July 4, 1946

Brooklyn, New York, USA

In Prospect Park, right by the big lake near Parkside Avenue, there was now a new landmark. Accompanying the shiny blue sky above the park, and the lush greenery that flourished within, was a bronze statue of the late Steve Rogers, better known as "Captain America". This statue bore his likeness near-verbatim, with the exception of perhaps making his nose a tad large. Embodied in this statue, the figure of Cap had his right foot placed upon a rock, he bore on his face a determination to fight those that threatened democracy, and he raised his shield up into the air.

'I'm just a kid from Brooklyn' was enshrined right underneath the actual figure of the super soldier. Of course, everyone knew that Captain America was far more than just a kid from Brooklyn, but it stuck nevertheless. And underneath that was 'Hometown Pride'. Then there was a triangular shield with three stars and multiple coloured stripes, sandwiched in-between the phrase 'Est. 1942'.

Below that was 'Celebrating He Who Gave His Life For Our Freedom'

'Captain America'.

Alan Scott clapped, alongside everyone else present at the unveiling of the statue. By his side were his two closest comrades: Jay Garrick, the Flash, and Namor, King of Atlantis. They were directly in front of the statue. Alan donned the green armor he had worn as Green Lantern ever since he found this ring and lantern from the trainwreck that day, the ring that saved him when his fellow engineers perished. Jay and Namor were also wearing what the public called their "superhero outfits".

And they were not alone. The entire Liberty Brigade was present. Dinah Drake aka Black Canary, Ted Knight aka Starman, Ted Grant aka Wildcat, and Kent Nelson aka Doctor Fate stood to the left of Alan, Jay, and Namor. To their right were Namora, Robert Frank aka Whizzer, Madeline Joyce aka Miss America, and the android known as the Human Torch, who called himself Jim Hammond. Each of them wore their superhero outfits as well.

President Harry S. Truman had personally arrived in New York City to attend this ceremony. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, with a green-and-black striped tie on his shirt. While it was his predecessor Franklin D. Roosevelt who authorized Captain America and the Liberty Brigade's deployment to Europe to battle the forces of Hydra, that didn't stop Truman from bearing a large grin of pride across his face. Next to him was Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chief of the Staff of the Army and former Allied general. He was donned in his Class A military uniform, and he also wore a smile, albeit a closed smile in contrast to Truman's grin.

Finally, there was Peggy Carter. She stood next to Jay Garrick, and a smile was creeping onto her face. She wore an elegant black-with-white-lines dress, and long black gloves were coated onto her hands. While the members of the Liberty Brigade had returned to fighting crime on the streets of America after the fall of Hydra and the surrender of the Axis Powers, Peggy went in a different direction. She had helped to found a new organization, the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate – or S.H.I.E.L.D. for short. Certainly a tremendous achievement for a woman, considering the war was over and men were returning to the workforce.

And all twelve of them were in front of a large crowd of people. Soldiers, politicians, civilians, they had all come together to celebrate the legacy of a soldier whose life had been cut far too short. If he couldn't be here, standing with the rest of the Brigadiers, then this was the least they could do. Alan thought back to that explosion, the one that had claimed Captain America's life. Every time he remembered that moment, all of his organs still sank like a rock that weighed one ton exact. The entire Brigade was so close to surviving the entire war together. All twelve of them would've gone to Washington, D.C. to be celebrated as heroes, and they would empty every nearby bar's supply of alcohol. They did indeed do that, but it felt bittersweet without Steve there to celebrate with them.

After the clapping stopped, Peggy Carter went up to the podium. For just a single moment, her face morphed into a frown. For just as Cap should have returned home to America alongside the rest of the Brigade, he also should have been by Carter's side to this day. It simply wasn't fair that she had to continue on without him. But then, how often was life actually fair?

"When Steve Rogers was a frail young man, the Army laughed at him," Carter began, as President Truman, General Eisenhower, Alan, and the other superheroes all stood behind him. "They thought he was a loser. That he never would've made it a day on the field of battle. That he should just go home and live his life as a pathetic little worm. Even now, I can see them sneer and hear them snicker. But Abraham Erskine had brought him in because he saw the good in Steve's heart. And I did, too. Even as everyone wrote him off, I had complete faith in Rogers. I believed, with all of my heart, that Erskine had chosen the best possible person for his super soldier serum."

