Steve fumed. He wanted to be happy as he saw Scott talking with Ms. Pym. But why did Tony give this number to her? Did he give it to any other people? Was he still so angry that he might be willing to sell them out again? His stomach gripped in annoyance and fear. Annoyance, that Tony never did anything according to Steve’s predictions. Fear for his team, fear that any moment there would be US government knocking on their door.
He turned and saw how happy Scott was. No matter what intentions Tony had given the number, Steve was glad to see Scott perk up.
"What!? Hank is working with Stark? What the heck… Is he being blackmailed? Is that why? Did he have to work with Stark to get this number?"
Steve’s eyes narrowed as he overheard Scott’s conversation. Tony was forcing Hank Pym to work with him?
"He won’t tell you what’s going on? Are you sure Stark isn’t holding you as a hostage to get Hank to work with him?" Scott sounded angry. "There's absolutely no way Hank would willingly work with a Stark. I lived with him for a short time but I heard him ranting about lying bastards Stark are at least ten times a day!"
Was Howard that bad? When Steve had known him, he was an intelligent man but had also been very courteous. He had felt jealousy at how close Howard and Peggy was but Steve had never thought Howard was a ‘lying bastard’. He had fun times being with Howard as much as he was with the Howling Commandos. Howard was also the one who made the shield for…
An image of a bashed in face flashed in front of his eyes.
Steve never had the chance to mourn for the lost of his friend. His friend had been murdered. His anger rose. He will avenge his friend’s death. He will bring down Hydra.
Scott ended the call with a silent I love you and for a briefest moment looked sad.
"Here you go Captain! Thanks for arranging this for me! It really brightened my day hearing her." Scott said as he gave Steve back the phone.
"Of course. Anytime Scott, anytime. I couldn’t help but overhearing… Is Doctor Pym working with Tony?"
"Yeah apparently he is. I don’t know how Stark threatened him but Hank is." Scott replied in wonder.
Steve began planning
XXX
"Here try this on." Tony handed his friend a belt.
"Uh… What the heck is this?" Rhodey looked at the strange belt. It’s metal gleamed harshly on the outside and near the center there was a rectangular box size of his fist.
"Up up! It’s your new leg brace." Tony exclaimed as he helped Rhodey rise. He took the belt and clamped it on.
"Ow! Did this stupid belt just poke me?" Rhodey yelped when he felt the pinch. It hurt like crazy!
"Don’t be a baby! The belt needed to attach directly to your spine. A little pain for freedom Rhodey! Little pain for freedom! Here put this on too." And he placed a band over Rhodey’s head.
Now this seemed very familiar to Rhodes. Isn’t this…
"Isn’t this the same control as the Mark 42!?"
Tony smiled. "Why yes it is. But right now I need you to walk for me right now. The head band is going to read your brain waves and send the command down to this box down here and help your legs to move. Just walk like you would walk. Don’t think about anything. Here boy here!" Tony stepped about ten pace away and held out his hands as if he was calling for a dog.
Rhodey glared for a moment. He took a deep breath and took a step. He lost balanced and flailed his hands trying to catch himself. Tony caught him before he could fall. Rhodey was not going to cry. No he’s not going to! He let out a frustrated breath.
"I got you Rhodey. I got you." Rhodey felt Tony hug him.
Bitter laugh filled the room. Tony continued to hug him. He felt the tears on his arms.
"Rhodey. You can do it. Don’t think too hard about it. Let the bands do all the work. Here." Tony helped his friend up again. This time he helped his friend by supporting him by the waist. "See that wasn’t so hard."
"Ha. Easy for you to say." Rhodey wiped his tears and swung his arms around Tony’s shoulders.
"Hey! It took me days making this! You have no idea the sleepless hours I spent." He acted hurt.
"Whatever dude!" they chuckled. And Silently Tony supported Rhodey in walking across the compound.
"Rhodey… I don’t think I have said this before. I’m so glad I met you. Thank you for being with me." Tony finally broke the silence.
Rhodey stayed silent for another moment. Tony had guided both of them to an wide window as the sun began to set. "Thank you for being my friend." Rhodey replied. "you think you’re the only one who benefited from this relationship? Look at me! I have the smartest person in the world spending days figuring out how to make me walk again! Who else can have that benefit but me?" Rhodey looked back at his friend.
"I’m proud to be your friend Tony."
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"Thank you… and I’m so glad I’m a genius!"
"Wha…?" Rhodey was surprised by the sudden change of mood from Tony. When Tony pointed towards him he was confused for a moment. And a realization hit him hard. He was walking. Normally. Not stumbling. With no support from Tony. He was walking!
Tony winked "I told you, you can do it"
Rhodey felt his eyes tingle again. Ugh no… he was not going to cry again!
"Hey, hey! That’s not even the best part! You can’t cry right now." Tony stated as he led both of them back to the therapy room. "Say initiate and use your Old username and your password!"
Rhodey lightly glared at his friend.
"Initiate War Machine password Warmachinerox" And before his eyes he was back inside War Machine. "Is this…?"
"Welcome to War Machine Mark 4."
XXX
"So...Brain Anomaly Repairing Neural Electromagnetic System is finally done?" Peter asked (He really wanted to name it Screw Mind Control Machine but that was quickly shut down by both older scientist) as he picked up the finished prototype. It was a slim band with magnetic patches.
"Well we will know for sure if we could get a subject to test it on." Hank replied. Tony shrugged. He had someone in mind but he wouldn't be the one to suggest it.
"How does the thing work?" Rhodey asked as he put the band on his own head. It was very similar to the new band he was gifted by Tony just a few hours before.
