Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Exposition

“...calm your horses, Cap, it's not like I'm calling you a liar!”

“You just said you didn't believe me!”

“I said, I believe what you just told us to be rather unlikely and expressed my concern about your physical health, just as a good team mate does, and that's what you want us to be, right?”

“You asked him if he hit his head too hard, Tony,” Bruce chimed in, burrowed in Tony's favorite plaid blanket (that perfectly fit with the general style of the apartment, thank you, Pepper!), zipping his tea and radiating pure exhaustion.

He had been so quiet in the last half an hour or so, that Tony had almost forgotten he was still in the room with them, them being the overpowered strays Fury insisted in calling The Avengers. After the disastrous escape of Loki, Tony's minor heart attack, Fury's fury (ha!) and Pepper's tearful-slash-angry call, Tony had just waved them into the elevator with them, forgone the penthouse that still had a hole for a wall and led them into one of the guest floors.

Barton had instantly taken upon plundering the fridge that for some mystery reason was full stocked, same for the cabinets, and Nathalie – Natasha now – and him had filled the kitchen island with bowls of snacks, fruits and vegetables (whatever menace bought those anyway?). The shawarma had been ordered in, and after everyone regained at least some little bit of energy, the mighty Captain America had surprised them all with the tale of his fever dream.

Because: “Come on, really? Loki came back, after hardly escaping, just to mock you by taking on your form, and then beat you?! Besides him overpowering big, blond and bulky here, no misplaced praise but he surely would have been smarter than that! As soon as he saw a chance, he fucked off to Thor knows where, probably to the other end of that Ygdrassil-tree-thingy!”

“Loki cannot travel the branches of Ygdrassil, for even though he holds magic strong enough, it is guarded constantly. He would only risk immediate discovery by Heimdall.”

Thor explained with such pure intent of teaching, innocent in a way even the God of Fertility could be, that Tony couldn't bear it to explain his sarcasm. Even his legendary mockery had some limits, okay? Besides, the last days had gotten him to question his beliefs on a scary level, and if there really was some divine being judging peoples every actions, irritating the God of fucking Thunder would probably not give him any Brownie Points.

“While your basic statement is indeed true, namely that my brother, no matter how fond of antics he is, is too witty to risk his freedom like that. He probably was sated by his former mockery in the penthouse.”

Cap actually pouted at the memory, this was the best day of Tony's life.

Sure, Loki was entirely bonkers, but that had been hilarious! The small twitching at Nathali-Natasha's mouth suggested that he was not the only one enlightened by the small act.

“If you don't believe me, I am sure there would be some videos your robot collects of the tower!”

The Captain kept eye-contact as if that alone would prove his words true.

“Jarvis is not a robot but an Artificial Intelligence, but don't you worry, I know the new tech can be confusing for the elder population. J, would you?”

“Of course Sir”, came the instant answer, and while Rogers growled, the TV came alive showing the bridge 5 floors above the atrium on level 31, and focused in on one Steve Rogers – that for some reason was carrying Loki's scepter.

“The fuck, Rogers?”, Barton muttered, not very loud though, because who dared to loudly voice any criticism if it was about the Dear Captain?

Tony was just about to comment on how the scepter probably fucked with Rogers' mind, when – as a matter of fact – a second blue-white-and-red-clad person appeared, seemingly the real one, since the other was for some reason wearing a modified, more subtle version of the costume. Tony liked that one better, less flashy. Maybe he could copy some of the design, the Kevlar appeared to be very advanced, at least 3 times as thin as the common one but still seemed to reflect force the same way “Original Rogers'” did. Maybe he could -

Tony was pulled out of his musings by the incipient fight between the two Captains, and wasn't that a sight to behold. Their technique was almost alike, though the “Other Cap” fought more dirty, but at the same time seemed to be holding back.

Rogers- real Rogers, whatever, Geez!- stood no chance and soon lay knocked out on the glass floor, Other Cap looking down on him for a few seconds and then leaving, but not before-

“Did Other-You just comment on your ass?!”

Barton's mouth hung half open, a half-munched carrot visible (yuck!). But Tony could understand the sentiment, because What?!

Tony expected Rogers not to be the blushing virgin the public liked to think him to be, - he had been in the army for Christ's sake! - but he still was from the forties, right? Whoever was inhabiting that clone-soldier obviously wasn't so timid to appreciate the male body, unlike the Real Rogers whose blush almost rivaled the red on his shield.

“It does sound like Loki to me”, Romanov (there, that was better) stated, raising an eyebrow towards Thor, who just shook his head. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Jarvis chimed in:

“I am not detecting magic of any kind. Of course my readings only compare to what magic has already been performed in my presence, but since Mr. Odinson's brother has already once taken on Captain Roger's form, I can say with a 99,97% certainty that this was no spell that in any way resembled his magic.”

Rogers watched the floor when he quietly said “He knew stuff. Personal stuff.” He suddenly looked very tired. Tony almost felt sorry for him.

