New World, New Time

Chapter 1: Discovery

Captain America/Steve Rogers was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Owned by Marvel Comics

Wonder Woman/Diane Prince created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G Peter. Owned by DC Comics

Justice League created by Gardner Fox. Owned by DC Comics

I own nothing in this story, and will never receive a penny from it.

Inside the Cosmic Cube:

Steve Rogers, yet to be the Living Ledged for which he will one day be known, makes a decision to save all universes and life within them, by merging his body with that of one of his many counterparts, stolen from their own universes by the villainess Superia. This action undoes the damage started by the madwoman, and sends everyone back to their proper time and universe, or so that was what everyone had mistakenly believed. While most of the Steve Rogers' were returned to their proper universes, the body of which our Steve merged with, split back into two separate bodies and over shot his own, and instead was flung into a very different one. Because our Steve returned to his proper universe, I did not notice this until much later, when I visited that universe. It took me several months to find the missing hero, and the universe to which he had been transported to. This universe, known as Prime Earth by it's protectors, was one where neither himself, nor anyone he would have come to know in his own, were never born. This was a world that didn't know the likes of The Destroyer, Miss America, or The Blazing Skull. Even his ally, the Sub-Mariner, Prince Namor of Atlantis never existed, although his Prime Earth counter part, Arthur Curry, known as Aquaman by the surface world, did. It is with him, that our story takes place.

Prime Earth:

Aquaman, along with fellow Justice League teammates Wonder Woman and Hal Jordan, was investigating the reports of large flash of light in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Norway. Fearing that it could be another attack from Apokolips, and with Superman off planet, Batman decided to send the team's most powerful members to check it out. What the three heroes found was a figure, frozen inside of a small iceberg, that appeared to wearing a World War Two Era Army Uniform. They searched the immediate area for hours, and not having found any trace of Darksied or any Parademons, they decided to take the body back to America, where they had planed to leave it with the Government, where the body could be identified and returned to his family. However, after arriving with equipment to transport the body, Cyborg's scanners detected high traces of both Tacnion Particles, aswell as an unknown energy, coming from the body, they decided they should take it back to the Watchtower, where the League could examine it away from innocents. This was 42 hours ago.

In a small hospital room in the Watchtower, a blond-haired man lay in a single sized bed, which looked like a standard hospital issued, while the beeping of a heart-monitor showed he was still alive. There was also the beeping of an EKG machine, showing brain activity, signs of life that weren't discovered until Steve had been dethawed, and Cyborg's systems detected the faint heart beats, hence why an autopsy wasn't preformed, much to everyone's surprise and relief. None of them were, or liked the thought of being murderers. Batman and Flash had checked military data backs, after finding and removing Steve's uniforms and dogtags, but found no connects in any database or records. The Serial Number they entered didn't match the name of Steve Rogers, and after scans of his shield showed it to be composed of an unknown metal, they were left with a lot of questions, and no answers. Atleast until Batman's secret Justice League member, J'onn J'onzz was able to read his mind, determining he was not a threat, as well as the memories left by the other Steve Rogers, when they briefly merged. Worried about the effects that forcing him awake might have on Steve's mind, the team chose wait it out.

Diana couldn't say why she was sitting in the room, holding his shield while he 'slept', but she felt compelled to keep a watch over him. Perhaps it was the motif of his costume, perhaps it was because he was a fellow warrior, or perhaps it was because he reminded her of a story she had heard as a child. The story of a warrior, cursed to forever roam the earth, immortal, while those he loved grew old and died around him. Steve may not have been immortal, but all he had ever known was gone, just the same. Whatever the case was, she just couldn't bring herself to leave his side, something her teammates didn't try to discourage her from, not even Batman. She leaned back in the chair, her hands gliding over the circular weapon, admiring it's look and feel. Like the others, she had seen images that J'onn skimmed from Steve's mind, and saw how it glided through the air, taking down multiple opponents, before returning to the out stretched hand of it's 'master', and she found herself wanting to test it out herself. However, her warrior pride had so far resisted that temptation, believing that to do so without Steve's permission, would have been an insult to both himself, and the weapon, and as a warrior, that went against everything she believed. So instead, she just continued to admire it, while she waited for it's true wielder to awaken, and retake his weapon.

Outside the room, Batman and J'onn J'onzz, in the guise of Bloodwynd, watched from their own little monitor room. "Have you ever heard of a Cosmic Cube before, J'onn?", Batman asked, not taking his eyes off the screen. "No, though it reminds me of the stories from this world, about magical creatures who grant wishes. I believe your people call them 'genies'." J'onn responded. Batman wasn't sure such creatures existed, nor did he felt it mattered, as he preferred to focus on the situation at hand. Still, he knew well enough not to totally dismiss the idea, as anything was possible, even if it wasn't logical. He sighed, wondering if he should call in Zatanna or ask Hal to see what the Guardians of the Universe knew about it, though he doubted that with their track record, that even if they did know anything, that they would be willing to tell them. Even Aquaman had been unable to find anything, in the libraries and vaults of Atlantis, making him believe it only existed in Steve's universe. "However, from what I learned from Steve Rogers' mind, it is sentient, granting it's reality altering powers to those it chooses. How or why it chose them, is a mystery which he was never able to discover." J'onn replied, forcing Batman to put the subject to the back of his mind for the foreseeable future, or until they could actually find out more themselves.

