New fic. I was inspired by this after rewatching endgame. God, some parts still give me chills even though I've probably seen it a fair number of times. That shot of Captain America just facing down all of Thanos's army and you KNOW there's no possible way he could win but you also knew damn well if anyone was going to try, it was Steve Rogers. So this anthology of stories is dedicated to my personal favorite Avenger.
Steve Rogers stealthily made his way through the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, keeping pace with Tony as he was trying to steal the Tesseract. Ironically enough, his mission wasn't to help his friend but to return the same Infinity Stone they used to save half the universe. His alternate self from the past was probably still masquerading as a soldier in the upper floors in order to grab more Pym Particles for their return trip.
Captain America drank in the sight of his now deceased teammate. It would most likely be the last time he did so. They had their disagreements in the past but seeing him alive again and knowing the outcome of events that lay ahead was unbearable. For all his faults, Steve couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have watching his back in a fight. He once told the man that he wasn't the type to make the sacrifice play and would never be able to but Steve had been ultimately proven wrong.
Tony Stark was more heroic than he could ever hope to be and Steve was proud of the opportunity to know him.
When Tony moved on with his father who stumbled upon him, Steve waited for a few moments for the voices to fade and make sure the coast was clear. He moved on to the vault and pushed open the doors. Tony had literally melted the locks, making his job easier. To be fair, they never thought this far ahead considering their more immediate problems at the time. Hopefully, this wouldn't cause any further complications once they find the broken containment unit but the item it held remained intact.
He knelt down and opened the case he brought with him and took out the faintly glowing Infinity Stone. With this, his mission to return the stones to their respective timelines would be complete. Bruce and Rocket had made a new case to contain the Space Stone so as not to arouse any suspicion and to avoid unnecessary changes to the timeline.
Picking it up, Steve noted that it was fairly light like all the Infinity Stones but there was an undeniable weight that followed it. Or perhaps it was pure sentiment that drove him to think so. After all, he felt a certain connection with this stone in particular. In a roundabout way, it was the Tesseract that set him on this path in the first place.
If the Red Skull had never found the stone hidden in Norway, he figured there would never have been a need for the super soldier program. Schmidt would have been just another officer in an army albeit an enhanced one. HYDRA would have just been another branch of Nazis without their advanced weaponry and the war would have continued without him. He'd still be that little asthmatic kid from Brooklyn.
It really was incredible when he thought about it. Sometimes he still had trouble coming to terms with everything he accomplished over the span of a few years. Waking up in the future. Meeting the Avengers. Finding Bucky. Saving the world. Traveling through space and time. It was all unbelievable and yet here he was.
Snapping himself from his musings, he carefully placed the last Infinity Stone in its rightful place and resealed the vault. His mission was successful.
Once he was done, he glanced at his time traveling bracelet and thought about going back to join his friends yet he hesitated. He had enough for one final jump. If he did go back, then what? They've finally won. Thanos had been defeated thanks to Tony's sacrifice and everyone who vanished had returned to their loved ones. The world—no, the universe was slowly rebuilding and life would go on as it always did with or without him.
There would always be threats to face and challenges to overcome but…Steve was confident that there would always be those to face them head on. Images of his friends and the remaining Avengers came to mind and even that Parker kid from Queens. Everyone gave Tony an earful when they learned he recruited a fifteen year-old to join the team but he was beginning to see that maybe the billionaire had been onto something.
Captain America smiled, confident that the world was in good hands. However, with that realization came another.
I'm tired.
Physically, he was still in peak human condition but there was a weariness in him that has been building for a long time. He usually powered through it for the sake of the mission but it seems that the years were slowly catching up to him.
He thought about Peggy and his conversation with Tony after they defeated Ultron about how he should settle down. It hadn't appealed to him then because he felt that he still had plenty to do. War was all he had ever known and he had been content knowing that he was able to do something good in his life by serving and protecting. But now…he was tired. Seeing his friend able to move on with his life and start a family of his own planted a seed in his mind.
If Tony Stark, playboy billionaire philanthropist, could find happiness in a domestic lifestyle maybe Captain America would give it a shot.
His mind made up, he set an appropriate date and pressed the button.
Unfortunately for the Captain, he failed to notice the slight amount of radiation leaking from the Tesseract which had been in close proximity to the time traveling device on his wrist. It was why they built a case specifically designed to contain the stones in the first place. The radiation itself was harmless enough to a living creature but the same couldn't be said for the Pym Particles…
8 years later, Republic City
"So, where exactly is this place?"
