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Steve went to return the infinity stones to their rightful spots in the universe as promised. He went alone, even though Sam was willing to accompany him. This was his personal pilgrimage to lay demons to rest. The last thing he owed to Tony, Tony who had died because his warnings about messing with TIME was not heeded. He did not even take Bucky; although Bucky was also a man out of time, he had also always been fascinated with science and technology advances. It would be easier for him to stay in the present, especially with his mind so fragile after the entire ordeal of being mind-controlled for seventy plus years.
No, this was his journey, for good and for bad. He wasn’t sure what that was for him in this new future after all. There will be a new group of superheroes; there had been talks of adding new members and retiring some of the older ones. He wasn’t sure where he stood with them now.
Bucky was healing well with Wakandan technology and he was not going to help in that. Bucky had always been able to adapt fast, and the future was no difference. While Steve himself sometimes still struggle with the advancements of technology, Bucky had taken to it like a duck to water. Steve was happy for his friend, really he was, but, well, Bucky no longer needed him to ground him against all the mind fuckery that goes with being mind-controlled.
And, unfortunately, Bucky was no longer the grounding he needed. He hadn’t realized it, but Tony had been the one to ground him in this future. Without him, Steve felt adrift, no sense of purpose. His friendship with Tony, although tumultuous and often explosive, was still one of the most important friendships he had forged in his life. Tony made him feel alive, a sense of belonging that none other could. And now, he was gone.
He readied himself as Bruce countdown for him. Less than a second later, he was in the quantum world. When they had discussed which Stone to return first, they had told him that it was ‘dealer’s choice’ and that he should choose. Steve saved the Space Stone in the form of the Tesseract for the last, hoping for another look at Peggy.
He went first to Morag, where he returned the Power Stone to the Star-Lord’s satchel, while Peter Quill lay unconscious still from the blow he dealt earlier.
Then he went to Vormir, to return the Soul Stone and to ask for the soul of Natasha. He did get the shock of his life when he saw Red Skull but the man (ghost? spirit?) was silent and motionless as he climbed past him on his way to the edge of the precipice. He released the Soul Stone and it was absorbed back into the void. A soul for a soul, as he was told, and it was not lies.
Natasha appeared in front of him, ethereal and peaceful as he had never seen her before. Before this, even if she appeared calm, there was always this coiled energy around her; she was always ready to spring into action at the smallest hint.
“Did we win?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Will you come back with me? Clint -, we, we all missed you.”
“Steve, you know it does not work that way,” Natasha smiled as she spoke. “I have made my peace with it and I am glad, knowing that I will leave this world with the red in my ledger wiped.”
“Nat–”
“No, Steve, this is how it should be and I am happy it played out this way. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on Tony, right?” The last was said so playfully that Steve nearly, nearly, missed the significance.
“To-Tony?!”
Natasha merely grinned. “Goodbye, Steve.”
“Wait, Nat!”
But it was too late and Natasha was gone. Even so, a small hope flickered in Steve’s heart that one day he will also get to see Tony again. He made a mental note to tell Clint what Natasha had said.
Steve stood for a moment on the cliff before turning his back on the void determinedly. Red Skull was as silent as before.
A leap into the quantum world and through to Asgard. He was able to return the Reality Stone as Aether to Jane Foster with no one the wiser. However, Frigga, mother of Thor smiled knowingly at him when they ran into each other in the hallway. She did not raised the alarm either, telling him to “Go, I know enough about magic to know you are not of this time.”
The next stop was to New York. It was weird seeing his other self again. His other self was still slumped over, either from the effect of the scepter or unconscious. To be certain, Steve carefully touched his other self with the spear (the Mind Stone was returned to its original form to avoid questions) again willing all the effect to be pulled back. He placed the scepter back into the briefcase and wrote a small note to his other self about what happened, knowing himself well enough that his other self would not let this be if there was no explanation. He couldn’t stop himself from including the fact that Hydra was well and alive in SHILED even though that went against everything he was told about time travel. He was unable to stand by and let that happened. Oh, and Bucky! He hoped the Bucky in this universe will have better luck.
