UNKNOWN GUEST

#68 Is He Normal?

Author's POV-

The chaos had finally settled. The Avengers had managed to rescue the people on that massive flying chunk of Sokovia and destroy it in mid-air before it could wreak any more havoc. Vision, the newly created android, had been instrumental in the victory. Tony had already decided to bring him back to New York, seeing the potential for good in him. 

But there was still some unfinished business. The Hulk had gone off the radar, and SHIELD was scrambling to locate him. Despite all that, the day had been saved. But with victory came a somber undertone. Wanda, the girl with the incredible powers, had lost her brother. Pietro had sacrificed himself for everyone, a heroic act that left a lingering sadness over the team.

The Avengers were now on their way back to New York in the SHIELD helicarrier. Steve and Thor were sitting together, possibly chatting about the battle or simply trying to decompress. Meanwhile, Fury approached the others—Tony, Clint, and Natasha—his usual stern expression on his face, though there was an edge of concern to it.

"Well," Fury began, his voice cutting through the murmur of the helicarrier, "things worked out somehow. But, where is my agent?" He paused, looking directly at Tony. "Agent Roberts. Where is Jason Roberts?"

The question hit them like a ton of bricks. Clint and Natasha exchanged glances, a mixture of confusion and worry passing between them. Clint furrowed his brow, realizing how long it had been since he'd seen the young agent.

"I haven't seen him since we flew to Korea," Clint admitted, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Natasha nodded, her expression growing more concerned. "Same here."

Fury's jaw clenched, the tension building in his features. "Don't tell me... you guys..." He hesitated, as if the words themselves might make the worst come true. The fear of what could have happened to Jason was palpable.

Natasha gasped, placing a hand over her mouth as a horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Did we... did he... what happened to him?"

Clint, ever the pragmatist, tried to keep things from spiraling out of control. "Let's... ask Cap. He must be with him."

But Natasha shook her head, the dread only deepening. "I was with Steve during this chaos. Jason wasn't there." Her voice quivered slightly as she turned to Clint, the fear becoming almost too much to contain. "Clint, did we lose—"

"Don't say it," Clint snapped, cutting her off before she could finish the sentence. The possibility was too terrible to entertain.

Just then, Steve walked up to them, Thor by his side. The tension in the air was thick as everyone turned to him, hoping for some sort of explanation.

Tony was the first to speak. "Cap, what about Jason?"

Steve sighed, the weight of the situation clear in his eyes. "About that..." he began, but the hesitation in his voice worried Natasha even more. Something in Steve's demeanor told her that whatever he was about to say wouldn't be good.

Steve took a deep breath, his shoulders heavy with the burden of what he had to share. "Ultron... shot him."

The words hung in the air, and everyone looked at Steve, waiting for him to continue, to explain what had happened.

Steve nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor as he recounted the event. "At Dr. Cho's lab, Ultron shot him and ran away with the machine. Dr. Cho assured me that he'd be fine."

Natasha's eyes widened in shock and anger. "And you didn't think it was important enough to share?!"

Steve shook his head, guilt etched into his features. "There wasn't any right time. First, Ultron abducted you. Then the creation of Vision, then Sokovia... then we lost... this kid's brother," he added, glancing briefly at Wanda, who was sitting in the corner, lost in her own grief. "There were so many things going on that... I couldn't tell you anything."