Into the Fray {Marvel} ||4||

9. "Clear and Present is Ultron."

The first thing we noticed in the lab was that Loki's scepter had been taken. Thor volunteered to track the robot that escaped with it down. Meanwhile, the rest of us were assessing Ultron's damage in the lab.

"All our work is gone," said Bruce. "Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron," Steve murmured.

"He's been in everything," Tasha reported. "Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other."

"He's in your files, he's in the internet," said Rhodey. "What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"

"Nuclear codes," said Maria Hill.

"Nuclear codes. Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."

"Nukes?" asked Tasha. "He said he wanted us dead."

"He didn't say dead," said Steve. "He said extinct."

"He also said he killed somebody," said Clint.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building," said Hill.

"Yes there was," said Tony. He brought up something in front of us, a 3D model of J.A.R.V.I.S.'s consciousness.

"Oh, no," I whispered.

"This is insane," said Bruce.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. was the first line of defense," said Steve. I circled the orange consciousness. "He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense."

"No, Ultron could've assimilated J.A.R.V.I.S. This isn't strategy, this is...rage."

Thor returned in that second, and his first act was to grab Tony by the throat and hoist him into the air.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Clint said. "It's going around."

"Come on," Tony said to Thor. "Use your words, buddy."

"I have more than enough to describe you, Stark," Thor snarled.

"Thor! The Legionnaire," Steve barked.

Thor released Tony. "Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again."

"I hate the bloody robot," I growled. "We literally just secured it!"

"The genie's out of the bottle," Tasha said. "Clear and present is Ultron."

"I don't understand," said Dr. Cho. I completely forgot she had stayed even after most of the guests left. "You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony started laughing. Bruce shook his head, trying to get his science pal to stop. I squinted my eyes at Tony. I failed to see why there was a need for laughter. The rest of the group failed to see it, either.

"You think this is funny?" Thor snapped.

"No. It's probably not, right? Is this very terrible? Is it so...is it so...it is. It's so terrible."

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"I'm sorry, we need a robot who wants to destroy us?" I squeaked. "Please tell me you did not just lose your mind, Tony Stark."

"Tony," Bruce cut in, "maybe this might not be the time to..."