Steve still couldn't make up his mind.
His ideals and beliefs told him that if LexCorp ever took control of America, the people would lose their freedom. Even if it looked like they still had it, it would only be an illusion, something the company allowed them to have.
Currently, they were working hard to win over the public. They seemed willing to put the people first, but what would happen if LexCorp really took full control? Would they still act the same? Would they keep putting people first?
Steve didn't know, and he couldn't afford to gamble on it. Yet, choosing to oppose LexCorp outright wasn't something he could bring himself to do either.
Not because he feared their influence or reach. As long as he believed it was right, he never backed down. Fear was not in his vocabulary.
What held him back were the people.
The citizens living in this era, feeling the changes LexCorp had brought into their lives. Those who supported the company wholeheartedly.
They didn't care about what the future might hold. Even if Steve laid out all his concerns, they would still side with LexCorp for the sake of their present lives, as long as their needs continued to be met.
In the end, all of it came down to one thing: Steve's fear of the unknown.
Peggy, sitting across from him, smiled when she heard his worries.
"Steve, when did you start second-guessing everything? Remember when you learned Bucky was captured by Hydra? You charged straight into their base in your uniform without thinking twice."
Reminded of his reckless actions, Steve looked a little embarrassed. Still, he tried to act calm and responded, "Back then, Hydra and the Nazis were clearly our enemies. There was no room for doubt. But this time, things are different. No one can say for sure what LexCorp will become once it turns America into a one-voice system. And the people... they won't understand my concerns."
He from the past would have fought for justice and the people unhesitatingly. But in today's world, neither justice nor the people seemed to stand firmly behind him anymore.
Whenever he thought about that, Steve wished he had never even woken up at all. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with the chaos and complexities of an era far more twisted than the one he left behind.
And the issues he brought up weren't unique. It echoed the doubts many neutral individuals had. In the face of an unknown future, none could give an answer that would convince everyone.
Lex Luthor, up until now, was a nationally known capitalist, philanthropist, and politician. He wasn't a criminal. People were willing to trust him, and that was a fact nobody could change.
"Everybody has a different answer," Peggy said softly. "But I think I understand you, Steve. You're not someone who usually gets caught up in hesitation. The fact that you're even asking this question… means you already had your answer in mind, didn't you?"
"My answer?"
Steve was caught off guard by her words. Then he paused, quietly reflecting.
It was true. He had a brain enhanced to the peak of human potential by the Super Soldier Serum.
But having a powerful brain didn't mean he was someone who liked to think things through. At least for Steve, that wasn't the case. He had never been one to overanalyze. Compared to thinking, he preferred taking action.
And the moment he chose not to raise his fist against LexCorp, his heart had already made the decision.
Even if Captain America didn't agree with LexCorp's ways, he would never go against the people.
"You're right. I already had the answer all along."
Steve couldn't accept what LexCorp was doing, and didn't agree with the hero system built by Vought. His discomfort with this era had been growing from the very start.
But long before that, when he agreed to the experiment and became a super soldier—became Captain America—he had already chosen to stand by the people.
If this world was what the people truly wanted, he would protect it.
And if one day, LexCorp tried to take that prosperity away, tried to shatter the peace people longed for, then he would be the first to rise and strike back.
He was Captain America. He didn't need to pick sides. He would forever be the people's partner.
"Thank you, Peggy. I think... I'm no longer uncertain. LexCorp isn't the problem I need to worry about right now. What I need to do is help Howard's son... and find Bucky!"
* * *
Steve left Peggy's home. Outside, Fury, who had been waiting all this time, immediately approached him. But when the man tried once more to recruit him, he didn't give a clear answer. There was still one more thing he needed to resolve in his heart.
Fury didn't press any further. Instead, he handed Steve his contact information and left on his own, withdrawing all the agents in the area as well.
He knew Vought would be watching Captain America closely. The last thing he wanted was to lose Steve's trust by having him feel surveilled.
* * *
Back inside the villa, Peggy had also left the meeting room and gone down to the first-floor living room. After gently carrying the soundly sleeping Sharon to her bedroom, she returned to what had once been an empty hallway.
But now, a figure appeared behind her.
"What do you think he'll choose? Bucky or Howard?"
The figure replied calmly, "He'll make the same choice I know he would. And that... is the only thing I've wanted to change all these years. Leave the rest to me."
* * *
Having parted ways with Fury, Steve walked to a quiet riverside. One hand rested on the railing, while the other held two business cards, lost in thought.
These cards held the contact information of two very different men. Nick Fury, and Tony Stark.
He knew what Tony wanted; find Bucky and take revenge. But deep down, Steve couldn't bring himself to stand by and watch his friend be killed by Tony, regardless of whether the man had truly murdered Howard.
Because he believed there was more to the story. And if there was any hope of saving Bucky, of uncovering the truth about Hydra, then Fury was the only one who could help.
On the other hand, he couldn't ignore Tony's hatred either. After what happened to his parents, that anger was inevitable. Steve also cherished his friendship with Howard. To shield Bucky would, without a doubt, feel like a betrayal to Howard's memory.
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