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They ask Steve to lead the Pledge at the memorial service for the Battle of Manhattan, and of course he agrees. It’s a simple thing, and unlike so many other things they could’ve asked him to do, it doesn’t feel too much like his dancing monkey days.
The day of is a little bleak, grey clouds hanging over the city and threatening rain, but it doesn’t stop the platform outside Grand Central from being raised, nor the crowds from gathering. There’s the Star Spangled Banner, sung by the ingenue of the week, and a lengthy moment of silence, and an opening speech from the mayor (the President gets the honor of the penultimate speech). And then the band plays the opening lines of Star Spangled Man, and Steve stands, blushing a little, or maybe it’s just the cold wind blowing down the high-rise canyons.
"Will you say the Pledge with me?" he says into the microphone, voice booming unnaturally loud.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America," he starts, softer than his query but still just as arresting, and the crowd falls into rhythm swiftly. "And to the Republic for which it stands — one nation indivi—" and he falters, because the crowd is no longer with him, adding words he doesn’t remember being there, and he stops, but nobody even seems to notice.
Later (days later, really, and Tony tells him he should be happy that they waited out of deference to the lives lost), the newshounds have a field day about Captain America forgetting the words to the Pledge. Steve doesn’t say a word, just grits his teeth and thinks of the ways the world has changed.