mtl008 Chapter 3705 The Age of Mercury (25)
Chapter 3705 The Age of Mercury (25)
Chapter 3705 The Age of Mercury (Twenty-Five)
This might be a little unexpected. Eddie gently rubbed the area below his nose with his fingers and said, "I found an old photo in military files declassified nearly 20 years ago."
After saying that, he handed his gift box to Steve. Steve untied the ribbon and then froze. He saw a photograph that also seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him.
This is a group photo, and everyone in it is a young man in military uniform, probably more than half a company. He and Peggy are in it, but back then he wasn't such a strong cyborg; he was just a greenhorn who had just joined the army. He had almost forgotten what he looked like back then.
Photography technology wasn't very advanced back then, and most old photos are blurry, but the one he had was remarkably clear. So clear that Steve could almost instantly match the person in the photo with someone from his memory, recalling what they had done and what stories existed between them.
"Did you repair this photo?" Steve asked.
"Yes. I have to admit it was a bit difficult. The photos themselves were blurry, and the version released by the military was even more compressed. I adjusted each pixel individually after zooming in. The result is pretty good, isn't it?"
Steve's expression was complex and full of emotion, but he still hugged Eddie and said, "Thank you for doing all this for me."
Just as he was about to put the photo away, he noticed a phone number on the back. Eddie continued, "Very fortunately, one of these people, like you, survived the war and lived to be 100. I managed to find this person's address and phone number and called him in advance. He said he'd like to talk to you."
Steve's eyes lit up. He looked at the photo and asked, "Who is it? Who's still alive today? Is it Big Bill? Or Randy, the one who likes to wear green boots?"
“His name is Ethan Horbydick, he’s the guy in the picture.” Eddie pointed him out and said, “He said he was your roommate for a while.”
“Oh my god, it’s this guy.” Steve chuckled helplessly and said, “He’s my bunkmate, and he’s been punished with handstands countless times for not polishing his shoes properly. So, is this his phone number?”
“That’s right. He has a few minor health issues, but he’s generally healthy. His wife is two years older than him, but she’s still alive. They’re currently living in a nursing home in Wisconsin, and their youngest great-granddaughter was born this year.”
Steve quickly took out his phone and dialed the number.
"Hey! It's me, El! Can you still recognize my voice?"
"My God! It really is you, you really...you really called?! I thought that guy who called me the other day was lying to me...God, how could I not recognize your voice? You're the one who wakes us up every time we do our housekeeping inspection. I'll never forget your voice..."
Steve slapped his knee and laughed. He chatted with his old comrade for a while and made a promise to visit him in Wisconsin after his birthday, which would also be a good opportunity to celebrate his great-granddaughter's birthday.
Steve was initially a little sad when he received the photo, but now he was completely overjoyed. He excitedly patted the armrest of the sofa and said, "I never thought that any of my old buddies from back then would still be alive. You don't know, back then I wasn't the popular Captain America at all. On the contrary, my four enlistment applications were rejected, and I wouldn't have gotten into the army if they hadn't been short-handed in the end."
"But people were very simple back then. Everyone joined the army because they wanted to serve their country. In the barracks, no one bullied me; on the contrary, everyone helped me. Although the training period in the barracks was very tiring, it was probably the second best time of my life..."
“What was the best thing?” Eddie asked. “Let me guess, was it after Rogers was born?”
Steve smiled and nodded, then exclaimed sincerely, "This gift is absolutely wonderful. I really didn't expect to have the chance to chat with my old friends again. Actually, after I came back, I asked Nick how his group from back then was doing, but he didn't tell me anything."
“I have to explain this,” Nick sighed. “Most of the people under my command are dead. Even if I told you, all you could do was visit their graves. And the military is extremely secretive about your human modifications; they would never tell me the details. If it weren’t for the expiration date, they wouldn’t have released this photo, much less let you know that there are still surviving comrades.”
“I completely understand you,” Steve said, patting him on the shoulder. “I know many survivors haven’t been treated well. The military is worried that if I go to them, learn some truths from them, and then turn against them. I guess they didn’t expect that one of them happens to be 100 years old. I’ll definitely have a good talk with him when I go there. It’s never too late to take back what’s rightfully yours.”
“Eddie, I have to thank you for giving me this opportunity.” Steve turned to Eddie and said, “I might have to ask you for a favor, because I’m not good at this myself. Could you help me find the whereabouts of my comrades from back then? Even if they’re all dead, finding their descendants would be helpful.”
“I will do my best,” Eddie said.
Then it was Wanda and Jarvis's turn, sitting next to Eddie. Wanda clearly seemed a little insecure. She and Jarvis exchanged a glance, and she stuck out her tongue, saying, "I thought everyone would just bring some ordinary gifts, so I only prepared something very basic..."
