Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own the Avengers


It didn't really sink in at first. The fact that he was stuck some 70 years in the future. It was just that for a while he didn't have much of a chance to think too much on it. Immediately after waking up, his mind had been focused on the current threat. He analyzed the situation, and thought of the best way to get out of it. Then once he escaped, all he could focus on was getting away from the enemy. The way that he was taught to do. When he was told that he was somehow 70 years in the future and that there was no way back, he had trouble taking it in. All he could really concentrate on was the unfamiliar sounds of cars and the sight of new technology. It all felt like some kind of dream, or rather a nightmare. Steve kept thinking that any moment now he would wake up and find himself back on the plane, or back on some small army base camp in Italy or in Germany or some other place, waiting and coming up with some new plan to take down Hydra.

Once S.H.I.E.L.D convinced him that they weren't his enemy (though he still wasn't quite sure about that) and told him to come with them, they took him back to their base and gave him a small debrief on what exactly was going on, and tried to explain to him as best as they could about his current situation. They didn't go into too much detail, figuring that he would be too much in shock to really comprehend what was going on (which, he had to admit was true). All the while, he refused to believe that any of this was true, and for the next few days he stayed in that mindset.

It wasn't until he saw the red stamp labeled DECEASED on the files of the Howling Commandos and Howard Stark glaring at him, that it finally hit him. He was the only one left. Everyone he knew was gone. Well, almost everyone. Seeing the missing red stamp on Peggy's file was a huge relief. But it still hurt to think that by now, she was an old woman. That she had already lived her life while he was trying to desperately get a hold onto his.

The loneliness and fear slowly crept onto him until the next thing he knew, he was crying his heart out. Sadness, fear, desperation, confusion and so many more feelings over whelmed him. The fear because he was now stuck in an unfamiliar time and place filled with things he didn't even remotely understand. The desperation to find some way to go back and live his life in his proper time. To have a family and to be surrounded by his friends. All of it was too much.

For the next hour he cried until he had no more tears to shed. Once the tears stop flowing, the numbness sunk in. He couldn't function, and for the next few days he stayed that way. Sure he went through the basic things like eating and sleeping, but other than that he didn't really notice or do anything else. Luckily, a few weeks later, he was approached by Director Fury about a mission to help save the world. On the outside, he was calm and cool about the whole thing, but inside he was almost jumping with joy. Fighting, performing his duty, leading a team; that was something familiar. That was something he knew how to do and something he understood. So, he wasted no time in agreeing to do it.

A few days later, he was on a plane, traveling to meet his new team members. He was excited to see what they were like. What skills did they have, how good were they at fighting? All those questions and more ran though his head. He was also extremely excited to meet Howards' son. He wondered what he was like and if he could tell him about his father. Over all, he was actually looking forward to something. Needless to say, when he finally did meet them, he was extremely disappointed. All of them were inexperienced in fighting with a team. Sure they had partners or sidekicks, but those people didn't have powers like they did. They weren't used to fighting with people were in the same situation as them. Then, there was the other fact that they all had personalities that clashed (and not in the good way either), though the trait that they all seemed to have in common was their stubbornness. All in all, he knew it was recipe for disaster.

And he was right. A week had passed and yet they still hadn't made any progress. While they had had their first battle as a team, all it did was confirm what he already knew; that they wouldn't be able to work together. And now another person was added to their already unstable and nonfunctional team. With the arrival of Thor, he added another thing to add to his list of things he didn't understand. The idea of the tesseract was already was crazy enough, but the idea that there were kingdoms and other people out in their solar system was over whelming. It also didn't help that the Tesseract was the source of his troubles yet again, and so soon too.

The only good thing so far was that he had been able to keep his mind off of Peggy and the others most of the time. At times he would slip, but he would soon catch himself and put his guard up before anyone noticed. He couldn't let the others see how bad he was. The other Avengers already thought he was incapable of leading them. They thought he was too old fashioned (something he didn't think he would hear until he was an old man, not still in his early twenties) and that his ideas were too much of an old way of thinking. They questioned him at every turn. Some were more obvious than others. Thor and Stark out right questioned him, though Stark more than Thor. While Agent Romanoff and Dr. Banner would silently question him. They didn't out right say it, but he could see it in their eyes and actions.

Finally, the inevitable happened. They completely fell apart. One moment he was arguing with Stark yet again, and the next he was thrown back through glass. Soon he was fighting alongside Stark. They were desperately trying to get the helicarrier back to working while trying to fight off Loki's brainwashed men (and he tried to keep that in mind while he fought against them). All the while, the rest of their team were who knows where.

After restoring the helicarrier as they (well really Stark. He mostly held the men off) could. When they were finally able to gather again, they found out that Thor and Dr. Banner were out and that Agent Coulson was dead. Hearing about Coulson's death only added to his grief, but like the others, he used Coulson's death to fuel his determination in beating Loki.

In the end, they managed to team up together again, and this time they were finally able to work together. It was also relieving to know that during the battle, all of the Avengers were willing to listen to him and actually follow his orders. After many hours of fighting, they managed to defeat Loki. The city was admittedly in ruins, but very little civilians were caught in the cross fire which was the most important thing.

With their job done, they went their separate ways. Thor taking Loki to Asgiard, and the rest going who knows where. Now that the battle was done, a new problem arose. How was he going to deal with his grief now? Thankfully, Director Fury must have realized that he needed something to do, so he gave him some missions. They were small missions at first, but over time they grew. Now, while he still had some moments of breakdown, he was slowly starting to get back on his feet. It would take some time, but Steve knew that in the end he would be alright. As far as he saw it, life had just knocked him off his feet, and it was never in his nature to stay down.


AN: How was it? I hope you enjoyed it. This was just a little thing that I had stuck in my head. I always admired Steve for being able to pull through such an ordeal. Anyways I hop that you enjoyed it. Reviews are always loved.