Lost And Found

[Deleted]

Steve figured he should be a little more specific. "A mascot. Baseball teams have a mascot to represent their teams. I meant that you represent the country, because I'm sure you can't be an actual country. You can certainly represent it though." the captain spoke, hoping his question was a bit more clear now. He put his hands in his pockets to keep them out of the cold wind's wrath as he thought about what Liechtenstein said next.

Mr. America? Perhaps there was another American mascot? That's when it hit Steve. He remembered that there were several different universes coming together. "I think we're thinking of two different guys. It's hard to explain or understand, but people from several universes are being brought here to Chicago. See, where I come from, the mascot from America is me. I'm Captain America. Some universes have heard of me, others haven't. I think this is one of those cases where our universes aren't connected."

[Deleted]

The female just nodded in reply, now understanding what Steve finally meant. "Oh, I see. I-I guess, that's what I am." She spoke, tone uncertain. She herself, still didn't fully understand to what Steve was going with originally, but ultimately she didn't put much thought into it.

What Steve said next fully, got her attention. The concept of everyone here coming from alternate realities. "Oh, so you a different version of my America?" Lili asked Steve, her tone growing more interested. "W-well, at least it explains a-lot." She thought, before her gaze went back at the man.

[Deleted]

Things were starting to get confusing in this universe. From what Steve could understand, in another universe there was a mascot for every country. Or at least America, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. It was mind boggling for Cap to comprehend it. Universes that probably had doppelgangers would most likely start showing up. Steve's blue gaze went from where he was going to look at Liechtenstein and answer her question.

"I'd assume so. What's this America guy like?" Steve said, wondering just how similar he was to America. Were they pretty similar, or on completely opposite ends of a spectrum? Hearing about this guy would help Captain America figure it out.

[Deleted]

The Germanic country thought about what Steve had said, what her world's interpretation of America was like. Well, in all honesty, there plenty of words to describe the character that he was. Lili smiled before she spoke. "Well, America. He's always energetic, and loves talking. I once heard him from me and my Bruder's house." She gave herself a small laugh at the thought of the boisterous nation.

"Bruder thinks he's too noisy and should mind his business. But, I really don't mind him, I actually find him to be pretty cool." She finished, falling silent before recalling the most important detail about him. "Oh yeah, and he's loves fast food. Especially hamburgers." She glanced at Steve, smiling, only to have another wind cause her to cross her arms to her chest to fight the frozen air.

[Deleted]

Fast food. Loud. Energetic. That didn't sound too similar to Captain America. Sure, Steve was loud when he needed to be, but he was a pretty calm person. "I don't remember the last time I had a hamburger, to be honest." Steve said with a chuckle. He'd been in top shape for the military. A trip to a fast-food restaurant might hurt that shape he was in. But after hearing about fast-food, it did make him want some.

Another gust of wind? It was winter in the Windy City, but that didn't make the harsh wind very convenient. He figured he was probably going to get a nice, bright pink windburn stuck on his face for a while. He blinked his bright blue eyes rapidly thanks to the wind. He was starting to feel nothing but cold on his nose. The thought of warm food crossed his mind, thanks to the mention of fast-food. Even better than food would be a piping hot beverage. "You want to go find some coffee, or just a hot drink? That might be a better way to warm up than walking around."

[Deleted]

With the constant wind that numbed her face and limbs, the sound of warm beverages was more than mere music to the female's ears. "Y-yes, that would be nice, danke." She told Steve as they continued to walk. The thoughts of coffee and hot chocolate reminded her of home. Despite his status as an anti-social gun fanatic, Switzerland did make some of the best chocolate she had ever had. Those days of peaceful picnics with just him and her, now just a forgotten memory in the past.

Saddened by the idea, she soon found herself growing curious of Steve's own past. He did do some questioning of her past, so surely it wouldn't hurt to ask about his, right? "U-uh, I hope I'm not being rude, but w-where do you come from?" She asked, before piping up again. "If w-we all come from different universes, w-what's yours l-like?" She asked rather timidly, regretting what she said instantly upon speaking.

