UNKNOWN GUEST

#71 I'm Running Away

We stood at the rooftop of the nursing house, leaning against the cool steel railings. The N Seoul Tower gleamed in the distance, its lights shifting through a spectrum of colors, casting a soft glow over the city below. I took a deep breath of the crisp night air, letting it fill my lungs before exhaling slowly.

"The strange particles you found in my blood," I began, keeping my eyes fixed on the distant tower. I could feel her glance at me, waiting for me to continue. "That's a version of the super-soldier serum, like the one they used on Captain America."

Dr. Cho nodded, her gaze shifting back to the cityscape ahead. "Someone injected the serum in you?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and concern.

What should I say? I couldn't exactly tell her that I'm the son of Captain America, from the future, no less. That would only complicate things even further, and I doubt she'd believe me. So, I opted for a half-truth. It was safer that way.

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Yeah. That's why I heal faster. You've seen it yourself, both times."

She nodded again, this time more slowly. "That... kind of explains it." Her words trailed off into silence, the kind that wasn't uncomfortable but rather filled with unspoken thoughts.

I could feel her gaze drift over to my elbow, where the faint marks were still visible. Those marks. How could I explain those without giving too much away? Another half-truth, I supposed.

I sighed, the sound almost lost in the night air. "Those marks you saw... I got them because... well, it's a punishment. For something I'm not even fully aware of." I turned to face her, meeting her eyes directly. "It was a punishment. Someone had tied my hands."

Her eyes widened in shock, a mixture of disbelief and concern. "You were kidnapped?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if saying it out loud would make it worse.

I nodded, and I saw her expression shift to one of sadness, the kind that made your chest feel heavy. We stood there in silence after that, but it wasn't awkward. It was the kind of silence that felt right, like we both needed a moment to process everything.

I started again, my voice barely above a whisper, "I don't want to go home yet because... Wanda, the woman with the red energy waves in her hands—you must have seen her. She was in your lab with... Ultron."

Dr. Cho nodded, her expression darkening slightly as she remembered the incident. I continued, trying to keep my voice steady, "Well, she showed me some visions—things I had buried deep in my heart. But she made them resurface, those terrifying memories I wanted to erase."

My grip tightened around the railings as I fought to push away the dark flashes—the sinister voice, the echoing click of heels. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Now... she's living with the Avengers. If I go back, I'll have to face her. She's clean now, she's switched sides, and she's trying to be better. But facing her... that's a bigger challenge for me. I'm hiding, running away. You could say I'm a coward."

Before I could say more, she cut me off, "You're not." Her hand rested gently on my back, grounding me. "You're not a coward. I really wish you were, though."

I turned to meet her eyes, surprised by the vulnerability she blinked away. She looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "I wish you had been scared, that you hadn't intervened when Ultron was ready to strike at me. I wish you hadn't been there to jump in front of him. I wish you had hesitated, that you hadn't been so brave."

Her voice trembled as she looked into my eyes, her lips quivering slightly. "But if you weren't how you are, we wouldn't be here, standing, talking. As a doctor and researcher, I believe it's my job to help and save others. But when you saved my life, I lost it. I freaked out."