Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

06 | WAKING NIGHTMARES

THE AFRICAN COAST LOOMED IN THE DISTANCE AS THE QUINJET FLEW THEM TO THE SALVAGE YARD WHERE ULTRON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

The team was on the jet with Kato and Luca, all of them preparing for the inevitable fight. Kato sat in the back, twirling her thumbs as she thought about the oncoming battle. She was hoping for a small fight to go down between them and Ultron, but she seriously doubted it would be that easy. It was never that easy.

Clint and Natasha were flying the jet, but after a moment Steve got up and walked over to Kato before sitting beside her. His shoulder brushed against hers, making her shiver, and when they locked eyes Kato's cheeks warmed. They both smiled at each other, and Steve put a hand on her shoulder before getting up to talk to Tony.

Kato shook her head as he left, biting the inside of her cheek. What the hell was happening to her? She hadn't felt this way around Steve before. Did that mean there was some truth to what everyone was saying? Did Steve really have feelings for her? And did Kato really have feelings for him?

"Kato."

Kato looked up, seeing that it was Luca. He was standing before her with his arms crossed, but there was a look of concern on his face as he gazed down at her.

"You okay?" he asked.

Kato smiled and nodded, forcing a good mood. "I'll be fine. Let's just focus on taking down Ultron."

Luca frowned; clearly he didn't believe her. However, just as he started to speak, Natasha beat him to it, announcing to the team, "We're here."

They all stood up as the quinjet landed in a field outside a forest a few miles away. They needed to get in undetected, and that meant they had to go in on foot.

"Remember," Kato said to Bruce as the door to the jet opened. "Stay here unless we call for a Code Green."

Bruce nodded reluctantly, and as soon as they stepped outside the door closed, sealing him inside.

They walked across the field, sneaking into the salvage yard. They split up once they were inside - Tony, Steve, and Thor went to confront Ultron, while Clint, Natasha, Kato, and Luca were in the shadows as backup. Then they all took their respective positions, waiting for their cue to jump in.

Kato crouched behind a doorway, peering out to look at the scene before her. She saw Klaue standing with his men, along with the Maximoff twins. And the massive, human-like silver robot standing with them... that had to be Ultron. She was shocked by his upgrade - where had he gotten this body?

The sound of Ultron yelling brought Kato out of her thoughts. She looked up at him to see him kick a now one-armed, bleeding Ulysses Klaue down a set of stairs. Her eyes went wide, but she kept quiet. She couldn't blow her cover.

"Don't compare me with Stark!" Ultron yelled to Klaue, obviously furious. "Stark is... He's a sickness!"

That was when Tony arrived in his Iron Man suit, standing before Ultron with Thor and Steve by his side.

"Ahh, Junior," Tony said to the robot. "You're gonna break your old man's heart."

Ultron and the Maximoffs turned to him.

"If I have to," Ultron said.

"We don't have to break anything," Thor said to Ultron.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet," Ultron replied.

Tony turned to Steve and Thor. "He beat me by one second."

"Ah, this is funny, Mr. Stark," one of the twins - Pietro - said to him, stepping forward. "It's what, comfortable? Like old times?"