บท 163: Tony
Late Night at the New York World War II Victory Museum
Since Captain America's thawing and his public reemergence—especially during the Battle of Wakanda—he had skyrocketed in popularity.
The museum experienced an unprecedented boom. During summer vacation, visitors flocked from the moment the doors opened in the morning until closing time.
The understaffed museum had no choice but to ask security guards who had already worked six-hour shifts during the day to cover night duties.
One guard, biting angrily into his hamburger, downed the last of his cola with a noisy, air-sucking sound that came from an almost-empty cup filled with ice. He let out a satisfied belch before muttering curses aimed at his supervisor, complaining about the meager overtime pay.
Night shifts at the museum were usually easy. There wasn't much of value to guard, and the security systems were top-notch. The job mostly involved watching surveillance footage, sneaking in a nap or two, and making sure nothing went wrong.
After wolfing down the rest of his hamburger, the guard shifted in his chair, ready for a quick nap. Suddenly, the lighting on one of the monitors changed. The TV mounted on the wall in Captain America's exhibit had inexplicably turned on.
"Damn it! I hate that old piece of junk. It should've been trashed ages ago. Can't I just have a peaceful shift?"
Grumbling, he made his way toward Captain America's exhibit. That TV had a habit of turning itself on at night, but the museum administrators, worried about theft, had locked up the power source.
Cursing the museum management under his breath, the guard pushed open the door to the exhibit.
What he saw next made him doubt his eyes.
Two men were seated on the floor in front of a glass display case, just out of view of the cameras, casually chatting and watching the TV.
Hearing the guard enter, the two men turned to look at him.
"C-Captain Rogers? Is that... Blake? Oh my God, am I seeing things? Why are you both here in the middle of the night?"
The guard couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Captain America stood up with a smile and said gently, "We're just here for a quiet chat and to reminisce about the past. I promise we won't damage anything. Is that alright?"
"Of course! Of course, it's alright! Do you need me to order some midnight snacks for you? There's a great pizza place nearby. And I just want to say, I'm a huge fan, Captain. I started working here because of you. And Mr. Blake, I'm a fan of yours too. Actually, I admire all of the Avengers. You guys were incredible in Wakanda…"
The guard started rambling about his admiration for the Avengers, his childhood dreams of becoming like Captain America, and so on.
Captain America smiled and praised the guard for his dedication. The pair even posed for a quick photo with him before sending him on his way.
As soon as the guard left, Captain America's face turned serious.
"I've confirmed it with Bucky. His memories of the incident are hazy, and he didn't realize at the time it was the Howards. But he does recall the event—it was definitely him."
"Sigh…"
The captain let out a long sigh.
Blake casually retrieved two bottles of high-proof vodka from his spatial storage, clinking one with the Captain. The two, immune to drunkenness, each downed an entire bottle in one go.
"No matter what decision you make, or how Tony reacts when he finds out, I understand," the Captain said solemnly. "But, Blake, Bucky was once my only friend. This isn't his fault. I won't abandon him—just like he never abandoned me back then."
"Give Tony some time, Captain," Blake replied. "He'll come to terms with it eventually. After all, Bucky was just a weapon, wasn't he?"
"He wasn't the true perpetrator," the Captain said with a heavy heart. "But those were Tony's parents. No one can guarantee if Tony will ever fully forgive this."
Blake nodded. "Lately, though, Tony's mental state has been concerning. I'm afraid he can't handle this kind of blow right now. I want to wait until he's in a better place before telling him."
"In the meantime, I'll ask Natasha to reach out to Pepper. She should stay close to Tony as much as possible. As for Bucky, his mental state still needs care. I suggest finding a quiet place for him to recuperate—Wakanda or Asgard would be ideal."
"That's just my suggestion, though. Don't expect me to arrange anything for you. If you want, you'll have to contact T'Challa or Thor yourself. I know nothing!"
Blake had done all he could. If Tony insisted on pursuing the matter, Blake could only step aside—though he would ensure Tony's safety first and foremost.
"Thank you, Blake," the Captain said sincerely.
The Captain understood well: Blake's efforts were for his sake. Without the Captain caught in the middle, Blake wouldn't care about Bucky's fate.
"No need to be so formal, Captain," Blake said, smiling. "I just don't want to see the team fall apart. Besides, you're a relic—I'm just doing my duty to respect the elderly." He patted the Captain's shoulder lightly.
"Let's head back."
---
For the time being, the crisis of division within the team caused by the Winter Soldier was deferred. Blake shifted his focus to Tony's deteriorating mental state.
At Natasha's suggestion, Pepper temporarily set aside her work and returned to Tony's side. However, according to Pepper, Tony's condition was worse than expected.
He kept his armor on constant alert, even while sleeping or using the bathroom. One night, Tony had a nightmare and instinctively summoned his suit, almost firing a repulsor blast at Pepper.
The psychiatric hospital had prescribed him some medication, which barely allowed him to sleep. As for the quality of that sleep—only God knew. Judging by the red veins in Tony's eyes, it was clear to everyone he was in bad shape.
Tony's extreme lack of security was evident. If not for the Sky Base being well-secured, he likely wouldn't have removed his armor at all. He even designed an automatic waste disposal system for the suit, enabling him to stay inside without interruption—an excessive move, even by his standards.
Pepper's return didn't bring much improvement to Tony's condition; instead, she ended up emotionally drained herself.
With no other options, Blake asked Natasha to take Pepper out for some shopping and a movie to relieve her stress.
Unexpectedly, what should have been a simple outing for the two women turned into an incident.
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