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.

"What is that?" Peter asks, his voice shaking.

"Not Ultron," the Watcher says. "He doesn't need a TemPad to change universes."

Steve doesn't actually know what that means, but the fact that even the Watcher seems wary is enough to put him on edge. The Watcher is supposed to know everything. He sees all. He knows all. Why doesn't he seem to know what this is?

The rectangle is like a clown car. People just keep pouring out of it. Steve doesn't even look at their faces, just counting the bodies as they pass. One, two, three, four, five... an alligator? Why is that kid carrying an alligator through a glowing orange portal-looking thing?

"Oh, shit," Peter whispers.

Steve furrows his brows, but it doesn't take him long to figure out what that's about. He just has to take one look at the face of the man standing in front of him, and he has the exact same reaction.

Loki Laufeyson.

Steve grits his teeth. He'd hoped he'd seen the last of that man. His fake smile and condescending niceties were just mild annoyances at first, but by the time the election rolled around, he was about ready to start throwing punches. He doesn't know why a Jotun-born, Asgardian-raised god was even allowed to run for President of the United States of America, but he sure did it -- and he did it well, too. The earliest election night results showed him in a slight lead. Fortunately, it didn't last.

Steve is fully prepared for him to make a sarcastic remark right now. That's all he does. And the fact that he just burst into the Oval Office -- with magic, apparently, which is a new level of petty -- just seems to confirm that this is what he's here for. Why else would he be here?

But, much to Steve's surprise, Loki's gaze goes right over him as he scans the room. His eyes light up, and he beams. "Thor!" He runs up to the god and throws his arms around him.

Thor looks down at him uncomfortably, and his gaze shifts to the blue giant by his side.

Blue Loki just shrugs. "Maybe you got frisky at a party," he suggests. "You do tend to forget them."

The new Loki -- the smaller one, in his dirty little dress shirt -- scoffs and immediately steps away. He looks up at the blue Loki. "Excuse you, I'll have you -- wait." He cocks his head to the side, just staring at the giant in front of him. "You're not... Who are you?"

"Loki Laufeyson," blue Loki says. "Crown prince of Jotunheim."

Steve stares at him. That is not Loki Laufeyson. For once, Loki Laufeyson is only half that height -- barely taller than he is. And, of course, there's the minor fact of Loki Laufeyson actually standing right in front of him.

"No," dirty dress shirt Loki whispers. "But we're..." He scoffs. "We were tiny! We were never going to grow into a normal-sized Frost Giant! That's why Laufey abandoned us!"

Blue Loki narrows his eyes. "I don't know who you are, but my father --"

"I'm you!" dirty dress shirt Loki says. "From another timeline!" He jerks his thumb back at the group of people he came in with. "And so are they, but Laufey abandoned all of us. Why did he keep you?"

"My father would never abandon his children," blue Loki says. "He tells the story of Odin bringing me back from the temple as a baby every year." He nudges Thor with his elbow. "He would know. The worst part of my birthday."

Thor nods. "Like, come on, we got it the first thousand times. You don't need to tell us again."

"Literally!" blue Loki agrees.

Dress shirt Loki stares at him. "The Allfather brought you back?"

Blue Loki snorts. "Of course he did. What, you wanted him to kidnap me?"

"But --" Dress shirt Loki looks back at the other.... Lokis?... he came here with. "He brought us back?"

"Oh, who cares?" the youngest one asks, annoyed. "That was lifetimes ago."

"Not for me!" dress shirt Loki says. "I killed Laufey! Just a couple of years ago!"

Blue Loki scoffs. "You what?"

The Black Loki rolls his eyes. "So did I -- and I killed the Allfather shortly thereafter. And, unlike you, I ascended to the throne -- to both thrones -- and --"

The kid Loki rolls his eyes. "Was this before or after you killed all of the Avengers and took over Midgard?" The alligator in his arms makes a noise that almost sounds like the reptile equivalent of a laugh.

"I'm sorry," Natasha says, "you did what?"

