Goddess | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 5: Mind Games

The avengers are still in the lab, attempting to find any other trace of Ultron and where he could be going. Maria, Steve and Aloisia walk through the compound. "He's all over the globe. Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs, reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place"

"Fatalities?"

"Only when engaged. Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and something too fast to see" Maria explains, Al nods, the twins.

"Maximoffs. Well, that makes sense he'd go to them, they have someone in common" Steve voices her thoughts

"Not anymore" Maria adds,She hands Steve a tablet showing photo of Strucker's dead body with the word PEACE written in blood on the wall next to him

Barton's talking on his cell phone "That's a negative. I answer to you. Yes, ma'am" Steve interrupts him as Aloisia waves at him.

"Barton, we might have something"

"Gotta go"

"Who was that?"

"Girlfriend" Clint says, Aloisia laughs

"Must be imaginary" She jokes going Clint a cheeky smile.

Steve has gathered the rest of the team he shows them the photo of Strucker's body "What's this?" Tony asks

"A message. Ultron killed Strucker" Steve explains

"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us"

"This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?" Natasha asks

"It's hypocritical, announcing peace, with blood, after you've just killed someone" Aloisia mutters thinking "thats how he views us. Hypocrites who kill and pretend we are helping. In his eyes anyway"

"That's true, but Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss"

"Yeah, I bet he..." Natasha looks at the computer monitor "Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased"

"Not everything" Tony says, Al groans, knowing what they are going to have to do, The team go through the physical files they have on Strucker

"Known associates. Well, Strucker had a lot of friends"

"Well, these people are all horrible" Bruce mutters

"Wait. I know that guy" Banner passes him the photo he was looking at "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast, black market arms" Steve gives him an accusing look "There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything" Tony adds, holding the photo is of a man named Ulysses Klaue "He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very Ahab"

Thor points to the scar on the back of Klaue's neck "What's this?"

"Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it..."

"No, those are tattoos, this is a brand" "thats a brand" Thor and Aloisia say simultaneously

Banner identifies the brand on Klaue's neck on the computer "Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way"

"What dialect?" Steve asks

"Wakanada...? Wa...Wa...Wakanda" Bruce stutters with the pronunciation.

"If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods.."

"I thought your father said he got the last of it?"

"I don't follow. What comes out of Wakanda?" Bruce asks