I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 81

The gauntlet is ready and everyone has gathered in the lab, all but Thor wearing their suits. "Alright, the glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" Rocket directly states to the group. There's no beating around the bush with him. "I'll do it" Thor volunteers as he makes his way to the gauntlet. "Excuse me?" Tony questions, stepping in front of him with Steve. "Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet" he states calmly. "I'm sorry. What, are we all just sitting around waiting for the opportunity?" Thor argues.

"We should at least discuss it" Scott suggests. "Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avengers, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me" Thor continues, becoming frustrated. Tony interrupts Thor and calms him down. "Stop it! Just let me. Let me do it. Just let me do something good, something right" Thor begs tearfully and Rachel finds herself feeling sorry for Thor and what's he's been through. "Look, it's not just that that glove is channelling enough energy to light up a continent. I'm telling you, you're in no condition" Tony explains gently. "What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor asks confidently. "Cheese Whizz?" Rhodey guesses and Thor points at him with an angry glare. "Lightning" he answers.

"Lightning won't help you pal. It's gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos, they almost killed him. None of you could survive" Bruce argues as he makes his way to the gauntlet. "How do we know you will?" Steve asks worriedly. "We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this" Bruce explains and everyone seems to agree he's their best bet.

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years" Tony explains and Bruce answers with a "Got it" before slipping his hand into the gauntlet. Everyone with helmets close their helmets and Steve stands slightly in front of Rachel with his shield in front of them while Rachel prepares to protect them both with her powers. Tony activates the indoor protocol and the compound shutters close.

Bruce groans as the power of the stones travel up his arm and to his neck. He falls to one knee and continues to groan as the power burns his shirt sleeve and marks his skin. "Take it off! Take it off!" Thor shouts. "No, wait. Bruce, are you okay?" Steve asks hurriedly. "Talk to me Banner" Tony says and Bruce nods while he breathes through the pain. "I'm okay" he answers before finally snapping his fingers.

He collapses to the floor and the gauntlet slides from his hand. "Bruce!" Steve yells as he kneels beside him. Rachel kneels beside Steve and watches Bruce take deep breaths. "Bruce, are you okay?" she asks concerned before Tony says "Don't move him" and ices his burnt arm. Bruce grabs Steve's arm before asking if it worked. Thor soothingly assures him that they don't know but it's okay.

Clint's phone begins ringing from across the room and he slowly approaches to answer it. Rachel raises her head at the constant vibrating sound and sees Clint answer the phone with a faint "Honey?" and Rachel feels hope that he is in fact talking to Laura. Before anyone can question if it worked, the room becomes dark and the compound begins exploding. Everyone becomes alert at the sound but before anyone can retaliate or prepare the floor beneath them collapse and everyone falls through. Steve and Rachel reach for each other but they both fall through the floor in different directions.

---

Tony finds Steve lying unconscious and gives him a kick. "Come on, wake up buddy" he says as Steve gasps and looks up at Tony. "That's my man" Tony comments before kneeling down with Steve's shield in hand. "You lose this again, I'm keeping it" he states as Steve looks around. "What happened?" Steve questions. "You mess with time, it tends to mess back. You'll see" Tony answers. "Where's Rachel?" Steve panics as he looks around for her. "I tried to grab her but I couldn't reach her in time" he says, sitting up with a grunt. "I'm sure she's fine. She's a strong woman" Tony assures him while pulling him up to his feet.

Tony starts making his way out of the rubble while Steve takes another few seconds to glance around for Rachel, hoping she's alright. When he doesn't see her he follows Tony out to meet Thor before they prepare to fight him.

Meanwhile, Rachel wakes with a painful gasp. She scans her surroundings, seeing that she's stuck under a pile of rubble, that thankfully hasn't collapsed on itself and crushed her. She pushes a piece of debris off her legs and climbs to her feet with a groan. She looks around and sees there's no gap in the rubble for her to climb through and realises she needs to move some of it carefully to create an opening. She uses her powers to move a large piece of debris from the top, straining slightly before she drops it away from the gap she's created.

She stares up at the hole and uses her powers to give herself a boost. Her jump and boost is high enough for her to grab the ledge and pull herself up through the hole. She stands and looks out to the battle field to see Steve, Thor and Tony fighting Thanos. Alone.

Thor sends lightning to Tony's suit which gives him more power to send blasts to Thanos. Thor then throws Mjolnir towards Thanos and he manages to lift Tony and use him to shield himself from Thor's hammer. Tony remains unconscious on the ground while Steve and Thor continue fighting Thanos. He manages to hold Thor down and start pushing the axe towards Thor's chest while Thor pushes it away. Rachel starts climbing down the debris to reach them as quickly as possible but Thanos is suddenly knocked off balance by Thor's hammer. She watches the hammer be pulled back past Thanos and Steve catches it.

Steve stands ready to fight Thanos with his shield and the hammer while Rachel watches proudly. Thor mutters "I knew it" and Thanos turns and kicks Thor in the face so Rachel rushes towards them since she isn't far from them. "Kick his ass babe!" she encourages and she can see Steve smile as he heard her voice through comms, glad to know she's okay. He swings the hammer up and hits Thanos' chin, knocking him backwards. He throws his shield before throwing the hammer, causing them to collide and causes a strong force to be sent from it. He catches both and continues attacking Thanos with both before summoning lightning and sending it straight at Thanos.

Thanos manages to get the upper hand and advances on Steve while Rachel checks on Thor and Tony. She hears Steve groan in pain and looks to see Thanos shove him through debris. She runs straight towards him and just as Thanos brings his sword down to Steve, she stands between them and catches the sword between her hands with her powers. Both her and Thanos strain against the sword until Thanos raises it and swings it towards her side. She quickly raises a barrier of her violet energy which takes the hit of the sword but still sends her tumbling a few feet away.

Steve quickly raises his shield as Thanos repeatedly hits it with his sword, cutting pieces of it off until Steve's left with only half a shield. Thanos hits him once more and Steve's sent a few feet away where he lies, panting tiredly. Rachel pulls herself to her feet and makes her way to Steve. "You okay?" she asks as she rests a hand on his chest. He nods his head slowly before straining to stand. "In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal. But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying, little planet, I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much" Thanos tells them as Rachel helps Steve to his feet.

Thanos' army arrives on the ground from their ship, including the Chitauri and the dog-like creatures they've fought before. Steve tightens the strap of his shield which keeps pressure on the gash on his forearm. He looks at Rachel to see her already looking at him. "Together?" she asks as she takes his hand. "Together" he nods before they both start walking towards Thanos and his army.

"Cap, do you read me?" a familiar voice is heard through comms, causing them to stop. "Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?" Sam's voice continues. "On your left" he says and both Steve and Rachel turn to see a portal open and T'Challa, Okoye and Shuri exit it. They both sigh in relief, happy to see their long lost friends and family come through multiple portals. They both smile at them all and withhold their tears at seeing them all again. Tony and Thor join them before Scott grows from within the debris with Bruce, Rhodey and Rocket in his hand. Rachel and Steve share a happy glance before Steve summons the hammer.

"Avengers!... Assemble"