"Relax Korra, we're almost there." Bolin assured the Avatar. He rubbed his hands in excitement. "You're gonna love it. Nothing beats good grub after late night pro-bending practice and I'll bet you've never had anything quite like it."
Mako grinned. "Hate to say it but he's right. Plus, Pops has been wanting to meet our new teammate for a while now."
"Alright, I'll take your word for it."
Korra followed the two brothers as they lead her through the downtown streets of the city. Despite a few weeks of living here, she was still getting used to the hustle and bustle of her new home. Even after dark, the city was as active as it was during the day. Everything was so different compared to the South Pole and Korra loved every moment of it.
She did remember hearing her friends mention this "Pops" once or twice during training. They spoke fondly of him and from what she gathered was sort of like their parental figure. In any case, it appears that they've finally decided to formally introduce her.
Their little posse was given a wide berth on the sidewalks mostly due to the rather large polar bear dog walking alongside them. Naga panted happily as she took in her new surroundings.
The trio stopped in front of a small restaurant and Bolin proudly gestured toward it. "Ta-da! Ladies and gentlemen may I present the best diner in town!"
Korra read the sign above the door that was designed with red white and blue colors.
Uncle Sam's Diner
Mako rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and nodded his head to Korra. "Come on, let's head in. I'm starving."
Korra patted Naga and bid her animal companion to wait outside. A small bell tinkled as the trio entered the door. It was a small place with four to five tables at most. A radio was playing some smooth jazz music that only served to add to the cozy atmosphere. Currently, they were the only people inside.
"Pops! You in here?" Bolin called out.
"Bolin? Is that you?" A voice replied, slightly muffled from the small kitchen door. "Give me a sec. I'll be right with you!"
"Need some help back there?" Mako asked.
There was a chuckle. "Keep your pants on Mako. I'm just moving a few crates. Pull up a chair and get your orders ready."
Bolin grabbed a simple menu from a counter along with some weird condiments, a yellow and red bottle, from a counter.
"Here Korra, pick your poison." Bolin handed her the single page menu and plopped down on a chair. "I already know what I'm getting. I've been looking forward to this all day!"
Korra shrugged and scanned the items available. A lot of the stuff she was seeing sounded new yet no doubt appetizing. Hotdogs, cheeseburgers and fries, milkshakes, and onion rings. She'd never heard of such things but with the way Bolin was nearly bouncing off the walls, she could tell the food must be good. Even Mako was smiling more than usual!
"Uh, I'll just have whatever you guys have." Korra decided. "I'm not really sure what any of these things are but I'll trust you guys."
"You won't be disappointed." Bolin said.
"So, how do you guys find out about this place? It seems pretty far from the arena."
The two brothers shared a look.
"Well, we practically grew up in here for starters." Mako answered. "Pops took us in when we were younger and had us help him out around the diner until we could make it on our own. It kept us off the streets at least and he even paid us."
"You would not believe the lines outside sometimes." Bolin said. "People wait outside hours before opening just to get food here. Remember that time the entire line went around the block? It was crazy!"
"Aw shucks Bo, you're giving this old man too much credit."
The three teens turned to the newcomer who Korra could only assume was Pops. She expected to see someone in their later years in life but the man standing in front of her couldn't have been more than thirty years-old. Maybe pushing forty from the few strands of white peeking through his hair but she found it unlikely. He towered over them not by much and he was well built for a man who ran a simple diner. He was dressed in simple white shirt and some pants with an apron over it.
What Korra found the most interesting however was his features. For the life of her she couldn't place him in any of the Four Nations. Perhaps he was from the Earth Kingdom? He definitely wasn't from the Water Tribe and he lacked the certain angular facial structure of the Fire Nation. She'd never seen anyone with such sun kissed blonde hair and lightly tanned skin before.
But above all, the man radiated a powerful unyielding presence that the young Avatar couldn't put a finger on.
Her two friends gave the man a quick hug and he ruffled their hair affectionately in return. "How're my two fire ferrets? Heard that last match was a pretty close call. Sorry I couldn't make it that time. No one to look after the shop and all."
"We get it Pops. Oh, we gotta introduce you to our new teammate Korra. She really saved our bacon."
Korra stood and held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir. Mako and Bolin have mentioned you a few times."
"Good to meet you as well. Steve Rogers but you can call me Pops, everyone else does." He shook her hand with a firm grip and a welcoming smile. Even with that brief moment of contact she felt the vast callouses on his hands. "Never would have thought that the Avatar would visit my little diner. You really came through for my boys when you didn't have to. And just for that, your meal's on the house tonight."
