The explosion threw Natasha back, making her fly out to land near Clint. He was groaning on the ground, face bruised and cut up. She probably looked the same; her suit starting to tear around her limbs from scrapes caused by the drones she was fighting.
"How many more of them do you think are left?" she asked, stretching out her hand to help Clint up.
"I have no idea. We've already crushed 'bout a million...what's a couple more…" he answered, looking around, "Stark, how's it looking up there?"
"Kinda busy!" Tony said, his usual witty tone still heavily lacing what he said, "I've got eyes on Hulk...Thor and Cap, not so much."
"On it," Natasha said, not hesitating to start running the direction she last saw Steve. Clint followed close behind.
"Cap? Thor?" Clint yelled through the com, "Status, guys?"
No answer.
"Dammit, Steve, where are you?" Nat asked, pressing her earpiece closer, hoping she was simply missing the sound of his voice due to the chaos around her.
"No answer, Red," Tony said, "I'm reading their signals...in the building to your left. Basement level and getting lower. No enemy contact that I can read."
"Steve? Answer me," she tried again, ready to walk in there to find him.
"Nat, we may need to postpone the search party," Clint said, making her turn around to face a mass of drones approaching them.
Shrugging as if it was just another day, they ran forward guns blazing. Crashing metal, dust, blackened oil, and blood surrounded them until Stark and Hulk arrived to level the playing field.
"There are more coming from the south part of the island," Tony said, "We may be able to hold them off but not for long."
"Where the hell are you Steve?" Natasha asked, mostly to herself, hoping nothing had gone wrong.
Suddenly there was a loud, thundering boom followed by a tremor that shook the entire island. Having just enough time to turn, Natasha saw Thor and Cap sprinting towards them. She would have punched either for making the team worried, but was caught off guard when they didn't seem to slow down as they approached.
"Time to go. Time to go. Time to go," Steve said, panting and hurriedly, pulling on Natasha's hand and holding his shield up to push against the drones.
"We need to get out of here, Stark. Now! Let us get to the quinjet," Thor boomed swinging his hammer and jumping off the Earth. Hulk nodded running the direction Thor flew and gaining enough speed to long jump across the destroyed island with ease
"What the blondes say goes, I guess. C'mon Robin Hood, need a ride?" Tony said, grabbing a hold of Barton and flying off.
"Cap? Nat?" Clint asked, who were running fast and as far away from the building. Drones followed them closely.
"We'll get there. Don't worry, just get to the quinjet. We need to get it off the island - we'll need a ride home."
Steve and Natasha ran, jumping off debris, broken drones, and rumble until they reached his motorcycle, thrown carelessly on the side of a destroyed street. He had jumped off of it the moment they had met the enemy.
"Jump on Nat, we have to get to the jet," Steve said, wasting no time.
"Should I even ask what you two did?"
"We found the database that controls the drones. A floor below the building," he said, starting the motorcycle as Natasha hugged his waist with one hand and fought off nearby drones with Steve's shield. Soon they were off, speeding through the abandoned town faster than he had even driven before.
"Yeah, what else did you find?"
"A kill switch. Thought it was only for the drones. Very, very wrong."
"You set off a bomb, Steve Rogers, a bomb! How big?"
"Let's just get to the jet."
"I'll never let you leave my sight again. I'm your partner, not Thor," she said, smashing the last clinging drone away.
"I won't complain."
"Oh no, don't play charming now," she answered, thankful he was not able to see her smile.
They were close, and could see the jet further off - Tony and Barton piloting it for take off.
"Cap? Where are you guys?" Barton said.
"We're coming in, open the -" Steve said, before the explosion hit making him lose control for a moment. Natasha turned and saw the small mushroom cloud form into the sky - fire reaching farther and farther up.
"Steve."
"We'll make it."
"The impact is coming."
"Grab on," he said, revving up his motorcycle and heading straight to their ride without slowing down. "We're going to jump, Nat. Get ready."
"Always making a dramatic exit," she teased, reading herself.
Steve drove on, drifting until the last minute to make jumping off the ground towards the hovering quinjet easier - relatively speaking. The force of the drift and the impact of the bomb hit them both hard. Both flew forward; grabbing on the the edge of the open gate of the jet.
From the inside, Thor and Hulk ran forward to them while Stark flew them away from the explosion, Clint scanning the area for any bot-survivors.
Natasha pulled herself up with all the strength she had and saw Steve do the same out of the corner of her eye. Crawling into safety, they both plopped on the floor, breathing heavily.
"I'm glad you could join us," Thor said, laughing, and looking over to Hulk who nodded, "I think the fight is over, friend Banner, it is time to cool off."
Hulk gave a slight roar, shaking his head, and looked out the gate to the island.
"Well, it's safe to say we got all the drones," Natasha said, sitting up slowly.
The island was engulfed in the bomb - the Ultron facility they had found, completely destroyed.
"Ultron might still be out there…" Steve said, still laying down.
"Fragments of him. Bits and pieces Vision wasn't able to cut connections with. We'll give him a call," Tony said, "Ask him to run a full scan."
"Next time, when you plan to set off a semi-nuke, can you answer when we call you guys? You know, just to let us know we're at risk," Clint said, turning to the rest of the group.
"We'll try," Steve answered, finally getting up and helping Nat do so as well.
"No," Natasha said, keeping his hands in hers, "You will answer when we call, when I call, unless you want me to come running after you and putting myself in unnecessary danger."
"That's blackmail, isn't it."
"But it works."
"Point taken. I will answer."
"Good," she said, pulling him closer for a kiss, one she had meant to be teasing and playful, but turned into a heated exchange fueled by their adrenaline. Their arms wrapped around each other, lips and tongue battling for dominance.
It made the rest of the team groan.
"Code Blue, friends," Thor said, turning and shoving the Hulk to turn away from the couple.
"Cap and Red making out again," Tony said, rolling his eyes, "You'd think they'd wait until we're not around."
"Mission Status Report" chimed the voice of Fury through their com.
"Ultron facility down. Bots all destroyed, sir," Barton answered.
"Good work, everyone without injuries?"
"Well, Cap lost his ride again," Tony said, causing Fury to curse, "And we'll all need therapy for the Code Blue we're experiencing.
"Just get back to base, Stark"