Lieutenant - Daughter of the Captain

Chapter 34.0 - Daddy Issues

Steve clenched his fists, tense as they recovered from the attack in the lab, trying to gain their bearings.

"All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch," Bruce relayed from his place at a computer.

"Ultron..." Steve scoffed to himself.

Nat spoke up, "He's been in everything. Files, surveillance," She turned from her screen, "Probably knows more about us than we know about each other,"

"He's in your files, he's in the internet." Rhodes started, "What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"

"Nuclear codes," Maria said, pausing her task of picking glass from her bare foot.

"Nuclear codes," Rhodey confirmed, "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can," he added.

"Nukes? He said he wanted us dead," Natasha countered.

"He didn't say dead," Steve corrected, taking a deep breath, "He said extinct,"

"He also said he killed somebody," Clint pointed out.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building," Maria claimed.

"Yes, there was," Tony said somberly as he approached the 3D interface.

The golden image of Jarvis's program matrix was displayed...shattered and in pieces.

Bruce approached in shock, "This is insane..." He muttered.

Steve spoke up again, "JARVIS was the first line of defense. He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense,"

Bruce shook his head, "No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is...rage,"

Thor entered the room, catching Steve's attention. The super-soldier looked around the good, near frantic, watching the entrance.

"Woah, Woah, Woah!" "It's going around," Rhodey and Clint exclaim at the same time as Thor picked Tony up by the Throat, not putting enough pressure to injure him, but lifting him a few feet off the ground.

"Come on. Use your words, buddy," Tony rasped.

Thor shook his head, "I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark,"

"Thor!" Steve snapped, a hint of panic in his voice, "The Legionnaire..."

Thor stilled, abruptly dropping Tony. He turned to Steve with sadness and anger in his gaze.

"Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north...it has the scepter..." He paused, glancing around the room as the atmosphere changes.

"And Carter," He finishes.

The words sent a wave of shock, confusion, and fear through the room, Steve's eyes fell, not meeting anyone's gaze as they looked to him in disbelief.

"Cap-" Tony started, but he cut him off.

"We found the Scepter once, we'll find it again," He snapped.

"Well," Nat loosed a shaky breath, "The genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron,"

"I don't understand. You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us? Why kidnap Carter?" Helen Cho spoke from across the room, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

Tony abruptly started laughing, and Bruce subtly shook his head, urging him to stop.

"You think this is funny?" Thor snapped, looking one step away from grabbing him again.