"Some days she felt like she was swimming in lies, treading water in a sea of deception. One day, surely, she would drown in her own secrets."
*~*~*~*
Venetia Sarafian was never like other women. Rather than sitting back and thinking of how she coul...
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"We're coming up on your stop, guys." Clint alerted Steve and Venetia as he brought the quinjet down to the roof's level of Helen's building. "Keep an eye out."
"Like Fury?" Venetia joked as she jumped down onto the roof, right behind Steve.
"That's a low blow," Natasha chuckled at the brunette's joke through the comms.
"Two minutes. Stay close." Steve tried to keep them focused as Clint raised the quinjet higher into the air, not wanting to draw too much attention if Ultron was already there.
"You know, you used to be more relaxed." Venetia commented as she melted the lock on the roof's door, allowing Steve to kick it open with ease.
"I could say the same thing about you," Steve countered as they hurried down the stairwell.
"Yes, well, we both know what kept us relaxed back then." Venetia cleared her throat as they reached the floor that held Helen's lab. Their brief conversation was abandoned as they made their way into the quiet space, looking around for any sign of life. However, they found themselves instead greeted by the lifeless bodies of Helen's staff.
"Dr. Cho!" Steve rushed over to where the doctor was propped up against a crate, blood staining the top of her shirt.
"Her's breathing's unsteady," Venetia noted as she tried to look the other woman over. "Looks like he just missed her heart."
"He's uploading himself into the body." Helen grabbed onto Venetia's hands to stop her efforts, forcing her and Steve to listen.
"Where?" Steve asked.
"The real power is inside the Cradle," Helen stressed to them. "The gem. It's power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark."
"First we have to find it," Steve shared a glance with Venetia.
"Go," Helen pushed Venetia back with what little strength she had.
"Someone will be here to help you soon," Venetia promised before she and Steve headed out of the lab, back toward the stairs.
"Did you guys catch that?" Steve spoke into his comm.
"We did," Clint confirmed.
"I got a private jet taking off across town," Natasha alerted them. Steve and Venetia listened as they slipped out of the building, their gazes scanning the busy streets around them for any sign of Ultron. "No manifest. Could be him."
