2 Interlude Steve
Steve was drawing a picture. It calmed him down a little. The night skyline of New York served that purpose. Slowly he drew out the right proportions. If it were possible he would have become an artist. But he was improved, he was strong, he had to protect the world, not make the art. He remembered that this was what he wanted. An end to the war, settling down with Peggy and drawing. He would need nothing else to be happy. And yet he woke up in a completely different world. A world of the future. A world where Norse gods descend from the sky. A world where aliens kill people.
Natasha Romanoff has been sent to represent the Avengers for the President of the United States.
The Avengers.
Not much of them left. Clint Barton has been taken by Loki, and Bruce Banner is also gone.
All that was left was Steve, Natasha Romanoff, Thor and Tony Stark.
Steve missed his old comrades. They were a close-knit team. They could have some progress, some ideas to stop Loki. And now? Steve felt not only frustrated by the lack of results. He couldn't sleep either. He kept seeing ice and Bucky falling. Was he really dead? Was Loki just lying? Was he telling the truth? What else was Shield hiding from Steve?
Avengers. The new team. And yet not a team. Not for Steve.
Natasha ignored Steve because of thoughts of Banner and Barton.
Tony was constantly arguing with him. About almost everything. From his dirty mug to his lack of ideas on how to find Loki. Steve almost felt that he wasn't welcome in the Tower.
Thor was still offended at Steve. He had some strange understanding of his brother and his actions.
This world was strange to Steve. Still, he wanted to protect him. Even if he didn't understand it and wasn't welcome here.He remembered waking up in this world. Even that damn Shield took it as a test, of whether he was capable of thinking and associating. Because they could do better with this charade.
It wasn't just a radio recording.
The agent who walked in!
No woman working in his day would have had her hair down like that!!! Especially in a military hospital. Peggy would have immediately thrown such a woman out of her job for lack of professionalism. Her tie was far too wide. It was a tie for a man, not a woman. At the end was a rather immodest piece. A bra. Steve had a mother, he knew a lot of women because of Bucky, and then there was Peggy and a lot of women who loved his muscles. No woman in his day would have had such ill-fitting underwear. Her breasts were at a much lower angle than would be acceptable.
They played with him. They tested to see if they could use him. Whether he was still an ape who could still think.
Tesseract. That cursed cube. The cube that tore his life apart.
They had it in their hands. And Loki had a legitimate right to come here for it.
Steve even wished Loki had done it earlier. During the Second World War. However, Steve had a suspicion that what Red Skull was doing was nothing compared to what Shield was doing. He wasn't a scientist, but he saw the sophistication of this world. Red Skull might have been playing with the tesseract, but he might have been doing it so amateurishly that Loki hadn't sensed it. And Shield had so much time to play with powers they shouldn't. Steve felt such anger when he found out that Fury was playing with it. Fury didn't want Steve, broken and homesick. He wanted a hero. Captain America to fix his mess. Like almost everyone else. In this world there was no cocky Bucky, no confident Howard, no strong Peggy. Nor Dr. Erskine, who had actually seen Steve. Only Sylvie looked at Steve without expectation. It was so good. It was a relief. Refreshing. No fame, no expectations. Just a mockery of his outfit.
The longer Steve was here, the more doubtful he became. He'd most like to go to Loki alone.
Just as he had to the Red Skull.
He probably wouldn't stand a chance. Loki had beaten him without the slightest problem. Plus holding the scepter like that! Steve had to learn about militaries and weapons and he knew that Loki shouldn't hold the scepter like that during a fight. He should hold it, with both hands in the middle of the scepter.
Then Steve remembered the old man. In the heat of the moment he hadn't even noticed it, but now that he thought about it.
Loki must have spotted the Shield helicopter earlier. They weren't cloaked.
The pencil fell to the floor.
Loki knew they were there.
He struck with magic at the exact moment Steve jumped out.
Almost perfectly.
God of Lies.
Why? He could have killed him moments earlier or moments later.
And yet the strike had been precise.
The old footage Shield had shown him.
Loki single-handedly threw two daggers to the Agents of Shield.
A master at ranged weapons.
Deadly precision.
He knew.
This revelation was more powerful than his tesseract rights.
