I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 31

"We're locked down out here" Nat states as Steve and Rachel enter the base, looking for Strucker. "Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby" Steve orders her as he removes his helmet. As they enter a corridor, they see an agent making a run for it so Rachel quickly steps forward and kicks the agent in the back. The agent falls to the floor and Rachel and Steve walk through a doorway to find Strucker. "Baron Strucker. Hydra's number one thug" Steve states as they walk towards Strucker. "Technically, I'm a thug for Shield" Strucker argues. "Well then technically, you're unemployed" Rachel retorts unimpressed by his argument. "Where's Loki's sceptre?" Steve interrogates. "Don't worry, I know when I'm beat. You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope" Strucker states. "I'll put it right under 'illegal human experimentation'. How many are there?" Steve replies, losing his patience little by little.

Before either Steve or Rachel can respond a young woman appears and knocks them down the stairs using her own powers. Steve and Rachel quickly run up the stairs and see the young woman stepping through a door and the door closing. "We have a second enhanced. Female, do not engage" Steve informs everyone while Rachel stares at the door, taking note of how the young woman's powers were very similar to her own, only red instead of violet. "You'll have to be faster than-" Strucker starts but Steve quickly steps on his shield and kicks it into Strucker. He hits the wall and falls to the ground. "Was that fast enough?" Rachel asks rhetorically and Steve grins at her.

Everyone arrives on the jet, along with the sceptre on their way back to Avengers Tower. Bruce is wrapped in a blanket with his headphones on, Tony in the pilot's seat, Steve, Rachel and Thor standing beside Clint as he lay on their medical bed and Nat sitting beside Tony. Thor approaches the sceptre and stares at it as Steve and Rachel join him beside the sceptre's case. "Thor, report on the Hulk" Nat calls as she kneels in front of Bruce. "The gates of hell are filled with the screams of his victims" Thor answers enthusiastically, causing Nat to look at him unimpressed while Rachel chuckles into Steve's shoulder and Steve sighs.

Thor takes notice of Nat and Bruce's expression and tries to save himself. "But not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no, wounded screams. Mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and gout" he elaborates. Steve continues to cringe as Thor continues to talk and Rachel proceeds to laugh quietly into Steve's shoulder. "Hey Banner, Dr Cho's on her way in from Seoul. Is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony asks from the pilot seat, pulling the attention from the previous conversation. "Uh, yeah. She knows her way around" Bruce answers.

Tony orders Jarvis to take the wheel before approaching the group standing beside the sceptre. "Feels good right? I mean, we've been after this since Shield collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but-" Tony says to the group. "No, but this... This brings it to a close" Thor replies happily. "As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?" Steve adds cautiously. "Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you? Just a few days till the farewell party. You're staying right?" Tony replies and asks Thor. "Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honoured with revels" Thor states with a hint of excitement. "Yeah, who doesn't love revels? Captain?" Tony questions, looking up at Steve. "Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra. So, yes, revels" Steve replies with a smile and Tony nods in approval.

They arrive at Avengers Tower and Clint is rushed out on a gurney with Nat and Dr Cho by his side and Bruce and Thor following. Rachel assured Clint that she'd be in the lab to see him soon but he only brushed her off, claiming it's only a scratch. "Lab's all set up boss" Maria tells Tony as she enter the jet. "Oh, actually he's the boss. I just pay for everything and design everything and make everyone look cooler" Tony replies and points over at Steve. "What's the word on Strucker?" Steve asks as he stands and exits the jet with Maria and Rachel. "NATO's got him" she answers. "The two enhanced?" Rachel asks, eager to know about the young female. "Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at 10 when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everywhere special" Maria summarises as she passes Steve the tablet and Rachel watches the screen from beside Steve.

"Their abilities?" Steve questions. "He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis (very similar to Rachel), mental manipulation" she answers and Steve gives her a look of confusion. "He's fast and she's weird" Rachel summarises for him and he gives a small nod. "Well they're gonna show up again" Steve states as he passes the tablet back to Maria. "Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts" she adds as Steve and Rachel enter the lift. "Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" Steve states sarcastically, clearly referencing himself. "We're not at war, Captain" Maria argues. "They are" Steve states as the doors close.

Rachel sighs deeply as she thinks about Wanda's abilities and how similar they are to her own. Questions fill her mind. Did she have to endure the same pain as she did? Did she really volunteer or was she forced? "You okay?" Steve asks when he hears her sigh. "Yeah, I was just... I was thinking about Wanda" she states. He watches her intently, knowing there's more she wants to say. "I was thinking about how she got her powers. Was she experimented on in the same way I was? Because I know how painful that can be" she adds, closing her eyes as she remembers her experience. "Hey, come here" Steve says as he pulls her into a hug. "We'll figure it out, okay? Don't worry about it" he assures her while she rests her head on his chest. "Yeah, okay" she agrees with a calming sigh.