Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

05 | TOGETHER

AS KATO SAT ON THE COUCH, HER HEAD IN HER HANDS, SHE TRIED TO PROCESS WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED.

That thing - Ultron - had somehow managed to take control of the Iron Legion bots, and sent them to attack the team. It had all gone down so fast that Kato still didn't fully understand what had happened. But the way Tony was staring at his wrecked Iron Legion bot told her that he did know. He knew exactly what had happened.

The team stood scattered around the lab, while Kato sat on the wrecked couch by herself, and Luca stood guard by her side. She stayed quiet, listening to the rest of the team as they spoke about what had just occurred.

"All our work is gone," Bruce announced. "Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron," Steve said slowly, trying out the unfamiliar word on his tongue.

"He's been in everything," Natasha said, crossing her arms and leaning against a work bench.

She'd since changed out of her dress and into some work sweats, and Kato had changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants. Helen and Hill were still in their party clothes.

"Files, surveillance," Natasha went on with a frown. "Probably knows more about us than we know about each other."

"He's in your files, he's in the internet," Rhodey said. "What if he decides to access something a little more... exciting?"

"Nuclear codes," Hill realized as she pulled a shard of glass out of her foot.

"Nuclear codes," Rhodey agreed. "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."

"Nukes?" Luca repeated with a frown, crossing his arms. "He said he wanted you all dead."

"He didn't say 'dead'," Steve said to him. "He said 'extinct'."

"Same thing," Luca muttered, to which Kato gave him an accusing look.

"He also said he killed somebody," Clint pointed out.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building," Hill reminded him.

Tony, who had been quiet for most of their conversation, stepped into the middle of the lab, standing on a rectangular floor panel where he could work with his holograms. "Yes, there was," he said.

Then he raised his tablet and tapped it against the invisible wall of the floor panel. The remnants of an orange holographic sphere appeared, blue mingling within it. It was destroyed and torn apart, sparking and flickering as if broken.

With the exception of Luca, everyone knew what it was. There wasn't anyone physically in the building. But there was someone still there. JARVIS.

Kato's heart flew to her throat, and she abruptly stood up as her hand covered her mouth. "Oh my god... JARVIS..."

Bruce stepped towards the hologram, his arms spread out in shock. "This is insane," he muttered.

"JARVIS was the first line of defense," Steve said, crossing his arms. "He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense."

Bruce, however, shook his head in disagreement. "No, Ultron could've assimilated JARVIS. This isn't strategy, this is... rage."

No one disagreed with him - he was the expert on rage. But it did make sense. The way Ultron had attacked them had definitely given off vibes of rage. And that was dangerous. With an angry AI inside one of Tony's Iron Legion suits, the possibilities were limitless.

Suddenly Kato heard the sound of thundering footsteps. Moments later, Thor stormed into the lab. His face was twisted into a scowl, his hand gripped his hammer in a death grip, and his shoulders were tensed and hunched over. It was obvious that he was pissed. And he was heading straight for Tony.