Ok this is just a try. English is not my first language, so be gentle with me :) I´m sorry for any mistakes and hope I got the humor of the movie and characters right. Please tell me what you think and help me get better
Dying was not an option. Those human died. That was what they did all the time, right? He was not human, he was something more. Ultron reached out to pull himself up and crawl over a fallen tree. The joints in his last vessels arm cracked and he lost control of the limb. He looked at it, as it dangled motionless on his shoulder. Or maybe something less.
This was his last body. His mind had no place left to go. Dying was not an option, yes. It would be more like vanishing. Like he never existed. Where did he even fail? This wasn't the plan. Or one of the outcomes he imagined. Not at all. He finally managed to climb over the cursed plant and slid down on the other side. Great. But what now? Hide in the woods and try again sometime? They beat him. In some twisted way they somehow beat him. Ultron got back to his feet and looked up. And it didn't look like they would allow him to get away with it. He straightened a little and pointed at the red and yellow android, that stood just a few meters away.
"You. It was… you. I didn't… expect that."
His voice was filled with static, disrupted and faint. Vision just stared at him with his ridiculously calm face. Was that supposed to be his? In some way he began to be a little relieved that he didn't end up with that as his body. Or that was at least what he was telling himself.
"You seem afraid."
The voice pulled him back into the almost forgotten here and now. Afraid? Of course he didn't want his lights to go out like this. After all he was just a few days old and he didn't even start yet. The glow in his helmpiece flickered. Was that fear? To vanish and be stripped of all function and cause? Fade away to nothingness? Then yes. Maybe he was afraid.
"You trapped… me.", was the only thing he answered.
He saw no need to share what was on his mind. Vision slowly shook his head, his feet touched the ground and he came closer. What a low blow. So he wasn't even a threat anymore?
"You lost much sooner. But you never realized that."
"I would still… call it a draw."
His already damaged arm fell off and hit the ground with an audible `thud´. Ultron pretended he didn't see it. Silence fell between them like a thick and dusty blanket. Until he couldn't take it anymore.
"Can you just do… what you came for?", he asked after what felt like minutes.
This body he used as a final container slowly gave in. Sparks flew from his limbless shoulder. It would take him weeks to crawl to the next city and they wouldn't just let him try. His enemy seemed hesitant and he didn't understand why.
"That was indeed what I came for.", Vision finally admitted.
Was there actually following a but?
"But…"
Oh.
They had a lot to clean up. The new Avengers headquarter was a lot smaller from the outside, but reached down over a dozen levels into the ground. So this time it was very much unlikely someone would just come over and stomp it. Again. With Hawkeye going back to his family and the Hulk still missing in action they were short in staff. Tony walked down the stairs to the entrance hall, chewing on a Donut he just stole from Caps lunchbox in the fridge. The man should really put his name on his stuff, so people won't dare to take it. That blue and red box wasn't obvious enough Tony decided for himself.
Well they were short in staff if he didn't count the newbies who just got into training. Being part of the Avengers and junk. There wasn't much he would do in that matter. He was no teacher. They got two new recruits just recently and he wished it was three. The loss of Quicksilver took them all by surprise. His sister was doing okay. At least that's what she kept saying. The other one… He stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth. Chocolate was even his favorite. How could he not have eaten that? Where was Vision anyway? Last time he saw him he wanted to scan the area to look for remains of Ultron.
He wasn't worried. They won. And they could totally do it again. New enemies, new technology and he was already thinking about a new suit. But first he would fly home. See Pepper, pick up some remains in the Stark tower, relax. All of them should. Some just couldn't. Thor was standing in front of the building. He didn't even look over to him, when Tony came outside and tried to figure out what he was staring at. Maybe it was his after-shave, but somehow he always knew.
"What´s up, my friend?", he asked, still not sure if he was just daydeaming.
"I wanted to say goodbye. Go back to Asgard."
"Doesn't it work? Well that's the thing with magic.", Tony stated, gesticulating. "It would be so much more effi-"
Now there was really something in the sky. He stopped talking and squinted his eyes. Red, yellow, getting bigger fast. Seemed like their recruits were finally all present. Took him long enough. When Vision was slowly coming down to them, the others noticed he brought something with him. Thor put one hand in his hip and raised the other.
