I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 50

Rachel sits at an outdoor table in Lagos with Wanda and Nat sitting on other tables. She inconspicuously scans the area to familiarise herself and figure out Rumlow's plan. She, along with Nat, Wanda, Sam and Steve are in Lagos following a lead on Rumlow. "Alright, what do you see?" Steve asks Wanda from his hidden position in an apartment complex. "Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target" she answers quietly. "There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?" Steve adds. "Cameras" Wanda answers again. "Both cross streets are one-way" he states. "So compromised escape routes" Wanda summarises. "Means our guy doesn't care about being seen. He isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?" Steve explains. "The red one? It's cute" Wanda answers.

"It's also bulletproof which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us" Nat adds before taking a sip of her drink. "You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda questions. "So can I. It doesn't mean you shouldn't be vigilant" Rachel states. "Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature" Nat adds. "Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam asks from his position on a rooftop. "Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?" Nat replies and Rachel smiles at her sarcasm. She understands the feeling of looking over your shoulder constantly. It's a feeling she's been relieved of since last year, after taking down the agency who trained her.

"Eyes on target folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in 6 months. I don't wanna lose him" Steve orders, wanting to stay on target and not get side tracked. "If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kinda hates us" Sam replies. "Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it" Steve orders Sam and Rachel wonders what he's spotted. "That truck is loaded for max weight and the driver's armed" Sam concludes after getting redwing to study the truck. "It's a battering ram" Nat states as she and Rachel start to stand. "Go now" Steve orders the group. "What?" Wanda asks confused. "They aren't hitting the police" Steve states and everyone runs off while Sam flies.

Sam and Steve arrive at the IFID first and instantly start attacking the men. "Body armour. AR-15s. I make 7 hostiles" Steve explains to the group. "I make 5" Sam states after a few seconds. Wanda arrives and holds a hostile still for Sam to attack. "4" Sam says after attacking the hostile. Rachel arrives and stands beside Wanda as she studies the gas inside the building. "Rumlow's on the third floor" Sam informs Steve after scanning the building. "Rach, just like we practiced" Steve tells her and she nods. "What about the gas?" Wanda asks. "Get it out" Steve orders before running towards a truck. He jumps up and Rachel uses her powers to lift him up to the third floor, he crashes through the window and starts attacking the men inside.

"Wanda, you get the gas out. I'll cover you" Rachel tells Wanda before turning to the men aiming guns at them. She raises her hands, creating a violet barrier in front of her. The bullets ricochet off it while Sam fires his guns at the men. He sends two small missiles at them and all hostiles are dealt with. "Rumlow has a biological weapon" Steve states through comms. "I'm on it" Nat replies as she arrives on a motor bike. She starts attacking the men trying to leave.

Steve leaves the building to see Rumlow aiming a bomb at him. He quickly raises his shield and is sent straight back into the building. He runs through the building, avoiding Rumlow's shots by mere inches. The final bomb sends him through a window and down to the ground. "Sam, he's in an AFV heading north" Steve tells Sam before climbing to his feet with a groan. Wanda tells Rachel to go while she takes care of the gas, she gives Wanda a nod before running off. She meets Steve and they both run towards the outdoor shopping centre where Sam and Nat are after the men with the biological weapon.

Steve studies the gear on the ground. "They ditched their gear, it's a shell game now. One of them has the payload" Steve tells Nat and Sam before a bomb attaches to his shield. He launches it into the air to avoid hurting anyone around him. The bomb goes off in the air, leaving a puff of smoke behind, making it incredibly difficult to spot his shield. Suddenly, Steve is hit in the back and sent flying forwards and through a shopping stall. Rachel stands straight as she turns to see Rumlow in his uniform. She raises her hands to defend herself, she avoids Rumlow's attacks and tries to get her own in with the use of her powers too but he either avoids them or is barely effected by them due to his thick armour. Eventually, he punches her in the abdomen and she sent through multiple shopping stalls and lies unconscious after hitting her head on the ground.

Rumlow proceeds to Steve who's regaining himself and attacks him with brute force. Meanwhile, Sam attacks his 2 targets and finds them empty. He informs Nat and she knows that her targets must have the biological weapon. She gets the biological weapon with the help of redwing, refusing to thank it even after Sam's encouragement.

Rachel regains consciousness and sees Rumlow kneeling in front of Steve. She blinks a few times to focus her vision and as she does, Rumlow detonates a bomb vest. Wanda quickly contains the explosion to protect Steve and surrounding civilians. Rumlow screams in pain and Wanda throws him into the air but struggles to contain the explosion. Rachel climbs to her feet as the bomb explodes beside the building and fire spreads through it. "Sam, we need fire and rescue on the south side of the building. We've gotta get up there" Steve tells Sam with shock covering his face. He runs inside and Rachel rushes to Wanda. "It's ok, it's not your fault" she assures her before quickly running into the building to help.