Nocturnus | Marvel AU ✓

(16) - Cap and Cradles

NADiA'S POiNT OF ViEW

"Did you guys copy that?" Steve's voice floods the Quin Jet.

"We sure did," Clint answers as Natasha eyes the cameras.

"There's a private jet taking off across town, no manifest... could be him." I look out the window and point.

"Uh... is that truck supposed to be leaving the lab?" Clint shakes his head no as he sees what I'm pointing at.

"Cap, Right above you. On the loop by the bridge. It's them. I got three with the Cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver." Clint suggests.

Steve yells out a loud,"No!"

"That gem could level the city, do not engage!" I watch as Steve runs along the bridge and jumps on top of the truck. "He's definitely unhappy! Let's see if I can keep him that way!" Rogers is struggling to get in as I switch my glasses out for my mask.

I grab my quiver, bow, daggers, and sticks then put them where they need to go on my suit. "Do you know how to shoot a gun?" Natasha asks and I nod yes. "Here, you might wanna use it." I take the handgun and test the weight.

"It's just like a bow and arrow, only more efficient!" She yells the end of her sentence handing me a second gun. I eye the wall and grab a small silver gun, I slide it in my boot. Just in case...

"We got a window. Four, three... give 'em hell." Natasha drops down on a bike with me on the back.

I grab the shield off the ground and hold it, it is kind of heavy. "Us ladies always cleaning up after you boys..." Natasha mocks and I laugh.

"Move! Sorry!" I yell from the back of the bike. We drive up some stairs and Natasha makes the sound of a car horn at them but it's mostly her just saying, beep beep.

"They're going toward an overpass, I have no shot." Barton's voice quips, "Hard right... now!" Natasha yanks the bike right then I stand on the back of the bike to throw Steve the shield. He catches it and knocks Ultron down.

"Good job Nadia!" Natasha congratulates me and I just smile and sit down on the bike again. "Out of the way! Coming through, sorry! Out of the way!" She yells at the pedestrians on the streets, why are they even in the road?!

"Clint, can you draw out the guards?" Natasha questions as I eye what's happening ahead.

"I don't know...let's see." I see the Ultron sentries exiting the truck.

"Well, isn't this exciting." My voice isn't excited, hell, I'm not excited.

I watch as Captain tackles Ultron into a train, the sentries coming back our way. "They're on their way, so whatever you gotta do. Do it now." Clint advises and I groan.

"I'm gonna stay back and fight these things, as much as I don't want to." I mumble sourly.

Nat shakes her head, "It's fine. Cap, keep him occupied we're going in."

"What do you think I've been doing?" He asks as Natasha and I climb in the truck.

I feel the ground shift inside the truck and lean on the wall, "What was that?" Natasha just shrugs.

"The package is airborne. I have a clean shot." I shake my head and she nods in understanding.

"Negative, we're in the truck." I hear two sighs across the intercom.

"What the hell are you..." Natasha takes a deep breath.

"Uh, just be ready, I'm sending the package to you." I look at her in question.

"How do you want me to take it?" I giggle a little and I know Clint is thinking 'these damn kids'.

"You should not have asked that." Natasha smirks.

"Nat we gotta go." Clint advises and Natasha turns to me.

"Are you afraid of heights?" I shake my head no.

"I'm an archer of course no-"

Natasha pushes me on top of the Cradle and out of the truck. I scream as I land in the Quin Jet but don't see Natasha. What I see is her hanging in Ultron's grasp. I reach for my bow but it's missing. I look at the ground and see it, dang it. I grab the guns.

I shoot at Ultron but he doesn't even flinch. "Nat! Cap, you see Nat?" Clint yells and I see Steve shake his head.

"If you have the package go to Stark!" Barton reluctantly takes off.

"Ultron got her." I say numbly, "All because she saved me." I drop down onto the floor.

ONCE STARK HAS THE CRADLE

"Is there anything on Nat?" Bruce asks and I shake my head no.

"Haven't heard. But she's alive, or Ultron would be rubbing our faces in it." Tony replies and I agree with him.

"Can you get it open?" I question and Clint shakes his head.

"It's sealed tight." Barton answers.

Banner thinks for a second, "Maybe we can break it down from the inside?" He suggests.

Tony nods, "Hmm... any chance Natasha might leave you some old school spy message. Outside the internet?" I look to Clint.

"Yea, I can try to find her." He leaves the room.

"I can work on tissue degeneration; if you can fry whatever operational system Cho implanted." Banner suggests as I sit in a chair lining the wall.

"Yea...about that." Bruce gives Tony a look.

"No we ar-" Stark cuts the man off.

"You have to trust me." Tony says with a smile.

"Yea, I kinda don't." Bruce is dead serious.

"Our ally? The guy protecting the military's nuclear codes? I found him." Tony brings up Jarvis' consciousness.

"Jarvis is still alive?" I ask and Tony looks likes he's about to correct me.

"Hello Dr. Banner, Mr. Stark, Ms. Oakley." I nod toward the ceiling, where I'm assuming Jarvis is talking from.

"Ultron didn't attack Jarvis cause he was mad, but only because he was scared of what Jarvis is capable of. So... he went underground, he scattered, dumped his memory. But! He didn't dump his protocols, he wasn't even aware he was in there; until I pieced him together."

Tony sounds rather proud of himself, I mean I was confused when Jarvis stopped answering me. But I just assumed he was being like... updated or something. Like a phone, wait... where is my phone? "So you want to me to help you put Jarvis into this...thing?" Tony shakes his head wildly.

"No, of course not! I'm gonna help you put Jarvis into this thing and before you shake your head, we are way out of my field here. Bio-organics? That is your thing." Banner shakes his head regardless of what Tony said.

"So you're just assuming Jarvis' operational matrix can beat Ultron's?" Tony agrees.

"He has been beating him from the inside without even knowing it, we can create Ultron's perfect self. Obviously, minus the homicidal glitches he thinks make him great." Tony is still sarcastic, even now.

"I believe it is worth a go." I look up in confusion.

"You have beliefs?" Tony chuckles at my reaction, until Bruce begins shaking his head.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I am in a goddamn loop! This is exactly where it all when wrong!" Bruce is clearly stressed out and a stressed Banner is not a good Banner.

"I know, I know. I know what everyone's going to say, but they're already saying it. We're mad scientists. We're monsters, buddy. You gotta own it. It's the end of the line." Tony sounds sincere, that's new.