Captain's Hart and Soul

Chapter 5 Wakanda

Early hours April 10, 2015

Tony, Bruce, Nat, Maria, and Arianna had spent the night searching through files, news, and the internet. Thor, Clint, and Steve stayed with them, Clint working closely with his two girls, while Thor and Steve discussed and helped wherever they could. Rhodey was escorting Helen back to Korea, before he returned to his duties with the US military, although he'd told them he'd be ready to help if they called.

The Avengers worked until the sun came up, each only moving when it was their turn to go wash up and get more comfortable. Steve was the last one to go, after giving a quick kiss on Arianna's cheek.

He finished up, dressed in a workout shirt and loose training pants, and returned to the ruined communal lounge just as Maria came to give him the latest updates.

Maria explained to Steve: "He's all over the globe. Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs, reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place."

"Fatalities?" Steve checked immediately, and Maria answered with a small shake of her head: "Only when engaged."

The pair made their way to the stairs leading to the lab, as Maria elaborated: "Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and something too fast to see."

"Maximoffs." Steve murmured.

He sighed as he added thoughtfully: "Well, that makes sense he'd go to them, they have someone in common."

"Not anymore." Maria corrected, and she handed Steve the tablet she'd been holding.

He looked down at it to see Strucker's dead body in his prison cell. The picture had captured just the outline of a robotic arm, clearly indicating Ultron, and on the wall beside Strucker's body was one word painted in the dead man's blood: 'PEACE'.

Steve's jaw locked and his face became even grimmer before he nodded and they continued their way back to the lab. As they approached, Steve could hear Clint talking quietly in a corner of the room outside the lab doors: "That's a negative. I answer to you. Yes, ma'am."

"Barton," Steve called as he stopped by the doors, "we might have something."

Clint nodded, and muttered into his phone: "Gotta go."

He hung up, shoving his phone into his pocket as Steve asked, a little surprised that Clint would be on his phone at a time like this: "Who was that?"

"Girlfriend." Clint shrugged. Steve's brow lifted, but he didn't comment as he walked back into the lab. Arianna looked up as he did and she walked over to meet him, leaving Nat and Tony at their computer.

They all raised their brows as Steve handed Thor, who was closest, his tablet. Thor glanced down at the picture as Steve wrapped his arm around Arianna briefly, and Tony asked as he walked over curiously: "What's this?"

"A message." Steve explained, while Thor smacked the tablet into Tony's stomach.

Tony took it as Steve told the rest: "Ultron killed Strucker."

Arianna and Nat frowned, while Tony looked down at the picture and commented: "And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us."

Bruce wandered over to also take a look, while Nat pointed out: "This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"

"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss." Steve agreed thoughtfully.

Arianna and Nat exchanged looks, and the redhead quickly typed at the computer, muttering: "Yeah, I bet he... Yep."