[Deleted]

"I got enough cash for a couple cups of Joe. I saw a coffee stand not too far off from here." Steve said, crinkling his nose to make sure there was still some feeling in it. He began walking in the general direction he remembered passing it by, icy blue gaze towards the ground. The thought of a warm beverage was more than enough inspiration to get him to keep walking in the cold winds. The blonde heard a question that he was reluctant to answer. He didn't like to think too much about his past. It often brought back some painful memories. Maybe talking about it would help him, though.

"Me? I come from Brooklyn in my universe. I grew up on the streets. I was a sickly, thin, short guy. I had to survive getting bullied. If I go walking around Brooklyn today, I can still count how many alleys I got beaten up in. It was World War II, and I wanted to fight for my country. I tried enlisting for the army, but I got rejected. Too small, too thin, and asthma alone kept me from being accepted in the army. Then, my life changed. I met a doctor who had a serum that could change me. He could make me the perfect soldier. I was eligible for the serum. I was taller, bigger, stronger. I was the perfect face for America. I became a walking advertisement until I rescued my buddy and a few other soldiers." Bucky. It was awful to think about watching him fall to his death. Steve shook his head, focusing back on his life.

"I was an icon. I hurt bad people because they were just bullies. I still can't stand a bully to this day." Steve had to pause for a moment. He stared at the ground just thinking about what he was going to say next. "It was... in the 40's when everything changed. I had to fly this large ship. I couldn't control it. I crashed. I was frozen for 70 years. I wake up, and it's a whole new world. My universe used to be the simple, old-fashioned style of life. Now, it's all flash and style. Everyone seems to be about style now. Cell phones, computers, bright lights. Everything I ever cared about is gone."

Steve briefly glanced up just to make sure he was going the right way. "That's what my universe was like. It's probably going to be a really long time if I ever see it again."

[Deleted]

Lili listened to Steve's story, growing even more guilty about asking as he got into more depth about it. "I should've never asked." She told herself in German as she kept her ears peeled. "O-oh, I'm sorry to here." She replied, Teal eyes glancing downwards. "And I'm sorry that I asked." She whispered in a low voice to herself. Her mind then wandered elsewhere to her own rough past before meeting Swiss, surely it couldn't have been as rough as her own, could it?

"If, it makes y-you feel better, mine life wasn't exactly easy when I first started off either." She spoke up, beginning to wonder if this cafe was nearby, possibly catching a glimpse of it.

[Deleted]

Steve noticed how he might have gone a little too in-depth with his story. But hey, if she was going to be staying with the Critic, someone else in the army probably would have told her. Knowing Tony was there, he probably would have told her. Or maybe one of the other members who happened to recognize him would have mentioned it. It was best that Steve told his own story. "No, it's fine. I've come to grips with it. I'm a soldier. I can deal with loss. You learn you have to." Steve said in response to Lili's apology. He heard her say that her life wasn't too easy either. He wasn't sure if he should look into it or not.

Glancing upwards, Steve spotted the café. Just a little further now. "There's the place. You want to tell me what your universe was like over a cup of coffee? Or whatever other beverages they have." Steve wasn't used to the modern day café. Things were simple back when you just got a coffee. Now you could add in hundreds of flavors, pick what kind of milk you want, and choose from a variety of cup colors. Alright, maybe the last one was stretching it a bit, but it still wasn't what Steve was used to.

[Deleted]

In response to what Steve had to say, Lili just simply nodded. "Oh, o-okay." She responded as she continued to walk, thinking over of what Steve had to say. Though, she may have never experienced losses, she couldn't imagine the pain of loosing a close comrade, or how she would come to grips with it herself. Regardless, it was a hard thought.

The Germanic country then noticed that they were at the cafe that Steve was talking about. After hearing what he had to say, she nodded. "Uh sure." She didn't mind talking about her reality, but she didn't feel compelled to say no either. She continued to walk until she found herself at the entrance.

