Steve Rogers walked to Stark's lab with his shield and next to Agent Carter who had her gun drawn. According to the colonel, something had come out of Stark's experimentation with the mysterious power source of HYDRA's weapons.
They entered the laboratory to see a girl of about five years old sitting on a table and clinging to a teddy bear while Stark offered her a chocolate bar.
-What is a civilian doing in the laboratory? - The colonel's voice drew their attention to the door
The girl jumped down from the table and ran to hug Steve's leg. The shock was so strong that Steve feared that the girl had broken a bone
-Grandpa, you look young!
They all looked at each other as Steve removed his helmet and knelt beside the girl. Steve had a lot of experience babysitting. He was short and sick, babysitting was one of the few jobs he could do in his working-class neighborhood. And the kids really liked Steve, he was loved
-What are you doing here, little girl?
-I dont know. I was at home and the blue light came. And then it was on the ground. Do you think it was the aliens? Dad told me once that he and Mom fought a very bad alien army, and that some of them could use technology that allowed them to move from one place to another.
Steve smiled at the girl's words. Without a doubt, her parents were very good, inventing stories for her.
-And what's your name?
-But, grandpa, you gave me the name. I am Maria, your granddaughter. Your daughter's daughter. You know, one of the six blessings you had in your marriage to Grandma Peggy, according to my dad.
Stark was heard in the background laughing uproariously before covering him up drinking water while the colonel was saying something about not being paid enough. Steve looked at the girl closely, she seemed surprisingly familiar.
Most of it came from her father, but those blue eyes looked like hers, but the shape was that of Agent Carter. Also her brown hair had the same curl as Agent Carter's. She looked a bit like her mother, Steve thought with tears about to spill from his eyes
Agent Carter seemed to be seeing the same thing as him, because she knelt next to the girl.
-I'm Peggy, Margaret Carter. - The girl whispered to her teddy bear that they were all young- Can you tell me your full name, sweetheart?
-Maria Elizabeth Stark- Howard choked again and one of the scientists sneakily pushed the jug of water away.
-And your parents' names?
-Tony Stark and Susan Rogers- the girl looked at the ammunition that was still on the table to be studied- Is that created by the tesseract?
Everyone was stunned looking at the little girl
-----------------------------------------
Steve was holding Maria while she was drawing on the board after giving a really long scientific talk that only Howard seemed to understand.
-… In simple terms. The tesseract is a source of energy, but it is also a conduit of communication between all points in the universe. With the right technology Uncle Thor uses it to get around. But using its energy in such a careless way is creating portals to any point in the galaxy and at any moment of time, both future and past. So by carelessly handling the ammunition, a channel was created that brought me from my time in 2021 to 1943.
-That's brilliant. - Howard straightened up and looked at the numbers on the board. - Did your father find out about this? I haven't conceived it yet, but I'm already feeling a warm sense of what I think is parental pride.
The rest looked at the board as if they were looking at random numbers scrawled. Only a few began to make any sense of it
-Papa teaches me, he says that I have taken the brain out of the Stark family. Furthermore, the Tesseract is one of the six most powerful artifacts in the galaxy. Dad likes that she is aware of the dangers out there. Especially after the alien army came to invade us
The girl squeezed the bear's stomach twice and rays of light came out of her eyes, reproducing a movie on the wall. There were strange beings, forms from other worlds, destroying a city. And there was a group of soldiers, heroes, stopping them. One of them was a woman with the same shield that Steve had behind her back, with blonde hair in a high ponytail and working as a team with other people with physical abilities as good as hers.
-Did they replicate the serum? - Steve looked at them, they looked familiar. Their hairs ranged from blonde to dark brown and were similar to each other. But he couldn't figure out why they were so familiar seeing them in motion.
-No, but the serum is in your body, grandpa. All your descendants have the effect of the serum to a greater or lesser extent. It manifests itself in adolescence. Mom is not the strongest of your children, but she gave her the shield because she was the best person. The shield is a symbol, you said, it should not go to the perfect soldier, but to good people who will always fight for the right thing.
Steve was proud to see that he had complied with the doctor's words. Not a good soldier, a good man
---------------------------------
Peggy was laying the girl down on the bed that had been brought for her. They had been asked to take care of her because she was her granddaughter, by all accounts. She had also clung to them saying that she wanted to be by her side.
-It is that most of the Stark family are geniuses who hardly know how to take care of themselves. I am safer with you. --- Peggy wanted to say something, but then she remembered Howard's bulletproof vest. The one who got on her and then he told her to shoot him. The vest only stopped the bullet, but at least she got Howard to put it on a mannequin before testing it.
The girl snuggled against her and Peggy smiled softly. They were at war, she had never allowed herself to dream of getting married or having children. But seeing that girl she was able to allow her dream to come to light. And also a bit of her crush on Rogers, even before the serum she had liked. He had a heart in the right place for him and a brave soul.
Peggy got out of bed and put on a robe. Steve was staying on the couch in that small apartment, one of the few privileges of being a woman. The point was that the girl had technology and knowledge with her that they had never seen before. If HYDRA captured her in the war she could be considered lost.
-You know, I always dreamed of that. A family, a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and several children. - Steve said as he finished making a cup of tea. A little luxury up front.
