Rising from the Ashes

Code Green... and Red?

Ash's POV

As soon as Ultron made the first blow, everyone was everywhere fighting and I stood in the middle of the fray before setting my sights on Nat and, feeling my rage start to set in, I went after her.

I didn't get within 5 feet of her before she sensed me coming and she grabbed me and kept me locked against a wall with my arms twisted behind my back.

"What are you doing?!"

"Fighting for my own..." I growled before igniting my hands to burn her into letting me go so I could retaliate with a swift kick to her side to throw her off balance.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Nat questioned as she got back up and we engaged in one on one.

"None of you told me that you had to fight Xavion when you stormed that base!" I snapped angrily as I threw a punch and she caught it before pushing me back.

"Because we didn't want to have to tell you that we lost him after saving him."

"What are you talking about?!" I lunged at Nat and grabbed her forehead with one hand, about to throw her to the side like she taught me before my mind's eye started seeing different hazy scenes; Nat's memories.

"He's here!" Nat's voice sounded while looking out at the battlefield in front of "me" in Nat's perspective. Looking up I could see a fiery streak flying above before realizing it was my mind-controlled friend when he started to rain down fireballs onto the team.

"Get the EMP cannon ready!" Tony's voice came through Nat's earpiece.

I saw "myself" lifting a high tech weapon and aimed it at the approaching red blur before firing a shimmery blast of energy that hit Xavion dead on, but it didn't seem to hurt him until the collar around his neck started to spark up before the red light on it went out and he was left hovering right above me.

"Kid, you need to get back to our ship now if you want to see your friend again." Nat's voice called out to him while he was clutching his head in pain.

"Lumna...." Xavion groaned with pain before he managed to straighten up again.

"Go! Now!" Nat yelled at him and he took off in the direction of the Quinjet.

Just when it seemed like he was going to make it, something shot him out of the sky and he plummeted toward the ground as his fire died out and left him as a falling smoking streak.

"No!"

I was starting to get pulled out of the memories as Wanda came over and had used her powers on Nat putting her in her worst nightmare and the few glimpses I got before I fully came out were enough to fill me with a chilling horrific sensation.

"Are you alright?" Wanda questioned worriedly and I just breathed deeply with the sense of clarity I had received from the experience of living in someone else's memories and worst fear. Pure anger and hatred turned to fear as I wordlessly shook my head at Wanda's question.

"Pietro!"

Before I knew what had happened, I was standing back outside near the giant shipping containers and Pietro was there telling me,

"Stay here..."

Before disappearing again in a blue and silver blur, leaving me to take in all that I learned in the last few minutes; Ultron had lied to me about the Avengers deliberately attacking my friend and now, most likely, he was still lying, but what I couldn't figure out was what he was really trying to accomplish. The Vibranium, recruiting the twins, turning me to his side; they all played a part in his ultimate plan for ending the Avengers.