Thirteen
A red and silver figure lifted itself out of the Cradle, landing softly in a kneeling position surrounded by the dispersing fog. It stood slowly, holding it's hands slightly out in front of itself- almost defensively- as it looked around at all of us surrounding it. This is what Ultron had been building. The vibranium man.
When his eyes landed on Thor standing directly in front of the Cradle, he surprised us all by flying towards him at an incredible speed. Thor reacted just quickly enough to barely deflect the attack with his hammer, knocking the man through the glass wall of the lab and into the adjacent living area. He tumbled through the air until coming to a sudden stop in front of the window displaying the New York skyline.
As the vibranium man hovered in front of the window with one hand poised above the glass, the rest of us followed Thor's lead down a flight of stairs and into the living room. Stark, Bruce, Clint and the Captain all stood on the right side of the room while Wanda, Pietro and I stood on the left with Thor standing in front of the two groups. The man we were all watching gradually turned to face us, shifting his form to become clothed in a silver suit with a red and gold cape as he landed next to Thor.
"I am sorry," he apologized quietly with a small nod. "That was... odd. Thank you."
Thor nodded back, and the Captain looked between the two men. "Thor, you helped create this?"
"I have had a vision," Thor explained. "A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at it's center-" he pointed towards the amber gem implanted in the vibranium man's forehead, "-is that."
"What, the gem?" Bruce asked as he and Stark both carefully stepped closer.
"The mind stone. There are six Infinity Stones, the greatest powers in the universe, unparalleled in their destructive capabilities."
"Then why would you bring it-"
"Stark is right." Thor cut Steve off and Bruce sighed.
"Oh, it is definitely the end times."
"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron."
"Not alone," the Vision agreed, walking forward.
Steve tilted his head slightly and joined Stark and Banner in studying the new addition. "Why does your vision sound like Jarvis?"
"We configured Jarvis' matrix." Stark stood almost toe-to-toe with the man now, and they circled each other until they had replaced the other with Stark standing closer to Thor and the Vision standing in between us and the Avengers. "We created something new."
"I think I've had my fill of new," Steve mumbled, seemingly to himself.
"You think I am a child of Ultron."
"You're not?"
"I am not Ultron. I am not Jarvis. I am... I am."
Wanda stepped in front of Pietro and I, glaring slightly at the red man. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation."
"Look again."
Clint chuckled before speaking for the first time since we had arrived at the Tower. "Yeah, her approval means jack to me."
Thor came forward to reclaim everyone's attention, gesturing towards the twins and I. "Their powers, the visions in our heads, even Ultron himself. They all came from the mind stone, but they are nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side-"
"Is it?" Steve asked Thor, and turned to the man wielding the stone. "Are you? On our side?"
The Vision looked to the floor with confusion written across his features. "I don't think it's that simple."
"Well it better get real simple real soon."
The Vision looked up at Clint's words and took the time to look at everyone in the room before speaking again. "I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all."
Wanda's head dipped infinitesimally, but I still noticed and placed a comforting hand on her back. I knew she blamed herself for everything, despite the fact that none of it was her fault. She thought that if she had not trusted Ultron so quickly, he would not be doing what he is now. The truth was that Ultron would wish to destroy the world with or without our help, but it was difficult for her to see that.
"What's he waiting for?" the Captain asked, and the Vision turned towards the five Avengers in the room.
"You."
"Sokovia." The twins and I all focused our attention on Clint at the mention of our home. "He's got Nat there too."
The room was quiet as everyone let this information sink in. For the Avengers it would have been good news- they knew where there friend was. But for the twins and I, it was devastating. Utron meant to destroy the world, and he was planning to start with our home.
Bruce moved closer to the Vision, folding his hands together. "If we're wrong about you... If you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..."
"What will you do?" When nobody answered the Vision's question, he stepped around Bruce to address us all as a group. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique. And he's in pain. But that pain will roll above the earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he has built, every trace of his presence on the net. We have to act now, and not one of us can do it without the others... Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended, so there may be no way for me to make you trust me. But we need to go."
We were all silent as the Vision lifted Thor's hammer with ease, holding it out at arm's length towards the god. Stark and the Captain looked at each other in shock, Bruce and Clint stared at the hammer with knit brows, and the twins and I simply watched in confusion.
Thor took the hammer, and the Vision walked out of the room with his cape billowing behind him. Everyone was shocked into silence- all of us except Thor, who maintained a mask of begrudging acceptance as he followed behind the Vision. "All right," he clapped Stark on the shoulder on his way out. "Well done."
We all stood for a moment longer before the Captain spoke up. "Three minutes. Get what you need."
Each person filed out, one after the other, separating to prepare themselves for the battle that was to come.
A/N:
1) I'm glad to report that next chapter, we will finally be able to get some more Pietro & Maia loving. Yay for that!
2) As we grow ever closer to the Battle of Sokovia, I'm curious to know what you all think will happen during that one scene. You all know what I'm talking about. I've had two or three people ask, but I'd like to know. What do you all think will happen when the time comes?