Carter stopped for a moment. She composed herself, twiddling her fingers as she did so. She let out a small sigh, before continuing on.

"The Super Soldier Serum may have given Steve Rogers the pinnacle of human strength, speed, and agility. But it did not make him Captain America."

Carter leaned forward into the podium. "No, what made him Captain America was his heart, his courage, and his determination. He had that from the very beginning. The serum simply gave him the means by which to put his bravery into action, to allow him to be the leader that he had always been. Not a day goes by when I do not miss Rogers, but I am content knowing that he left behind a legacy that will inspire people for centuries to come!"

The audience clapped and cheered loudly as Penny finished her eulogy. Carter walked away from the podium, and Alan looked at her with a grin and a nod. Thank God he didn't have to follow her, Alan thought to himself.

No, the person who followed Director Carter was President Truman. President Truman praised his predecessor's role in assembling the Liberty Brigade to combat the forces of Hydra, and how Captain America, time and time again, led the Brigade to victory against a dark regime set on bringing the entire world to ruin. Alan almost wanted to step in, look Truman in the eye, and tell him to give the rest of the Brigade at least a little more credit. But no. This day was for Cap.

General Eisenhower was next. He spoke about how, while he didn't directly meet the Brigade often, that whenever they did, he saw a fiery passion in Captain America's eyes that he had seldom seen in any other man. Alan, Jay, and Namor all spoke next, talking about how Cap brought about the best in everyone and how he wasn't truly dead, as his legacy would live on for generations.

A few hours passed by. By this point, most people had left the ceremony and gone home. Carter and the Liberty Brigade, still looking at the statue. Alan and Jay, in particular, stood alongside one another, staring up at the towering image of Cap raising his shield.

"Did you ever find it funny," Jay began, chuckling. "That Steve's birthday was literally on the Fourth of July, the damn national holiday of America, and he went on to become Captain America?"

"I think we discussed this once, during the war," Alan replied. It did sound familiar, but so much happened during the fight againt Hydra, with battle following battle, that it was impossible to remember every single detail. "But yeah, funny how life works sometimes, isn't it?"

"That's true, Alan. You know, I hear Prime Minister Churchill was interested in coming, but he already visited America a few months ago and decided *insert snarky remark here*"

Their conversation was cut short when they heard Wildcat and Miss America berating Namor as the latter rolled his eyes, threw his arms into the air, and walked away from the other two. Perhaps he had commented on Miss America's makeup or how Wildcat should just give up his boxing career because of how he's been a little out-of-sorts as of late. When he returned to his kingdom of Atlantis after the war, Jay and Alan were the only ones to see him off. While they were not allowed to visit the undersea city, Namor would sometimes come to the surface world. And again, Jay and Alan would be the only ones to greet him when he did come back up. Though Cap might've joined them if he were still around.

"Christ's sake, Namor, what did you say this time?" Alan asked as Namor walked up to the two.

"Nothing that concerns you, Scott," Namor replied back, sneering as he did so.

"It's like you're physically incapable of going ten minutes without making someone mad."

"What can I say, Scott? Some people just can't accept hard truths."

Jay stepped in, going in-between the two. "Guys, relax. Come on. Today's about honoring a fallen friend, after all."

As the fight against Hydra raged on, Jay and Cap would sometimes step in as Alan and Namor would just stand around pointing and bickering. With Cap gone, poor Jay was outnumbered. Nevertheless, Alan bit his lip, for Jay was right. Alan gave Namor a nod, and he returned the favor. That was what they always did to end their arguments.

Alan tried to think of where they had left on. Ah, he thought to himself, his head perking up. The matter of Winston Churchill, and how he declined to come to the ceremony because he already visited America a few months ago. …That got Alan to thinking about what actually happened when Churchill came to the States. And how it related to why Joseph Stalin had not attended today's event.

He had heard about the day afterwards. How Westminister College, a small college in the small town of Fulton, Missouri, received a visit not only from the President of the United States, but also the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. How Churchill bellowed out a speech about the "Iron Curtain". On the eastern half of Europe, Joseph Stalin was forcing the surrounding countries into the grip of the Soviet Union. The eastern half of Germany was seized by him as well, while the Western powers secured their territories in Germany. The British and French Empires had not recovered from the Second World War. And now, the United States and the Soviet Union had taken their places as the superpowers of the world. And relations…were not ideal.

