Chapter Text
“…Going Quantum in 3…2…1…”
Within a second, Tony’s voice was gone.
Steve was soon sucked into the Quantum Realm again. He decided to return the Mind Stone first because it was one of the easiest and because he wanted to visit 2012 New York one more time. He landed in an empty room in the Avengers Tower. It was very quiet—it seemed like no one was around. Steve silently existed the room and headed to the elevator, to get to the 14th floor.
As the elevator went up, Steve wondered what happened to 2012 Loki, since he stole the Tesseract in this timeline. Bruce told him changing the past doesn’t change the future—it just creates another reality, but then does that mean there was already another reality created, the one Loki escaped from the Avengers’ grasp. Steve shook his head. Time travel was confusing…and complicated.
The elevator arrived at the 14th floor, and it was thankfully deserted. Looking around, Steve walked out of the elevator and proceeded to the place where him and his past self fought. It was taken here, so he should just leave the Mind Stone somewhere around—
“…You shouldn’t be here.”
A voice said behind Steve. Steve froze, afraid to turn around. The voice sounded familiar…too familiar. He slowly turned around, and he was met with the younger version of himself again.
“Oh, you gotta be shitting me,” Steve said it again.
Was it too much to ask to return the Mind Stone without being seen by his past self? He knew he couldn’t fight this one out like last time.
“…He doesn’t sound like Loki, if you ask me,” another familiar voice rose from the side of the room. Tony Stark from 2012 stared into the eyes of Steve from 2023. Steve sighed. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Soon, he was surrounded by the Avengers—Natasha, Thor, Bruce, and Clint. They all aimed their weapons at Steve.
“I’m not Loki, for god’s sake,” Steve said with frustration. “Loki disappeared with the Tesseract.”
“…Then who are you?” 2012 Steve asked, ready to take future Steve down if he ever attempted to run.
Steve didn’t know how to answer his past self’s question. If he tells him the truth, would we create an alternate timeline? But another timeline already existed because Loki escaped from the Avengers. Steve sighed.
“Steve Rogers. From 2023,” Steve said. Tony’s eyes narrowed—time travel? Really?
“You expect us to believe that? That you’re from the future?” Tony asked.
“…Howard said his greatest creation is you,” Steve said, locking his eyes with Tony’s. He tightened his grip on the briefcase. He can’t let the Avengers see what’s in it—at least not before they let their guards down.
Tony stared at this man, who looked exactly like Steve Rogers standing next to him. He may looked a bit older, but it was definitely him. Loki would not be able to pull off Steve Rogers for this long. His eyes reflected honesty, and that only became clear when Steve said what Howard told him through an old video two years ago. There’s no way a random person could’ve known that. He, his future self, must’ve told him in later years.
“What did he say?” Clint asked, still aiming his bow at older Steve with suspicion.
“…He’s not Loki,” Tony said. “He’s…well, he’s Steve Rogers.”
2012 Steve stared at his older self. He didn’t look much older physically—but there was a look that told him his future was going to be rough. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be standing in front of the Avengers at all. His mind then flashed back to what older Steve told him earlier before knocking him out—Bucky is alive. If this was really his future self, then that must be true, too. But, how?
“You said Bucky is alive,” 2012 Steve said. “Did you mean that?”
Older Steve bit his lip. Of course his younger self wants to know about Bucky. He was losing the fight against his self and he knew mentioning Bucky would throw himself off the rails. Steve really didn’t think about the consequences of letting it slip. Now he was here, facing the Avengers.
“Yes,” 2023 Steve said. “He’s…”
If he wanted to, he could use the Mind Stone or the Reality Stone to erase their memories. Then he would just return the Mind Stone here and leave. He could do that. He should do that. But this was already different timeline, where Loki never went back to Asgard with Thor. Was it too much to change it more? Changing the past doesn’t change the future, anyway. Bucky deserved happiness and freedom.
“He’s alive,” Steve said. “He’s known as the Winter Soldier—brainwashed and controlled by HYDRA. I met him in 2014 when SHIELD was revealed to be HYDRA.”
Natasha made a gasp at the recognition of the name and 2012 Steve looked at his older self, shocked. He couldn’t believe HYDRA still existed, let alone it was disguised as SHIELD.
“Wait, if SHIELD is HYDRA, then…?” Tony began to ask the question, only to be interrupted by…Rumlow and his agents. Older Steve tensed up. It was already too late to cover it up—there was two Steves in one place.
