Chapter 10
Bella was freezing, the wind around her getting under her skin and making her bones ache. Along with her throat. It would have been burning her nose from breathing, but she couldn't breathe through it, she definitely had a cold. Why, why did Ultron had to grab her and fly so high above the city?
She didn't need a front row seat to the destruction of the planet.
Guilt grew inside her, she had been so worried about herself and stopping Ultron from killing her that she didn't do anything about what he was already doing. Killing the planet. She should have done something, anything. Nothing came to mind as what, but the guilt didn't lessen.
People were leaving the city, they must have been warned and/or the Avengers had showed up. Natasha definitely had the time to warn them with the radio she passed her.
" It's time. " Said Ultron. " Our work is almost done. They will see, they will all see. "
She didn't say anything, again. She was going through everything she was and believed in these last days. She didn't know what to say and her mind was too stumped about what was going to happen.
The world, the whole world gone, and so easily.
" Ultron, you can't go through with this. " She said. Suddenly she felt the words pouring out of her mouth.
He landed in the church, that was darkly lit.
" Come to confess your sins? " Came Ultron's voice.
" I don't know. How much time you got? " He said, his scans showing Bella wasn't there, still he looked around for her.
" More than you. " Can the answer, Tony turning around to face the robot when he heard the sounds of him moving.
" Uhhhh. Have you been juicing? " He asked, seeing the considerably larger robot body compared to the others. " A little vibranium cocktail? You're looking... I don't wanna say puffy- "
" You're stalling to protect the people. " Interrupted him Ultron.
" Well, that is the mission, did you forget? " He asked.
" I've moved beyond your mission. I'm free. " Said Ultron. That moment, a metallic drill dug up through the exact center of the church, metal supports attaching themselves to the ground. " What? You thought you were the only one stalling? "
Quickly his suit scanned the device. It was the rest of the vibranium. The little information that Natasha was able to pass to Clint over the radio communication seemed to match it. A central column that would raise the city. The thing was figure out how it was going to do that exactly, the numbers, so he could figure out how to stop it. Without killing everyone in that place.
" This is how you end, Tony. " Said Ultron, hate clear in his voice. " This is peace, in my time. "
The appearance of the top of the device seemed to be some sort of sign, because the sensors of his suit went crazy with the amount of Ultrons that appeared in the city, coming out from all places they could hide. Explosions and screams sounding.
" Where's Bella? " He asked.
" We will save this world. We will see it end and be reborn. " Said Ultron.
Tony cursed in his mind the lack of answer, not that he expected directions or anything. He could find her alone. Now, he had to save the rest of the people too.
He turned around and flew away. Using his repulsors to destroy the robots he found on the way.
A couple of minutes of this and he figured Vision, a short way to refer to the android, had more than enough time to do his part.
" FRIDAY, the Vision? " He asked.
" Boss, it's working, he's burning Ultron out of the net. " Came the answer.
That was a relief, but it didn't last long, because the loud sounds and smoke that appeared around the city told him that Ultron had turned on his machine. The city was raising from the ground.
Then he heard, coming from all the robots he came near, the same speech.
" Can you see? The beauty of it? The inevitability? You rise only to fall. You Avengers, you are my meteor. My swift and terrible sword and the Earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living on this world will be metal. "
He put a little distance between himself and the rising city, allowing his suit to scan the entirety of the device and city that was being lifted. Calculations already running through his mind. So far none that would stop it.
He flew back to the city.
" That building is not cleared. " Said FRIDAY, as he passed by a building about to collapse. " 10th floor. "
He flew straight into the apartment of a terrified family of three.
" Hi. " He said, looking around the small space. A tub, good. " Okay, get in the tub. "
They did it promptly, he taking the tub and carrying it out of the building just as it fell down.
" I got airborne heading out to the bridge. " Said Friday, her systems reading all movement on the area, or as many as possible.
" Cap, you got incoming. " He said, according to their plan that's where the man would be.
" Incoming already came in. " Came the answer, the voice sounding like Steve had just received one hell of a blow. " Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us only have one job, tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt them back, you get killed, walk it off. "
Steve always had an act for good speeches.