Jay sighed. "I hate to bring politics into this," he began, rubbing his neck. "I promise, I really do. But I just can't help but wonder. Wonder how Steve would feel about the rise of the Russians. And how our countries are quickly becoming enemies."

"It was sadly inevitable," Alan stated, fixing a loose hair that had escaped from his neatly combed head. "The United States and the Soviet Union are too ideologically different to have been truly friends. We didn't fight alongside one another in the war because we were allies, but because we had a common enemy in the Third Reich. With Hitler dead and Germany divided, there's nothing bringing us together now."

Namor crossed his arms, chuckling. "I truly must give credit to the Soviets. They lost over 20 million people in the war, experienced massive destruction, yet they're already emerging as one of the two superpowers. Stalin may be a despot, but his accomplishments are impressive. Atlantis would eclipse both countries, of course, but I'd prefer that we didn't get involved."

Jay took his helmet off and pointed towards his two comrades. "I'll tell you something, though: these 'atomic bombs' will do nothing to help matters. They're a destructive force that man was never meant to have. The Soviets were already planning to invade Japan; with their aid, we would've seen a quick resolution to the war, without the need of such a horrifying weapon."

Alan thought back to when he first learned of the atomic bomb. By that point, the Brigade had been sent home; Imperial Japan had no equivalent to Hydra, so there was no need for the 'mystery men' to engage with them. In his mind, Alan flashed to several stories he had heard about Japan. About Nanking and events like it, about Unit 731, about their brutality and their complete unwillingness to give up. They were every bit as horrendous and despicable as the Nazis, even if they didn't have an equivalent to…the camps…

Every bone in Alan's body trembled. Oh dear God, the camps, he thought. Every picture he saw of them shook him to his core. The knowledge of what had been done to those poor people in the camps whilst he and the Liberty Brigade fought Hydra sent a chill down Alan's soul. If only the Brigade had discovered them whilst fighting Hydra. All the lives they could've saved from the iron boot of the Reich…

No. There was no point dwelling on what had already happened. Alan snapped out of it and got back on point. "I understand your concern about the atomic bomb, Jay. But it was necessary. I hate to say that, but it was for the greater good. So many had already died in the war. America and Russia invading Japan would've only cost us more lives, in the long run."

Jay pursed his lip, his arms crossed. "I guess I understand your point, too. Even if I don't agree with it."

"Alright, we should hit up a bar," Namor interjected, raising his finger up. "That's the only thing the surface world has over Atlantis, is martinis. I want to get some before I head home. The two of you can discuss your politics there."

"That sounds great, even if I can't get drunk," Jay replied with a smile. "And you know, I have a proposal: The three of us meet here, on July 4, to honor our friend and to catch up."

Alan and Namor both nodded. That truly sounded like a great idea. Who knows when they would be able to see each other. As they walked off to the nearest bar, Alan looked up the sky. It was still a pleasant blue sky, with the sun shining proudly. Already, the debate over politics had all but vanished from Alan's mind.

July 4, 1957

It was only a few years after the conclusion of World War II that the Soviet Union developed nuclear power. China had fallen under the grip of communism. Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Latveria, Sokovia, and Markovia had all seen revolutions that attempted to break free of the Iron Curtain. Each one ended in miserable failure, with Stalin's shadow still looming strong years after his death. And Korea was ravaged by war for three years, until a ceasefire was issued in 1953 and the nation was split into two, like Germany.

All of these facts rang through Namor's mind as he arrived at the statue of Captain America. Jay and Alan were already there, dressed in suits rather than spandex. Namor stood by them, and all three of them looked up at the statue.

They, and the rest of the Brigade, were forbidden from interfering in those events. With Hydra no longer around, any intervention from the Brigade could trigger World War III. In Namor and Namora's case, Atlantis simply wanted to stay out of it. Interfering in the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union was not worth the risk to the kingdom.

"So, Alan, how did the merger go?" Jay asked Alan, taking just a moment to distract from politics.

Alan smiled. "Under my leadership, WXYZ radio now owns 20% of all broadcasting across America. So, in short, the merger went well."

Then the smile disappeared from Alan's face almost immediately afterward. He tilted his head back and looked up at the towering statue of Captain America. Then he brought his head down and sighed.

