Chapter 10: There You Are

While driving on an unnamed road back in Uganda, Steve replays his encounter with M'Kathu while he fights to keep his eyes open.

"Don't act so shocked Kid," a wry voice in his head replies.

A vision of Howard Stark appears in the passenger seat with his leg propped up over the glove compartment.

"I hate it when you pull that holier than thou crap."

Steve does not respond.

"You mean to tell me in all your long years you never questioned how we obtained the vibranium for your shield?"

"Maybe I was naive, believing in the words of a friend," Steve replies.

"If I was such a friend why didn't you ask me for more of it when you traveled back in time," Howard replies without hesitation. Steve has no quick response.

Howard takes the moment to light a cigarette and unrolls the window.

"Do you mind if I smoke in here do you," after the fact.

Steve's jaw clenches.

"It's not rocket science Kid you just didn't trust me. You didn't know if I could keep your secret after one too many old fashions working shoulder to shoulder with Zola. And you valued your time with Peggy over all else. I get it."

Howard continues to smoke. Moments pass with the tension slowly mounting between them.

"What am I supposed to say, Kid, I'm sorry for helping you become a superhero and saving countless lives with a weapon of questionable origin? At the end of the day no one noticed and honestly no one cares, they are just happy that they are alive and that was thanks to you."

"Now the whole plan is shot to hell Howard. It was shot to hell before it ever left the tarmac, and the only thing I am thinking about is getting Peggy back on a plane so we can enjoy what is left of her time on this Earth, which this trip has significantly shortened."

Steve rides in silence, an empty hole grows in his heart as his friend's voice is gone from his head. The sadness in his heart swells and weighs him down. Nothing is resolved regarding the past, but his present plan has crystalized: this little self-indulgent trip is over. Get Peggy on the next flight home.

Without this conversation, he might never have had such a clear direction.

I suppose I have you to thank for that Howard.

Chapter 11: The Rules of the Game

It takes two hours to drive back to Moroto. He grabbed lunch along the way at a corner store with some surprisingly good oouwlmbo, a stew with beef and vegetables, in Nakiloro, a tiny village on the way to Moroto. He also filled up the car with gas. It is overcast as if the sky wants to cry, but can't. It is achingly quiet and empty. Not a bird or car sound. Time stopped a thousand years ago and everything is as it was back then, except for the rare exceptions, like the hotel. It is 4:32 pm when Steve drives into the hotel driveway. The door to the hotel room is locked, with no sounds of movement coming from inside. When he opens the door the silence is piercing something feels wrong but beautiful at the same time. The room is a frozen still life. The bed is made without military precision. The afternoon light comes through the white curtain and dust slowly moves in the light. No Peggy. No note.

This is not like her.

Drunk on jet lag, Steve's eyes dart back and forth surveying the room for clues. He makes his way down the yellow carpeted hallway with yellow and white striped walls to the front desk. The desk has linoleum countertops painted to look like Roman marble. There is a young man behind the desk wearing a yellow and white three-piece suit who is just finishing a call, "you are very welcome, I am happy to help sir." Steve asks if there are any messages for him. The employee's name tag says "Chol." Chol shakes his head while spitting out some awkward English phrases which Steve takes to mean that there are no messages for him.

No clues.

No messages.

No Peggy.

The room begins spinning. He has not confronted drama like this in half a century. He finds a chair in the lobby and feels the dampness of his shirt which he assumes is his perspiration. Confused for a moment, he does not know where he is or how to get out of the chair.

Approaching Chol again he asks him, "can you call the police for me." After repeating himself a few more times Chol, hesitantly obliges and hands the phone to Steve.

Steve receives an automated Nilotic voice. He assumes it is 'thank you for your patience please hold.' Chol every few seconds looks at Steve under his brow, while attempting to look busy.

"Is this normal," he asks Chol, in regards to being on hold for ten minutes. Chol shrugs his shoulders and mumbles something incoherent, before disappearing into the back room. Steve hangs up the phone and noticing Chol, coming out of the back room with several beach towels, cuts in between him and some guests in swimwear, "excuse me, how do I get to the police station from here?" He repeats himself a few more times, unsure if he is talking or just thinking these phrases, raising his voice each time. A new staff member, possibly Chol's boss, with a stiffer posture, interjects with "sir, if you do not calm down we are going to have to contact security."

"Yes finally someone who can help, that is what I want," Steve replies relieved that someone finally understands and is willing to help.

