Title: A Small Change in Time
Pairings: None? Ish? Maybe?
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Everything belongs to Marvel. Sigh
Summary: I like to re-write things. So, let's say, hypothetically, that Captain America got caught with Red Skull in the Tesseract's field. Loki wasn't actually trying to take over Asguard, but he still fell. And the Avenger's movie happens with a few (*cough*) minor (*cough*) changes. I blame all of this on the insanity that is my brain.
Chapter 1: The Captain, The God, and the Rewrite
1944 The Valkyrie
"Gods, Captain. We could be Gods!" The head of Hydra spoke as the two continued to fight for dominance of the Valkyrie.
Steve threw his shield at Red Skull, declining to answer, but it was flung away into the casing holding the Tesseract in place.
"The Tesseract! What have you done?" Red Skull started moving towards the Cube, stooping to pick it up. Steve also moved to intercept him. Red Skull saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, and before Steve could grab the Cube, he was pulled into a headlock. Steve couldn't break out, and after a few minutes started to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. The Cube started to glow and with one hand Red Skull grabbed for it, keeping a strong grip on Captain America.
The jolt of energy when the Cube connected with Schmidt's hand was enough to awaken Steve a little from his lack of oxygen daze. Unfortunately, Schmidt was frozen in place from the Cube's energy and Steve still couldn't break free. He knew he didn't have a lot of time, so using his foot he got a hold of his shield and flung it with as much energy as he could muster at the Valkyrie's main pilot control panel. His aim was true and the shield wedged the throttle into a downward push towards the ice.
However, Steve didn't see any of that, as he and Schmidt were disintegrating through the door to the universe that the Tesseract opened for them.
When the energy was expelled, the Tesseract fell to the floor, once again dormant, melting through the plane and into the frozen waters below. Within the next five minutes the Valkyrie crashed into the ice, breaking through several layers before finally stopping it's decent.
There was no news of the Valkyrie bombing the Eastern Sea Board, and no sign of it in any satellites available to the Allied forces. Within two days of no news, the Allies declared Schmidt and Captain America dead, and the fight against Hydra won.
Howard Stark set off on the first of many search and rescue missions, but the only thing he recovered was the Tesseract at the bottom of the ocean. It wouldn't be for almost seventy years that the Valkyrie would be found with froze missiles and the Captain America Shield wedged between the throttle and pilot's chair.
2011 New York Shield Facility
"That's all that was recovered?" Fury looked down at the object on the table, a frown marring his features.
"Yes sir." Coulson also looked down, the gleam in his eye to be holding this historic artifact could not be hidden.
"Perhaps it's time we had a conversation with Barnes." Fury thought out loud. "He's not going to be happy."
Sergeant James Barnes, code named The Winter Soldier, deflected from Hydra/Russia in the late 90's with the help of his once trainee Natasha Romanoff- code named The Black Widow, Clint Barton- code named Hawkeye, and Phil Coulson their handler.
Indeed, when Phil brought the shield in an unmarked bag to the hide out that the trio was sharing after their latest mission, Barnes was truly not happy.
He gripped the shield tightly between his metal hand and real hand, staring at it like he didn't know what to do with it. Phil's quiet "I'm sorry, we searched the whole ship. This is all they found." Went in one ear and out the other.
Bucky didn't notice the gentle hand Natasha put on his arm, nor the sympathetic look Clint gave him. He had eyes only for the shield, hoping it would somehow give up its secrets. Unfortunately, the vibranium shield did no such thing.
It was two days before Natasha was able to get James to do anything but stare at the shield in a grief-ridden trance. And even then, it was only to eat, sleep and to an extent groom himself as to look like a human being and not a zombie.
The first time Fury casually brought up the idea of James taking on the mantle of Captain America, a few months after Phil had given him the shield, the sniper nearly killed him. It had taken Phil, Natasha, Hill, and two other agents to hold him down.
Almost a year later, when Phil came to him with the news of Barton's capture at the hands of Loki, which began the invasion of the Chitauri, the agent brought up the idea of James taking over as Captain America again.
After a lot of talking on Phil's part, to explain the reasoning and voicing that it might be something that Steve would've wanted, Bucky agreed to do it.
2010 Asgard
"Father, I'm telling you I don't believe Thor is ready for the throne! He will throw the nine realms into chaos!" Loki was in the throne room again trying to convince his father, Odin, the All-Father of Asgard that Thor was not yet ready to take on the role of King.
Odin looked down on his son, barely giving his words a thought, "And would you do better in his place? Chaos is in your blood Loki. It seems that there is more to this than just your brother's readiness for the throne."
Loki did not rise to the bait like he normally would. This was not about him. This was about keeping Thor from doing something rash that would lead to war. "Father, you must see how-"
"Enough Loki. I have spoken and Thor will take over the throne. Mjolnir is ready for him to take his place, and so am I." Loki knew a dismissal when he heard one. Without another word he gave a slight bow and left the throne room to return to his chambers.
