"Do you remember?"
"The war? It's hard to forget something like that. It's mostly all I know really, this wouldn't be the first time I woke up in a strange new environment."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know the full details but Peggy told me that there was an assassination attempt on me before the serum. I was shot and the effects were partial amnesia, I don't remember much about my past."
"I'm sorry." Whispered Natasha quietly
"It's alright, I was healthy and I didn't lose who I am as a person. Whatever happened in the past is just that in the past." Trailed Steve on the last part as he looked out the window with a longing gaze.
"So who's Peggy?"
"She was someone that took care of me when there was nobody else around, she saved my life and helped me remember who I am."
"Steve, Steve. Can you hear me?"
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"It's me Peggy, don't you remember?" She said softly
"No, I'm afraid I don't." Said the man who was now looking around the room at the various faces.
"Steve, what do you remember?" Said the voice of a middle-aged man with glasses who was staring at him with a look of concern.
"Nothing, is my name Steve?"
"Steven Grant Rodgers. You were born in Brooklyn and signed up for the war weighing barely 100 pounds. An assassination attempt was made on your life and you were shot in the head. We took you here as part of operation Rebirth and the way you are now is what saved your life." Said the women again still staring at Steve
"I'm different?"
"Yes, physically you are at the peak of human perfection. You will run faster, hit stronger, and do almost everything better than any human being. But I'm afraid it was unable to fix everything as you are suffering from amnesia. One day you may remember but for now, it'll be a puzzle in which you'll have to piece together." Said the man with glasses.
"So what now?" Asked the man as he tried to take in all the information he received.
"That's your call Steve, do you still want to fight?" Asked the women
"I don't know. I need some air."
"Here I'll show you the way out." Said the women helping him up and leading him up the stairs and through the various entrances.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to just let him wander out like that." Asked another man with a neat mustache.
"He'll figure it out, Howard. He always does."
"Well home sweet, home." Said Natasha as she unlocked the door to moderate sized apartment with simple furnishing.
"Seems cozy." Mused Steve
"Yeah well there's a gym downstairs if you ever need to train or practice, a café down the street, and if you get lost use the gps on this phone." Said Natasha as she handed him a duffel bag along with a cell phone.
"The bag has all things you need to catch up with the times as well as various other things. I live down the hall but don't expect me to be here that often, we'll call you if something happens." By the time she finished the last sentence she was already out the door before Steve could even bring up a question.
"Well that was informative." Muttered Steve to himself as he set his stuff down and headed to take his first shower in 70 years.
When Steve got out the shower and changed into a pair of pants and a white shirt he sat down and began to look through the Duffel Bag, which was filled with various files and books as well as a computer, tablet, and an iPod, whatever that is.
Inside he found various notes inside describing various objects to him and how to work them, the order in which to do things, places to see, and other pointers to make his acclimation to the 21st century simpler. The messy scrawl and sloppy smiley faces at the end of each note also amused Steve.
"Well time to study." Said Steve as he grabbed a file on the howling commandos and begin to see what he had missed out on the last 70 years."
"Damn It Carter! Of all the reckless and idiotic things you could have done this tops it all!" Shouted a very livid Colonel Phillips
"He was dying!" Snapped Peggy refusing to back down and staring the man right in his eyes.
"Soldiers die everyday, you blacked out half of Brooklyn, used precious resources, and then after all that he doesn't even remember his damn name and you let him walk!?"
"I had a chance to save him and I took it. I believe in Steve and this changes nothing. If you expect me to apologize for showing compassion it will be a cold day in hell before that ever happens!" Shouted Peggy with a rage in her eyes that made the colonel step back a little.
"Now if you'll excuse me." She finished with a huff as she left for the stairs and out the facility leaving a silent colonel and awkward silence with the staff.
"Well…" Mused Howard with a smile, he always enjoyed the fire that Peggy possessed.
"Another?" Asked the bartender as he got out another mug, the place was empty with a radio going off somewhere and the lights dimmed. A single man sat in the stool.
"Yes, Please." Said the man as he took another pint of beer from the bartender.
"So you're not even tipsy?"
The man looked deep in the mug seemingly lost in thought before he absentmindedly replied " Nope."
"Some alcohol tolerance you got there, kid." Commented the Bartender before walking away to clean something.
Steve groaned as he tilted back on the chair while running his hand through his hair. Turns out a lot have indeed changed in 70 years and nothing seemed the same. Steve shook his head as he thought about his friends and allies who were pretty much all gone. Steve was happy to know that they were seen as heroes and continued to help the world even after the war. He was also happy to know that they were able to find happiness and create families. Even her, she moved on and it turned out that she was still waiting for him. His best friend, his girl.
