𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

Tracking the Enemy ~ 39

Eva is confined within what she can only determine as an outdated and decrepit holding cell. The walls, clinically white, enclose her as the light above flickers and hums incessantly. With a turn, she faces the now locked door before her. Though her journey with Ultron was somewhat swift, the altitude had chilled her to the bone. She scowls at the door's imposing presence.

"So, I'm just your prisoner now?!" she exclaims, her voice echoing in the sterile confines. She knows Ultron must still be nearby, just beyond the door, sensing he hasn't ventured far since locking her in. "Je sais que tu peux m'entendre!" Evangeline shouts again, refusing to accept his silence as an answer.

"Oh, will you shut up, Evangeline... I'm thinking," Ultron finally responds, his voice low, bordering on threatening, as he paces lightly down the corridor opposite Eva's temporary cell.

Though his voice is distant, it rings clear in Eva's ears. She glares at the door, unimpressed with his remark, clicking her tongue to express her distaste. "Thinking?" she begins, incredulously. "So, you've spent days calculating your plan to get me where you want me, and now you're just thinking? Ridicule!" The mind manipulator paces from behind her own door, frustration evident and understandable after her recent ordeal with the AI.

Her thoughts drift back to Bucky, worry etched onto her brow as she hopes he's okay, along with the others. She prays they've returned to the safe house and are already hatching a plan to fix this.

Distracted, Eva nearly fails to discern the heavy, deliberate footsteps nearing the door. Only when Ultron's voice resonates from behind the metal barrier does she realize his proximity. "I told you to silence yourself, Evangeline," he admonishes, his tone devoid of warmth, prompting an exaggerated roll of Eva's eyes.

"And I've already told you, I don't owe you shit! " She fires back, her defiance echoing throughout the chamber. " So, the last thing I'm going to do for you is to shut the fuc— "

Her words abruptly cease as the metal door crashes open with a violent force, shattering the adjacent wall upon impact. Ultron strides in with a predatory grace, his presence looming and ominous. Eva's breath catches sharply as the figure advances, his hand closing around her throat in a vice-like grip. With a sudden, powerful shove, he propels her body against the unyielding wall, drawing a sharp intake of breath and a pained grimace from Eva.

Evangeline anticipates the constriction around her neck, but instead, Ultron forcefully removes the device, hurling it to the ground with a resounding clank. He relinquishes his hold on her, and she stands there, eyes widened in astonishment, gazing at the discarded mechanism before tentatively reaching for her own neck where it once imprisoned her.

With an obvious sense of relief, she slides down the wall, still clutching her neck, feeling the gradual return of her powers. As that wave of relief floods over her, Ultron strides back towards the exit. "You're welcome..." he mutters disdainfully, his voice thick with sarcasm as he deftly navigates through the frame once more.

"What now?" Eva challenges, slowly regaining her footing with a furrowed brow. "Are you planning to manipulate me now that the device is removed?" She avoids meeting his gaze, focusing instead on flexing her neck, adjusting to the absence of the collar.

"I won't need to exert control if you're willing to cooperate," Ultron responds, casting a resigned glance back at her. "But for the time being, we have work to accomplish. Follow me." With that directive, the AI strides out of Eva's sight, disappearing down the corridor.

It takes Evangeline a few moments to discern that Ultron has strayed away as she contemplates his words. "EVANGELINE!" His voice suddenly resonates through the hall, snapping her back to reality. With one last disdainful roll of her eyes and a deep sigh of resignation, Eva reluctantly follows him out of the room and down the corridor.

***

The Avengers have reconvened in the living area of the safe house. Wanda, with Peter's assistance, is meticulously brewing hot beverages to ease the growing tension among the team. Natasha and Bruce are stationed at the dining table, surrounded by laptops and equipment, fully engrossed in their work. Meanwhile, the rest of the team has taken up seats or are leaning against walls and hard surfaces, reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Wanda extends a steaming mug of coffee to Bucky, who initially hesitates. However, her pointed gaze compels Barnes to accept it, offering a silent nod of appreciation. He takes a sip and clears his throat, seeking to break the uneasy silence. "So, what's our plan?" Bucky begins, placing the coffee mug on the table before him and settling into his seat. "Do we have any strategies for locating crazed robots?" 

"We haven't been able to track down Ultron from the get-go," Sam responds first to Barnes, his grip tight on his own beverage. "If he doesn't want to be found, he'll find a way to stay hidden."

A moment of silence follows, with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Half the team appears on the verge of giving up on the chase, but Bucky presses on, determined. "Okay, and as for Eva? Can we track her down?" His frustration is evident as he scans the expressions of the rest of the team.

"Does she have her cell?" Scott interjects from the counter where he's leaning, and Peter promptly retrieves his own mobile in response to Lang's suggestion.

Parker swiftly dials Eva's number and holds the phone to his ear as the group watches intently, awaiting a response. A muffled vibration emanates from Evangeline's room next door, prompting Steve to exhale deeply as he heads over to investigate. He returns moments later with Eva's phone in hand, and Peter lets out a sigh as he ends the call and lowers his own phone.

"It was never going to be that straightforward for us," Stark remarks dryly from his side of the room, earning skeptical glances from the majority of the team.

"What about the device you made her wear around her neck?" Clint interjects, though his attention is divided as he examines the now-empty gas canister by the broken window, addressing no one in particular. The group turns their focus toward him.

"What about it?" Tony asks nonchalantly, uncertain of Barton's implication.

"Can you trace it?" Clint responds, finally turning his head to meet Stark's gaze, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Bruce looks up from his laptop, sharing a knowing glance with Tony. Both men's lips tighten into a resolute line, and Stark diverts his eyes from the team, leaving Bruce to elucidate. Banner removes his glasses and reclines in his chair. "We never embedded a tracker on the device. The straightforward answer is no," he explains, sighing with a sense of resignation, understanding that this isn't what the team wants to hear.

Steve pushes himself away from the wall he's been leaning against, his frown deepening at the revelation. "You're telling us that you, the major scientists in this room, never contemplated installing a tracker on a device meant for someone you clearly didn't trust?"

"No, we didn't embed a tracking device in that contraption that already resembled a damn dog collar, Rogers," Tony retorts, his irritation palpable as he fixes his full attention on the soldier. "It was already verging on inhumane!"

"So now you decide to show some consideration toward Eva?" Steve's voice rises to match Tony's, and Natasha swiftly intervenes, refusing to let them escalate into another argument.

"Boys, now is not the time," Natasha warns firmly, her gaze darting between Tony and Steve, refusing to resume her seat until she's certain they've both backed down.

The team settles into silence once more, the only sound the gentle flow of water as Wanda rinses out her mug. She bites her lip, a subtle gesture noted only by Vision, who stands beside her. "Wanda, what's wrong?" he asks quietly, drawing the attention of a few others in the room.

Wanda turns off the tap and slowly faces the team, her fingers tightening around the edges of the counter as she exhales softly. "I think I might have an idea on how we can locate Eva..."