"She'll have the works!" Bolin excitedly slung an arm over the Avatar's shoulder. "Mako and I will get our usual but Korra's new to Republic City so we've got to make her first time at Uncle Sam's memorable."
Mr. Rogers chuckled in good nature. "Alright, the works coming right up. Give me a few minutes and I'll bring your food out. You kids relax."
The man disappeared behind the door and before long Korra could hear something sizzling in the kitchen. The sound alone was enough to have her salivate a little. Air Temple Island kept her properly fed but she was by no means a pure vegetarian like Tenzin. She didn't know what a cheeseburger was but Korra couldn't wait to find out.
Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Rogers came back out with trays of delicious smelling food and set them on the table. The three men pointed everything out to her and explained what each of them were. A cheeseburger was apparently a chunk of ground meat placed in between a bun with onion, cheese, lettuce and tomato slices while fries were just crispy pieces of potato cut into little sticks that you can dip into some tomato paste called ketchup. The milkshake was a sweet and chilly concoction that she couldn't get enough of.
Perhaps it was the company that made the food taste even more delicious or maybe it was the other way around. Korra mainly stayed quiet as she contentedly watched the three catch up and talk about various exploits. If she didn't know any better, she might've thought that she was watching a father getting reacquainted with his two boys after a long period apart. Steve listened to Bolin's wild recounting of a pro-bending match while Mako pitched in whenever he could.
Not wanting her to feel left out, Mr. Rogers shifted the conversation over to her and while others wouldn't hesitate to ask the Avatar a multitude of personal questions, the man kept the tone light and didn't push beyond what was polite. Soon enough, she was laughing and joking along with them.
Suffice to say, Korra might've found her new favorite spot in all of Republic City.
"Okay, kiddos," Steve entered the shared bedroom where he found two little boys play wrestling on the floor. The man shook his head in amusement and he hated to cut their fun short but someone had to do it. "Time for bed."
"Aww, Pops!" Eight-year old Bolin complained from under his older brother's headlock. "Five more minutes."
The blonde raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Right, and you told me the same thing five minutes ago."
"Uh, ten more minutes?"
"Nice try." The man wasn't having it this time. He pointed to the bathroom. "Get those teeth brushed and your butts in bed. It's late and you kids need to sleep."
Mako gave Bolin one last noogie before racing him to the sink to wash up. Steve kept an eye on them as Bolin tended to brush only the front half of his teeth and call it a day. Under his watchful gaze however, the little kid grumbled and scrubbed his molars properly this time around.
The two kids climbed up to their bunks and looked at him expectantly. "What?"
"Come on Pops, tell us another one of your stories." Mako said and Bolin could only nod excitedly.
"Yeah! I want another one about Thor or oh-oh, the Hulk!" Bolin made slamming and punching motions with his arms that, in Steve's opinion, were similar to what his former teammate did. At least, before Bruce got full control of himself.
Mako groaned. "Again? I want to hear some about Captain America this time or heck even Iron Man."
"We heard that last time!"
"Nuh-uh!"
Steve sighed, but he had to fight the small grin that threatened to peek through. Even hearing their names again brought back a flood of nostalgia. He started out telling the boys some of their exploits as a way to honor their memories in the only way he knew how. The two brothers were naturally enraptured and Steve couldn't blame them. Despite living in a world of benders who could control the elements, there was no denying the sheer wonder of imagining flying robots, magical hammers, and giant green monsters in the boys' minds.
"Alright, you two." Steve pulled up a chair. "One story and then sleep, deal?"
"Deal!"
Steve thought for a moment before deciding on a particular story for the boys tonight. "Did I ever tell you the one where Captain America and Iron Man got into a big fight?"
The diner was slow the following day. Aside from the few regulars and a couple of take-out orders, the place was relatively quiet. Light music played from a radio in the corner and Steve simply savored the peaceful atmosphere while reading the morning's newspaper. It mostly featured the Avatar's big splash by entering the world of pro-bending.
"Yo, boss."
Steve looked up from his paper to find one of his employees, Shin, poking his head out from the kitchen. "What's up?"
The former crook shrugged, looking bored out of his mind. "I'm dying over here. What gives? This place is usually packin but now it's a fuckin ghost town."
"Language." Steve lightly reprimanded, pointing at the swear jar. He positioned it just within Shin's range for a reason.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll show you language." He grumbled but complied nonetheless, throwing in a few yuans. "Can I take off early then?"
