In a sealed room.
Steve Rogers was sitting in a chair.
The mood of this Captain America didn't look very good.
No matter who it is, waking up in a strange place and getting beaten up by a stranger right away, it's hard for anyone to be in a good mood.
Coulson stood in front of him and bowed seriously to apologize to his idol: "I'm very sorry, we had to use this method to calm you down…"
"…"
Steve Rogers slowly raised his head and twisted his wrists: "Who exactly are you people? Where is this place? I don't have time to keep…"
Vrrr…
Vrrrrrrrr…
"Hold on a second, I've got a call."
Coulson glanced at his phone, gestured briefly to Steve Rogers, then turned around and left the room on his own: "Sir, he's awake. He tried to force his way out, Special Agent Uehara has already subdued him…"
"…"
There were only two people left in the room again.
Uehara Naraku looked at this Captain America, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Steve Rogers shook his head, one hand braced on the table, his face full of resolve: "Hey, you over there, tell me where exactly this is…"
"No comment."
Uehara Naraku's voice was a bit cold; he simply clasped his hands calmly behind his back: "Until our superior arrives, everything is no comment."
Steve Rogers's expression drooped as well, his palm slowly curling into a fist: "Looks like we're going to have to get serious and fight again…"
"Can you really handle that?"
"I can do this all day!"
Steve Rogers's expression was still firm.
Whether it was his iron will or the abundant stamina granted by the Super Soldier Serum, both could easily support him through a long battle!
Even before Steve Rogers was injected with the Super Soldier Serum, he already had this stubborn, unwilling-to-lose resolve!
No matter how long the fight lasted…
He could keep going on willpower alone!
"Perfect…"
Uehara Naraku extended his hand again, slowly loosening up his fingers, a hint of sharpness flickering in his eyes.
"Because I can beat you… all day long!"
"…"
What the hell kind of human being says that!
Steve Rogers braced one hand on the table and kicked bravely toward Uehara Naraku, his movements preternaturally agile, the combat instincts in his body kicking in!
Uehara Naraku tilted his head slightly, dodging that kick!
The force behind that kick was so great that the wall shuddered on impact; cracks spread across the surface, and the tiles shattered apart!
After his first strike failed, Steve Rogers didn't stop; he seemed to transform into a boxer, swinging his fists at Uehara Naraku!
The two of them moved and shifted around the cramped room!
Until Uehara Naraku landed another kick to Steve Rogers's abdomen, knocking the man half a step back, then hooked his legs around Steve's neck and twisted his body!
Thud!
Steve Rogers was slammed down onto the floor again!
This sprawled-out posture looked incredibly pathetic…
Uehara Naraku pressed his knee against Steve's neck and spoke in a low voice, trying to persuade him: "Captain Steve Rogers, calm down. The times have changed…"
Creak…
The door suddenly opened.
Coulson, who had walked in with a broad smile on his face, saw this scene and the smile stiffened a little: "Special Agent Uehara, could you let Captain Rogers go? He can't breathe like that…"
One minute later.
Steve Rogers sat in the chair, face dark with irritation.
No matter who it is, waking up and getting beaten twice in a row, no one's mood would be good—especially when both losses came at the hands of the same person… twice.
"Sorry…"
A slightly awkward smile hung on Coulson's face: "Captain Rogers, our superior just informed me that we can tell you everything now…"
"…"
Steve Rogers's furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
Coulson had no intention of keeping anything from this Captain America. S.H.I.E.L.D. had dug him up in the first place because they wanted the hero who once annihilated Red Skull's Hydra to stand up again and become a new-era Superhero.
Especially at this delicate point in time…
Right when S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were locked in a full-on war.
"The Second World War is already something from the last century…"
"That era is already more than sixty years behind us. After the war ended, Lady Peggy Carter and Mr. Howard Stark helped found S.H.I.E.L.D.…"
"If you calculate it carefully, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the remnants of Hydra have been fighting for over sixty years; the aftermath of that war has never truly stopped…"
"Recently, Hydra has fully risen from the ashes, with signs of growing stronger and stronger, and we've had no choice but to find ways to deal with a new war…"
"So…"
"We finally had no choice but to wake you up…"
"Captain Rogers, this era needs new heroes, a Superhero who can protect the people. We need a new-era Captain America…"
"If you want to see Lady Peggy Carter again, we can help arrange it, but it'll have to be delayed for a bit. Lady Carter is almost ninety now, and we're very worried about her health; we hope she won't be subjected to too much shock…"
After he finished speaking.
Coulson took out a photo and placed it in front of Steve Rogers. In the photo was a woman who looked especially old, her face full of kindness and warmth.
Perhaps only her hairstyle and the gentleness in her eyes could let those who knew her recognize that she was once the distinguished heroine who shone brightly during World War II.
"…"
Steve Rogers sat in the chair in silence for a long time.
Only after a good while did he fix his gaze on the photo on the table, slowly stretch out his hand, and rub his face hard.
His former lover had long since grown old and frail, while his body remained as strong as in his youth; his appearance, preserved by decades of ice, hadn't changed at all—he still looked like a young man…
The contrast between the two of them was so stark.
Coulson's face also held a trace of regret, and he couldn't help but comfort his idol: "Captain Rogers, this wasn't your fault…"
"I missed a dance…"
Steve Rogers's voice was a little low.
Once, he and Peggy Carter had agreed to attend a victory dance after the war ended. Unfortunately, his plane and Red Skull's were buried together in the Arctic Ocean for nearly seventy years…
"It's also a good thing, in a way…"
Uehara Naraku glanced at Coulson beside him, then at the somewhat dejected Steve Roger, and casually offered a word of comfort.
"Captain Rogers, Lady Carter has lived very well all these years."
"I vaguely remember someone mentioning to me that not long after the end of the Second World War, Lady Carter met the love of her life…"