[Deleted]

Steve was glad that they reached the cafe. The warm atmosphere and sweet aromas were a welcome friend in comparison to the bitter cold winds flailing about outside. Taking in a deep breath of the sugary smells, Steve had known what he wanted right off the bat. Just straight black coffee. No fancy sugar and whip cream, just straight black coffee. Old-fashioned, a bit like himself. Baby blue eyes fluttered over to Liechtenstein as he held the entrance door open for her.

"Have any ideas on what you want?" Steve asked, wondering what the young country would want to order. A simple beverage, one with a little flair, or one that just went too far. Steve had seen some pretty crazy coffee combinations in his modern world days. Probably because this day and age was all flash to him. Old-fashioned was typically looked poorly upon, wasn't it?

[Deleted]

The gingerly stepped into the warmth of the cafe. "Danke." She said timidly, looking back at Steve, waiting for him to come like an uncertain young child. Thinking about the man's question, she put thought into what she wanted to order. What did she want to order? "What would bruder want me to have?" She asked herself. Normally in situations such as this, she would've turned to Basch for an answer. Though since it seemed that she was the only one who ended up in this reality. She had look to herself for that.

Lili continued to walk a little bit more before replying. "Maybe a hot chocolate." She replied, remembering what she usually ordered. "I know my bruder would want me to have it." She finished walking ahead towards front counter so they could place their order.

[Deleted]

Steve let the door shut behind him, now fully wrapped up in the feeling of the café. Now beside Liechtenstein once again, he listened to her request for hot chocolate. Easy enough to remember for Steve. She said her brother would want her to have it. At least, Steve assumed that was what 'bruder' meant. Steve didn't have any siblings, or really anyone he was super close to. Not anymore, at the very least.

"Hot chocolate? Got it." Steve responded. Now he was up at the front counter. A young cashier was behind, awaiting an order. There was no line. A handful of people sat at tables, but nobody really significant that stood out to Steve. "Black coffee for me, and hot chocola-"

"Sizes, sir. I need sizes." came the swift interruption from the cashier, who mockingly pointed to the sizes available. He glanced at said sizes and sighed.

"Medium for both beverages." The cashier punched in some numbers, looking ever so bored during the time. An amount came up, causing Steve to reach into his back pocket and fish out his wallet, pulling out a few dollar bills. Quickly, he handed over the cash. The cashier gave him an irritated look while two clearly far more ecstatic women had gotten to work on the beverages. It wasn't long before Steve received the drinks. "Let's go." Steve said, handing Liechtenstein her respective beverage. He'd rather endure the cold than that cashier.

[Deleted]

Lili stood by Steve as he ordered for the both of them. In regards to the cashier who physically couldn't have been much older then herself, his action was rather..well rude. "Well, that definetly wasn't very nice." She thought, angered by this. If only she was more assertive and spoke her mind like her brother. Only if.

Instead, the Germanic girl found herself taking the warm of cup of chocolate from Steve's grasp. Glaring at him for a bit as he walked away, before glancing back at the sour cashier. And much like the man, she wasn't every found of him. The cashier then shot her a bit of a dirty look before she got a clue and decided to follow Steve.

"Uh, where are we going now?" She asked, following the latter wherever he went.

[Deleted]

Steve had to think about that question. Where were they going to go now? The captain took a sip of his hot beverage, figuring it might get his thoughts going. Taking a moment to swallow, he thought for a moment. He stopped walking to process his thoughts. "We could go over to the army's house and make sure you can stay there for shelter. Unless you want to do some exploring before then and get familiar with the area." Steve said in response. The brisk wind wasn't too great outside, so the sooner they went back indoors, the better. Steve took a second to apply military tactics into real-life. At least, they seemed like military tactics to the captain.

"We could walk all the way to the house and be done with looking around, or we could look around and go inside a few stores. Or malls. Or buildings in general. The latter requires a little more walking and going in and out constantly. The former is just walking and going in the wind without going in and out." he realized he was thinking outloud, and looked back to the younger country. "What would you prefer? Getting shelter set up, or getting familiar with the area?"