Chapter 42
Steve groaned as he opened his eyes with way more effort than needed with how weak and heavy he felt.
When his vision cleared a little, he looked around to know where he was.
He still didn’t know where he was.
He was in a room that glowed with a violet glow that he wasn’t sure where it was coming from, and everywhere he looked, he saw machines and devices that he never saw before in his entire life. Not even in Howards Stark’s lab.
He was also tied down into a chair in the corner of the room with a strange looking wires that were stronger than steel somehow. Also, there was an IV stand next to him with a bag of strange looking liquid that was bumping into his veins through a needle in his arm.
In the middle of all of that, there was Holdstein sitting in front of a large colorful screen.
“Where are we?” he asked drowsily. Barely able to even open his mouth enough to form words.
“Shut up, freak.” Holdstein snapped without turning to him.
“How did we get here? All I remember is that there was a blue glow and nothing.”
“Teleport.”
“Tele-what?”
“Don’t strain yourself.” Holdstein snorted mockingly. “Your worthless brain would never be able to understand such technology. You are just a pretty face with no actual brain there.”
Steve furrowed his brows in annoyance but he was too weak to be offended really.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked, needing to know and refusing to let the panic rise in his chest.
“Injecting you with the drug again. This will be in your veins for a good few days. I need you as a helpless kitten right now.”
He licked his dry lips nervously as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “What do you want from me? If you want to kill me just do it already.”
“I don’t need you dead yet.” Holdstein just shrugged carelessly. “Right now, you are more useful to me alive. Your handsome, lovesick, future boy will go crazy to find you and won’t stop until he does. And when he feel helpless, and couldn’t find you, he will have to get help from the future tech inside the ship.” He smiled viciously then. “And will lead me right to it.”
Steve swallowed the lump that formed inside his throat. “Tony is not stupid.” He snapped in frustration. “He is a genius. If he did have to reach out to the ship, he will make sure you won’t track him.”
Holdstein’s smile changed into a laugh. “Don’t worry, Captain. If your man went to his ship, there is nothing in the world that will keep me from it.”
Steve felt his heart hammering in his chest as Holdstein’s laugh got louder. Tony and the others are in danger and he was powerless to do anything.
Holdstein was going to steal his future from him. His future with Tony.
***
“Guys, I think we found something.”
Sam announced excitedly as he and Jane exchanged excited grins.
“What? What did you find?” Castiel asked as he and the others rushed towards them.
Jane pointed at the holes in the time map on the screen. “These holes. They are not alike.”
Natasha studied the map carefully. “How’s that?”
“The variation in sizes is obvious.” Thor commented thoughtfully.
“No, no not in their outside appearance! It is a major difference that could help us!”
“We checked Sydney’s whole journey, which was recorded in the ship’s files.” Sam started to explain. “And compared it with the numbers and symbols then with the sequence of the holes in the map, before we noticed that each hole in the Nil Zone has its own, special frequency.”
“Really?” Castiel asked with wide eyes.
“Yes, Cas!” Jane answered excitedly. “Each hole has its own frequency that is different than any other hole. Also a precise proportionality between each hole and the other, which lead us to know the relation between each hole with the others.”
“And how’s that?” Clint asked excitedly.
“Check this hole for and example.” Sam answered this time. “It lead to the 19th century BC and its frequency is from that other hole that leads to the 10th century AC, while the latter is lesser than another one that leads to the 2nd century BC.”
“Oh my God! What a discovery!” Charlie exclaimed in wonder.
“But how this can help us?” Castiel asked carefully.
“It can help us with everything!” Jane exclaimed excitedly. “We discovered the main relation between the time holes! Which meant that if we studied these frequencies carefully, with all our tech, the ones Sydney already labeled on the map, we will manage to check the frequency of a new hole and apply the same thing on them and we will pinpoint what time that hole will take us!”
“This is amazing!” Bruce’s eyes widened in utter wonder. “You just discovered the secret of time traveling through the time holes! It is the first step of building a fully functioning time machine! You deserve a Noble prize!”
“You should praise Sam here.” Jane clapped Sam’s shoulder proudly. “He was the one who noticed this whole thing.”
“All I care about is bringing my brother and my friend back.” Sam just shook his head firmly.
“I know for a fact that this is the first step in doing so.” Castiel smiled proudly at him.
“But how, Cas?” he asked bitterly.
“We will a find a way, Sam” Natasha murmured softly to him with pride shining in her eyes as well.
“We will keep working on it to find the best way to use this discovery.” Jane announced in determination.
“Yeah, we will.” Sam smiled a little at her, but he couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him from the inside.
***
Carl’s face was flushed with pure anger as he stood before the ruins of the headquarters.
