Persuasion »Quicksilver

Back Into The Fight

I trace a pattern across the white worktop,slow and calming, as i prepare myself for what Nick Fury has to tell us. Our damaged group are packed into Clint's Kitchen, and to a stranger we probably looked like an unremarkable group of friends.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time," Fury informs us, sending a shiver dancing through me  "My contacts all say he's building something." 

Clint's daughter runs into the room, a piece of  paper in her little hands, unaware of the heavy conversation. She rushes round the table and gives it to Natasha, a smile bursting on her face. Walking across the room, towards Tony by the dartboard, I notice it is a cute childish drawing of a butterfly. 

"The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing." Fury continues, folding his arms across his chest.

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asks, leaning on the doorframe.

Grabbing a dart, I quickly throw it at the board. It lands with a sharp thud, barely missing bullseye, before Tony. He narrows his eyes at me- to which i stick out my tongue.

"Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere." Nick fury replies, as Tony picks up his own dart. "Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"He still going after launch codes?" Tony asks, throwing his dart lazily. It lands with a thud next to my own and he gives me wink.

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Stark says, turning to look at Fury. 

I snort, giving him a mocking silent clap. Tony bows.

"Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that."

"NEXUS?" Steve asks, confused

Before Fury can reply, Bruce answers,

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo, every byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth."

"So what'd they say?" Clint questions from the kitchen,absentmindedly playing with a dart.

"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed."

Tony walks past me and reaches to pull out the darts.

"By whom?" He asks.

Suddenly Barton's dart shoots past us landing on the bullseye with a thump. Tony and I both look behind us at Barton, who shrugs smirking.

"Parties unknown."

"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asks hopefully.

"Ultron's got an enemy, but that's not the same thing"

"He has friends? I would love to meet them." I mutter sarcastically.

"Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is." Fury continues.

"I might need to visit Oslo, find our "unknown."" Tony says, as we move into the main room after our humiliating darts defeat to Barton (not that we had a chance, though it does not make the loss less sad.)