Captain's Vigilante • Steve Rogers

Epilogue

It's been a year since that happened, but it felt like a millennia. The avengers were successful. It did take a lot to get those children back to where they were, a great number ending up in orphanages. Just the therapy bill for all those children was a large enough number but Tony told everyone it was mandatory and worth every penny he spent. Then there was the little problem of having to explain to the world governments as to why did the Avengers have about two hundred kids in custody. It was also a real struggle to hide the parts about [Y/N].

It would've been easy if they could've just handed over [Y/N]'s file and blamed it all on her. She was dead, she wasn't going to suffer any consequences. It would get them off the hook, but they didn't. It just felt wrong. If they did that, it would destroy the memory of her. It would bring her to the light and everything she's done and the avengers knew better than anyone else that everyone would focus on the bad. They wouldn't care if [Y/N] literally sacrificed her life. They'd care about all the mistakes she's done. 

But then again, it was an option. It would save them so much explanation and get the government off their back somehow but in the end, the decision fell on Steve whose choice was no surprise. Steve knew [Y/N] would've never approved of letting anyone know about her, especially the authorities. So [Y/N] remained a secret to everyone, even in death. Only the Avengers and the people she had helped held her memory.

The loss of [Y/N] took a toil on everyone. Suddenly, now that they all knew everything about that woman and as to why she was fighting, it was like they somehow felt they should've helped her in the beginning. It's true she's done despicable things but now with context, they felt wrong.

[Y/N] was just fighting. She was always fighting for her survival, for her future, for her past. She may have led herself herself to a dark path but her purpose lived through her actions. In the end, [Y/N] did what was right, even if it cost her her life. And that was what Steve wanted everyone to know and what he wanted to remember.  

Obviously, the one who took the most damage after everything was no other than Steve. What could they expect? This was the person who lost the love of his life and had to tell the children she left behind the next day about it. Due to his decision of keeping [Y/N] a secret, he couldn't even give her a proper burial, didn't even find her body. Steve was broken. He changed. Everyone anticipated that. They just didn't know that it would take him this long.

Steve mourned for [Y/N]. After the first week, no one could talk to him. They tried to reach out to him, giving him every help they could offer but he denied everything. It was so hard to help when the person you're helping didn't think it was possible.

Steve had developed this habit early into the mourning. He kept to his room in the morning, crying his eyes out until it was deep into the night. He'd come out when everyone was asleep and drown himself in Tony's liquor, wishing it still worked on him. This continued on, even when Steve would always retreat back to his room before anyone could see him, also adding Tony's endless inventory, everyone still knew.

Everyone gave Steve enough space and slowly he got better, under the circumstances that is. He was never the same. Steve became more brooding, keeping mostly to himself. No one can pull him out of it.

Steve also developed these sort of episodes where he'd just go missing on days end. The first time he did, everyone freaked out. The worst of the worst we're going in their minds. They went into panic, checking every place Steve could've went, until a certain thought popped into Bucky's head. They went to [Y/N]'s abandoned apartment, only to find Steve curled up on her bed.