Tony raised his eyebrow. "Would you understand even if we explain it to you?" Peter stifled chuckle and yelped when Mr. Rhodes poked him hard on his side.
"Try me." Rhodey stated. "Common I feel left out surrounded by you people!"
Hank smiled. It was no wonder Stark was friends with Colonel Rhodes. Rhodes had shown pure interest in every topic the three genius would talk about. And was always in awe in everything they made.
"Fine try not to lose me in the first sentence. Aldrich Killian and his think tank researchers figured out the blank area deep within the brain. An area where electrons were not firing in. Now Killian wanted to use that place to connect extremis to control pain and force the cells to rapidly grow for a healing factor. But with this device we are using that area to make a reboot."
"Reboot?"
"Yup a Reboot!" Peter exclaimed and continued "You see because the neurons in that area don't fire. So even when people were being brain washed, that area would not have been affected! So give a little shock in this area and the brain should be able to reboot itself without the conditioning! The brain is an amazing organ that can tell the difference between our own will and a conditioning. A shock will kick start the brain itself to find any anomaly."
"Yes but the opposite is also true. If we use this machine to brain wash people it will no longer be a conditioning that can be broken. But it will change the core of who they are. It is a dangerous machine." Hank finished.
"Wait isn't that really dangerous!?"
Tony rubbed his eyebrows. Yes it really was a dangerous machine. He really didn't want this tech in the hands of others. "That's why we are never going to talk about how the machine works outside of this lab. That's also why I redacted all of Aldrich Killian's work. This way anyone who wants to replicate this, they will have to start from the beginning of that research which would take 10 year best and making the machine itself will also take them 15 years."
"What? But it took you 4 month?"
"Oh Rhodey... I don't want to brag but... You have a group of 3 of the most smartest people in this room."
Rhodey looked at all three of the smiling scientist. All of them were amazing. The people in this lab was going to change the world forever.
XXX
"So we're going on a heist? We're going to break into Avengers Compound? You know the last time I did that I barely got into the garage." Scott stated.
All the previous Avengers were gathered in Steve's room. Everyone was scowling when Steve had told them his plan.
"Are we willing to risk going back to the compound? Just getting in the country will take some effort. At the moment we're number one wanted in almost 120 countries." Clint stated. At the moment being able to enter the compound seemed impossible.
"I know. That's why I'm going to ask Hank Pym for help. Scott told me that Hank would be able to hack into Tony's firewall and download the research we need." Steve answered.
"Yeah. Hank will easily go through the system." Scott confirmed.
"Why don't you just ask Tony for the research?" Wanda finally asked.
All the men looked back at her as if she was crazy.
"Tony has not called me yet. From that I can only assume that he is still angry. He will not help especially when he realizes it's to help Bucky." Steve answered her.
"Then I'm going to make the call to Hope now." Scott took the phone from Steve's hand and dialed.
"Hey Hope. We need a big favor!"
XXX
"Scott wants me to do what?" The old man asked his daughter incredulously.
"He wants you to steal a research file Stark apparently is keeping secret. I thought you would totally willing to do this. After all you’re the one who always insisted Starks are thieves that take others work as their own."
"Which file is it?" He asked
"A research file by a person name Aldrich Killian."
Hank closed his eyes and pinched his noes. So there was a reason why Stark had started this project. He wondered if Stark was ever going to mention it.
"They only need the research files?" He asked once more.
"Yes only the files. They are coming into the country with the help of King of Wakanda right now. I told them they could stay here." Hope replied and smiled at the thought of seeing Scott again.
"What!? You just told the most wanted fugitives they could stay here?"
"You let Scott and his crew stay here and they were also fugitives." Hope easily rebutted.
Her father groaned. "Ok fine. Tell them I’ll do it. But they need to tell exactly why they need Killian’s research."
"I’m sure they’ll agree to that." Hope Smiled.
XXX
"Why didn’t you tell me you were making this device with a specific person in mind?" Hank demanded the next time he saw Stark.
"What do you mean?" Hank could easily see through the fake confusion on Tony’s face.
"The Winter Soldier."
"Ah. Did they finally ask you to steal Killian’s research? I knew it was bound to happen. The moment Wakanda asked for the research it pinged my system."
"Stark. Tell me the truth!"
"There was no specific person in mind. Last time with Loki there was mind control going on. Then with Wanda we were also controlled. With such events I really just wanted to be safe." Tony shrugged as he tried to get back to work. Hank turned him around by the shoulders.
"Explain the name then."
"I named it by the function it does. It was just a coincidence that it just happened to be that." Tony stated once more as he looked at the older scientist’s eyes.
Hank could once again tell he was not telling the whole truth. But he could also tell Tony was being sincere.
"Captain America wants the research by Killian but even with that research it’s going to take the scientist in Wakanda 15 years to make the device we already have. Are you going to make him wait 15 years Stark?"
"Maybe I want to see them suffer? Maybe I want to see them struggle as they find the cure." As Tony replied he had to make sure he didn’t let his anger show through his voice.
"You would not have named it that if you had no intention of giving it to them."
Tony Sighed. "I guess that is true. But I do not want the device in any other researcher's hands. You go with them to Wakanda and help them."
"Why don’t you go?"
Tony frowned. "Because I don’t want to see any of them yet. If I see them now… I might never be able to forgive them. Next time I see him… If he’s not fully healed… I won’t be able to forget and forgive what he did."
Hank saw the pain in Stark’s eyes. He didn’t know what had happened between the two groups but… He could tell it wasn’t something he should be pushing.
"Please Doctor Pym. Take B.A.R.N.E.S to Barnes and help him."