“Can you elaborate?”, Bruce asked with that calm and kind voice of his.

“It doesn't matter”, Rogers said. “Whoever that was, he probably studied us or at least me, my life. And he tried to use it against me, and it worked. We will have to be on the watch.”

He then straightened, pulled back his shoulders, and suddenly was The Captain again.

“The debrief at shield has been delayed until tomorrow afternoon, considering the unplanned events, there is need to regroup, and for some of us to heal some.”

The brief glances towards Bruce and Tony where noted but not commented.

Rogers turned towards the elevator, throwing a look behind him towards Barton and Romanov, like he expected them to follow him.

He probably did, now that Tony thought of it, all three of them were SHIELD after all, they would return to base and their quarters. For a second Tony wondered – but no.

Thor and Bruce had nowhere to go though, so after Rogers and the two spies had left, Tony just walked towards the sleeping quarters, motioning them to follow.

“You can bunk here as long as you like, gotta share this floor with me though until the penthouse has been put back into shape, sorry.” Still, make yourself at home, I'm gonna pass out in a few minutes and would prefer doing that on a padded area.”

“You are very generous, dear friend Stark!” Thor smiled his royal smile, patted Tony's shoulder and almost made him buckle under the force, and walked into the first bedroom on the left.

Bruce seemed uncomfortable but was seemingly too tired to properly wonder about intruding, and after a shy nod towards Tony took the second room on the right.

Tony looked after him for a few seconds. It was nice knowing he wouldn't be alone, he guessed. Pepper would arrive in the morning and until then, it was calming to know a God and an Angry Genius to be close. They both had nothing on Pepper when it came to protecting Tony, though. So instead of going up to the penthouse and review the damage, Tony decided to to her a favor and actually try and sleep.

The previous fight had made him tired enough that he didn't even have the energy to worry about dreams, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

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Miles away in the SHIELD headquarters in New York, Steve Rogers was not blessed with such easy sleep. He had been tossing around on his too small cot for about 5 hours now, mulling over three little words his Doppelgänger had mumbled into his ear.

Bucky. Is. Alive.

It obviously had been a tactic to divert him, many people nowadays appeared to know about his and Bucky's friendship – because people nowadays knew about him.

Here, he was only Captain America. Whoever had known Steve was long gone.

Bucky had never been shy to call him out on his shit back in the days, when his hot headed nature had gotten the best of him, and that had not changed with the serum, if only, it had made it worse. . He had constantly whined about how the “Little Steve” would have been “much easier to handle” and how “his head was still to big”. Steve missed him so much it hurt.

Luckily, he was not Tony-Stark-famous, and people in the streets rarely recognized him – so far. That likely would change now after the Chitauri.

If there even was the tiniest chance that Bucky... but no. Steve had seen him fall. Bucky was gone. The guy on the bridge had just used his old wounds to distract him, and succeeded in it too.

Steve would not allow that to happen again. He had to stay focused, the world was much bigger now than in his days, and Loki was still on the run. Though he doubted they would be able to catch him, if he really left the planet. They had to focus on whoever had stolen the scepter, and impersonated him when doing so.

Stark's robo- Alternate Intelligence had not detected magic, so could the mask have been of human, scientific creation? Who knew what wonders the tech of these days could manage.

Steve's head felt like it would explode from all the confusion, from the lack of anything solid, safe.

To himself, he could admit that he was scared shitless by this new time, and thankful as hell to at least be allowed to fight again. That he knew how to do, at last. But didn't that make him a bad person per se? Needing the fight? Longing for reason, direction, would he ever find that without violence involved and lives at stake? But what else, who else did he have here?

The team had worked good together, especially him and Romanov – the woman that sometimes reminded him of Peggy but also could probably kill him with a teaspoon.

Stark had been surprisingly adaptable in working with the team, questioned his orders but followed them if he saw them fit. After his behavior on the helicarrier, Steve had expected him to be more... difficult.

But he had flown that missile into space without a second thought, with a self-evidence that bordered on self destructive – one that Howard never would have evinced.

Howard had been all about self-preservation while Stark- Tony, had not even blinked before putting himself in harm's way protecting others, be it to restart the helicarrier's rotors or that kamikaze mission that basically saved Manhattan.

The World security counsel had sent that thing. Steve still couldn't believe it. Who could he trust in this strange new world if not an organization whose sole purpose it was to protect?

Tony Stark seemed to be a good start, and the rest of the team – the camaraderie of battles fought together was familiar from his time with the Howlies and irreplaceable.

Maybe he could built something here. Something to hold onto.

He had to try. Because Bucky was gone.

The stabbing pain was almost physical, and suddenly, Steve couldn't bear to spend one more minute in this enclosed little room, he needed air.

He hurriedly put on his running gear and almost stumbled out if the building. Run, he had to run. Had to remember that he still could.

