SHADOW [Avengers: AOU]

XXIV. For Her

The rest of the Avengers surrounded Tony in a circle as he leaned against his now cracked working bench—the one Shadow had thrown him into—as he had just finished explain all of the events that just took place in the lab right before they showed up and Jacqueline was gone once again.

"And, as you can see by the lovely dark shades on my neck," Tony pauses while gesturing to his bruising skin on his neck. "That thing took the prototype suit I had designed for the kid. So, that might have made this a little harder on our side."

"Vision was right. The Source has full control now." Natasha says, arms crossed over her chest and brows furrowed.

"But that's not all. Before Shadow pushed Jacqueline back into the dark and tossed me like a rag doll, the kid told me that they would go after him...that they'd go after Ultron. Apparently, the Source plans on using him for whatever it is planning, then it's gonna kill him. At least someone will."

All eyes went set on Vision who's gaze only met with his father.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, buddy." The billionaire crossed his arms.

"You let him live." Wanda stepped away from standing by her brothers side and stood in front of the android while Pietro watched the two of them.

"Yes." Vision says. He kept his face neutral at the look of betrayal that took over her features.

"Why?! How could you, Viz?! After everything he did—"

"It was Jacqueline, Wanda" He cut her off looking to the young witch then her sibling, and to the rest of the group, "She's the reason why I didn't fulfill my task of elimination Ultron. He wanted to live for her. I know it may be hard for you all to believe, but he has changed. He's changed for her. His only purpose now is to be there for her. Not for destruction or so called evolution of the human race. But for her. I do not regret the choice I've made."

"Yeah, well you should. We don't know what that thing will want Ultron to cook up." Rhodey speaks up.

"The Source wants Ultron for something. And no doubt they'll use Jacqueline as a barging chip to get him to comply." Clint says.

"That is if what Vision's saying is true, and he does really care about this girl then that means he'll do anything to save her." Sam said.

"We need to find them. Now." Steve says and the group quickly dispersed.

=•=•=•=

At the abandoned warehouse Ultron anaylised the materials in front of him on his work bench. The robot had been tinkering with a few things that he found laying around. Quickly putting the pieces together using his homemade tools. In record time did he finish his little project. He held the petite metal box up in the light before bringing it back down.

"A little polish and it'l be perfect."

Suddenly he felt like someone was watching him. Turning at the sound of footsteps approaching behind him he set the box on the table, taking a near by cloth and covering it.

"Ultron." A familiar voice said. The robot turned around fully and faced his visitor red eyes shining bright.

"Jacqueline! I was worried. It been a while since..."