| Every Journey Begins with a Goodbye... | |||
| 11:15pm 12/05/2012 | |||
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To say that the last few days have been strange would be an understatement. But then, for me, the entire world is strange. Let’s start from the beginning… I grew up in Brooklyn…in the early 20th century. The world was at war, and I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to do my part in standing up against the Germans and the Japanese that was threatening our world. I don’t like bullies very much. Don’t care much where they come from…that comes into play later. The problem is that I was small. Asthmatic. The Army wouldn’t have me, no matter how many times I tried to join. That is until I met a scientist who changed my life forever. Dr. Abraham Erskine. He gave me a chance to do something more and be something more. To be more than just a soldier and to be more than just a man. Before the procedure, I promised him I’d continue to be the man he chose for this. That I would stay who I am. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man. When he died, I kept that promise. I made a huge sacrifice to save New York. The leader of Hydra, Red Skull, was going to destroy it, and most of the world. After defeating him, I couldn’t stop his plane. So, I crashed it into the ocean…breaking a promise to Peggy. We were supposed to have a date. A dance. I woke up from the ice a few months ago. Finding my place in this new world has been harder. One day, I’m the 1940s and the next its 2012. That’s a big change for anyone. S.H.I.E.L.D has tried to make things easier. Found a place for me to live, a gym to work out in. I’ve been doing a lot of reading too. Catching up on the last seventy years. Then, Agent Fury came to have a talk with me. More than getting me back into the world, he wanted my help to save it. He created a team for the job. A group of special people with a unique skill set to stop the bad guys that no one else could. There was me, Mr. Stark (IronMan), Dr. Banner (The Hulk), Thor (A demigod), Hawkeye, and Natasha (Black Widow). It was a huge battle. Think most of the city took a bit of a beating, but we won the day. Bad guys taken care of…for now. There’s always that uneasy feeling you have when you wonder who is pulling some of the strings in this puppet show. A question answered for another time I guess. For now, we have some time off. Think I’m going take a little road trip. See the world that’s changed so much over the years. But before I do, I have to do something first. STARK TOWER… As the elevator doors pinged open, JARVIS announced my entrance. “Mister Rogers here to see you, sir.” “Steve. Welcome,” Pepper Potts greeted warmly. “Tony’s this way.” She led me to his computer set up where he was working on the plans to the modifications on Stark Tower. “Stars and stripes. What do I owe this pleasure,” Tony said glancing up from his work. “A favor actually. As you know, I knew your father. I was hoping to look up an old acquaintance that we both knew. Assuming she’s still alive,” I finished quieter than I started. Stark turned. He’s a smart guy, he was able to piece together who I was talking about. “You haven’t seen her since you got back?” I shook my head. “No, after realizing where and when I was, getting over the shock of it…I didn’t know if she was still alive or what I could say even if I did manage to find her.” “Wouldn’t this be something our pirate friend Nick Fury could help you out with,” Tony asked. “They were a little evasive when I asked. Even after everything I did, that we did, I’m guessing they feel it’s in my best interest to not chase after this windmill. But it’s something I have to do, that I know I need to do.” Usually, he would make a snarky comment. “Well you know secret organizations and their secrets. Can’t have you knowing the truth now can they? How would they control you?” And he did. And then… “Far as I know, she’s still alive. She was around once in awhile when I was a kid. I think after you…disappeared on her, she took it hard. Stayed close with my father because they both lost a good friend.” He walked to his computer and started typing in some information. “I want to help you Cap. Though, I do have a very important question for you. Finding what you’re looking for is great, but are you prepared to deal with what you found once you have it?” “I’ve been gone a long time Stark. I didn’t expect her to give up on finding a life waiting for me to arrive from the cold.” “Good. Because she didn’t,” he replied. “She grieved for you. Spent years trying to find you. My father used as many resources as he could to find you. Eventually, they both faced facts and gave up. Moved on with their lives, keeping a small part of you with them.” Tony wrote an address on a sheet of paper and handed to me. “She got married. Had a couple kids. He was a good man. Treated her well. He died a few years ago. She’s