Finding Family - Part 3 ~ Chapter 11


The Avengers however weren't in the mood to give Ultron time, running through the destroyed office Steve knelt next to Dr Cho.

"Dr. Cho!"

"He's uploading himself into the body," coughed Dr Cho through her scorched lungs.

"Where?"

"The real power is inside the cradle. The gem. Its power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark."

"First I have to find it."

"Go."

"Did you guys copy that?"

"Roger," said May, "I've called in an ambulance."

"There's been no sight of anything leaving so he's still in there," added Clint. "Wait there's a lorry leaving now... I've a clear shot we can take it out now."

"No, if the gem blows it could level the city," said Steve running for the window.

"What's your plan?" Asked Natasha in time to see him fly from the window onto the escaping lorry. In response the lorry accelerated significantly, pushing cars from its path.

"Working on it."

May circled the Nighthawk round shooting off after the speeding truck, "there's three in the back and one in the cab," she said over their radio.

Cap got to his feet as a fist came through the lorries roof knocking him from his feet. He stood to see Ultron rising from the lorries rear doors onto the roof, he stood in the air across from Cap. With no warning whatsoever Ultron struck out with a well aimed blast to Cap's chest, it would have struck had Cap not kept to the side. He followed up with a swiftly flung shield to Ultron's face, sending him staggering back, this wasn't enough as he soon stood back up.

"You know what's in that cradle?" Ultron interspersed his talking with well timed, barely blocked punches, "The power to make real change. And that terrifies you."

"I wouldn't call it a comfort," gasped out Cap amidst gasps for air.

"What's this thing got, Cap needs a hand?"

"It's got us," replied May bringing the jet around, "we can't hurt the driver but if we can draw off the ones in the back I can drop Widow off to help Cap."

"What're we waiting for, draw away," said Hawkeye looking down at Cap struggling to hold his own against Ultron.

"You may want to hold on," shouted May as the ramp leapt shut and she brought the jet up into a loop before diving down aiming directly for the lorry. "Let's see what you've got for us," May fingered a virtual menu to find what armaments they had. "Ah, there you are," she clicked a button labelled 'Electro' seconds later a missile launcher popped from the belly of the jet. Quickly targeting the lorry and Ultron's bodies Melinda depressed the virtual trigger, out of the tube shot a collection of small glowing missiles each locked onto a different target. They veered away from the jet towards the lorry, one broke through the windscreen hitting the driver in the chest, a burst of electricity shut down the robot. Another aimed for the engine of the lorry and with another arc of lightning it was fried and in operable, the lorry slowed to a stop in the motorway causing the other road users to have to swerve violently around the blockage. Their luck had to run out and it came in the form of Ultron's main body, he must have seen the missile heading his way because he managed to manoeuvre the Captain into its flight path, with a yell of pain Cap collapsed his shield falling from his limp hand.

"Widow you're up," shouted May, she touched a button and a wire descended from the roof of the jet, the floor also retracted. Clipping herself in Widow was dropped through the gap directly into Ultron's path, with dexterous leap she flipped Cap's shield up and into her hands, just in time too as Ultron shot a burst of energy at them which was deflected of the shield.

"Hawkeye they're gonna need air support, they're refusing to be drawn out, get your arse back there," shouted, May, she closed the floor hatch and opened the rear ramp.

"You're getting a bit too fond of shouting orders May," grinned Hawkeye as he took his stance in the doorway.

"Save the world now, whine later Barton," grinned May, not that she'd ever admit it but she missed the overt awe inspiring missions.

The robots from the lorry's rear had noticed the fight and decided to help they climbed onto the roof to join Ultron.

"Sorry for this Cap," said Widow before throwing one of her Widow stings on him jolting the him awake.

"Owwwww," he groaned getting to his feet, an arrow shot over his shoulder impaling the robot that would have shot him in the back.

"Thanks Hawkeye."

"No problem, but one of them is breaking off its heading for the city."

"Can you do anything, we're pinned down here."

"You or me make a choice," shouted May from the cockpit.

In an amazing show of idiocy and skill Hawkeye leapt from the jet, "me, I got this."

Falling to his imminent doom Hawkeye strung and aimed a very special arrow, he released it letting loose a long thin wire with a grappling hook on the end. With all his shots it landed true and Hawkeye was strung along in the wake of the flying robot. Cap and Widow were slowly gaining the upper hand with one down and another trailing Hawkeye across the city, they were down to Ultron and two more. Quick blows by one robot were in perfect sync with the others allowing the two Avengers no time to react, it was only the hours of practice in the gym that allowed them to hold their own. Before he knew it Ultron was down to only his main body, the others either shot by Widow or dismembered by Cap's shield.

"Your end is coming Avengers, the age of metal will rise," unfortunately he was too busy monologuing to notice Cap's shield flying towards his head until it was too late.

With Ultron dealt with Cap and Widow jumped down to take a look in the lorry's rear, "May we need you to get this to Stark, we'll help Hawkeye."

"Yes sir," replied May formally, "if you can get it to the pavement I can take it from there."

Getting the Cradle to the pavement wasn't too hard and then Cap and Widow were on their way to Hawkeye's location.

Hawkeye was having an entertaining ride, as soon as he'd latched on the robot had begun flying very erratically swinging him into more than one building window. The robot seemed to have an agenda as it soon came to follow the main line train out of the city.

With an evil laugh the robot began to sing, "the runaway train went down the track..."

