The Winters Shadow

C.20: Ultron

We all gather in the lab, everyone seeming defeated or angry. "All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out. He used the internet as an escape hatch." Banner says. "Ultron" Steve scoffs. I stand around, Bucky sits by Steve. "He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other." Nat says. I rub my hand down my face, sighing. How in the hell did this happen? "He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" Rodney points out. "Nuclear codes" Hill states. "Nuclear codes" Rodney agrees, "Look we need to make some calls, assuming we still can." "Nukes?" Nat questions, "He said he wanted us dead". "He didn't say 'dead', he said 'extinct'" Steve says. "He also said he killed somebody" Clint states. This is honestly a shit show.

"There wasn't anyone else in the building" Hill says. "Yes there was" Tony says, walking over to pull something up. "Jarvis" I state. We all walk over to the model Tony pulled up. "What?" Bruce whispers while examining it, "This is insane." "Jarvis was the first line of defence. He would have shut Ultron down. It makes sense" Steve says. "No. Ultron could have assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy. This is.. rage" Bruce states.

All of a sudden Thor walks up and grabs Tony by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "Hey!" I say, Steve saying, "Whoa whoa whoa". "Its going around" I hear Clint state. "Come on, use your words, buddy" Tony manages to get out. "I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark" Thor says. "Thor. The Legionnaire" Steve states. "Put him down Thor, if anyone's gonna choke him to death it's me" I tell him. Thor shoves Tony to the ground and backs up. "Trail went cold about 100 miles out, but it's headed north" Thor states while murdering Tony with his eyes, "And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again."

"Genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron" Nat states, making me agree. "I don't understand. You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?" The doctor that I totally didn't forget about, states. Tony walks to one of the computers. I lean into Bucks side, he puts an arm around me and kisses the top of my head. Tony being Tony, laughs. Yes, literally laughing. Bruce tries to stop him, shaking his head and saying mmm-mmm. I roll my eyes, "stop it idiot" I whisper. "You think this is funny?" Thor asks, murder in his eyes again. I can't really blame him. Tony turns around, "No. It's probably not, right? This is very terrible. Is it so..." laughs yet again, making me laugh, "Is it so.. it is. It's so terrible" "This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand" Thor states. "No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this" Tony says, face to face with Thor. "Tony, maybe this might not be the right time" Bruce tries, Tony cuts him off "Really? That's it? You just roll over, show your belly everytime somebody snarls?" "Only when I've created a murder bot" Bruce tries to reason. "We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?" Tony questions, looking at me. Before I can answer Steve butts in, "Well you did something right. And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD." "Anyone remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" Tony asks. "No, it's never come up" Sam states. "Saved New York?" "Never heard that" Rodney states. "Recall that? A hostile alien came charging through a hole in space. We're standing 300 feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day. But that up there, that's...That's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?" Tony states. "Together" Stevie says. "We'll lose" Tony says, walking closer. "Then we'll do that together, too"

"Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller." Steve finishes.

Meanwhile...

Wanda found her brother. He followed everyone back per Hydra's request to get her. Her brother talked her into helping him, they go to meet Ultron.