Timetravel
A Marvel Fanfic
Steve stepped onto Vormir. He couldn’t see much through the gloom and he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to leave the stone. It was the last one he had left.
A hooded figure drifted out of the shadows, startling him. It floated above the ground and pointed its finger at him. “You!” it said.
Steve shifted his shield on his arm. “Yeah, it’s me. Who are you?”
The figure pushed back its hood, revealing a scarlet face.
“Schmidt,” Steve whispered. “I thought you were dead.”
Schmidt’s lip twisted. “No. I was banished here by the stone. Forced to watch others take what I could not have.” He gave a cruel smile. “But if you are here for the stone, I’m afraid you’re too late.”
Steve pulled out the soul stone. “Actually, I’m here to put it back.”
Schmidt’s eyes narrowed. He pointed to a cliff. “Then drop it there and be on your way. I don’t want to see you longer than I have to.”
Steve walked to the edge of the cliff and peered over it. He could see a broken figure among the rocks. He closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his gloved hand.
“Just drop it,” Schmidt said behind him. “It’s not hard.”
Steve took a step back. He shook his head. “I don’t think I will. Not yet.” He turned around. “Barton told me how this works. A soul for a soul, right? The stone for the person you love most?” Schmidt narrowed his eyes as Steve spoke.
Steve glanced back over the cliff and then jerked his eyes away again. “Give me Agent Romanov and I’ll return the stone.”
“That’s not how this works,” Schmidt said. “The trade is permanent.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t make the trade.”
“It’s not my choice. Bargaining with me won’t work,” Schmidt said. “If you’re returning the stone, just return it.”
Steve looked at the stone. If he was going to do this, he had to be certain. He shook his head. “If she doesn’t come back, I’m keeping the stone.”
Schmidt waved his hand and turned around. “Fine. Why should I care?”
“You should care,” Steve said calmly as he watched Schmidt walk away. “I’m from a different reality. If I take the stone out of your reality, it will fall apart.” At least that’s what he thought Dr. Banner had said.
Schmidt smirked. “You wouldn’t do that. Captain America wouldn’t sentence a whole universe of people to die for one person.”
Steve nodded. “That’s true. But I’m not Captain America anymore. Not really. I am Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanov is my friend. You’ve already taken my best friend, my life and so much else from me. So sure, I might be bluffing, but do you really want to test that?” He tucked the stone into his pocket.
For the first time, traces of fear played across Schmidt’s face. “I don’t have the power to do what you ask. I told you, you can’t bargain with me.”
“I doubt that. In my experience, guards usually have a lot more power than they’re willing to admit. So what will it be?” Steve pulled out the stone again, holding it tightly in his fist.
Schmidt hesitated for a moment, glaring. “Drop the stone. You can have her back.”
“I need to see her first,” Steve told him. Someone gasped for breath behind him and his own breath caught in his throat. He was almost afraid to turn around, but he did and saw her lying on the ground.
“Romanov?”
“Steve? What are you doing here? Where’s–where’s Clint? He didn’t–”
“He’s fine,” Steve assured her.
“The stone,” Schmidt said. Steve dropped the stone, barely looking as it fell down the cliff.
He ran to her and knelt down. She struggled to sit up. “What happened? Did we win?”
Steve hugged her. She hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah, we won. But–not everyone made it. Tony–” Her fingers dug into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said.
After a moment, she pulled away. “But I was supposed to die. How did–”
“I returned all the stones,” he jerked his chin towards Schmidt. “And I convinced him to bring you back.”
She gave a slight smirk. “I imagine you can be quite persuasive.” He laughed.
She stood up. “Tell me you have a way out of here. I don’t want to stay a moment longer.”
Steve stood as well and pulled out two vials of Pym particles. He handed one to her. “Bruce, Bucky, and Sam are waiting for us at–at Stark’s place.”
She set up the particles to take her back, then she smiled up at Steve.
He smiled back. “Ready?” He asked. “One, two–”
“Steve, stop!” She wasn’t smiling anymore.
“What’s wrong?”
“What are you doing?”
He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
She clenched her jaw. “Don’t lie to me. What are you doing?”
He had to tell her. She should know the truth. He dropped his head. “I have to. I have to go back for him.”
