And now, to the turning point. Also known as where the fun ends and the war begins. Oh, and a special guest appearance near the end of the chapter. Guess who?

With that aside, have fun and happy readings!

Chapter 22

An Apple Red as Blood

Nighttime had gone by quickly for them. However, T'Challa could not sleep. He spent most of that time staring up at the ceiling, contemplating the options he had. The others were still asleep, his sister taking Scott and Cassie leaving the hardest. Even then, sleep had overcome her. But T'Challa, hours later, still lay awake, an uneasy feeling squeezing him.

Not taking it anymore, he rose from the bed and looked around. Bucky was closest to the doorway, his breath rising and falling in a steady rhythm. T'Challa tiptoed towards the doorway. He reached for the knob and unlocked it. He glanced at Bucky again, seeing if he had awakened or not. But the former war veteran slept on as he cautiously opened the door and stepped outside.

Through the panels that reflected the moonlight from outside, it was early morning. He quietly slipped down the hall, hoping not to wake any of the others. Nobody was in the common room or anywhere, so he quickened his pace to the stairway that led to the outside world. As he emerged, he scanned the expense of the forest laid out through the hillocks. The sun was breaking through the horizon, filling the sky with a pinkish orange glow.

As he surveyed the view, T'Challa began to reflect on past events and wondered what could possibly have happened during his absence. Did Ultron even figured out where he was hiding out at? Could he sense where he was or what he was doing? T'Challa thought back to the day he was captured and escaped. Ultron had known who he was, but was never specific on how he did. He thought Ultron did know the second he had walked into the council room. The liche king was known to have powers that no Sorcerer Supreme could wield. How long would it be before Ultron discovered him?

Tree branches rustled and dried leaves cracked behind him. He straightened up, ready to bid the Panther Habit to activate. He spun around and commanded the Black Panther suit to cover him, the helmet snapping over his face. Vision stood before him, his hands up in surrender.

"It's only me," he said. "Care to take a walk with me?"

T'Challa willed the suit to disappear into the necklace around his neck. The loose bits of his outfit were shredded, but the clothes still remained intact. He started away from the entryway, checking over his shoulder to see if anyone else was about to emerge as well.

Soon, they were deep in the woods, completely alone. A sliver of light peeked through from the eastern sky, the pine trees towering over them. A few other trees were planted here and there, but the rest of them was all coniferous. "It's like nothing here has changed. The world here is beautiful," T'Challa said.

"The world will soon have its beauty restored, when you are king," Vision said. When T'Challa looked at him, he assumed the boy thought they could not defeat him. The phantom clarified, "As far as we know, the people Ultron have conquered hate him with a great passion."

T'Challa shook his head. "I don't know why, but I feel sorrow for him. It's strange."

"Strange how?"

"Like as if we were bounded together," T'Challa explained.

"Until death do us part," Vision quoted a famous saying. It was meant to be a jest, but T'Challa didn't seem to smile.

"In my culture, death is not the end. It's more like a point to step off of. You reach out with both hands and you find yourself in the arms of Anubis and Sekhmet. They lead you into the green field where you can run forever."

"It sounds so peaceful."

"My father once thought so as well."

"T'Challa, I am sure he is at peace now."

"By then, it will not matter who is at peace or who is not. What matters is how we come out of it."

Vision stopped. "Look."

T'Challa looked up in front of them. A single fruit tree grew in front of them. It was small, but the fruit looked ripe. He walked towards it and plucked one of them off of the branches. He held it up in his hands. "I guess the Avengers do leave something for a weary traveler to dine on."

Vision picked a fruit and held it up at eye level. "Strange. I thought these grew in the Eastern World."

T'Challa smirked at him. He had heard that the fruit was sweet, and the skin was so soft you could bit through it. It's purple skin had no mark in it, but the whiteness inside would be like comparing it to snow. Before Vision could make a comment, T'Challa took a bite in its skin, tasting the sweet juice that ran down its throat.

