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[bottledblond]

Not every universe in the far and wide cosmos is as lucky (however unlucky itself that seems) to encounter Thanos during a time where people live who can do something about it. Steve Rogers, a particular version of Steve Rogers who had only just suffered through his first night of basic training in New Jersey as part of the Army’s Project Rebirth and thus had not yet become Captain America, bent to untie his shoes and saw his hands begin to disintegrate. He doesn’t panic, panicking is for people who do not live like every breath is their last. Instead, he blinks in surprise as the barracks fill with shouting. He has time to contemplate two things. One, he wishes he’d done more with his life. And two, he hopes Bucky will do all right.

He’s still thinking about that last issue when he exhales his last in a universe where Captain America never existed and finishes it bent over in the ruins of the barracks, roof half open to the sky and walls a burnt and ashy gray.

It takes him an hour to get to the road and by then, his asthma is already getting the best of him. He blacks out for the second time ‘that day’ and wakes up staring at the ceiling of what is obviously a hospital.

It just doesn’t sound or smell like a hospital. Sure. People are running around and yelling, but it smells painfully clean, artificially so, and there are machines he’s never seen before connected by wires to his body. He does the thing people should never do and yanks them loose. The machines squawk strangely and frantically and Steve is almost out of bed when two large men in green pajamas force him back.

Nothing makes sense to him for days. People come to talk to him, to find out who he is and who his family is. Evidently Steve Rogers is a popular name, because they bring in more people to talk to him, to ask him questions about his life, but no one has any answers.

He explodes, as he’s wont to do when frustrated, demands answers, but nothing they say makes sense.

By then, the war is over. Not World War II, which has evidently been over for over half a century, but this new war. And Bucky Barnes had been told of his presence. Steve is in bed, arms crossed, looking dour and getting an infusion of something that honestly is helping him breathe better when Bucky bursts into his now private room. It’s been two months

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[bottledblond]

“I was going to say ‘Shortie’ or ‘Crooked’ or something, but now I’m just curious to hear what you have to say and how hard I have to hit you.”

They’re a little bit like mob names, sure, but it’s also what the kids on the block used to call him, so not exactly the most flattering.

[woundedwinter]

He barks out a laugh at the suggestions, "Not even a little bit, pal. I was thinking Lancelot. Elrond or even Glorfindel." All characters of pure light and goodness, strong and good. Everything Steve has ever been to him.

[bottledblond]

Steve’s eyes brighten. He’s never been compared to a knight or an elf before but Bucky is being overly sweet and Steve can’t resist it. He’s about to answer when Sam leans out the door. “El-what and Glorfin-who?”

Actually, Steve doesn’t know Glorfindel either . The Lord of the Rings was published in 1948, but he does love the Hobbit. But for Sam not to know Elrond? It makes the youngest of the three burst out in laughter. “Haven’t you ever read Tolkien? Elrond, Lord of the Last Homely Home?”

“Uh...”

“The Hobbit? Did it really fall out? That’s sad.”

[woundedwinter]

"He's just a heathen," Bucky tells Steve as he claps his shoulder. "But those are my ideas. You do need another name to go by in the field. Nobody needs to know who you really are."

It's Steve's call, and if nothing else? It's a good reason for Sam to get dragged into a movie night.

[bottledblond]

Steve settles immediately on Elrond, if only because he things Lancelot could be considered a funny name if people were as clueless about that character as Sam is about the elf. “You can call me Grant Elrond,” Steve says, head held high as he moves back into the room.

Sam looks like he wants to say something, but shrugs. “So who should I be? Elliot Dumbledore?”

[woundedwinter]

He likes how Steve accepts the name proudly. Sam however gets a smirk, "That's not a question you want to be asking me, you know that."

Even if name calling is now part of their repertoire.

Breakfast is eaten and their gear packed before they go to meet Banner at the set rendezvous point. Bucky really needs to talk to Steve about him first.

"So you know how I told you about Bruce Banner? Tony's husband? He's.. different. As in not completely human."

[bottledblond]

Steve isn’t sure if Bucky is pulling his leg or not. He gives the other man a glance as they slow down their walk to the car while Sam goes off ahead. “Is he part... Chitauri they’re called? Is he an alien?” That would be exciting!

Of course, he knows the man turns into a giant monster on occasion, it’s in all of the books he’d read, but he’s always thought that the mousy haired scientist was still human most of the time.

He’s not going to be prepared to see Banner, no matter what Bucky tells him. Especially because he’s going to have the same problem Sam does.

How could he be like this all the time and married to a regular person?

[woundedwinter]

The massive hulk of a man behind the controls of the jet is still probably nothing like Steve might have imagined. Bruce has a small smile for him, watching the much smaller and younger Steve board the jet.

How he wishes he could turn back the clock himself, to find a way to save Tony.

"Hi Steve. I'm Bruce."

Bucky is close behind, reaching to grip the guy's massive green shoulder. "Thanks for the lift Bruce."

