Right There With You
Author's Note: I am completely overwhelmed with the feedback on this story. Thank you to everyone. This chapter we'll be getting into the actual Avengers movie with my subuniverse sneaking its way in.
Disclaimer: I do not claim to own anything. All rights are that of Marvel, this was written as a form of entertainment.
Chapter 2
And The World Stops Turning
May 2nd, 2012
Steve sat in the apartment that SHIELD had set him up with since him waking up from the ice. The computer, as they call it, they provided him with to get caught up on the history he missed wasn't really helping, he turned the video off and stared at the empty glass before pushing it away and pulling a manilla folder to him.
At the time, he thought it was a good idea to ask SHIELD to find out what had happened to those he left behind in 1945. They collected a small dossier and left it with him, the contents were something he didn't even know he wanted to face yet.
Sighing, he opened the folder to find a small stack of files inside. There weren't many, but he did recognize the first face staring up at him and his heart clenched at the sight of the red 'DECEASED' stamp across the file. Jim Morita. He was quiet but strong, an extremely skilled fighter. One time on during break between Missions, Morita had told him his bonded was waiting for him back in Fresno. Steve hoped he made it home to see her.
The next file was of Farnsworth. The Englishman knew how to make moments seem a little brighter, he was a funny guy and like the rest of the Howling Commandos, excellent soldier.
Setting aside Farnsworth file and looking to the next one, he felt as if his heart and breathing stopped in sync. It was Bucky. That was a scar that hadn't healed yet, probably never would. The giant 'MISSING IN ACTION' stamp across the page didn't help the amount of guilt Steve was already feeling. He's dead, Steve saw him fall, no one could survive that. Steve had asked for information on Connie. She never moved on. That was common though with bonded, like his mother once told him, you're always able to feel your soulmate, even after death.
Steve took a deep breath and placed Bucky's files with the others. The next file was missing the red 'DECEASED' stamp and it was Peggy's. His eyes skimmed over the page. Her phone number was listed. He looked to the phone and back to the file. Peggy probably went on to find her bonded. He didn't want to make any bad memories and set the file aside.
Howard died in 1991 in a plane crash with his wife Maria, leaving behind a company and their son, Anthony. The file under Howard's was Anthony, Tony's info. According to the page he works as a consultant to SHIELD and operates in a suit of armor called Iron Man. Looking at the photo, Steve had a funny feeling, like someone was tickling the back of his brain. It disappeared as quickly as it happened.
Tony gave a small smile and a wave to Pepper as she got in the elevator with Agent. Things have been going well for him and Pepper lately, the tower was just part of the next step.
Like Tony had told Rhodey, he gave up looking for his bonded a while ago, and he had Pepper now. So, he was good.
Right?
Sighing he looked around at the projections from the files he had been given. Natashlie was among them, he's not surprised though if this is infact about the Avengers Initiative, then she would be a part of it.
He looked around at the others. He recognized Doctor Banner, hell he even talked to that General Ross guy that was trying to kill him or whatever.
Then there was another spy, some guy named after a Norse God, Captain America-
He froze on that one. Looking over the photo of the supposed-dead legend made his actual heart skip a beat and there was no way that was from the shrapnel.
He reached for the glowing blue cube under the picture of the hippie titled 'Loki, ignoring whatever the hell just happened.
"JARVIS?"
"Yes sir?"
"Access SHIELD files. What are they doing with this 'tesseract' and the Norse-wanna be here."
"One moment sir." While JARVIS worked, Tony continued to look over the other files, trying to avoid looking at the old man with steroids.
"Sir."
"What've you got for me JARVIS?"
"From what I've found Director Fury has sent an Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers along with a few SHIELD agents to Stuttgart, Germany sir. Shall I prepare Mark VI."
Tony grinned. "You know me so well."
"Well, you did create me, sir."
May 3rd, 2012
"ETA 20 minutes, Cap," Agent Romanoff's voice came from the cockpit.
Many things have happened in the short few hours for the Captain and he was thankful for the time to think them over.
Director Fury had found him at the gym, asking him about the cube that he thought had been lost when the Red Skull died, but Howard Stark found it on one of his expeditions when they were looking for Steve in the fallen Valkyrie.
Agent Coulson had taken him to the, what were they calling it, SHIELD's helicarrier where he met Doctor Banner. The Doctor was a nice, quiet fellow. Unfortunately, trying to replicate the original super soldier serum didn't change him in the way it did Steve.
And Agent Romanoff was a brilliant dame, sort of reminded him of Peggy, pretty intimidating.
According to Director Fury, a man by the name of Loki had somehow hypnotized a few agents and scientists working with SHIELD on the cube, had taken and the cube and they were now trying to find both.
Which has led them here. They managed to track down Loki in Stuttgart, Germany. Why he was there, Steve wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was supposed to help bring Loki in.
"You're up, Captain." Steve nodded as he walked to the back of the jet and waited for the hatch to be lowered.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered to himself and made his way towards the location where Loki was last sighted.
"Sir?"
"Yeah JARVIS?"
"We're coming up on Stuttgart now."
This is why he loved the suit, well, one of the many reasons. What would've been more than a twelve hour flight turned to three.
"There is a SHIELD quinjet up ahead sir."
Tony grinned as it came into view. "Patch into their PA JARVIS, "Shoot to Thrill" would be excellent entrance music."
