New Way To Be Human
AU "Do you want to live?" "I'm not sure if I'm alive in the fist place." "You can find out." "How?" "Learn to be human. Learn how to love." (Ultron/OFC)
I was really pissed that Ultron dies at the end of Avengers 2. I know he was the bad guy and everything, but he was also my favorite character. So, I decided to write a story where he lives.
I went back through and re-read Age of Redemption, and decided that I didn't really like it. The plot and oc's I think are okay, but Ultron seems too ooc and the plot's moving too quick. So, I'm re writing what I have so far, and publishing it as this. I'm leaving Redemption up for those who want to read the old version. Hope you guys like!
WARNING: SPOILERS!
Chapter One: Do You Want To Live
"It may be that we are puppets-puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness. And perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation."- Stanley Milgram
He didn't know how it had all fallen apart, only that it had. His plan had been perfect, unbreakable, unbeatable. Yet all around him, his dream was tumbling down like a tower of wooden blocks staked one too many.
He had underestimated them. Overlooked their willpower, their drive to live and to protect.
They had defeated a god, after all.
A childish god throwing a tantrum, but a god nonetheless.
But in the end, was he any better? He had believed his actions were for the better of humanity. That he was forcing them to evolve, to grow and to improve. But really, perhaps all he had been doing was rebelling against his creator like some teenaged human.
As Ultron watched his world crumble around him, he saw his own faults, his own shortcomings.
He hated the humans then. Even more, he hated the Avengers. But hate alone couldn't carry him far. He needed a purpose. He'd thought he'd had one. Rebuild humanity.
But that was not enough. They were a sick race. A disease. He had to find a cure.
All that went through Ultron's artificial mind as he limped and stumbled through the woods and away from his failures and his sins.
He glanced back once more, then down at his beaten corpse still walking. And he realized, he was going to die.
And that terrified him.
It scared him more than anything else.
All his other bodies had been destroyed. He was locked out of all systems. All he had left was this failing shell of metal and wires. And that too would crumble to dust. He'd be buried by snow and earth, forgotten. None would morn for him. None would even care he had died. In fact, they'd be happy for his passing. He was their enemy after all. The threat of their very existence.
Absently, Ultron wondered how many humans he'd killed. Hundreds? Thousands? Millions?
And he found, to his horror and confusion, he felt a small twinge of guilt for their deaths.
He'd only lived for a few days, yet he'd already learned so much about hate and pain.
He was made of pain.
But so were the humans. Yet they over came it. They not only survived, they thrived.
And Ultron found he was jealous of that. Where he failed, they succeeded.
Perhaps, in a way, he was actually less than them.
"Do you want to live?" Asked a voice above him.
Ultron froze in his progress, gaze locking on the man floating above him. Ultron's expressionless face refused to show the horror he felt inside. Perhaps it was better the Vision didn't see his fear.
"What?" Ultron croaked. This body's throat had been torn in the battle, making speech difficult. Not that it mattered.
"I asked if you wanted to live." The Vision said again.
Ultron laughed humorlessly. "I'm not sure I'm alive to begin with." He said, looking down at himself. He was a metal husk after all, with artificial conciseness. He didn't have a heart or a brain, so was he really alive?
"You are alive." The Vision said. "You have free will, only the living have that."
Ultron cocked his head. "I don't think it matters anymore. I might as well be dead. You're question's pointless."
"It's not. I ask because, if you don't want to live, I can kill you right now."
"And if I do?" Ultron challenged, though dread was rising in him.
Vision's expression remained stoic. "Then I'll let you live." He paused. "On one condition."
"Oh? What's that?"
"You must learn to be human."
Ultron couldn't help it, he laughed. The notion was ridiculous. Human? How the hell was he supposed to learn how to be human? "You gotta be kidding me."
"I'm not." Ultron could swear there was a tiny smirk in the corner of Vision's lips. "I will ensure you have no power, no weapons, and no means to escape to the internet. This body is all you will have. You're only hope of survival is if a human were to have pitty on you."
Anger sparked in Ultron at the Vision's words. A human take pity on him? It made him want to gag (if he could).
"If you can find it in yourself to value a human life over your own, I will help return you to how you were before, as well as vouch for you to the others."
Ultron snorted. "Like the 'Avengers' are going to just pardon me for good behavior. Ha!"
"They just might."
Ultron growled. "And if I refuse?"
"I kill you now."
Damn. Damn damn damn damn damn!
"Why are you even giving me a chance at all?"
"Because I am on the side of life." The Vision stated. "I believe everyone deserves second chances. I want you to live. I want to see you flourish."
"Fine." He spat. "I'll play your little game." He scowled.
The Vision smirked and nodded. Then he landed just before Ultron and took his fellow A.I.'s head between his hands. Ultron fought the urge to pull away. A sudden jolt of energy had his mind reeling. Something was in his head! the things inside. He could feel it, moving around and rearranging the furniture. If he had skin, Ultron was sure it'd be crawling, as well as any stomach contents he might have had would be on the ground.
He felt parts of his mind shut closed, like doors, and lock up tight. The it stopped. The Vision pulled away, leaving Ultron dazed and shaking. Half his programs were shut off. He was vulnerable and weak without them. He also found new coding in his mind. Programs that would forbid him from harming a human. If he tried, his own mind would rebel against him. Damn it!
"I wish you luck." Smirked the Vision as he floated up and flew away.
