Dear Diary,
When everything finally came into focus, I realized immediately that it had actually worked. We had arrived in New York in 2012 right in the middle of Thanos' first attack through Loki with the Chitauri.
Rocket and Thor had to have arrived at Asgard, 2013 by now, too... as well as Rhodes and Nebula at Morag, 2014 and... Natasha and Clint at Vormir, 2018.
This all felt unreal, but, in reality, it couldn't have been more opposite of that.
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"All right," I started, the Team Suit disappearing to reveal my old Captain America uniform. "We all have our assignments. Two Stones uptown, one Stone down. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock." We all turned and watched as the Hulk from 2012 came running down the street to destroy a bunch of stuff in the street. Banner hid in humiliation. "Maybe smash a few things along the way," I told him.
He ripped his shirt off and walked past us. "I think it's gratuitous, but whatever." He started roaring quietly and gently throwing stuff. I had to hold back my laughter.
We made our way to Stark tower and Tony radioed me about what was going on in there. "Better hustle, Cap, things look like they're just about wrapped up here."
"Got it," I replied. "I'm approaching the elevator now."
"Ugh," Tony scoffed. "Mr. Rogers, I almost forgot, that suit did nothing for your ass."
"No one asked you to look, Tony," I answered, utterly confused as to why he was looking at my former, and probably current, ass.
"It's ridiculous," Tony commented further.
"I think you look great, Cap," Scott replied. "As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass." A few moments later, the S.T.R.I.K.E. team came up the elevator to take Loki's Scepter. "Who're these guys?" he wondered.
"They are S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony responded. "Well, actually HYDRA... but we didn't know that yet."
"Seriously?" he sounded baffled. "You didn't? I mean, they look like bad guys."
"You're small, but you're talking loud," Tony reminded him. "Oh. Alright, you're up little buddy. There's our stone."
"All right," Scott acknowledged. "Flick me."
"All right, Cap," Tony spoke a few moments later. "I got our Scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor."
"On it," I pressed the elevator button and awaited the arrival of the car. "Head to the lobby."
"All right, I'll see you there," he replied.
The door eventually opened and everyone looked at me like I was ruining everything.
"Captain," Jasper Sitwell regarded me. "I thought you were coordinating search and rescue."
"Change of plans," I said, pressing the button on the inside and watching the doors close before me.
"Hey, Cap," Rumlow greeted me.
"Rumlow," I replied, looking over at him. I watched the man in front of me grab his gun at the holster at his side as a precaution, so I decided to start my piece. "I just got a call from the secretary. I'm gonna be running point on the Scepter."
"Sir?" Jasper turned around and looked at me. "I don't understand."
"We got word there may be an attempt to steal it," I explained.
"Sorry, Cap," Rumlow started rudely. "We can't give you the Scepter."
"I'm gonna have to call the director," Jasper added, reaching for his phone.
"That's ok. Trust me," I leaned in to his ear. "Hail HYDRA."
He looked at me like he was stunned and didn't even know what to say. By the time the doors opened, he had handed me the Scepter and I was on my way.
"Thumbelina, do you copy? I got eyes on the prize," I heard Stark say in the radio. "It is go time."
"Bombs away," Scott replied. "... is- is that Axe body spray?" he asked a moment later.
"Yea, I had a can in the desk for emergencies," Stark informed him. "Relax. Can we focus, please?"
"I'm going inside you... now," Scott informed us in the most weird way possible.
"All right, move it, Stuart Little. Things are getting dicey out here. Let's go."
"You promise me, you won't die?" Scott assured, probably already inside of the Arc Reactor as planned.
"We're only giving me a mild cardia dysrhythmia," Tony answered.
"That doesn't sound mild."
"Do it, Lang!" Tony demanded. "Window's closing. Pull my pin."
"Here goes!"
"Medic! Give these guys some help!" I heard Tony yelling about himself. This is a Hell of a lot more confusing to listen to than I'm sure it is to watch.
"That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?" I heard Scott relay and I could only assume the worst.