"You could but then you wouldn't get your full wage."
"That's a load of bullcra—droppings." Shin wisely changed tone at the last minute, glancing at the swear jar. Most of the money in there was from his own pocket and it was nearly full. Steve liked to use the money to spruce up the place a bit whenever he could.
"That's how it works Shin." Steve flipped to the next page of his newspaper. "You get paid the hours you put in. Of course, I'm not stopping you from leaving your shift but that just means I'll have to pay Ping double for covering your half."
A muffled cheer came from the kitchen behind Shin. Obviously Ping could overhear their little conversation and even a few of the patrons snickered. Steve hid a smirk from his disgruntled employee. He knew for a fact that Shin was just blustering and looking for idle ways to pass the time. The man never did like sitting still for very long.
It was hard to believe that the man was once a hardened member of the Triple Threats, one of the city's most notorious gangs. He and Ping had made the mistake of trying to collect "protection money" from him when he first opened up. Diplomacy was quick to be tossed out the window when dealing with gangs who didn't take no for an answer. Unfortunately for them, they had to learn the hard way that Steve didn't take kindly to bullies.
Time and time again they tried to muscle their way and throw their weight around only to get soundly put on their ass by a non-bender. Eventually the gangs learned their lesson and steered clear of his establishment, earning himself some respect and endearing him to his neighbors by standing up to the thugs who terrorized them often. He thought that would've been the last he'd hear from Shady Shin so it was a big surprise when the mobster himself came knocking on his door looking for a job.
Apparently his former boss hadn't been happy with the list of failures and making the triad look weak so they kicked him out. Steve offered to take him in but under a few strict conditions. Shin had balked at some of them but in the end had agreed to the blonde's terms.
The bell tinkled as a new customer walked in.
"Well, well, if it ain't Chief Beifong." Shin greeted the new arrival with a smirk.
Steve glanced up to see the stern woman scowl at the former criminal. "Don't push your luck, Shin. I can extend your probation indefinitely if I want."
"Sheesh, it was just a greeting." Shin rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to greet the customers. Ain't that right boss?"
"Alright, get back in there." Steve nodded his head to the kitchen. "Looks like you got a new order coming in."
The man complied as Steve approached Lin's table.
"I still can't believe you let him work here." The woman grunted.
The blonde laughed. "Well, he's earned it. He paid his dues and did his time. I'd say that's enough to get a fresh start."
Lin hummed but chose not to comment.
"The usual?"
The stoic woman nodded and Steve couldn't help notice the unusual stiffness in her posture.
"Long day?"
"You don't know the half of it." Lin said.
"Does it have something to do with those Equalists on the news lately?" Steve guessed and he didn't have to be a genius to know that he hit the nail on the head. Their anti-bending propaganda has been making a lot of waves over the past few days and he even had to take down posters which some of the more outspoken members had put in front of his diner.
"That's classified and I'd rather not talk about those pain in the necks right now." Lin sighed.
Steve nodded and went to get her order. Say what you want about Shin but the man was efficient. He'd already started to work on Chief Beifong's order as soon as he went back in the kitchen, cutting her wait time in half. Steve placed Lin's food on her table with an extra slice of cherry pie.
"I didn't order this." The woman pointed at the dessert.
"On the house." Steve responded with a smile. After all, he knew the burdens of leadership better than anyone and just how daunting it could be at certain points. "You look like you need it."
Was it his imagination or did her lips quirk upward for just a fraction of a second?
"Thank you."
The chances of winning the fight were becoming increasingly slim. Mako grunted in pain as he felt the swift blows to his arm, blocking the flow of chi into his arm. The appendage hung limply and he forced himself to back away, creating more space between him and the Equalist. He continued to jab with his good arm to shoot flames in short bursts but his opponent nimbly dodged each one.
Off to the side, Korra wasn't having as much luck as he was. They were at a severe disadvantage considering their enemies were trained to fight benders.
A single opening was enough for his opponent to exploit his undefended side. The Equalist weaved through his flames and rapidly took away his ability to Firebend with precise blows. Mako was kicked in the sternum and landed on the ground. He heard a frustrated cry to his right and Korra joined him a moment later, rolling limply across the street.
Damn it!
