The Keeper of Infinity

Insecurities Dredged Up

July 23, 2025; 9.44 am; Washington D.C.

'People living near the Colombian volcano are loath to evacuate.'

'Crime rate in New York City at an all time high.'

'5 powerful earthquakes in Japan in a span of 36 hours.'

'Another million dollar theft reported in...'

'Global warming a threat for the near future...'

'A massive hole observed in the Sun...'

'UFO spotted...'

'Another earthquake hits...'

'New serial killer on the loose...'

'18 year old kidnapped and gang...'

Sam tossed the stack of newspapers on the nearby table with an irritated huff before throwing himself back on the couch.

Every newspaper headline, every news channel, every internet article had the same thing to say.

Natural calamities hitting at an unusual pace. Crime rate the highest in the past fifty years. Earthquakes. Volcanoes. Theft. Burglary. Murders. Pollution. Global warming. Atmosphere chipping away.

You name it, the news had already covered it.

Sam didn't know what to do with himself, how to handle the ever-worsening situation.

Now, amidst all that, with multiple people questioning his competency — which he understood because he did that all the time — Steve had decided to go and get himself admitted into a mental care facility.

Well, the admission was his idea, but there was only so much they could do for an old man with supersoldier strength losing his mind quietly and slowly but surely.

It had all started a couple months ago — both the unravelling of the universe and of Steve.

Lately, the former Captain's violent episodes had gotten more intense and frequent. His lucid window grew smaller and smaller until it became few and far in between.

Bucky hadn't wanted to put him in a facility which Sam thought was partly due to his love for the Captain but also partly due to the stigma he had against mental care facilities from way back in his own time, which he didn't really begrudge him for.

Bucky, even in the interim period between the 40s and the 2000s when Steve had managed to bring him out of HYDRA's and his own brain's clutches, had not had a very pleasant experience with mental care. His suspicion was warranted. Although he had warmed up to his court-mandated therapist — whom he now saw voluntarily even if he loved to insist otherwise — quite a bit.

Sam knew this was necessary. Steve needed professional care. Especially with his super strength, the man was as much a hazard to himself as he was to others.

Sam wasn't even sure what had brought it on. Steve had been happy. Glowing practically.

He had retired from the Avengers and any other sort of active duty but he hadn't removed himself from their lives — well, Sam and Bucky's. Everybody else was just too scattered to gather together on a regular basis.

He knew that had put Steve off who had become used to the Avengers functioning as a family but the man also had enough experience from their time as rogues to suck it up and push through.

However, and it had been all of a sudden, Steve had woken up from his sleep one day, screaming himself hoarse and his tongue only repeating one phrase: I am sorry.