"Buzz"
At 10 o'clock in the evening, with the twist of light in the dark, Merlin and Steve returned to New York.
The nightlife of this city is rich, and at this point it is the most unrestrained time for men and women. Unfortunately, neither Merlin nor Steve had the intention to join the young people in the carnival.
"You know how to get to the birdwatching club, right?"
Merlin pushed his glasses and a message was sent out. He stood on this slightly remote street and said to Steve beside him:
"Would you like to change clothes? I mean, you have to meet your lover you have been thinking about day and night, and maybe you should dress up more formally."
“That’s enough.”
Steve wore a plaid shirt I just bought today, loose jeans, black combat boots, and a black flight jacket with silver dog tag hanging around his neck. He looked very young and chic.
Although the disguised mask on his face made him look less handsome, his slightly melancholy temperament and his strong body always attract attention.
When he and Merlin were walking under the street lights, there were always many girls' eyes falling on him.
"They like you, Steve."
Merlin whistled a little frivolously and said to Steve:
"Does these enthusiastic little girls remind you of their fans back then? I heard that at the end of World War II, there were many beautiful girls who wrote love letters to you, and it is said that even Miss Monroe..."
"Monroe is my friend."
Steve said casually:
"We used to perform on stage together...I was still selling bonds at that time, and the rumors were all fake. I had never dated Monroe, but we did have dinner together."
"Okay, it's a guy who has experience."
Meilin took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. He stood at an intersection and stopped moving forward.
"Are you waiting for someone?"
Steve looked at Merlin, who shrugged and said in a relaxed tone:
"No, I'm waiting for my car."
"Boom, boom, boom"
As soon as he finished speaking, a low engine sound came from the other side of the street. As Steve looked a little surprised, a 3-meter-high black Raptor pickup, like a small tank, rushed all the way, and stopped in front of Merlin with a perfect side swing. The door also opened at the same moment, as if Merlin was invited to take a ride.
But Steve saw it clearly, and there was no one in the cab.
“Automatic driving?”
Steve asked curiously:
"Is your technology level so high?"
"Well, it's a lot of trouble to explain this to an elderly person like you."
Merlin sat in the cab on the pedal and waved to Steve, saying:
"So I won't explain it, get in the car and we'll go to the bird watching club."
After a while, the heavy pickup truck started again, carrying the two people towards the old city.
Merlin pretended to be on the steering wheel, but in fact, Horus was driving himself.
But Merlin didn't want to expose the secrets of the Autobots so early, because in name, Horus did not belong to S.H.E.L.D. It was Merlin's private property.
Although Steve is trustworthy, his confidentiality level has not been set yet. Rules are rules, and you must do things according to rules.
"I talked to Sharon today."
Steve sat in the passenger seat, looking at the city with bright lights and wine outside the window, which became completely different from what he remembered, he said:
"Sharon said that your main job in recent years is to deal with aliens, aliens, etc. This sounds quite amazing. At least there weren't so many weird things in our era."
"No, no, Steve, you got a wrong concept."
Merlin looked out the window and looked at a lonely vampire wandering around the street, and he replied:
"The aliens are not only active in this era, their activity trajectory almost runs through the whole of human civilization. There are also aliens in your era, but large-scale wars cover up this."
"Have you worked with Ulysses, Bloodstone Master? You have also seen the Tule community around Hitler and the crazy man like Red Skull. You should be able to understand that this world is not just a human being."
"I know, I just think..."
Steve rubbed his forehead and said:
"The world is changing a little faster, the Cold War, the nuclear threat, the moon landing... I missed too many things."
"Think about it."
Merlin casually said:
"This era just seems gorgeous, but it's not much different from yours at that time. Oh, by the way, do you still remember what we said before?"
He said:
"When are you going to find the Red Skull Book of Skeletons and the secret bases of the Hydras you remember?"
“I can set out anytime.”
Steve said seriously:
"But I guess you need to have a partner for me, you don't need to be particularly capable of fighting, as long as you can help me handle other things other than fighting."
