UNKNOWN GUEST

#67 Metals Don't Bleed

As Mom and I walked downstairs, the murmur of voices filled the air. The rest of the Avengers, minus Thor, were gathered in the living room, with Fury sitting among them, his usual stoic presence dominating the space. Mom found a seat at the dining table, while I hung back, hovering near the staircase.

Fury's single eye turned towards me, and I gave a short wave, "Hi, boss."

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between me and the others. I could feel the eyes of the Avengers on me, and I shrugged with a smirk, "They don't fail to remind me that I'm not an Avenger. So, technically, you're my boss."

Fury rolled his eye, clearly unimpressed with my logic, before turning back to the group. "So, Ultron took you folks out of the game to buy himself some time. My contacts say he's up to something, moving around for a reason."

He got up from his chair with a sigh, his expression serious. "The amount of Vibranium he's acquired, I don't think it's just for one thing."

The conversation shifted as they discussed Ultron's movements, trying to piece together his plan. Mom leaned back in her chair, a hint of impatience in her voice, "That's all? When I saw you, I thought you must have more than this."

Fury shrugged, unfazed. "I do. I have you guys. Back in the day, I had eyes and ears everywhere in the world. You kids had all the tech you could dream up. Now here we are, back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and will to save the world. Whether he admits it or not, Ultron has a mission—global destruction—and he thinks the Avengers are in his way. So stand up. Outwit the platinum bastard."

Mom arched an eyebrow at Dad, a playful glint in her eyes. "Steve doesn't like this kind of talk."

Dad rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for banter. "You know what, Romanoff?"

Fury took his seat again, leaning back as he addressed the room. "So, what does he want?"

Dad sighed, running a hand through his hair, a gesture that spoke volumes about his frustration. "To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies."

Uncle Tony jumped in, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Personal bodies."

Bruce, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up, his tone thoughtful. "Ultron doesn't need to be protected. He wants to evolve. He wants to become someone like us, a human."

That was it—a spark of realization hit me like a lightning bolt. If Ultron wanted to become one of us, to build a body, what did he need? The principal component of the human body is...cells. Living cells.

I stepped forward, cutting through the haze of their conversation. "We need to head to Seoul."

Everyone turned to look at me—Uncle Clint, Dad, Mom. Even Bruce and Tony exchanged a glance, the wheels turning in their heads. Dr. Banner sighed, nodding in agreement. "Dr. Helen Cho is there."

The decision was made. Time to suit up.

Soon enough, Uncle Clint, Dad, Mom, and I were flying toward Seoul, the weight of our mission hanging heavy in the air. I pulled out my phone and tried to call Dr. Cho, hoping against hope that she would pick up. The call went through, but no one answered.

"Come on, come on, Helen, pick up the phone," I muttered under my breath, trying again and again. Each attempt ended with the same frustrating silence.

Dad glanced over at me, noticing my growing anxiety. "Who are you calling?"

I sighed, "Hel—Dr. Cho. She's not responding."

Mom, sitting close by, added quietly, "We couldn't figure out his intentions earlier."