Steve Rogers, Captain America, was born in 1918. Originally a frail young man, he had become a "super soldier" after undergoing augmentation by the United States government.
After sleeping beneath the ice for seventy years, he had recently been awakened by S.H.I.E.L.D. and was currently recovering.
However, Lin Ze knew little of this. Steve was dressed in casual sportswear, without his iconic uniform or shield. There was practically no chance of Lin Ze recognizing him.
Paimon, beside him, was even less likely to.
"As payment, you two can keep the change for running the errand."
Steve spoke gently, holding the money out toward the boy with an encouraging look.
Lin Ze looked at the amount and froze.
Even if he had no real grasp of money, he still remembered Arabic numerals. Buying breakfast would barely make a dent in a bill of that denomination. This man named Steve was clearly finding an excuse to give them money.
Still, he could hardly reject such kindness, and being hungry really did feel awful.
"Traveler, he looks like a good person. And Mr. Steve really does look tired, so let's help him out."
That was what Paimon said.
Tired?
With that strong body, those firm muscles, and all that energy, how did Steve look too tired to walk a few steps? Aside from his slightly damp hair showing that he had just exercised, there wasn't a single sign.
It was obviously an excuse.
Still, Paimon's words gave Lin Ze's useless pride a graceful way out. He couldn't even afford food; this was no time to be picky.
"All right, Mr. Steve. Please wait here. We'll be right back."
Lin Ze took the bill and carried Paimon toward the food truck.
Watching them leave, Steve's lips curved into a faint smile.
These two children were clever. They caught on with just a little hint.
Lin Ze and Paimon arrived at the food truck, one of the burger trucks commonly seen in New York.
Beef was the standard staple, but there were also chicken, cod, and other varieties, with heaps of cheese and a choice of toppings and sauces. Everything looked mouthwatering.
"Wow, Traveler, every one of them looks so tasty. Paimon wants to eat them all."
Paimon swallowed as she stared at the burgers on the counter, stars practically shining in her eyes. Looking at the various burgers displayed beside the truck, she was like a puppy spotting a meaty bone. She wanted nothing more than to leap onto the counter and take a couple of huge bites.
"Oh no, we forgot to ask what Mr. Steve likes."
Surprisingly, Paimon hadn't forgotten their main task. They were helping Mr. Steve buy breakfast, but they hadn't expected the truck to sell so many kinds of burgers. For a moment, they had no idea which to buy.
There was nothing for it. They had been entrusted with an errand and couldn't just settle for anything, so Lin Ze and Paimon went back to ask Steve what he liked before returning to the truck.
They bought Mr. Steve a chicken breast burger. Lin Ze chose beef, while Paimon chose cod, and they headed back with the food.
Lin Ze handed Steve his burger without keeping the remaining money.
"Here's your change. We used our errand fee to buy burgers. Thank you, sir."
Steve didn't refuse. He took the change and smiled.
"You're welcome. There's a stone table over there. Let's eat there."
He pointed to a clean stone table not far away.
"Okay."
Lin Ze agreed, then followed Steve over with Paimon.
The three sat at the stone table and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast.
Steve took quite a liking to the gentle, polite boy. He discreetly observed him and the little girl named Paimon. No one could resist the United States Sweetheart when he made an effort to be friendly. Both his looks and his manner were so upstanding that he was clearly the sort who would always be told what a nice guy he was. He put people completely at ease.
By the end of the meal, Steve had learned about the two children's situation.
The orphaned siblings had come to New York to find distant relatives, only to discover that those relatives had moved away long ago. They had spent all their money, leaving the two of them on the streets.
Paimon: What???
Lin Ze: Paimon, follow my lead.
Without an official identity, Lin Ze could only go against his conscience and invent a lie. To his surprise, the kindhearted Mr. Steve believed them without the slightest hesitation.
"Then do you have somewhere to stay tonight?"
Lin Ze and Paimon exchanged a glance, then shook their heads at Steve.
Lin Ze had serious complaints about their lodging situation. The bureau had managed to recreate Genshin Impact characters, so why couldn't it produce a Serenitea Pot? Then they wouldn't have to sleep on the streets.
"My apartment isn't far from here. Would you like to come stay with me today? I have two bedrooms, so you can stay for a while until you sort out your accommodations."
Steve really didn't want to see two minors spending the night outside. He strongly suspected that these two children had slept on a park bench the night before.
Although New York was reasonably safe, the boy and little girl stood out far too much. If they kept wandering around without a place to stay, sooner or later some bad person might target them.
"Really? That's wonderful! Traveler, say yes!"
Paimon's face immediately lit up when she heard that.
"The park is so cold, and the bench is so hard. If we go to Mr. Steve's home, we can sleep in beds!"
The offer genuinely tempted Lin Ze. After only a brief hesitation, he accepted.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Steve. We won't stay for free. We can work in exchange."
"I'm a pretty decent cook. If you don't mind, you can leave the cooking to me from now on."
Paimon nodded, putting in a good word for him.
"The Traveler's cooking is really delicious. Even better than this burger."
"Of course I don't mind." Steve certainly wasn't going to reject the children's goodwill.
With their arrangement settled, Steve felt relieved. He didn't want two adorable children to end up in danger.
His apartment wasn't far away. Before long, Lin Ze and Paimon followed him to an ordinary old apartment building.
Steve turned on the lights and invited them inside.
"It's a little messy in here."
He explained with a smile.
It was perfectly normal for a single man living alone to have a somewhat messy home, but Lin Ze could tell that Steve was merely being modest.
Although Steve's furnishings were simple, his home was certainly clean. Everywhere they looked, there were signs that he was a meticulous person.
"Wow, Mr. Steve, you have so many books."
Paimon was curious about the books scattered throughout the apartment. Tilting her head, she made out the title of the book closest to her.
"Modern History of the United States."
"Mr. Steve, you've collected so many old books. That's amazing."
Paimon couldn't help praising him.
"Ah, those."
Steve merely gave the girl a faint smile.
"I just wanted to learn more about, uh, history."
Those books had actually all come from S.H.I.E.L.D., to help him adapt to modern life more quickly and learn what had happened in this country since World War II. There was simply too much time he had missed.
In this new setting, Paimon grew restless. Seeing that Mr. Steve was cheerful and gentle, she no longer wanted to stay nestled in the Traveler's arms.
Lin Ze's arms had gone numb anyway, so he simply set her down.
Paimon walked unsteadily, though she had at least improved compared with before. She trailed behind Mr. Steve, curiously exploring the apartment.
"Ow!"
Thump! Paimon's foot caught on a hard object propped against the wall. Fortunately, Steve reacted quickly and caught her in time, sparing her a nasty fall.
"That hurt. Mr. Steve, what's this?"
Paimon pointed at the object that had tripped her.
It was a shield with red and white rings and a star in the center.
A flicker of panic flashed through Steve's eyes.
He put the shield away with a casual movement.
"Ah, this? It's a piece of equipment I use for my workouts."
"Oh, I see. You really do love exercising, Mr. Steve."
Paimon didn't pay it much mind, and her attention soon wandered elsewhere.
Lin Ze, however, recognized it.
*!!!*
That shape, that design.
Steve was... Captain America?!
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