The Chronicles of Captain Carter - The First Avenger

21.

***************************************************************************************

Chapter Twenty-One - We found Ultron, what the hell was step 2?

***************************************************************************************

The group were resting on a ledge, warmed by a fire and guarded by Strange's mystical shields. "This place is safe?" Gamora questioned, with slight distaste in her tone. 

"Apparently, there's not enough intelligent life here to attract Ultron. Until we decide to." Strange finished his spell before his right hand turned into tentacles. He grunted with effort, and made them disappear. 

Peggy looked at him curiously. "Can I ask, what happened?" He sighed deeply and looked towards the woman with understanding and grief. "The same thing that happened to you. Love." Peggy decided to change the subject. "I take it you know the Captain Carter on your universe?" She asked. 

"No. Captain America. In my universe, Steve Rogers recieved the serum."

"Now that would be a sight to see." Peggy smirked, surprise in her voice.

Killmonger traced the eyehole of the Ultron bot, revealing glowing red hardware inside. Gamora looked over at him from where she was standing, feeling wary about his fascination with the android head. Thor approached her. "You trust him?" She asked. Thor looked at Killmonger, who had managed to make the head glow red. 

"I trust everyone." He shrugged. "Hasten friends. Tonight we feast, for tomorrow, we fight!" He announced to the group. 

"In that spirit, I propose a toast." Strange responded, summoning a tray of drinks. Everyone eagerly gathered around, seeing their favourite beverage. Strange rambled on for a few minutes,  talking about how 'to face death is to conquer one's fear of the unknown.' This, obviously, did nothing to raise or inspire anyone's spirits, so T'Challa - much to everyone's relief, including Strange's - took over. 

"Let me. You've done enough, Doctor. To the Guardians of the Multiverse!" 

Everyone cheerfully toasted and drank. Thor smashed his beer cup once finished and held his hammer to the sky, his voice echoing as he repeated, "The Multiverse!" Unfortunately, this cry attracted the attention of Ultron, who appeared - like the Watcher had done - in the sky. 

"So, there IS life in this universe, after all."

"There goes waiting until we're ready." Strange grumbled. 

"In my defence, I did warn you. I excel at attracting unwanted attention." Thor defended himself. Strange suddenly turned around as his cloak pointed furiously to a direction in the sky. Not a moment after, the sky seemed to crystallise and break, revealing Ultron, floating out of the portal. The Guardians stared in shock and anticipation as he approached them. 

"Alright, here comes a non-compliant spell." Strange suddenly announced, surrounding the group with intricate circles. Peggy looked at herself wide-eyed as the spell surrounded her with runes and symbols. "Oh, what is going on?" She exclaimed in wonder. "It's a protection spell. You're welcome." Strange snarked as he finished off the last one.  "Wow. This is fantastic! Alright everyone, It's showtime. Watcher!" She admired before focusing on the situation. 

A portal identical to Ultron's materialised from behind the group. Killmonger activated his helmet as he prepared to enter. "See you on the flipside." Were his last words of farewell before he and Gamora left through the portal. 

Ultron descended, however Thor walked towards the edge of the cliff. "I know how to deal with this party pooper." He stated confidently. "Wait, Thor! The Plan!" Peggy protested, but this fell on deaf ears as Thor yelled "Viva Las VEGASSSSSSSSS!" A enormous strike of lightning shot at Ultron, who looked unimpressed and quite confused. He held up a hand, making the lightning disappear. Thor looked in confusion. "What?"

"Can't say I've... heard that battle cry before." Ultron remarked. The infinity stones on his armour glowed intensely. The heroes looked down in concern and yelled in surprise as the ground beneath them crumbled and fell. The entire mountain collasped.

"All too easy." Ultron spoke, before turning towards his portal. He whipped around in anger when the rubble exploded to find the remaining Guardians still alive, and surrounded by protective spheres. 

"Interesting. Usually, you people are much easier to kill."

Peggy assessed herself for injuries. "Blimey! Not even a scratch! You weren't kidding about a protection spell."

"You're protected, but it won't last long." Strange replied. Thor threw Mjolnir at Ultron, which multiplied into hundreds of versions after Strange hit it with a spell. Ultron bared his teeth in anger, whilst getting hit by a mythical hammer at every angle.

Seeing the homicidal android otherwise occupied, Captain Carter strode over to Star-Lord. "We're up. Are you sure about this?" She asked, wrapping an arm around his torso. "Of course not." Was his reply, before they shot up into the air, propelled by his rocket boots. They approached Ultron. "Here we go. NOW!" She yelled, and jumped off his back. She held up her shield, preparing for impact. 

Strange saw her and enhanced her shield strength. Ultron turned in time to face the brunt of her attack, causing a loud rumble to reverberate through the very ground. Carter saw a hammer being summoned by Thor and clung onto it like a lifeline, releasing it just before she crashed into him. She landed in a pose and cheered in victory. 

T'Challa latched onto Ultron's back, holding a gun to the android's head, who flung him off, and - in case the message was too subtle - fired a burst of red energy at him, sending him soaring though the air. 

Cap ran after him, finding him on the ground after a particularly rough landing. "Did you get it?" She asked. 

"As Yondu says, "Never doubt sticky fingers." " He smiled as he held up the Soul Stone proudly. 

The pair ran past Strange and Thor, who had delayed Ultron, to the portal. "Go. GO!" Strange ushered them, before turning to Ultron and releasing 3 ENORMOUS DRAGONS(?!) from under his cloak. They spewed magma, the sheer heat being felt, even from where the remaining Guardians were stood. Thor gaped at him in shock. "What? You've been hiding that the entire time?!" 

It seemed Ultron had grown fed up of their antics. "Well, this has been delightful. But it's time for me to bring out some of my own toys." He announced. But the remaining Stones flickered. "My stone. You STOLE MY SOUL STONE?" He yelled in annoyance.

"Time to go." Cap ordered, as Ultron obliverated the dragons.  The portal appeared again from behind them. But before they departed, Strange smirked in silent smugness as he opened a portal above Ultron. Zombies began to fall, bringing Ultron down with them. "That'll keep him busy."

"OH! Zombies! Great Idea, I love zombies." Thor complimented.

"It's not them, it's what came with the zombies." 

Thor was about to ask what he meant, but was cut off by Cap yelling at them, "Tick tock, boys." and disappearing into the portal, closely followed by Star Lord. They took the hint, and leapt in. 

Leaving Ultron with a zombified Scarlet Witch.