𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 | ᵠᵘⁱᶜᵏˢⁱˡᵛᵉʳ

Chapter 16

I held a child in my arms as I ran from a building, to the safety of a boat, eventually passing the child over to his father.

"Avengers, time to work for a living." Tony's voice rang through my ears.

Quickly, I teleported to the others, taking out two robots in one quick motion.

"Is that the best you can do?" I mentally cursed Thor as he yelled at Ultron.

Ultron rose a single hand, causing hundreds of his little minions to come running, and flying, to his side. "This is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?"

"That sounds like a song." I spoke to myself, but heard a gentle chuckle come from Wanda.

"Not the time or place." She looked at me, her face hardening once again.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"Well," Tony spoke, glancing at Steve. "like the old man said... Together."

Hulk roared, which frightened me slightly, but I quickly recovered. The miniature Ultrons came for us, and we fought back. If we, the Avengers, were in a movie, we would have looked pretty damn badass as we fought these bots.

"Sky, care to come help?" Tony questioned.

I held a robot back by its face as I took a look behind me. Thor, Vision, and Tony were each holding back Ultron. I came to their aid, after killing the bot, and sent a stream of electricity to Ultron's face, helping the others make him collapse to the ground.

Ultron groaned once we stopped and he stood. "You know, with the benefit of hindsight-" I teleported to Ultron, placing my hand against his chest and let the electricity out through his body. The second my hand let go, Hulk gave Ultron an upper cut, making him fly through the air.

"Hell yeah!" I cheered through a laugh, watching Hulk chase the smaller Ultrons.

"They'll try to leave the city." Thor's warning made me regret my previous statement.

"We gotta move out." Steve instructed. "Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats. Sky and I will sweep for stragglers. Be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint and I looked at each other as we spoke the same words.

"I'll protect it." Wanda caught our attention. "It's my job."

Nat, Clint, and Steve left. I began to follow behind them, when Pietro showed up. "Get the people to the boats."

Pietro looked behind me, to his sister. "I'm not going to leave my sister here."

"She can handle this." I began to walk away.

Pietro grabbed my arm, turning me to face him. He gave me a slight smirk. "You know, you're cute when you're bossy."

"Go." I rolled my eyes, chuckling and shoving him lightly.

After sweeping the city, a rush of anxiety went down my body as the boats came into my line of view. And then, as if on cue, everything moved in slow motion.

"I'm not tied to anyone."

I heard through my mind. Glancing around, there was no one in sight, causing me to be even more confused than I already was. Next came the gun shots; rapid fire. The were slow, like my movements.

I could see Clint and a young boy a distance away. Teleporting to them, I was just in time as Pietro tucked the pair behind a car to hide them. My hand wrapped around Pietro's wrist and we teleported to a building behind us.

Once safe, I winced upon taking a sharp intake of breath. My body collapsed to the ground.

"Sky!" Steve's voice sounded so far away.

It became harder to breath.

"Skylar." I would never get tired of Pietro's enchanting accent, though it sounded just as far as Steve's. I had saved him, hadn't I? "You're bleeding."

I felt my body lift from the ground, and for the smallest of seconds, I thought I was flying, until I caught a glimpse of Steve.

"Keep your eyes open." Steve instructed, holding onto my face once I was back on the ground. "Stay with me, Skylar."

"Clint." I whispered, instantly regretting it as a metallic liquid covered the inside of my mouth and throat, choking me harshly, then spitting it out.

"He's fine. So's the boy." Steve reassured me.

I could only bring myself to nod, feeling my eyes getting heavy, as if I hadn't slept in weeks.

"No, Sky. Keep them open." Steve shook me as the boat lifted into the air and the city fell.

~~

"The Avengers need you both." Steve handed Pietro my last bag.

"And we'll always need the Avengers."

"You'll always have a home here, you know." Steve stepped closer to my weak frame.

I smiled at my friend. "I'll come back. We both will."

Steve smiled back. "Be home for Christmas and Thanksgiving." He joked.

"You're the father I never got to have, Steve Rogers."

"I'm going to miss you, kiddo." Steve pulled me in for a gentle hug, being careful of my still healing bullet wounds. He pulled away. "Take care of each other."

"With my life." Pietro put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

"Where are you off to, again?"

"To find my past. He's been looking for me since the 80s. Might as well let him know that I'm alive." I answered.

Steve rose an eyebrow. "Won't he be in his 40's or something now?"

I nodded. "I hope so. I don't want him to be stuck like I am."

"We should go." Pietro placed a hand on my lower back.

I took a final look at the building that I would be leaving behind, and the people inside. They were my saviors in a weird way. Without them, I probably would be dead, or still stuck in that horrible place. I owe my life to the Avengers. But, I believe that a lot of people do.

The End