“We got a call that Loki was spotted on the 14th floor—” Rumlow began to speak and stopped as saw two Steves standing in the same room.
“…Hail Hydra, isn’t that right, Rumlow?” Steve said with a light smirk.
Before Rumlow or other agents could react, Steve kicked Rumlow and two other agents. He used the briefcase to knock another two agents out. The Avengers watched in disbelief as Steve continued to fight these HYDRA agents. Rumlow took out his knife and tried to stab Steve, but he was stopped by 2012 Steve—who simply grabbed Rumlow’s arm and twisted it so he would drop the knife. Then he punched Rumlow in the face, knocking him out.
“….That was for Bucky,” 2012 Steve said.
“Bucky is probably held in a HYDRA facility,” 2023 Steve said. “Interrogate Rumlow and arrest Alexander Pierce—he’s the head of HYDRA.”
2012 Steve simply nodded. The other Avengers were still in shock finding out that SHIELD was HYDRA and Steve just fought about 10 men and won quite easily.
“Didn’t we give Loki’s scepter to these guys?” Clint asked, looking down at unconscious HYDRA agents.
“We did,” Natasha said, shaking her head.
“Which I had to snatch it from them in the elevator,” 2023 Steve said. “You know, you guys were very, very naïve back in 2012.”
“Including yourself, Rogers,” Tony said.
“Yeah, but at least I had America’s Ass,” Steve smirked, looking at his past self’s face turning bright red.
Tony literally choked from laughing, Natasha just tilted her head in agreement, Clint simply nodded, Bruce and Thor looked at Steve with confusion.
Steve opened his briefcase and pulled out the yellow-glowing Mind Stone. He handed it to Tony.
“This is the reason I came here,” Steve said. “This is the Mind Stone—the one was in Loki’s scepter. It is an Infinity Stone, so I would be careful with it. Protect it at all costs.”
Tony nodded. He didn’t know what Steve was exactly talking about, but he was sure he would do some research later. Steve smiled.
“…Thank you,” 2012 Steve said. “For letting me know about Bucky. I will save him from them. I will never stop looking until I find him.”
There was determination in his eyes. Future Steve knew his past self wouldn’t stop looking for Bucky until he was safe and happy, just like Bucky from his timeline. Steve could picture Bucky being rescued from HYDRA base and living with his past self, just like the old times. A faint, relieved smile formed on Steve’s lips. This was for the best.
“…Til end of the line,” Steve said, nodding at his younger self.
Steve held his hand out. Mind Stone was returned—and it was safe in Avenger’s hands. Now that they knew about HYDRA, they wouldn’t give it away. Before he makes a time jump to another year, he still had Time Stone to take care of. Avengers—especially Thor—stared at Steve with confusion. Soon, Mjolnir—Steve’s from 2023—flew into his hand.
The Avengers’ jaws dropped. What did they just saw? Did Mjolnir—Thor’s hammer—flew into Steve’s hand? But how? Thor looked down at his own hammer. His was still in his grasp. There were two Captain Americas and now two Mjolnirs…Thor looked Steve and the hammer back and forth.
“…What the fuck?” Tony said. He couldn’t believe it. Capsicle was worthy?!
“Y…you can withhold my hammer? Since when?” Thor asked, who was unable to hide his surprise.
“Yes, since the Final Battle from my time,” Steve said. “Someone was trying to kill you, Thor, and…the hammer just moved.”
Thor looked half-proud and half-amazed at the fact that Mjolnir chose Steve as his owner. He has never, ever, seen a mortal withhold his hammer, let alone a simple soldier from Earth. The only other person who could lift the hammer was his own father, Odin. But from what Steve has shown so far, Steve seemed worthy of Mjolnir.
“That’s cool,” Bruce said.
“I’m still trying to understand what happened,” Clint said.
“Thor’s got a competition,” Natasha said.
“Capsicle is worthy,” Tony said.
Steve chuckled at the nickname—it’s been a while since he heard that from Tony, even if he was from the past.
“…Until next time then,” Steve said.
The Avengers waved goodbye to the future Captain—even 2012 Steve himself.
Steve flew away with Mjolnir through the open window, disappearing from the Avengers’ sight.
“…Now what was that?” Tony asked the rest of the team.
“The Future, dumbass,” Clint said.
“It was…mind-blowing,” 2012 Steve said, looking out of the window where his future self left.