Steve is in a gym punching a punching bag, he's having flashbacks of putting the plane in the water, of Peggy and of being woken up. He breaks the punching bag.

"Steve." Peggy said. Steve shook his head. Peggy got the message, he didn't want to talk about it.

He picks up another one and puts it up and starts punching it. Fury walks in and asks if he's having trouble sleeping.

Steve says that he slept for 70 years and that he thinks he's had his fill.

A few people laughed.

Fury tells him that he should be out celebrating and seeing the world.

Steve stops, walks over to a bench and takes the tape off of his hands. He says that when he went under the world was at war and when he wokr up they said they'd won but they didn't says what they lost.

Fury says that they've made mistakes along the way and some were recent.

"You admit it." Scott cheered.

Steve asks if Fury's there with a mission.

Fury says he is.

Steve asks if Fury's trying to get him back into the world.

Fury says that he's trying to save it.

He hands Steve an open file, the tesseract is shown. Steve recognizes it as Hydra's secret weapon.

Fury says that Howard found it in the ocean when he was looking for Steve and that he thought that the tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy.

"You should have kept it in the ocean." Steve told Howard.

Steve asks who took it from Fury.

Fury tells him about Loki and that there's a lot they'll have to bring Steve up to speed on. He says that the world has gotten stranger than Steve thinks.

Steve says he doubts anything could surprise him.

"Are you sure about that?" Sam asked.

Fury bets Steve 10 dollars that he's wrong. Then he says that there's a debriefing package for him at his apartment and asks Steve if there's anything about the tesseract that they should know.

Steve tells him that they should have left it in the ocean.

"One thing we can agree on." Tony said.

Howard looked a little guilty, maybe he should have left it there but who knows who might have gotten their hands on it if he had.

Tony is under water, using his suit to cut a hole in a tube. He takes out a device and attaches it to the tube. He flies out of the water and toward the tower. He tells Pepper that he's good to go and the rest is up to her.

Pepper asks if he disconnected the transition lines and if they're off the grid.

Tony tells her that Stark Tower is about to a beacon of self sustaining clean energy.

Pepper says that thats assuming that the arc reactor actually works.

Tony says he does assume that.

"Of course you do." Rhodey said.

He tells Pepper to light the tower. Tony flies toward the tower as the lights come on.

Pepper asks how it looks.

Tony says that it looks like Christmas but with more him.

Some sighs and laughs were heard.

"A tad narcissistic don't you think?" Natasha asked.

Pepper says that they have to go wider on the public awareness campaign and that she's in D the next day to zone for the next 3 buildings.

Tony tells her to enjoy the moment then he drops down on the landing pad.

Pepper tells him that she will when he gets there. Robotic arms remove the suit as Tony walks in the room.

JARVIS tells Tony that Coulson is on the line.

Tony tells him that he's not in, he's out.

Everyone, except the SHIELD agents, and Steve laughed.

JARVIS says that Coulson is insisting.

Tony tells JARVIS to grow a spine and that he has a date.

Pepper is looking at a holographic screen she says she thinks the levels are holding steady.

Tony says that they are because he was directly involved then asks Pepper how it feels to be a genius.

Pepper says that she wouldn't know.

"Of course you would." Tony said.

"Really?" Pepper asked, doubting him, not herself.

"Of course."

Tony tells her that all of this came from her.

Pepper denies it and says that all of this came from the arc reactor and points to the arc reactor in Tony's chest.

Tony tells her to give herself some credit because Stark Tower is her baby. He tells her to give herself 12% of the credit.

"Dude." Clint said.

"You're gonna pay for that later aren't you?" Sam asked.

"Yep." Tony said.

Pepper repeats the last part of his sentence.

Tony says that an argument can be made for 15%.

"That's not helping." Scott said.

Pepper rhetorically asks if he said 12% for her baby.

Tony says that he literally did all of the heavy lifting and blames the security snafu on her. Pepper pours two glasses of Champagne. They sit on the couch. He starts to talk about his private elevator.

Pepper asks if he means their private elevator.

Tony says that the elevator was teeming with sweaty workmen. He asks if he's going to pay for the percentage comment in some subtle way later.

