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Chapter 24: Distrust
"There's only one path to peace... The Avenger's Extinction..."
Those were Ultron's last words before Thor crush him with his hammer. They knew that it wasn't the end, Ultron has escaped with the scepter and other Iron Legion suits. All the Avengers gather in the lab, Dr. Cho took Kokoro to the lab too, to the medical bay. After the battle, Kokoro's body pulls itself together by everyone's surprise. Kokoro was still alive and Cho was amazed at that and often ask herself how her body works, what she can regenerate and what not and the most important question, How is she still alive? The simple answer would be because she's a goddess, but she'll get the answer from Kokoro when she wakes up. Dr. Cho went back to the lab and check on the rest of the Avengers to see if they had serious injuries, luckily they didn't. Tony Stark was speechless, he stares at the Iron Legion suit that Ultron was using and wonder how this did happen and why. Bruce check all the computers, all their data but Ultron erase everything and make sure to leave them in the dark. He destroys everything.
"All our work is gone" Said Bruce. "Ultron cleared out. He used the Internet as an escape hatch"
"Ultron..." Steve whisper and stare at Tony. He was already blaming him for what happen and he wasn't wrong to be angry at him.
"He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other" Said Natasha.
"He's in your files, he's in the Internet" Said Rhodes. "What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"
"Nuclear codes" Hill answer that question with the obvious answer.
"Yes. Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can" He said.
"Nukes?" Cho asks. "He said he wanted us dead"
"He didn't say dead... He said Extinct..." Said Steve.
"He also said he killed somebody" Said Clint.
"There wasn't anyone else in the building" Said Hill and Tony interrupt her.
"Yes, there was..." He said and show Jarvis hologram... It was completely wrecked, torn apart.
"This can't be..." Said Bruce. "This is insane"
"Jarvis was the first line of defense" Said Steve. "He would have shut Ultron down. It makes sense"
"No" Bruce correct him. "Ultron could have assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy. This is... Rage..." He said. Thor enters the lab, he came back after chasing after the Iron Legion that escapes. He went straight to Tony, grab him by the throat and lift him up. He looked angry and everyone reacted.
"Come on, use your words, buddy" Said Tony trying to break free.
"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark" Said Thor, Steve stop him.
"Thor, put him down now!" He said and Thor let go of Tony. "The Legionnaire... Where did he go?"
"Trail went cold about 100 miles our, but it's headed north... And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again"
"Genie's out of that bottle" Said Natasha. "Clear and present is Ultron"
"But I don't understand" Said Cho. "You build this program. Why is it trying to kill us?" She asks and Tony walk to a computer, not answering her question. Seconds later Tony start laughing out of nowhere like all this situation was only a joke to him. The truth is that he was both scare and confuse.
"You think it is funny?" Thor asks and Tony turns to him.
"No... It's probably not, right?" He asks. "This is very terrible. Is it so... Is it so... It is" Tony chuckle. "It's so terrible"
"This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand" Said Thor and that was the kind of talk Tony didn't want to deal. Not now, not never. Not because it was a cliche, but it was something he knew at this point, it was his fault and he knew it was something bigger than him but he did it because he feels like it was the right thing to do.
"No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny... It's hoot that you don't get why we need this" Said Tony.
"Yeah? What I'm seeing is that what you built almost kill Kokoro" Thor point at the Medical Bay and Kokoro wake up screaming.
"You Motherfucker!" She yells and looks around, nervous and scared. "Wh-What happened!? Did that really happen? Did he just cut me in half!?" She looks at the Avengers and gets out of the table, walking slowly to the lab. "What happen...? Please tell me... This isn't what I think it is... Bruce?" Kokoro stares at Bruce with a mix of fear and hate. He was lost for words. "Tell me you didn't do what I think you did"
"It was... Tony's idea" He said and Kokoro changes her focus at Tony. That makes her angrier.
"Why I'm not even surprised of this outcome?" She walks to Tony and looks at him right in the eyes. "I have a lot of questions but the most important right now is... What was that thing that almost kills me!?"
"... Ultron..." Said Tony and Kokoro grab him by the throat, but much harder than Thor did. She was choking him and all the Avengers try to take her off him. "Argh!"
