Soren stood quietly, observing him.
The angelic figure that was pure white like a deity, extended a hand clad in a white glove and gently said, "It will hurt if you continue like this."
Soren pulled Bucky Barnes's fist out of the wall and calmly wiped the brick dust off his glove.
Soren remembered that this very hand had once held soft black fabric and had wiped a smudge of dust from Steve Rogers's face.
This arm was not just a cold weapon; it also had the ability to touch and comfort a comrade's face.
Bucky tried to pull his iron arm away from Soren's grip but found that the white glove was so strong that he couldn't move at all.
Soren sighed.
"Go see him," Soren said slowly, "Just like when you first woke up, he'll be confused. He'll be happy to see an old friend when he wakes up. You don't need to make him go through the helplessness you experienced."
"After all, only you and he share those memories."
Soren then, almost like a magic trick, pulled out a set of old military uniforms from behind.
When Bucky saw his old uniform, the storm in his eyes seemed to intensify.
"I found this old uniform in SHIELD's old warehouse one day," Soren said cheerfully and handing the uniform to Bucky, "See if it still fits. Wear it and go see him."
Bucky tightly clutched the familiar old uniform.
The old dream from seventy years ago, along with the storms of those years, was embraced once again.
He looked at the white angel before him, and his eyes finally lost their previous heaviness.
It was as if he had suddenly found light and hope to move forward.
...He would wear this uniform to see someone he was meant to meet when he was seventeen.
Steve Rogers woke up several months later.
In his coma, he seemed to hear some voices.
A boy's clear voice drifted in and out of his ears.
He tried to open his eyes to see, but he couldn't move.
He could only feel a warm, soft hand touching his fingertips, lightly brushing over them.
It was like a clear spring, gently flowing into his palm.
But the voice soon faded away, and the boy seemed to leave his side.
After that, he fell back into a deep, endless sleep.
When he woke up, he found himself lying on a green metal bed.
The calendar at the head of the bed showed the date as December 28, 1945.
A radio was playing an interview with Greta Garbo, and the yellow fan above was creaking and spinning.
With golden lashes slightly lowered, he looked at the new white sheets beside him, his palm facing up, loosely making a fist.
He sat up in bed, his deep and determined eyes focusing on the yellowing calendar on the bedside table.
Just then, his door opened, and a woman in military green walked in.
She closed the door, looked surprised for a moment, and then smiled, saying, "Captain, you're awake."
Steve Rogers looked at the woman and asked, "Where am I?"
"New York City Veteran's Hospital," the woman said with a smile as she moved closer to him.
However, Steve immediately stood up and asked again in a deep voice, "Where exactly am I?"
The woman looked puzzled and was about to speak when Steve cut in, "It's December 28th, but the military uniform you're wearing was outdated 43 years ago."
He took a step closer, focusing on her slightly nervous face, "Now, tell me, where am I?"
"Steve,"
The door opened again, and a tall, handsome young man in a military uniform appeared in the doorway.
He had a square jaw and smooth skin, with brown hair covered by a military cap.
His eyes had a naturally affectionate look, with wide, downturned eyelids.
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking steadily at Steve Rogers.
Steve was stunned.
In that moment, seventy years seemed to vanish like a dream.
...
For some unknown reason, the people of Metropolis had developed a habit.
They would occasionally look up at the sky, and many people would sit beneath the Daily Planet building just to catch a glimpse of a red cape man flying across the blue sky.
Whenever Metropolitans talked about Superman, their faces would light up with the same pride and confidence.
Yes, they even gave him a new name—Superman.
They said he was the guardian of Metropolis City, the Man of Tomorrow.
Every day, the superman would soar across the skies of Metropolis.
He who looked as handsome as Apollo in a reporter's camera lens, would always be the first one to appear when the people in the Metropolis needed him.
He fought crime, prevented accidents, saved people, and even rescued every kitten stuck in a tree.
All the cats in Metropolis had been spoiled by Superman.
The cats gradually started refusing to come down from the trees on their own.
They would often stay perched on the branches, flaunting their privilege, meowing and purring, waiting for the superman to appear before them.
The sun-loved hero would gently pick up a kitten stuck in a tree and lovingly place it on the ground.
The people of Metropolis took great pride in this.
—Look, this is Metropolis, this is their city's superhero.
Unlike that dark knight from Gotham, who only shows up in the shadows, their hero shines in the sunlight and soars above the clouds.
Their hero of tomorrow is bathed in sunlight and flies above the sky.
A photo of Superman lifting the fallen golden globe from the Daily Planet building was on the front page of the newspaper, taking up the entire headline.
[ Superman, The Man of Tomorrow How far can he go? ]
The bold headline, written by "Luis Lane," detailed an interview between her and Superman.
Through Luis Lane's sharp pen, Superman made a formal introduction to the world.
On this day, the whole world turned its eyes to Superman.