Chapter 65: Building America
Chapter 65: Building America
You can read 70 chapters in advance and GOT fic on /misterimmortal.
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By the end of his song, multiple images and stories had appeared in the minds of those who heard him. Even the strongest of hearts could not help but feel for the lost lives in this bloody battle.
Hector allowed them to take a breath before speaking, "War does not show who won and who lost, for war is a loss for the human race as a whole. We fight each other, we enslave each other, bring down all cruelty known to mankind to each other.
"But I saw it there, on those battlefields. Be it a white, a black, a yellow, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist or even children... they fought side by side, for one thing, peace and humanity.
"Now, the war is over, the devils are dead, so it's my humble request to the world, let's not forget this humanity anymore. We don't need any more devils, we need angels. And I see an angel in each of you, because if you could fight together against an army of devils, then we can fight against our inner demons. Let's not let those seven deadly sins enter our minds, let's be the role models for the generations to come, together, let's build a place we all can proudly call home."
He silently nodded his head at the crowd and walked off the podium and then straight out of the building. Claps did shroud the Congress hall for the next 3 minutes, but he didn't care.
...
The very next day, at a burial ground in New York, dozens of people had gathered to pay respects to Captain(Colonel) America and General Phillips.
The two coffins were lowered into the grave. But only one had a body, the other empty. Despite their best hopes and efforts, they could not find out where the plane had crashed. Hence, Steve's body was missing. What was not missing was a sad-looking Agent Carter.
It was strange how rain starts dropping as soon as someone important dies. Hector walked beside her and covered her with an umbrella. "He was a brave man,"
But Hector was honestly more sad for Phillips. The man was not supposed to die normally. But again, it was due to the same butterfly effect that he saved millions of lives by ending the war early.
"Yes, he was, Mr President. Sir, can I continue working for the SSR?" She inquired.
"Of course, it's going to need a new Director. Phillips was supposed to be here, but fate does what's decided. Your first task is to gain a name. I have trapped hundreds of Nazi officers in Argentina, Brazil and a few more South American nations. Go and arrest them. Once you return, we will take on the Council of Nine, a secret organisation of rich businessmen who control the market. They caused the 1920 market crash." Hector revealed to her some details that would divert her mind from Steve's death.
She nodded stiffly, "I will get back to work tomorrow, sir. For today, let me relive the memories of my husband. Our union was short, but it was the most memorable time for me."
Hector patted her shoulder and handed her the umbrella. When he walked away, a Secret Service personnel quickly brought another umbrella.
...
"Son, you will have to study hard now, you keep getting good marks and I will keep training you in controlling your powers, okay?" He talked to Eric, aka future Magneto.
Eric was grateful to Hector for bringing him along and giving him a new life. The images of the war had not disappeared from his mind but he was doing well now.
"Yes, Mr Washington," he nodded and focused on the book. He was 14 years old currently, but his education was left behind and had to study harder.
"WOOOF Wo..." Moony barked at Eric for some reason. The boy faced Hector, hoping for a translation.
"Haha, this fluffy boy is telling you to call me dad, because I adopted you. No Moony, don't force people to do that. And besides, I'm too old to be a dad. Grandpa maybe? Damn, I'm ancient." He rubbed his chin, caressing his white beard and feeling bad about his virginity.
Eric smiled at Moony. Yes, he was legally adopted by Hector. He didn't know why, the old man had only said "It's a cruel world, especially for those with gifts."
As Eric studied, Hector sat down in his office and started to go through the letters. The one, in particular, he felt interested in, was from some guy in Byberry Mental Hospital.
[Mr President,
I write this letter with the courage of not only mine but three more friends. We four were conscientious objectors and hence were sent here to help the nation by caring for the sick.
But what we have seen here is worse than humane. Thousands spend their days often for weeks at a stretch locked in devices euphemistically called 'restraints': thick leather handcuffs, great canvas camisoles, 'muffs,' 'mitts,' wristlets, locks and straps and restraining sheets. Hundreds are confined in 'lodges' bare, bed-less rooms reeking with filth and faeces by day lit only through half-inch holes in steel-plated windows, by night merely black tombs in which the cries of the insane echo.
