Chapter 9: Captain, Oh Captain

Steve took a seat next to Tony, Natasha, Wanda and Vision and Sam stood around them. It had been two years since he'd last been in the Avengers tower, when there'd been a grand old argument between him and Tony over the Accords. And now here they were. Back again, perhaps not friends, but definitely in need of one another. He cleared his throat and asked.

"What happened? We saw the news about New York."

Tony shifted. "Thanos sent his minions here. They were after one of the stones. Someone called Dr Strange had the time stone. There was a battle, we fought, we lost. Strange is probably dead and Thanos has the time stone." Tony sounded so defeated it hurt Steve to see his friend like that.

"And you?" He asked. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"How did you end up like this?" Steve responded gesturing to where his friend sat, and how badly injured he seemed.

"Oh, I fought, I got knocked out and got wounded. Peter…" Tony said before he trailed off. "Spider man is unconscious." There was something in his friend's voice that told Steve that that hurt Tony more than any wounds he himself had received.

"What happened to you?" Rhodey asked.

Steve turned to him and then to Tony and said. "We were in Scotland, just making sure things were okay there, after all I'd heard there was something odd going on there. And then these things came down and attacked Wanda and Vision."

Vision spoke then. "They were after the stone in my head. No doubt Thanos knew about it."

"What happened then?" Pepper asked.

"We fought and we killed one of them before the other one fled back into a ship." Natasha said. She came to stand behind Steve and he felt her presence like a comfort around him.

"So, Thanos has one of the stones, but didn't get the stone in your head. He will come back." Tony said simply.

"Yes, that's why we came back here." Steve said. "We need to work together to ensure that Thanos is not successful. I don't know what he wants the stones for, but we cannot let him get them."

"He's mad." Tony said. "He believes that he has the right to choose who lives and dies. He believes that the universe is facing a population crisis and that he needs the stones to send half of the universe into the abyss."

Steve felt like he'd been hit in the face. "So, he's like the Nazis then?"

"I don't know whether he's the same or worse. He's not discriminating against anyone; he just wants half the universe to die." Tony said.

"DO we know where the other stones are?" Steve asked.

"One of them was in New Asgard with Thor." Pepper said then. "It was taken by Thanos after he killed Thor's brother."

"Loki had the Tessaract?" Natasha asked sounding shocked.

"Yes." Tony said. "Did you meet Thor?"

Steve shook his head. "I haven't met Thor since the day we finished with Ultron. Why?"

"Because he had sent a message saying he'd be sending someone to talk with us." Rhodey said.

"Well, unfortunately that's not us." Steve replied.

Wanda had been silent for most of this time but then she spoke and she sounded impatient. "Do you have the ability to remove the stone from Vision's head and keep him alive?"

Steve saw something like annoyance and then understanding cross Tony's face in an instant. His words were measured when he responded. "Could you not use your powers to take the stone out of his head?"

"Yes, but not keep him alive." Wanda said.

Steve looked at Tony and asked. "I know you were developing some sort of tech the last time we met, could it do what needs to be done?" He hadn't approved of a lot of what Tony had done since Ultron, but then there had been things he'd done that he knew Tony hadn't approved of.

"I tried to develop something like what you need, but there was nothing concrete that I could develop that worked. It all broke." Tony said sounding disheartened.

"Can you make another?" Wanda asked sounding desperate.

"No, it would take far too long." Tony said. "Thanos will return to get that stone. And it must be out of Vision's head before then."

"SO, where do we go?" Wanda asked.

"Wakanda will likely have what you need." Tony said. "I've spoken with their King, they've got tech that would take us in the States another twenty years to discover, let alone make."

"Wakanda is far." Wanda said. "And I'm not sure I trust them."

"What about Asgard?" Natasha asked. "Thor is sure to have something that could work?"

"I'm sure he does." Tony said. "I can give you another jet, to use as a diversion."

"A diversion?" Wanda asked.

Steve knew what Tony was implying. "We place Vision in one jet, and then get someone to take on the heat signature of the mind stone to disguise Vision and confuse anyone who might be looking."

"You can do that?" Natasha asked looking at Tony.

"I can yes, I've got it built into my suit." Tony responded.

"Tony you're too unwell to go and do this." Pepper protested.

"If I don't do this then Thanos will come back and Vision will die." Tony replied.

Before Pepper could protest more, Wanda said. "Okay, let's do it."

There was a moment's pause and then Steve said. "Okay, go get ready. I need to talk with Tony." With that Wanda and Vision left the room, Rhodey did as well, but Natasha and Pepper remained.

Steve looked at his friend and said. "Tony, about Sekovia, I'm sorry."

Tony got up and winced. "We've got bigger things to worry about right now." With that he took his shirt and put it on and then began working on something Steve couldn't see.

"Tony, I need to know that you trust me enough to work together." Steve said.

Tony sighed and turned around. "I trust you enough to fight alongside you. That's all I can say."

With that Steve knew he'd get no more out of his friend, so he got up and left. Natasha walked with him, and as they walked she said. "I'm sure he will come around eventually. He can't stay mad at you forever."

Steve laughed. "It's Tony, I think he could if he really wanted to." They kept walking and then got into the main theatre room where they'd all once planned out their missions. "Do you know where Fury is? I'm surprised he hasn't tried to get in touch."

"He might be waiting and watching to see what we do before he gets in touch." Natasha replied. "Plus Shield has been compromised so much recently I wouldn't be surprised if he's laying low as well."

Rhodey walked in and said. "Shield's been shut down." There was a pause as the man stopped to take a swig of a water bottle and then continued. "After the Sekovia Accords and the fight between you and Tony, Shield was investigated and found to be critically mismanaged it was shut down. Fury was supposed to be facing prison time but he disappeared before he could be charged. Colson left as well."

Steve snorted. "No doubt some government servant decided to come up with a good excuse for that. Especially given the FBI is riddled with foreign enemies." He'd done his homework on the FBI and what he'd found left much to be desired.

Rhodey didn't say anything, instead he brought up a few maps on the screen. "The best way to get to New Asgard is by plan to Oslo and then taking the cars. It's about an hour out. But we can always let Thor now ahead of time and let him sort something out."

Just as Rhodey had finished saying that, a portal opened and out walked Bruce Banner, covered in blood and dirt, his clothes torn. "Bruce!" Natasha was immediately at his side and just for a moment, Steve felt a pang of jealous before he crushed it and was at his friend's side as well.

"Bruce, what's happened?" Steve asked.

His friend looked tired and broken. He managed to gasp out one sentence before sleep claimed him. "Thanos came back. New Asgard is destroyed."

Steve looked at Bruce and then Natasha. "Shit."