Red

The Dream

Wanda's POV

Pietro and I walked into the room as Dr. Cho was saying,

"Cellular cohesion will take a couple hours, but we can initiate the consciousness stream. We're uploading your cerebral matrix." I picked up on a new stream of thoughts.

"I can read him." I murmured. "He's dreaming."

"I wouldn't call it dreams." Cho corrected. "It's Ultron's base consciousness. Informational noise. Soon..." Ultron cut her off, and I continued to walk forward.

"How soon? I'm not being pushy."

"We're imprinting a physical brain. There are no shortcuts."

"I placed my hands on the cradle and began taking a reading. I saw the Earth being hit by a ray of light and then the world exploding. I cried out, horrified by the image. I was shaking as Pietro came over, concern evident all over his features. I caught my breath before looking over at Ultron.

"How could you?" I asked.

"How could I, what?" He replied.

"You said we would destroy the Avengers, make a better world."

"It will be better."

"When everyone is dead?" I challenged.

"That is not..." he sighed. "The human race will have every opportunity to improve."

"And if they don't?" Pietro added.

"Ask Noah." Shakily I inhaled. Pietro took my hand.

"You're a madman."

"There were more than a dozen extinction-level events before even the dinosaurs got theirs. When the Earth starts to settle, God throws a stone at it. And, believe me, he's winding up. We have to evolve." He ran his hand almost lovingly on the cradle. "There's no room for the weak." While Pietro asked him a question, I sent a wave of my power over to Cho, breaking the mind control from the scepter. Pietro came over to me and kissed my head.

"There's incoming." Ultron said. "The Quinjet. We have to move."

"That's not a problem." Cho said, stepping forward and pausing the upload. Ultron sighed in annoyance. He then fired his lasers at her. Pietro grabbed me and ran off.