Chapter Text
Steve Rodgers has a lot of regrets. He stands to overlook the battlefield that earth has become. He looks back at what is left of his allies, many had died in the first few days and the rest are weary and in need of medical attention.
To one side Rhodes is in his wheelchair, still twitching in his sleep from trying to control what remains of the Iron Legion, the hivemind of Tony’s suits strung together under FRIDAY’s guidance. Neither the young AI FRIDAY nor Colonel Rhodes is truly up to the task and the mental strain is showing.
Next to him Loki uses Thor as a human (Godly?) mattress. Only the recent revelation that Loki was under mind control when he invaded Earth has made it acceptable for him to be this close to the others. Guess that damn stone explains that Ultron thing. Steve would apologize if he still could.
He never knew about what happened to Rodney during the ‘civil war’, He never knew JARVIS had died during the Ultron incident to create Vision. He never knew that Stark was angling to get everyone out of the Raft using legal methods. He never knew that Stark was holding back a damn “Superhuman Registration Act” by making the Sokovia Accords. How his company was having trouble funding the Avengers all by its own. There is so much Steve should have known and so many mistakes he made, so many apologies he should have made to a man who is now dead, possibly by his own hand.
Steve looks back out the window, He knows he’s sulking but his shoulders are heavy with grief and regret and between sobbing uncontrollably and brooding he thinks he’s picked the better option.
“Blame yourself not for these events, Steven” Comes a voice from his side. “No one could not have foreseen them”
Steve startles and looks over. Dr Strange floats behind him. The man has only gotten more, well, strange over the course of the War. The wizard’s constant use of the time stone has left its mark. His eyes are solid green now and constantly glowing. Wispy tendrils of the stone’s energy wrap around his clothing and make slowly moving shapes in his skin. Even the Doctor’s speech has gotten more and more abstract and convoluted like he is forgetting how to live in linear time. Steve wonders if all the infinity stones can possess someone if given enough time and usage. But it seems the Strange isn’t all knowing in this case.
Steve sighs. It’s not like it matters anymore.
“That’s not true,” Steve says “Tony knew this was going to happen.” He glances at Strange, who looks at him a confused look. “You never meet Tony Stark. But ever since the battle of New York, He was talking about preparing for another invasion, He tried to get us to band together like a team, made us a base and gear and everything. Tried to make some sort of UN sanctioned global team or whatever. I thought he was grandiose and paranoid, like his dad. But he was right this whole time. I mean look at this.” Steve gestured out the window to the wreckage of spaceship and aliens strung across the earth “I should have listened. I wish I could go back and tell him I’m sorry.”
“Go back and apologize….” Strange muttered.
“Go back!” Strange almost shouted. Steve looked back only to watch as the as the tendrils of energy pulsed, lifting Strange lifted father off the ground.
“That’s It! Steven wake and round up the Others, I was looking to the future, but it’s the past that’s important! We’ve been looking at this all wrong. There still might be a way to fix everything!”
~~~~
The plan was this, the time stone could not send a person back in time, at least alone. However, Vision had managed to survive this long and still possessed the mind stone. So while they could not send a person back, they could send a person’s mind back or more accurately a person's memories. Which was pretty much the same thing.
It would however not only require removing the mind stone from Vision, which might kill him but using the stones for that powerful a spell would alert to Thanos to their location. And since Thanos already had the space stone, meant they had minutes if that to conduct the spell before Thanos and his army were tearing down the walls.
In light of this, Vision agreed to forgo being careful on removing the mind stone. On the condition that when Steve went back he would save not only save Tony but also Pietro, Wanda’s twin. Ironically someone whom Vision had never met. In addition to trying to prevent Ultron from existing but trying to make sure Vision did, paradoxically.
Steve agreed, If he was going to get one chance to do everything over, he was going to make everything right this time around. He was going to save Everyone.
Ironically it didn’t take long to prepare, a couple days looking up the events of the soon to be undone past, Steve made sure to memorize the plans of every major villain from the time he woke up to today. From when and where they were to what weapons and weaknesses they had.
It was another lesson in humility but it was important. No one was sure how far back Steve would end up.
~~~~
“If you could change the past where would you start?” Dr strange asked starting up the spell.
“I don’t know maybe keep bucky off that goddamn bridge”
Dr Strange gave him a look, more of an admittedly earned glare. “I know you were listening to my lectures about the dangers of time travel and messing too much with the tim-” “I know, I know. I guess I’m….I’m nervous”
Strange gave him a different look this one had sympathy.
“What about Stark? You said you had a thousand apologies to give him”
“Where would I start with that? I’m sorry for not telling you about your dad? I’m sorry for blaming you for Ultron? I’m sorry for making you feel that you had to take down the mandarin yourself? I’m sorry for kill-” Steve took a breath to steady himself. Even now he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“What about the first apology? The first time you’d say you're sorry to Stark”
“That’s actually easy. That would be for insulting him on the helicarier after the battle of New York. I know we were under the spell of the tainted mind stone but that doesn’t matter. If I had to pick a time it would be soon after Battle, maybe a day or two. Actually, I had a chance this one time….”
And then Steve Rogers woke up.
~~~~
Steve Rogers wakes up. He takes stock of his surroundings. The walls are drab industrial grey and he can hear a deep hum. The bed is thin for the 21st century standards and slightly dented. The room is spartan and honestly depressing but Steve finds himself grinning like a madman. He knows he should be sceptical. After all, Thanos still possessed the reality stone but….
But his good old red, white and blue Uniform is hanging in the closet and his shield is at the end of the bed.
‘It’s in need of a good polish’ Steve thinks and promptly bursts out into joyful yet hysterical laughter.