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Uncle Clint was hesitant, tentative, to let me join the mission to Seoul. He would have preferred that I'd gone with Stark to Oslo and taken the train back to Arendal from there. But I promised to keep the use of my abilities to a minimum, just until I was certain I had full control over them again.
That, and the fact that we would be up against a robot that could end up being stronger than all of us combined, seemed to do most of the convincing. We needed all the manpower we could get. I had Stark to thank for that point.
I would not finish until my job was finished.
I intended to keep that promise.
I climbed over some railing with Steve, gathering a clear view of Doctor Cho's lab, U-Gin Genetic Research Lab. It looked modern as it sat on the riverfront.
"Two minutes," Steve said through the earpiece to Natasha and Uncle Clint. "Stay close."
Steve and I made our way towards the lab. It was hard to keep up with him; after all, he was a super-soldier and I was used to sliding across some ice. But I was inclined on keeping my promise to my uncle. I would only use my powers when we needed them. In the meantime, however, I was reduced to a plain human being.
Once we reached the lab, Steve and I hurried to Doctor Cho's floor. There were sparks trickling from some severed wires and holes in the wall. We were about to slow down when Steve noticed Doctor Cho and diverged to the right.
Doctor Cho was on the ground, limp, with dark red staining her uniform. There was an undeniable queasiness that roiled within me. I spotted a rag and grabbed it on my way to her. I crouched before her and placed the rag on her shoulder.
"He's uploading himself into the body," Doctor Cho uttered out, strained. Blood dripped down the side of her face, commingling with the light sheen of sweat that gleamed under the flickering lights.
"Where?" asked Steve. He began stretching his neck, searching for Ultron, but Doctor Cho grabbed his arm.
"The power is inside the Cradle. The gem . . . Its power is uncontainable." She shook her head. "You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark."
"First, we have to find it."
Doctor Cho looked me in the eyes and placed her blood-stained hand over mine, trying to get ahold of the rag. "Go."
I nodded and slowly stood up. Steve led the way out of the lab, and I followed. We hurried down the stairs with thunderous steps, never stopping to catch a breath, though I doubted Steve even needed to. I envied him for that.
When we reached the bottom, Steve burst past the door, letting radiant and incandescent sunlight glare into our eyes. I was barely able to make out the vague shape of a jet parked by the riverfront.