In 177A Bleecker Street, the Sorceress Supreme sat in front of the Eye of Agamoto, and sighed deeply. Again. She knew that with handing over the time stone the course of time would change fundamentally – but she had not anticipated, how fast, how heavy those changes would happen. Every future she now could see was clouded over, like hidden by milky glass – none was certain. Their new guest one floor down talked in his sleep – a constant bubbling of astrophysiks, antrophology and human history. His arrival had shaken her to the core. For the first time in centuries, the Sorceress Supreme was at her wit's end – and she really didn't like it.

Tony was wakened from a rock being thrown at him. When his eyes had blinked away the sleep and the weight on him seemed to spot a red ponytail and Louboutins, he realized said rock was actually Pepper, that had thrown herself on him and was now crying into his neck. He hugged her close and let her cry it out. After she had calmed some, he soothingly petted her hair, stroked her skinny shoulders - had she lost weight? No wonder with what he put her through.

“Shh, it's alright, I'm here, Pep. I got you”, he whispered, and pressed a kiss behind her ear, only for her to start pounding on his chest.

“You! Could! Have! DIED!!!! What. Where. You. Thinking?!?!”

“Nothing much, you know me”, he tried to joke, but one glance from her and he shut up.

“Tony, why? Why does it always have to be you?”

“Because I am much smarter than the rest of them?”

That at least got him a teary eyed smile.

“And it will not happen again, you know me, I learn from my mistakes, I'm already designing a parachute that could carry the suit in my head, still wondering about the coloring though, red, gold, something else entirely? This is a tough decision, Pepper, don't look at me like that, and also, have you seen the uniforms of Cap and the deadly twins? How can SHIELD let them run around like that, and I really need to invent some Hulk-proof pants because, really, that guy even gives me complexes, and-”

The rest got stifled by a kiss and Pepper climbing on top of him again, this time seemingly with other intent, though.

“How about you focus on your own safety first before becoming the fashion designer of “Superhero today”?”, Pepper whispered while opening the buttons of his shirt. “For very selfish reasons I'd like to have this body unharmed and full working.”

“Full working, huh? Why, you selfish, selfish thing, Pep, why don't you give it a test drive yourself?”

He was answered with a slap to the arm and his shirt being shoved off.

Hours later, he left Pepper who had fallen asleep in his favorite band shirt, and took the elevator up to what was left of the penthouse. It was a mess, nothing to palliate the destruction. No regard for personal property, those Asgardians. Rude!

He was in the middle of getting the plumbing back to work that Jarvis interrupted him:

“Sir, I am very sorry to disturb your very creative cursing, but I have been reviewing yesterday's surveillance records of the tower.”

“Now why would you do that, J?”, Tony sighed, and heaved himself off the floor under the sink to take a zip of coffee. Gotten cold, why did the universe hate him so much?

“I was trying to find records of Captain Rogers' impersonator, maybe catch him in the act of transforming. I have footage of him entering and leaving the tower, never showing any sign of not being who he was posing to be. His walking manners match those of Captain Rogers precisely. But that is not the most concerning matter, Sir.”

“Of course it's not.” Tony felt a hundred years old as he sank down to the floor, coffee pot brewing him a new fix, and started sorting through various pieces of shrapnel, stone, cables and whatever else lay scattered on his floor. Some of it might still be usable.

“There are records of two other intruders, one of them matching a certain Scott Lang that is reportedly detained in the San Quentin State Prison of San Francisco, and I have footage of him being there at the very same time he was recorded to be in the tower. The version intruding here also appears to have the ability to shrink to the size of an insect.”

Yeah, sure, why not. Wait, what?!

While reporting this, Jarvis played the according footage for Tony, also zooming in when the shrinking actually happened, and -”What the hell?!?!”

“As you see, the third intruder masked himself as you, Sir. I am very sorry.”

The piece of hard drive fell from Tony's hand and he disbelievingly watched as his clone, (whatever) watched him, himself,( by Thor was this complicated,) having a heart attack after the Mini-Man disappeared inside him!

“I need a drink”, he said, but not able to move yet.

“It is 11a.m., Sir”, came the reply, like that was a notable fact. After a few deep breaths, he got up to the the thankfully still intact bar, refilling his cup with freshly brewed coffee and added double the amount of whiskey that was socially acceptable.

“What happened?” he asked himself. If he was honest with himself (and God, how he hated that), he had never really believed Rogers to have lost his mind, and after the footage seen yesterday, he had wanted to believe that it really had been Loki, even though he gladly argued against it, just for the sake of upsetting The Capsicle. But no magic had been traced, and the thought of someone having the tech for pulling off that scared him awfully. It was another experience when that uncommon tech was used to form his very own face. It felt like a violation of sort. Had Rogers felt like that yesterday? If yes, he better checked on the walking flag.

“J, locate Spangles for me, would'ya?”, he said, zipping his very Irish coffee and his mind going thousand miles a minute.