Due to understaffing, there is an extremely low ratio of orderlies to patients at the Byberry mental hospital. Because of this, residents are often left unbathed and naked. Housekeeping fell behind, bedding was unwashed, and floors were sticky with urine. Instead of tending to the patients, staff put them in four-point restraints sometimes for months and even years at a time.
Patients are here heavily sedated at all times. When we run out of supplies to sedate the patients, they use wet towels to strangle their necks until they pass out. One died as his eyes popped out. Women patients are r*ped here, sometimes even thrown at male patients.
Things here are devilishly bad, sir. Men who get caught and fired get the same job in another mental hospital a mile away. I have attached photos of some horrors as proof. Please do something about this."
Hector looked at the images. They were full of people sitting or standing naked in filthy rooms. This was unacceptable, it reminded him of the views from the concentration camp.
Wasting no time, he called for his modified helicopter, the first of its kind to be used as official transport for the president. He then headed straight to Philadelphia on a surprise visit to this mental hospital.
He informed nobody as he knew corruption was rampant in this era. This was a reminder to him that the United States was not yet a developed nation.
...
He entered the building and checked the conditions. True, as the letters said, people were here being treated like worse than animals. The hallway was full of naked people, the floor smothered with urine.
Photos were immediately taken to be circulated across the nation. This is something every American should know. That they must be careful, little Hitlers could be hiding anywhere.
He quickly fired the director, doctors and major bully staff of the hospital. Criminal cases were filed against them. But they were to keep working under strict supervision until new staff arrived.
This led to Hector passing the Mental Health Act, which caused mental health problems to be seen as any other physical disease. This meant that insurance must now also cover mental health problems.
Such was his job. He worked 7 days a week, 20 hours a day. His image was that of an unwavering and just leader. He oversaw the trials of Hitler and his plebs. About 89% of all convicted war criminals were sentenced to death. It was a much higher ratio than the original world. He didn't go easy on the Japanese side either, by the end of trials, most Japanese Generals and famous officers were hanged till death.
But then a weird letter came for him. It was from the famous comedian actor/director, Buster Keaton. It asked for permission and a request for the President to act in one of his latest films. A short 3-minute cameo.
~Haha, I can't miss this opportunity.~ so he agreed.
In a week, the shooting of Buster Keaton's new movie, "Lost In White House" started. It was a comedy movie with not many dialogues but instead situational comedy. The synopsis was simple. Buster as MC will get lost in the White House as a visitor. He will run away from the Marines, hide or fool people. Then in the end he will end up hiding under the oval office table. Hector, a giant man, would come and lift Buster, a short man, by his head, saying, "Whose child is this? Secretary, bring me a cradle."
The movie ends with Buster being tucked into a cradle by Hector and a pacifier put into his face.
It only took 10 minutes of his time to complete this role. He took the money paid to him and gave it away to a genuine orphanage. When the movie was launched, people went to the theatre multiple times to just see his role.
His time was spent doing various other things. He continued his Smart America programme to change people's thoughts. The main focus, however, was to promote critical thinking and reduce the love for conspiracy theories.
According to this campaign, the first major thing he did was prove tobacco companies were committing a crime by advertising their cigarettes as healthy items by making doctors endorse them. He then fined these companies to hell. The world was pretty shocked when even scientists started saying that smoking tobacco can cause cancer.
His popularity, which was already sky-high, started reaching the point where people saw him as if he was the king. Then, just a year later, in shame and regret, the entire Congress submitted a public joint apology to the President of the United States for the congressional hearing and baseless slandering that occurred against him regarding the matter of using national funds to save people in Europe.
Shocking even Hector, some people's charity organisations of millions of war veterans, Jews, coloured people and some more started gathering donations and bought back all the ancestral land Hector sold. They came to the White House to hand him the deed.
That was the moment he realised that he had been completely successful in his role as the President. He brought a change for the better. He brought people together.
[A/N: 10 years time-skip incoming.]
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