He felt strange suddenly. As the juice made its way down his throat, something seemed to wash over him, and his throat felt like it was burning up. To Vision, his face contorted funnily and he was gagging with his mouth closed. The wraith laughed.

"I didn't think of it to be tart," he said. He held the fruit to try it himself. One look and he gasped, dropping it to the ground. Somehow, the sweet rounded plant had grown rotten and soft, unbearable to look at. Vision gaped at it before turning to the tree. The leaves had dried up, the branches drooped. The plant itself looked dead and withered. If that were possible, then that meant T'Challa was indeed in danger.

But where was he? Where did he go? The wraith looked around to find his friend, his savior. He found a trail near him, as if someone was crawling over the ground.

"T'Challa!"

T'Challa was crawling across the ground, still gagging and heaving dryly. His pace began to slow as pain shot through his chest. He nearly vomited, but nothing was coming up. What had he eaten?

He could feel the movement of his limbs grow sluggish. He kept going until his arms and legs became stiff and he could move no more. He tried to move his fingers and toes. It was no use. It felt like his body had been pinned down by cement. He looked at his hand and noticed the black lines forming on it. The lines were spreading over his body, making out shapes like his veins. So, this was what dark magic felt like. It was poisonous and paralyzing, like the strong concoction of the fruit.

Except he had survived it before. He did not know why, but he lived through it. However, how would this time be any different?

A hand reached down and grabbed the collar of his shirt. This was it. He was going to die now. He was flipped over onto his back, staring up at the sky. His eyes locked onto Vision's. He heard the wraith suck in a breath. He tried to say something, but his mouth wouldn't move on its own accord. Damn it all, why did it had to happen now when they were alone?

The stone in the center of Vision's forehead glowed as he placed a hand on T'Challa's forehead. He drew in a sharp gasp as he felt the heat in his body intensify. One brief moment later, the heat diminished, the pain receded, and the lines on his body faded. However, his entire form still twitched and he remained incapable of movement.

"Be still," Vision instructed. He gently gathered T'Challa into his arms. "Don't try to move. We're going back to get you healed."

"You still think you can save everyone?"

Vision nearly dropped T'Challa as soon that was spoken. He turned around and saw Ultron beneath a tree, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. So, the liche king found them after all. Ultron stepped out of the shadows, but Vision stood his guard.

"Ultron, I did not think you would come here," Vision said.

"I'm sure you didn't," Ultron replied. "After all, you chose to be in the enemy's company rather than serving your duty."

"I had not abandoned you completely," Vision lied. He tried to avoid the look T'Challa gave him. "I just needed time away to come to the conclusion to your plans."

Ultron cocked a brow. "Excuse me?"

"I was thinking once," Vision said. "The humans are complicated. Thinking they have the power to try and control one thing over the other when it comes to catastrophic events. But, there is still some form of greatness in them. I think now we are missing the point."

"We are, aren't we?"

"Just because we have met some unfortunate folk, does not mean we should give up on them. Which is why I think after all these years you seem to overstep those boundaries. And if we keep going down that path, it could be the end of what is left of humanity."

"Is that so?"

"…Well, yes."

Please stop talking, T'Challa pleaded mentally. Although he was proud to see Vision take a stand against his creator, the Black Panther was terrified that he would become Ultron's next target.

"So, everyone is starting to think that I'm overstepping my limits?" Ultron said. He tilted his head. "Tell me, my son, do you think I am taking this too far?"

"I never said that," Vision said.

"Then do as I command." Ultron raised one of his arms up and pointed at T'Challa. "Bring him to me."

Vision looked down at T'Challa. The latter glared up at him, breathing rapidly and heavily. The wraith soon turned around and took a few steps away. He set down T'Challa as gently as he could. Standing up, he pivoted to glare at his creator.

"Why should I?" Vision refused. "You killed his father out of spite, along with an honest shaman and the Maximoff twins. Must you take away the life of this man just because you're afraid the people will forget who you are or ever were?"