He swore he heard the AI sigh. "As you wish, sir. Override complete."
"Agent Romanoff, you miss me?"
ACDC was blaring through the German courtyard as two people came into view. Tony quickly disregarded the familiar shield and aimed a repulsor towards the horned one, blasted him away from the man that was on the ground.
"JARVIS, all weapons at the ready," he commanded as he landed. As he stood, all weapons equipped began to appear from various parts from the suit.
"Make your move reindeer games." Everything started to fade away. Well, that works.
"Mr. Stark," a voice came from behind him. Tony didn't turn, that feeling from earlier came back and he doesn't want it to say.
"Captain."
Steve was at first startled when he heard some strange racket suddenly while fighting Loki and then Iron Man appeared. He was thankful for that, he just wished that Fury had told him. Showed that Stark wanted to make a show.
He was impressed with the armor because the full detail of the suit wasn't fully explained in the dossier that Agent Coulson had given him on the way to the helicarrier. The fact that Stark had built and designed that thing by himself was really impressive.
Grabbing his shield, Steve stood up and walked over to the man, leaving himself a step or two behind. He went to say something but stuttered when that feeling from earlier that day at his apartment appeared. He shook it off once again.
"Mr. Stark," he nodded in his direction even if the man wasn't looking at him.
"Captain," Stark responded, keeping his eyes on Loki.
That feeling? Still not gone.
Natashalie wasn't happy to see him but that wasn't surprising. Tony decided to hitch a ride back to SHIELD with them since Fury was bound to call him in soon. Plus, the suit needed charging.
He watch Rogers help handcuff Loki up and it wouldn't be crime to say God Bless America, for a ninety year old, Rogers was working it.
That damn feeling hasn't gone away yet, only became more annoying.
Tony didn't say anything or even look at the Captain as he came to stand next to him. He took the helmet off though, Rogers at least deserved to see his handsome face.
As the quinjet took off Tony couldn't help but notice that Rogers couldn't take his eyes off Loki.
"I don't like it," Rogers' voice threw him off. He was supposed to be from a Brooklyn, why does he sound like a damn newscaster.
"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"
"I don't remember it ever being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."
"Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing, Pilates?"
"What?" Then Rogers finally looks at him. That feeling from before has moved and it feels like his heart is throbbing, he ignores it and looks to Rogers, finally making eye contact.
So far beyond the suit, Steve wasn't too impressed with Stark but every time he spoke to him, that feeling from earlier came back and now as he makes contact with him it feels like his heart is beating stronger than before.
Stark went to respond but he stopped.
"Are you-"
"What the hell-"
He and Stark had spoken at the same time. There was this new feeling around Steve's heart replacing the beating. It felt like a thread and it was being tugged and being pulled into another direction.
That direction? Right next to him.
Tony Stark was standing next to him.
That wasn't the shrapnel touching his heart, and it wasn't the familiar feeling of the arc reactor, this was something entirely new, something he has never experienced before. It was like he could feel two hearts beating, a strong beat.
He looked to Rogers. Both of them try to say something but stopped. He looked into the blue eyes of the Captain and that's when he knew.
"Did we just-" Rogers, no, Steve started to say.
"Not now," Tony nervously tipped his head towards Natasha in the cockpit, his eyes darting to Loki. "Later, like, SHIELD Flying Fortress later," he whispered.
Steve nodded. Then things grew silent. It might've been an awkward silence because of what just happened but only two people knew what actually happened.
Then suddenly a large roar of thunder broke the silence, lightening scattered throughout the dark sky. The quinjet started to shake.
"Where is this coming from?" He heard Natasha ask.
Steve had turned to Loki, raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter, scared of a little lightening?"
"I'm not overly fond of what follows."
Steve was confused, really really confused. That heart pulling seemed normal now and when he looked to Stark, Tony, he's pretty sure he was feeling the same thing.
He's pretty sure he just bonded with Tony Stark.
He was going to say something until he realized that this was probably a private matter. He appreciated that because he has no idea what to do right now.
He looked to Loki, the thunder and lightening scaring someone like him seemed a little odd.
"I'm not overly fond of what follows."
"What the hell does that mean?" Steve jumped slightly because that wasn't his voice, and he heard it inside his head.
"Did you just-" He was cut off when a loud thud hit the top of the jet. He watched Tony stick his helmet on, amazed as it resized and seemed to attach to his suit. Pulling on his cowl, he was confused when Tony pushed the button to open the hatch.
"What are you doing?"
Tony stood in front of Steve as the hatch lowered and what seemed like a Swedish bodybuilder dropped onto it from the top of the jet. He raised his right arm, ready to fire of the repulsor but the giant raised whatever the hell was in his hand and sent him flying backwards into Steve.
Hoping that he didn't break anything, he climbed off Steve as he watched the blonde bimbo grab Loki by the neck and fly, yes, fly off the quinjet.
"We'll talk later," he whispered to Steve as he walked to the back of the jet. "Now there's that guy."
"Another Asgardian?" Romonaff called from the cockpit.
"That guy's a friendly?" Steve asked as he got up.
"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract' lost." He got closer to the edge.
"Stark, we need a plan of attack!"
"Don't go yet." Did he just hear Steve in his head. He quickly shook it off.
"I have a plan. Attack." And with that, he went flying after the two demigods.