Captain America's eyebrows knitted deeply, if it was not due to mutants, then it was likely linked to the recent mutation event among the residents of San Francisco.
He initially thought that the change amongst the residents was only in their appearance, but if super soldiers could be created, then the nature of the situation would be different.
Captain America immediately grabbed his shield, and said to Bruce, "Come with me; it's not safe here. We should talk somewhere else."
Bruce followed Captain America to an underground base. It was empty and looked abandoned, only some old posters on the wall hinted at its former bustling past.
"This was once the base of the Avengers. We've moved out now, but I think this represents a part of our past," Captain America said as he looked around.
"Who do you think is behind this?" Bruce asked.
Captain America hesitated visibly, but he shook his head and said, "We cannot be sure at the moment, but we must keep you safe."
Even Bruce could tell, Captain America definitely had suspects in mind, just that he didn't want to say it, or even believe it himself.
"Do you think this is a good thing?" Bruce asked.
Captain America then sat down on a chair against the wall, placed his hands on his lap, and said, "Perhaps you consider yourself lucky? You did nothing but suddenly possessed a perfect appearance and tremendous strength. Actually, I've been through all these."
"You would think I am being hypocritical, that I benefited from genetic modification and yet strongly oppose others from gaining the same benefits, or that I became selfish, uncomfortable with others becoming better after improving myself."
Captain America then looked at Bruce and asked, "What do you think the relationship between ability and responsibility is?"
Bruce sat next to him, fiddled with some old playing cards on the table, and said, "I have some responsibilities that I must bear, but mostly for myself. A person needs to take responsibility for their own life, so I decided to do something."
"Along the way, I often felt that my abilities were too limited, and I was able to do too little. I frequently fantasized about how much I would be able to do once I became more powerful."
Captain America sat silently, watching Bruce, listening to him speak. He could deeply resonate with him, as it reminded him of his past self before the Super Soldier Serum was injected.
From Bruce's performance, Captain America could see that Bruce's abilities were gained from training, indicating that he probably wasn't lying—his physique was one he built himself.
But usually, a handsome and robust individual doesn't need so much strength to take responsibility for their life, so why did Bruce feel his own weakness?
"The stronger sense of responsibility one has, the more power they want to gain," Bruce concluded. He said, "But power has no limits, no matter how strong you are, there are always things you cannot do, responsibilities you can't hold."
These were Bruce's heartfelt words. He went through this process of realization in Battleworld, when he saw how strong the other Batmans were, he naturally wanted to become as strong. But then he discovered that even though Batman was powerful, it almost didn't make a difference to the situation in Gotham, which was the extreme manifestation of the limits of human power.
"I believe that if a person first has strong responsibility and then gains power, they almost certainly won't lose control. The strong sense of responsibility will guide them to use their power to fulfill their responsibilities," he said.
As he reminisced, Captain America continued, "When I was lying on the operating table, I was prepared to sacrifice my life for my country. Although the outcome was good, my beliefs and courage before it was achieved were real."
"But if a person gains power first without a corresponding sense of responsibility, what will happen? What if a group of people?"
Captain America looked at Bruce and said.
Bruce immediately understood what Captain America was worried about. At this moment, he could only admit that Captain America's concerns were reasonable because he had a better understanding of super criminals.
When it came to Gotham, everyone would always remember a few well-known madmen, although they were born mad. However, Gotham had nearly ten million people, and these born madmen could be counted on two hands.
In theory, if there was only such a small number of born mad men, they would indeed be swallowed up in the vast sea of people and wouldn't be so conspicuous. Even if they were crazier or more creative, they wouldn't cause a city to decay.
The backbone of crime in Gotham was formed by those ordinary people who inexplicably mutated, acquired extraordinary powers, and vast knowledge.
When Bruce was in Battleworld, he heard some arguments about the irreparable nature of Gotham. Although it was not very clear, Bruce guessed that the extraordinarily high mutation rate in Gothamites was no coincidence.
They gained strength and insanity from the mutations, however, they chose to use their power to commit crime. Perhaps some people were forced, but the vast majority didn't know what else their power would be good for, so they decided to indulge themselves.
Captain America said, "Since the prevalence of neoliberalism, the discourse on freedom has completely undermined that of responsibility. Everybody feels not responsible for this world."
"Because there will always be responsible people to take care of the mess created by irresponsible people, they feel they are forever living in a stable environment, they think there is nothing wrong with neoliberalism, even considering it shameful to use their abilities to take up responsibility."
"Now the worst has happened: those who don't understand how to be responsible, and have no desire to do so, have gained greater power. Ordinary people who choose to take on responsibilities will no longer be able to defeat them."
Captain America rose from his seat, staring at his shield on the table, and said, "Unless they can have more Captain Americas, this is destined to be the beginning of the end."
Bruce looked up at him, and Captain America reached out his hand, saying, "I didn't expect you to think this way, but I'm glad that you do. Chaos will soon erupt, and I need your strength."
Bruce looked into his eyes for a moment before standing up, their hands clenching together.
"Perhaps my power has increased, but I am still far from adequate," he said with a slight sigh, "considering the situation I am facing."
"You are already strong and firm, I have nothing to teach you." Captain America said, looking into Bruce's eyes, "But I can pass on to you a word from a friend of mine—With great power comes great responsibility."
Off-screen, Shiller covered his face.
"Now I get how Captain America died."