After multiple run-ins with death and many shocking self-discoveries in the course of a few months, all America Evans wants to do is hide away in Washington with Steve until she finds out who she really is. But life as an Avenger doesn't allow for a...
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AMERICA'S POV
I draw in a shallow breath and back into Steve as I see the figure that spoke. A deteriorating member of the Iron Legion, barely a skeleton, a suit with sparking blue eyes.
"Worthy... No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers." The voice is metallic, tired, broken, but menacing.
"Stark," Steve whispers sharply.
"JARVIS," Tony mutters, tapping his device impatiently.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a-dream?"
"Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit."
"There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."
My blood runs cold when he says this. "You- you killed someone?"
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."
"Who sent you?" Thor demands.
"I see a suit of armor around the world." Tony's voice. No. This can't be happening.
"Ultron," Bruce says, turning to Tony with understanding in his eyes. Ultron.
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."
"What mission?" Natasha asks. Thor's grip on his hammer tightens, Maria loads her gun, and I sneak behind the bar to retrieve a knife. My muscles tense, waiting.
"Peace in our time." More suits burst out through the wall, sending us all flying. I duck behind the bar counter to avoid as much of the debris as I can, but quickly realize that my little knife is pointless against suits of armor. We need force to break them. Enough momentum. With a new idea that will probably cost me later, I get up, ball my hand into a fist, and run toward the first suit I see at full speed. As expected, my hand goes straight through, but my skin rips with it. I hold in a groan and attack another one. After a few minutes, we've taken down all except one, and no one is badly injured. I walk over to Steve, keeping my sight on the last robot. Ultron.
"You okay?" He whispers. I nod, and he moves to stand in front of me just the slightest bit.
"That was dramatic," Ultron drones. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. 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?" He grabs one of his fallen suits and crushes the helmet. "With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction." Unable to stand any more, Thor throws his hammer at Ultron and sends him through the wall. As the light in the suit dies out, he starts to sing. "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me, no strings on me."
