In an apartment far more modest than Leonardo's, lived Steve Rogers. Although he had a solid financial standing, he was never fond of excess. He preferred a place that matched his personality: practical, functional, and unpretentious. His home had everything he needed... and a small private gym, which he considered more of a necessity than a luxury.
However, in recent weeks, the place had started to feel smaller. Not because of its size, but because of the presence of his new tenant.
"Good morning" Steve said, stepping out of the gym with a towel still draped over his shoulders.
Bucky, sitting at the table, looked up and smiled. He replied with the same greeting, though behind that kind gesture hid a whirlwind of emotions.
Seventy years ago, when he fell from the train into the frozen winter, he should have died. But he didn't. He was rescued… and condemned. From that moment on, his life no longer belonged to him. Physical torture. Mental reprogramming. Years of systematic erasure of his identity until he became nothing more than a tool. A blank slate that followed orders.
Whenever they needed him, they thawed him. Gave him a name. A target. Another kill.
He became the perfect weapon. The shadow in the dark. The Winter Soldier.
But now, after all that time, he was free. Free from his masters. Free to think for himself. And with that freedom came something else… the weight of memory. The guilt.
The faces of his victims haunted him. Faces of innocent people. Visionaries who might have changed the world, but who crossed Hydra's path. He was the one who extinguished those lights. He was.
He thought of ending his life. He wanted to. But the idea tasted like an escape. After so much horror, to simply die and avoid the punishment? No. He chose to face his past. To find a path toward redemption, even if he didn't yet know what it was.
"I know what you're thinking" Steve said, breaking the silence.
Bucky looked away, uncomfortable.
"They controlled you. None of it was your fault. If you really want to make amends," Steve added, "even though I don't think you have to, then take my offer."
Bucky considered it. Then shook his head.
"I can't. The Avengers are hope. They're light in the darkness. What would someone like me be doing among them? I am that darkness, Steve."
"You're wrong," Steve replied firmly. "The Avengers aren't perfect light. We're not superior beings. Just ordinary people trying to do the right thing… like you. Like me."
"And are any of them killers?"
"No. But we all have a past. You're not the only one who's fallen, Bucky. And you're not the only one who wants to atone."
Bucky looked at him for a long moment before nodding.
"I'll think about it."
---
~ Asgard ~
In the same golden hall where it had all begun, Thor recounted what had happened on Earth. Heimdall, of course, had already been a silent witness to the events, but hearing it from Thor in person carried its own weight.
Odin listened silently… until the tale reached its final part.
"So… you don't know where the gem or the scepter are?" he asked, frowning.
"No" Thor replied.
Odin turned his gaze toward Loki, repeating the question. The answer was the same.
"It must have been mental manipulation" Loki interjected. Everyone looked at him, attentive. "I felt something invade my mind. But I couldn't stop it. I don't know who it was, nor do I have any idea who to blame."
Odin looked at him with a hint of unease. To break Loki's mind required colossal power. He then recalled a detail from the tale.
"The girl who wielded mind magic. It was likely her."
"Wanda? Why do you suspect her?" Thor asked, puzzled.
"She wasn't just any sorceress, Thor. She manipulated the scepter. If someone tampered with your minds, she is the most logical suspect."
Thor frowned. He didn't like to distrust someone who had helped them, but his father's words made sense.
Loki, on the other hand, fell silent. And then, as if something clicked in his mind, he murmured:
"Of course… her. How did I not see it before?"
Frigga and Odin exchanged a look of relief. If Loki could break free from mental control, there was still hope for him.
Odin now turned his attention to another question.
"Who manipulated you? Where did the scepter come from?"
Loki didn't know for sure. He didn't know the face. But he knew the name. He spoke it softly, almost with fearful reverence.
"Thanos."
For a moment, a shadow crossed Odin's face. Not out of fear. He knew the Titan well. He wasn't simply a madman: he was a fanatic with a cause. He wanted to balance the universe by exterminating half of its population. A monster… who believed he was saving the cosmos.
He knew Thanos wouldn't strike while he still lived. But his time was running out. And when the moment came, his sons would have to be ready.
Even more concerning was the concentration of power on Midgard. Four Infinity Stones… on a single planet. It was too much.
He had to act.
"Then the disappearance of the stones is connected to the boy you're protecting…" he said into the air.
The space before him cracked like glass. And from the void emerged a figure in saffron robes: a bald woman with a calm bearing who spoke as his equal.
Loki and Thor didn't see her; the rest, who knew of her, watched her with interest.
"Yes. He's doing what he must"
she said calmly before opening a portal and leaving without further explanation.
Odin sighed. Cryptic, as always.
Meanwhile, Loki knelt before his father. An unusual gesture. A gesture that spoke of change.
"Father… please, teach me how to be a king."
Odin looked at him, pleased. There was humility, at last. But he also knew words were not enough.
"My son… you've made mistakes. You have no right to the throne today."
Loki lowered his gaze. But Odin continued:
"Even so… I will give you a chance. I have a mission for you and your brother."
And so he began his tale.
"Eons ago, there existed the Dark Elves. Ancient beings, born before the light. Their leader, Malekith, tried to return the universe to a state of eternal darkness. To achieve this, he used the Aether, a substance capable of altering reality itself."
"During the Convergence, my father, King Bor, faced them. He defeated Malekith and hid the Aether where no one could find it."
Odin paused and gave them their mission.
"The Convergence will occur again soon. That will open the way to the Aether. Your task is simple: bring it back before it falls into the wrong hands."
Thor nodded without hesitation. Loki, however, had questions.
"Why wasn't it destroyed? And why must we bring it back?"
"Because it cannot be destroyed. The Aether is one of the Infinity Stones, in liquid form. And there are too many on Midgard. We must protect them."
Realizing what it meant to have three stones on Earth, Loki understood the urgency.
Both went off to prepare. Since the Bifrost was still inactive, a complex ritual would be needed to return to Midgard.
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