How much did Steve really know about this world? As much as nothing. As much as he had been told. And yet he found evidence with his own hands that Shield was using Hydra's plans. The Shield lied all the time. He couldn't trust anyone here. He had to find the truth on his own. He immediately went down to the gym. Seemingly to look like he was failing again because of all this. However, his mind was scheming
Steve heard Bucky's voice in his head.
You always think too much, Steve. Just like when you tried with the lies, to many committees taking in the army.
It worked out in the end, didn't it?
Only because of Dr Erskine.
Steve sighed. Dr Erskine would know what to do. He was a brilliant scientist. To Steve's knowledge, no one had been able to recreate his formula.
The formula that gave him his strength.
Steve was hitting the punching bags hard. He was seemingly still recovering from his mental hole. How to find out the truth? Winners wrote history and often hid what they wanted. Shield was keeping an eye on him. Especially now with the disappearance of two Avengers.
Steve wondered. Why would Loki needs Barton?
Loki turned out to be much more powerful than they thought. Steve was no scientist. He didn't understand all the implications, but even he knew that someone who could act in such a way was...
He said to Natasha that Loki and Thor were not gods. Steve had been a Christian all his life. And yet he couldn't deny the evidence before his eyes. Such power. Loki was playing with them.
Banner's kidnapping was understandable. He'd beaten up Loki, so Loki had to neutralize him quickly.
However, why he kidnap Barton? And in front of them?
And then there was the thing with Sylvie. She was protecting Loki. Just like Bucky would protect Steve. That was true loyalty. Steve would know the most about it. Spies could distrust and make up all sorts of reasons, but Steve could recognize true loyalty.
Everything was so complicated. The world used to be simpler, despite the war. Steve missed that world. And he couldn't go back to it. Well, he had one option. However, he couldn't use it.
Loki was cruel and power-hungry.
He was toying with them.
And yet, such power.
He could send Steve home. To his time. To where Steve belonged. However, Steve couldn't do that. Loki was evil. He murdered innocents and wanted absolute power. Steve had to be here. Loki had to be defeated.
Steve was hitting the sacks.
The temptation was very great. However, Steve had to do the right thing. He kept hitting.
"Jarvis, is Tony still in his lab?" Steve asked the artificial intelligence, which was explained to him by Howard's son.
"Yes, Captain Rogers," the British voice replied.
"What about Thor?" asked Steve.
"Mr Odinson is currently eating. And he's still in a nasty mood, if you wanted to ask that" replied Jarvis bitingly. He really did bear a resemblance to Tony Stark.
Steve sighed.
"If you're feeling lonely then Miss Potts has been trying to get into the lab for the last hour and is very frustrated by it. Perhaps you could keep her company?" Jarvis suggested.
"Miss Potts?" quipped Steve.
"Formally Virginia Potts, but she is called as Pepper. Director of Stark Industries. She's in a relationship, or was with Mr. Stark. My coding does not include the complicated feelings of love and anger that Miss Potts has for Mr. Stark" replied Jarvis.
"'I'll go meet her" Steve said and left the gym.
Steve already knew the way by heart. In fact the lab was closed. And standing in front of him was an attractive woman with red hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a white trouser and a white jacket. She looked very professional. Yet Steve could see that she had not come on a business matter at all.
"Captain Rogers," she greeted stiffly. She looked bewildered and intrigued by his presence.
"Miss Potts. I understand you've been trying unsuccessfully to get into the lab," Steve said.
"That is correct. Do you have a suggestion?" she asked. Steve knew that glint in woman's eye. Peggy had a similar one. He had been told that Peggy was still alive, but seriously ill.
"Please step aside," Steve said. Miss Potts did so.
Steve knocked quickly.
"Pepper, darling I'm busy!" he heard Tony's voice.
"Tony! Open up! We need to talk right away!" Steve used an urgent tone of voice, as if something was going on.
"Steve? Is it Loki? Is something wrong?" Tony asked and suddenly the door opened.
Then Steve stepped back, smiled at Miss Potts and let her through. Miss Potts rewarded him with a huge smile.
"Yes, Tony a lot has happened! How can you ignore me?" began Miss Potts.
Steve moved away. All in all, it was a victory. He had done a good deed and helped a beautiful lady and ensured that Tony would be busy for a while. All that was left was Jarvis and the Shield Agents. And Steve will find out the truth about everything.
About Shield.
About Loki.
About Bucky.