Steve was about to comfort her when Wanda waved her hand, and a huge box, over two meters long, wide, and high, landed in the center of the base's lobby. Everyone stared in disbelief at the enormous gift box.
“I remember you complained before that baby products are not only expensive, but also of inconsistent quality. And since Tommy has allergies, many baby products we buy have to be thrown away after one use if we have an allergic reaction. So I specially prepared this.”
Wanda walked over and knocked on the box. Just like in the animation, the lid of the gift box popped open and disappeared, followed by the collapse of the surrounding walls. Whoosh—countless baby products rushed out like a tsunami, burying the people walking towards the box.
"I prepared all the baby and toddler products that Tommy will need from 16 weeks to 6 years old, and I disassembled each one with my own abilities, removed any potentially allergenic or harmful substances, and then put them back in their original state. There is absolutely no possibility of any allergies, and the quality is all up to standard. I did the same thing when I took care of my two sons, and I guarantee there won't be any problems!"
"My God." Steve couldn't help but exclaim in genuine amazement. Leaving aside how Scarlet Witch used her powers to modify the goods, the sheer quantity of these baby products was astonishing. Steve casually picked up a pack of diapers and discovered they were the kind of brand-name products sold in supermarkets—definitely not cheap. And here, just these diapers alone could form a small mountain. It would be enough for his son, or even for a second child.
Carter, with some effort, dug himself out of the sea of diapers, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and said, "You shouldn't be called Scarlet Witch, you should be called Mother Goddess! You've really been a great help!"
After saying that, she excitedly rushed over and kissed Wanda, then winked at Steve. Steve also went over and hugged Wanda. Wanda gave a bright smile, then pointed at Jarvis and said, "Don't forget him, he's the one who paid for it."
The two hugged Jarvis again. Wanda tidied up the living room, put everything back in the box, and then delivered the box to Steve's house. She also used magic to organize all their belongings and put them in the nursery and storage room.
“I’ve never envied a wizard so much,” Carter exclaimed sincerely. “This is true magic!”
“You have no idea how expensive it is to raise a child. Wanda has really helped me a lot,” Steve said.
Schiller did the math in his head. The Rogers really were among the lowest-paid people in their group. They were basically paid by S.H.I.E.L.D. While S.H.I.E.L.D. salaries weren't low and there were some employee benefits, it only allowed them to be considered middle class at best.
Their family's main source of income was actually the money Steve earned from participating in various government propaganda activities as Captain America. This money allowed them to live a wealthy and comfortable life in Manhattan.
Of course, the premise is not having children. Once a child is born, no amount of money will be enough. Carter's delivery was not easy; the baby had to stay in an incubator for a while, and even with insurance, it almost depleted their entire savings. The reason Steve is worried about baby products is that he needs to consider cost-effectiveness—he can't afford the expensive ones, and the cheap ones aren't good enough, so he can only pick and choose in the middle, spending time and energy to distinguish between good and bad in order to reduce expenses.
Moreover, as new parents with busy work schedules, even with their best efforts in selecting products, they inevitably end up wasting money. This has resulted in their current financial situation being quite tight. If it weren't for the company that represents the Captain America character paying the latest quarterly royalties, they would have had to ask S.H.I.E.L.D. for an advance on their salaries.
Wanda's newborn baby supplies gift set perfectly solved a major pain point in their lives. Actually, the money was secondary; the allergies were the real problem. Solving that issue was a huge help.
Wanda pulled Katla aside and began explaining how to use some newborn supplies. Steve then looked at Peter. Peter snapped his fingers and said, "Look what I brought you, Captain. It's a real surprise!"
Steve took the box from Peter, opened it, and exclaimed in surprise. He took the contents out and unfolded them, revealing a brand-new Captain America costume.
“This was made by Gwen and me using the most advanced nanotechnology in the world. You can try it on; I guarantee it will be better than you imagine.”
As the only person who had actually touched the uniform, Steve seemed to have noticed something different. He took the uniform to the back to change, and when he came out, his mouth was agape as he exclaimed, "This is amazing! I can't even feel the clothes. It's like... it's like I'm not wearing a uniform at all..."
“That’s not all,” Peter said with a smile. He handed over his phone, pointed to the screen, and said, “Look at this, you can choose the style yourself, like choosing a game skin. From now on, you can wear just this one outfit for all occasions…”
Steve took it and looked at it, then said in even greater surprise, "Wait, why are there shirts and dress pants too? Can this uniform be turned into casual wear?"
“That’s right!” Peter nodded and said, “It’s a nanotechnology. By arranging nanomaterials differently, it can create the texture of different clothes. Even if you look at it up close or touch it, there will be no flaws. It can make a piece of clothing perfectly meet all your daily needs.”
(End of this chapter)