So much for their so called rescue attempt. Looks like they would be joining Bolin wherever they were taking him. Mako could barely move his limbs and the two Equalists were spinning bolas, ready to incapacitate them for good. However, before they could, a strange object flew from a nearby alley at incredible speed and slammed into one of the Equalists. The disk sent the Chi-Blocker flying a good distance away before ricocheting back in the direction it came from. A hand easily caught the disk as another figure emerged, stepping into the low street light.
Mako's breath caught in his throat.
No way…
The newcomer cut an imposing figure, not from his physique but from the way he confidently strode forward without a hint of fear. He was everything Mako imagined him to be, from his strange blue armor with a white star emblazoned on his chest. Most important of all was the strange object he carried at his side which he thought was merely a disk at first but wasn't.
It was a shield.
"Evening fellas." Captain America nodded to the two Equalists, brandishing his shield. "Hope you don't mind, but I think this is as far as this goes. If you want these two, then I'm afraid you're going to have to get through me."
The two Equalists shared a glance, one of them was still clutching their side where the shield blindsided them. Mako could sense a bit of hesitation in their stances. They were weighing the odds of victory against possible retreat. On one hand, they had the numbers advantage but the Equalists regarded the star spangled man warily.
Mako almost wanted them to attack, if only to witness them get thrashed by this mythological figure that the young Firebender knew from bed time stories.
However, Amon's followers chose to err on the side of caution and threw down canisters of smoke to obscure their escape.
"What just happened?" Korra groaned in confusion, rising unsteadily to her feet.
Mako would've answered if his jaw wasn't hanging slightly as Captain America approached.
"Are you both alright?" The man quickly checked them over for any visible injuries.
"N-No– I mean, Yes! We're fine sir!" Mako gave an awkward salute and winced when his arm throbbed.
Korra was giving him a weird look and Captain America chuckled in good nature. "At ease son."
"Not to sound ungrateful but who are you supposed to be?" Korra frowned at the man. "And what's with the get up?"
Mako almost wanted to shush her. He couldn't really blame Korra for her ignorance about this man's identity. After all, he doubted anyone else besides him and his brother would ever realize the amazing circumstances he now faced. Fortunately, his hero didn't seem to take any offense.
"We've actually met before. Isn't that right, Mako?"
The sly wink thrown his way struck him with a sense of familiarity. Now that he was up close, Mako could make out his features better despite the low levels of light. Blue eyes that he'd known for the last few years gazed at him. The same ones that tucked him into bed long after his parents were killed.
The similarities were undeniable.
"…Pops?"
Steve smiled and ruffled Mako's hair. "Glad you're safe kiddo. I wish I could've been here sooner. When you burst into my shop looking for Bo, I knew I couldn't just stand by while your brother was getting mixed up in Triads."
He placed the fabled shield on his back and wandered over to untie the ropes around Naga and Pabu, earning him a grateful lick from the large polar bear dog.
"I have so many questions." Mako said, his mind racing. "If you're real, does that mean your other stories are too? Iron Man? Thor? The Avengers? How did—?"
"I promise to answer as many of them as I can after we save your brother." Captain America held up a hand. "For now, let's track those Equalists. They couldn't have gone too far. Keep your eyes peeled. Korra, I need you and Naga to take point. At the very least, we can narrow down our search using her keen sense of smell. Take a few minutes for your bending to return. Can't have you two at a disadvantage if we run into any more trouble."
Mako and Korra reflexively straightened their posture at the tone of his voice. He was still coming to terms with the fact that the man who helped raise him and his brother was the same man standing before them. From what Mako could remember from the stories, Captain America was a man who thrived as a leader. Seeing him in his uniform, he had no trouble believing it.
Pops nodded at them and wandered over to inspect one of the gas canisters the Chi-Blockers used to escape.
"I'm so confused." Korra whispered to him. "This is the same guy who runs that diner you guys brought me to?"
"Yeah, seems like it."
"He's...different now."
Mako laughed, the absurdity of the whole situation was getting to him. "That's an understatement."
Oddly enough, lingering sense of fear for his brother's safety slowly washed away. He turned to where his childhood hero crouched, examining something on the ground. The white five pointed star of his shield stared back at him. Mako could only imagine the many battles it had endured yet it still stood firm against all the odds, almost like the man who carried it.
Bolin was going to go nuts once he finds out.
He almost felt bad for Amon and his Equalists.
There we go. I've always wanted to do a Marvel crossover type story but never really had the energy to commit to a multi chapter fic. So instead I'll do some snapshot versions like this. Obviously, the Tesseract and Pym Particles are just the macguffin for this story in order for him to travel through space and time. Hope you enjoyed.
Next Chapter: Farmer.