"A draw huh? If you say so." Captain America said as he helped pick Master Roshi off the floor.
"Didn't you young people ever get taught to never question your elders." Master Roshi said with a hardy laugh.
"We are the same age you know." Steve said as the young and fit looking man folded his arms into his chest.
"To be fair, that kind of comment does work more often than you think." Roshi said as he journeyed to where he left his cane and picked it up.
"Roshi....I think its time you caught me up to speed. What happened while I was away?" Captain America asked, finally getting around to what he was meaning to ask all day.
"I was expecting for you to ask sooner or later. How much do you know?" Master Roshi asked.
"I know about most of the important points, but I need you to fully break down what happened on Earth after Master Mutaito sealed myself and Demon King Piccolo away." Captain America answered.
"Come with me, I know the perfect place to talk. Besides, you need to visit him before we deal with the Red Skull and the rest of Hydra." Roshi said as he begun to walk away, leading the Super Soldier away from the beach.
A half a day later, at a familiar cemetery...
"This is the first time in three hundred years that I am seeing this stone. I wasn't around when the stone cutter engraved his name." Captain America said as he looked down at the grave of Bucky Barnes.
"To this day, we never found the body. After the first war, Howard Stark and Peggy Carter kept searching for his body. They finally stopped looking after so many years." Master Roshi said as he laid out a big enough cloth for the two of them and poured two glasses of tea. No doubt gifts to the Turtle Hermit from Fanfan and Turtle.
"I appreciate what they did." Steve said as he looked down at the grave. Kami damn it, his heart ached not being able to see his friends again. Bucky, Peggy, and Howard. The three of them and Roshi had stood side by side with him through the thick of it, helping Steve in their own way. He knew trapping himself with Piccolo would mean he wouldn't be able to see them again after making the decision, but it still hurt.
"Come and sit. I am sure you have a lot of questions." Roshi said, gesturing lightly to the empty space on the cloth. Nodding, Steve accepted and sat down, much on his mind.
"Let's start with the immediate aftermath of when I was ceiled in the rice cooker with Piccolo." Captain America said as he sat himself down and laid his shield by his side.
"A sad day if you could have guessed. Master Mutaito died. He didn't have the necessary energy to pull off the Evil Containment Wave and survive, much like I did. The Green Goblin was dead at the time, and we assumed the Red Skull was as well. It was just myself and Shen when Peggy and Howard saw that the dust had settled." Master Roshi confirmed.
"How did they take it? How did Peggy take it?" Steve asked.
"Not well. She never gave up hope that Piccolo would never be able to kill you, but as you know more than anyone else, it would have unlikely that you made it through. Still, you proved fate wrong as you always did." Roshi said, his face wary of knowing what he had to tell his friend next.
"And what happened to her?" Steve asked, knowing the love of his life couldn't have lived that long.
"After you were gone, she decided to distract herself by doing a lot of good. We didn't interact that often as I would have preferred. From what I heard, Peggy helped found some organization called S.H.I.E.L.D, or whatever secret mumbo jumbo it was called. Sometimes though she would check in, tell me how the search for Bucky was going. Not a day went by that she didn't miss you. She made sure she was buried with the ring you gave her." Master Roshi said.
Despite being one of the most stoic people around, Steve Rodgers couldn't help but shed a tear. Now it was confirmed that he would never be able to owe the woman of his dreams the dance he promised her....the promise he made to his fiancé.
"What about Howard?" Cap asked once he had regained his composure.
"Stark lived a much happier life since the whole war with Piccolo. For years, he tinkered with his inventions and built a company helping others in need, even mutants. He lasted longer than any of us would have expected. Died forty years ago, some punk had killed him and his wife." Roshi informed, a little more lighthearted than before, but still maintaining much of the somber mood.
"I heard it from himself that he was talking a more organic version of the herb you and Baba take to live longer. It was more effective, though as a side effect it was much more difficult to produce an offspring." Cap informed.
"Explains a lot." Master Roshi said with a strong enough hint of jealousy. "Still, after two hundred and fifty years he and Maria managed to have a kid. I suppose he is out there somewhere continuing his father's legacy, only one can only hope."
"The Stark family is full of geniuses. I am sure there is only a matter of time we see or hear from Tony." Cap said as a memory stirred in his mind, one awaken by the trial he had undergone with Darkness.
"Something just came to mind. What is it?" Roshi asked.
"There was recording device Howard gave me, the last night the Red Skull and I came to blows. He said to give it to his son in case the two of us ever met." Steve answered.
"So you intend to track this Tony Stark down and give it to him." Roshi said.
"As soon as we stop the Red Skull in taking advantage of the current power gap. Norman Osborn seems like a strong and capable leader, but being in charge of a recovering world with a fascist dictator planning to strike is no small feat." Steve informed.
"On top of that, losing his son Harry....and dealing with another dictator aside from Schmitt." Roshi said as the creases on his forehead began to fold. Rarely, Roshi was ever stressed out about anything, even when dealing with Master Shen's and Baba's antics. Steve could sense what the reason was.
"It's about time you told me about Doctor Doom. He's the Victor you mentioned earlier, isn't he?" Captain America asked.
"Tell me, you had the 'pleasure' of meeting Victor yourself. What did you think of him?" The Turtle Hermit asked as he shifted his legs a bit, perhaps out of slight discomfort.
"Doom is arrogant, egotistical, cold, calculating, and ruthless. He knows much more than he lets on." Steve told, not sure if he should say such words for a former member of the Turtle Hermit School.
"That's putting it lightly. Yes, Doom is quite capable for someone so young. Baba took him on as a student when he was a just a baby, and then she handed him over to me when he was six. Even back then, there was no innocence in that boy to vanquish. He had grown in a gifted monster, a complete master of martial arts, science and magic. He has come to risen as the ruler of Latveria and the most powerful individual on Earth, as you may have sensed. Though, deep down his reasons are noble, he wants nothing more than to rule the world, believing that he is the only one capable of bringing lasting happiness to all Earth's citizens." Master Roshi told.
"A lot of villians think that about themselves that way, believing they are the hero." Cap said.
"No, Victor knows he is playing the part of the villain and feels that he has to. He doesn't view himself as the hero, but a necessary evil." Roshi countered.
"Still, its quite absurd that Doom would think he is the only one could possibly bring happiness to Earth." Steve said with a shake of the head.
"What if I told you that it was Baba that put that idea into Victor's head?" Roshi said with stern eyes.
"Baba really said that?" Steve asked. If Baba was able to confirm it, then that would mean that such a future was indeed possible.
"With confirmation from the Ancient One and later Doctor Strange." Roshi with a nod of the head, confirming Doom's belief to be true. "Still, Doom is taking his sweet time getting around to the whole 'take over the world' stick. We have immediate matters to attend to."
"Yes, it's time we take down the Red Skull." Captain American said as he began to get up, but then noticed something particular appear on Roshi's forehead.
"Hey, hold your horses! I still have to get around to telling you about my other students. What about Gohan, Ox King, Krillin, and-" Roshi began to go on about, unaware what was going on.
"GET DOWN!!!" Captain America said as he lunged at Roshi, realizing it was a small red dot.
"WHAT IN KAMI'S NA-?!" Roshi reacted out of shock.
BANG!!!!!