"He is waking up." J'onn stated, to which Batman simply nodded, before sending a message to all Justice League members who were already aboard the Watchtower, and informing them of their guest's status. J'onn was quick to use his telepathy in which he suppressed Steve's adrenaline flow, to keep him calm, and avoid frightening him to death. He also informed Diana, who was well aware of what was happening, that he and the others were about to enter the room. Just as a precaution. Steve groaned, as he opened his eyes to the light for the first time in seventy plus years. "Captain Rogers?" She said to him, in a soft and tender manner, before standing up, placing the shield down on the floor beside the chair, and slowly moved towards him. Her hands were held out in front of her body, palms facing him in a pacify stance to show she was unarmed. She did this in hopes it would help him to remain calm and show that they meant him no harm. "Wha…where.." Steve stated to say, his voice weak and unsteady after not being used for so long. As he attempted to speak some more, Diana put her right hand on his shoulder, which like J'onn's probe, served to sooth and calm him. "It's alright, Captain. I promise you, you are among friends here."

Just then, the door behind her opened, and in walked Batman, Hal Jordan, J'onn, and Aquaman. The men all had neutral expressions on their faces, and if it weren't for J'onn and Diana, it might have made Steve worried for his own safety. Despite his abilities and skills, he didn't have the energy to lift a single finger, let alone fight several opponents whom he knew nothing about. As he tried to think about his options, Batman spoke up, his tone as neutral as his expression. "Captain, I'm afraid you're not going to like what I am about to say, but it seems you've been asleep for over seventy years." Steve's eyes widened for a few moments, before he turned to gaze in to the eyes of Diana, as though seeking confirmation to Batman's words. Seeing the worry in his eyes, she nodded her head and gave his shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze. It had the desired effect. This interaction did not go unnoticed by the other Justice Leaguers, who shared a quick look between themselves, all thinking the same thing. Looks like she's moved on from Clark. While Hal was somewhat disappointed that she had not chosen him, he and the others were still happy for her, as she had not taken the breakup with Superman very well, as it had been her first broken heart.

Clearing his throat, brought everyone's attention back onto Batman, as he resumed speaking. "Also, I'm afraid that this is not the universe you originally came from. In this world, you were never born, nor were any of your family, friends, or teammates. We will try and find a way to return you to your proper time and world, though I am unsure if we will be successful. I'm sorry." Steve shook his head, before turning his attention away from everyone, as he tried to take in everything he had just been told. He didn't know if he should believe what Batman had told him, or if this was a Nazi trick, designed to turn him. Diana and J'onn were able to keep him calm and almost sedated like, but neither had attempted to mess with his thoughts or memories, so he was still able to fell doubt and worry. As if knowing what he really needed, Diana released her hold on his shoulder, turned around, and whispered to her teammates. "Let's let him rest for now. Even the strongest warriors need reprieves." She then began to usher them out of the room, before picking the shield up off the floor, and back in the chair, before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Because of his own enhanced senses, Steve had heard what Diana had said to her teammates, a sentiment which made his heart skip a beat, even while at the same time, his mind was warning him not to get attached, that this could indeed be a trap. After all, he had been put in similar situations, with the Red Skull, Baron Blood, and others in his past. Is everyone…..really dead? Bucky? Peggy? Even Namor and Jim? Am I really in some alternate reality where No one I knew, ever existed? Sounds almost like something from Buck Rogers or one of those other shows I listened to as a kid. As he wondered about his predicament, and the fate of his loved ones, Diana and the others were dealing with questions of their own. Hal Jordan wondered what he'd do if he were in Steve's place, Batman and Cyborg wondered if they indeed could send him back to his world and era, while Diana was thinking thoughts that were normally foreign to her. She was thinking of where Steve would live, what he might want to do for fun. She sighed, a light blush appearing on her face, causing her teammates to stop in their track, and turn and look at her, worried expressions on their faces. "Diana….are you….alright?" Hal asked, voicing the question that everyone else was thinking. To their dismay, she paid them no mind, and simply continued walking towards her quarters, leaving them behind, with confused looks on their faces, well everyone but Batman. "OK, that was just weird." Hal said, scratching the back of his head, before resuming walking himself, though his destination was the Monitor Room, as it was his turn to be on Monitor Duty. The rest of the team headed for Bridge, to teleport back to their homes or where ever they needed to be.

TBC

AN:

I understand that in the New 52, J'onn has supposedly never taken up the Bloodwynd name, but I felt it would make more sense and cause less questions if he showed up with a black, human looking telepathic 'friend', rather than a green skinned alien from Mars. The team would be more suspicious of another alien, especially one who was known to Bruce Wayne, but not the rest of the team, allowing for everything to move more smoothly in the story. Also, I just liked the character. Also, sorry for the story being so short, will try and make it longer next chapter. Also, If anyone can guess who the Narrator of this story is, and pm the answer to me, will get the prize of helping me with plot points in this and the other books with this couple. Like Avatar, this story will be in a set of 'books', each one taking both characters on different journeys. Also, if anyone notices any misspellings, or words or events that don't sound right, let me know, so I can see if they need fixing. Thanks and please enjoy the upcoming chapters.