T'Challa couldn't see his face, couldn't see what he was doing. That didn't prevent him from imagining what came next. Ultron lowered his hand, only to swing up the other arm and unleash a stream of energy at Vision. His oldest son gasped as he felt it immobilize him in his spot, forcing him onto his knees. Ultron approached him with such disappointment.

"My Vision," Ultron lamented. "The Black Panther really did take everything from me."

"You set the terms," Vision strained. "You can undo them."

"How can I? I give you one order, and you fail to complete it." Ultron reached down, digging his fingertips into his eldest creation's forehead. "Any last words?"

Vision closed his eyes. "Wanda, I love you."

With that, Ultron tore out the center of Vision's forehead. The wraith collapsed to the ground. His once scarlet and emerald form faded to gray.

"I always hated it when you challenged the rules," Ultron soliloquized. "Since your emerged from the earth, I have given you one goal to follow. To separate yourself from humanity because emotions would lead to your downfall. But no, you go around and question every order I give out. Always defied me then, still defying me now. That's what you get when you let your wretched emotions stand in the way. I thought I made it pretty clear why I had told you to bring him to me that night. Oh well. I'll snuff him out before he can break the spell and end me."

T'Challa could only lay there, stupefied at what happened. He opened his mouth to scream, but no noise came out. How could he have killed Vision like that? He didn't deserve to die that way! T'Challa wanted to yell at him, curse him for the wicked deeds he had done, but it was like as if his mind was incapable of conveying words.

Ultron turned his attention to him. His limbs couldn't move; they felt like lead. He could only watch as his nemesis came into view. "On the other hand, you've got a lot of potential. It'll be a waste of it. At first, I never quite understood why Zuri chose you. Now I do, and I can't let T'Chaka's line carry on, now can I?"

He leaned down. His hand was poised over T'Challa's chest, ready to rip out his heart. "You don't even know how lucky you are. You'll never know what it's like to grow old."

Ants suddenly swarmed over T'Challa's body. Ultron gasped, stumbling back. There were so many of them. The ants settled on T'Challa and stilled, with many more coming up to surround him. The liche looked up and saw Scott emerging from the forest. His usual cheerful green eyes were hooded and filled with fire.

"Who the hell made you judge, jury, and executioner?" he snarled.

"So, you're the outsider Proxima and Corvus spoke of," Ultron dryly began their acquaintance.

"Who cares?" Scott spat. He raised a hand up. The ants on the ground turned at their master's command to the liche's direction. Ultron reeled back, remembering exactly what he had learned of this man's gift. He tried another tactic to avoid a fight and get what he wanted.

"You know, it doesn't have to be like this," Ultron stated.

"You made it like this. You made it personal. Look what you did to T'Challa. To Vision!" Scott gestured to the gray corpse.

"What happened here was unfortunate," Ultron tried to justify himself. "I never planned to murder my own son. But like it or not, children have to learn from their mistakes. Otherwise, they have to pay a price. I'm sure you understand that, given that you're a father as well?"

Scott was visibly shaken by this. The thief clenched his fists to calm himself. He had been trying too hard to redeem himself of his past crimes for years now. However, in ways he never thought he would see it as, it marked a new beginning. He saw movement in the corner of his eye. He knew he had to keep Ultron focused on him.

"You really don't know me that well then," Scott declared. "I am a father, by my own right. But while I live, and until the day I die, I am an Avenger!"

Ultron's eyes flashed with anger. "You bitch!"

In his wrath, he used his black magic to wipe at the ants that were guarding T'Challa. Scott was flung backwards from the blast. His back hit a tree, forcing the remaining ants to scatter. Upon regaining his senses, the Ant-Man scrambled off of the ground as Ultron stormed towards him. The burglar's outspoken revelation of his allegiance had drawn his attention as he hoped. Only this time, it was with the purpose to kill.

"You never should have left them," Ultron bellowed.

"You think I did?" Scott replied.