“There have been multiple posts on social that show the Captain running in Central Park, however the security feed of the Central Park Zoo shows him now close to the wolves' pen, and he appears to be in distress.”

The feed showed the Captain sitting on a rock with his head in his hands, breathing heavily.

“Dear God”, Tony muttered, while striding over to the landing pad. He still was wearing the bracelets for MARK 42 and was up in the air heading to Central Park in seconds, and down in front of Rogers before he even thought of what to say.

Rogers must have been in quite a state because he didn't even look up at the sound of the suit's repulsors.

Gladly, it was a weekday and the zoo was almost deserted.

“Oh Captain, my Captain, who dared kill a puppy in front of you?” Sometimes Tony wanted to slap himself, but Rogers at least looked up and seemed to be waking from deep sleep, nervous confusion spreading on his features.

“Someone killed a puppy?” He sounded so young, it broke Tony's heart. A little.

“No one killed a puppy. I'm just joking, you know me. What got you here? No metaphorical wolves out there to fight so you decided to check on the literal ones?”

Rogers looked around as if just now realizing where he was.

“Oh. No. I mean, I just wanted a break from – uh- running, and I haven't been here since I was a child...” He drifted of, a forlorn glance at his surroundings. “Some of it looks the same, the main layout, but we didn't have that many food and souvenir sellers. Or so many kinds of exotic animals.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Tony almost missed the self-righteousness, he didn't know how to be nice to that guy!

“Anyway, I was just passing over, and wondered if you wanted to check out some of the gear I'm planning, you know, for you guys. I mean, not that Dad didn't do his best with that shield, but I'm thinking gloves that let you carry it without occupying your hands, just straps on it, and I am working on a new type of Kevlar...” He shut up at Rogers confused but kind smile. Kind. Huh.

“I think straps would be very useful, Mr. Stark, but you don't have to do that, I am sure SHIELD will provide me with-” “SHIELD gets all their good stuff from me anyway”, Tony interrupted.

“Also, I figured you wanted to debrief with Thor and Bruce, too, the latter isn't really fond of entering SHIELD facilities as you probably understand, no wait, you don't, doesn't matter, he will tell you later. And I could use some help with the heavy lifting while rebuilding, not that Thor is not willing, I bet he is, but how do you ask a literal God if he could please hold that door for you, you know?”

Rogers just looked at him, likely not having understood half of what Tony just said, Gosh, it was tiring when people couldn't keep up, but curse of the genius, not their fault.

Still, there was also the main reason Tony wanted to talk to Rogers, in private, not at SHIELD.

“I, uhm, may also have new Intel on your, er-, impersonator from yesterday”, he said quietly.

At that, Rogers' eyes widened and he was suddenly so focused as if he didn't just have a panic attack (because who were they kidding, but Tony wouldn't say anything, not his fucking business) in the middle of Central Park.

“What kind of Intel?” There, the command in his voice, Tony immediately wanted to be defiant, but no, not the place or time, he had grown up some up, okay?

So he just answered “Not here” and motioned over his shoulder. “Come back to the Tower with me? I'll show you.” For a second it looked like Rogers would demand answers here and now, but he had been in somewhat secret operations with the Howlies, and therefor understood the need for discretion.

He nodded and said “I'll be there in half an hour, I need to shower and change.”

“Okey dokey!” Tony let his face plate shut and took off, Rogers looking after him for a few seconds (not that Tony checked).

Now he only had to explain to Pepper why half of the newly formed Avengers would be at his tower (had he even told her about that? Shit.), and that not only the trouble was not over but had apparently just begun. Great.

Chapter Text

The Asset was woken with the usual hissing of the Cyro chamber and by being sprayed with warm water. It probably wasn't actually warm, but but not as cold as ice so it felt pleasant.

The Asset liked the warmth, be it actual or subjective, but it was gone too soon, and he was given clothes, sustenance and then was brought to the lab. The Asset wondered if they would delete him again, it were the same scientists from the last time he had been awake, so likely not so much time had passed. They sometimes omitted the rewriting of his brain if the time between missions had not been too long, and if the matter was urgent. It seemed to be like that, since the scientists around him kept whispering nervously among themselves, everyone in the room being tense. The Asset detected two higher hydra officers in one corner, and more security personnel than usual.

After his arm was seen fit and he answered the regular query, one of the officers directly addressed him. The Asset recognized him, Alexander Pierce, age 56, highest Hydra rank in the United states, member of world security counsel.

“Soldier, your new mission is recovery. The object is indispensable for Hydra's conquering.” Pierce always talked about Hydra's mission for the greater good, like it made any difference to The Asset. “Locate and retrieve the object, do not engage with anyone who holds it, leave no witnesses behind. Every information needed is in this folder that you receive with the needed gear. Expected mission duration is 3 weeks max, report to base every three days, plus if you are hurt and cannot continue the mission and if the mission needs to be extended. Understood?” “Yes.” The Asset knew what would likely await him if he delivered late, not to speak of failure. Observation and retrieval was unusual but not unwelcome though, failure unlikely.

