High school student Elijah Bradley reads his report on the Tuskegee Experiment to his history class; he is mocked by his classmates for what is perceived as his anti-American attitude. He ends up fighting with one of his critics and is suspended. He heads home to see a white man leaving the Bradley home and zipping off on a motorcycle. Elijah thinks he recognized him and hurries inside where his grandmom tells him that the visitor came to talk to his grandfather, Isaiah Bradley, the first Captain America (see the epic miniseries THE TRUTH: RED, WHITE, AND BLACK). His grandfather is evasive about the vistor as well and Elijah muses on what it means to be a hero called The Patriot. He recalls what the famous Cap told him about patriotism: it is not blindly supporting your government but standing up for your country’s ideals and holding accountable when it fails….
That night, Patriot joins Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) and they stop by the home of Wiccan who open a magic portal for them to find Bucky Barnes. They step through into a dark building downtown where the Winter Soldier is engaged in violent combat with a M.O.D.O.C. Squad. The two Young Avengers join in and vanquish the enemy. Bucky tells them he is on the trail of the Red Skull and warns them to stay out of it before heading off. But Kate put a tracker on his bike so Patriot follows the trail, finding Bucky waiting for him at Steve Rogers’ apartment. Elijah opens up about his concerns, that since Captain America was killed, he doesn’t know the meaning of patriotism anymore. Bucky explains that Steve was committed to the American Dream and now Elijah has to live up to that legacy. Elijah asks to know more about the original Patriot, Jeff Mace….