-Well, you still owe me a dance before all that
-It's true. -Steve smiled before looking at the bedroom and seeing the girl asleep on the bed.- Apparently we are going to do much more than dance, she is a good girl.
-Six children are going to be a lot of work, and more with the serum through their veins.
-I'll take care of them. It will be easier for me, I also have the serum.- Steve smiled- When the war is over I thought to dedicate myself to the training of soldiers and stuff. I don't intend to go up a lot of ranks, not really.
They both fell silent
-According to Stark it would be almost impossible with our current technology to create a conduit to take her back to her house.
-With current technology. But what about the technology of the future? "Peggy smiled." If our children are anything like us, they must have already noticed the absence of it and are looking for a way to get it back.
----------------------------
A HYDRA agent had Maria. He had sneaked into the laboratory and was now holding the girl against her chest, using her as a shield. The girl looked very calm as the man pointed a gun at her
- Are you kidnapping me, sir?
-Yes, stupid- yelled the man
-Oh okay. I'm sorry for what's going to happen- She released the bear and its shape began to change, turning metallic until it finally looked like a red and gold metal man. A part of the metal rose and a projectile hit the man's forehead.
After that the robot lunged forward to hold the girl
-What the hell is that?
-Nanotechnology- Maria smiled as the robot returned to being a bear- Tiny robots that can take various forms based on what they are needed for. I currently have three like that in my body to prevent kidnapping. If they have not taken me to a safe place, it is because they have recognized your DNA as my relatives and they know that with you I will be protected.
Howard held out his hand as if to ask more when the man straightened up and pulled the gun from him. A shield collided with his elbow, effectively breaking his arm. Steve looked at the shield that he still had on his arm and that other one that was now on the ground.
-Thank you that it was in the arm and not in the head- said an unknown voice. A woman came out of the hall in a uniform similar to Steve's. She had very short hair almost shaved but with bangs, but before I had seen her with a high ponytail
-Mama! - Maria slipped out of Steve's grasp and ran to the woman who hugged her tightly
-Treasure! We have searched for you everywhere with the potato time machine!
--------------------------------------
Steve looked at his daughter, she was very much like his own late mother. But she too she looked like Peggy.
- Aren't you a little young to be our daughter? --- Steve looked at Peggy and realized that. She was from 2010, they were 43 and Peggy was 25 years old. Besides that she seemed to be more or less the same age. Those were almost seventy years apart
-It is a side effect of the serum, it delays aging when it reaches physical maturity. Mom took a dose of the version Uncle Howard created, not enough to make her a supersoldier but enough to extend her life. I was born in the year Mom turned sixty. And I am the penultimate daughter that you had
-Yes, the grandparents are now touring Scotland by bicycle for the third honeymoon- said the girl on the lap of her daughter -You send many rare sweets that mom keeps in a closet so that I don't eat them all at once!
The colonel cleared his throat and stopped Howard's attempts to get more information on the time machine and stuff.
-In case they have forgotten, we must deal the final blow to HYDRA
-I will participate. -Everyone looked at the woman- There are reports in the future about my participation, if only for the public reports of how Captain America was so effective that he seemed to be in two places at once.
-----------------------------------------
The operation went well, until the damn plane. Steve was desperate at the controls while Peggy, her daughter, and the colonel were on the radio. Maria had stayed with Howard at the base.
-It seems that I won't do it in time. Sorry Peggy I won't make it to that dance
-No, don't say that Steve. We will dance together
-I don't see a way for this to be solved. But we will have to ask for a slow one, I don't know how to dance. - the radio clicked and a song began to play
-Leave your head, Captain- Steve looked up and saw someone cutting or welding the metal- Honestly, I think I was going to let my wife travel alone to the past to save my daughter?
It was an armor, bigger, red and gold.
-You always make dramatic entrances, darling- Susan sighed for the communication
-You know me, I don't like to be discreet. It is a typical trait of the Stark family- he held out her arm- I will take him home, father-in-law
Steve felt very strange being carried in his arms by the flying armor to the base of HYDRA in the mountains.
--------------------------------
Howard hugged his son one more time before turning to his granddaughter and telling her not to eat too much candy, even if his father gave it to her. During the time Susan and Tony had been apart, Tony had dedicated himself to eliminating HYDRA scientists who planned to infiltrate the United States and plant his organization within the nation's government. In addition to rescuing a Bucky with a metal arm and somewhat clueless looking at everything
-We will miss you
-Why? - Maria looked at them surprised. - We will see each other again, we are difficult to kill and very stubborn. Also, it will be fun for you to meet us in the future.
-Well said little one- Tony held his daughter in his arms- Well, enjoy the time that comes. Things will not always be easy, there will be many ups and downs, ... But you can see that in the end everything will work out. As you always say, father-in-law, the success in your efforts to improve the world can be seen in the smile of your descendants.
Steve couldn't remember ever saying that, but it was a good phrase.
-Well, the best thing is that we go.- Susan smiled and put on her chest one of those things of nano something that put a suit and also to Maria.- We will see you when you return from your honeymoon
And they disappeared in a little pop.
-Well Steve, now you just have to convince Peggy to marry you and start having children- said Bucky putting his normal arm around Steve's shoulders
Steve blushed red and Peggy laughed softly.