The Asset got up, took the folder and went to pick up his gear. In the quarters he inhabited while awake, a female Hydra officer waited with a suitcase and some grooming utensils. He sat down on his cot while she started washing his hair over a basin, then cut some of it, and then motioned to pick up a razor. He automatically grabbed her wrist, ignoring her squeak, and took upon shaving himself fast and effective. She was smart, and didn't try to take the blade from him once he was finished but tied his hair into a loose bun and then handed him some clothes.

“There is a suitcase with two more sets of clothes, toiletries and storage space for the rest of your gear. You will be leaving for New York in 5 hours.”

With that she left, and The Asset changed into the clothes she gave him, then checked out those in the suitcase, all modern in a way civilians would see as “fashionable”. No clothes to fight in, he would likely rip some of them if it came to that, but fit for his undercover mission. He skimmed the folder Pierce had given him and frowned, working so close to Stark Industries was risky, he would have to put some work into his cover for it properly working, their security would easily pick up stealth investigations. Allegedly, the so called “Scepter of Loki” had been stolen on the way to Sokovia, where Dr. Strucker was expecting it. A man the Asset remembered just fine, fond of exploring the soldier's outlasting in worst case scenarios, like his withstanding of torture in case of capture. The small, mutinous part of his mind, that The Asset had been nursing, hidden from his handlers, weighed if the torments of punishment for failure would maybe be worth Strucker not reaching his goal for once. Not that failure was actually a considerable possibility, but the thought was amusing for a few moments. The Asset then lay down to rest for a few hours, his inner clock working precisely and knowing it would wake him in time from the light sleep he so rarely allowed himself.

When Steve entered Stark tower, he couldn't help but stop and stare for a few moments. This building embodied everything that differed the future, no, today, from his time. Big, bright rooms, lots of glass, sleek, clean lines, white light. The Lobby was filled with workers of all kind, clad in suits or overalls, buzzing about like they all hadn't almost died just the day before. He spotted at least 6 elevators, and was just starting to feel lost when a tall and sturdy man approached him.

“Captain Rogers? I am Mr. Stark's personal bodyguard, Harold Hogan. He has asked me to escort you to him.” The man then turned without checking if Steve followed him, and headed to an elevator that was hidden behind an alcove and that he opened by pulling a card through a slot Steve wouldn't even have noticed. They entered, and before Steve could open his mouth were greeted by Stark's robot – no, Artificial Intelligence, “AI” as Stark- Tony, had called it.

“Welcome, Captain Rogers. Mr. Hogan, Sir would like you to take Captain Rogers to the penthouse, not the lab, and then asks you to pick up Mrs. Potts for her lunch meeting who is now finishing er conference call on floor 153.”

“Does he, now? Did he again forget that I am no longer his driver but head of Stark Industries security?” “Sir says he would never forget that and only for that reason he entrust you with the safety of Mrs. Potts.” “Bet he said it like that”, Mr. Hogan mumbled. “I may have taken the freedom to rephrase his words, if you want I could repeat Sir's exact words to you?” Steve must still be a little shaky from the moment earlier that Stark had interrupted (he hadn't yet decided if he was thankful, embarrassed or angry at the guy for it. Probably all of it), because did Tony's AI just sound sarcastic?

“No need, Jarvis, thank you for being polite I guess”, Mr. Hogan loudly exhaled, and then suddenly turned to Steve with a threatening pose.

“I am just saying this once. I know that you ordered to close that portal while Boss was still... not back, in there, whatever. If I ever see you doing that kinda shit again, I will not be polite.”

He stared into Steve's eyes who for a second forgot that he wasn't still the little scrap from Brooklyn and that this wasn't Mr. Barnes who had found them trying to smoke when he and Bucky were ten.

But even remembering his now size and strength didn't help against the guilty and worried feeling that look gave him.

“Won't happen again, I promise”, he said, with a firm voice but an aching stomach. Because he had done that, hadn't he? Even though it had been the right move in the situation, the sight of Tony lying motionless on the street...

Mr. Hogan's “Good” gladly brought him back to the present, just in time for the elevator doors to open to the penthouse. The moment Steve left it the elevator closed behind him, and Steve jerked at that before being alerted by a “fuck, shit, no, NO, DON'T, DUM-E, it's supposed to glow, it's a wielding torch that now doesn't work anymore, I swear, I'll donate you to an elementary school one day...” and when he rounded a pillar he was faced with one Tony Stark, holding said wielding torch and sprayed from head to toe with foam, next to him a... robot? that basically was a claw on wheels and that chirped happily? While holding a fire extinguisher.

The picture was so surreal that Steve couldn't help himself but burst into laughing, kneeling over and wheezing because now Tony pouted and wasn't that adorable?

