Art of War

I

Sam Wilson was jogging around Washington, D.C. when Steve and Michaela quickly caught up to him,  passing him.

"On your left," Steve and Michaela said.

As Sam continued to jog, Steve and Michaela came around again after another lap and said, "On your left."

"Uh-huh, on my left," Sam replied. "Got it."

As Sam was still jogging, Steve and Michaela came around from behind again.

"Don't say it! Don't you say it!" Sam told them.

"On your left!" Steve and Michaela said.

"Come on!"

Michaela chuckled. "Yup, he's a showoff."

Sam got angry and tried to catch up to the super-soldiers, but after a few seconds, he was unable to carry on and stopped to rest.

As Sam rested, catching his breath against a tree, Steve and Michaela walked over to him.

"Need a medic?" Steve asked, pointing to Michaela. "You got a good one here."

Sam laughed. "I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you two just ran like 13 miles in 30 minutes. She's barely out of breath!"

"I guess I got a late start. She has a good exercise routine."

He hesitated a moment before taking sarcastically, "Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap. Did you just take it? I assumed you just took it."

"What unit you with?"

"58, Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA." He lifted a hand to shake. "Sam Wilson."

Steve gave Sam a hand to shake, pulling him up. "Steve Rogers."

Michaela offered her hand. "Michaela Evans. Call me Mick."

"Yeah, I kind of put that together," Sam said. "Must have freaked you two out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

"It takes some getting used to," Steve replied. "It's good to see you, Sam."

As Steve and Michaela turned to leave, Sam said, "It's your beds, right?"

"What's that?" Steve and Michaela asked.

"Your beds, they're too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground and use rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like..."

"Lying on a marshmallow," Steve finished. "Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor."

Michaela nodded. "My bed's way too soft. At least my couch is lumpy. It feels like a hospital bed, which is oddly comforting."

Sam smiled and nodded his head before Steve asked, "How long?"

"Two tours," Sam replied.

After an awkward silence, Sam asked, "You must miss the good old days, huh?"

"Well, things aren't so bad," Steve said. "Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. Mick and I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up."

Sam looked up to think and raised a finger. "Marvin Gaye, 1972, Trouble Man soundtrack. Everything you've both missed in one album."

Michaela smiled. "We'll put it on the lists."

Together, Steve and Michaela pulled out their small notebooks and pens and wrote it on the lists which included - I Love Lucy (Television); Moon Landing; Berlin Wall (Up + Down); Steve Jobs (Apple); Disco; Thai Food; Star Wars/Trek (with Star Wars crossed out); Nirvana (Band); Rocky (Rocky II?).

Steve got a text. 'Mission alert. Extraction imminent. Meet at the curb. Bring Mick. :)'

"All right, Sam, duty calls," Steve said. "Thanks for the run. If that's what you wanna call running."

The three shook hands and Sam asked, "Oh, that's how it is?"

"Oh, that's how it is."

He laughed. "Okay. Any time you two wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Michaela nodded. "As will I. Sometimes a little jealousy goes a long way."

"Okay," Sam replied.

Natasha pulled up in her car by the curb and rolled down the window and said, "Hey, fellas, ma'am. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a couple fossils."

"That's hilarious," Steve and Michaela retorted.

Steve and Michaela walked over to Natasha's car and got in.

Sam gave Natasha and her car an appreciative look before asking, "How you doing?"

"Hey," Natasha greeted.

"Can't run everywhere," Steve said.

"No, you can't," Sam replied, watching as Natasha quickly pulled away and drove off.