The female Loki pinches the bridge of her nose. "I hate every single one of you."

"You are all exhausting," the other white male Loki says.

Wait.

That's the Loki Laufeyson Steve knows. The green vest, the horns; he's unmistakably the one. He even has his campaign button on his suit jacket, as if he didn't lose the election months ago. (He is missing a hand, which Steve is decently sure was not true as of this morning, but he doesn't question it.)

"This has been a fantastic nightmare," President Loki says, "but we're on my turf now. So, everyone, get out of my office. I have a country to run -- and, soon, an entire world."

Steve shakes his head. "You lost the election, Mr. Laufeyson," he reminds him. "This is my office."

President Loki scoffs. "As I remember, Captain," he says, spitting the title like an insult, "I won the election. If you wanted the presidency, maybe you should have campaigned harder in Texas."

"I did win Texas," Steve says. "And California." And it was a big deal, too -- in an election of two Independents, every state was fair game. Steve made the most of it. Loki didn't.

"No, you did not," Presidential Loki says. "I did." He pauses. "Well, not California, but I did win Texas, and it secured my spot."

Blue Loki cuts in. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

"Yeah," Thor agrees. "What the hell is a Texas?"

President Loki shakes his head to himself. "Idiot," he mutters.

"I believe I know what's happening," the Watcher says helpfully.

"I don't care," President Loki says. "I am the president, and I say --"

"You are not the president," the Watcher interrupts. "Not here."

President Loki furrows his brows. "I beg your pardon?"

"In this universe, Steve Rogers won the 2012 presidential election," the Watcher explains. "Which means you must be from a universe where he did not." His eyes scan the crowd of Lokis in front of him. "You all came from the Void at the end of time, didn't you?"

Presidential Loki glances at the rest of the Lokis, and they all nod, though none of them have any idea what's happening -- and it's nice to see that Steve isn't alone in that.

"Which means you all come from universes -- timelines -- that the Time Variance Authority destroyed," the Watcher continues.

The Lokis all nod, and dress shirt Loki adds, "But the TVA is all but useless now. Sylvie killed He Who Remains. Even the TVA can't stop what's coming."

"I don't know what the TVA told you was coming," the Watcher says, "but a more dangerous threat is already here."

"There is no more dangerous threat," dress shirt Loki says. "He's going to destroy everything."

"Yes, he is," the Watcher says. "And he is already here, and he wields more power than any one being should."

"He holds all six Infinity Stones," Star Lord T'Challa says. "He has already destroyed one universe. He will make it to ours if we do not stop him."

"He has all six Infinity Stones?" dress shirt Loki, President Loki, and the boastful Loki all repeat in unison. Apparently that means more to them than it does to the rest of these guys, Steve included.

"He does," the Watcher says. "His name is Ultron. And he is going to destroy everything if we cannot work together."

President Loki chuckles dryly. "I've never been one for teamwork."

Steve rolls his eyes. "The fate of the entire multiverse is on the line, Mr. Laufeyson. I think you can make an exception."

"That was the deal," dress shirt Loki adds. "We get you out, you help us save the Timeline."

"Yes, it was," President Loki agrees. "But, unfortunately, the deal has changed."

The female Loki whips out her arm, and, in a flash of green light, a sword appears in her hand, resting right on President Loki's throat. "Would you like to try that again?"

President Loki chuckles, seeming surprisingly unphased by that, and gently lowers the sword from his neck. "You are far from the first me to threaten me," he tells her. "I'm still alive. I hardly consider a sword to my throat a genuine threat on my life."

"Then you've never been threatened by me," she says simply.

Dress shirt Loki nods. "It was her killing the man at the end of time that started this. You probably shouldn't assume she's going to hold back. I promise, she won't."

President Loki looks between the two of them for a few moments, then says, "I suppose it would be difficult to rule a country that doesn't exist anymore." He crosses spreads arms, a cocky smile on his face. "Okay. Where do we begin?"