SHIELD Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains

:: Heroes:

Plans for his funeral and last will set aside for the moment, both Robert and Genesis were both watching a historical documentary show on television about Captain America that evening. On days like this Robert's mind was clear and crisp.

"It's just like the media says, he could do no wrong," Genesis commented, eyes focused the screen which showed an old black and white campaign video for the war effort.

"Does it remind you of what happened back then?" Robert asked knowing Genesis had experienced something like the Captain.

The teen snorted, "Not too fondly, though." While in the past he might have liked the glorious parades, now it seemed not worth the trouble. Genesis still had a sore spot of betrayal for what ShinRa had done to him.

"I think I can understand, it's not always the truth that they spread." the old man said. He then countered, "But for the Captain, I suppose some of his stories about his personality weren't exactly exaggerations."

The comment grabbed Genesis' attention. "You mean you've met him before?"

"During my starting years as an agent," Robert said fondly. When Genesis looked puzzled by his age, the old man explained, "It was a lot easier to fake your age in those days. I was also a lot taller than my peers—an early growth spurt—when I first entered the Second World War, and they needed the smart ones to help out with America's intelligence gathering."

"So what was he like?" Genesis inquired. The former commander was curious as to just what Earth's only super soldier was like.

Robert was silent for a moment before he spoke, "Modest. Very, very modest. He had so much good in him you'd suspect he was the nicest person alive. He was also a very real person who I can imagine would never be expected to take on the sketchier works of a government agent. Steve Rogers didn't approve of playing unfair if he could help it."

To Genesis, Earth's super soldier sounded very much like a cross between Angeal and Zack's personalities.

"But the man had flaws, too," the old patient reminded him. "You see, before he got the serum he was a sickly man. And because of his condition he didn't have many friends. If I have to say so, he was socially shy at first, but grew more confident later on. It probably explained why he wasn't good with the ladies, either. In those days, the women generally had a preference for soldiers."

The last comments reminded Genesis of AVALANCHE's current leader, Cloud, before Hojo got his hands on him. He was curious about how Steve Rogers had agreed to become an experiment for a scientist. He was the first and only super soldier around on Earth officially. As far as Genesis knew, the guy volunteered to be the first.

"And what about the scientist who made him into a super soldier? If Steve Rogers was willing to volunteer, I have a feeling he wasn't just a creepy mad scientist," Genesis said, as in his mind he shuddered to think of another Hojo.

Robert thought over it, paused and said, "I can't tell you his name, but unlike what happened in your world, the professor who created the serum was a victim of war himself. As far as general intel goes, his family was killed by Schmitt, too."

"So revenge?" he asked.

Robert shook his head, "He was forced by Schmitt in the first place to make the uncompleted version of the serum, turning Schmitt into the Red Skull. The reason why we were losing to begin with was because we didn't stand a chance against him. I think the professor was trying to redeem himself, which may be why he passed on the serum to Rogers."

"So in the end, the mad scientist was Schmitt."

"Yes." Robert noticed Genesis' contemplating look as he was deep in thought. "A penny for your thoughts?"

Genesis blinked but shrugged. "I was just thinking of how things could have turned out differently if my friend Sephiroth, back then, was raised the way Steve Rogers was. He would have been more grounded."

The elder man disagreed, "That may be true, but I think any man wouldn't be quite same if they were stripped of their identity or what defined them as a person." When Genesis went deathly still, Robert knew he had hit a sore spot. "I don't think I would have lasted if I were in your condition like the degradation for nearly seven years. Even I can't comprehend how it was like for you to lose control of your emotions and most of your rational thought."

Robert meant it, too. There were times when he even realized how childish he sounded in certain arguments. There were also times when his mouth would spill out everything that he felt, but without any tact. It was like being a child again. Although it may have been frightening losing control in some ways, he expected it since he was getting older. Genesis, on the other hand, had his process of aging fast forwarded to the point where he couldn't handle the physical pain of his slowly degrading body and the psychological trauma of uncontrollable emotions at once. It wasn't something Robert would wish on anyone.

Since the former SOLDIER didn't say anything, Robert decided to drop the subject.

After Genesis ignored him for a while as they both went back paying attention to the TV, he then questioned, "Do you think he's still alive or dead?" The documentary was closing on how the plane the Captain took down with him alongside the Red Skull was never found.

"I can't really say," Robert said thoughtfully. "But it's been about sixty years. If the Captain had survived all that he'd be very old. Unless, he was preserved in the ice and the serum somehow kept him alive, which is highly unlikely. Chances are he's dead."

The redhead somewhat agreed with him. "Yet there's still a chance some people are hunting his body at the present, right?"

"There probably are those who still want to find him." the old man said with a faraway look.

The adolescent blinked, "Who might they be?"

"Those who are part of the old project," Robert answered. "They go by a different name and are a new intelligence agency with higher clearance status than the CIA or the FBI at the present. I can't remember their entire name, though. Quite a tongue twister if you ask me, but it was something like the Strategic Homeland Intervention...Logistics, Enforcement Division."

Genesis knew that was a well-kept government secret when the old man gave him the 'look' he had to take it to the grave.

"I won't tell a soul," he promised to Robert. Additionally, Genesis wasn't going to bother trying to find the correct name anyway. The name was too long for most people to remember after hearing it the first time, and he wasn't that stupid to type it into Google and search for it. The last thing he wanted was the Earth version of the Turks hunting him down.

"Still," Genesis continued as he watched the credits roll, "you think there will be heroes like Steve Rogers again in the future?"

The old man shrugged, "Who knows? But I don't think I'd mind if there are new ones if they were like Rogers. The world could use some good."

Genesis smiled and agreed with Robert as the thought of it had reminded him back to AVALANCHE. He wondered what Cloud, Vincent, Tifa, Nanaki, Cid, Yuffie, Reeve, and Barret were up to now.