She shook her head. “That’s not how this works. They said it didn’t. Banner, T-Tony. You can’t change it.”
He didn’t look up. “They don’t know that. They can’t know that. This is all new, even to them.” He looked up at her. “Natasha, if there’s even a chance I could help him, help both of you, and I didn’t take it, I would never be able to live with myself. You know that.”
She studied his face for a moment. “I’m coming with you.”
He shook his head. “You told me they’re your family. You should go back. Go back to them. They need you.”
She dropped her eyes and swallowed hard. “You’re a part of that family.”
He hugged her. “I’ll be back.” She nodded against his chest and put her arms around him.
“You’d better,” she whispered.
Finally he let go. He smiled. “You ready?” She nodded and they both stepped back. “One, two, three.”
–
Natasha kept her eyes closed, drinking in the sunlight she hadn’t thought she’d feel again.
She hadn’t gone back to Stark’s. No, she would see the rest of them later. There was someone else she needed to see first.
She opened her eyes and there was the house. She walked slowly up the porch steps and knocked on the door.
“Just a minute!”
She closed her eyes until she heard the door open, then she opened them in time to see Clint’s smile slide off his face. “Nat?”
She smiled and hugged him. He squeezed her tightly and she felt his tears fall on her shoulder and in her hair. She didn’t care.
Finally he pulled away and held her at arm’s length. “How–”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I can tell you later. Is–is Laura–”
“Yes, yes, she’s here.” He turned to look over his shoulder. “She’s, um, Laura? Laura, can you come out here a second?” He turned back to face Natasha and wiped the tears off her face. She hadn’t realized she was crying.
Laura came out and froze when she saw Natasha. “Oh my goodness, Nat! How–what–oh, Nat!” Laura threw her arms around her and squeezed her tightly. “I thought you were dead!”
“So did I.”
The kids came running out, joining in the shouting, tearful mess and they all soon went into the house to get all the events of the past couple days straightened out.
–
Steve walked along the street, searching for the right house. Peggy had mentioned the address to him once, but she had never told him exactly when she had lived there. He hoped she was living there now, because if anyone had the information he needed, she did.
After the war, Zola had been part of both Hydra and Shield. Peggy’s files would lead him straight to Hydra.
He found the house. It was locked, of course. He felt a little guilty, but he snuck around back and broke a window, managing to climb inside.
He went into her bedroom and checked under the bed. Then the nightstand. He removed the pictures from the wall and looked behind them. Nothing. He went into the living room and found her desk. He searched each of the drawers first, then knelt down to check underneath the desk.
He finally found the files taped to the underside of the top drawer. He found the one he needed and put them all back, taking care to leave everything the way he’d found it.
“Turn around or I shoot.”
He winced and held up his hands, turning around to face Peggy.
She froze and lowered her gun. “Steve? Steve, you’re alive? How–what–what are you doing here?”
What could he say? He gave a shaky smile. “I couldn’t leave my best girl behind. Not when I owed her a dance.”
She set her gun down on the table and threw her arms around him, crying. He held her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Peg, but I–I can’t stay for long.”
She stiffened and then pulled away to look at him. “Oh. Is–is this just another dream?”
Perhaps that was for the best. He smiled sadly at her, trying not to dwell on ‘another’. “But I still need my dance.”
She bit her lip and nodded slowly. She forced a small smile. “Do you still need me to teach you?” He nodded.
She pulled away and started some music. “It’s Been A Long, Long Time.” How fitting.
He put his arms around her and she showed him the steps. He learned quickly.
The song was almost over when she reached up and kissed him. He smiled at her. He had missed her. He would miss her again.
The song ended and they stopped. “I–I need a drink,” she said shakily. “Do you need anything?”
“No.”
He waited until she left the room. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, knowing she wouldn’t hear. He opened the door silently and snuck out. He closed the door again and hid behind it, afraid she might see him through the open window.
He heard when she came back in the room. “Steve?” she called. “Steve?” He didn’t answer.
He heard her pour her glass and sit down. “I’ll miss you,” she said quietly.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Then he got off the porch and studied the file in his pocket. He couldn’t wait any longer.
Bucky was waiting.
Thank you to my dear friend Rus for this idea. I hope you like it.