The White Phoenix 9: An Avengers: Infinity War Fanfiction

Chapter 4: What Will Happen To The Stone?

The jet landed. Inside, Colonel James Rhodes was speaking to a holographic image of Secretary Ross.

'Still no word from Vision?' the secretary asked.

'Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh.'

'On a stolen jet with four of the world's most wanted criminals.'

'You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?' Rhodes stated.

'My God, Rhodes, your talent for horseshit seems to rival my own,' the secretary replied with a note of condescension in his voice.

'If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would be right here,' Rhodey replied, gesturing to where he was standing.

'I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel.'

'Yeah, that's right,' Rhodey replied bitterly, looking down at his leg braces. 'And I'm pretty sure I've paid for that.'

'You have second thoughts?'

'Not anymore,' Rhodey replied resolutely. Just then the five walked into the room, Vision supported still by Wanda and Sam.

'Mr. Secretary,' Steve said.

'You got some nerve. I'll give you that.'

'You could use some of that right now,' Natasha retorted.

'The world's on fire. And you think all is forgiven?'

'I'm not looking for forgiveness,' Steve replied, looking squarely into the face of the hologram. 'And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight.' He stepped forward slightly. 'And if you want to stand in our way, we'll fight you, too.'

'Arrest them,' the secretary replied, speaking to Rhodey in an exasperated tone.

'All over it.' He swiped the hologram away from him. 'That's a court martial. It's great to see you, Cap.' Steve hugged him.

'You too, Rhodey.' Natasha hugged him as well. Stepping back, he looked over the five of them.

'Well. You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years.'

'Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star,' Sam replied jokingly.

'Uh... I think you look great,' Bruce spoke, emerging from another room. Uh... hey,... yeah, I'm back.'

'Hi, Bruce,' Natasha said softly.

'Nat.'

'This is awkward,' Sam whispered.

In another room...

'So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?' Rhodey asked.

'And they can clearly find us,' Wanda replied.

'We need all hands on deck? Where's Clint?' Bruce asked. Natasha looked, then spoke.

'After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families, they're on house arrest.'

'How about Lehnsherr?'

'She's in another place at the moment,' Steve replied. 'She needed the rest after what happened with the Accords.'

'Who's Scott?'

'Ant-Man,' Steve replied.

'There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man? Okay, look... Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. And he's not gonna stop until he... he gets... Vision's stone.'

'Well, then, we have to protect it,' Natasha spoke up. Just then, Vision, who had been leaning against the wall, cradling his wound, spoke.

'No, we have to destroy it.' The whole team had shocked looks on their faces, most of all Wanda. 'I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition.' He pushed himself off the wall, walking towards Wanda. 'I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to it's own signature, perhaps... its molecular integrity could fail.'

'And you with it,' Wanda said resolutely. 'We're not having this conversation.'

'Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it.'

'That's too high a price,' she whispered, her voice husky with impending grief. He took her face gently in his hands.

'Only you have the power to pay it.' She walked off, extremely distressed. 'Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him.'

'But it should,' Steve said, looking down. Then he looked back up. 'We don't trade lives, Vision.' He walked over towards him.

'Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, how is this any different?' Before he could answer, Bruce spoke.

'Because you might have a choice. 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.'

'You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?' Wanda asked, still processing the information.

'I'm saying that if we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts.'

'Can we do that?' Natasha asked doubtfully.

'Not me. Not here.'

'You better find someone, and someone fast,' Rhodey replied impatiently. 'Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back.'

'I know somewhere,' Steve replied. They all looked at him.

In Wakanda...

I was helping Bucky throw the bags onto the cart, while keeping a protective eye over the growing bump on my stomach. It had been four months since I had announced the news that I was pregnant. A few moments later, I was looking up to the hills for a minute and tapped Bucky on the shoulder, for he still had no arm on his left side.

'Look.' He glanced up and recognition came over his face. It was King T'Challa and his general, a fierce female warrior called Okoye. I saw them walking together with another man dressed in tribal clothing.

On the hill, the king and his general were walking towards the hut where Bucky and I had been residing for the past four months.

'You'll have the Kingsguard, and the Dora Milaje have been alerted,' Okoye was saying.

'And the Border Tribe?' T'Challa answered.

'Those that are left.'

'Send word to the Jabari as well. M'Baku likes a good fight.'

'And what of these two?' Okoye said, gesturing down the hill to us.

'These two may be tired of war. But the White Wolf and his companion have rested long enough.' The party soon reached us and we walked up the hill. A long, black case was laid in front of Bucky and a Kingsguard man opened it to reveal a new vibranium arm resting in the mould. Another case was laid in front of me and it was opened to reveal a white suit. An exact model of my old red suit. I felt it, knowing it was vibranium weave in the suit. Bucky looked up.

'Where's the fight?' Bucky asked.

'On its way.'