I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 34

Everyone gathers in the lab with the bot's dismembered parts on the table. "All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out. He used the internet as an escape hatch" Bruce states as he checks their system. "Ultron" Steve mutters in disbelief. "He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other" Nat explains, she has changed into some comfy clothes since the event. "He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" Rhodey suggests, his military side becoming prominent. "Nuclear codes" Maria states in realisation as she removes shards of glass from her foot. "Look we need to make some calls, assuming we still can" Rhodey states. "Nukes? He said he wanted us dead" Nat questions. "He didn't say dead, he said extinct" Steve adds, clearly frustrated. Rachel takes his hand from where she's sitting beside him, with his leather jacket wrapped around her, over her dress. He squeezes her hand in acknowledgment, without taking his attention off the conversation at hand.

"He also said he killed somebody" Clint reminds everyone. "There wasn't anyone else in the building" Rachel states in confusion. "Yes, there was" Tony replies, breaking his few minutes of silence and shows the group a hologram of Jarvis, destroyed. Bruce studies the hologram before muttering "This is insane". Rachel stands from her seat and stares at the hologram in amazement. "Jarvis was the first line of defence. He would have shut Ultron down, it makes sense" Steve states. "No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is rage" Bruce argues as he continues to study the orange hologram. Thor comes storming into the room, heading straight for Tony.

He wraps his hand around Tony's throat and lifts him off the ground. "Woah, woah, woah" Rhodey tries to stop Thor while Clint makes a comment about rage going around. "Come on, use your words, buddy" Tony croaks. "I have more than enough words to describe you Stark" Thor replies angrily. Rachel gives Steve a nudge making him look at her and she nods towards Thor, telling him to do something. He's the Captain, he has the authority. Thor will listen to him. "Thor. The legionnaire" Steve orders and Thor drops Tony to the ground. "Trail went cold about 100 miles out but it's headed north and it has the sceptre. Now we have to retrieve it. Again" Thor summarises, clearly frustrated with the situation. "Genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron" Nat replies.

"I don't understand" Dr Cho starts, finally joining the debate. "You built this program, why is it trying to kill us?" she asks Tony. In response, Tony starts chuckling with his back to the group as he starts typing on a keyboard. Bruce shakes his head warning Tony. "You think this is funny?" Thor questions, highly unamused by Tony's humour. "No. It's probably not, right? This is very terrible. It is so... Is it so? It is. It's so terrible" Tony replies with a laugh. "This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand" Thor argues. "I'm sorry, it is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this" Tony states, taking a few steps towards Thor. "Tony, maybe this might not be the time" Bruce warns Tony again. "Really? That's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls?" Tony questions Bruce. "Only when I've created a murder bot" Bruce defends himself with a valid point. "We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?" Tony asks him and Bruce shrugs his shoulders.

"Well you did something right, and you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than Shield" Steve interrupts, scolding Tony. "Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole? Saved New York? Recall that?" Tony asks everyone and Rhodey replies with sarcastic disagreements. "A hostile alien army come charging through a hole in space. We're standing 300 feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day but that up there, that's... That's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?" Tony explains. "Together" Steve answers, without hesitation. "We'll lose" Tony argues. "Then we'll do that together too" Steve replies, once again, without hesitation. Tony only stares at Steve and everyone stands in silence.

"Thor's right. Ultron is calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place, let's start making it smaller" Steve orders when Tony walks towards his desk. Everyone nods at Steve before going to complete their own tasks or to change out of their party clothes.

Later on, Steve and Rachel are changing into their comfy clothes for bed when Steve starts muttering under his breath. "I can't believe him" he mutters. "He had good intentions Steve" Rachel argues, trying to defend Tony a little. She understands his reasons for creating Ultron, she understands his goal. She knows that it didn't go to plan but he intended to do good. "Seriously? You're defending them!" Steve replies, raising his voice slightly. "No, Steve. I believe that what he did was wrong and he shouldn't have kept it from us. I'm just saying that he did it with good intentions" she replies calmly, trying to avoid a fight with him. Steve only scoffs and starts climbing into bed. Rachel sighs before climbing into bed beside him. "Can we not fight about this please?" she asks as she looks at him to see him facing away from her. She hears him sigh before he turns over to face her. "Yeah okay, I'm sorry" he answers and pulls her towards him. "It's okay, I'm sorry too" she smiles. "I love you" he whispers as he closes his eyes. "I love you too" she whispers before kissing his cheek and resting her head on his chest and they both fall asleep.