"Not subtle." Quill said.

Pepper says that it won't be subtle.

Tony says that the next building will say 'Potts' on it.

"'Potts tower' doesn't really have the same ring to it. No offence." Happy said.

Pepper corrects him by saying it'll say 'Potts' on the lease.

Tony tells her to coll her mom and asks if she can bunk over.

"Is that a weird way of asking if she can spend the night?" Hope asked.

JARVIS reminds Tony about the phone and says that his protocols are being overwritten.

Coulson is on the phone, he tells Tony that they need to talk.

Tony tells Coulson that he's reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark and tells him to leave a message.

Coulson says that its urgent.

Tony tells him to leave it urgently. Coulson walks out of the elevator. Tony calls security breach and blames Pepper for it.

"Wow, you really don't like SHIELD summons do you?" Clint asked.

"Not when they interrupt private time, no." Tony said.

Coulson greets him. Pepper tells him to come in, and calls him Phil.

Tony questions it and says that Coulson's first name is agent.

"Your jealousy is showing." Rhodey whispered.

Pepper says that they're celebrating.

Tony, with a fake smile, says that that's why Coulson can't stay.

Coulson goes to hand Tony something and tells him that he needs him to look it over as soon as he can.

Tony says that he doesn't like being handed things.

"You've said that a few times, are you ever going to explain that?" Coulson asked.

"No I don't think I will." Tony answered.

Pepper says that she loves being handed things and tells Coulson to trade. She takes the thing from Coulson, gives him her drink, she takes Tony's drink and gives him the thing from Coulson.

The subtlety of that switch was not lost on Natasha, Loki, Fury, Maria or Peggy. He took the thing from Pepper but not from Coulson, despite the fact that the thing had not been altered at all, why?

Tony reminds Coulson that the official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday.

Coulson tells him that it isn't a consultation.

Pepper asks if its about the Avengers before backtracking and saying that she knows nothing about it.

"You told her about that?" Fury asked.

"I didn't tell her, she found out." Tony corrected.

"How?" Fury asked.

"Its Pepper." Tony gave as his only explanation.

Tony says that he thought the avengers imitative was scrapped and says that he didn't qualify.

Pepper says that she didn't know that either.

Tony says that he's apparently volatile, self-obsessed and he doesn't play well with others. He opens the thing, which is a computer and sets it on a table.

Pepper says the she did know that.

"We all knew that." Rhodey said.

Coulson says that its no longer about personality profiles.

Tony asks Pepper if she's got a minute.

Pepper walks over to Tony. Tony says he thought that they were having a moment.

Pepper says that she was having 12% of a moment.

"Ha ha." Quill said.

"There it is." Clint said.

Pepper says that it seems serious and that Coulson's shaken, calling him Phil again.

Tony asks how she would know that and asks her why she calls Coulson Phil.

"Because that's his name." Pepper said.

Pepper asks about what's on the computer. Tony stretches his hands out and the information from the computer Coulson gave him expands to the screens around him. Profiles of Steve, Thor and Bruce appear. Pepper says she's going to take the jet to DC that night.

Tony tells her to go tomorrow.

Pepper says that he has a lot of homework.

Tony asks what would happen if he didn't.

Pepper asks if he means when he finished it. Tony nods. She whispers something in his ear, Tony's mouth falls open in surprise, Coulson averts his gaze.

Pepper and Tony cleared their throats awkwardly.

Tony tells her to fly safe. They kiss.

"Aww."

Pepper tells him to work hard and walks over to Coulson and asks if he's driving past LaGuardia.

Coulson says he can drop her off.

Pepper says she wants to hear about the cellist and asks him if its still a thing.

Coulson says that she moved to Portland. Tony picks the hologram of the tesseract.

'He listened to their entire conversation.' Steve realized. Remembering what he said after Coulson 'died' 'There was a cellist... I think.'

Steve is in a plane with Coulson. A pilot tells them that they're 40 minutes from the base.

Steve asks if Bruce was trying to replicate the serum Erskine used on him.

"A lot of people were, no one has gotten it just right, yet." Coulson said.

Coulson says that a lot of people were.

