Chapter 4

A Call Through Time

(NOW BACK IN 2012)

Fury strode into the main computer room of which many agents, along with Stark, Banner, and Natasha were occupying.

"Has anyone seen Captain Rogers?!"

Because of a slight note of panic in Commander Fury's voice, all commotion ceased.

"I saw him at like 3 in the morning of which he threatened to beat the crap out of me. He had a gun and alcohol with him," Stark answered. "Don't know if that's important. And I think what was happening was he was having PTSD mental breakdowns or something. He is a soldier."

No one said anything. Stark filled in the silence, "That was hours ago, so um..."

Agent Hill commanded orders into her radio. "I need agents on every deck and every square inch looking for Rogers. Does anyone copy?"

With a scratchy sound in between, many people responded and began to search.

(IN 1943)

If they knew I was gone, they'd be tearing the plip apart to find me...right? Fury would be desperate if he thought I had escaped and hid from them.

A telephone. It was a long shot, but I knew Stark's number...for some reason. Why did I have Stark's number? Huh, well it was worth a shot.

"Peggy, where's a telephone?"

"Why?"

"Don't question."

She gave me a puzzled look.

"There's one in the lab, but wh-"

Now knowing the location, I sprinted towards it, almost skidding at each turn. I could hear Peggy trying to keep up behind me (which I had no idea how she could do that in high heels) but she was lost easily. I made it to the phone, and dialed each number with great strength.

It was ringing.

(IN 2012)

Fury had all the screens set to the security cameras, in hope of locating Steve, but no signs of him had appeared.

Just then, Tony's phone rang. Everyone stared at them. His eyebrow raised as he picked it up.

"Hello, you have reached Tony Stark. How may I-... STEVE! ... Where are you?! ... Wait, WHAT?! ... 1943?! HOW?! ... That's not - I can't - Look, I'm the most advanced, and I have no idea how to fathom how to build a time machine- ... What do need me to do? ... I've been on this thing WAY more than you, and I have never, ever seen- ... Wait, Peggy's with you? Peggy Carter? Your girlfriend- ... Okay, call her whatever you want-"

Fury was listening to the conversation intently, but he still didn't have the faintest clue what Tony was talking about.

"You want to talk to Fury? ... Okay, here he is."

Stark hand outreached the phone towards the Director, and her put it up to his ear.

"Captain Rogers?"

(IN 1943)

"Director Fury! I can't believe this! Thank God it's you!"

"Steve, are you going insane?" Peggy kept asking questions like that while I was on the phone.

"One second," I said to Fury. "Agent Carter, stand at attention until I tell you otherwise!" I snapped the order.

She stood tall and straight. "Yes...sir."

I rolled my eyes. "At ease."

She obeyed.

"Sorry, Director. Giving orders."

"I understand," he said. "But where are you?"

"I'm in 1943. I don't know why, but...but sir, I don't want to leave."

"We're going to need your help when Loki attacks. You do realize that, right?"

"Sir, I don't know how to go back."

"We'll figure one out. There must be a way."

"Director, this is my dream. I have everything I sacrificed in my hands again, and Schmit is still 'dead'. Peggy is here with me at this exact moment, and if you take me back, you'll have to take her with me."

"Captain, that is an order."

"Where I am, I will obey orders because I am a soldier here, but you are not a Colonel, you are not a General. You are not above me. I don't have to take your orders."

There was silence.

"Captain, you're on speakerphone here."

"Good."

Although she was still at attention, Peggy was giving me a shocked look.

I heard Stark's voice in the background. "Fury he's right. We are not your soldiers, and we're not your agents. We can solely on volunteering. We only came because you and S.H.I.E.L.D. asked us to, and I have every right to get up right up now and leave, and not come back. So does Banner, and so does Cap. You can't force him back, Fury."

"Thank you, Tony."

More silence. I don't think Fury had ever been stood up to like that.

"Do you think we can call you back?" questioned Fury's gruff voice.

"Do you have my number?"

"Got it now," replied Stark.

"Try me."

I slammed the phone down.

That didn't go as planned.

Turning, I saw that Peggy was open-mouthing me, and I considered sticking my tongue out at her like Tony does, but I thought better of it.

"Who was that?! Steve, I'm about to call you 'insane'. Not crazy, but insane!" she squeaked.

Boy, I had a lot to explain.

A LOT.

"...and then there's Natasha Romanoff, a secret agent from Russia-"

"Russia? What's Russia?"

Once again, she was curled up in my lap, and she felt tiny against my buff frame.

"U.S.S.R.," I replied, and for about the hundredth time, it crossed my mind how much Earth had changed in just seventy years.

"There's also Bruce Banner; he's a doct-"

"Hey, Steve?"

"Yes?"

"Is the United States going to win the war?"

"Yes, Peggy. The U.S. actually becomes the most powerful and feared; we come out on top from this."

"Do we?"

I couldn't answer that right away. Because as far as my fortune telling went, I had been Sleeping Beauty for decades.

"I hope, Peggy. I really hope."

"Why did you hesitate?"

"Since I've gone back in time, I'm not sure what will happen by the time I move forward."

"Are you going back to the Avengers?"

"If I did, I'd be going forward to the Avengers," I muttered.

A few precious minutes slipped away.

"What would you do if I completed my duties to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury, and I couldn't return?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. I really don't," she whispered, more to herself than me.

"How did you survive for three months without me?"

"Because I had faith in you. Faith that you would return."

"Will you keep that faith if I left?"

"No."

"Wait, what?"

"I wouldn't. Because it's no longer faith, Steve, it's love."

Just then, Howard walked in, obviously forgetting to knock. I sort of pushed Peggy off me, and stood up at attention.

"Sir?" I saluted.

"If you're not already occupied," his eyes darted from me to Peggy. "Cap, I have some guns to show you."

"Of course, sir. I'm coming."