It's Now or Never

Part 17

After all, suiting up, we all walk in a file to the Quantum Time machine, wearing the Quantum Suits.
When we get in front of the machine, Steve turns and looks at all of us.
"Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family... We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. [Tony gives Steve a look] Whatever it takes. Good luck." Steve says to us.
"He's pretty good at that." Rocket says to me.
"Right?" I say proudly, as I look up at Steve and smile at him.
"All right. You heard the man. Stroke those keys, jolly green." Tony says to Bruce.
"Tractors engaged," Bruce calls out.
ROCKET then looks a the shrunken Benatar in Clint's hand.
"You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I'll do my best." Clint says to Rocket.
"As promises go, that was pretty lame." Rocket says.
"This is it," I say taking a deep breath. I reached out and squeeze Steve's hand. He smiled at me as I released his hand.
"See you in a minute," Nat says with a smile on her face. Steve smiles back at her.
All of a sudden we all shrink and enter the Quantum Realm. We all then split at different intervals, going to a different place at a different time in history.
Tony, Steve, Bruce, Scott, and I travel to New York in 2012.
"All right, we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone, down. Stay low. Keep an eye on the clock." Steve says to us. I look over and see 2012 Hulk passing by us, smashing everything in his way. Bruce puts his hand on his face, embarrassed.
"Feel free to smash if things don't go your way," Steve says to him.
"I think it's gratuitous, but whatever," Bruce says. He then goes and pretends to smash things sarcastically. He tears his shirt off and walks over to a car. He lightly punches the car, making a small dent, all the while making growling noises. He picks up a motorbike and throws it at a wall, wincing as it hits the wall.
Steve and I then watch Tony flying around Stark Tower in the Mark 85. He scans the interior of the tower and sees the original Avengers apprehending Loki, the backside of the iconic shot of Hawkeye pointing the bow at Loki's face while the Avengers surround him.
"Got to hustle, Cap. Things look like they're just about wrapped up here." Tony calls out to us.
"Got it. I'm approaching the elevator now." Steve says as we sneak into Stark tower.
"Ugh, Mr. Rogers. I almost forgot that that suit did nothing for your ass." Tony says
"No one asked you to look," Steve says frustrated and embarrassed. He looks at me as I stare down at his ass.
"Hey," Steve calls out to me, snapping me out of my gaze.
"Sorry," I say with a smirk.
"I think you look great, Cap. As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass." Scott says.
"Scott I couldn't agree more," I say going to reach out for Steve's ass. He then swats my hand away.
"Behave." Steve scolds me.
I then hear Scott talk over the earpieces again.
"Who are these guys?" He asks.
"They are SHIELD...Well, actually Hydra. But, we didn't know that yet." Tony says.
"Seriously, you didn't? I mean... they look like bad guys." Scott says.
"You're small, but you're talking loud." Tony snaps back as I let out a laugh.
"Quiet Kennedy." Tony jokingly snaps back at me.
After a couple of seconds, Tony speaks to us over the earpieces.
"All right, Cap. I got our scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor." Tony says to us.
"On it. Head to the lobby." Steve says back as we head for the elevator.
"Alright. I'll see you there." Tony says.
The elevator doors soon open and HYDRA agents stare at Steve and me.
"Captain. I thought you were coordinating search and rescue?" Sitwell says To Steve.
"Change of plans," Steve says.
"Hey, Cap." Rumlow says
"Rumlow."
I can soon tell that everyone is starting to get suspicious and has their guard up.
"I just got a call from the Secretary. I'm gonna be running point on the scepter." Steve says to Sitwell.
"Sir? I don't understand." He says back.
" We got word there may be an attempt to steal it," Steve says.
"Sorry, Cap. I can't give you the scepter." Rumlow says stepping in.
"Secretary's words," I say turning to face the others.
"I'm gonna have to call the Director," Sitwell says to us.
"That's okay. Trust me. [Steve leans over to Sitwell's ear] Hail Hydra." Steve says.