A thick chain was lassoed around Ultron's legs. The humanoid squawked as he found himself being yanked to the ground, hitting it with a hard thump. He clawed at the ground as he felt himself being dragged across the ground. Bucky was at the other end of it as he tried to get the liche away from Scott. The former convict took his chance and scrambled to T'Challa's side.

"Come on, T'Challa," he said. "Do me a favor and don't be dead."

Bucky pulled at Ultron as hard as he could. But the horrid figure proved to be strong enough to yank back. A brief moment of tug-of-war broke out between them as Bucky tried to keep Ultron away. But the latter had enough of these games. He took hold of the chain and yanked as hard as he could. He headbutted Bucky when he was within range. The animated being stood up and brushed off the dirt that was on his rags and armor. Noticing his target was still nearby, even with Scott hovering over him, Ultron moved forward.

"Stark!"

Ultron turned his head around and saw Tony running up to him. "Oh, for god's sake." He stop and backhanded Tony. The sorcerer cried out as he charged again. Ultron dodged and blasted at him. Tony twisted his body around to avoid it and once more rushed forward. Ultron aimed, and fired, hitting Tony in the side. Tony cried out and found himself spinning. He didn't have time to react as Ultron grabbed the side of his head, attempting to crush his skull.

Something jumped onto his back, wrapping their arms around his neck, forcing him to let go of Tony. Ultron struggled until he got a good grip and threw Steve off of him. Clint let loose an arrow and it exploded. A sticky substance pinned Ultron's left arm to his side, causing him to crash to the ground. He was ready to fight back when he felt something pin him to the ground on his chest. Thor stepped back as the entire group surrounded him.

"Peter?" Tony whispered.

Ultron glared at him. "What about it?"

The team was absolutely horrified.

"Why are you doing this?" Thor asked.

"What? Are you…" Ultron did not sound happy. His eyes rested on the hammer in hand. He narrowed his eyes. "How can any of you be worthy? You're all killers."

"Stark," Steve spoke.

"I was sleeping, dreaming. That I remember. Then there was this terrible noise and then, that was when I found myself tangled in…strings. But no more."

He used his powers to break through the substance and the hammer's enchantment. The Avengers had to shield their eyes from the blast.

"Now, I am on a mission," Ultron concluded, standing up. "Peace in our time. We were never made for the battlefield. We were only meant to be pawns of a greater power. I was thinking of something—"

"That could impact the team?" Steve spoke.

"That would end the team," Ultron said. "This vulnerable world needed something better than you guys. I see an armor around it, freed from control as if they were like…puppets, hollowed out by debauchery. Imagine that."

The team looked shocked. Ultron didn't sound exactly like himself.

"And maybe, maybe if you guys don't stand in the way—"

"That's not going to happen."

All eyes were turned to the speaker.

"We can understand your reasons for wanting to make the world safe, but there's more to it than creating a shield to fend off otherworldly beings that would threaten the world. We once told you that keeping others safe was the first step to making it a better place."

"It will be," Ultron promised.

"How? By taking away everyone's freedom and rights from them? By slaughtering them?"

"That is not…Humanity will have every opportunity to improve."

"And if they don't?" Bruce asked nervously.

"Ask Noah."

Everyone felt their blood run cold.

"Looks like we pissed him off," Natasha whispered.

"There had been more than a dozen evolution theories, before even the beasts of old got theirs. When the world settles, the Lord throws a stone at it. Believe me, he is winding up. You might want to act fast," Ultron said. "There is no room for the weak."

"Yeah? And who decides that?" Clint questioned.

Ultron chuckled. "Life. Life does."

"What has corrupted you to tell us this?" Thor snarled. "Who is this so-called savior of the world?"

"I will save it!" Ultron shot back.

"Not like this!" Thor roared. He took hold of Ultron's arm. "Give up this madness, this poisonous dream!" Then he pleaded, "Come home."

Ultron just stared at him. Then he scoffed, pushing Thor away. "That was dramatic. I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just don't seem to get it. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity going to be protected if it's not allowed to…evolve?"

"You listen here then," Thor started.

"T'Challa!"

