Chapter Text
Tony was in his workshop when everything went dark, and he lost consciousness.
A groan slipped through Tony's lips as he regained consciousness, a sharp pain shooting through his head. After a few moments, his eyes began to move around his surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar setting of a theatre. A large screen stood in front of him, plastered against the walls with red curtains falling down beside it. To his left came a quiet grumble as Steve began to stir and wake.
"Tony?" He mumbled, confusion written in his features as he looked around the theatre. "Where are we?"
Tony quickly turned to face him, mild surprise on his face, before he quickly schooled it and glanced back at the large screen.
"Well, Cap, it seems like we're in a theatre." He replied, hints of sarcasm in his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Steve.
"I understand that," Steve muttered, slightly exasperated. "But why are we here?"
Before Tony could reply, a few more of the people present began to stir and wake. Slowly, Natasha, Clint, and Sam began to open their eyes, wincing slightly at the bright lights and pain in their heads.
"Where are we?" Natasha asked after a moment, her voice tense and a look of suspicion on her face as she eyed the surroundings.
After a short discussion as to what they already knew, they split up and began to look around, moving through the seats and up to the stage in search of anything to answer the long list of questions currently forming in their heads. At the front of the theatre, plastered on the screen, was a small piece of paper.
“Guys, I found something!” Sam called out, gesturing for the others to join him. Once they were all gathered around Sam, he began reading the text printed on the paper.
Dear Avengers,
Welcome to this new dimension.
I have brought you all to this dimension for a specific reason. I have brought you here to see the future that awaits you.
We will begin when everyone is present. Until then, sit comfortably and wait patiently while your next two guests are being transported here.
A tense silence fell over the group as they all stared at the note Sam was holding.
“What do we do? There has to be a way out of here.” Clint stated nervously, already moving away from the group to continue looking for a way out.
The rest of the group just stood in the same space, watching Clint as he walked towards the side doors and tried pulling them open. After a few minutes of watching him, Natasha walked over with a small huff, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to guide him over to one of the rows of seating.
“It’s not going to work. We might as well just do what it says and wait.” She stated to the group, guiding Clint to a seat and sitting beside him before looking at the rest of the group expectantly.
Once all of them had processed, they finally began to move, cautiously taking a seat around Clint and Natasha whilst they all waited for the next guests to arrive. After what seems to be hours of waiting, a strange sound can be heard throughout the theatre. All the Avengers suddenly shoot up, eyeing the room to find where the sound is coming from, when colourful sparks begin shooting out from the ceiling in front of the screen. After a moment of sparks, a hole opens up, and a figure drops down, landing with a thump on the floor. The figure quickly shoots up, panicking as he looks around the room before his eyes land on the Avengers and drift to stare at Steve with wide eyes. Similarly, wide eyes stare back at the figure before a quiet whisper breaks through the tense silence.
“Bucky…?” Steve whispers, not yet moving towards him but staring intensely at the man standing at the front of the room. He doesn’t reply, doesn’t move. Instead, he quickly looks away from Steve, inching away from the Avengers and backing up towards the screen.
“We’re not here to fight you.” A voice states, breaking the cautious silence settling in the room. Natasha holds up the note, inching a bit closer towards the Winter Soldier so he can read it.
“We’re all stuck here, so there would be no point in fighting.” She continued, watching as he took the note from her and read over it. Without another word of sound, the Winter Soldier moved past her, moving to sit down a small distance away from the rest of the group. Steve’s eyes follow his movements as he settles into the seat, an unreadable expression on his face as he turns from the man towards the screen.
“You should go and try to speak to him.” Sam begins with a quiet whisper, shuffling closer to Steve.
“If we’re all trapped here, it might ease some of the tension if he has someone to speak to.” Steve gave a silent nod before glancing back at Bucky and moving towards where he was sitting, clearing his throat and making sure to keep a safe distance away.
“Bucky..?” He began, his voice quiet and cautious. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”
The silence and evasion of looking at Steve from Bucky leave Steve slightly dejected, but he slowly inches closer to Bucky. “Please, Buck.” He continues, a silent plea for him to reply, now mere meters away from where Bucky was sitting.
“Steve. Just go back.” He replied. His voice is cold and distant as he shifts slightly away from Steve, avoiding any potential eye contact by keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.
With a small frown, Steve closed the distance, taking a seat next to Bucky and keeping his eyes locked on his face. “I can’t do that, Buck.” Steve began, his voice gentle. “I told you, I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”
At his words Bucky finally turns to look at Steve, an unreadable expression on his face as he stares intensely at Steve. Without replying Bucky gives a small nod, a way of silent permission for Steve to stay beside him. More time passes with the Avengers sitting in the room. Steve and Bucky are now talking in hushed voices, the others shooting them occasional curious and suspicious glances. Suddenly a sound is heard, a sound that is similar to the one from earlier and causes the group to look around, and the colourful sparks are once again forming on the ceiling before opening into a dark circle. After a moment a large yelp is heard as another figure is dropped from the portal in the ceiling. The Avengers quickly turn to look at the new addition, confusion flickering over their faces as they process the clear age difference. The new addition suddenly shoots up, turning around to look at the room before stopping on the Avengers, his eyes widening as he stares at them.
“Whoa.. You guys are the Avengers!” He says, excitement and awe in his voice before continuing. “This is crazy! I mean the floor just opened beneath me and I was suddenly falling and I came face to face with the Aven-”
“Why is there a kid here?” Tony suddenly states, interrupting the rambling teenager.
“I’m not a kid, I'm fifteen Mr Stark, sir.” The teen replies. “I’m Peter, by the way. Peter Parker.”
“Well, why are you here Peter?” Natasha asks.
“I don’t know. The floor just opened up and I was here!” He replied.
“Participants! Now that you are all here, take a seat and let the viewing begin.” A voice calls out, the sound echoing throughout the room.
“What was that!” Peter calls out, his voice loud with panic as he twists and turns to look around the room.
“Just sit down kid.” Tony says, already joining the rest of the group in sitting down and looking at the screen. Reluctantly Peter moves to go sit, shuffling into the seat beside Tony and glancing up at the screen as it begins to flicker.
The screen turns on and an icy landscape is seen as a text displaying the date ‘1991’ fades onto the screen.