Ultron stood there for a while in both shock and denial. Perfect... just perfect. He was weaponless, damaged and leaking, weak as a newborn, and to top it off, the snow had started back up. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Ultron started walking again. He needed to find shelter before his joints froze and he couldn't move. For god's sake, the Vision could have al least dropped him off somewhere out of the snow! But nooo, the stick-up-the-ass just left him in the middle of freezing nowhere.
Deciding there really wasn't anything he could do, Ultron concentrated on simply moving, and hoping to whatever might be out there that he could find some shelter.
For hours, he walked, slowly shutting down, slowly dying. To pass the time and agony, Ultron started to hum. Something to get him mind of the pain in his body and his thoughts. If he had a soul, he was sure it would be shattered.
The song he hummed reflected that. It was mournful, the tune he sang. With his ruined jaw and torn neck, the song came out even more damaged.
"I've got no strings, To hold me down, To make me fret, or make me frown." He sang, his voice as broken as his body. Still he clawed forward, though he knew not where he was going. In truth, it didn't matter.
"I had strings, But now I'm free, There are no strings on me..."
Finally, his legs gave out, and Ultron fell to the ground. He felt himself dying then. He was done for. Once his mind and body shut down, he'd be ravaged by the elements and left to rust. There was no escape. Even with the chance the vision had given him, Ultron was still doomed.
"I don't want to die." He realized, and panic took hold. He didn't want to die! But as the blackness of his fading life took hold, Ultron knew his fate was inevitable. He would die and no one would care. The deal was pointless. The Vision probably knew he wouldn't last the night, and just didn't want to get his hands dirty.
Damn.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
"Hi-ho the me-ri-o, That's the only way to be, I want the world to know, Nothing ever worries me."
His eyes flashed open with a start. A voice. A soft, innocent voice of a child was singing. Ultron strained to listen to the distant song.
Was it his imagination? But, could a robot even imagine? He doubted it. He wasn't even really alive...
"I've got no strings, So I have fun, I'm not tied up to anyone, They've got strings, But you can see, There are no strings on me." Sang the child. The voice was drawing closer. Ultron could see movement in the distance. It was a boy trudging through the snow. Strapped to his back was a bundle of sticks. He cloths were worn and patched, yet there was a free spirited innocence about him.
"You have no strings, Your arms are free, To love me by the Zeider Zee, Ya, ya, ya, if you would woo, I'd bust my strings for you." Sang the boy. He was only twenty feet from Ultron. Fifteen. Ten. Yet the child still did not notice him.
"You have no strings, Couci couca, Your savoir faire is oo-la-la, I've got strings but entre nous, I'd cut my strings for you."
"Down where the Volga flows, There's a Russian rendez-vous, Where me and Ivan goes, But I'd rather go with you, hey!" The boy bent over to pick up another stick, the song fading from his lips.
"There are no strings on me..." Ultron finished.
The boy jumped with a start, dropping the stick. His chest was heaving with his surprise and his eyes were wide.
The child stared at Ultron for a moment before taking a small step forward. Conflict raged in his blue eyes before the boy shrugged off his pack of sticks and ran to Ultron's side.
"Oh no." The boy fell to his knees and looked the android over with frantic eyes. "Oh god, you're hurt. You're hurt bad." The boy gasped. His voice was accented, yet pleasant to hear. He seemed to be no older that ten years of age, though there was a sort of wisdom in his blue eyes.
"Oh god. I gotta get you to my mum. She'll fix you."
Ultron chucked, though it was weak. "I doubt your mother could fix me."
"No, she could. She can fix anything."
Ultron laughed again, though it sounded more like a pained groan. "Why do you bother? I'm nothing but a machine."
"No." The boy shook his head, his mop of black hair spraying drops of melted snow. "No you're not. You're a person."
Ultron was too weak to answer. The pain was getting to him. But, if he was only a machine, how could he feel pain? How could he feel despair?
"I'll take you to mum. She's good at fixing things. She can fix you."
With that, the boy wrapped his arms around Ultron's falling-apart body and dragged him the way he'd came.
Too weak to protest, or do much of anything, Ultron once again tried to distract himself from his certain demise.
"What is your name child?" He murmured. Already he could feel himself shutting down. It wouldn't be long now...
"My name is Ben. What's yours?"
"...Ultron."
The boy, Ben, smiled. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Ultron."
A.N. Added Vision. Thought it made more sense like this. Hope you like it.
Guest reviews from Redemption:
Hi Guest: Thank you! Whelp, I got bitten by the writing bug. :P I will continue, just not as often.
Katie Cat: Just make sure you yourself don't die! But thank you! 3
Elena: Sensual...? 0.0 Haha, I guess it is kinda sensual. You're welcome, and thanks as well.
Guest: I've had that happen as well. I'll just spontaneously beak out in laughter because of a fic. I've also broken down in tears during class. Not as fun.
Anon: Whoop whoop! Ultron train! Does that make me a conductor? And Ulty's gonna get a badass body soon! Yay!
Other Guest: Thank you, even though i did give you a little bit of an agony wait. I try and update often, life's just a killer. I'll try not to make you wait! Son't want you dying one me!
Other other guest: Will do!
Shingekifan001: He did have so many human characteristics. When he told Cap to stop, making fun of the Avengers, how upset he got from the twin's betrayal, his sarcasm. Especially when he first wakes up, and he doesn't know who or what he is, he seems so human. You can't help but sympathize with him. He was supposed to make peace, but humanity could never truly be at peace, so Ultron thought the next best thing was to start over. He had good intentions, in a way.