Becoming his (Bucky x yn x Steve)

27. The end of the free mind

Back on Earth, Steve and Bucky stood amongst the Wakandan warriors, doing their best as part of the earth's mightiest heros. Inside the building, Shuri worked as fast and concentrated as she could to remove the mind stone, trying not to get distracted by the wad outside, although it deeply frightens her.

Just a few more to go, only a few more. Wanda walked around in circles as she watched the love of her life lay on the bed in pain, yet knowing that there's nothing she can do. There were tears in her eyes threatening to fall, but she held them back as she forced herself to look away.

The war outside is brutal, there were more blood spilled on the ground than there are grass on the meadows, and the number was still growing second by second. It was a losing war, there was no way the humans could win this. The aliens are mindless, they cared not whether they died and with every one that fell, another would emerge and replace the fallen. However, the humans had to be more careful. Their armies were vastly outnumbered and they had close to no backups.

"Shuri." T'Challa called again through comms. "Are you nearly done yet?"

"Yes brother." Shuri replied hurriedly. "There are just a few more neurone to remove, and some of them had intertwined wrong so that'll need fixing too."

"How much longer?" He asked as he clawed another alien apart. "We dont have much time."

"Give me 20 more minutes." Shuri replied as she controlled the mechanical instruments carefully, trying not to hurt the synthezoid.

Wanda stood at the window and looked outside. The aliens have unleashed wheels with spikes attached on the surface, everywhere it spins it is killing men and alien alike. But none of the aliens seemed to care, they didnt mind losing their lives but the men do not have men to spare. She quickly debated her options: if she goes down now, she could help turn the situation around but that would mean leaving vision and Shuri unguarded, or she could stay here and ensure Vision and Shuri's safety but watch as the men perish. She turned her head and looked at Vision. Either one of the option is a massive risk, and both side of the war is needing her. She stood at the window and closed her eyes, her hands twirling magnificently as she tried to control the wheels from afar.

Her powers failed her not. Immediately, the wheels spun off in the opposite direction, crushing hundreds of aliens in only seconds. She knew better than to leave the tower. If she left, Vision and Shuri will be left defenceless, and not only will they be as risk, so will the rest of the universe. Seeing that the work was done, she turned and watched as Shuri carefully did her magic.

"How much longer?" She asks, feeling her patience starting to falter.

"15 minutes? Maybe 16?" Shuri replied, feeling anxious. She's moving at her fastest pace, everything must be carefully carried out or else the synthezoid will die.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Wanda asked in worry. She looked at Vision, who was giving he looks of comfort whilst trying to make no sound.

"Actually, just make sure nothing comes and kills us." Shuri replied, giving Wanda a reassuring smile. "As long as nothing interrupts us, everything will be okay."

The wait was long, and time became a luxury that neither sides could afford. Steve had narrowly avoided death many times, and Bucky had to re-power his arm a few times due to magnetic materials the aliens began using against him. Shuri and Wanda tried their hardest to remove the stone and protect the vision, but it seems that time was ticking away from them, towards the purple grape who suddenly walked out in front of them.

"Who are you?" Wanda asked as she stepped in front of Thanos, her powers flaring as she blocked his path to Shuri and Vision. Then her attention turned to his hands, which not only housed 5 stones but also held her friend. She gasped as her brain realised yn's situation. "Yn??"

"Yeah im fine Wand, make sure he doesn't get the last stone!" Yn shouted as she gestured towards Thanos' gauntlet.

"Ahh but that would be a waste of her efforts." Thanos replied with a slight smile. "You remind me a lot of my Gamora, yn. I saw the look earlier."

"I'm not Gamora, and I'm not your daughter. I will not be working for you." Yn replied resiliently, feeling pissed off.

Thanos shook his head and turned towards Wanda. "More." He commanded, "or be moved. Your powers are inconsequential compared to the immense powers of the infinity stones, I wish not to hurt you."

"No." Wanda replied, tears forming in her eyes as she felt the powers radiating from the gauntlet. The aura they presented was enough to make her feel weak, but she knew she couldn't. "This is the man whom I love, and I will not let you harm him."

"Love?" Thanos repeated, walking towards her almost caringly. "Ahh yes. Love. I loved my Gamora too young Maximoff, but you must know. Love cannot be compared to universal benefits. Sometimes, one must sacrifice for the greater good."

Wanda blinked and didn't say anything.

"Give me the stone, and I will leave the robot safely." Thanos suggested manipulatively. "Or else, I can't promise the outcome of your own actions on the one whom you claim to love."

Wanda didn't move. She knows she can't do that. But it was so tempting. He was suggesting that he knew a way to help Vision, but the cost would be her betrayal not only to the avengers, but to the whole universe. She closed her eyes and felt tears gliding gently down her face. "I can't let you." She whispered.

Thanos looked at her and signed. "That's okay. I'll do it myself."

Upon hearing this, Wanda looked up at him defensively, only to see him raise his gauntlet towards yn's head. A purple ray of light flashed through the gauntlet and led itself straight into yn. Wanda had never heard yn scream, and after this time she was certain that she never want to hear it again. Every second of hearing her in pain made Wanda feel as though something was clawing at her, especially with yn trying but failing to hold it back in. After a few moments, Thanos let go of yn with his hand, but there was a purple line attached between her head and his gauntlet.

"Yn what are you doing?" Wanda asked as yn raised her hand, moving Shuri to the side very much to Shuri's horror and despite.

A tear trickled down her face as yn looked at Wanda in despair. "Wand im not doing this! He's making me, I can't stop doing it!" As if possessed, her hands twist and turn in the air, slowly removing the mind stone by changing the surface around the mind stone on the vision. The process appeared to be painful as vision shut his eyes and sealed off his sound systems, but when the mind stone was removed and was safely transported towards Thano's golden gauntlet, the synthezoid let out a sign, revealing that he was not killed during the process.

Wanda turned her head to glare at Thanos in both anger and confusion, but Thanos just smiled as he shook his head. "Enough life was paid for this salvation." He said, "My loss of my Gamora have been replaced by another daughter, there is no reason for you to lose the one you love." He then turned towards yn and smiled as he disconnected the purple ray of light, making yn collapse on the floor as an effect. He bent down and patted her on the head with his heavy glove. "You, will be great."

Yn looked up and tried to get away from the advancing hand, but it was no use. The power stone had drained all of her energy already, and she had been put under no other choice but watch as a golden light blinded her mind, just like how Wanda have to watch yn's pupil dilation and contract again, signs of being mind controlled using the mind stone. Under her horrified eyes, yn stood up and smiled at Thanos. "Good evening, father."