Chol dials a number on the hotel phone, explaining a situation in which a customer is acting belligerent and needs to be restrained. But who is this customer? I do not see anyone else here, but me.

Steve feels a hand on his shoulder and spins around to see Eugene, in his signature beige slacks and windbreaker with a powder blue polo. Relief comes to Steve. Someone he remembers, some he put in charge of Peggy's safety. He will tell me what happened.

"What is going on Tony," Eugene asks. Steve is too distraught to realize that he is calling him by the wrong name again. If anyone knows what happened it will be Eugene.

"…Peggy…I'm…I can't…the police," is all Steve can manage to utter as he is doused in his own adrenaline.

Eugene sits there for a moment before saying, "and what will the police do for you, Steve."

Steve, not Tony….I mean George.

He knows my name. The realization contracts his stomach muscles.

Steve quickly surveys the room to assess threats. It just appears to be Eugene at the moment.

"Just like the hospital. All the hospitals in Uganda could not help Peggy either," Steve says, calling Eugene's bluff.

Eugene belly laughs, "yes, exactly, no. Now you see, how you Americans say, 'the big picture,' no?"

How could I have been so careless not to see this? The clues for the past couple of days all roll through his mind, from the child on the bus stealing Peggy's wallet to Eugene's unexpected arrival at the hotel. All designed to build confidence in Eugene and I fell for all of it.

"I know why you are here, Steve."

"Yeah, I got that feeling the whole continent knows that."

"There is only one reason why the white man come into Uganda. Even more obvious why you come to Moroto. But why you so old Steve? Dat we cannot figure out. But you crazy Avengers probably fell into a black hole or into some crazy time box nonsense."

Steve is losing what is left of his patience. He is not listening so much as performing a risk analysis on the situation.

"Wakandans told you the truth about Papa Stark no? All Uganda and Wakanda know the story. And like all greedy Americans you came to steal more. There is the old saying, 'if Americans leave any treasure behind, even if it is just a crumb, all you have to do is wait for they shall return.'"

"It takes some nerve to kidnap the wife of a super soldier and enter the room on your own, I will give you that much," replies Steve, ignoring Eugene's bait and pivoting the conversation.

"No. Not really Steve. You just have to think it all the way through." Steve stares him down before he feels safe letting his thoughts drift from the present and play with the scenario Eugene presented.

If I touch him…

"Dat's right" Eugene replies like a meditation coach "all the way through…you will get dere."

A look of recognition hits Steve. If I touch him, put my hands on him, then I find Peggy face down in the Natoo River.

"Ah, see! Dere you go, I knew you could do it. My colleagues said, my colleagues said you were too old to figure it out on your own, dat I would 'ave to do some big ridiculous speech, whoo, thank goodness. Not a fan of talking."

Eugene wipes some lint from his clothes.

"You little Americans are a funny lot. You think you can just go wherever you please and people will just give you what you want. You people are even more self-righteous than I imagined. And if another culture feels the same, you label them the bad guys. How fortunate it is to always be the good guys, no?"

Steve does not take the bait, "so how much vibranium will buy back my wife?"

A smile creeps under Eugene's nose, "I need it to save my people, the Gije, from the oppression of the Nigerian dictatorship, not so different than how your government began, no? Though I know you will label me 'the bad guy' as well." He tosses Steve a black satchel in answer to his question, enough vibranium to fill up this bag.

"The Wakandans did not give me any."

"No," he sarcastically replies, what a shocker.

"See you in twenty-four hours, yeah."

Eugene stands and takes a few steps as if to leave, then twirls back around like the King of Pop, "and here's a gift to help you stay on track."

He tosses Steve something. Steve struggles to comprehend what he is seeing.

"I believe it is your favorite?"

It is an amputated toe. Not just any toe, but Peggy's former tiny toe. The one Steve mentioned was his favorite on the flight over here. Replaying the scene Steve realizes it was within earshot of Eugene. He is ridged.

"That's the spirit," Eugene says with a smile before he turns around to leave. With his back to him, Eugene leaves with these parting words, "I don't think you have time to go to Sokovia if that's what you are thinking, but it is her funeral if you do not make it in time."

He is referring to Ultron and the vibranium it used to elevate the city of Sokovia. The vibranium is somewhere under miles of debris if Damage Control did not retrieve it already…

to give to Stark Industries…

whose CEO claimed to have none a day ago…