Loki oneshots

What If...? Just Got Lokier

A/N This takes place after episode 8 of What If...? and after the finale of Loki

The Watcher has assembled a team, and Steve Rogers is honored to be a part of it. They came right to him, breaking into the Oval Office like it was nothing. They needed him, they said. They can't do it without him. It truly is an honor to see that a being as powerful as the Watcher needs him, but he doesn't believe it. Even with the US military at his disposal -- which has only been the case for a couple of hours; his inauguration was today and he's yet to even settle into his role as president -- he doesn't know if he believes they can stop a genocidal universe-changing all-powerful robot bent on multiversal destruction.

But he wasn't exactly given a choice, so he clears it with Nick Fury, and now here they are.

Steve surveys the room. It's a diverse crowd. There are people from all walks of life. (Is that offensive to say about the man who has no body?) It's weirder still to hear that he supposedly knows some these people -- or, more accurately, that they supposedly know him. King T'Challa, for example. Steve didn't even know Wakanda existed, and now the king of this long-lost land is apparently an old enemy-turned-acquaintance of his? (Actually, there are two T'Challas, but one is going by Star Lord to avoid confusion and he does not know who Steve is, nor does he know anyone else here.)

The floating head -- Scott, he said his name was -- seems to recognize him, but something about him gives Steve the impression that they didn't know each other very well. Peter Parker and Natasha Romanoff, on the other hand, definitely see to know him -- and he can tell things didn't end well for him in their universes, just by the way they look at him. He almost wants to ask, but he's not sure he wants to know.

Fortunately, there are some who don't recognize him -- the evil-looking wizard, for one. He doesn't like to stereotype people, but he must admit, Stephen Strange does look like he would sell them all out for a bag of cheese puffs. It seems he's not friends with the God of Thunder, either. Thor's friend, the giant blue thing who should be very glad the Oval Office is 16 feet tall, doesn't even seem to care about him (though upon hearing his name, Loki, Steve had a lot of questions, none of which he was given the chance to voice), and Thor's human girlfriend, Jane, only knows him from her middle school history class.

He's a little concerned to hear Armin Zola's voice. He is inside of a robot. Steve's just getting used to all of this technology, so that just makes it worse. And Zola seems to know that, too; he takes every opportunity to take jabs at him, subtly working in comments that only Steve seems to find uncomfortable. Fortunately, Natasha seems to be his handler, and she's very good at shutting him up. Her threats can get very creative.

And then there's Peggy.

He almost didn't recognize her. She almost didn't recognize him. Words can't describe the relief he felt, seeing her again after all this time. Needless to say, there was a very big hug, and the first kiss he's had in almost 70 years.

"You know," she'd whispered in his ear, "when this is all over, you still owe me a dance."

Steve's not sure it will be over -- or, if it will be, he's not sure they'll survive to see it. But he keeps that in the back of his mind anyway. He'd been waiting for this dance for over 67 years. He'll be damned if he's not going to give his all to make sure he gets it.

The Watcher is in the midst of explaining the entire situation when a glowing orange rectangle appears in the middle of the Oval Office. Every muscle in Steve's body tenses, and he instinctively puts an arm out to protect Peggy by his side. She does the same to him. It would be cute if he wasn't terrified.