𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝐱𝐯

𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 people out from their homes, alerting them of the imminent threat about to befall the city. She needed to keep everyone safe, to protect them from Ultron, because she felt that she owed the people of Sokovia at least that after she wasn't able to protect herself.

Just as the first people began to evacuate the city, broken and fractured Iron Legionnaires crawled from underneath the city like insects, the ones able to flying up into the air. The citizens scrambled around in terror of the flying beasts, screaming and crying.

'Everyone get back!' Adelaide yelled at the by-standers, and they did as they were told, seeking any sort of guidance. She lifted her arms up into the air, before smashing them down and releasing a dark energy from around her, which bled into the robot's circuits, making them explode violently.

She looked up at around her, and saw people with their phones out, recording her. Adelaide panicked slightly; People weren't meant to know she existed, they weren't meant to know about her. She quickly teleported off to where there were less people, but then realised that she'd just showcased another one of her abilities so carelessly.

She looked up over the city from the small alleyway she hid in, saw Vision descending into the church and decided to follow him. Adelaide felt drained after teleporting, so decided she'd just walk there. Legionnaires flew around her and with every step she took one exploded like a firework, her short white hair catching on the Sokovian wind.

When she had entered the church, Ultron and Vision were in the air, with Vision unconscious and hurtling towards the floor, where he landed gently. Ultron noticed Adelaide standing at the door frame.

'Adelaide.' It uttered. 'How's your neck?' It grimaced at her, then placed it's hand on top of a strange metal contraption in the centre of the church. Adelaide breathed out harshly, causing Ultron to be flung backwards and for it's metal back to collide with the stone wall, chipping bits off. It grunted mechanically, then looked up at Adelaide. 'You've upgraded.' Ultron remarked, floating towards Adelaide. Wanda suddenly appeared behind her, grabbing ahold of her hand.

'I'm afraid you're outmanned, Ultron.' Adelaide commented, to which the robot chuckled, triggering Addie to fall to the floor, screaming in pain. Wanda caught her and held her close in her arms, feeling a tiny fraction of Adelaide's pain in the back of her own neck, which was where the chip was on Adelaide.

'It's a shame, you really thought you disabled it, when in reality I've been listening to your plans through it this whole time. My little spy.' Ultron revealed as Wanda quietly sobbed as tears streamed out of Adelaide's blue eyes. Ultron then pressed a button in the middle of the church's contraption, which then forced a large cracking and booming sensation coming from the outskirts of the city.

'Adelaide!' Wanda cried out, as Ultron lifted itself into the sky, disappearing from view. Wanda held Adelaide up with one hand and with the other she held the back of her head as Adelaide slowly began to drift unconscious. 'No, no! Stay here, Addie, don't go now, I need you!' Wanda sobbed, before Nat and Clint came bursting through the doors of the church, Clint grabbing onto Wanda and she screamed and tried to thrash him off of her. Nat crouched down next to Adelaide.

'Kid! Stop! You need to leave her behind, Nat'll take care of her! Wanda remember your home!' Clint attempted to reach Wanda as she cried and wailed for Adelaide, who was still lying on the floor, the chip in her neck sparking occasionally, triggering sudden movements in the girl and occasionally a spark of energy to flow from Addie's hands.

'Please...' Wanda begged as she began to fold into Clint's arms. 'I'm losing her... I can't hear her....' She sobbed and Clint stroked her hair.

'Nat is going to look after her, just come with me, the team need our help.' He instructed, and she reluctantly followed behind him out of the church, tears still dripping from her green eyes. Natasha stroked Adelaide's hair as she lay in her arms, tapping at the chip in her neck, triggering Adelaide to jolt awake. Natasha jumped slightly, as Addie rose up like a zombie and felt the back of her neck. She winced when she touched the cold metal, and then noticed Natasha sitting with her and she wrapped her arms around her tight.

'You scared the shit out of me, Tasha.' She breathed, quietly sobbing. Natasha rolled her eyes while laughing, holding Adelaide close.

'You are so dramatic Addie. I'm here now, aren't I?' Nat asked, pulling away from Adelaide. But as soon as she did so, Adelaide's eyes widened and she grabbed the contraption in the back of her neck and yelped out in pain. Natasha scrambled around, unsure of what the problem was. 'Hey! Hey, what is it?' She asked, but Adelaide's hearing was muffled by the pain in her neck. Natasha watched as Adelaide clawed at the chip, and then attempted to rip it out as she looked at Adelaide's face of agony. Nat pulled and tugged at the metal, only making Adelaide scream louder and grit her teeth violently, causing a building in the distance to completely disintegrate. Natasha didn't take any notice of it as she tried, without prevail, to take out the chip.

'Stop!!' Adelaide yelled, and Natasha's soft hand recoiled from the metal. 'Let me...' She whispered and Nat's eyes widened in disapproval.

'I don't think you should-'

Adelaide lifted her hand up into the air swiftly to stop Natasha from talking, then as she closed her eyes, she began to tighten it into a fist, Nat watching as the chip began to move from where it was imprinted into her neck. Adelaide grimaced and tightened her hand, screaming quietly as she wrenched the thing slowly. The Iron Man flew in, looking not at Adeliaide (as her screaming in pain was a regular occurrence) but at the large metal contraption in the middle of the church.

Her fingernails pierced her hand as she clenched her fists, until finally the chip flew out of her neck and hung, covered in blood, in the air, Adelaide looking at it in disgust and hatred. Nat grabbed ahold of her and hugged her tight, the contraption dropping from where it hovered as Adelaide's focus adjusted. Nat stood up, then held out her dirt ridden hand and helped Addie up. They both stood, smiling at each other, when Adelaide felt Wanda inside her head again. Just like clockwork, the twins sped into the church, Wanda in Pietro's arms for a split second, before he placed her down next to Adelaide, and he went the other side. The three friends smiled at each other with pure joy, as the team began to assemble, The Hulk joining, Captain America the lot of them, all standing like idiots surrounding a large hunk of metal; None of them realised what was about to come.