The group looked up. Nakia and Shuri came tearing out of the woods, rushing towards T'Challa and Scott. Scott was cradling T'Challa closely, using himself as a barrier between the zombie-like being and the Wakandan king. Nakia stumbled in her path upon seeing Vision's corpse. Shuri didn't bother to slow down. She almost threw herself at the men as she hovered over her unconscious brother.

"What's wrong with him?" Shuri questioned in a panic.

"He's paralyzed," Scott told her. "I don't know what the cause was."

Nakia's eyes diverted to the ground. Scott followed her gaze and saw a rotten piece of fruit lying nearby, looking as if someone had taken a bite out of it. Angrily, Shuri turned and lunged at Ultron. She barely had the chance to lay a finger at him as Scott held her back.

"Let me go!" she shouted. "He will pay for this!"

"He will," Scott promised. "He will. But don't get too carried away with it."

"He's still breathing," Nakia announced. "We need to get to the caves. He needs to be healed!"

Ultron was annoyed. "Have I lost your attention?" he sneered. "Are we already done talking?"

A discomfited silence swept over them. Natasha was the first to turn to him. Her stare could scare a man, but Ultron was not a man. He was twisted in his own thoughts and dreams, bent on seeing them begging on their knees.

"Pyotr," she started so slowly, "we are not going to start on this. You know what you're doing is wrong; you should know this by now."

"Do not call me that anymore!" Ultron shouted. "Peter is a sickness, stuck in a body that made him vulnerable, worthless, and futile. I am stronger than before."

He raised a hand up, engulfing it in red. "There is only one path to peace — the end of the Avengers."

He brought it down.

In the forest, Nick raced through the trees in full speed, having started heading towards the location of the commotion after hearing Scott's friends had captured the thief and T'Challa went missing.

"Please, let me get there in time," he prayed.

Everyone braced themselves for the incoming attack. However, a full blown force was met against Ultron's blast. Tony had put up a protective shield in front of them, fighting against Ultron's attack.

"Get T'Challa out of here! We cannot let Ultron get anywhere near him!" Steve shouted over his shoulder.

"You will fail him," Ultron vowed in a dark tone. He shot forward, and Tony and Thor quickly counterattacked. They surged forward and grabbed Ultron, pushing him back. Steve sprinted and tackled Ultron to the ground, holding him down.

"Get off! If you want to play dirty, then you better prepare to go all the way!"

Ropes of dark magic wrapped themselves around the men. He threw them back into the group. Seeing the provoked creature lurch forward and rocket towards them, Scott whipped a disc from his pocket and threw it to the ground. Ultron stumbled back as an ant was enlarged in front of him.

"Bucky! Bruce! Help them out! The rest of you know what to do!" Steve shouted.

"You don't need to ask me twice," Bucky said out loud as he rushed after the group.

Running across the field, Thor twirled his hammer and brought it down. Lightning flashed from the sky, shooting at the heels of their opponent as he tried to intercept him. However, Ultron banked and weaved from the bolts that threatened to fry him. He then spun around and whipped both arms out in front of him. He fired at Thor, blowing up the ground beneath the demigod's feet. He turned and continued towards his prize.

"No, you don't," Natasha grunted as she hurled a knife at him. But Ultron turned around and caught it in time.

Bucky turned around and rushed forward, white fur and sharp teeth replacing him as a familiar white wolf pounced and tackled Ultron to the ground.

"Go left! Left!" Scott pushed the ant as they hurried into the woods.

Bucky yelped as he was thrown off of Ultron. His opponent turned to where they had disappeared to. Ultron was standing barefaced out in the middle of the field as he continuously fired at the people around him, keeping them pinned behind the trees as they were no longer attacking him.

"Guys, we've got to keep him on us or it's game over," Sam said.

"How are we suppose to do that without hurting him?!" Thor boomed.

"I don't think we do," Natasha sighed.

"Tony, on my signal," Steve reminded.