"Any time, you both should know that by now."

[bottledblond]

If there is one thing to say about Steve, he’s eternally easy going and willing to accept what he sees. Ancient Norse gods are real flesh and blood things? Fine. There are aliens? Sure. His best friend was tortured into becoming a killing machine for sixty years? Yes, all right. There’s a giant green man piloting an aircraft that looks like a jet but behaves like a helicopter?

Sure.

“Hi Doctor Banner.” Steve’s smile is large, warm and curious. He’s not afraid. “I know this is probably strange for you to meet me like this.” As if meeting the other is normal? “I hope this isn’t putting you too far out of your way.”

“Just heading to Madripoor for a spa weekend,” Sam grunts and goes to sit down.

[seven_phds]

This isn't the Steve he remembered, at least not in terms of size. He's still the easy and accepting soul that had offered his hand on the helicarrier all those years back.

Good to know not everything has changed.

Sam's comment gets a side eye as he pulls them back into the air with a word to FRIDAY. "Spa weekend? Doesn't sound all that relaxing to me."

[bottledblond]

“Oh it’s not,” Sam confirms. “It’s a Bucky Barnes special.” He’s not sure the game plan here. Barnes knows the name and the general location of the scientist creating the new batch serum, but he also mentioned the Power Broker. A little googling gave Sam the idea that the Power Broker isn’t the best person to get involved with. Ever.

He’s hoping for a middle man. Or maybe they’ll just get lucky and stumble on the guy.

Steve is fascinated by the quinjet, enough that he is almost saddened to take his seat for take off. He finally does join Bucky at some prodding and straps in beside him.

“Feels like the coaster at Coney Island,” he admits, grinning.

[woundedwinter]

"Yeah well at least it is a plan," Bucky answers. Maybe not the best plan but they're doing all of this on their own and on the fly. Better half a plan than jumping out of a plane and literally winging it.

He grins over at Steve. "Yeah but they move a lot faster and I can't promise you a hot dog after."

And because he should extend some kind of olive branch to Sam, "I know it's not the best plan but it's better than nothing."

[bottledblond]

And since Steve isn’t the type to stay quiet, he can’t help but chime in either. “I know you guys do this all the time, save the world and things like that, this is important. Whatever made those guys so strong at the school and causing all of that destruction, needs to be taken out of the equation. What we are doing is necessary.”

Sam sighs. “Do you just exude inspirational speeches or do you have them stored up somewhere to use as needed?” Steve gives him a funny look and Sam smiles, relenting. “I’m just saying here that you’re too convincing for your own good. And you’re right.”

Steve ribs Bucky, smirking. “You’re welcome.”

[woundedwinter]

Bucky snorts and looks over at Sam as if to say 'see? It's still Steve'. He grins at his best friend and resists the urge to hook his arm around him.

All of their gear is on board and for now all they can do is wait. They need to get to Madripoor and find this doctor, middleman or whatever will be the next lead.

"Man with the plan, huh?"

[bottledblond]

The quinjet drops down by the docks, if only because it is the safest place to do so without immediately invoking the attention. Steve is the first one up, leaning over the jumpseat to thank Bruce personally.

“We can’t thank you enough,” he says, before he walks down to the ramp past where Sam and Bucky are still seated.

Sam rubs the back of his neck. “So. What’s the exit plan? Do we just call for a ride home?”

If they even make it. He glances at Steve pushing buttons over his shoulder.

“Do something about your bestie, Barnes.”

[woundedwinter]

"Any time Steve," Bruce assures him. This wasn't the Steve that he knew, or the one he had grieved for with Barnes after the loss in Wakanda but it's still Steve Rogers and Bruce will always come if his friends need him.

"There's a scrambled channel on your secure comms, call for me and I'll pick you up."

He doesn't want to fight, but he'll do it if needed.

[bottledblond]

“Thanks, Banner,” Sam says, and heads over to Steve to hit the ramp release button before he ends up messing around with anything else. “You should wait,” he offers to the younger man, but Steve is already in full blown Elrond mode.

You never know who might be watching. That was something they told you before any film in the cinema. He’d gone enough to have all of America’s propaganda memorized.

Steve snorts at Sam and then calls back to Bucky. “Soldier,” he says, “let’s go.” They’re going to have to find out exactly where this scientist is.

[woundedwinter]

"Ready to comply," but for his own sake he speaks it in English and not Russian. Bucky sucks in a breath and fixes the mask across his face again. His shoulders are a rigid line of tension as he moves to follow Steve.

"Watch him." If something goes wrong Sam has to be the one to get Steve out of harm's way. He can take the damage and handle the fight.

Slipping back into that old persona shouldn't be this easy, but it slides around him like ice. He is the Asset now, he will do anything to protect his handler. Elrond.