Coulson blinked, that was weird, he just mocked himself.

Coulson tells Steve that he was the world's first superhero. He says that Bruce thought gamma radiation was the key to unlocking the original formula.

Steve asks if it didn't go his way.

"Not at all." Bruce groaned.

Coulson says it didn't. He says that when Bruce isn't the Hulk he's like a stephen Hawking.

"For future reference, I think he might understand Einstein a little better." Clint said.

Coulson says that Bruce is a smart person.

"Thank you..." Bruce said, confused.

Coulson tells Steve that its an honor to meet him officially.

Natasha started smirking.

He says that he sort of met him before, he says he watched Steve while he was sleeping.

Coulson cringed. "You could've phrased that to make it sound less creepy." Rocket said.

He rephrases, saying that he was present when Steve was unconscious from the ice. He says that its a huge honor to have him on board.

Steve says that he hopes he's the right man for the job.

Coulson tells him that he is and says that modifications were made to his uniform and that he had some design input.

Steve asks if the stars and stripes are old fashioned.

Coulson says that with everything that's been happening they might need some old fashioned.

Steve smiled a bit.

Selvig is working with the tesseract in a lab. Loki is sitting outside on the steps. The scepter starts glowing and the world around him forms into the sanctuary.

Loki was getting increasingly uncomfortable.

"The mind stone can do that?" Vision asked.

"It was astral projection, my powers were being channeled through the scepter rather than through my person." Loki said.

The Other says that the Chitauri are growing restless.

Loki says to let them grid themselves and he'll lead them in the glorious battle.

The Other asks if it will be a battle against the meager might of Earth.

"Hey? We kicked their asses pretty well if you ask me." Tony said.

"Alien races usually do underestimate the humans, mainly because you haven't figured out sustained space travel, they think you are primitive." Thor said.

Loki says it'll be glorious not lengthy if The Other's force is as formidable as he claims.

"Haven't we already had the conversation about taunting your captors?" Clint asked, he didn't care much, but still.

The Other asks if Loki is questioning him and Thanos, saying that Thanos put the scepter in his hand and gave him ancient knowledge when he was cast out and defeated.

"That's not exactly what happened..." Thor said, confused. 'Was this why Loki told him he remembered being thrown into the abyss?

Loki says that he was the rightful king of Asgard and he was betrayed.

The Other says that Loki's ambition is little and it is born of childish need. He says that they look beyond Earth to the greater worlds that the tesseract will unveil.

Loki reminds him that he doesn't have the tesseract. The Other rushes toward toward him a 6 fingered hand raised to his face.

"Does he have 6 fingers?" Tony asked.

"Yes, now pay attention." Natasha said.

Loki says that he isn't threatening and says that The Other is only words until he opens the doors and the Chitauri are his to command.

The Other says that Loki will have his war but if he fails and the tesseract is kept from them there will be no realm, barren moon or crevice where Thanos can't find him.

Loki looked away from the screen, with a wince.

"So now, because you failed, you're being hunted?" Tony asked.

The Other says that Loki thinks he knows pain. Loki looks nervous now.

Loki squeezed his eyes shut

The other tells Loki that Thanos will make him long for something as sweet as pain. The Other hits him on the side of the head.

Loki's head gets knocked back with the impact.

Loki flinched in time with his on-screen self.

He opens his eyes, and stares determined, breathing heavily.

"You were tortured." Bucky said, recognizing the symptoms. Loki nodded.

"Loki what did they do to you?" Thor asked, anger seeping into his voice.

"You remember when I said that I owed a debt. I disagreed at first, they tortured me for months before they finally got me to agree, played mind games, broke my limbs they found out I don't do well in heat pretty early on. I agreed because it was either go to Earth and retrieve the tesseract or succumb to their tortures." Loki said.

Fury thought back to what he said to Thor 'A lot of guys say that... until the pain starts.' "Is this true?" Fury asked, not wanting to believe him.

"It is true. My father has done similar things to me and my siblings in the past." Nebula vouched.

"Your father?" Natasha asked.

"Thanos." Nebula said.

"So he's who we really need to watch out for." Bruce said.

"So why the glow-stick of destiny?" Tony asked.

