I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 40

Steve and Rachel enter the lab with Wanda and Pietro following. They see Tony and Bruce working around the cradle and Steve feels his blood boil. "I'm gonna say this once" Steve states in anger as he makes his presence known. "How about none-ce?" Tony argues. "Shut it down!" Steve orders. "Nope, not gonna happen" Tony protests as he continues his work. "You don't know what you're doing" Steve argues, trying to convince them. "And you do? She's not in your head?" Bruce questions, gesturing to Wanda, the hate clear in his expression. Rachel could understand, she felt hate for Wanda too. She made her relive the worst day of her life, with some additional horror to it. "I know you're angry" Wanda tries to reason. "Oh we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade" Bruce threatens her.

"Banner, after everything that's happened-" Steve starts but is interrupted by Tony. "It's nothing compared to what's coming" Tony says angrily. "You don't know what's in there" Wanda shouts at Tony. "This isn't a game Stark" Steve states and Rachel sighs and glances at Pietro. He meets her gaze and she nods to the cradle and he gets the hint. He runs around the room and unplugs the system within seconds and everyone stops their arguing to stare at him. "No, no. Go on. You were saying?" Pietro says to Tony before a gunshot is heard and Pietro falls through the glass floor, landing at Clint's feet.

The computer systems start beeping and Tony quickly turns his attention to the screens. "I'm rerouting the upload" he tells Bruce so Steve throws his shield around the room, damaging some of the equipment and Bruce ducks to avoid being hit. Tony summons his gauntlet and fires at Steve, knocking him off his feet. Wanda starts using her powers but Bruce wraps his arms around her neck. "Go ahead, piss me off" he challenges her and Rachel looks around the room to see the chaos. Steve charges at Tony and as he's about to hit him, Tony's chest reactor blasts Steve. Tony's sent through a glass window and Steve sent to a lower floor. Rachel quickly catches Steve with her powers before he roughly hits the floor.

Meanwhile, Wanda has gotten out of Bruce's grasp and Thor enters the room. He jumps onto the cradle and summons lightning as Bruce shouts "Wait!". The room becomes incredibly bright and everyone shields their eyes. Thor sends the lightning at the cradle and when he stops the cradle explodes, sending him backwards and glass shatters practically everywhere. Everyone stares at the being standing on the cradle as he looks around at everyone. His gaze locks on Thor and he charges at him, Thor reacts by throwing him away from him and towards the windows. The being stops at the window and just hovers there while everyone rushes over, prepared to fight. When Steve lands behind Thor, Thor raises his hand, telling him to wait while everyone else arrives.

The being lands on the ground in front of Thor and clothes begin materialising over him. "I'm sorry. That was, odd. Thank you" he nods to Thor. "Thor, you helped create this?" Steve asks surprised. "I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at its centre is that" Thor answers and points at the yellow gem in the being's forehead. "What? The gem?" Bruce asks. "It's the mind stone. It's one of the six infinity stones. The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities" Thor explains. "Then why would you bring-" Steve starts to ask but Thor answers him before he finishes. "Because Stark is right" he answers. "Oh, it's definitely the end times" Bruce comments and normally Rachel would smile at that but the situation isn't appropriate.

"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron" Thor states to the group. "Not alone" the being adds. "Why does your Vision sound like Jarvis?" Steve asks as he approaches the Vision cautiously. "We reconfigured Jarvis' matrix to create something new" Tony explains as he studies the Vision. "I think I've had my fill of new" Steve comments. "You think I'm a child of Ultron" Vision states. "You're not?" Rachel questions. "I'm not Ultron. I am not Jarvis, I am... I am..." Vision explains but seems to lose his words. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation" Wanda says to Vision. "Look again" Vision replies. "Her seal of approval means jack to me" Clint scoffs. "Agreed" Rachel states. "Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the mind stone. And they're nothing compared to what it can unleash, but with it on our side-" Thor explains. "Is it? Are you? On our side?" Steve asks Vision.

"I don't think it's that simple" Vision hesitates. "Well, it better get real simple, real soon" Clint argues. "I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all" Vision states. "What's he waiting for?" Tony asks. "You" Vision answers simply. "Where?" Bruce asks. "Sokovia. He's got Nat there too" Clint answers, causing Rachel to look at him. "Is she okay?" she asks and he gives her an assuring nod, causing her to sigh in relief. "If we're wrong about you. If you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..." Bruce threatens Vision. "What will you do?" Vision asks obliviously. Everyone stares at him and he gathers their answer.

"I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the Earth, So he must be destroyed, every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net. We have to act now and not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So, there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go" Vision finishes and raises Mjolnir to Thor before walking away, leaving everyone stunned.

"Right, well done" Thor states awkwardly to Tony with a pat on the shoulder. "Three minutes. Get what you need" Steve orders the group and everyone leaves to collect their necessities.