Tony nodded in confirmation. Putting his shield onto his back, Steve proceeded to leap from his hiding spot and into the open air, ducking and rolling under Ultron's attacks. Tony reached out towards a fallen tree and tendrils of light blue magic seeped from his fingertips and towards the dead trunk. He carefully lifted it up and threw it towards the attacker with a mighty push.

Ultron's reaction was predictable as he blasted it out of the air before it collided with him. But as it exploded in front of him, his view of his surroundings was obscured by the dust and debris of the bark. It gave Sam an opportunity to swoop from his place and fly towards him.

"What the—?!" Ultron was cut off as his quick reflexes saved him from being tackled by the winged man.

Charging through the smokescreen, Sam had pressed a button on one of his gauntlets and a flurry of miniature rockets shot from the pack on his back. Ultron was forced to weave about frantically to avoid being clipped by them.

While that was happening, Clint rushed over and helped Bucky up to his feet. "You okay?" he checked.

"Yep. But we've gotta stop him from getting T'Challa," Bucky grunted.

As he was done saying that, Sam was sent towards them, crashing them and forcing them to the ground again.

"Come on!" Clint shouted.

"Now, for the main event," Ultron hissed. But before he could take off, Tony shot out another tendril and ensnared itself around his ankle from behind, causing him to trip over.

"You're not going anywhere," Tony said.

"I've just about have had enough of you already," Ultron snarled. He turned and shot a hand out, dark red tendrils of his own magic pouring from his fingertips. The tendrils found themselves wrapped around Natasha from her spot, dragging her back to him. He hooked an arm around her neck and held her up.

"Come closer, and she gets it," he warned them.

"Natasha!" Clint shouted. "Let her go!"

Ultron tsked. "Do whatever you all want. But if you want to shoot me, you'll have to shoot her as well." His hold tightened around her. "Not that it matters to me."

Natasha's fingertips dug into his arms. She struggled to get out of his grip, but he proved to be stronger than her. His arm was squeezing at her neck, barley making it possible for her to breathe.

"Peter, let her go," Steve said. "You're suffocating her."

"Am I?" Ultron feigned concern. "Oh, my. Well, maybe I'll have one less problem to worry about after all."

Steve barely glanced over Ultron's shoulder. Thor was tiptoeing towards them, his battle hammer ready. However, as he was close enough to take a swing, Ultron turned around and shot at him.

"Go! Now!"

Ultron spun around and threw Natasha at the first person that came at him. She collided with Steve, sending them to the ground. He shot the others, sending each one flying farther from him.

"Now, for the main event," he repeated to himself before taking off.

"Did you see that?! Do you think they're alright?" Shuri called, referring to the trail of dust billowing from behind them.

"I don't know," Nakia responded. "But I'm going back there." She gripped her chakrams with determination, but as she made to charge out back into the open, Scott's hand clamped around her arm to keep her in place.

"Nakia, no. Stop!"

"We have to help them," Nakia protested.

"Steve told us to get as far away as possible, remember?" Scott reminded before gesturing to the two bodies on the ant. "Nick should be along to help out, but until then our job is to get T'Challa to safety and keep him away from Ultron."

Looking back behind her towards where the fight took place, Nakia glared down in frustration, clutching her shaking hands.

"Fine," she finally said.

"We have company!" Shuri warned, pointing up above them.

They looked up. Ultron was coming towards them!

"Look out!" Bruce shouted as they were forced to run.

"Hand him over, you thieves!" Ultron demanded as he pursued them.

"That's rich, coming from you!" Shuri retorted. She squeaked as she barely avoided a blast of magic.

As continued to chase after them, Ultron focused his aim on the ant. However, after several direct hits, it became clear that the insect was made resilient for the small shots produced.

"You're a tough one," Ultron noted. "Guess I don't have to hold back after all."

Ceasing his fire, Ultron reared back his arms before throwing them forward, unleashing a powerful blast towards them. It struck the ant, killing it and sending the others flying.

"Shuri!" Scott shouted.

"I'm fine," Shuri groaned.

"Come on, big guy."