A flash to the Sanctum to return the Time Stone to the then Sorcerer Supreme. The Sorcerer Supreme was not surprised to see Steve with the Time Stone. He even asked after Bruce, whereupon Steve reassured her that Bruce was fine.
Finally, the only the Tesseract was left. With a low hum, his suit activated and he was soon back in 1970, in an office which he realized with a jolt was the office of Margaret Carter, Director of SHIELD. It was not empty as well; Peggy was sitting behind the desk when he arrived. She had a gun out and trained at Steve not one moment later.
“Who are you and how do you come into my office?” She demanded.
“Peggy, it’s me,” Steve could not help but smile even as his eyes teared up.
Peggy took a closer look, then said incredulously, “Steve?”
“I am sorry I was late; perhaps we can dance now?”
“You are awfully late, but I will forgive you this time,” Peggy smiled up at him. “Give me a moment and we can go.”
True to her words, she was packed and done within five minutes.
Steve followed her back to her apartment. Peggy put on some music and they slowly danced in the golden afternoon light, savoring the dance that was years late. It was no Stork’s Club, but it was theirs.
Later, Steve told Peggy everything. About waking up in the future, SHIELD, Hydra, the Infinity Stones, everything. He trusted Peggy to do the right thing. The only thing Peggy said was, “Well, in that case you cannot use the name Steve Rogers since your other self is currently buried in ice. What do you think you want to be called?”
So Steve became Steven Hunt, a completely average person whose only brilliance was art. When Peggy asked him to join SHIELD, he declined. While there was still the good fight, something burned out in him during that last battle with Thanos. He was no longer rearing to go at every fight. In fact, he had come to abhor the violence and the necessity for it.
Peggy did not understand but nevertheless stood by his decision. The Cold War was going on, but there was less need for upfront confrontation. The need was stealth, and that wasn’t something Steve was known for. They parted ways soon after Steve’s return to the 1970, remaining close friends but nothing else.
Steve went to college and got a degree in art. He later made a career out of his art, having had the chance to hone his not inconsiderable talent for drawing. He toured the country as he and Bucky had always said they wanted to after the war ended. He went to interesting places and met interesting people. At one point, he was able to gain entry to Wakanda when it was still largely unknown and ignored by the world. Using his fortune amassed from the sale of his art and prudent investments, he was able to commission a shield made from vibranium. In return, he gifted the Wakandans pictures of their beautiful country and taught a few semesters at one of their universities aside from the payment.
He took the shield with him wherever he went, taking care to not take it out of its bag but also to keep it close at all times. Although no longer a fighter, it was nevertheless a habit to keep a weapon in reach. Better a shield than a gun, as he told himself countless times.
From time to time, he met up with Peggy if they were in the same city. He went to her wedding, and the births of her children. He became friends with her husband, and a favourite uncle of her children. He himself never married. A few short affairs here and there, but there was never enough shared experience.
Finally, when news broke of Captain America being found, Steve felt that it was time to return. He stroke the wristlet thoughtfully, having never taken it off even for one second through the years. He will take the shield with him; that was the precisely the reason he had commissioned it in the first place. His own shield was broken in the fight with Thanos and his own world still needed a shield after all the upheavals.
Before he went back, he went to visit Peggy one last time. Her husband had passed on and she herself was in a nursing home. Steve was lucky; it was one of her good days.
“I am leaving, Pegs,” he told her as he sat down.
“I figured. I saw the news, you know,” Peggy replied, her eyes still sharp even after all these years, but only on her good days now.
“Yeah, well. It felt right, y’know? Like it was finally time for me to return,” Steve said.
“Yes. I do,” Peggy said simply.
He nodded and they settled into a game of chess, one of the many board games they played all the time.
When visiting hours ended, he got up, gave Peggy a nod and walked out of her life. Or until his other self came for a visit.
He went back to the SSR bunker where the Tesseract was stored 40 years ago. A deep breath, and he activated his suit. Then the almost forgotten leap into the quantum world and he was back in his reality. Perhaps the time had worn on the technology as he did not end up where he was supposed to, but instead landed a few metres away.
He sat down on a convenient bench and wait for them to notice him. He was after all, a prankster at heart.