Clint locked another arrow into place and fired it. As it made contact with its robotic mark, the archer pressed a trigger to ignite a hidden effect. Electricity leapt from bot to bot in thin, deadly white streams and they collapsed, hissing and spitting sparks and gifting the volts of death to the next bot.
The city of New York was flooded with these unknown terrors but Hawkeye's skills had cleared the surrounding area giving him a chance to listen for any remaining threat. Clint studied the sky for a moment then touched his comm.
"Hey is everyone still alive?" He panted, "I can't hear any fighting or dangerous stuff at all." He leaned heavily on the wall behind him as he attempted to regain his lost breath.
A sound caught his attention and Tony swooped low, bringing his desired targets into a neat line, much like a firing squad.
"I am - as usual – fine, Katniss." The man's voice answered. "And Hulk's thrashing an entire group over on 23rd street."
Another voice piqued up across the comm. "I'm pretty close to him; I can hear the roars. Thor's in the sky above." Natasha responded.
There was a pregnant pause as the troup waited with bated breath for the last person to check in.
Finally, a crackling sound broke the silence.
"Sorry." Steve's heavy breaths were clear across the comm. "I'm all the way on the other end of the city and it's harsh."
Tony barreled in the air, snatching a bot as he passed. Barreling again, Tony used the metal body of the bot like a club to take out the patrol leader. Both robots fell in a smoking heap to the streets below. There was a problem amidst all the struggle; the robots didn't seem to have any clear purpose.
"Hang in there Spangles, we'll get there." Tony answered, thoughts flying through his head. "See, Birdbrain? Everything's cool, don't be such a mother hen."
The robotic intruders were not killing people, just harassing them. Like it was part of an elaborate plan to get the Avenger's attention. They were barely doing any damage to any buildings, and Tony – while not truly concerned - still felt a niggling sense of worry in the back of his head. The tower was locked down, Pepper was safe and the Avengers could hold their own against any threat. It still bugged him though. Just a tiny touch in the back of his head told him that something was seriously wrong.
It was rather annoying, actually.
"All right J.A.R.V.I.S." He grabbed the back of one of the bots. "Let's see what these bastards are up to."
Tony forced a glove beneath the metal plating of the bot and hooked onto the wiring. The mechanics of the being were now at his mercy.
"Configuring settings." J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, calmly as ever. "By the way sir, an advisory has been sent out to upgrade all technology to IOS 7. Would you like to do so?" The British accent was polite, but held a slight mocking tone.
"Apple Tech?" Tony scoffed, scowling. "Hell no." The business man's tone was sharp. "What have I told you about bringing up that company in my presence? Maybe I'll put out a new update just to spite 'em. What are we on now? Eight? Nine?"
"Nine, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S. informed helpfully. "Download complete, retrieving information." The soft accent held a flat tone.
Tony started scanning as he tore the victim apart. "Jesus Christ, this coding sucks." He complained over the comm. "It just says 'attack to kill' and that we are all 'targets'." He scoffed in mockery of the primitive settings, "Typical control patterns …my toaster is more complex than this thing…wait." A different set of codes suddenly popped up, the text burning into his mind as a gasp escaped the Iron Man.
"Oh Hell." He mumbled to himself. "Captain where are you?" Stark's voice barked through the comm.
The blond Avenger's comm crackled and he couldn't reply, with the sheer amount of conflict he was faced with, Steve was hard pressed just to keep his balance.
"We have to get to him now!" Stark yelled to the rest of the group. "Steve's the target."
Tony found himself struck hard with guilt and he reeled, not knowing where to go or what to do.
"Steve, you need to tell us where you are!" He flew straight up with as much speed as he was able muster, hoping to spot the Captain amidst the havoc that the robots were causing.
"What target?" Steve finally got a hand up to his ear. "What do you mean I'm the - oomf!"
A large amount of rustling and crackling floated through the comm, and the Avengers heard Steve grunting and struggling with something. By some slight chance, the comm was still on; allowing the others to discern what was going on.
Steve's shouts and faint buzzing cut to the roar of an engine.
A wheezing laugh met their ears and Steve choked as though he was being strangled.
"Why hello Mister Rogers." The voice creaked and hissed like gas leaking from a pipe. "We are going to administer a little injection, yes we are. Now be a good boy…"
The resulting noise told the group that the struggle had resumed and a sudden inhale of breath was heard across the line.
Everyone jumped at the next sound. Steve screamed. The cry rang out and into the Avenger's ears before ceasing suddenly.
The comm button had been released.
The silence was just as loud as he pained howl The Avengers had just witnessed.
"Spangles? Rogers!" Tony yelled into his helmet. "Steven freaking Rogers!"
No reply.
"Steve?" Natasha called, but she received the same result as Stark.
Before any of the heroes could react, the forces that had been all over them doubled and even tripled in number. Robots poured from every angle and it forced the team to stay put.
"I need to go look for him." Tony growled trying to gain altitude but he only succeeded in dropping a few feet.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., trace his last call location. Quickly!"
"Sir, the signal was too brief and the robots are transmitting some sort of electromagnetic interference." J.A.R.V.I.S. informed, an almost sorrowful tone reaching his voice. "We cannot determine his last location, but it is suggested that he was further north than Doctor Banner."
"Don't say was!" Hawkeye snapped angrily.
Clint was very defensive of his team, much like a mother hen is over her brood. To some, maybe not so much, but he always wanted to know where everyone was. Steve was similar to him in that respect, but his gentleman ways also made him respect everyone's privacy.
"Where is he?" Natasha asked again.
"We don't know." Tony replied, hurt lacing his voice.
Thor landed next to her, still clobbering bots with Mjölnir. "Is the Shield Brother injured?" He boomed.
"We don't know." Clint was now irritated.
"Clint." Natasha's harsh voice refocused the archer. "You've got enemies all around you. We will find Steve. He's Captain America for God's sake, they wouldn't kill him anyway. He'll be ransom if nothing else."
"And you know," Tony had to have his input. "Any price is too little to have our darling Capsicle back."
Clint groaned in agony. He twisted around, venting his anger on the lives of the bots, hoping that Captain America was okay.
Just like the rest of them.