Heroes Are Made | A Tony Stark series (fan fiction)

Win Together, Lose Together

3rd person's pov

Banner had searched the lab for answers as the team waited for Stark and Monroe's return. Natasha covered for the two as she made sure not to exploit her secrets, but no one was going to question them all things considered. It was as if the hard drive was wiped clean. Every ounce of research, every progress checkpoint. The elevator arrived with a ding, grabbing the attention of the team. As the couple walked in, Banner's expression gave away the fact that the news wasn't going to be so great.

Monroe's pov

"All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out. He used the Internet as an escape hatch." Bruce informed.

"Ultron," Steve muttered. My ocean eyes darted to his, knowing the disappointment in his voice. This is what Tony was talking about.

"He's been in everything. Files. Surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know each other." Nat Explained. 

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

"Nuclear codes." Hill connects. 

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

I rub Tony's back as his tense form towered over broken parts of Iron Legion. He pulled out a device from his pocket, ignoring the ongoing conversation.

"Nukes? He said he wanted us dead." Nat stated.

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

"He also said he killed somebody," Barton added.

"There wasn't anyone else in the building," I declared, turning to face the rest of the team.

"Yes, there was," Tony clarified his comment by showing us the hologram skeleton of Jarvis. It was broken down, glitching, and very much unresponsive. 

"What...?" Banner questioned, looking down at the AI's destroyed hologram. 

"This is insane," I lowly shared.

"Jarvis was the first line of defense. He would have shut Ultron down, it makes sense." Steve spelled out.

"No. Ultron could have assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is... rage." Banner corrected. Heavy footsteps suddenly echoed behind me. I turned to find Thor charging toward Tony. Stark was lifted in a chokehold by the god of thunder as everyone held a panicked expression.

"Come on. Use your words, buddy." Tony tried. I nearly lunged at Thor but was held back by Steve. None of us wanted things to escalate, but if he so much as makes a scratch on Stark...

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

"Thor. The legionnaire." Steve interrogated. I growled lowly, still gripped by Rogers. Thor set Tony down allowing me to be set free by the star-spangled blonde. The god of thunder groaned in defeat as I bared fangs in defense of the billionaire.

"Trail went cold about 100 miles out, but it's headed north." Thor's glaring eyes never left mine during his response. "And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again." 

I backed down, knowing primal instinct was taking over to be a little overprotective. 

"Genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present as Ultron," Nat remarked.

"I don't understand," Cho inserted herself to the conversation. "You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?" She turned to face Tony who was now laughing. I glared at the man, catching Banner in trying to stop the inevitable. Whatever is about to come out of Tony's mouth is about to start some real shit.