[bottledblond]

It’s a rather good thing that Bucky plans on doing that because ‘Elrond’ gets very full of himself very quickly. Without more than a location and a name, they have to head somewhere more populated and a noisy dance hall seems about right to Steve. He throws open the doors like he owns the place and strides in.

People definitely are looking at him, first because he stands out for his size and the monochromatic black he’s wearing, and secondly, because of who follows after him.

The men and women here are in awe of Bucky. The Winter Sodlier had his name whispered across the music of the bar and Steve finds himself able to move through the crowd like oil on the surface of water.

It takes very little time before someone decides to get fresh, though, talking down to Steve, calling him out on his pet, and poor Sam has to be the one to remind the blond that he’s probably going to have to use ‘the Winter Soldier’ for what he was intended. A weapon.

Steve frowns at Bucky. They have each other, right? They used to be able to coordinate pranks with a single glance and could this be that different?

“Soldier, deal with this idiot,” Steve says, fairly commandingly for his size.

[woundedwinter]

And like he'd predicted, Steve takes to his role immediately. The Asset follows him like a shadow, fluid and dangerous, silent as any predator.

He hates the loud clubs, the dissonant music and the press of bodies that he can't track.

The man getting handsy with Steve has his fingertips itching for action, but he knows to act without orders would blow everything that they've built. He has to trust his best friend and Sam to make this work.

With a word from Steve, his handler, he acts. The next attempt to touch is halted with a metal hand closing in around his wrist, breaking bones. A quick pivot-turn-throw followed up by a vicious kick sends him hard into the far wall.

Nothing fatal, but dramatic enough to garner attention.

The Winter Solider walks among them.

[bottledblond]

Whatever Steve had been expecting to happen, this hadn’t been it. He feels Sam jerk him back by the collar, which is honestly fair for a bodyguard to do, only to have someone land on their face at his feet.

He’s seen snippets of Bucky fighting before but not like this. Not where he isn’t on a mission, trying to do his job.

The fighting is raw and masterful and exciting in so many terrible ways. Steve’s mouth goes dry just before the fight ends and Bucky stands sole supreme in the middle of a mess of broken people and furniture.

The next half an hour happens too quickly. Steve is brilliant when they’re brought before the owner of the club, but Sam’s sister calls and blows their cover. It’s a genuine fire fight after that and while they have a potential lead on where the scientist is, they also need to keep from being shot.

Steve made a great Elrond. But he’s not a great sprinter.

[woundedwinter]

He can't be angry at Sam. Sam has his sister and loves her as fiercely as he loves everyone else close to him. But when everything goes sideways and explodes into chaos and a firefight he has to act.

He has to kill.

Knives flash swift and deadly before he can steal a gun, using his arm as protection.

Protect the handler.
No. Protect Steve.

A shot grazes his side and he powers forward, hooking his arms around Steve. He can't run fast enough, he can't abandon Sam, but he can act like a human shield to get them to safety.

"Now would be a really good time for that pickup," he grunts, turning and firing again.

[bottledblond]

“Just what do you think I’m working on?” Sam growls, flinging himself nearby, as low to the ground as possible as he dials Banner. “He’s going to be pretty pissed off.”

Of course, that was sort of Bruce’s whole gimmick was it? Sam would leave that right there on the table.

As the bullets clink against metal, Steve presses himself more closely to Bucky as his breath puffs out in hot gasps against the man’s jaw. He should be more terrified, but he’s thrilled instead, even though any breath might truly be his last.

“Do you guys always end the day like this because I’m starting to think you left something in the fine print on these mission,” Steve says in a breathy little flutter, hardly knowing if he’s covering up any form of excitement he’s feeling.

There’s the sound of more gunfire below them and through the windows. Steve’s pretty damned sure he’s going to die here.

“Buck— Buck, I wanted to—“

“Get down!” Sam calls. “We have incoming!”

[woundedwinter]

"I can hear them! Coming in, ten o'clock," he barks back, turning to fire again.

Steve's breath is fast and hot against his skin and any other time it would have been a dream to feel him this near, but he has to keep his focus on the fight. He starts talking and Bucky hushes him. He's not saying goodbye. He won't allow that to happen. Not again.

"I've got you pal. This isn't the end of the line. Not yet."

Shift and throw another knife, firing on his left. "We're gonna have to move, they're trying to flank us."

[bottledblond]

His confession thwarted and with Bucky opening up an escape path, there’s nothing else for Steve to do but get pushed along between the other two men. They’re down the hall and in some relative safety when Steve glances over his shoulder in time to see a bullet that didn’t belong to either Sam or Bucky take out a guy trying to get behind them.

It makes him blink, but it’s not until they’re outside that it’s confirmed: someone is helping them.

“Pick him up and move,” Sam says, jogging backwards as they hit the streets, the sounds of motorbikes gaining on their location. He’s seen Bucky run before. He knows he can possibly outpace them. Of course, there’s no need. Not when those drivers fall from their approaching vehicles, bleeding and dead.