Brooklyn
The white light fades away. The sounds of people and cars, so different from the quiet lab, surround them.
“It worked.” Tony says, a slight bit of awe leaks into his voice as he stares at Brooklyn circa late 1930s.
“I can’t believe it.” Clint mutters as a grin spreads across his face.
“Come on. We need to move it and find Cap.” Natasha says. She looks at the addresses Steve hastily scrawled on a notepad for her, “We’ll split up. I’ll check his apartment, Tony you check the grocery store, and Clint you take the library.”
“Yes Ma’am” Clint mock salutes.
“And remember, try not to interrupt history too much. This is a stealth mission.” Natasha says seriously, giving Tony a firm glare.
“Hey! I can be stealthy.” Tony says tipping his fedora at her. Not convinced, she rolls her eyes and watches as both men saunter down the street, easily blending in with the men of the day. She smooths out a wrinkle in her dress and heads in the opposite direction.
~*~*~*~
Tony is smirking in delight at the possibility of catching a glimpse of Cap restocking shelves. It is such a mundane activity for a future avenger that it bordered on absurd. However, with each empty aisle he walks down and nary a tiny Captain in sight his smile dims.
“Clint better not be the first one to find him and have all the fun.” He mutters to himself walking out of the store intent on meeting up with Clint at the nearby library.
It’s a very faint sound that stops him. The sound of something crashing into metal garbage cans. Then he hears it again. Curious, Tony follows the noise to behind the store. In a pile of overturned trash cans a large dark haired man has a much smaller man by the front of the shirt.
“Hey, get off of him,” Tony barks. The man looks up, angry at being interrupted. Tony raises an eyebrow at him and gives him a sneer that once made an intern cry. The man lets go of the other guy and stomps away, trying to look like he is leaving because he wants to and not because he is being forced to. Tony watches him go.
“Thanks, but I had a handle on the situation.” A familiar voice says. Tony stifles a gasp as he turns to look at a pair of very familiar blue eyes on an unfamiliarly thin face. Tony schools his face into a laid back smirk.
“Of course you did.” Tony says. Steve narrows his eyes, like he doubts Tony’s sincerity. Tony’s smile widens at the familiar expression.
“I better be off.” Steve says brushing back alley dirt off his shirt and brushing past Tony. Tony watches him go until he’s a safe distance away before he begins following him.
“Guys, I found him.” Tony whispers into the comm. He realizes in this pre-bluetooth age he should probably be as discrete as possible about talking into it.
“Where?” Clint’s voice cackles in his ear.
“Just leaving the store. We should be passing the library soon.” Tony says.
~*~*~*~
In the lab Bruce keeps a close eye on the machinery serving as a link between the two times. Steve is quietly keeping guard before he winces and grabs his head.
“You ok Steve?” Bruce asks.
“I think…I think I’m having a new memory.” Steve pauses and tilts his head, “dammit Tony, what do you not understand about covert missions.”
“What happened?” Bruce asks.
“Tony talked to me…past me.” Steve says.
“Did he catch the assassin?”
“No, just saved me from a couple of extra bruises from a common bully.” Steve says. He shakes his head. The new memory clear in his mind as if had only happened seconds ago instead of decades. The original memory still exists too, but faded and blurred as if it was a memory of a dream and not an event.
~*~*~*~
“He’s so short.” Clint says downright gleeful as Tony and he follow Steve from a distance.
“Sound’s the same though and he’s still got the same suspicious disapproving face,” Tony informs him.
“Focus guys.” Natasha says over the comm.
“Don’t be grumpy because you’re the only one who doesn’t get to enjoy the experience of being taller than Captain America,” Clint says.
“Just watch for the assassin,” Natasha says. Tony scans the people on the street, while Clint keeps his eyes focus up on the rooftops for a possible sniper.
A man in a trench coat loiters on the corner. At first Tony’s eyes skim past him. He does a double take when he sees the man’s eyes fixated on an oblivious Steve Rogers. Tony takes off sprinting, Clint only seconds behind.
Multiple things happen almost simultaneously. First the man slips a knife out of his coat pocket. As he brings it down Tony tackles Steve to the ground. Original target safely out of the way the knife continues its trajectory hitting Clint in the side, who ignores the wound. The man takes off running, dropping the bloody knife. Clint takes off after him.
“What the hell. Get off of me!”
Tony looks down at a very disgruntled Steve. He rolls to the side.
“You alright kid?” He asks.
“I was fine until you decided to bowl me over.” Steve says, ignoring the hand Tony offers. He stands up and brushes off the dirt.
“He was going to stab you.” Tony says, nodding at the bloody knife on the ground.
“Why? And how did you know? And were you following me this whole time?” Steve asks accusingly.
Tony ignores the first two questions.
“Yes, I was, but only because I was worried about you making it home safely after that scuffle you were in,” he lies smoothly. Tony hadn’t expected a ‘Thank you,’ but he did expect at least a little gratefulness for saving his life. Instead Steve’s face twists into a frown, “I can handle myself, pal. I don’t need someone hovering.”
“Excuse me? Without my ‘hovering’ you would have gotten stabbed,” Tony snaps.
“Not your problem. You don’t even know me.” Steve says before pushing past Tony. Stunned by the posturing he just witnessed Tony lets him go, making no move to follow.
On his way home Steve can’t stop turning around. He knows he must seem paranoid but he can’t help it. The sharp dressed man with the goatee had already followed him once. He certainly didn’t want the man to know where he lived, he seemed like a real loony. Steve was more concerned about him than the man who tried to stab him. Steve hadn’t gotten a good look at his face, but this wouldn’t be the first time some bully had pulled a knife on him. Every once in a while someone got it into their head that if a beating wouldn’t stop his smart mouth than a knife would. He’d probably hear who had tried it through the grapevine of nosy neighbors and then Bucky would straighten the fellow out. With one last look around to be safe, Steve turns onto his home street.