Everyone is surprised as Steve walks out of the elevator with the scepter. When the elevator doors close, I look over at him and we smile at each other.
"Thumbelina, do you copy? I've got eyes on the prize." Tony says as Steve and I listen over the earpiece.
"It's go-time. - Bombs away. Is, is that Axe body spray?" Scott asks when he lands on 2012 Tony.
"Yeah, I had a can just for emergencies. Relax."
"Can we focus, please? - I'm going inside you. Now." Scott says.
"May I ask you where you're going?" Peirce says as Steve and I continue to listen to the conversations through the earpieces.
"To lunch and then Asgard. I'm sorry, you are?" Thor says.
"Alexander Pierce. He's the man, one of the folks behind Nick Fury." 2012 Nat says.
"My friends call me Mr. Secretary." He says.
"I'm gonna have to ask you to turn that prisoner over to me." An agent then says.
"Loki will be answering to Odin himself." 2012 Thor says.
"Oh, he's gonna answer to us." The agent says.
"Odin can have what's left. And I'm gonna need that case." Pierce says. "That's been SHIELD property for over 70 years. Hand over the case, Stark."
"All right, move it, Stuart Little. Things are getting dicey up here. Let's go." Tony sits to Scott over the earpiece.
"I'm not gonna argue who's got the higher authority here, all right?" The agent says.
"You promise me you won't die?" Scott says to Tony.
"You're only giving me a mild cardiac dysrhythmia," Tony says to him.
"That doesn't sound mild," Scott says.
"I need the case." The agent says.
"I know you got a lotta pull. I'm just saying..." 2012 Tony is heard.
"Okay. Then give me the case." The agent replies.
"Do it, Lang!" Tony yells to him.
"Here goes!" Scott says.
As we continue to listen, our attention is soon drawn away as we see 2012 Steve walking towards us.
"Oh, you gotta be shitting me," Steve says.
"I have eyes on Loki. 14th floor." 2012 Steve says.
"What are we gonna do?" I ask looking up at Steve.
He gives me a nervous look not knowing what to say as he turns to face 2012 Steve again.
"I'm not Loki. And I don't wanna hurt you." Steve says to himself. He punches Steve as he flies backward. I have no idea what to do.
"I can do this all day." 2012 Steve says.
"Yeah, I know. I know." Present Steve whines. As the two fight, I walk over and pick up the case. I go to the elevator to get it away from 2012 Steve.
As I reach the bottom floor, Steve and 2012 Steve come crashing down from the 14th floor.
"oh my god," I say as I place the case on the floor to go over and help Steve.
Future Steve's compass falls out, Steve (2012) notices it. I stopped in my tracks and look down at the compass. He still has it after all this time, but instead of the picture of Peggy, it's me. The picture of me then falls toward and the picture of Peggy is behind it.
"Where did you get this?" 2012 Steve asks. 2012 then puts future Steve in a chokehold. I snap out of my gaze of the compass and start to run over.
"Bucky... is... alive!" Steve chokes out.
"What?" 2012 Steve says releasing him I take my chance and pull him back off of present Steve. Present Steve then takes the chance to knock Steve (2012) and uses the scepter. He then gets up and stares at him.
"That really is America's ass," Steve says as he catches his breath.
"are you alright?" I ask. He nods as he goes to pick up the case as I pick up the compass. I stare at him.
"Nice compass." That was all I said to him as I fixed the compass so my picture was in front of Peggy's.
"I couldn't find the courage to take her picture out," Steve says as he takes the compass from me.
"I never and will never ask you to do that Steve," I say back as we turn to leave. I know he loves him and I would never put his feelings for Peggy in a negative light.
We all met up after and we can see that Scott and Tony are empty-handed.
"Cap..." Scott starts.
"Sorry, buddy. We got a problem." Tony says.
"Huh. Yeah, we do." I say.
"Well, what are we gonna do now? - You know what, give me a break, Steve." Tony says when he sees the way Steve is looking at him.
"I just got hit in the head with a Hulk," Tony says.
