so bad guys can't see me bleed

•tape twenty-four•

"Mr. Secretary," Cap says as the six of us walk into the room, seeing Rhodey talking to a hologram of Secretary Ross. We stop in the doorway as Ross walks over to us.

"You got some nerve," Ross says. "I'll give you that."

"You could use some of that right now," Nat says to him.

"The world's on fire," Ross says after clicking his tongue. "And you think all is forgiven?"

"I'm not looking for forgiveness," Cap says. "And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost your best defender. So we're here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way, we'll fight you too."

Ross blinks, than turns to Rhodey. "Arrest them."

"All over it," Rhodey says, swiping Ross away. He disappears, along with the other holograms in the room. "That's a court-martial. It's great seeing you, Cap."

"You too, Rhodey," Cap says, shaking his hand.

"Hey," Rhodey says to Nat as they hug. He pulls away and looks at the rest of us. "Wow, you guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years."

"Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five stars," Sam says. "Then Cher over here got back into the states for a few days and left us."

"I think you look great," Bruce says, walking into the room. He chuckles nervously when he sees Nat. "Yeah, I'm back."

"Hi, Bruce," Nat says.

Bruce messes with his fingers and nods after a moment. "Nat."

"This is awkward," Sam whispers. I cough to cover up my laugh.

—

"So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Rhodey asks, standing in front of a table as Bruce paces behind him.

Sam is standing to the side with a football in his hands. I'm sitting in a chair with my feet up on the coffee table while Nat stands to the side, and Wanda stands next to the kitchen area, and Cap stands behind a chair next to Rhodey.

"And they can clearly find us," Wanda says.

"We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Bruce asks, turning to Nat.

"After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families. They're on house arrest," Nat explains.

"Who's Scott?"

"Ant Man," Cap says.

"There's an Ant Man and a Spider Man?" Bruce asks.

I hum. "Spider Man got bit by a spider and enhances his senses, Ant Man has a suit that makes him bigger or smaller."

"Okay, look," Bruce says, "Thanos has the biggest army in the universe, and he is not gonna stop until he—he gests Vision's stone."

"Well, then we have to protect it," Nat says.

"No, we have to destroy it," Vision says, holding his stomach while he leans against a window. We all look over at him as he touches the stone on his forehead. "I've been giving it a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About its nature. Also its composition." He turns and walks over to Wanda. "I think, if it were exposed to the sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps, its molecular integrity could fail."

"Yeah, and you with it," Wanda says. "We're not having this conversation."

"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain Thanos can't get it," Vision says.

"That's too high a price."

Vision shakes his head and puts his hands on the sides of Wanda's face. "Only you have the power to pay it." Wanda turns and walks away. "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."

"But it should," Cap says. He shakes his head. "We don't trade lives, Vision."

"Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people?" Vision asks, walking over to Cap. "Tell me, why is this any different."

"Because you might have a choice," Banner says. "Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the stone. All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another."

"You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?" Wanda asks.

"I'm saying that, if we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left," Banner says. "Perhaps the best parts."

"Can we do that?" Nat asks.

"Not me, not here," Bruce says.

"Well, you better find someone and somewhere fast," Rhodey says. "Ross isn't just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back."

Cap and I share a glance. "We know somewhere," we both say at the same time.

—

"How many times have you been here?" Nat asks me as Sam starts to land the jet.

"Once every two or so months."

"Wow," she deadpans. "Long distance must be hard."

"I keep myself occupied. You know, killing bad guys and kicking ass."

"Oh, yeah, totally," Nat says, nodding. We both give each other side looks before smiling.

—

The back of the jet opens when we land, and we all start to walk out.

"Should we bow?" I hear Bruce ask from behind me.

"Yeah, he's a king," Rhodey says.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something," Cap says as him, Nat, and I all stop in front of T'Challa. They shake hands, and T'Challa smiles.

Bruce clears his throat and bows. "What are you doing?" Rhodey asks.

T'Challa puts his hands out. "Uh, we don't do that here." Rhodey smiles at Bruce, who hits his shoulder. T'Challa turns to me and smiles. "It is wonderful to see you again, Cher," he says, shaking my hand.

"It's great to see you too," I tell him, shaking his hand back. He nods his head to me, then we all start walking.

"So, how big of an assault should we expect?" T'Challa asks.

"Uh, sir, sir, I think you should expect quite a big assault," Bruce says.

"How we looking?" Nat asks.

"You will have my Kingsguard," T'Challa replies, "the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and..." He gestures.

"A semi-stable 100-year-old man," Bucky says, smiling as he walks over to us.

Cap walks over to him and hugs him, then pulls away. "How you been, Buck?"

"Uh, not bad, for the end of the world," Bucky says, smiling. He turns to me. "Hey, krasotki." He pauses, then smiles again. "Come on."

I roll my eyes, but hug him anyways. He wraps his arms tightly around my waist and kisses the side of my face. "Nice arm," I tell him, pulling my face away from his shoulder.

"Yeah," he chuckles, nodding to T'Challa.

I turn to him, but he puts and hand up and shakes his head. "Don't thank me."

"Hey, Cherry Bomb," Cap says, "you're teddy bear side is showing."

"Fuck off."

—

"Hey, Cap, we got a problem here," Sam says into his earpiece while we look up at the sky and see something barreling down. It hits the atmosphere and explodes onto it.

"God, I love this place," Bucky says.

"Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys," Rhodey says in his suit. "We got more incoming outside the dome!"

We watch as more of whatever just hit the dome hit the area outside of it.