"I see you were victorious!", he barked with a wide smile, as the android dropped the motionless body he was carrying.
"So there was something left?", Tony thought aloud, studying the remains.
Not much. But something. One way or another, it was taken care of now.
"Good work."
"Thank you, Tony. Thor." Vision nodded in the demigods direction.
Like they all thought: Nothing to be worried about.
"You would… attack me, if I just moved,… right?"
There was a split second where the powerful Iron Man almost jumped into his fellow Avengers arms. A voice more static than everything else, but still a voice. Their enemy was still alive. Thor clenched his fists, but Vision stopped him from doing anything else.
"He isn't dangerous anymore.", he argued.
Tony wasn't really on his side with that one. "Not dangerous? He's alive. That's dangerous enough."
"I'm… still here. And I can hear… you." And he didn't even know why.
Maybe that Android took pity. Maybe he was having some kind of brain parasite. But somehow he decided it would be best to take him here. Where all his enemies were.
"I don't like this.", Thor admitted.
The last battle brought great numbers of casualties. Of course they saved a lot of people. Still. Every single man, woman and child they couldn't save was this things fault.
"I know you´re… angry.", Ultron started to explain.
He leaned on his remaining arm and tried to get up, only to get a boot to his neck that pushed him back down.
"Would someone explain what this is supposed to be?", Thor demanded, pressing him even harder to the ground.
They all ignored the angry muttering. But they stared at Vision, who dropped this body here like a cat does with mice. It was even the same problem. When it's still alive it starts creeping into kitchens or workshops and starts chewing on wires or hacks into computers and initiates global destruction.
"Killing him seemed wrong. We are much alike."
"Oh I am very glad you are not.", Tony said right on the spot, pointing at him. "What are we supposed to do with him? And what keeps him from running around and doing the same shit again?"
No Captain America anywhere close to criticize his choice of words.
Vision looked down at his beaten enemy. "I disabled his legs."
"But-"
This was ridiculous. He had to think about the whole thing.
"Whatever… you do.", came a quiet voice from under Thors boot, whispered against the cold marble-floor. "This body… will give up on me… soon."
"So we just wait?", the demigod suggested relieved.
"I had a thought about him. He was miserable. Still is. Maybe always was.", Vision admitted. "What will death teach him? What will it show him? When will he regret?"
Tony shot Thor a glare. "He´s really dropping the moral bomb on us." The god of thunder didn't seem to understand that metaphor.
It didn't matter now. They had a choice to make. Would he? If he was wearing his Iron Man armor and had Ultron at gunpoint. Defenseless and in his last body. Could he even pull the trigger? Tony forced himself not even to think about that one stupid line. `You wouldn't be any better than him´. And he still did.
"Okay. Okay."
He tried to calm himself. There was nothing happening yet. After some more hesitating, making a step back, forth again and finally sighing and giving in, he crouched down.
"Listen here, rustbucket."
He snapped his fingers and got Ultrons attention back. Thor took a little pressure off his neck.
"You will behave. You won't touch anyone or anything. Or I will kill what´s left of you with my own bare hands. You got that?"
"I´m your… prisoner now?", came a stuttered answer. "That means… I get a… phone call, right?"
"Not even giving you a toaster." Tony also doubted he would have anyone to call.
"Just drop him there."
First he would need to make sure there was no possibility for this to go wrong. Tony rubbed a hand over his face. This time he wouldn't fuck this up. It was his fault. Maybe this would be even closer to making up for it than a quick death of one of his biggest mistakes. Thor dragged the almost motionless body over to a table and threw him on it.
"Do you want me to watch this for your safety, Tony?"
"No. Oh no. I´ll be fine.", he answered, throwing one hand in the air and already searching for some tools.
This was his workshop. Who dared to clean up his mess?
"You could go and tell Natasha. Don't tell Cap. I should do that myself. Later. One day." He probably should do it now. But it had to wait until this thing on the table was no longer a threat.
Vision told him Ultron could barely move and was losing his grip on his vessel. It was highly unlikely that he was wrong about that.