"They gave me the scepter, to make it easier to do what I was sent there to do. The stones react to the presence of their siblings." Loki said.

"Do we finally have the full story or is there more that you're not telling us?" Natasha asked.

A plane lands on an the heli-carrier in the ocean. Coulson and Steve get out, Natasha walks up to them. Coulson introduces Steve and Natasha to each other.

Steve greets her by calling her ma'am.

"Ma'am." Steve greets.

"Please don't call me ma'am, it makes me feel old." Natasha said

She greets him back and turns to Coulson and tells him that he's needed on the bridge because they're starting a face trace. Coulson leaves.

Natasha starts walking with Steve. She says finding him in the ice was quite the buzz. She says she thought Coulson would swoon and asks Steve if he's asked him to sign his Captain America Trading cards.

Coulson cringed. Natasha laughed.

Steve questions her.

Natasha says that the cards are vintage and Coulson is very proud.

Coulson looked embarrassed, also disappointed, seeing as how the were ruined. 'Thanks a lot Fury.'

Bruce is seen walking around, trying to stay out of the way. Steve calls his name. Bruce walks over to them and says that he was told Steve would be there.

Steve says that the word is he can find the tesseract.

Bruce asks if its the only word on him.

"Evidently not." Valkyrie said.

Steve says that its the only word he cares about.

Bruce smiled a little.

Bruce says all of this must be strange foe Steve.

Steve sees a group of agents running in formation and says that its actually very familiar.

Natasha tells them that they should get inside because its going to get a little hard to breathe.

"Is that a submarine?" Quill asked.

Steve asks if they're on a submarine.

Bruce asks if they really want him in a submerged pressurized metal container. He and Steve walk over to the edge, and notice that it is not a submarine. Bruce says that this is much worse.

A few people laugh quietly. "Really? I'd consider them to be equal." Sam said.

The heli-carrier lifts out of the ocean. Steve, Natasha and Bruce are all inside. Maria says that all engines are operating and the SHIELD emergency protocol is in effect. She tells Fury that they're at level.

Fury tells them to vanish.

Maria says to engage the retro-reflection panels. The heli-carrier starts to become invisible.

Fury turns to Bruce and Steve he greets them. Steve hands Fury $10.

"Out of everything you must have seen that day, it's modern technology that surprises you?" Howard asked.

"It has come a long way since he's last seen it." Peggy said.

Fury walks over to Bruce and holds out his hand and thanks Bruce for coming.

Bruce thanks Fury for asking nicely and asks how long he'll be staying.

Fury tells Bruce he's in the clear once they have the tesseract back.

Bruce asks where he is with that.

Coulson says that they're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet and that its eyes and ears for them if its connected to a satellite.

Natasha says that that still wont find them in time.

"Worried were we?" Clint asked.

"You were taken by a hostile force and I didn't know if you were even alive. Worry is justified in that situation." Natasha retorted.

Bruce tells them to narrow the field and asks how many spectrometers they have access too.

Fury asks how many there are.

Bruce tells him to call every lab he knows and have them put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. He says that he'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on the cluster recognition and they could rule out some places. He asks if there's somewhere for him to work.

"Smart." Gamora said.

Fury asks Natasha to show Bruce to the lab.

Bruce and Natasha walk away. Natasha tells Bruce he'll love the lab and that they have all the toys.

"It was nice, I'll give you that." Bruce said.

Dr Selvig is working with the tesseract, bossing scientists around. He asks Clint where he found them.

Clint says that SHIELD has no shortage of enemies and then holds up a screen with information on iridium and asks if that's what Selvig needs.

Selvig says it is and tells Clint that its found in meteorites and it forms anti-protons and that its very hard to get hold of.

Clint says it is especially is SHIELD knows he needs it.

"He's not wrong." Coulson said.

Loki walks in. Selvig tells him that the tesseract's showing him so much and that its more than knowledge its truth.

Loki says he knows and asks Clint what it showed him.

Clint says it showed him his next target.

Loki tells Clint to tell him what he needs.

"What did the tesseract show you, Loki?" Thor asked.

"I don't remember much to be completely honest and what I do remember is... hazy to say the least." Loki responded.

