Star Spangled

Questions were to be expected. There was no training in how to answer them, but Jean was used to being put under scrutiny and worked well under pressure. “We advise as we go. There’s a firm rule on Krakoa: murder no man. Should any mutant do so, we have a specific punishment – which I can’t actually get into with you. I just ask that you trust our judgement when it comes to policing our people. We don’t want any harm.”

Steve crossed his arms as Jean began to explain the situation from the mutants perspective. He nodded along as she spoke. “I understand where you’re coming from. Asking the world to just trust isn’t the easiest message to get across. Especially when you have people like Magneto, Apocalypse and Mister Sinister in your ranks. It’s not that I don’t have faith in you Jean, it’s that there’s a lot for the world to be skeptical about.”

“I was not expecting to see you at all, Captain.” What Wanda knew was what Stephen had shared and she had been able to extract from her time staring into the mess that was reality. She knew Steve in the world they had left behind. She just couldn’t quite remember how well. “We do not need introductions, do we?”

As her last sentence escaped her lips a look of relief washed over Steve’s face. “Am I grateful to see you.” Steve said allowing himself to feel all the emotions and stress he had been bottling up, but he didn’t have time to dwell on them right now. Compartmentalizing yet again he went on. “How’d you find me? I didn’t think you’d be like me.”

It felt wrong, to be away from the Reich like this, but James was already doing so much to help the resistance at this point that he couldn’t help but to be drawn even deeper into this mess. Donning his Winter Soldier uniform, he nodded firmly, finding the emotions pulling at his gut disorienting. It had been so long since he’d seen his best friend, but things were different now. He was no longer Bucky Barnes. He was a tool for Baron Zemo. He’d wrought so much death and destruction and it just didn’t feel like he deserved to be in Steve’s presence. Even if he’d been working on righting some of those wrongs. “It’s the world we live in, as messed up as it might be.”

“That’s true. Complaining isn’t going to do anything.” He said looking to Bucky. “But now that we’re back together, we can give them hell and make all these good people’s lives better. Right, Buck?”

There were times Sam didn’t know how to respond to his friend. He tried to avoid the what would Steve Rogers do? mentality when possible, but he did respect and admire the hell out of the guy. “It’s the one we’ve got, unfortunately, and we’ll keep fightin’ for it. It’s nice to have you on the team again, Cap.”

“Course, Cap.” Steve said with a nod. “Thinking about all there is to do, I’m relieved knowing I’ve got you by my side.” Steve replied offering his friend a nod.

“Of all of the realities I have been through, this may be the worst. I don’t know what I expected when I fell into the rift, but it wasn’t this.”

It took him a moment to register just who this young woman was in front of him. “I’m glad to see you, America. You look well.” He said offering a relieved smile.

“So you are real.” How exciting that was. Ava had heard so much about Steve – most of it being that he was a terror who needed to be put down once more. “I’m not going to take you in, if that’s a concern.” She reassured him. “I’m already not a favorite of the Reich. I have nothing to lose.”

“Well I suppose that’s comforting. Thank you.” He said taking note of this iterrration of ghost. Certainly not actively hostile to Steve but he should be careful nevertheless. “Sounds like you’ve been through an awful lot miss. Especially since you’re talking to public enemy number one as far as the Reich’s concerned.”

Damn, did it feel good to hear his voice again. The world knew Captain America, but Sam had the honor of getting to know Steve Rogers. Even if he hailed from a different reality, the response was so close to what Sam would have gotten from his Steve that it made him pause. Just for a minute, he wanted to pretend like his friend wasn’t gone forever. That wasn’t real, though. Steve had made his choice and it wasn’t up to this Steve to fill the holes that his variant had left.

“Anything you want to contribute is welcome.” Sam shook his head. “And I appreciate it, man. Sometimes you need to hear it in a voice that’s not your own in order to believe it. It means a lot comin’ from you, of all people. Steve is – he was a good man. I don’t want to let him down but I still gotta do my own thing.”

Steve nodded along as he listened. Sam was a good man, he was glad to see that that remained the same across universes. “You do.” Steve nodded in agreeance. “I know you’ve got what it takes. I’m here to support you if you need it, but those wings of yours show me you can fly on your own.” He offered a smile knowing damn well how corny that was.

As if the world needed another place to compare the two Captain Americas. Sam Wilson can’t draw – yet another thing he can’t do! Sam was being ridiculous and he knew it. It was a nice offer from Steve, so he nodded. “Sure, sure. Sounds like a good night off. I’m beginnin’ to forget what those feel like.” 

“I can understand where you’re coming from.” Steve said thinking back to all the years he spent thinking he didn’t need that time or that he couldn’t take that time. All the mistakes he made stemming from it. “Now as familiar as we are with each other’s faces we really don’t know each other too well do we? Tell me a little something about yourself. If you could be anywhere in the whole wide universe right now, where would it be?”

“There was a little bit there that I forgot about Jane Foster and became Thor, became Valkyrie. After I lost Keith and Jimmy ( after her husband and son had died ) I became my work. It’s easier to hide sometimes, isn’t it? This superhero stuff becomes a really, really good excuse to not face your real world problems.”

Steve nodded along with pursed lips. “Nearly the perfect excuse. Until it all starts to come out at the wrong time and interferes with the superhero stuff. Took me a long time to realize we need time for ourselves.”