“Fuck, how a victory can change into such a humiliating defeat?” he muttered angrily under his breath.
There was a whole army of Nazis surrounding the remains of the building and spreading in the nearby streets.
One of the soldiers approached him and did the military greeting.
“What do you have?” Carl demanded in frustration.
“No survivors, sir.” The soldier answered. “There is no trace of General Holdstein and Captain America, either.”
“Maybe a bomb ruined their corpses or-“ the soldier shook his head. “They couldn’t have just disappeared! I left the general with the Captain in his office!”
“There is no trace of them, sir.” The soldier shook his head again.
“Then where are they?” Carl muttered angrily.
“Any other orders, sir?”
“Just clean this mess up and paint us as the heroes.” Carl just waved his hand dismissively before jumping in his car and drove away towards his office.
He rethought the whole thing from the start and felt uneasiness spread through him.
When he reached his office he called his assistant.
“Contact Berlin.” He ordered firmly.
“Who do you want to contact, sir?” he asked while already starting to make the call.
“General Himmler himself. The director of the Gestapo.”
***
Tony was sitting on the floor against a wall inside the resistance’s hideout, his head hidden in his knees which he was hugging close to his chest.
He could literally hear in his head every sentence Steve ever told him from the moment they met. Every loving word. Every comforting and reassuring sentences. Every single time Steve saved him. Helped him. Loved him. Took care of him.
He couldn’t save him back. He failed him. He just keeps failing him. Over and over again.
Steve was probably dead by now. Soon his memories of his Steve will be erased because his Steve would be erased too. All because he was a failure.
He got his husband killed. He ruined history. He-
“Tony!”
Dean’s voice preached his erratic thoughts and he flinched violently as he looked at Dean who sat down next to him, looking at him gently.
“Stop thinking too loudly. I could literally hear your self-loathing. This is not your fault.” Dean stated firmly but gently. “Steve doesn’t have to be dead. Maybe Holdstein left with him before our arrival.”
“No, Dean.” Tony shook his head sadly. “Holdstein ordered the execution of the hostages himself, which meant he was inside the building with Steve.”
“He is going to be okay, Tony.” Dean placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “He is Steve. He is too stubborn to die this easily.”
The moment he said that, Bernard entered the room while panting. “We found no trace of them.”
“Did you search well?” Bucky asked worriedly.
“Everywhere. But apparently Holdstein disappeared completely. Even his men don’t know where he is.”
“He must be somewhere!” Tony exclaimed with flushed face.
“Where?” Peggy asked nervously.
“I don’t know! But they’re there!”
“I am afraid that they might have died in there.” Alain stated bitterly.
“No. that didn’t happen!” Tony snapped.
“I once saw two men a bomb ripped them apart completely that it was difficult to recognize there remains.”
“I said: that didn’t happen!” Tony snapped sharply. “Holdstein did this on purpose. He disappeared with Steve to make us look for them.”
Everyone in the room exchanged nervous looks.
“True, we all love Steve and we would readily die for him, but it will be stupid to let that devil lure us to another trap.” Alain stated firmly.
“He doesn’t want you! He wants us!” Tony waved his arms in frustration.
“That’s right. From the moment we saw you, trouble rain down mercilessly on everyone!” Bucky snapped suddenly in anger.
“Just go! Stay away from us! Enough what you did!” Peggy also exclaimed angrily.
“Just go to hell, away from here.” Alain growled in anger.
The whole situation was going sideways very fast that Dean grabbed Tony’s arm and pulled him back.
“Calm down, Tony.” he whispered. “They’re really angry.”
But Tony ignored him and released his arm sharply.
“I will not go anywhere until I find Steve!” he shouted angrily.
Angry shouts filled the room directed at them.
“God, what’s happening?” Sydney asked nervously as she and Brigitte stepped back in worry.
“It is a normal reaction after what they faced yesterday.” Dean answered while pulling Tony back firmly.
“He’s their friend! He’s Captain America! They should fight to get him back!” Tony shouted again in frustration.
“They don’t believe he is alive.” Dean stated firmly.
“But he is!”
“Enough.” Bucky yelled again. “There is no sign that indicates that he is alive.”
“And there is no sign that indicates he is dead either! You should fight for-“
“This is not your business.” Peggy cut him off firmly.
“Actually, it is my-“
“I said: it is not your business!”
“Just go away.” Bucky growled. “You got Steve killed! This is all your faults! Just leave! Enough what you have already done!”
Dean knew the situation was pretty tense and they need to fall back temporarily, but Tony ignored all that.
“We will not go anywhere until Steve is back.” Tony exclaimed stubbornly.
“You did not leave us another choice.” Alain growled then turned towards his men. “Kill them!”
Immediately, guns were raised towards their faces, then bullets rained down on them mercilessly.