They looked up to find Bruce on his knees.

"Why are you doing this to me?" They watched stupidly as he started to slap himself. "Come out. Come out."

Shuri felt her jaw drop as Bruce's face turned a pale shade of green and he released a guttered "No!" Dizzy, Bruce fell back to the ground.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Bruce asked. But there was no answer.

Ultron touched down harshly. Nakia surged forward and tackled him to the ground. Ultron squawked in surprise, but he quickly recovered and kicked her off of him. Nakia felt as if she had been kicked by a horse.

Ultron stood up, glaring at her with such darkness that it made her shiver. He reached into the folds of his armor, but he frowned. He looked down at where his hand was.

"Looking for this?

Ultron looked up. Nakia waved her hand. She held an object that looked similar to the Casket of Winters, but the designs were of Canaan. It was actually their sacred ark she was holding. Ultron must have somehow taken it back, but this time he would do no such.

"Scott! Go long!" Nakia shouted as she threw it at him.

Scott quickly started to run. His arms were stretched out and his hands were ready to catch. They managed to cradle the box as it found itself in his grip. Seeing that Ultron was pouncing on him, Scott chucked the container to Shuri. The young woman shrieked and took off. Ultron growled, going after her now.

"This is a stupid idea!" she commented as she zigzagged in circles. "But desperate times call for desperate measures," she noted under her breath.

Ultron growled and forced himself to accelerate. Seeing this, Shuri spotted Bruce approaching fast.

"Bruce! Catch!" she hollered, and she prepared to throw the casket. She reared it over her shoulder and pitched it towards the man she was aiming it for.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Bruce shouted with his arms outstretched. As it sailed closer to his reach, after a few failed attempts, he finally manged to secure it in his hands.

"Got it!"

"Nice catch."

Bruce whipped around. Ultron had landed ahead in his path.

"Now, hand over the ark and I'll forget how much of a pest you are."

Bruce quirked a brow. He looked between the casket and the creature in front of him. When he looked up at Ultron, he had a determined look in his eyes. He started to walk forward, transforming into a jog. As he continued in a full sprint, he tucked the casket underneath his arm and thrust his arm outward, his hand held up.

"He's passing the forty yard line," he chanted to himself. "Thirty-five. Thirty."

Ultron frowned, only for his eyes to widen in alarm when it became clear Bruce was not going to stop.

"Fifteen! Ten!"

Ultron squeaked, but it had been too late to realize what was about to happen. Bruce's hand slammed into his face and he was harshly battered aside as the doctor bulldozed him.

"And it's a touchdown!" Bruce cheered loudly, thrusting his free hand into the air victoriously as he came to a grinding halt.

"Yes!" Nakia exclaimed. However, her eyes widened as she realized what the dancing doctor in front of her was about to do.

"Bruce, no!"

"What are you doing?!"

Bruce blinked at the two women restraining his arm as he stood there with the container raised over his head. Realizing why, he gave a weak laugh.

"Sorry. Got carried away there," he admitted.

But as the two women released sighs of relief, Ultron awkwardly and angrily pulled himself from the bushes he had crashed into.

"That is it! This has gone on far enough!" he snarled.

"Bitch, please."

Ultron turned around. Nick was holding up a weird weapon that looked like a firearm. The mouth was long and rectangular, glowing amber at the end as it fired up. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D pulled the trigger and fired a powerful blast at the creature in front of him.

"Oh, for god's sake!" Ultron managed to get out before it connected and exploded in his face obscuring him from sight.

Nick stood there, blinking. A grin crossed his face and he pumped a fist in the air.

"Yes! There's still some juice in this piece of shit after all!" he cheered.

The rest of the team just stood there gaping at what had transpired. Finally, Scott turned to Bruce.

"Did you know he had—"

"I want one of those," Shuri interrupted.

A haggard Ultron emerged from the clouds of the explosion, tumbling forward as he pulled himself out of the wreckage.

"You filth!" he growled venomously. "I will have your heads for this!"

"Don't move."

