Rip My Heart Out (Avengers Age of Ultron)

Chapter 23

"So, who is this guy, exactly?" I asked Steve, entering the Barton's kitchen.

Steve leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. "His name is Nick Fury. He was the director of SHIELD before we took it down. We can trust him."

I nodded. If Steve says we can trust him, then I do.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time." Fury began. "My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with; I don't think he's building just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve sounded from beside me. This was his Captain America voice, not his Steve voice. The difference was still surprising to me.

"He's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a catholic rabbit. It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"What about the Maximoffs? If Emelia could track them down and then shadow them, she could listen in. Wherever they are, they're bound to be in the thick of Ultron's plans." Tony said, casually throwing darts into the dartboard across the dining room from where Steve and I stood. Steve stiffened at the mention of my name.

"Emelia's not going to be able to help us with this." He said in a stern tone. No one wanted to question him after seeing the look in his eyes.

"Steve, that's not asking a lot. Maybe..." I said quietly, just to him.

"Emelia, we have to draw a line somewhere, or you'll never stop using your powers and putting others in front of your own well being. He'll turn up. They always do. We'll figure this out together." He said, holding the stern tone in his voice, but softening his gaze.

I nodded. Maybe he was right. If I was going to hope to use my powers for good in the future, first I needed to make it through this transition. I wasn't sure exactly what would happen if I pushed myself too far too soon, but I did know it wouldn't be good.

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony said, changing the subject.

"Yes he is." Fury responded. "But he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony said, not taking his eyes off the dartboard. He definitely liked to brag, even if he was trying to make a point, he couldn't resist.

"Well, I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that." Fury responded.

"Nexus?" Steve asked, confused. Poor guy. Even I knew about the Nexus. I guess they didn't have that in the forties.

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on the planet." Bruce said, ever the patient one.

"So what'd they say?" Clint asked, eyeing the dart in his hand.

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

"By whom? Tony said, asking the question everyone wanted to know. A dart whirred by Tony's head and landed square in the middle of the bullseye. Clint shrugged from the kitchen. I smiled at Tony's face.

"Parties unknown." Fury responded, also noticing Clint's direct hit.

"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asked Fury.

"Ultron's got an enemy, that's not the same thing. Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is." He responded.

"I might need to pay a visit to Oslo." Tony said, giving up on the darts. "Find our unknown."