ᴘᴏᴋᴇʀ ғᴀᴄᴇ || ʙ. ʙᴀʀɴᴇs

𝐈𝐈𝐈

"The new Captain America" - or John Walker, walks out onto a high school football field and sits in a chair next to an interviewer.

People cheer him on and he smiles widely. The perky interviewer holds out her microphone to him excitedly, she gushes over him for a minute before starting the real interview.

"John, I think the first thing everyone wants to know is what is it like being Captain America? Do eagles fly overhead wherever you go?"

He laughs, "Uh, yes. Yeah, that and flags tend to start majestically waving in the wind."

People in the crowd laugh along at his joke, but the interviewer moves on, "And how's the tour been? I know they did a big rollout for you, right?"

"It's the greatest honor of my life. Um, but I'm just a little shocked, I think. How did a guy like me end up here?" He chuckles, and motions to his 'Captain America' suit.

"Oh, wait, wait, wait. "A guy like me"? Somebody's being a bit too humble!" The woman laughs and the crowd cheers along, agreeing with her.

"For those of you who aren't familiar with his résumé, "John Walker, first person in American history to receive three Medals of Honor, ran RS-One missions in counterterrorism and hostage rescue." The government did a study of your body at MIT, and you tested off the charts in every measurable category. Speed, endurance, intelligence..."

The woman goes on and on, gushing over him some more before he interrupts her.

"Look, here's the thing, uh, I'm not Tony Stark, I'm not Dr. Banner, okay? I don't have the flashiest gadgets, I don't have super strength. But what I do have is guts. Something Captain America always had, always needs to have, and I'm gonna need every ounce of it. Because I got big shoes to fill."

"Very wise words, Mr. Walker. Did you know Steve Rogers?"

"I was two years out of West Point when Steve came back on the scene. I followed his career very closely as an Avenger. I like to think that I modeled my work after his."

"You've always wanted to be a hero?"

"I liked that what I was doing would make people feel safe. Steve Rogers was the kind of guy who could do that, he gave me hope. Even though I never met him, he feels like a brother."

"Wow, that's amazing," the woman smiles, seemingly intrigued by every word flowing out of his mouth.

. . .

"Seems like a good guy," Torres says, holding a tablet in his hands, showing Sam the interview.

"You met him?"

"Nah,"

"Hey, thanks for doing this on such short notice," Sam waves a hand at the tarmac showing a plane.

"Yeah. No sweat. I'm just finishing up the checklist. You'll be all good to go once you land in Munich."

"Shouldn't have given up the shield," a third voice approaches the pair, Sam rolls his eyes, "Good to see you too, Buck."

"This is wrong."

"Hey, hey, look, I'm working, all right? So all this outrage is gonna have to wait."

"You didn't know that was gonna happen?" Bucky narrows his eyes at Sam.

"No, of course I didn't know that was gonna happen. You think it didn't break my heart to see them march him out there and call him the new Captain America?"

"Steve didn't want this," Bucky says plainly, indicating that Sam made the wrong choice, "Oh, my God. What do you want me to do? Call America and tell 'em I changed my mind? Huh? Yeah, right. It's a great reunion, buddy, be well."