Hold On Soldier ✔️ | marvel

86. Secured forever

Walking up to the pilot's seat Steve informs, "Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0."

"I hope you're right about this, Cap. Or we're gonna land a lot faster than you want to." Sam tells.

"Don't panic." I call from my seat, "Or we'll all panic."

"Right, I'm sorry." Sam chuckles awkwardly as we pass a force field, suddenly a kingdom appears once we're through. Sam lands the jet carefully as the king approaches to greet us. Coming out of the jet I make eye contact with our past enemy and smile kindly at him. His grin shines and his stature is inviting so I suppose all is well.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Steve shakes hands with King T'Challa.

"What are you doing?" Rhodey chokes on his breath and I laugh as Bruce bows in-front of T'Challa. Even though seconds before Rhodey answered Bruce to do so jokingly.

"Uh, we don't do that here." T'Challa tells awkwardly and Bruce lifts himself slowly in humiliation, "So how big of an assault can we expect?"

"Uh, sir, I think you can expect quite a big assault." We follow in a group after T'Challa into a building as Bruce informs.

"How we looking?" Nat asks him.

"You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and..." T'Challa lists.

"A semi-stable, 100-year-old man." Bucky smiles warmly as we finally approach him, Steve brightens like it's Christmas as he pulls Bucky into a hug.

"How you been, Buck?" Steve asks eagerly.

"Uh, not bad, for the end of the world." Bucky replies as casually as possible.

"You look well for a piece of frozen meat." I tease.

Bucky shakes his head, "You look awful for an Elsa knock off."

"Ok I'm just shocked you can make that reference." I glare jokingly as we keep walking until we're in a large bright lab. Shuri is scanning the Stone with her kimoyo beads while Vision lies on the examination table. She flips her hand over and studies the hologram projected over her palm. I grin noticing her do this as I tend to do this while playing or testing my powers.

"Whoa. The structure is polymorphic." The girl beams with excitement.

"Right, we had to attach each neuron non-sequentially." Bruce explains.

Shuri is still smiling as she suggests, "Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?"

"Because, we didn't think of it." Bruce replies awkwardly as Vision gives him a knowing look.

"I'm sure you did your best." Shuri still smiles kindly.

"You're brilliant for your age. How did you come to know all that you do?" I admire while getting chances to awe at random equipment in the lab.

"Wakanda's technological prowess was built over many generations, with the help of the vibranium that was used as not only a metal, but an energy source. Steve's shield is a great example of that. I just so happen to have lived my whole life in Wakanda and fully engulfed all the information with my big brain." Shuri informs tapping her forehead.

"So you're skilled enough to help us with anything we need like removing the code within Bucky's head and Visions stone?" I'm in awestruck as she nods.

"Can you do it?" Wanda hopes.

"Yes, but there are more than two trillion neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures." Shuri looks at her king as she says, "It will take time, brother."

"How long?" Steve questions the brilliant girl.

"As long as you can give me." She puts simply.

Okoye becomes frantic as a alarm blares, "Something's entered the atmosphere."

Over the Avengers' comm Sam adds when we're getting attack but only the border is being hit, "Hey, Cap, we got a situation here."

Struggling to sit up Vision slides off the exam table, "It's too late. We need to destroy the stone now."

"Vision, get your ass back on the table." Nat commands as more of the enemy hit the force field.

"We will hold them off." T'Challa informs before strutting off.

"Wanda, as soon as the stone's out of his head... you blow it to hell." Steve orders smoothly.

"I will." Wanda tells.

"Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures." T'Challa stops, turns, and points at Steve, "And get this man a shield."

"What do you need from me?" I ask as Steve's handed a shield.

"You will help Wanda protect Vision." Steve stomps toward me desperately, a sight I've never seen so panicked in his face, "You have to promise me you won't get involved."

"What is this about Steve?" I stammer confused as he attaches the shield to his arm, "Suddenly I'm not allowed to do things? What's gotten into you?"

"Thanos is the worst enemy we'll be fighting against. I'm worried... you'll be hurt." Steve quiets down and avoids my eye contact.

I force him to meet my eyes with a pull of his jaw with my hand, "Thanos won't stop me from protecting my loved ones."

"And Thanos won't stop me from protecting the one I love." Steve remarks, catching himself at the end. My cheeks flare red both from anger and shock at his words.

"If you love me you'll let me fight." I stammer out as I hold my ground.

Steve grasps my hands as if he understands, "You're so precious to me and I wanna respect your values right now. But god if I lost you... I don't know what I'd do."

He tightens his hands around mine as he looks deep in my eyes, "You will be beside me the whole time."

Steve begins, "If anything goes poorly-"

"I'll fly as high and as far as my powers will let me." I convince and he softens his features.

"I could never doubt your abilities." Steve huffs our a laugh, "Then you must promise me you'll survive."

"I'll promise you I'll be by your side. For as long as I-" I gulp down my anxiety as it sounds like I'm proposing something bigger than anything I've ever exclaimed, "I promise I'll be beside you forever."

"Forever is a long time." Steve laughs sorrowfully but agrees, "And I'll be safe so you have someone to be beside."

"Oh I'm not worried, Solider." I smirk, "We've got each others backs, seems pretty secure to me."