The observation deck served its purpose. Steve watched the clouds wisp by out the window, the implementation of Dr. Banner's new algorithm, and the ship's statistics in turn. For the most part, he understood what he saw. The clouds were ever-changing, and Steve remembered Eleanore's hobby of weather observation, which made more sense now that he knew she and Jet were so affected by it. The ship had four engines, and was running not on petroleum fuel, but on some type of sustainable energy source. Steve didn't want to ask the technicians about it, so he filed it away to bring up to Darren if he got the chance. Dr. Banner's work caused a flurry of excitement as desks were reassigned and new agents were brought in to process the data. He understood the use of the tracking algorithm, but Steve suspected it would take him years of study to grasp the concepts behind creating it.
Trying to avoid bumping into people, Steve made his way over to where Coulson stood, observing the face-tracing cluster of desks.
"Any questions?" the agent asked amiably.
Steve thought for a moment. "How did SHIELD find about about Darren and Jet?"
Coulson frowned, and Steve thought he was going to be asked to mind his own business. Then the agent sighed, "We received an anonymous tip. It was from a burn phone— sorry, a phone that you buy and throw away— and we're still investigating it."
"What do you know?" If the call was from someone outside SHIELD, Darren and Jet could be in danger.
"Well, the person who called used a voice scrambling device, and all they said was 'Stark's son and the dog are from another world,' which only made sense because of recent events." Coulson shrugged, "We put the Starks and Eleanore on high alert, and we're watching them to keep them safe."
Steve gazed out the window, thinking. "Is there anything I can do?"
Coulson grinned slightly, "Let us know if anyone suspicious starts hanging around, or if you think someone might be watching you. You know, other than us."
"Alright," Steve answered, thinking back through the past week to see if anything stood out. Coulson stood quietly beside him, watching his agents.
"Do you think— would you mind… Never mind." Coulson spoke up suddenly, turning to Steve, then looking away and shaking his head.
"What is it?" Steve asked, confused.
"Could you sign my Captain America trading cards?"
"Oh, sure." Steve recalled Romanov hinting at this possibility. He didn't mind. He hadn't signed anything for anyone, except official documents, since he'd stopped stage acting and punching out Hitler.
"I mean… If it's not too much trouble," Coulson amended, and Steve could feel his hope and anticipation without Eleanore's powers.
"No, it's… fine." He assured him.
Coulson was quiet for a moment, looking away. Then, "It's a vintage set. Took me a couple of years to collect them all."
Steve didn't react, staring ahead at a monitor on the far side of the station.
"Near mint," Coulson continued. "Slight boxing around the edges, but—"
"Got a hit," a bald agent turned from his computer, looking to Coulson. "67% match. Wait, cross match 79%."
Coulson strode over to peer at the monitors. "Location?"
"Stuttgart Germany, 28 Konigstrasse… He's not exactly hiding." Steve recognized Loki from the debriefing dossier, and noted he was dressed in formal human clothes and surrounded by similarly dressed people. An event?
"Captain," Fury's voice rang through the room, and Steve turned to meet his eye. "Gear up."
Steve nodded and departed, taking his cue from an agent whose name he didn't know and following her out of the room. She led him silently through a hall, down several flights of stairs, and pointed him to a door. His keycard gave him access, and he stepped through to find his new uniform. It was much like the old one, but more streamlined and modern-looking, taking after the styles of the day. The helmet still bore wings, the chest a star, and the belt had room for his gear. To the sides of the display case rested numerous pistols like the ones he'd used in the war, along with various other new weaponry. Steve ignored these, for the most part, as he dressed. Donning the uniform was familiar, and even the buckles and latches were placed in a similar order. Maybe Coulson had suggested that.
Steve could feel his muscles tighten with anticipation as he put on the helmet and flexed to get a feel for the suit. It was perfect. Made for him. He took a deep breath, silently praying that a 93 year-old, outdated, unfrozen soldier would be enough to accomplish the tasks ahead. He just didn't want to let anyone down.
In the end, Steve took only his shield and his belt, which he found to be filled with first aid supplies. Nice touch. After making a note of where everything was, he squared his shoulders, became Captain America, and stepped out of the room.
"Captain Rogers," Romanov was waiting for him, dressed all in black with two guns at her hips and a serious expression. "I'm your ride."
"Lead the way," Steve fell in step behind her as she led him down below deck level to a hangar full of jets like the one he'd come in on. They boarded the waiting craft without a word, and Steve silently chose his seat as Romanov moved to the front of the plane to pilot.
The flight was short, and Steve watched the developments unfold from the security cameras that SHIELD had broken into— 'hacked' was the term Eleanore and Darren had used. He saw Loki walking around, blending into the people who milled about, but standing apart from the sociable, talking crowd. Then Loki climbed the stairs and gazed over the railing. Steve could tell he was scoping the place out and waiting for… something. There was anticipation in his body language. Then, as though taking a cue, Loki cocked his head, froze his expressions, and straightened his shoulders, walking quickly but regally down the stairs.
He knocked out a guard with one hit from his staff and Steve tensed, reading combat experience in every move. Loki manhandled and flipped the speaker onto the ornate table, pulling a tool from his coat and stabbing the man in the eye with cold efficiency. Steve could see him distancing himself, enjoying the chaos, but ignoring the task at hand.
"We're almost there, Cap." Romanov called over the back of her seat.
Steve nodded and stood, pulling a parachute from the wall. "Just get me close enough for surprise."