"OK."
Merlin said:
"After Fury handles your identity information, we will start working on this."
"Click"
Meilin's cool car parked on the side of the road. In front of the two of them, it was an old street with empty buildings, with no street lights or people, and it was as quiet as a ghost street. On the left side of the street, there was an abandoned club.
The big neon sign shows its prosperous time in the past, but now even the beautifully decorated glass is almost broken.
That's where Merlin and Steve are.
The Bird Club, one of New York's most famous military clubs during World War II, was also the favorite place to spend time when Steve and his Roaring Commando were on vacation.
But with the re-planning of municipal construction, this famous club has moved to a more prosperous area, and what is left here is the old site waiting to be demolished.
"It matches you very much."
Merlin opened the car door, jumped to the ground, and said to Steve on the other side:
"The old man who was stubborn and didn't want to give up is still waiting for the arrival of the guests... The place you made an appointment with Ms. Carter at that time was here?"
"right."
Steve took a deep breath and walked towards the club, he said:
"A dance, I'm 60 years late..."
"As it still, think about it."
Merlin followed Steve toward the Haunted Bird Club, saying:
"No one has given up on you for 60 years. There are still a group of veterans waiting for you to come back stubbornly. You are remembered and people are still circulating your story. This is a good thing. Really, you are already lucky than 99% of veterans."
"Bang"
The rusty lock was easily broken under Steve's fingers. The two walked into the dark hall one by one. Merlin stretched out his hand, and several dark red balls of light rose from his palm into the air, illuminating the dark place like an electric light.
Well, the situation inside was extremely miserable. All the valuable things had been taken away. It was like the ruins after the war. There were even mice running around in the dark.
The ground was covered with dust, spider webs, broken doors and counters, making it like the place where those horror movies took place.
"Which dance hall is your favorite thing to go to?"
Merlin asked, Steve pointed to the second floor, he stepped up the giggling stairs, and Merlin flashed and appeared on the aisle on the second floor in the dark fog. He pulled out his wand and waved it gently, and a large-scale cleaning spell was thrown in front of him.
In the whistling wind, the dust, stains and debris were swept up by magic and were thrown into the hall on the first floor.
He felt that in the dance hall in front of him, someone was waiting for them.
"Peggy..."
Steve ran to the dance hall, took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and then saw the figure sitting in the chair with his back facing him as the flames of the candles pounded.
That was Peggy Carter, Ms. Carter, who was already old.
She was sitting in the dark, wearing a long black dress, her white hair was combed in the way Steve remembered, and she was leaning on a cane in her hand, looking at the empty dance floor in front of her.
Compared with Merlin's memory, Ms. Carter seems not older than when she left. On the contrary, the aura of sick people was also removed from this lady, and she looked very healthy.
But she is still old.
Standing with the young Steve is not like a lover, but more like a grandmother and grandson.
"Peggy..."
Steve recited her name, and the next moment, in the candlelight, Ms. Peggy turned around, her eyes that had become clear again looked at Steve standing at the door, she looked at the face that was exactly the same as in her memory, and a happy and regretful smile appeared on the lady's face.
She waved to Steve as she was when she was young, and she said:
"You finally came to the appointment, Steve...I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"well..."
Merlin looked at the scene where young Steve and old Ms. Peggy shook his head, sighed, and quietly disappeared in the darkness.
Although he had many questions to ask Ms. Page, now...
Let's leave time to this miserable couple.
——————————————
"Ah, you are still as young and as handsome as I remember."
Ms. Peggy sat in the chair, looking at her lover in front of her, she reached out to touch the wrinkles on her face, she said:
"And I'm old."
"Sorry, Peggy."
Steve clenched his fists, the captain's eyes were filled with pain and self-blame. He said to Ms. Page in a gentle, trembling voice:
"I asked you to wait for too long. It's my fault, it's all mine."
"No, no."
