Work This Out

Chapter 22 ~ Pinocchio

"Worthy... no... how could you be worthy? You're all killers." A robot says as it limps into view, making us all stand up.

"Stark," Dad says.

"JARVIS," Tony calls out.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a-dream?" The robot continues.

Tony taps on the tablet in his hand. "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." The robot says as he stumbles to keep balance.

"You killed someone?" Dad questions.

Before he can continue I start laughing. "Alright Stark jokes over. I know this is a prank."

"I don't think this is a prank (Y/n)," Roy mutters.

"Look Pinocchio, you're crashing our party here so how about you take your broken robotic butt to the elevator and leave," I say to it.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices." The robot says, answering Dad's question. It turns to me. "Don't think I won't hesitate to kill you too."

"Try me bitch." I dare. Dad slaps the back of my head.

"Who sent you?" Thor asks.

The robot plays a recording, 'I see a suit of armor around the world.' It was Tony's voice.

"Ultron!" Bruce says. I look at him confused.

"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission." Ultron says. I nudge Roy, telling him to get ready because I already know something is gonna go down. I look to see Thor ready his hammer and Maria loads her gun. Roy slowly bends down to grab the katanas.

"What mission?" Natasha asks.

"Peace in our time," Ultron says and then Tony's Iron Legion smashes through the wall behind him.

I quickly grab Roy as Dad pushes us out of the way and kicks the table in front of him, but is thrown back by a robot. Roy and I fall to the ground and I look at him.

"You okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah I'm fine." He answers.

We get up just as a legionnaire flies down at me, trying to scoop me up. I'm ready to attack it, but just then Roy swings his katana and cuts the robot in half. I look at him and smile, he smiles back. I give him a fist pump and then run to take the other legionnaires down, knowing Roy can handle himself.

I quickly take off my heels because I know I can't run in them and I take down some more bots as they keep coming. Glass is flying everywhere, gunshots are being fired, and blasts are fired towards us. I see Dad jump on a legionnaire's back and punch at it, but the thing flies backwards smashing him into the wall behind them.

As I'm running I see a legionnaire near Doctor Cho. I run to her and speed punch the robot, breaking it into pieces.

"Are you alright?" I ask her. She nods and I run off again.

I take down another bot as I hear Clint call out to Dad.

"Cap!" He yells and throws Dad his shield.

Dad catches the shield and throws it at the last bot, breaking it into pieces.

"That was dramatic!" Ultron says as we all look at him.

"Yeah, coming from you Pinocchio," I say back to him.

"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 picks up one of the dismantled Iron Legions. "With these? These puppets?" He crushes the robot's face. Roy comes up beside me, katanas still in his hands. I look at him and he looks back. We then focus on Ultron as he continues. "There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."