After the two old comrades spoke for a while, both men, each over a hundred years old, wore somber expressions. Coulson took the opportunity to speak up. "Captain, you probably understand the situation now, right? Do you need me to go over it again...?"
Wolverine snorted. He'd never had a high opinion of organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D., but he also knew that Captain America, as a national icon, would be received far more warmly than a mutant like himself.
However, Captain America was no fool. On the contrary, Steve had always possessed a sharp emotional intelligence. He could tell at a glance that Logan and the agents didn't get along and that Logan hadn't been living well in recent years.
"Alright, forget about me. Logan, how have you been all these years? You still seem on edge."
Wolverine let out a cold grunt. "What do you expect? You know as well as I do that we mutants have never been welcome. And it's only gotten worse."
Captain America frowned slightly. He remembered the tensions between mutants and regular humans during his time. Back then, though, it had been wartime so any internal conflict was pushed aside for the sake of the larger fight. Mutants hadn't been discriminated against in the military. In fact, they'd been valued for their abilities.
"Yeah..." Captain America sighed. "If there's ever anything you need, you can come to me. By the way... where am I supposed to live now?"
He turned toward Coulson, who quickly replied, "Captain, we've arranged for you to stay in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s apartments."
Captain America's brow furrowed. Would Logan be allowed to stay somewhere like that? Logan had just said that mutants were being mistreated and Steve wasn't naive. It was obvious that government agencies were part of the reason for it.
Still, having just woken up, Steve knew little about the state of the country today. In his time, things had been rough, but there was a sense of unity and far less corruption. The situation now left him uncertain.
Shin, who had been quietly sipping coffee nearby, suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Steve could buy a place of his own~"
"Even though New York real estate is expensive, Mr. Steve has at least seventy years' worth of unpaid military salary to collect. If we calculate based on a captain's retirement benefits, it adds up to quite a bit."
In fact, Steve's rank was technically higher than Captain. He should be a colonel, having been posthumously promoted. Of course, Shin wasn't familiar with the details, and Steve himself had no idea he'd been promoted after being presumed dead.
The title "Captain America" was more of an honorary moniker anyway, one that stuck due to his heroism and cultural impact.
"Besides," Shin continued, "you wouldn't believe how many companies have used Captain America's image over the years. The licensing fees alone should be substantial."
After Steve's "death," no one had come looking for those fees. But now that he was alive, those companies would have to cough up something.
Shin estimated that each company would owe at least a few million dollars. And if they offered too little, public opinion would turn on them instantly.
One company here, another there, and when it all added up, Captain America would have somewhere between eight to ten million dollars coming his way. Even with New York prices, that was more than enough to buy a home.
Upon hearing this, Captain America gave Coulson a sharp look. Coulson swallowed nervously and nodded, clearly uncomfortable.
No matter how much the military might slash its budget, Steve Rogers' pay would never be cut. After all, the man was a living legend. And it wasn't like they were talking about an entire battalion's back pay just one person's.
That said, Coulson wasn't exactly eager to let Captain America reconnect with the military. S.H.I.E.L.D. had discovered him, after all. If Steve rejoined the army, there was no telling where he'd end up.
Technically, Steve should be retired by now. But as long as he held a rank, the military still had authority over him.
Of course, most top brass didn't actually want that responsibility. Despite Steve's modest rank on paper, who would dare give him orders? Even the generals had grown up hearing stories of his heroics.
And if he ever did return to military service, his previous merits would demand a general's rank otherwise no one would be able to justify his position.
But those upper-echelon positions were already full. Who would be willing to step aside for him?
This was one reason the military had stayed conspicuously silent when S.H.I.E.L.D. brought Steve back. Everyone was just pretending not to notice.
Coulson looked dazed for a moment, while Steve cracked a smile. He hadn't expected to wake up and find himself a millionaire.
Still, in American culture, especially even back in his time, there was no shame in having wealth if it was earned honestly. What was yours was yours. It wasn't about modesty, it was about fairness. Even among brothers, accounts were kept clear.
So Steve didn't think Shin's idea was outlandish at all. On the contrary, he turned to Coulson and said, "Well then..."
"My name's Phil Coulson, Captain! You can just call me Coulson," the agent interjected quickly.
"Alright, Mr. Coulson. Any idea what my back pay amounts to?"
Coulson did some mental math. "I'm not sure of the exact number, but seventy years of salary should be close to ten million dollars."
Ten million dollars wouldn't make him a tycoon by American standards, but it would certainly make him wealthy. More than enough to buy property even in the most expensive parts of New York.
"Great! Then I'll go buy a house later!" Captain America said decisively.
He'd always been a man of action. The only reason he had accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s arrangements in the original timeline was because he'd been disoriented adrift in a future he didn't understand, with no ties to the world around him.
After seventy years of sleep, nearly everyone he'd once known was gone. Peggy Carter was the only one left and even she was suffering from advanced Alzheimer's. No matter how resolute Steve was, facing such a situation left anyone feeling lost.
Back then, S.H.I.E.L.D. had seemed like the closest thing to the army he once served. So he'd followed their lead.
But now, things were different. He'd found another comrade. His bond with Logan might not be as deep as the one he shared with Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, but it still felt far more genuine than anything he had with S.H.I.E.L.D.
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