I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 63

"Please Captain" Zemo starts. "The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets" he tells them as they all walk towards him. Steve and Tony to the right and Rachel and Bucky to the left. "I'm betting I could beat that" Tony challenges. "I'm sure you could, Mr Stark. Given time. But then you'd never know why you came" Zemo argues and Steve quickens his pace. "You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?" Steve questions him, clearly becoming frustrated as he reaches the window, staring straight back at Zemo.

"I've thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here, I just realised... there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw" Zemo answers as he stares at Steve. Rachel thinks to herself that the green in Steve's eyes isn't a flaw, far from it, but she remains silent. "You're Sokovian. Is that what this is about?" Steve asks in realisation. "Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell. No. I'm here because I made a promise" Zemo answers with the shake of his head. "You lost someone?" Steve assumes with sympathy. "I lost everyone, and so will you" Zemo answers with anger before pressing a button.

A screen comes to life between Tony and Rachel, so they make their way towards it. "An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That's dead. Forever" Zemo explains as Steve walks towards the screen. The three stare at the screen and Tony has a moment of realisation. "I know that road. What is this?" he questions Zemo before looking at the date. December 16th, 1991. Tony, Rachel and Steve watch the video of Tony's parents' car crashing. Followed by Bucky arriving on his bike and murdering them. Their pleas can be heard on the tape and Rachel finds herself watching Tony's eyes fill with tears and anger. Tony's face fills with horror as the video ends with Bucky shooting the camera.

Tony stands silent, taking deep breaths for a few seconds before taking a step towards Bucky. Rachel quickly steps in front of him and Steve grabs his arm. Bucky raises his gun in defence but Tony turns to Steve. "Did you know?" he asks Steve with a clenched jaw. "I didn't know it was him" Steve answers shamefully. "Don't bullshit me Rogers. Did you know?" Tony demands the truth and Steve admits with a "Yes". Tony pulls his arm from Steve's hand and looks at Rachel whose still standing between him and Bucky. "Did you know?" he questions her and she sighs. "I'm sorry Tony" she admits sadly. Tony stands still for a few seconds more before swinging his arm at Steve, knocking him a few feet away. He covers his head with his mask before turning around at Rachel.

"Tony, he didn't have any control" Rachel tries to reason with him but before she can say anymore Tony swings his arm at her too. She's knocked off her feet and she can feel the blood running from her mouth. Bucky raises his gun at Tony but Tony blasts it away. Bucky throws a punch but Tony catches it before wrapping his spare hand around Bucky's throat and flies up and off the ground. He forces Bucky down to the ground and stands on his metal arm, he aims his repulsor at Bucky's face. Just before he fires it, Steve throws his shield at Tony, causing his aim to falter and fires the floor beside Bucky's head. Steve charges into Tony with his shield and knocks him off Bucky.

Tony uses his boot jets to charge at Steve hard enough to sending him flying across the room. He fires electronic cuffs at Steve's feet and they're held together. Rachel takes the opportunity to throw a ball of energy at Tony to send him off balance and allow Bucky the chance to recover. Tony looks at her and fires his repulor at her but she raises her hands, creating a protective barrier of her energy. She's knocked off balance but she quickly thrusts her hands forward, sending the barrier straight into Tony. Tony fires the ground in front of Rachel and she's sent backwards by the explosion.

Bucky tries to attack Tony again but Tony lifts him off the ground and up against the wall. He aims his repulsor at Bucky but Bucky grabs it and squeezes it until it malfunctions. Instead, Tony aims a missile at Bucky but Bucky redirects it to the other side of the room. It causes the structures within the room to start crumbling. Meanwhile, Steve uses his shield to break the cuffs around his ankles and Rachel climbs to her feet. They both run towards Bucky and Tony and look up to see one of the structures falling towards them. Steve grabs Rachel and they both get out of the way as Tony and Bucky fall to the ground as they avoid the falling structure. Tony becomes trapped under some of the debris while Bucky climbs to his feet to see Steve and Rachel standing opposite him.

"Get out of here!" Steve orders him and Bucky runs away, heading for a section that leads up to a hatch that he opens on his way. "Follow him, make sure he gets out" Steve orders Rachel and she nods before following after Bucky. Tony fires at Bucky but misses and Steve steps in front of him as Rachel chases after Bucky. "It wasn't him Tony. Hydra had control of his mind" Steve tells Tony. "Move!" Tony demands before trying to fly past Steve. "It wasn't him!" Steve shouts as he grabs Tony boot and hits it with his shield until it malfunctions. Tony reaches the hatch and looks up to see Bucky and Rachel climbing up to it, he blocks Steve's path before trying fly up to them with his malfunctioning boot jet.