I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 67

"So we've gotta assume they're coming back right?" Rhodey assumes after he's filled in on the events in Scotland and Bruce has filled them all in on the events of New York. "And they can clearly find us" Wanda states concerned. "We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Bruce asks and turns to Nat and Rachel, Clint's closest friends. "After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal" Nat explains. "It was too tough on their families, they're on house arrest" Rachel adds from beside Steve. "Who's Scott?" Bruce asks. "Antman" Steve answers. "There's an Antman and a Spiderman?" Bruce questions confused and Rhodey nods with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay, look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he gets... Vision's stone" Bruce clarifies to everyone, staying focused on the situation at hand. "Then we have to protect it" Nat states obviously. "No, we have to destroy it" Vision argues and everyone looks at him shocked and confused. How will they manage that without killing Vision? The stone is a part of him.

"I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About it's nature, but also its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps its molecular integrity could fail" Vision explains as he makes his way to Wanda. "Yeah and you with it. We're not having this conversation" Wanda argues. "Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it" Vision states, trying to convince her. "That's too high a price" Wanda says, getting a little emotional and Rachel watches sadly. She takes Steve's hand, both of them being familiar with the feelings that Vision and Wanda are feeling. "Only you have the power to pay it" Vision says as he cups her face but she only walks away from him.

"Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him" Vision tells everyone. "But it should. We don't trade lives Vision" Steve replies. "Captain, 70 years ago you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?" Vision questions him and Steve sighs. "Because you might have a choice" Bruce answers on Steve's behalf and everyone is intrigued by what he means. "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" he explains. "You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?" Wanda asks hopefully. "I'm saying that if we take the stone out, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts" Bruce answers.

"Can we do that?" Rachel asks, eager to give this a shot. "Not me, not here" Bruce answers and the hope starts to dissipate. "Well, you better find someone and somewhere fast. Ross isn't just gonna let you have your old rooms back" Rhodey warns them. Rachel suddenly remembers an old friend who could help them. However, Steve comes to the same realisation and they look to each other at the same time. "We know somewhere" Steve states without taking his eyes off Rachel. Everyone rushes to the jet and leaves for Wakanda.

---

Despite the circumstances, Rachel is excited to return to Wakanda. She's missed some good friends. T'Challa, Shuri, Okoye and Bucky. "Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0" Steve tells Sam as they approach Wakanda. "I hope you're right about this, or we're gonna land a lot faster than you want to" Sam replies but obeys. They fly through Wakanda's protective, invisible shield and land in front of T'Challa and his guards. Steve and Rachel lead everyone out and Steve shakes T'Challa's hand. "Seems like I'm always thanking you for something" Steve states with a smile. T'Challa smiles back before looking at Rachel and shaking her hand as well. When T'Challa addresses Bruce, who's in the process of bowing, Rachel and Steve turn to look at him and Rachel stifles a laugh as T'Challa says "We don't do that here".

"So, how big of an assault should we expect?" T'Challa asks as everyone makes their way inside. "Uh sir, I think you should expect quite a big assault" Bruce answers before anyone else can. "How we looking?" Rachel asks. "You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje and..." T'Challa answers before gesturing to Bucky. "And a semi-stable hundred year old man" Bucky states with a smile. Steve pulls Bucky into a hug with a beaming smile. "How have you been Buck?" Steve asks him. "Not bad, for the end of the world" Bucky answers and looks over at Rachel who smiles at him. She walks over to him and shares a hug with him too. "It's good to see you" she says. "You too" he smiles and Steve finds himself smiling at the pair, happy to see his best friend and girlfriend getting along so well.

They enter Shuri's lab and Rachel gives her a quick hug, having missed her and Shuri starts scanning Vision. Everyone stands around in anticipation, hoping their plan is doable. "The structure is polymorphic" she states in astonishment. "Right, we had to attach each neuron non-sequentially" Bruce explains. "Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?" she asks him. "Because we didn't think of it" Bruce answers, although it sounds more like a question. Rachel grins at Shuri, she's proud to call her a friend. "I'm sure you did your best" Shuri assures Bruce with a smile. "Can you do it?" Wanda asks, wanting to stay focused on Vision. "Yes, but there are more than two trillions neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures. It will take time brother" Shuri explains, looking at T'Challa. "How long?" Steve asks her. "As long as you can give me" Shuri answers.

Suddenly a beeping sound can be heard through the systems and Okoye's bead bracelet. "Something has entered the upper atmosphere" she states as she pulls up footage from her bracelet. "Cap, we've got a situation here" Sam states through comms. From out the window, a ship can be seen crashing into Wakanda's protective dome, followed by many landing outside of the dome. "It's too late. We need to destroy the stone now" Vision says, getting off the table. "Vision, get your ass back on the table" Nat orders as she leaves the room. "We will hold them off" T'Challa states as he starts giving orders. "Wanda, as soon as that stone is out of his head, you blow it to hell" Steve tells her. "I will" she nods.

"Evacuate the city. Engage all defences. And get this man a shield" T'Challa orders and points to Steve. Steve gives him a nod of thanks before everyone leaves the room, allowing Shuri to start her work.