Hawkeye didn't give him time to finish as he detached himself and fell to the trains roof below, he landed with a crash and a dent in the ceiling. Scrambling to the back of the compartment he swung down and into the train. Landing on his feet this time, Hawkeye began running down the centre of the train, shouting for everyone to move and apologising when he bowled them over. Reaching the drivers cabin he could see the driver was panicking whilst trying not to be seen by the passengers. Somehow with his limited Korean and the mans small knowledge of English they were able to hash out a plan. Hawkeye thumbed through his arrows trying to find the one he needed, it was a small glass orb on the end which held some black fluid. Picking it up and drawing it, he aimed into the distance, sure of his target he loosed it with a, "here goes nothing." Far ahead of them the arrow struck the sleepers and from it grew a billowing black foam mass, coating the tracks in a matter of seconds. It was a good thing as seconds later the train struck the aerated blob and carried on straight through, "come on, come on," prayed Clint as the blob coated the wheels. Ever so slowly the train began slowing, the sticky coating was doing it's job as was the damaged brakes. The train began moving more and more sluggishly, soon it was moving at running speed. It was at this time that Clint looked from the window to see Cap and Widow in a tiny hatchback besides him, they spoke up on his headset.

"The track ends a mile or so ahead, we're gonna need to stop the train," said Widow.

"What d'you think we've been doing," replied Clint, "but the brakes and the goop have done all they can its not slowing anymore."

Looking sideways again Clint saw that this time Widow was on the cars roof.

"What are you doing Nat?"

"Helping you," she said through gritted teeth as she launched herself onto the train, she crashed through the doors and fell onto the floor. Unperturbed she quickly got up and entered the cabin, pulling her cord from one of her many pouches she looped it round the brake lever and secured it.

"Come on we need to get people to the back of the train," she then said leaving again.

"Come on," said Clint motioning to the driver.

They ran, picking up people as they went till they filled the last three carriages with the rest empty.

"Waaaahh," came a cry from the middle of the train.

"Was that?" Said Clint when he got a affirmative nod from Natasha he took off running.

"Hawkeye," shouted Natasha desperately trying to get him to stop she could feel the train speeding up again, her cord must have slipped on the breaks.

High above the ground a storm cloud rolled in forming a billowing ring of grey, from the centre projected down was a rainbow pillar of light. The light landed in the centre of a pair of train tracks only for the recently appeared people to be run over by an oncoming train. This train just so happened to be the runaway train Hawkeye and Widow were in, desperately trying to stop. Seconds before impact Hawkeye managed to grab the crying child and throw himself under a chair wedging himself there protectively curled round the child.

The impact of hitting the three people added to the sudden loss of the tracks brought about by the appearance of the asgardian rainbow bridge, sent the train lurching to a stop. Though the first carriage stopped the rest failed to get the message as they continued moving, hitting the carriages before them and careering across the Main Street the train track intersected. The three people rolled from the path of the remaining carriages and came to a standstill watching the carriages roll on destroying the Tarmac as they went.

"There's people in there," shouted Sif running to one of the occupied carriages. With a roar of effort she stood before it and braced for the inevitable, as it hit her she pushed back slowing it till it stopped leaving her gasping from exhaustion. Seeing Sif's success Thor ran to the second of the three runaway carriages and followed her lead, it too soon came to a stop. Seeing the third carriage heading for a market stall Logan did the noble if idiotic thing and threw himself into its path. Bracing for the inevitable did very little he help him when it did finally hit him, pushing with all his might he slowed the train slightly, it was taking its tole however, his muscles were burning and his adamanium skeleton was creaking in discomfort. Just as he was contemplating his alternatives Logan felt the weight substantially decrease, looking to his right he saw a girl of twenty pushing against the train hard enough to leave dents in the carriages bodywork. With renewed vigour Logan redoubled his efforts and slowly the train came to a stop, once it did Logan turned to the unknown but oddly familiar girl.

As the final carriages came to a stop Natasha leapt from her carriage and rushed to one of the overturned ones, "Clint, Clint," she shouted. Rubble shifted inside as Natasha leapt onto the carriage and wrenched the doors open before she dropped into the dust filled room.

Slowly with a groan Clint crawled from beneath a chair holding a young child, "I'm good," he muttered hopping slightly in pain.

"Bloody hero," muttered Natasha before taking the child and jumping through the doors.

"Making it too hard for yourself, you're too old for this shit," muttered Clint to himself as he walked to the end of the coach and kneeling through the doorway.

"So kid, what's your name?" Asked Logan as soon as the catastrophe was averted.

"Errr... Umm," suddenly Laura was nervous. Her whole torturous life had been down to this person, inadvertently he was the origin of it all. A few days ago she'd have blamed him, now though she'd seen what the Avengers had done, they were all heroes.

"I'm Laura," she said looking the famed Wolverine in the eye.

"And what's your gift, Laura?"

"It's, err," she lifted her hands to chest height between them, with a SNIKT she released her claws, earning a gasp from Logan.

"I'm not... They made another," Logan staggered back in shock. His next reaction shocked Laura, "oh child what have you been through," he said embracing her, "you poor thing."

Laura wasn't one for pity it was given by the uninformed towards the weak, there was something about being held by her biological father that comforted and made her feel safe, gave her a belonging. Across the street Sif disentangled herself from the wreckage and looked over to see Logan embracing the young adult.


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