Peaceful times always seem to pass swiftly. The new era is like a galloping steed, leaping across the gaps of time.
In an old house in Brooklyn, Steve, wearing a pointed hat folded from newspaper, diligently painted the aged walls with a long‑handled roller brush. His friend Bucky, who was slowly regaining his memories, busied himself with cleaning.
It was hard to imagine that one was a WWII veteran from the last century, the other a former HYDRA assassin. Now, they looked like ordinary men, wearing aprons and paper hats, engaged in mundane household chores.
Steve Rogers, once a war hero and the righteous leader of superheroes, had long vanished from the public eye. His image lived only in museums and educational films.
Captain America was content with his current life. Having laid down the shield and the star‑spangled uniform, he seemed to have shed his past responsibilities along with them, finally finding peace of mind...
Back in the bar, Steve and Sean had spoken at length. Afterward, Steve signed the Superhuman/Superhero Registration Act, stepping away from tangled political disputes to live a life of retirement.
Having cast aside his shield and flag, he now felt truly unburdened. The confusion and hesitation of the past had dissipated.
This WWII veteran had fought on smoke‑filled battlefields, braved storms of bullets, and before victory arrived, had fallen into a glacier with an unfulfilled promise. Awakening from a seventy‑year slumber was like waking from a nap, only to draw back the curtains and find a world utterly changed.
The devastating war had ended. His comrades and partners were now either old and frail or resting beneath the earth. The emptiness left in Steve's heart was vast and unfillable.
In peacetime, Captain America could not find purpose. The country used him as a propaganda icon. People saw him as a legend stepping out of history. Everyone called him Captain America, but few cared about the small man named Steve Rogers beneath the uniform.
Lost and confused, he was approached by Nick Fury. Persuaded to join S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve soon discovered it was not an organization of justice and peace. Its Director was too cold... in a crisis, solutions mattered more than casualties or safety, something Steve could never accept.
He became like a ghost in the 21st century, his memories lingering in the shadows of WWII, unable to adapt to the new world.
Later, in a bar conversation, Sean argued that superheroes themselves kept the world in turmoil. A group of powerful humans in costumes, fighting crime while disregarding laws... The heroes were also criminals in that sense.
With great power comes great responsibility, but not everyone can bear that burden or restrain their abilities. Better than relying on superheroes to save the world was to change the world itself.
Steve had to admit, Sean was succeeding. Even without superheroes, the world had not fallen into chaos. A new order was forming.
S.H.I.E.L.D., without Nick Fury, had become purer, dedicated to order and homeland security. Mutants, once persecuted, were now recognized as 'New Humans', shedding the old label.
Without Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers, the world remained peaceful. People gradually forgot superheroes... they became legends and characters in comic books.
"Steve, what's for dinner? We're low on groceries. We need to go to the supermarket," Bucky spoke, still cleaning.
In the process of recovering his memories, the former Winter Soldier had shaken off the darkness of his past with Steve's help. He had faced trial, served his sentence on the Raft, and was released only after Umbrella removed the remnants of his brainwashing.
Though still monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D., it was a good start.
"Since we're fixing up the new place, we should celebrate. How about soup, mashed potatoes, grilled lamb chops, and fried shrimp?" Steve suggested, smiling as he finished painting.
"Sounds like a feast. I thought you'd just ask Peter to deliver pizza again," Bucky joked, turning on the TV.
<…The World Security Council has officially passed the 'Land Reclamation Project'.
In Antarctica, Africa, and Australia, Umbrella will provide technical support to build new techno‑cities, preparing for humanity's future beyond Earth… Earth will also establish diplomatic relations with extraterrestrial civilizations, promoting exchanges in science and culture…>
On the dusty screen, images scrolled by, occasionally flashing spaceships and rows of figures in black uniforms with flame insignias... these were the newly forming Exploration Corps, the first humans set to venture into outer space.
"It's unbelievable... I still remember the Stark Expo. Howard said we were witnessing the future. And now, we're living in it," Steve mused, his voice tinged with emotion.
"I remember too. That was when your life changed, Steve. You met Dr. Erskine and became Captain America," Bucky grinned, "Before that, you were the little guy stuffing newspapers in his shoes. And in the blink of an eye, you were leading us to victory."
The two friends shared a smile. Those memories had become precious, fading pictures in their minds, taken out only occasionally for quiet reflection.
"Alright, let's go to the supermarket. Even though Peter's pizza place is pretty good, we can't eat there every day." Steve said, putting on his jacket, and together with Bucky, they walked downstairs.
The setting sun sank below the horizon. The steel jungle, bathed in dusky afterglow, became a beautiful silhouette.
The soft sunlight stretched their shadows long and thin as they walked the streets of Brooklyn, as if they had returned to the last century.
Steve gazed into the distance. A brand new era was dawning, and both he and Bucky would be its witnesses...