“Yeah, yeah, glad to always be of entertainment, you see if I make you any gloves and straps, and you! Don't you dare being all merry, you're not allowed to play with our guest if you make such – I swear you can't fool me into thinking you don't understand, let go of him, now, and go back to the lab where you belong, you menace...” He trailed off while Steve looked down at the little robot that was poking at him and making little chirping and beeping sounds.

“Uhm, hi?” Steve said towards it, and it raised his claw up towards his face . “I think your dad is angry with you, better skedaddle, little one”, he said with a fond voice and the robot hung its claw and wheeled towards the elevator. Steve looked after it.

“Pep calls me their dad, too. As if I ever would father such incompetence.” Steve almost jumped, Tony was suddenly right beside him and shook his fist towards the little robot at the elevator that had turned at his remark and chirped almost angry. It was a weird world, but Steve found this part of it to be rather lovely.

“Yes, you heard me, and you know I'm right!” He then turned towards Steve. “Heya, Capsicle. Feeling better? Want anything? Coffee? Whiskey? Doughnuts?” “Coffee would be great, and it's Steve if you don't mind”, Steve answered, following Tony towards the kitchen, the only part of the room that was in once piece as it seemed.

While Tony poured the coffee, Steve took a look at the place and flinched internally – this would take weeks to fix. And Tony seemed to be doing it all alone. Maybe he didn't trust strangers to know how his home worked – Howard had been a paranoid son of a bitch, and Tony had much more threats to worry about. Steve could understand.

He also had thought about Tony for the time it took him to get to the tower, and he needed to set some things straight.

He took the offered coffee, and was just about to speak but Tony again was faster.

“So, uhm, first things first, sorry for me calling you a maniac yesterday, I guess you were right after all, and hell if I know how it feels when people won't see the truth in front of them, so yeah, that one's on me, and I-” “Tony.”

Stark stopped at Steve's interruption.

“It's okay. I wouldn't have believed myself if I hadn't seen it. And I'm sorry, too.”

At Tony's confused glace, he elaborated: “For what I said on the helicarrier. About you only thinking of yourself? I couldn't have been more wrong, so, I'm sorry.”

Tony blinked at that. “Yeah, uhm, well I guess that's fine, we all were under that glowy stick's influence, so sorry for what I said, too, for what it's worth...”

“A lot. And I'm also sorry for giving the command to close the portal. You saved all of us and I shouldn't have left you out in the cold like that.” There, he said it.

Tony warily eyed him.

“Did Happy put you up to this?”

“Who?” “Happy? Bulky gy? He brought you up?”

“Mr. Hogan? No. I mean, he did say something, but I was going to apologize anyway.”

“Sure. Well, no harm done, it was the right move to close that thing. No bad blood there. Though I've gotta warn you, Pep's furious about the whole thing, and even though she is prim and propper and polite like nobody else, better don't mention the whole thing to her, you know, her wrath is nothing against the Green Guy.”

“Duly noted”, said Steve, glad that Tony had people looking out for him, and terrified because women? They could be scary like no Red Skull ever would.

“Anyways, seems like you're not the only one with a Doppelgänger, check this out”, and Tony made a fast move with his hand and suddenly there was a screen in front of them, made out of thin, blue air as it seemed, somewhat transparent.

Steve thought about asking, but then the screen showed Tony – no, someone with Tony's face, that had a... a dwarf? Thumb sized man? On his shoulder, and was talking to it and addressing a “Rogers” and – Tony chuckled next to him as the second time, an intruder, the Tony-doppelganger this time, commented on Steve's backside. What was is with those people? He felt himself redden and was more than thankful that what the screen was showing was capturing enough for Tony not to look at him right now.

Himself, or someone wearing his face, that was one thing, but Tony – well, it wasn't Tony, but still a guy, and – and, what was wrong with those people, you didn't just – and now there was the fight again with his own impersonator who again lost the compass – his compass, how did he have that, and was it hot in here? Maybe because so high up they were closer to the sun, maybe that was why he was feeling so dizzy and -

“Easy there, Capsicle. Cap? Steve? You there? Good, come on, deep breaths, come on, I count and you breathe in and then out, okay, that's right, work with me here.”

Why was Tony suddenly above him? Why was he sitting, he didn't remember sitting down.

“There you go, Steve, in and out, now look at me, and breathe, can you do that?”

Steve didn't understand what was happening, but he looked at Tony, into Tony's eyes that were so different than Howard's that had always been a little cold, but Tony's where warm and he was talking in a soft voice and Steve breathed to Tony's counts and slowly felt himself coming back.

After a few minutes of just breathing, he realized Tony was stroking his back in a rhythm to their breaths, it felt nice, calming, and Steve just wanted to lean back into Tony's chest and let himself be held for a bit... What was he thinking? Another deep breath, and he sat up straighter, looking at the floor in front of him, aware that Tony was watching him.