"You said that we had one shot. This, this was our shot." I snap back throwing my hand up. "We shot it. It's shot. Six stones or nothing. Six stones or nothing."
"You're repeating yourself, you know that? You're repeating yourself." Scott snapped at me.
"You're repeating yourself. You're repeating yourself." I said back.
"No! - Come on," Steve said to us.
"You never wanted a time heist, you went on board with the time heist..." I said to Tony.
"I dropped the ball."
"You ruined the time heist," I said angrily.
"Is that what I did?" Tony asked with sass.
"Yeah!" I yell back.
"Are there any other options with the Tesseract?" Steve asks.
"No, no, no. There are no other options." Scott says.
"There are no do-overs. We're not going anywhere else." I said.
"We have one particle left. Each." Tony says.
"That's it, alright? We use that... Bye, bye. You're not going home." Scott says.
"Yeah, well if we don't try..." Steve says.
"Then no one else is going home, either," I say.
"I got it," Tony says.
"There's another way. To retake the Tesseract and acquire new particles." Tony says. "We'll stroll down memory lane. Military installation, Garden State."
"When were they both there?" Steve asks.
"They were there at a... I have a vaguely exact idea." Tony says.
"How vague?" Steve asks attentively.
"What are you talking about? Where are we going?" Scott asks. He looks at me, but I just shrug my shoulder.
"I know for a fact they were there..." Tony says.
"Who's they?" Scott asks. "What are we doing?"
"And I know how I know," Tony says to Steve. I step up to Tony button into this Steve and Tony conversation.
"Ok.Guys, what's up? What is it?" I ask.
"Well, it looks like we're improvising," Tony says completely ignoring me. I throw my hand up in frustration and go and lean against a car behind Steve as he con tines to be focused on this conversation Scott and I have no idea what it's about.
"Right. - What are we improvising?" Scott says, not giving up.
"Scott and Hayes, get this back to the compound," Steve says to us.
"Suit up," Tony says. He then sets coordinates.
"Wait I'm coming," I say, but Steve and Tony continue to ignore us.
"What's in New Jersey?" Scott asks.
"0-4, 0-4... - Uhh, 0-7," Tony says
" 0-7. - Excuse me..." Steve says.
"1-9-7-0," Tony says.
"Are you sure? - Cap. Captain. Steve, sorry, America. Rogers. Look, if you do this, and this doesn't work, you're not coming back." Scott says.
"Thanks for the pep talk, pissant," Tony says looking at Steve.
"You trust me?"
"I do," Steve says.
"I'm coming Steve," I say setting my coordinates and standing next to Tony.
"Your call," Tony says looking at Steve. He nods.
"Here we go," Steve says.
Steve, Tony, and I are soon in New Jersey, 1970.
"Hey, man. Make love, not war!" A man calls out to us as he drives by us.
"Clearly, you weren't actually born here, right?" Tony says.
"The idea of me was," Steve says.
"Right. Well, imagine you're SHIELD, running a quasi-fascistic intelligence organization. Where do you hide it?" Tony says.
"In plain sight," Steve says.
We then walk into an elevator with a lady. She looks at us as we stare ahead.
"Good luck on your mission, Captain," Tony says to Steve when we reach his floor and he exits the elevator.
"Good luck on your project, doctor." He says back.
"You're new here?" The lady in the elevator says to Steve.
"Not exactly." Steve answers.
We exit the elevator and make our way to the office to grab the particles to go back home. As I stand by the door to watch out, I notice Steve is looking up and through the window. I look over his shoulder and see that it is Peggy Carter. I watch Steve tense up as he stares at her through the window. I can't help but feel hurt about it.
"Steve," I say softly. He snaps out of his daze and looks at me. He can see the hurt on my face and before he can say anything to me, I turn and leave the room to go and meet up with Tony.
I was the first one to make it out of the facility and see Tony. He was talking to a man in a car. He noticed me, turned, and said something to the man before heading over to me. Steve then appeared and we got ready to head back to our time.