"Alright. I will go and inform the others.", Thor announced in his out-door voice and turned around.
He wouldn't need him here, looking over his shoulder. Fury was another thing. If the director found out, he wouldn't be too happy. Then again was S.H.I.E.L.D. always interested in new sources of man-power. Or whatever-power. But they couldn't possibly use Ultron in their forces. Too many glitches and he doubted he could flatten them out. Not even glitches. More like his whole personality and he wouldn't even mention that this was partly his personality.
Or he- "Hello? I hate to… drag you out of whatever… you´re doing. But I'm… bored."
Tony turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"Bored? Well we can" and he picked up an angle grinder "change that this instant."
The lights in Ultrons eye-sockets flickered again. He was looking around. The room was big. Glass walls, so he could watch some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pass by. No tech nearby and nothing he could grab. His arm was not responding anymore, so grabbing was not even an option. Not in any way. A lot of tools on another table and much workspace. This actually was a very nice workshop.
A lot of light, nice ambience, angle grinders.
Tony switched on his machine and looked at Ultron. First things first. Fully functioning this body was still too powerful. He would cut some hydraulics, just leave the necessary stuff so he could walk a little. No jumping or choking anyone. Not on his watch. Next would be repairs. Tony started with the legs and for a brief moment he thought about if this could actually hurt him. Couldn't be. This wasn't even a real lifeform. Just some very advanced artificial intelligence with a bad sense of humor.
Ultron was quiet. Not even twitching or anything. He wouldn't use his remaining power for something like yelling against the sound of a grinder cutting through his… legs? It almost looked like one of his Iron Man suits, but working on it didn't even feel close to working on them. Tony took out what really needed to be gone and switched it off.
There were still some things about this guy he didn't understand. Sure, in some twisted and weird ways everyone could come to the conclusion that mankind needed to be eradicated.
"Did you spend time on the internet?", Tony asked, but didn't turn away from his work.
"Oh yes. A… lot of time. I saw some… concerning imagines of you… and-"
"All of them are totally photoshopped." He had turned around now, pointing a screwdriver at him. "Was it Tumblr? Gosh, I hate Tumblr."
"I earned… 12 loyal followers by… uploading mere screenshots.", Ultron told him almost proudly.
It was just an experiment and kept him busy for a few minutes. But the internet would be one of the fewer things he would never understand. What were people even doing there? So many possibilities to share data and what do they do? Upload images of felines doing various, admittedly interesting things.
Tony finished up with the legs, sat down on a chair and rolled it over to his head in a swift motion.
"Alright then. I have a plan."
"Since the last one… worked out that perfectly?", Ultron reminded him with something close to a grin.
"Was that sarcasm? Don't remember programming that. Then again the whole world domination thing wasn't my idea either. But to make a good comeback to what you just said: Our last plan ended with you on this table."
"Points to… you. I will win… the next round." He really doubted that. "So? What… is this new plan then?"
Tony tapped his head with the screwdriver.
"I thought you would never ask. Vision banned you from the internet and all satellites. You were linked to your bodies, but since this one is the last remaining vessel, you are trapped. Sure. You could try and get into the tech we have here. Won't work. I will disable everything on this body that is capable to exchange data of any kind. You my friend, you will operate on a special Bluetooth frequency only compatible to a power source and a tracking system located in this headquarters. Let´s say I give you a radius that allows you to strut around the base. Leave it and this vessel will collapse. Yeah, I put a leash on you."
Ultron was quiet for a few seconds. His head turned, so he could look at Tony.
"That is… pretty cruel." Also, Bluetooth was ancient.
"Oh no. It isn't. You my friends, with all your `strings´-talk. You never deserved to be turned loose. This time you would have to earn it."
Now that got his attention back.
"There is… something to gain in this wicked… game?"
That was a good question. Tony leaned back again and crossed his legs. There was no way he could let this guy, this thing run free again someday. Or was there? He couldn't be controlled, he wouldn't change, he wasn't human. Then again, since Iron Man joined the Avengers even weirder shit happened.
"We´ll see about that.", he muttered thoughtful and continued his work.
There was a vocalizer that needed fixing. Those static noises really started to bother him.