“Know what triggered it this time?”, Tony asked softly. And Steve knew, didn't he? He didn't have it in him to tell them about the compass yesterday, but now it was just Tony, and there was no more putting it off.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the compass with Peggy's picture in it and gave it to Tony. Tony took it, and smiled at the picture in a fond and familiar way.

“Aunt Peg really was a stunner, wasn't she?”, he mumbled to himself but Steve's enhanced hearing caught it.

“You knew her?”

“I know her. She's been there since I was born, usually fighting with Howard when she visited, but also gave the best presents. Still meet her twice a month for coffee, though she keeps calling me 'Howard' lately.”

A sad smile. And of course Tony would know Peggy, Steve just had never thought of it. Seeing Tony speak of her so fondly... Maybe he wouldn't have to be alone when he mustered up the courage to meet her again, after all. But that was no concern for now.

“He had it. One like it. The other one.” Even though his phrasing was fuzzy, he was just lacking better words, Tony gladly caught on immediately.

“Your Doppelgänger? Well isn't that something? Fits right in with Other-Me knowing about his thing”, he tapped his chest over the glowing light.

“Remember when I had that minor heart attack yesterday? I was just like someone had, you know, pulled the plug.” Steve winced at that memory.

“Well, Other-Me was there, in the Lobby, just watching like it was a good movie. And he talked to someone on comms right before I went down.”

Steve picked his coffee back up that had somehow been saved, and stared back at the screen.

“So what are we looking at here? How do they know us so well?”

“Maybe I can help clearing part of that up.”

Tony and Steve jerked around and found a bald woman, clad like a monk, standing at the window, and looking at them like they just smashed her favorite tea cup.

“Captain Rogers, Dr. Stark. I think we have some things to set right.”

Chapter Text

The Ancient One had been leading the Kamar Taj for centuries now, and had been on this world for even longer, and while watching empires rise and fall, advising various sovereigns only to watch them go and do the exact opposite of what she had suggested, while dealing with countless aspiring sorcerers, her patience had grown to be stronger than most, some may even call it unique.

She built her inner peace on always knowing what could be expected to happen, acceptance to be a guide rarely listened to, aware of what part she played in every story she happened to become part of. Able to see myriads of possible futures, knowing that she would outlast.

She knew when her death was to come, and therefor had not been overly startled to meet Dr. Bruce Banner, coming from a future she had no part in.

Her trust in Stephen Strange had her give up the Time Stone, and it had been returned as promised. But still, the time travelers had left their traces in this timeline, and altered it irrevocably.

None of her foreseen futures applied to their timeline now. And the new-found future stayed hidden from her.

To say it mildly, she was not amused. Her patience and calm was running thinner with each passing hour, with each time she tried to foray in time and was dully refused,

and also, with each encounter with the new resident at the Sactum Sanctorum.

His mind was a marvel, it had been touched by one Infinity Stone itself, and left behind what would look like a chaotic mess but was, if watched with knowing eyes, holding knowledge and impressions so immense they could barely be contained by a human brain. That mental overload, if you will, would manifest in the strangest way, the most unpleasant one being his reluctance to wear any clothing whenever he got into theorizing.

When he had knocked on the Sactum's door, only hours after the Avenger's glorious victory he had assisted in, he had been only wearing his underclothes and a Blazer, his Pants and Shirt, held in both hands while strongly gesticulating and talking a mile a minute.

Dr. Selvig was a smart man, and polite and kind once he calmed down a bit, sitting in the Library and zipping his tea, thankfully fully clothed again.

“See, the Tesseract has it's own signature frequency of Gamma radiation, but the Scepter's is so similar that I first didn't even notice the difference. They have to have the same origin, so I figured I could use one to deactivate the other, and it worked, but since Loki used the scepter on me, I can also feel it and the Tesseract, like a buzzing energy inside of me, calling to me.

But now, the Tesseract is gone. It's like it's not on this planet anymore, I can get no readings on it's signature, but I can detect a similar kind of waves coming from that necklace of yours, so I followed it here.”

Selvig then looked up to her. “So, what are those waves? They're cosmic, but like nothing I ever encountered before. Tell me!” He then looked like a child, defiant but curious, demanding answers.

And The Ancient One answered.

She told him about the Infinity stones, because there was no back to normal for this man, anyway, and he could be an asset in figuring out the mess they now lived in.

When she had finished, Dr. Selvig seemed neither scared nor unbelieving, only.... relieved.

“Good thing SHIELD didn't get their hands on this, then”, he said, and bent to pick up one of his bag, a large and long case of a kind.

“Just when I was headed here, Captain America approached me a block from Stark Tower, and gave me this. Said to keep it safe, and not hand it over to SHIELD or anyone.”

He then opened it to show its content to The Ancient one.

Inside was Loki's scepter.

The decision to contact the Avengers had been made soon after – they would likely have noticed the appearance of their future-selves until now, and them chasing themselves would only divert their timelines even more.

