"Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace. And that's not gonna happen today. But we can do our best to protect them. And we can get the job done. We find out what Ultron's been building, we find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right." Steve tells the team as they fly to Sokovia on the jet.
When they get there, the twins and Steve work on getting everyone to evacuate while Bruce and Thor separate from the group. Tony and Vision go to confront Ultron, and Barton and Dahlia monitor the civilians as they leave.
"I knew this was too easy." Dahlia sighs as Ultron's bots emerge to attack. She unsheathes her sword and joins the team in fighting them. She hears a bot being destroyed behind her.
"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro teases. He freezes as he remembers who he's talking to. "I'm sorry, I-" He starts to apologize, but he's interrupted by Dahlia laughing.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Pietro, I'm not offended. And you did just save my life. Besides, I heard you teasing Barton earlier with that line. It's hilarious." She replies. The ground underneath them starts to shake and he grabs her arm to steady her. "What the hell is going on?"
"The city. It's rising into the air." He explains.
"Do you see the beauty of it? The inevitability. You rise, only to fall. You, Avengers, you are my meteor. My swift and terrible sword. And the earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal." Ultron's voice says, coming from the bots hovering around them.
"Definitely Tony's creation. Just as dramatic as him." Dahlia mutters.
"May I?" Pietro asks, tightening his hold on her arm.
"Is it going to make me sick?" She asks.
"I make no promises." He replies. She sighs but wraps her arm around his shoulders, silently telling him to go ahead. He lifts her into his arms and speeds through the city.
"Oh, wow. That's very dizzying." She says as he sets her down. Pietro keeps an eye on their surroundings as she recovers. "Be careful." She tells him when she unsheathes her sword.
"You too. I can't always be here to cover your back." He jokes. She chuckles and waves him away. They head in opposite directions, fighting the bots they encounter and helping civilians.
"Cap, you got incoming." Tony warns over the comms.
"Incoming already came in." He groans. "Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job, tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt them back. You get killed, walk it off."
Dahlia rolls her eyes as she goes back to fighting, wondering if she's the only one who's not completely overdramatic. She grunts as one of the bots gets her arm, the cut starting to bleed slightly.
She makes her way through the city, joining Steve and Natasha near the edge. She helps them fight the overwhelming number of bots, unsheathing Loki's dagger to use along with her sword.
"All right, we're all clear here." Barton announces over the comms.
"We are not clear! We are very not clear!" Steve replies.
"All right, coming to you." He says. The twins join them quickly, and they finish off the bots around them.
"The next wave is gonna hit any minute. What do you got, Stark?" He asks.
"Huh? Nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface, if you guys can get clear." He answers.
"I asked for a solution, not an escape plan." Steve tells him.
"Impact radius is getting bigger every second. We're gonna have to make a choice." He explains.
"Cap, these people are going nowhere. If Stark finds a way to blow this rock..." Natasha says as he joins her and Dahlia.
"Not till everyone's safe." He tells her.
"Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math there." She replies.
"It's terrible, but unless a giant ship flies up here to save the civilians, we might not have another option." Dahlia adds.
"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it." Steve says firmly.
"I didn't say we should leave." Natasha replies. "There's worse ways to go. Where else am I gonna get a view like this?" She pats Dahlia's arm apologetically for the comment.
"Glad you like the view, Romanoff." Fury says over the comms. "It's about to get better."
"You sure seeing the future isn't one of your talents, Dahlia?" Steve asks. She laughs, shaking her head.
"Definitely not. There's a lot I would've changed if it was." She tells him.
"Nice, right? Pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do." Fury continues.
"Fury, you son of a bitch." Steve replies.
"Ooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?" He jokes.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Pietro asks as he joins them.
"This is what S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposed to be." Steve tells him.
"This is not so bad." He chuckles. Dahlia squeezes his shoulder, glad he can see the good they can do as opposed to the bad.
"Let's load 'em up." He says, running towards the civilians.
They start directing the civilians on the lifeboats, along with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D agents.
"Thor, I got a plan." Tony announces.
"We're out of time. They're coming for the core." He replies.
"Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier. Avengers, time to work for a living." He says.
The group quickly make their way to the core, fighting the bots trying to turn the key. Tony arrives and notices Natasha and Bruce haven't joined them yet.
"Romanoff, where the hell are you and Banner?" He asks.
"Not all of us can fly." She replies. "What's the drill?" She asks when she joins them.
"This is the drill. If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose." He explains.
"Little Flower. Who hurt you?" Hulk grunts, carefully touching her arm near the cut. She chuckles and pats his arm.
"Don't worry, Hulk, it's already starting to heal. Plus, I took the robot's head off." She assures.
"Good." He approves. They turn their attention outside as Ultron hovers in front of them.
"Is that the best you can do?" Thor yells at Ultron. More bots emerge and run towards them, making Dahlia sigh.
"Thor, what have I told you about taunting the enemy?" She scolds.
"To not do it." He mumbles.
"This is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?" Ultron says.
"Well, like the old man said...Together." Tony tells him, glancing at Steve.
Hulk roars and Dahlia unsheathes her blades, preparing for the fight ahead.
YOU ARE READING
Lady Dahlia | Loki Odinson
FanfictionDahlia was adopted by Heimdall after being abandoned by her parents for being born blind. Growing up with Heimdall meant she grew up with the Odinson brothers. It was mostly fun, but also came with some challenges. Now that she's grown up, she must...
