Little Avenger

6b

Now, all, but Thor, stand in Banners lab, he and Tony looking at everything while the rest of us just stand around, waiting for an explanation. I'm standing closest to Tony, right by the destroyed robot Ultron had been inhabiting.

"All our work is gone." Banner states. "Ultron cleared out. He used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron." Steve repeats with a glare at Tony.

"He's been in everything." Nat states. "Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other."

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

"Nuclear codes." Maria suggests.

"Nuclear codes. Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."

"Nukes?" Nat asks. "He said he wanted us dead."

"Extinct." I correct.

"He also said he killed someone." Clint points out.

"There wasn't anyone else in the building." Maria shrugs.

"Yes, there was." Tony steps forward.

He brings up a hologram of a messed up orange thing, turning to me with sad brows.

"What?" I ask.

"This is insane." Banner walks towards it.

"Jarvis was the first line of defense." Steve nods. "He would've shut Ultron down. It makes sense."

"That's Jarvis?" I breathe and Tony turns back to me with a nod, my eyes beginning to water as I put my fist to my mouth.

"Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis." Banner states. "This isn't strategy. This is rage."

Thor comes stomping in, headed straight for Tony, his hand going right to his throat, lifting him off the ground.

"It's going around." Clint rolls his eyes.

"Come on, use your words, buddy." Tony strains.

In a second, I'm next to Thor, tearing his hand away, Tony dropping with me catching him, Thor glaring daggers at him.

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark." He grits.

"You wanna check yourself, Thor?" I glare.

"Thor!" Steve calls. "The Legionnaire."

"Trail went cold about hundred miles out but, it's headed north." He looks away from my stare. "And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again."

"Genie's out of that bottle." Nat nods. "Clear and present is Ultron."

Tony starts walking towards computers, facing away from everyone, I stay where I am.

"I don't understand." Cho shakes her head. "You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony stays quiet until, he starts laughing and we all look at him weird.

"Mmm-mmm." Banner shakes his head at him.

"You think this is funny?" Thor frustratingly smiles.

"No." Tony turns. "It's probably not, right? This is very terrible. Is it so... Is it so... It is. It's so terrible."

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."

"No. I'm sorry." He starts towards the middle of the room. "I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"Tony, maybe this might not be the time..." Banner warns.

"Really? That's it? You just roll over, show your belly everytime somebody snarls?"

"Only when I've created a murder bot."

"We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?" He asks and Banner nods.

"We'll you did something right." Steve interrupts. "And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than Shield."

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" He asks and I roll my eyes.

"No, it's never come up." Rhodey teases.

"Saved New York?"

"Never heard that."

"Recall that? A hostile alien army cane charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all livelong day but, that up there, that's... that's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together." Steve answers.

"We'll lose."

"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."

-

Everyone else has left the room, Tony and I being the only ones left. He sighs and turns, furrowing his brows when he sees me still standing here.

"Hey, what're you doing?"

"I'm checking on you." I start walking towards him. "Lived with you long enough to realize when you say you're fine and don't mean it."

"Lil-"

"No, no." I stop in front of him. "Don't even try. I know you more than you realize. I get why you hide it, you're not the only one but, please don't hide it with me. And, I'm with you. We need Ultron but, he's not right anymore, don't know what the hell happened. I also have no doubt that we're gonna figure this out and I'm gonna beat his ass for killing my friend."

Tony just shakes his head with a small smile and pulls me into a hug around the neck, me hugging his torso.

"I love you, kid."

"I love you, too."