currently stateside. Not too far from your old stomping ground.” I looked at the paper. He wasn’t lying. It was an address in Brooklyn. “Thank you Stark. I owe you for this.” “Captain, after everything that happened, we’re even.” Pepper who was pretending she wasn’t watching and eavesdropping on us walked me back to the elevator. “I hope everything works out for you Mr. Rogers.” “Thank you Miss Potts,” I replied with a warm smile before heading downstairs to the lobby. “Have a good day sir,” the doorman who resembled a certain comic book creator tipped his hat and smiled. My bike was already packed for my road trip/walkabout. This was one thing I really needed to do. An hour later I was parked outside her door, looking at her house. It was light blue, with a picket fence. A flag flapping in the wind. Even fighting invading aliens from another world, I wasn’t as afraid as I was right now. After taking a few breaths, I walked to her door and knocked. A few moments later, the door slowly opened. “Yes,” said the old woman who answered the door. It was Peggy Carter. She was so much older and frailer than I thought. But she still looked beautiful to me. It’s in her eyes. “Peggy?” “Yes,” she said looking back at me. She looked closer this time. “Oh my…Steve?” “Yeah,” I replied. “It’s me.” I think in that moment, words escaped us both. We stood there for a few minutes just staring at each other, taking in the moment, remembering what was. Of course I know it was easier for me. It didn’t feel like it was that long for me since the last time I saw Peggy. For her, it was 70 years. “You’re late,” she finally said with a small smile forming. “Got here as quickly as I could. Got a little held up,” I replied. She nodded. “I know. Come on in.” I walked in and saw photos of her life on the walls, her family…husband, kids, grand-kids. They looked happy. And I’m certain they were if Peggy was around. She has an amazing heart. She sat me down in the living room while she prepared tea for us. I noticed a scrapbook on the table. Flipping through it, it was me. Articles of the things I did back during the Second World War, and my recent battle in New York. “I saw the news reports. We heard the explosions from here. Saw those things coming from the sky. And when I saw you, I couldn’t believe it. I had thought you were gone forever. They never told me you were back. I read the reports of you standing up, fighting those things, helping all those people out. That’s when I knew, I knew it was you. And that you were really back. I’m so proud of you. “I should have been here. I wanted to be here for you. Things weren’t supposed to happen like this.” She took my hand. “Life rarely works out the way we want. But everything happens for a reason. You being chosen for that experiment. Being found when you did. This was your destiny Steve. To be the hero the world needed then, and the one they need now. You’re Captain America.” Her words gave me some comfort. In this new time, I still feel out of place. Out of time. It’s one of the reasons I decided to take Fury’s advice and see the world. “But this Captain broke a promise,” I said standing up. “I believe I owe you a dance.” I held my hand out to her and she took it, getting up slowly. “I’m not as quick as I used to be.” “It’s okay. I still don’t know how to dance.” “Guess I still have to teach you, don’t I?” I cleared a space in the living room and turned to her. “Where’s your radio?” She pointed to the far wall. Times may have changed, but she was just as old school when it came to music. She still had what today would be considered an old time record player. There was an old jazz record already on it. I started it up and played it. Then, after 70 years of waiting, we had our dance. Wish it could have been sooner. After we had our dance, and talked for hours about her life and my time out of the cold, we said our goodbyes. Something we didn’t get a chance to do last time. “Take care Steve,” she said as she hugged me goodbye for the last time. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” “Thank you. For everything. It’s because of you I’m the hero that I am.” “No, you always were the hero that you are. That’s why you’ve always been so special.” Goodbye’s are always difficult. But at least this time we got to say it face to face. I kissed her forehead and headed out on my journey. It would be a long, strange, journey. But it’s one that I need. |
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| 10:34pm 28/07/2011 | ||||
I took part of an experiment. The man who chose me because of who I was, was killed. I want to be a soldier, I become their stage monkey. I save my best friend, I let him die later. I save New York, I wake up 70 years later. Who knows what the next chapter of my destiny will hold. But this guy in an eye patch says I can be part of a team to save the world. |
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