It seemed like he would need to take drastic measures for Odin to see that Thor wasn't ready to be king. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but another part of him was excited about the challenge ahead. Loki realized that Odin was to blind by Thor being the eldest son to see his faults, or see them and dismiss them out of hand. Odin had always favored Thor, Loki knew, and it had hurt when he was younger, until he had learned to harden his heart to the disappointment and disapproving gaze of his father and the cruelty from the other citizens of Asgard.
That was no matter. Thor would not bring about the end of the nine realms in his quest for glory and arrogance. Not if Loki had anything to say about that. Especially since he still lived in these realms.
A Few Days Later
Thor was banished, and Loki was confused. /Why didn't I freeze like the others when I was touched by the Giants? /
The God of mischief found himself in the weapons room moving steadily closer to the Casket of Ancient Winters.
"Loki." Odin's voice stopped Loki's hand, which was a millimeter away from touching the frozen device.
"Why." The God of mischief didn't turn around, nor take his eyes off the weapon. It felt like it was calling to him.
Odin explained Loki's history. Told him about the Frost Giant Wars. Told him about finding his tiny body left to die. Told him how he wasn't truly the son of Odin, and how he could never take over the throne.
There was yelling, of that Loki was sure. But his mind was too chaotic, to full of these revelations to truly comprehend what he was saying. Loki and Odin battled with words, one in a state of horrified confusion, one fighting off the Odinsleep to make his point.
When Odin finally did succumb to the Odinsleep and the guards were called, Loki realized that Thor needed to figure out what would make him worthy quickly, or the realms would be in bigger trouble than they were now. Thor's friends, never ones to believe anything Loki said would try to undermine what Loki was doing. Of that he was sure.
As Loki took over the throne for Odin and Thor, in his absence, the God of Mischief knew that time was of the essence. Already the Warrior's Three and Sif had gotten Heimdall to take them to Earth, and the Keeper of the Bifröst never did like Loki. /Now, I think I know why. /
It only took a moment, but Loki realized what he needed to do to make sure Thor got his power back and learned how to be a proper king.
He sent the Destroyer to Earth.
A commotion in the palace drew Loki's attention. /Laufey… Odin. /
Loki went to his not father's chamber and killed the Frost Giant's leader before he could kill Odin. Somehow Laufey had known that Odin was in the Odinsleep and had come to exact his revenge, almost killing Frigga, Loki's mother in the process.
As much as Loki despised Odin, he could never hold the woman he knew as his mother in the same contempt. In that moment, he was in a chaotic rage that needed revenge against the Frost Giants.
What better way to do that then to destroy their entire world through the Bifröst.
Loki was hanging over the edge of the destroyed Bifröst, barely keeping hold of Thor's arm. Odin stood over the two, keeping Thor grounded and stopping him from falling with his brother into the abyss below.
One look at Odin, "Loki… no." One final time to see the disappointment directed at him, the disapproval in his eyes and the shake of his head… Loki couldn't hold on any longer.
He let go and allowed the abyss to swallow him whole. /I wonder where the darkness will take me. /
Loki felt like he was falling for an eternity. His mind fell into the chaos of the last few days that he spent on Asgard, going over everything until he felt like he would snap. He was a prisoner of his mind, and the darkness surrounding him.
When the pain hit and he registered voices, Loki wasn't sure what to expect. All he did know was that his fall through the darkness was finally over.
Or so he thought.
In actuality the fall had been a nice summer's day compared to the torture, pain, and fear that was his companion now.
Thanos, Loki came to realize, was not going to stop until he got what he wanted. And that was for Loki to be his pawn in a game of chess to take over all the realms.
If it wasn't for Thanos' other prisoner, a strange silent man named Steve, Loki was sure he would've lost his will and succumb to the torture Thanos was inflicting upon his body and mind.
In the two years that Loki was a prisoner of Thanos, as the God tried to break Loki's will, and mold him into his pawn, Loki and Steve formed a bond of shared experiences, mutual hate, similar histories, and strategic minds. Together they formed a plan that would allow for both of them to escape back to Earth, where Steve was from, and consequently where Thanos wanted to conquer first in his quest for the nine realms.
When the pair were sure that Thanos and the Other believed that they had broken Loki to their side, and made him into an ally for their cause, they made their move. Loki felt the touch of the scepter to his chest, felt the power swell over his heart and hoped he would be able to keep some control over himself in the upcoming days.
Without a backwards glance, he used the Tesseract to open a portal to Earth and began to enact the plan that would hopefully make the people of Earth realize how dire the situation within the universe really was. And how they needed to be much better prepared for what lay ahead.
End Chapter 1