"Don't fuck with me, Stark. I knew about that robot! I mean the weapon!" She yells and Thor takes her away, only for Kokoro to push Thor away. "Did you build that thing to kill me if you need to!?"
"N-No!" Tony said while gasping for air. "It was... A prototype!"
"That doesn't even answer my fucking question!"
"Kokoro, calm down!" Steve yell and Kokoro's eyes turn completely black as she looks at Steve. He takes a few steps back after that. He knew that Kokoro would hesitate to hurt him or the rest at this point. She had her sword already in her hand.
"I am calm... As long he answers..." Kokoro then looks at Tony. "Well?" Tony sigh and say it.
"After... you came back. I had a feeling that we might need something in case you turn against us... Just like we have Veronica for Hulk, I create a weapon based on the shotgun that kills the gods in Japan... Only this one was more destructive. I hide it and decided to not push my luck, I knew that if you find about it you will make a big deal about this"
"Oh? What gives you that idea?" Kokoro said sarcastically. "That weapon is telling me that you don't trust me. If you do trust me then at least you would have told me about it. Bruce knows about his countermeasure, why I'm different? Why are you hiding it from me? I deserve to know! I need to know!"
"What? You want me to spell it out for you!?"
"Yes! Say it!"
"You are a danger!" Tony yell and everyone stays quiet. "You are a danger to everyone here and the world and the last thing we need is for you to actually know that there's a weapon that can kill you! You think that I'm blind!? You are showing the obvious signs of depression, anxiety, isolation, and madness. You think that I don't notice you talking to yourself? You think that I don't know about your weird tendency of talking about "humans". You stop being human long ago and know you are acting like one of those gods that betray your trust. Even worst... You might be acting like your father now... I just want to make sure that WE have the necessary tools if you decide to do something stupid! And believe... I won't sit down and watch how you go and kill us all. I have the chance to be prepared and you better believe that I will do what's necessary to protect us all... Even if I have to kill you..." Kokoro's eyes turn back to normal. She let go of her sword and disappear inside her own Shadow. She looks down and chuckles.
"I... see... haha... So that's why... Good... You are doing great... You should fear me..." Kokoro walks away from him. "After all... Like you said, I'm not human anymore. Just another one of the monsters in your "Need to die" list... It doesn't matter where I go, nobody wants me near anymore. Looks like I'm truly by myself now. Well, Fuck you. You are on your own" Kokoro turn around and walk away from the lab. "Good luck with you homicidal robot. I had enough of this... I didn't even want any of this..."
"Kokoro wait!" Bruce runs after her but she disappears outside the lab. "She's... gone..." Tony sigh and sit in a chair. He massages his forehead and let out a big grunt.
"Dammit" He said.
"I hope you are happy" Said Thor. "You have created a murderous robot and betray Kokoro's trust in you. After what happen, you really thought this was a good idea?"
"Can you shut up?" Tony yell. "I didn't create Ultron. I wasn't even close. I wasn't close to an interface. If anything it was all failure!"
"Well, you did something right," Said Steve. "And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different that S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Sorry, but anybody remembers when I carried a freaking nuke through a wormhole?" Tony asked, remembering the battle that took place in New York years ago.
"No, it's never come up" Said Rhodes. Reminding Tony that he barely speaks of it because until recently he suffers PTSD because of that.
"I saved New York... Recall that?" Tony yell. "A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing 300 feet below it... We're the Avengers... We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but that up there, that's... That's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?" Steve with his response to that question.
"Together"
"... We'll lose"
"Then we'll do that together, too" Steve look down. "Ultron's calling us out... And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller... Banner... Do you have any idea of where Kokoro might've gone?" Bruce sigh and shake his head. "She trusted you so she must have told you something important"
"No... Not at all... I never saw her like this... I don't even know what she will do next... I'm even scared of thinking about it"
"... If I were her..." Said Thor and Steve look at him. "Only home would be a safe place for me to calm down... Surrounded by family and friends. Maybe she went back home. That's the most obvious choice"
"No... She's not there..." Said Bruce. "She's been avoiding Japan since she came back"
"Why is that?" Thor asks.
"... She... told me to keep this a secret... but..." Bruce sigh and speak up, breaking his promise. "Her mother's dead"