In Carter's eyes, he was just a pet.
"Nanaue, don't bother getting up. They have cruelly abandoned us," Alan said, waking up with a start as he saw the helicopter rising into the air. He nudged Nanaue, who was drooling in his sleep. "Scoot over. You're taking up all the good spots."
Since he couldn't catch up with them anyway, Alan decided he might as well get some more sleep. He adjusted his position, nestled into Nanaue's soft belly, and closed his eyes. It was as comfortable as any high-end rubber mattress.
***
(End of Chapter)
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