Captain America was not inside the manor being used as headquarters; instead, he was waiting by the front entrance for Batman and his group to arrive.
"Came at just the right time?" Iron Man wasn't wearing his armor. Dressed in a casual suit and wearing a pair of red sunglasses, he asked, "Cap, what happened?"
Captain America glanced at Thor and Iron Man, hesitating as if he wanted to speak but held back. Clearly, what he was about to say wasn't something he wanted anyone other than the two of them to hear.
"Tony, take Robin and Thor inside first. I'll be in shortly," Batman said to Iron Man.
"OK." Though curious, Iron Man wasn't thick-skinned enough to linger and pry.
This manor shared a similar layout to the Osborn Estate—both were surrounded by a sprawling expanse of woods and lawns, with the main house situated in the middle of the grounds, a large garden by the front entrance, and a man-made lake off to the side.
Captain America and Batman stood beside the garden. After locking eyes for a few seconds, Cap spoke first:
"Batman, is the Tesseract you took from the Adirondack Mountains base still in your hands?"
"It is," Batman replied, his expression unchanging.
He had guessed that Captain America would set his sights on the Tesseract. Batman had already decided that if Cap demanded he hand over the cube, he wouldn't mind putting the man behind bars first.
However, Captain America's reaction had nothing to do with the worst-case scenario Batman had reflexively anticipated. Instead, Cap looked exceptionally grave, lowering his voice:
"Good."
"I need you to promise me that no one—and I mean no one—will ever take it from you."
Seeing that Batman remained silent, though his eyes bore a clear trace of doubt, Captain America explained:
"I was asleep for seventy years. The U.S. government is no longer the one I used to know, S.H.I.E.L.D. is equally chaotic, the Avengers are divided, and Hydra will inevitably return sooner or later."
"The Tesseract is only safest in your hands."
Having said this, Captain America didn't even wait for Batman's response before immediately bringing up another matter:
"I've noticed that Jack Monroe seems a bit off. He looks optimistic on the surface, but inside, I'm afraid he's already plunged into immense torment."
"Can you tell me what happened to him before?"
Batman looked at Captain America:
"Is this what you wanted to talk about?"
Captain America nodded, without a single trace of jest on his face.
He hadn't used his status in the Avengers to pressure Batman into handing over the Tesseract, nor did he bring up their brief confrontation at the Adirondack Mountains base.
Instead, aside from the Tesseract, the second thing he cared about was Jack Monroe.
Batman couldn't help but give Captain America a serious look:
"In fact, I came to find you for Jack Monroe as well."
Captain America re-evaluated Batman in turn. It was his first time realizing that a guy like this—expressionless and speaking as hard as stone—could actually care about someone else:
"I only know he went through some hardships, but what were they, exactly?"
Batman recounted to Captain America the same story he had told the New Goblin.
After listening to Jack Monroe's past, Captain America didn't say a word. He simply shoved his hands into his pockets and silently turned to walk toward the edge of the man-made lake.
Batman joined him at the lakeside. The two stood side by side, staring in silence at the ripples whipped up on the water by the wind.
It wasn't until ten-plus minutes later that Captain America finally spoke:
"Back when I was with the Howling Commandos, some soldiers suffered psychological issues after coming off the battlefield. I used to be quite good at handling those kinds of problems."
"But given what Jack Monroe has been through, I'm afraid it'll be hard to counsel him using the methods I used for war veterans. Do you have any ideas?"
Rather than answering directly, Batman asked a question of his own:
"Do you know why he calls himself the second Bucky?"
"Because Bucky is his idol," Captain America said.
"More than that. His idolization of Bucky stems from the family pressure Jack Monroe faced during his childhood," Batman said.
When he first met Jack Monroe, Batman had already deduced his family situation, and subsequent investigations made everything crystal clear:
"His childhood wasn't easy. His father was a Nazi sympathizer. Though Jack Monroe accidentally exposed him after World War II had already ended, he still suffered relentless bullying throughout his childhood and nearly lost both of his parents."
"In Jack Monroe's heart, there is a primal hatred for Hydra and the Nazis. To him, you and Bucky don't just represent justice; you represent a bright, righteous new world—the exact opposite of his own dark past."
Captain America stared at the lake and asked:
"Jack Monroe is a good person, right?"
"He is a good person," Batman replied with complete certainty in his tone.
Captain America let out a sigh:
"I knew the real Bucky. He had anger, impulse, and the authentic flaws a human being should have. But Jack Monroe doesn't."
"I tried communicating with him before today, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break through his defenses. He keeps his inner self guarded so fiercely that no one can get close."
This problem wasn't a difficult one for Batman; he had come today specifically with a solution in mind:
"I once encountered a few children whose circumstances were similar to Jack Monroe's. To varying degrees, they had all suffered all kinds of misfortunes... You can't heal him through psychological counseling."
"So knowing full well that he needs help, we're just supposed to do nothing?" Captain America asked in confusion. "Leave him alone? Wait for him to break down one day? Batman, we can't do that."
"I have never left anyone to fend for themselves, but my experience tells me that attempting therapy in this situation is the absolute worst choice," Batman said.
"I don't understand," Captain America said.
"You don't need to understand, Cap," Batman replied.
Naturally, he couldn't tell Captain America that those children were the Robins from his former world, nor was Batman going to explain too much. He simply told Captain America what to do:
"Trust me, Cap. All you need to do is keep Jack Monroe by your side and treat him as your former partner, Bucky."
"You know the serum Jack Monroe was injected with isn't the same as mine. It's hard to guarantee he'll remain stable like this forever. Sooner or later, he might lose control just like the other soldiers who took the serum," Captain America said. "Treating him as Bucky... if that actually works."
"Which is why I need him to be ready to face himself before the worst happens," Batman said. "I want to save him even more than you do, Cap."
Captain America stared at Batman for a long time before speaking slowly:
"I can tell from your words that you are far more human than I imagined, Batman."
"Thank you," Batman uttered coolly.
--
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