Compared to Gotham, New York doesn't experience rain regularly and the weather is mostly sunny, but there are a few exceptions throughout the year.
One day, before daylight, a drizzle descended upon New York.
This wasn't good news for the residents of Hell's Kitchen, as the biggest slum in Manhattan, it lacked municipal benefits. Without diligent street cleaners, the rain would only make the streets muddier. To avoid ruining their sneakers, the residents had to put on heavy rain boots.
The smell of garbage and dust was more noticeable in such weather. Shiller closed the windows on the first floor, unable to bear the smell from a few drunkards who always vomited in the alley behind his building.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang with a crisp sound. Shiller glanced at his watch. It was 6:30 in the morning, which was unusually early even for the fast-paced city of New York.
Shiller went downstairs and saw a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes, staring at the calendar on his counter.
"It seems that Natasha has really made an appointment with quite the character," Shiller remarked, "People who wake up before 7 a.m. are indeed rare these days."
The man replied, "So I'm glad that I've actually found a kindred spirit here."
Shiller took out the file Natasha had sent over last night, looked at the photo in it, then appraised the man and said, "Steve Rogers. S.H.I.E.L.D. has booked an unlimited therapy session for you. They have gone out of their way with this generosity, so it seems your problem must be quite serious."
Steve shrugged and said, "They think all problems are serious, including me running here without breakfast."
Shiller tapped the table to indicate him to sit, saying, "This decision of yours is correct. Perhaps the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents didn't tell you, but if you come at mealtime, I won't mind treating you to a meal."
Steve laughed, appearing handsome and pleasant.
Shiller made an American breakfast - toasted bread, fried bacon, two sausages, two large potato cakes, and two cups of coffee.
Steve wasn't really hungry, but the delicious smell of breakfast was irresistible. He picked up a slice of bread and asked, "Do you have any butter?"
With a certain surprise, Shiller looked at him and said, "I only have strawberry jam."
Shiller eyed him up and down and said, "You seem like an old-school type. Not many people spread butter on their bread these days."
Steve replied, "That's okay. I'm just not used to eating such sweet jam for breakfast."
"How about some of my homemade sauce then?" Shiller proposed.
Shiller took a jar and handed it to Steve.
Steve looked again at the coffee cup, which was about the size of a jar lid, and the intense espresso inside, "I'm sorry, but can I have an Americano?"
"An Americano? You could just ask for my swill," Shiller retorted.
On the other side, Natasha who was eavesdropping spoke into a walkie-talkie, "The surveillance target referred to Americano as dirty water, suspecting he may be of Italian descent..."
Steve wasn't angry. He just waved his hand and said, "Hey, it's not like that. I just think espresso is not good for the heart."
Before the words fell, Shiller had already downed two espressos and taken a big bite of chocolate. The symbiont hummed happily in his brain.
Shiller took a seat across from Steve and the two began to breakfast together.
"Initially when Nick told me to find a psychologist in a slum, I didn't understand. Isn't S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own psychologists good enough?" Steve said.
"But now, I find that the atmosphere here is much better than in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s blinding white counseling rooms."
"Compared to a consulting room, it's more of a judgment room."
"Who can judge you?" Shiller asked. "Judge Captain America?"
Steve gave a helpless smile, and said, "That's all old news now, including myself."
"I imagine S.H.I.E.L.D. also wanted you to go to their consulting rooms, but they probably knew that your problems could not be solved there."
Shiller put down his fork and said, "Did you walk here from the street outside? How do you find the place? I mean, this slum."
Steve pursed his lip and said, "I don't quite know how to put it. It's terrible, because there's no change here."
"In the era I lived in, slums were like this. Dirty and smelly drains, all full of vomit from drunkards who have drunk themselves to death. The gangsters were leaning against the corners of buildings, pockets empty of any money. Even kids were accustomed to pickpocketing and never learned good."
"Many years have passed, and this place remains the same, without any changes."
"What kind of change do you think should have occurred after decades?" Shiller asked, taking a bite of his bread.
Steve spread his hands and said: "Even if we can't eradicate the slums, we should at least reduce their size or improve living conditions."
Shiller shook his head and said: "You won the war, Captain America, you indeed defeated those fascists, we won, the war of justice has been over for many years."
"You believe that victory should bring many benefits, such as a more prosperous society and better living conditions for people. For those who suffer, you're willing to fight until the last moment, and you really did so."