Dr. Selvig had decided to remain at the Sanctum, stating he has seen “enough of that tower for a while”, and The Ancient One couldn't blame him for it.

They only needed to know enough not to chase a dead trail, nothing more. Maybe they could even fix something.

Steve's ears were still ringing as he was on is way down in the elevator, heading to the debrief at SHIELD.

Time Travel.

Because the future would never stop being wondrous.

The visit of The Sorceress Supreme, as the bald woman had introduced herself, had been brief and opened more questioned than it answered.

The only information Steve really understood was, that apparently, in their future (even though not their future anymore, because things had already changed by the time travel as it seemed), their Future-Selves had needed the Tesseract and the Scepter, that entailed so called “Infinitiy Stones”, to defeat a global threat. So they had traveled to their time to retrieve them.

It had been intended to return the stones after their usage, but since according to the Sorceress, future-them had messed up, and Loki had taken the Tesseract, their timeline had developed into a new, independent one.

As far as he understood.

The Sorceress then had more or less instructed them to ignore the whole thing, to proceed as if nothing had happened. Like that would be an easy thing to do.

But even though Steve didn't trust the Sorceress, he trusted himself. And if his future self had seen no reason to interfere with their course of time, action, then it would be alright. He hoped.

His head was spinning and it took him a moment to recognize the man that had just entered the elevator to be of the shame SHIELD strike team that had met them in the penthouse the day before.

He answered the man's nod, who then turned towards him.

“I gotta say, it's something. Captain America working with us. It's an honor, Sir.”

Steve nodded again, uncomfortable. He would never get used to the praise from strangers.

“Though I gotta say, Pierce is furious that he wasn't informed about the new agenda concerning the scepter. Almost bit Sitwell's head off I heard. You're probably gonna have a lot of explaining to do with him later, why it's not yet on it's way to Russia.”

“I'm sorry?” Steve didn't understand a word the man said. What about the scepter?

“Hey, man, none of my business. If you ask me, you did well by keeping Pierce out of it. Bit too emotional in his old days.”

The elevator arrived at the lobby, the man turning towards the doors.

Before exiting, he bowed his head and whispered to Steve:

“Hail Hydra.”

Time Travel.

Holy shit!

Tony still couldn't believe it.

Amazing!

Of course it would be him to come up with that one day. Not like he had never thought about it, like the night that his parents....

Anyway, Future-Him and Future-Steve had been on a team, still, after many years, and that excited him more than he would ever admit.

And everything made sense now! Okay, maybe not everything, but their main concern about how someone would have that much Intel about them.

It simply had been themselves!

Just, what would be the big threat they were/would once be fighting? There had to be a way to already prepare for that.

And those infinity stones, he had to know more!

There was some data on the Tesseract SHIELD had collected over the years, but they had next to nothing on the scepter, maybe that Dr. Selvig guy could help...

That bald Sorceress – because, sure, magic, why not! - had unfortunately been very stingy with information.

Tony entered the floor Bruce and Thor were staying at, who seemed to be in a serious discussion about Pop tarts and it's nutritional value, and looked up at Tony's entry.

Tony reached for one Tart himself, jumped onto the counter, and grinned at both of them.

“So, guess what! I'm a genius!”

“Indeed you are rather smart, dear friend Stark!”, Thor confirmed, while Bruce just rolled his eyes.

“Yes Tony, so?”

“Well, you wouldn't believe...”

He gave them a summary of what had just happened in the penthouse, and while Bruce's eyes got bigger (but thankfully not greener) by the second, Thor's mood seemed to worsen.

“So you are saying, that the mind controlling caused by the scepter origins in a so called Infinity stone, and that my brother likely was controlled by it as well?”

“Just a theory, Point Break, but have you seen his eyes during the fight? I could be wrong but they were awfully blue if you ask me. And only being near the scepter on the helicarrier had us all act weird, he'd had that magic staff in his hand for days!”

Thor nodded, a perturbed look on his face.

“I will then have to seek counsel with the All-Father.”

He got up and walked towards the balcony.

“And how do we reach you?”, Bruce shouted against the rising storm.

“You do not., I will find you as soon as I have answers!”

With that, the God spun his hammer and was gone with a flash of lightning.

“Huh”, Tony glanced at Bruce. “So, wanna dig through what SHIELD has on the cosmic cube?”

“Let me guess, you already hacked them. Again.”

“Dear Bruce, of course not! Jarvis did!”

“Indeed, Sir, and may I remark that their data concerning the Tesseract is rather disorganized.”

“Of course, as they have no idea about what they were dealing with. We do though. Some.”

“Tony, how can you be sure, that the Sorceress as she calls herself told you the truth? She could have just been covering for the Doppelgängers, being their ally!”

“Good point, Brucie, I will get right into that! I am quite discontented that Sorcery had been coexisting with us all this time without anyone noticing. Time to pick up that slack!”