"Things have mostly been steady across the Iron Curtain. And I don't like it in the slightest, gents. The people are completely downtrodden, never getting to enjoy the basic freedoms that we take for granted. And here, people are afraid, but it's almost as if they're becoming too accustomed to that fear."

For his part, Namor had kept Atlantis out of the 'Cold War'. The tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were between them. The rest of the world had no need to be caught in it the way that it was, and Namor would burn in the deepest fires of hell before he allowed his kingdom to side with NATO or the Warsaw Pact, bringing the tension down to the sea.

Alan continued, "That's why Korea shouldn't have ended in a ceasefire. Now the northern half is being stomped upon by the reds on a daily basis. Suffering horrors they never asked for. If we were allowed to intervene, we could've helped to end the war -"

"Wait, wait. Just wait a moment, big guy," Jay interjected, placing his hand on his former comrade's shoulder. "The Korean War ending in a ceasefire is not ideal. But to have continued the war would have resulted in Chinese intervention. The Chinese army outnumbers our own soldiers. We couldn't risk an all-out war. The casualties would have been staggering."

Alan clenched his fists and firmly pursed his lips. Then he scowled. "Under normal circumstances, yes, but if the Liberty Brigade was allowed to intervene, we could've minimized our casualties and sent the commies to hell where they belong!"

Namor had a brief flashback to when the world heard about the ceasefire. Mainly all the beers Alan had at that tavern that night while Jay spent the whole time trying to talk him down.

"Meaningless, Alan," Namor said to break his silence. "Your discussion on Korea is meaningless. It would've been different if we were involved, yes, but we weren't. Don't waste your time dwelling on it."

Alan grumbled. Then there was silence among the three men. Alan and Jay stared up at the statue of their fallen ally, while Namor glanced at the scenery around them. Cloudy it may have been, but there was still a powerful tranquility soothing through the air. Families were walking around, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. A couple dozen feet away were a couple of kids throwing a football around, while two elderly ladies sat on a bench to feed some bread crumbs to their pigeons. The anger and impatience that defined New York was not present at the moment. All in spite of the constant threat of nuclear annihilation that hung over their heads.

Not that Atlanteans were that different. Namor recalled many a trip around his beloved city, where he was greeted by a satisfied and happy people. Some balked at his attitude, but that was the extent of the frustration he would see. But at least Atlantis wasn't in the center of the Cold War.

"I…I do apologize for rambling about politics, gentlemen," Alan stated. But Namor saw a hidden fire within the Green Lantern's eyes, one that wanted to continue on about the situation in Korea. But he digressed. "So, Jay, how has Keystone been treating you and the missus?"

"Well, it could certainly be worse," Jay stated. "Some beatniks moved in across the street from us. Joan was very angry when they moved in, not helped by their constant bashes. But I've seen much, much worse people out there in the world."

Alan scoffed. "Beatniks. Best of luck with them," he stated, before turning his head to the left to face Namor. "And how about you, your highness?"

Namor crossed his arms. "Well, bare in mind that I often have to deal with real problems besides 'beatniks', being a King and all. My people are well-off, and that's what matters. Any leader who can't manage that is a pathetic excuse."

"I suppose not," Jay replied, before stepping closer to the two. He slapped his hands onto both of their shoulders. In the back of his mind, Namor sneered at the unprompted contact, but he just rolled his eyes at it and left it at that.

"You mean the part where Alan gets drunk while you and I watch him and have to take him home at the end?" said the Sub-Mariner, while Alan waved his hand up and scoffed. "Sure. Just don't let Alan have tequila again and we should be settled."

"One time, Namor. One time."

The sky was consumed by clouds, with the Sun not in sight, yet the statue of Captain America shone brightly across the park. Namor still saw the held-back fire contorted onto Alan and Jay's faces; the need to fight over what happened in Korea. There were things in this world to fear, and plenty of stuff to argue over, but people needed to carry on with life and not be consumed by the darkness. The statue gave a glistening reminder of that as the three Brigadiers walked off.

July 4, 1968

The rain was harsh and coarse. It splattered down on the streets of Brooklyn, with thunder roaring in the background. The streets were quiet today, with the Sun nowhere to be found. Some Independence Day.

