Phoenix <Book 1>

Part 2 Chapter 3

Clint had moved from the couch to the floor in front of Ashlyn and she was running her fingers through his hair. Natasha had joined her friend on the couch, "It's s joke. He who is worthy!", and the group had got onto Thor's hammer. "Then by all means.", Clint stood up and handed Ashlyn his drumsticks, "We all understand that you've had an off week." Clint looked at Tony, "I've seen this before.", he wrapped his hand around the handle and pulled, "And I still don't know how you do it.", he chuckled and walked back to his seat, Ashlyn leant forward and handed him the drumsticks and gave him a kiss, "Smell the silent judgment.", Ashlyn smirked, "Then by all means Stark, give it a turn." He looked at Ashlyn who wore a smug smirk and a raised eyebrow, "I'm never one to back away from an honest challenge.", Ashlyn rolled her eyes, "If I lift this, I then in turn rule Asgard?", Ashlyn nodded, "That's how it works, thought you were a genius Stark." Steve chuckled at her along with Clint and Natasha, "Well then I will be reinstating Prima Nocta." Ashlyn scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Vy ste určite nie je hoden, ty prasa." Natasha laughed and Tony gave a glare though he had no idea what she said. He pulled, "I'll be right back.", he came back with a blaster. And pulled while using the propeller, still nothing. Rhodey joined him with the hand of war machine, "Are you on my team?", Ashlyn shook her head, "Just represent." Ashlyn smiled has the two failed, "Shut it Asher." She glared, "You're an ass." Maria took a drink then pointed her finger at Ashlyn, "Steve, Ash said a bad word." He looked at Tony, "Did you tell everyone about that?", Bruce chuckled and stood up, pulling at the handle and when he failed, he acted angry. Everyone raised an eyebrow, "uh.", Steve was next, and Ashlyn leant forward with her eyebrows raised in anticipation, it moved a bit and she smirked but it fell when he failed to raise it. Everyone looked at Ashlyn and Natasha, "Widow?", she simply shook her head, "Asher?", she looked down, "If Steve wasn't able to lift it, I'm definitely not." Tony looked at her and noticed the sincerity in her eyes when she said that, "It's rigged, the actually translation is he who has Thor's finger prints, I think." Ashlyn shook her head, "I have an easier one?" Ashlyn raised her eyebrow and watched has he effortlessly picked it up, "You're all not worthy." Ashlyn chuckled, but quickly covered her ears when a high pitched and loud screeching filled her ears. "Worthy? How can you all be worthy?", Ashlyn looked at Tony, "Uh Jarvis?", she flicked her wrist slightly and the familiar glow filled her hands, "You're all murderers." The robot looked at Ashlyn, "Some more than others.", she grit her teeth, "Who sent you?", Clint looked at her, "I see a iron suit around the world." It was Tony's voice and Ashlyn glanced at Tony, "Ultron." She looked at Bruce, "I was tangled in string, confused. I had to kill the other guy, he was a good guy." Ashlyn and Steve both stepped forward, everyone else grabbing their weapons, "You killed someone?", the robot looked at the two, "It wasn't the best call but when in the real world.", she glared at him, "Why are you here?", the robot looked at her, "Peace in our time.", with that dozens of iron legions broke into the room and it was crazy.

Ashlyn was on the second level striking an Iron legion with her powers when she seen Steve's shield, "Captain!", he looked at her and she tossed it perfectly to him, and he beat a robot, one hit Ashlyn and she rolled in the air and landed on the floor and tore the robot apart with her powers. "That was dramatic. I'm sorry. I know you mean well, but you just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve? With these?! These puppets?!. There's only one path to peace, the Avengers' extinction.", with that Ashlyn blew the robot up with her powers, "What the hell is going on?", with that Ashlyn walked away to the elevator and the group quickly followed her.

"Hes gone, escaped through the Internet." She looked down, "Damn it, alright. That means he has been in our files, he probably knows more about us then we do." She sighed and walked around. She stopped and Clint was watching her every move, actually everyone was. "He said he killed someone, but we were the only ones in the tower.", she turned around and started messing with one of the computers, "Who'd he kill?", she zoned out has she began typing and an alert was sent to her, "He is going after nuclear codes." She farrowed her eyebrows in thought, "He said he wanted us dead.", she shook her head, "No, he said extinct." She began walking around again, and Tony could tell she was stressed, "He killed Jarvis in rage, he attacked us, then hacked our system, he's going after nuclear codes. Tony what the hell did you make?", Clint walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her and she sighed and rested against him, but her eyes still held her worry and concern. "We were suppose to be different than S.H.I.E.L.D, why the secret?", Tony looked at her and scoffed but her glared stopped him, "Does no one remember New York?", Ashlyn rolled her eyes, "How'd we do that?", she glared at him, "Together.", Tony nodded, "Now we face Ultron." Steve looked at them, "We could lose." Ashlyn looked at him, "Then we'll lose together too. Come on, let's start making the world a smaller place." She walked out and left the group in silence, Clint looked at Natasha, making her shrug, so Clint went after her.

Ashlyn stood in one of the hallways, her hand in her stomach and her eyes pooled with tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat and cleared her eyes before standing straight. "What's wrong?", she looked at Clint, "We let him get out, now the world is in danger. The world we swore to protect. If we can't even protect ourselves and the ones we love how are we-", Clint stopped her, "Where's this coming from?", she looked down, "I witnessed you all fight against these robots and I couldn't help but think, what if we weren't who we are and that happened? We'd all be dead." He placed his hands on her shoulders, "But we aren't." She looked at him, "But you could've been!", she closed her eyes and looked down, "I've already had to see you hurt, I don't want to see you dead. I mean I'm, I just can't lose you." She looked down and he gave her a kiss, "Hey, I've got your back and you've got mine. We protect each other, we're a team. Remember?", she nodded, "Yeah, I do." He hugged her and she returned it.