Ota's Calculations

Wakanda State Guesthouse.

Bucky no longer had to hide. He was staying openly at the State Guesthouse, with Peggy Carter beside him as they caught up on old times.

Come to think of it, ever since they had reunited, they had barely had a chance to reminisce.

First, there had been a fight.

Then they had fled to the German airport. Who had time for anything else?

After the Civil War, he had returned to Wakanda and gone into cryogenic sleep.

By the time he woke up, Peggy Carter had long since left Wakanda. She only returned when the war began, followed by another life-and-death battle. Once the fighting ended, they had to pour their energy into cleaning up the postwar mess.

Only now had they managed to carve out a little free time.

"Bucky, why don't you give it a try?" Peggy Carter asked curiously.

"Me?" Bucky gave a dry laugh and shook his head. "I know my own limits. I definitely don't possess the Four Virtues, so I won't go embarrass myself. You, on the other hand, have a pretty good chance. Why aren't you going?"

Peggy Carter lowered her head and took a sip of coffee. "I want too many things, so I won't go disturb them any further. Besides, there won't be many chances for me to fight personally in the future. Maybe... heh, so why compete for an inheritance?"

"You're quite open-minded. Tell me, why do you think Steve... went?"

After a brief silence, Peggy Carter smiled. "Because he was unwilling to accept it? You know Steve has a strong competitive streak."

"Heh, perhaps..." Bucky smiled.

During World War II, Steve had been determined to enlist and prove himself, even though his physical condition clearly did not qualify him. Whether he had wanted to prove