Out the front window the lights of Stuttgart flashed past until the tall, white building loomed ahead. There was a crowd in front of it, and as Steve watched, he saw them still and kneel, and Loki moved in among them, speaking.
Steve jumped from the plane and opened his chute, willing it to stay quiet as he made a quick descent. A man stood up from the crowd and spoke, and Loki's attitude changed from pleased poise to vengeful anger. He pointed his scepter at the man. Steve released himself from the parachute and raised his shield.
The blast was not very forceful, but it would have killed the older man, had it not hit the shield and bounced back to knock Loki flat. Steve stood, squaring himself to present more of a target.
"You know," he said, trying to draw Loki's attention, "the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else… we ended up disagreeing." His opponent wouldn't get the reference, but Steve felt good about the quip.
"The soldier," Loki straightened and smiled disdainfully. "The man out of time."
"I'm not the one who's out of time." Steve heard the plane hover to a stop behind him, and the click of artillery loading.
"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." Romanov's voice ordered dispassionately over the loudspeaker. The crowd began dispersing, people running away as quickly and quietly as they could.
Steve expected the shot from the scepter, which Romanov dodged, and he threw his shield to prevent another one, running forward and catching Loki off guard with a punch to the jaw… which he quickly recovered from. Steve took a hit to the side that avoided any bones, and rolled across the courtyard, coming to rest next to a grassy platform. Tougher than I thought. He threw his shield again, but Loki batted it aside easily and dodged swipe after swipe until Steve hit him in the kidney. Even then, Loki's only reaction was to knock him across to the other side of the courtyard.
Steve was getting up when he caught sight of a boot and felt something metal hit his helmet.
"Kneel," Loki snarled.
Steve pushed the scepter away and launched a roundhouse kick that actually hit home, causing Loki to stumble back. "Not today."
Loki wrestled with him and put him in a choke hold before tossing him away like a sack of laundry. Then some sort of noisy music started coming out of the plane, and Steve rolled to look up, prepared for another attack. Loki looked confused as well.
A red and gold man flew out of the sky, shooting a blast at Loki that knocked him down, and landing crouched in a crater of bricks.
"Make a move, Reindeer Games," he said, the obnoxious music fading to a close.
Steve picked up his shield and walked to the man's side, understanding dawning as cocky attitude and the witty banter struck a familiar chord. Loki put up his hands and glowed gold for a moment, armor fading until he was clothed in basic leathers.
"Good move," said the man in the suit, lowering his guns.
"Mr. Stark," Steve greeted him, trying to catch his breath.
"Captain," Stark replied, still watching Loki.
Romanov landed the plane on the plaza, and Loki accepted his handcuffs and boarded without a fuss. They took off and headed out over the Alps, which shone in the moonlight.
Steve watched them pass for a while before turning to Stark, who had folded back his helmet.
"I don't like it," he said, glancing back at the pensive prisoner.
"What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Stark asked. Steve assumed there was a reference in there that he didn't understand.
"I don't remember it being that easy," Steve protested. "This guy packs a wallop."
"Eh, still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow." Steve looked at Stark, who met his eyes. "What's you thing, pilates?"
"What?" Steve was already getting annoyed with Stark's arrogant attitude, and with himself for not understanding the references.
"It's like calisthenics," Stark explained, looking away. "You might have missed some things, you know, doing time as a.. Capsicle."
Steve was unamused, even though he got the joke. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."
"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." Stark looked at him, challenging. Thunder rolled through the clouds behind him.
"Where is this coming from?" Romanov muttered, and Steve noticed the severity of the storm quickly building. He looked back at Loki, who was gazing nervously at the rain that splatted on the windows.
"What's the matter?" Steve asked. "Scared of a little lighting?"
"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki retorted, barely sparing him a glance.
Steve was trying to puzzle out what he meant when the jet shuddered violently. Stark reached for his helmet, and Steve dove for his shield, pulling his mask up. Steve saw Stark hit a switch on the wall and the ramp descended, letting the howling wind into the plane.
"What are you doing?" Steve shouted, stopping short as a blond man swung into the jet and knocked Stark back on top of him. When Steve looked up again, both the man and Loki were gone.
Stark sighed, "Now there's that guy."
"Another Asgardian," Romanov shouting, fighting for control of the plane.
"That guy's a friendly?" Steve asked, trying to figure out what had just happened.
"It doesn't matter," Stark retorted. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost." He turned and walked toward the hatch.
"Stark, we need a plan of attack," Steve protested, knowing it would probably do no good.
"I have a plan," Stark glanced back, "attack." With that, he leapt away into the darkness.
Steve sighed, reaching for another parachute and quickly strapping himself in. When did strategy go out of style?
"I'd sit this one out, Cap." Romanov suggested, flipping more switches on the control board.
"I don't see how I can." Steve finished buckling and reached for his shield.
"These guys come from legend; they're basically gods," she tried to convince him, but Steve wasn't having it.
"There's only one god, Ma'am." Steve walked toward the door. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He jumped into the roiling wind, looking for Stark and Loki, and he let the clouds claim him for their own.
A/N: Well, the action begins. I'd like to take a moment to respond to the reviews from the last two chapters:
KnowInsight: This chapter holds a hint about how SHIELD found out about Jet and Darren. It's not much of a hint, but it should give us all some peace.I like having Elle around too, but I didn't want to make the story all about her, or have Steve seem too dependent. I also just love the conversation between Phil and Steve as it is, because of the awkwardness. Never fear, though, she will be back next chapter.
Thank you to everyone else for reading,
PettyWhiteRose