Chapter 475: Chapter 475: A Happy Ending
[Third Person Pov]
Peter took a moment to let the weight of his words settle as Steve processed everything that had just been shared with him. It took Steve a full minute, his mind clearly turning over the implications. He stood with his arms crossed firmly over his chest, brows furrowed in deep contemplation. "You have put me in quite the dilemma," Steve said, his voice steady but thoughtful. "But at the end of the day, this isn’t a choice that either one of us can make."
"Oh, don’t get me wrong," Peter said, raising his hands in a placating manner, trying to show he was on the same page. "I know that at the end of the day, the choice of whether to take the serum belongs to Peggy, and Peggy alone. There wouldn’t be anything either of us could do to force her or even pressure her into it. That’s not how this works."
Steve nodded his head faintly, almost imperceptibly, clearly glad to see that Peter fully respected Peggy’s autonomy in the matter. "When the opportunity feels right, I’ll speak with her and tell her about this possibility. I’ll contact you once she has made her decision."
Steve fell silent for a brief period, gathering his thoughts before he spoke again. He looked at Peter with sincere gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, for the opportunity, I mean. You didn’t have to do any of this, and I know you’re taking a huge risk by even telling me about it."
"It’s not a problem, Cap," Peter replied, shifting awkwardly on his feet, unsure what to do with his hands in the face of such genuine thanks. "I suppose I’m just someone who believes every story deserves a chance at a happy ending, even if that might not always be possible for everyone."
Steve let out a faint sound of laughter, warm but tinged with experience. "I can understand the sentiment. However, it’s not up to us to determine whether the conclusion of someone’s journey ends up being a happy one or not. What I’m trying to say is that happy endings aren’t forged by the hands of someone else, but rather by our own."
"Let me take you to a massage parlor and trust me, you’ll have a different opinion by the time you’re done," Peter blurted out, his mouth moving faster than his brain. The words hung awkwardly in the air between them.
He immediately winced, recoiling inwardly as regret washed over him the moment they left his mouth. His shoulders tensed, and he wished he could pull the sentence back.
"What?" Steve asked, completely bewildered, his expression one of pure confusion as he tried to make sense of what Peter was referring to exactly.
"Please ignore me," Peter said quickly, burying his face in his hands in embarrassment. "I talk a lot of nonsense that doesn’t mean anything half the time. Just... forget I said that."
Deciding it was best to move on and change the subject, Steve cleared his throat. "So then, what are the other things you wanted to discuss?"
"Huh?" Peter asked, momentarily caught off guard and expressing his confusion.
"You mentioned we had a lot of things to discuss," Steve reminded him, looking around at the surreal mirrored environment they were still standing in. "I doubt my complicated love history was the only thing you wanted to talk to me about."
"Right, of course... the other thing..." Peter said awkwardly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. He exhaled slowly, his entire demeanor shifting as he turned serious. Even Steve could immediately detect the change in his tone and posture.
"I really hate to do this to you, Cap, especially since it hasn’t been long since you just woke up," Peter said, standing up straighter and getting straight to the matter. "But you’ve essentially left one war only to be placed right into the middle of another one."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Steve asked, a bad premonition already forming as he studied Peter’s body language and the tone of his words .
"It means Hydra is still alive and active, even in this modern age," Peter said, watching closely as Steve’s expression morphed into one of visible shock.
Steve took a couple of steps back, his face clouded with disbelief. "No... That can’t be. It’s just not possible. I took its head the moment I sunk that plane into the Pacific Ocean. That should have been the end of them."
"It should have been," Peter said sympathetically, letting the heavy implication hang in the air for a moment. "But take one of their heads..."
"And two more shall take its place," Steve finished with a tired sigh, the familiar saying weighing on him. "Yes, I’m aware of the saying. I’ve honestly grown tired of hearing it."
Steve brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing it as if trying to ease the sudden ache of old memories resurfacing. "Still, that attack should have been the end of it. Red Skull should have been more than just the head—he should have been the heart of it all."
He paused, the next words catching in his throat. "Are you saying that what I did that day... was it all for nothing?"
"No, no, of course not," Peter replied quickly, stepping closer to bridge the small distance between them. "Your actions dealt a significant blow to them. They had to lay low and lick their wounds for years because of you. It’s what allowed this country—and the world—to develop into what it is today."
He placed a reassuring hand on Steve’s shoulder, his grip firm and steady. "Your sacrifice was not in vain. Because of what you did, the war finally came to an end. There was peace—a peace that still goes on today, even if it’s hanging by a slender thread. There are children who will grow up and grow old without ever having to experience the cruelty of war, all because of you and what you sacrificed."
Steve’s lips slowly curled into a small grin. He patted Peter’s hand gratefully. "That does make me feel a bit better. Thank you."
"Also, there’s an active museum over in Brooklyn that has an entire exhibit dedicated to you and the Howling Commandos," Peter added, motioning behind him with his thumb. "It’s there to honor everything you and your team did. After this, if you want, we can go check it out. It could be a fun experience."
"Sure, I don’t mind," Steve nodded in acceptance of the invitation. He then returned to being serious, his expression tightening once more. "Now, back to the topic of Hydra. Can you tell me more about them? What have they been doing since I was in the ice?"
Peter nodded and began sharing what he had learned and discovered over time. "For the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time gathering details. I haven’t really been able to act against them yet because of how deeply they’ve integrated themselves into our society. Hydra members are everywhere—and when I say everywhere, I mean it. They’re in the government, the military, major business corporations, and the list just keeps going."
Steve’s brows furrowed deeply, and then it clicked as he remembered Peter’s earlier caution when creating the mirrored space around them. "SHIELD has been compromised, hasn’t it?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Peter confirmed, not even bothering to deny it.
"Do you know who we can trust? Is Fury..." Steve started to ask, replaying his recent interactions with SHIELD agents in his mind as he tried to recall if anything had seemed off.
"No, Fury is safe. You can trust him and anyone within his inner circle," Peter assured him. "Although I haven’t exactly told him yet. He’s quite paranoid, and I fear he would do something drastic in order to lure them all out at once."
"Would that be such a terrible thing?" Steve asked, tilting his head in perplexity.
"Yes, because it would alert the others that we’re onto them," Peter explained. "They’d go into hiding and make it even more difficult to find and catch them. The plan to take down Hydra is a patient one. Let them believe they’re the ones in control, that they’re the smartest ones in the room. It’ll make it easier for us to anticipate their actions before they even get a chance to make them."
A subtle, determined smile formed behind Peter’s mask as he laid out the strategy.
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