He looked over at the phone across from him and started to reach for it before stopping. He'll call but for now he needed to figure everything out and that was when Steve decided it was time for a break and for him to see the world a little bit.
"Thank you." Said the man as he took out some cash and placed it on the table.
"No problem, now you be safe out there. Although you still seem pretty good." Mused the bartender as he waved the strange man away.
He woke up to strange faces and as he tried to recall something, anything. Nothing came to him. Even now he still couldn't figure out anything about this man as he stared at his reflection in a puddle. The first thing he did was finding a newspaper stand for the latest copy. He scanned through and found the date along with every major thing that was happening in the world. He saw the pictures of the war and immediately felt a burning feeling to help. All those people dying overseas and then there was he. Was he ready to die for his country? He didn't know.
In his internal musing he found himself wandering in front of a movie theater as he saw an oddly familiar movie poster. He paused and stared at the familiar image.
"Hey buddy, last call you want a ticket?" Asked an usher from inside the booth.
"Yeah." Muttered the man, still staring at the poster.
Everything was different. Some of the buildings still remained but other than the exterior they looked nothing like they did before. Everything seemed bigger and faster as he saw skyscrapers that seemed to reach towards space and everyone rushed everywhere as if they were stuck in their own worlds. There were no newspapers stands around and the cars. The cars were sleek and beyond even the sketches that Howard would show Steve.
"350 minutes, buy your time, buy your time today!" Shouted a man nearby that was holding a similar device to his and waving it around.
Time.
Here he was a man out of time.
"Hey Mr. seems like New York is a little overwhelming for you, want to sit down for some coffee?"
"Sure." Steve muttered absentmindedly while still staring at the enormous buildings around him.
"No matter what through the good and evil I still love you."
It all seemed so familiar as he felt strange warmth inside along with a stabbing pain in his chest. He's seen this movie, with someone important.
After the movie ended he found himself wandering the streets again before he heard the sounds of fist and yelling. Curious, he moved towards the alley to find a group of teenagers kicking someone. Once again he felt a rage inside and a need to help.
"HEY! Stop!"
The teenagers stopped and looked over at him staring up and down before a look of fear came in their eyes as they ran towards the fence, hopping it and disappearing on the other streets.
"Cowards." Coughed the teenager on the ground. He seemed frail without any bit of muscle on him and definitely not a fighting build.
'Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah, wasn't the first fight I've been in."
"You were outnumbered, you should have ran!" exclaimed Steve surprised by the boys attitude.
"Running just gives them a reason to chase, someday you got to stop. Might as well face them now and show them they can't kick you down."
"But they did beat you down!"
"Maybe, but they didn't beat my spirit." Said the boy with a grin
"That's an interesting view on life you got there." Mused the man as he looked at the grinning boy.
"I'd like to think it's a good way to live." Said the boy with a nod as he shook the man's hand and went about his way.
"Interesting"
He felt comfortable doing something familiar for the first time in awhile as he looked at the giant building and absentmindedly sketches on the corner of the paper menu.
"You waiting for the big guy?" Asked a waitress with a kind smile as she made to take away his finished food.
"Big guy?" Asked Steve confused as giant green came across his mind.
"Iron man, people come here to see him fly by all the time." Said the waitress pointing at the sky towards the skyscraper.
"Some other time." Said Steve as he got out some cash to pay.
"Oh, you can stay as long as you want. There's no wait." Said the Waitress hurriedly "We have wireless as well." She said smiling as she went back inside.
"Radio?" Asked Steve confused
"You know interestingly enough, my hearing is pretty good." Said the man out loud as he stopped on the sidewalk
"Well someone has to make sure you're alright." Said the women as she emerged from behind an alley
"I appreciate the concern." Said the man with a nod as he waiting for the women to catch up to him before he resumed walking.
"So do you remember anything?" Asked the woman with concern evident in her eyes.
"No nothing really, but I get these feelings when I see certain things and they seem so familiar." Said the man confused as he thought about his many interactions.
"Well they're probably repressed from who you were before you lost your memory. Tell me, do you feel different?"
The man sighed as he thought about it "I feel like a man trapped in another man's body. These feelings they don't feel like mine yet it also feels right, if that makes any sense.
"I may not be an expert in the psychological field but it seems to me that you need to find a balance between who you were and who you are. I'll tell you what I would have told Steve. Follow your heart." Said the woman softly as she placed her hand his shoulder.
"Follow my heart." Muttered Steve.
"Where to sir?"
"Brooklyn."
"Where in Brooklyn?" Snapped the cab driver
"That old shoe shiners on fifth."
"Ah, The Captain America place. Gotcha." Said the cab driver.