Shiller lightly shook his head, saying, "Decades later, when you woke up again, you found that the world was not like this. It didn't turn out as you envisioned before your death. After removing the darkness from the world, it didn't become white but gray, a color you couldn't understand."
Steve pursed his lips in silence. Shiller said, "I know that your problem isn't as simple as SHIELD thinks. It's not about long hibernation and being out of touch with society, it's not about not using a mobile phone, or being fond of listening to the radio, or being attached to regular routines."
"As for Captain America, if he wants to learn, there is nothing in modern society he can't master."
"If he doesn't learn it, it's probably because he doesn't want to."
"You are resisting this era, unwilling to accept it, unwilling to accept the fact that the result of your hard work is not as beautiful as you expected."
Steve said bitterly, "I've tried my best. Even if the results are not good, I'm accepting them. But what makes me saddest, during the war if people weren't doing well, I would attack my enemies, defeating them at any cost. Now when people aren't doing well, I don't even know who my opponent is."
"Have you ever thought that your era has passed, so has the time when you were responsible for people. You don't have to be a war machine anymore."
"So what should I do? I should do something, right?"
Shiller said, "Captain America, you are full of sympathy, so even if I suggest you pursue your own hobbies, such as drawing some comics or doing sports, you won't let go of these people's sufferings and only care about enjoying yourself. You're not that kind of person, so I won't provide such useless advice."
"I believe the psychologist at SHIELD has told you the same thing, right? Isn't there anyone in the world who doesn't know how to enjoy life? People inherently think like this. They could take off to Hawaii for vacation if they were in your shoes since SHIELD foots the bill anyways."
"Ordinary people can't understand your excessive sympathy and sense of responsibility, and you don't have to worry about their misunderstanding."
Steve agreed deeply and felt understood finally. He complained, "They think I have many things I could do, like go to the gym, watch movies, or play video games, but what I want to do isn't anything like that. When I resist their suggestions, they think I'm just too old-fashioned and don't know how to enjoy these things."
"But perhaps you can take a different approach. Don't seek understanding from ordinary people. The world is so large. Every good person has their own time, each era has its own heroes. You can go seeking them. Only those who, like you, have saved the world or are saving the world can understand you."
Shiller said: "Moreover, the good people in this era can also have troubles. They don't live as long as you nor do they have your vast experience. They might have power but do not know how to use it. They might be passionate but lack the skills, or they may be disorganized and lack unity."
"You can go and find these people. Your era has passed, but the earth still rotates. There are still people fighting to save the world, right?"
Steve sighed and said, "I am an outdated soldier who is not ready to retire. You are right, Doctor. Now it's time for the new soldiers to enter the battlefield."
"But I'm confused. Can I really help? After all, it seems that the rules of the world now are completely different from during the war."
"There's this guy I have to introduce you to. He's a lucky kid and his experience is similar to yours. Originally, he was just a bullied nerd in school. Suddenly one day, he acquired immense power, and he started hopping up and down in the city, doing nothing serious."
"You know how dangerous it can be to suddenly gain immense power. To put it bluntly, his power continues to grow. Dozens of well-trained soldiers might not be able to defeat him."
Steve instantly became restless, saying, "Indeed, when I first underwent transformation, I couldn't control my strength and accidentally injured two medical staff. Where is he now? Which hospital is he in?"
"He is still in school currently, nearing his final exams now, and is in the process of reviewing."
"My God, how can he still be in school?"
He banged the table angrily and spoke into the listening device on the table: ""Hey, Nick, what's going on? How could you let a transformed warrior stay in school? What if he can't control his power, how many people would be hurt?"
Steve stood up, while Shiller waved at him and said, "As I said, he is a lucky guy. Unlike you, he is not a product of medical transformation, but a special mutation. His power will gradually increase, not erupt uncontrollably all at once."
"What I mean is, teens like him, you know, they're arrogant, sensitive, impulsive, yet timid. He needs someone to guide him, it's best to expose him to the cruel side of society."
Steve clenched his fists and said, "Indeed, I've encountered such green recruits before. They think they can just rush into the battlefield with their enthusiasm, but when they see bombings and grenades, they start screaming in fear. They still have a long way to go."
Shiller said: "He will probably be done with his exams tomorrow evening. He will definitely come out to wander. You can then stop him and give him a beating. Don't worry. His mutation ability is strong and can withstand a beating."
Steve even got a bit excited. This reminded him of his days on the battlefield. The young recruits, one by one, howling as they were disciplined by their squad leaders. Seeing new recruits struggle was one of the few relaxing and enjoyable times in his military career.