Water was trickling down across Jay's face as he walked up the statue of Captain America. But that was not what made his mind ache with fury. Rather, it was the faces of Alan and Namor. Every time they met up, Alan and Jay would disagree on politics, while Namor would stand there and not care. But this year. With Vietnam, the race riots that raged on in response to Martin Luther King's death, and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy…

They barely got there before the argument started. Before Jay felt his veins tightening, almost as if they were about to burst from out of his neck. Before he began tapping his hand with his finger about everything that had happened. This year had exposed ugly demons within America.

"What's happening in Vietnam is wrong, goddamnit!" Jay shouted, spit spewing out of his lips with every word. "I tried to support it. Knowing what a horrible thing communism is, I told myself every night that this war was for the best. But it's not! It's! Simply! Not!"

Alan's eyes became downcast. Darkened. "You actually have the gall to side with those extremists? We cannot allow the spread of communism, nor can America allow the Soviets to expand its influence!"

"If this war has shown us anything, it's that you can try to stop the spread of evil and still cross an unacceptable line."

Namor sneered, cracking his knuckles while doing so. "Listen to yourselves. Rambling on about politics in this manner. Simply pathetic."

Jay about jumped at the sound of that. To hear a King, a political leader in of himself, say those words…

"What has become of you, Namor? Have you no sense of honor anymore?"

"He never had any honor," Alan replied, pointing his finger directly into Namor's face. "We just didn't want to admit it until now."

The argument continued and continued. Fingers pointing, spit spewing, faces contorted with frustration. All the while, the statue of Captain America sat opposite them, almost forlorn at the sight of the soldier's former teammates.

"Robert Kennedy would've been one of the best Presidents this country had ever known!" Jay barked towards the two, clenching his teeth.

Alan sighed. "His death was a tragedy. May he rest in peace. But let's not pretend that the top dogs in the Democrats wouldn't have gone with Hubert Humphry over RFK, Jay. Humphrey knows that Vietnam must be saved from the commies!"

"You're both absolutely ridiculous, arguing over such matters," Namor added on, shaking his head. "Makes me wonder why you two are worth spending time with."

In the back of Jay's mind, he wondered about other things. They could've been discussing how much SHIELD had grown since Peggy had first founded the group. But they weren't. They could've discussed how little they had aged, despite nearly a quarter of a century having passed since the end of World War II. But they weren't. They could've discussed what bad luck it was that the Fourth of July was rained out.

But they weren't.

Politics. It was all politics. Nothing but politics. And repeating the same points, over and over, with different wording. Some variation of "The war in Vietnam is wrong and must stop!" kept forcing itself out of Jay's mouth. Alan would reply with, "It's necessary for the greater good!" in one form or another, while Namor would balk at them, saying something like "It is a complete waste of time to discuss this!"

That is, until Jay looked in the corner of his eye and notived the statue of Captain America.

He clenched his fist while keeping his finger pointed at the two. "How do you suppose Captain America would feel about the both of you?! He stood up for what he believed was right more than any of us ever did! I know for a fact that would be ashamed! And you should both be ashamed! You two came here to honor him, yet he would call your bullshit just as I have! Why don't you both take a moment and chew on that!"

Immediately, Jay did regret invoking the name of his friend like that. To have just used him as a means by which to prove a point, and make Alan and Namor feel bad. But there was no turning back now. The only sound in the air was the dropping of rain. Jay just stared at Alan and Namor. The rain pouring down,, dampening his clothes and wetting his face more and more by the second, that meant nothing. All that was in his mind was those two. Who he thought he could remain friends with for the rest of his days. Especially seeing as how something had happened to slow their aging. But no. Alan was standing up for beliefs that could not be defended or accepted, while Namor cared more about stepping aside and allowing the world to burn.

While staring at Jay, Alan's snarl had morphed into a dark frown. He finally broke the silence with, "That was unbelievable, Jay. Even with our political differences, I never thought that you would sink to that low. To use the memory of our dead friend in order to win an argument is pathetic."

Jay only sighed.

Namor scowled at the two, his head jolting up as he did so. "The surface world has become too neck-deep in this kind of nonsense for my liking. I don't know how I've managed to put up with it for as long as I did. I wish I could take I all back."

There were a few more seconds where the three just looked at each other. Then Namor walked off, stepping into some puddles as he did so. It wasn't long before Alan did the same, his hands still clenched as he did so.

And then, with the roaring thunder in the background, Jay walked off as well.