Tony flew towards the part of the city that was left on the ground, dropping the tub with the family and flying back up. Time to dedicate his mind to only one thing, stopping that city from falling.
" Ultron, you can't go through with this. " She said.
She knew that she was signing her death certificate there, but she had to try.
" What? " Asked Ultron, confused, but angry too. She knew that also because his hold on her got tighter, by a lot.
" This is not the way to save the world. " She said. " I know the Avengers aren't perfect, but global extinction is not the answer. "
" Not you too. " He said, sounding betrayed. " Not you. I thought you understood. I thought you were on my side! "
His grip got even tighter, she was being carried bridal style so her ribs and knees were hurting a lot. She was worried her bones would get fractured.
It was getting really hard to breathe, her head buzzing, but she could still hear the sound of the city breaking free from the ground.
" I am. " She said, getting dizzy. " Please, just listen. You do this, then you'll be all alone. "
" Apparently I already am. " He said, sounding hurt. " Why? "
" Because I can't just... do nothing. " She said. " I agree that something needs to be done... but not this. I do what I do because I don't want people to die. "
He was quiet for a long moment after this. She just feeling more and more lightheaded, cold, in pain. Not to mention the cold or whatever she was getting.
" You're on Stark's side. " He said.
" I'm not. " She said quickly, breathing hard, her lungs and throat burning from the cold air, even in the daylight. " I'm on my own side. On the people's side. "
She had heard all his rants, he wouldn't be convinced so easily.
" You'll see. When it's over, you'll see. "
" I won't be here to see it! " She retorted. " I will die along with everyone down there! I'm human, Ultron. Not the most healthy example of one either. I am already sick. I will die. Stop that machine, bring the city back down. "
She didn't know how long it had passed since she started arguing with him, she was barely managed to breathe the thin air, talking was slow and breathing pauses were necessary. The city was getting higher and higher.
" It will be better. It will. "
" You sound like a broken record. " She said. " Not even you can think about this plan with a clear mind. You have to see that this is not the way. This is not a plan to make things better, this is just revenge on Stark! "
She had to push harder, being calm and understanding wasn't working.
Thing was, she pushed too hard.
He shifted his hold on her, one hand going to her throat. Her ears were ringing, she could barely understand him, darkness appearing around her sight.
" This is peace in MY time. "
Then, the hold on her was gone.
And she was falling.
Lack of oxygen made it so it took her a while to understand it, she was going to die. Not the first time she had come to such a conclusion. But this time there was no chance that the goo her body would become could be salvaged.
It was odd that no despair came in that moment. Just that acknowledgment. Death. For real, forever. That and the feeling of falling and cold.
Then pain, a lot of it. A lot sooner than it should have come and in an odd pattern, it didn't feel like the ground. It was like two straight steel beams that came into contact with her and broke her bones. Or at least it hurt enough for her to think that.
With that amount of pain, she finally passed out.
She didn't see that they were arms, and not beams. Red arms, like her new arm and leg, though larger and dressed in green.
Vision was the one closest when Stark's scans picked up someone falling. Odd thing was, this person wasn't falling from the city, but from a spot higher than the city was.
He had a good guess who it was, he had a lot of Ultron's memories. He would want to watch it and would bring Bella with him.
He flew there and managed to grab the falling person, who was indeed Bella. Not without some damage though, at the speed she was and he was in order to get there, she was bound to have some broken bones. Better than dead though.
She passed out right after, breath shallow but still there. So he flew her to an area of the city where a group of police officers were guarding a group of civilians.
He ignored the odd looks he received, it was expected, after all his appearance was very odd. And the people were terrified over the battle and being on a floating rock.
" She is severely injured. " He said to the nearest police officer, then gently laying Bella on the ground, hoping the movement wouldn't make any fractures worse.
He didn't know if the man spoke English, but Bella looked bad enough for them to know what he said, one of the police He flew away, to continue fighting the robots.
Not long after, the Hellicarrier arrived, along with the rescue crafts, that meant medical assistance too.