Just A Normal Kid

Chapter 22

Rosie had Marlene monitor her comms, choosing to focus her attention on piloting the suit. 

Finding a way to stop Ultron wasn't her priority; her job was to get the civilians to safety. Blasting any stray bots that were trying to escape the flying city was satisfying, but their numbers were quickly dwindling thanks to the Avengers. Now that they didn't have to worry about civilians getting hurt, the team was able to use complete and deadly force in taking out all of Ultron's minions.

Ultron had used the Vibranium he got from Klaue to build huge engine-like machines that were currently lifting the city into the air, intending to use Novi Grad as a meteorite of sorts to carry out his plan of global extinction. All he needed to do was get to the core in the church at the center of the city and activate it to get the city to drop like a stone, annihilating all life on the planet. 

Their only saving grace - for now - was that they weren't high enough for the impact to affect the entire globe and Ultron couldn't put his plan into action for some more time.

That said, they were getting closer and closer to that height every second and Rosie knew that Ultron would be doing his best to activate the core that the Avengers were protecting. Despite her faith in their abilities, this was something that couldn't be left to chance. "Is there anyway we can shut down the engines?" she asked Marlene.

It was FRIDAY who answered. "No. Best we can do is vaporise the city."

"How people are still left here?" Rosie asked, already scanning for any remaining heat signatures as she flew overhead. They had to get as many civilians onto the lifeboats as they could, if not all.

"Not many now. I am directing you to the last major group now."

"Thanks FRI."

Rosie dove in through one of the windows and landed on the floor with a thump. It looked like an office building, but was now full of families that were cowering under desks and behind cabinets. There had to be al teast a hundred people in here.

"Help is coming. I need you all to get onto the flying boats and leave."

The message was being passed around the room when she switched to the SHIELD frequency, "Klein! I've got a hundred or so civilians at my current position. Most seem to be families."

"Roger. Um, sending boats seven and three over. "

The low hum of the engines sounded immediately after, as if on cue and two large lifeboats began lowering in front of the building. "Go!" She waved the Sokovians outside. "Let's move, people. Load up! We haven't got long!" 

Others came running out of the boats and hurried the terrified civilians aboard and they were all taken off-ground within minutes. She had no idea how much longer she spent herding people towards lifeboats when Marlene filtered - "That's the last of them. Get on the boats." - through the comms.

The very last one was almost done loading up and Rosie was just helping the SHIELD staff un-dock it when a woman screamed, "Costel? We were in the market. Costel!"

Clint, who was on the same boat, looked like he was going to jump out to find the kid, but Rosie firmly pushed him back onto it and scanned their surroundings for heat signatures. There were quite a few from fires and explosions, but she quickly found the boy who was pinned under a beam. He looked about nine or ten years old and was covered in soot and dust. She carefully pushed the beam off of him and lifted him up.

Halfway back to the boat, she saw a jet aiming at them, no doubt getting ready to shoot. There was no way she could avoid it while carrying the kid, so she quickly spun around, covering him with her armored body. It somewhat worked.