"We blew it," Stark answered, confirming what I believed to be true.
"Tony, what's going on?" I wondered. "Tell me you found that cube." No answer. "Oh, you gotta be shittin' me," I said aloud to... myself.
"I have eyes on Loki, 14th floor," he said.
"I'm not Loki," I told myself, placing the briefcase on the floor. "And I don't wanna hurt you."
He came at me with his shield and I blocked it with mine- this was really about to be the fight of a lifetime, huh? My literal self... He kicked me to the ground.
"I could do this all day," he said.
"Yea, I know," I cringed. "I know."
We both threw our shields, then fist fought until we fell 14 stories to the ground level. When we stood, finally, he had my compass in his hand.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, holding it up for me to see.
I ignored him and went for the Scepter, but he was too quick and took me down. I was in a choke hold and I was on the verge of passing out. There had to be something, anything, I could say that would make him let go of me... think! God, what's something I didn't know yet that killed me once I found out? What year is it? 2012? Oh, God- 2014, I've got it!
"Bucky... is... alive," I said as loud as I could.
He let go. "What?" he sounded like he wasn't sure I had really just said that.
I then grabbed the Scepter and placed it on his chest to render him unconscious. I took my compass and took a moment to breath, looking around. "That is America's ass," I commented, looking down at myself before walking away and making my way out of the building.
"Cap," Tony called to me from a destroyed car in an alleyway. "Sorry, buddy, we got a problem."
Scott scoffed. "Yea, we do."
They explained that they lost the Tesseract and we started to brainstorm. "Well, what're we gonna do now?" I wondered.
"You know what? Give me a break, Steve," Stark fried back. "I just got hit in the head with the Hulk."
"You said that we had one shot," Scott reminded us. "This- this was our shot. We shot it. It's shot. Six stones or nothing. It was six stones or nothing."
"You're repeating yourself, you know that?" Stark told him. "You're repeating yourself."
"You're repeating yourself," he replied. "You're repeating yourself."
"Dude, come on," Tony continued to argue.
"No, you never wanted a Time Heist," Scott yelled. "You were never on board with the Time Heist. You ruined the Time Heist."
"I dropped the ball," Stark clarified. "Is that what I did?
"Yea!"
"Are there any other options with the Tesseract?" I asked, wanting to not waste our time any further.
"No, no, no," Scott came back quickly. "There's no other options. There's no do-overs. We're not going anywhere else. We only have one particle left. Each. That's it. All right? We use that- bye bye, you're not going home."
"Yea, well, if we don't try... then no one else is going home either," I told him.
"I got it," Tony mumbled, getting out of the car. "There's another way to retake the Tesseract and acquire new particles. Little stroll down memory lane. Military Installation, Garden State."
"When were they both there?" I asked.
"They were there... at a time- I have a vaguely exact idea," he stumbled.
"How vague?" I wondered seriously.
"What are you talking about?" Scott interjected. "What are we- where are we going?"
"I know for a fact they were there," Tony assured me. "And I know how I know."
"Who's they?" Scott asked. "What're we doing? Guys, what is it?"
"Well, it looks like we're improvising," I agreed.
"Great," Stark smiled.
"What are we improvising?" Scott asked, still lost.
"Scott, get this back to the compound," I handed him the Scepter and approached Tony again.
"Suit up," Tony requested.
"What's in New Jersey?" Scott asked anew, now holding the Scepter.
"Zero four," Tony relayed to me.
"Zero four," I repeated.
"Uh, zero seven," he continued.
"Zero seven."
"He- excuse me!" Scott yelled.
"One nine seven zero," he went on, looking at me.
"Are you sure?" I looked back at him. He nodded.
"Cap! Captain- Steve!" he called again from the side. We both looked over this time. "Sorry, America- Rogers. Look, if you do this, and it doesn't work...you're not coming back."
"Thanks for the pep talk, pissant," Tony replied, looking back at me. "You trust me?"
"I do."
"Your call," he answered once he knew how I truly felt.
"Here we go," I assured him.
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And, like that, we were gone.
~ S. Rogers