Ms. Page shook her head and said:
"It's just by fate. My Steve, you are destined to go through these hardships, you are destined to be a great person. I am honored to leave a trace in your life, but the story that belongs to me in your life is over... You should look forward, Steve, the past is a shackle, you should throw away that shackle and continue your life."
"I can't do it."
Steve lowered his head, he didn't want Pegg to see the tears in his eyes, which would make him look cowardly.
He said:
"From the moment I woke up, your figure, those stories, those pasts, have been entangled. It's like a ghost, I can't get rid of it, I don't want to get rid of it."
"Merlin tells me that the other one I'm with you...is this true?"
When Steve asked, Ms. Carter chuckled, she nodded seriously and said to Steve:
"Yes, another you, from the future, he made an appointment for you, right here, we danced together, and then expressed our hearts to each other. On the day when the war ended, we got married, and then until now."
Ms. Carter stretched out her hand and stroked Steve's face, and she said softly:
"You've never left me, Steve, don't blame yourself for it."
"But that's not me..."
Steve grabbed Ms. Carter's hand and said softly:
"I wish it was me."
“There will be a chance.”
Page put a hint of ease and care in her tone, she said:
"We will make up for the regrets of the past in the future, and you have never owed me."
"Listen to me, Steve, listen to me, you have more important responsibilities to bear. The people you have protected need you more than in the past. When the darkness envelopes the world, you will once again become a symbol of courage and hope, turning the tide again and again... I know how great you are, and I cannot be a burden to you."
"I..."
Steve wanted to say something else, but Ms. Carter's fingers were placed on his lips, preventing him from continuing the problem.
Ms. Carter stood up, she held Steve's hand, and she whispered:
"Don't ask, Steve, I can't tell you more, the future will change because of the present... Come on, let's dance the last dance, a dance that's 60 years late."
"Click, click, click"
In the dark dance hall, several beams of lights suddenly started and the soothing music sounded like a stage specially prepared for this late dance.
Ms. Carter stretched out her hand, and put her hand around Steve's waist as she used to when she was young. Steve also held Ms. Carter's waist and the two looked at each other.
Ms. Carter's eyes were full of nostalgia and blessings, while Steve's eyes were full of pain and entanglement.
His eyes were red and there were tears on his face.
This hero who has been praised by the world has never seemed to be so fragile, like a painful child who is about to experience parting.
Amid the melodious music, Steve and Carter rotated, and the lady's long skirt swung, like an elf in the light. They hadn't seen each other for 60 years, but they still maintained their tacit understanding, like the best dance companions, without any confusion in their steps.
Merlin leaned against the pillar in the dark, staring at the last dance that no one watched with an admirable look. Beside him, old Steve in a black suit leaned there, also watching the scene with an admirable look.
"What's it like to watch another self dance with his wife?"
Merlin asked softly:
"Will there be jealousy? After all, he is younger than you, handsomer than you, and more energetic than you."
"Will I be jealous of myself?"
Old Steve laughed and took out two cigars from his pocket, and divided one for Merlin, he said:
"Ask what you want, but don't expect me to tell you what you shouldn't know... Merlin, just as I said last time when I said goodbye, it's not the time."
"Shh."
Merlin lit a cigar in the dark, and he made a ban on old Steve, saying:
"Be quiet, don't disturb me to appreciate the dance in front of me... I can talk about the things between us later."
A few minutes later, the music and lights slowly dissipated. The dance, which was 60 years late, was over. Ms. Carter and Steve stood in the middle of the stage hugging each other. She gently buried her head on Steve's shoulder and whispered:
"Forget me for now, Steve...I've lived a good life. The only regret is that I haven't seen you live your own life, but this time I won't. This time I will bless you, Steve, don't let it down."
"No."
Steve said stubbornly in tears:
"I can't forget...I don't want to forget."
“It’s time to say goodbye.”
Ms. Carter's hand touched the captain's neck. At the moment the beating arc lighted up, Steve, who was hit hard, lost consciousness and collapsed on the ground.
Page gently placed him on the floor, she stroked Steve's face, and she whispered:
Chapter completed!