Clint says he needs an distraction and an eyeball.

"Please tell me you're not going to-" Valkyrie starts. Loki's cringe is answer enough. "Gross."

Coulson and Steve are talking about Coulson's trading cards. Coulson asks Steve to sign them if it isn't too much trouble.

Steve says its fine.

Coulson says its a vintage set that took him a couple ears to collect. He says that they're near mint condition with some slight boxing on the edges.

"I'm sorry I never signed them." Steve said.

Sitwell says that they have a 67% match.

Coulson asks for a location.

Sitwell says he's in Stuttgart, Germany and he isn't hiding.

Fury tells Steve that he's up.

"Why are you in plain sight, seems stupid if you ask me?" Scott asked.

People are talking inside of a museum. A man taps on the microphone. Agents cover the perimeter. Clint walks up to a back door, two agents greet him. Loki walks through the museum. He flips the scepter, which is disguised and knocks someone on the head with it. He takes the man and throws him on a statue. He takes a small metal device, connected to Clint's and removes an eye.

Everyone cringed, even Loki, who knew what was coming.

"That's messed up." Quill said.

The guests start running. The eyeball starts materializing as a hologram through Clint's device, he gains access. Loki starts walking and uses magic to transform the scepter back and change into his Armor.

Off- screen Loki looked away, awkwardly.

"Admittedly I would also be scared if some random man walked up, took a mans eyeball and started using magic. Sounds like something out of my nightmares." Quill said.

He shoots a beam at a nearby police car. He creates three illusions of himself, stopping the crowd and tells them to kneel before him.

"No I don't think so." Fury said, angry.

He bangs the scepter on the ground and repeats himself, this time shouting.

"Kinky." Valkyrie said.

Everyone slowly starts kneeling.

"Honesty, if you ask me your plan was stupid." Tony said.

"I know that." Loki said.

"Do you now?" Tony asked.

"I do." Loki answered.

Loki asks if this isn't simpler and if its not their natural state. He says that it sthe unspoken truth of humanity that they crave subjugation.

"Not true." Hank said.

He says that the bright lure of freedom diminishes their life's joy in a mad scramble for power. He tells them that they were made to be ruled and in they end they'll always kneel.

"Again I say, I don't think so." Fury said.

An elderly man stands up and says that they don't kneel to men like him.

"A brave man." T'Challa said.

Loki says that there are no men like him.

The man says that there are always men like Loki.

"Well yes, but also no." Peter said.

Loki tells the people to look to their elder and let him be an example. Just as Loki's about to shoot him, Steve jumps down and blocks the shot with his shield.

Steve says that the last time he was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else they ended up disagreeing.

"That's one way to make an entrance." Scott said.

Loki greets Steve and calls him a man out of time.

Steve says the he isn't the one who's out of time.

Above, Natasha has a planes guns pointed at Loki. She tells him to drop the weapon and stand down. Loki fires at the plane. Steve goes to punch Loki, he dodges. Loki knocks him off with the scepter. Steve throws his shield, Loki hits it away.

Loki puts the end of the scepter to Steve's head and tells him to kneel.

Steve tells him 'not today' then kicks him in the face.

A few people laughed at the comeback.

Natasha says that Loki's all over that Loki's all over the place. Loki throws Steve off of him. 'Shoot to thrill' starts playing through the planes speakers.

Tony greets Natasha and asks if she missed him. Natasha smirks.

"That's another way to make an entrance." Scott said.

Loki and Steve both get distracted by the music. Tony fires a repulsor at Loki then lands, all of his suits weapons pointed at him and tells Loki to make his move and calls him Reindeer games. Loki puts his hands up and uses magic to take his armor off. Tony tells him he made a good move.

"It almost looks like you wanted to get caught." Rocket said. Loki stayed silent. "Oh my God, you wanted to get caught."

"Stuttgart was a distraction, while Barton went to get the iridium." Loki said.

Tony and Steve greet each other.

"Talk about awkward first meetings." Sam said.

"Yeah, I don't really think any of us made the best first impressions on each other." Steve said.

"Yeah... we could've done better." Tony agreed.