When they arrived he paid the driver and got out. Like the rest of the world Brooklyn had changed, yet this area and some of the streets still seemed familiar. He remembered this store. Behind it was where he first woke up, lost. It wasn't open anymore but there were still people around it taking pictures of the outside. Which Steve found to be quite odd. He looked down the street and found himself slowly retracing his steps. Memories played through his head as he remembered the adrenaline rush, the gunfire, and the screams along with the shouts. Before he knew it he was standing at the docks overlooking the ocean. The same place he stood years ago.
"So back to join the good fight, I see." Said colonel as he saw Steve emerge from the entrance with Peggy in tow.
"I don't know about all that sir, but I'd like to help in any way I could." Replied Steve
"We need soldiers, that's what project rebirth was all about, and I'm willing to bet that you'd be a pretty damn good one." Responded the colonel
"Maybe." Muttered Steve as he saw Dr. Erskine nearby calibrating the machine.
"Excuse me for a moment. Colonel."
"Dr. Erskine?"
"Yes, Steven?" Said the doctor looking up.
"I just wanted to thank you, fro saving my life and apparently making me much more than I was. I'm not sure if I could be the soldier everyone wants me to be, but maybe I could be something else."
"Oh, Steven. I save your life because it was the right thing to do, and exposing you to project rebirth was only my promise to you. Remember Steve I didn't choose you because you could be a good soldier. I chose you because you could be something more..."
Before Erskine could finish his sentence the drop of a pin and a rolling of a metal object could be heard and in a flash Steve whipped around and moved towards Peggy to cover her while shouting, "Watch out!"
A loud bang rang across the room as a white flash engulfed the room. A gunshot was heard along with the sound of glass breaking. Steve looked up to find Dr. Erskine lying on the floor grabbing his chest. He saw the assailant running up the stairs with various men shooting at him and Peggy ready to give chase. As he made to follow suit he felt someone grabbing his arm.
"Remember Steve, always be a good man." Whispered Erskine with his last breath.
With a silent nod Steve ran his palm across Erskin'es face to close his eyes and soon he burst up the stairs and through the doors. When he was outside he saw Peggy shooting at a moving vehicle, which was coming right towards her. Without even thinking he was in front of her and pulling her out the way.
"What are you doing? I had him!" She protested
"Sorry." Muttered Steve eyeing the vehicle that was speeding down the street.
He began running and found himself catching up to the car but not before stumbling and running through a shop or two. Soon he was on top of the movie vehicle and trying to stop it along with the assailant. The bullets firing at him and the fact that he was on top of a speeding car didn't faze him at the only thing going through his mind was to stop this man before he hurt anyone else.
Suddenly the car hit a moving truck and Steve found himself flying off of it. With a groan he got up to face the man who began shooting at the crowd. He ducked down to pick up the taxi door that had fallen off to shield himself, as the man fired more shots.
Soon he found the man holding a boy at gunpoint and Steve knew he had to be careful but he still followed behind slowly. As he approached the docks he saw the man with the boy as he put the gun towards his head.
"Wait don't!" Shouted Steve
The gun pointed towards him but all that could be heard was a "click" as it was empty. Frowning in frustration the man picked up the boy and threw him into the waters before running away. Panicked Steve ran towards the waters where the boy was floating.
"Go get him, I can swim!" Exclaimed the boy.
Seeing that the boy was all right Steve followed after the man when he saw the submarine going under so he dived in after and began catching up to the submarine. Once he was close enough he punched through the glass and popped the hatch open pulling the man out and throwing him out the water and onto the docks. When Steve approached him the man tried to swipe at him with a knife, which he easily dodged as, he kicked the man causing him to knock over the serum and shatter it's contents.
"Who the hell are you!" Shout Steve pulling the man towards him
"The first of many, cut off one head two more shall take its place. Hail Hydra!" Grunted the man as he bit his teeth and began foaming on the mouth. In a few minutes the man was dead.
Steve put him down and looked up as everything began to slow back down and magnitude of what happened and what he just did hit him. He looked over himself at his muscular body and the speed and strength he just showed. He had all the ability to help people.
"Maybe that's what I was meant to do with this power." Thought Steve as he looked out towards the ocean.
"Alright, here's your key. Practice anytime."
"Thanks."
The gym cleared out shortly and with a punching bag slung on his shoulder he headed towards the nearest rack. He hooked the bag up and laced up his hands as he put the weird wires in his ears and played the "Workout mix by Natasha" that was on his phone. As he was punching the bag he felt himself relax more as he was able to vent out his frustration.
"He was still the same man and it might be a different time but there are always people out there who will need his help."
With a grin he cocked back and hit the bag so hard that it flew across the room with a busted hole in it.
"He'll figure things out. He was good like that."
Authors Note: This chapter was meant to follow right after the last chapter but I felt like more detail was needed so sorry for the short delay and hope the time lapses weren't too confusing but here it is! The longest chapter yet, Enjoy!