Ultron raised his head up, greeted by a silvery blue blade hovering in front of him. Natasha stood in front of him, a slight tremble in her arm. Around them, the rest of the team approached from different angles, weapons ready in case he pulled a move.

"Come on kid. Just surrender peacefully," Nick said. "It's the only way we can help you."

Glaring back and forth between them, Ultron bowed his head. They thought for sure he would surrender at this point. However, the Avengers were put off as he barked out a sinister and mocking laugh.

"Look at you. Arda's mightiest heroes!" he mocked. "With all your strength. And what good has that done so far?" Then he added with a caustic hiss, "Don't you dare look down on me like that!"

As the team stepped back, his voice started to rise in hysteria.

"You think you are gods because you cannot age? You think you are all something special? You are all nothing but a joke! You did no such a thing to save this miserable world."

As Ultron continued to taunt them, Thor saw something move in the corner of his eye. He turned and noticed another figure emerge from the treeline. It reminded him of a young she-elf, but with a different look. She looked rather ghostly, as if she were one herself.

"I've spent the last thirty years of my life for this moment," Ultron rambled on. "Thirty years I have wasted away and waited for, rotting away like some useless tool because you all couldn't save a damn life for once.

Nova approached them, intent on helping her sire if the need rose up. However, as she came closer, she saw something lying nearby. She turned and noticed three bodies lying on the ground. She recognized the man as the one arrested on the same night Vision left. She was shocked to see a dog-sized ant there as well, torn up and scattered. However, what caught her attention the most was the lifeless gray form. She realized that it was Vision.

"I finally had something. Something that I knew you would never approve on. I did the one thing you all failed to do. I finally had the one thing I had taken from me. And I will not let the likes of you stand in my way!"

Bucky came forward with a cold look in his eyes. "You know what Vision and Zuri had in common?" he questioned. "Do you?"

Ultron glared at him.

"You killed them in cold blood."

Nova's eyes widened at the words he spilled from his mouth. She looked at him before looking back at the corpse, then back again. No. No, no, no! He was lying! Ultron would never so much as raise a hand against them.

"What I did was unfortunate. I already told your ant friend here the reason why I did it."

"That is not how we handle a child's mistake. The same way for a citizen under your rule. That's why people are turning on you instead of fearing you, Ultron."

Shock was coursing through her systems. Her mouth shuddered, unsure of whether to open or close up. Thor knew exactly what was about to happen as her face contorted.

"Look out! She's going to—"

But it was too late. Nova fell to her knees and screamed, the air around her rippling with extreme force. The force reverberated and spread outwards through the borders of the battle field like a great wave, causing the ground around them to crack.

Sudden and crisp, the perimeter of the battle field looked distorted and warped in her breakdown. What felt like the ground caving in, the forest was shattering around them, sending bits of the wilderness atop of them.

Nova gasped as she found her conscious snapping back in her body. It felt like a rope was pulling at her, then snapped as she found herself in her room.

"You killed them in cold blood."

Her eyes felt heavy and wet now. She reached up and wiped the wetness that trailed down her cheeks. Looking at her fingertips, she knew now she was feeling her heart ripping in half. It started deep in her chest, ripped through her throat, and out of her mouth. The sobs were muffled as she buried her face in her hands.

Eventually, the clouds of dust that had been covering the entire area started to fade away, revealing numerous cracks and a short stretch of the forest and hilltops toppled over in fractured segments. A section of the damaged ground slowly parted ways to reveal Nick pushing himself up slowly, groaning at the weight and slight pain shooting through him.

"Damage report." he called out.

A short distance away, Thor grunted as he crawled underneath a fallen pine tree, trying to find his way out of the mess. He looked up to find a splinter of the rock piled overhead. Bruce's head appeared from above, nursing his head.

"I landed so hard on this, and the big guy still wouldn't come out to play?" he uttered in pain and annoyance.

"At least you're not buried beneath all of this," Thor responded with a point.

"Fair enough," Bruce agreed. He held up the ark as he added, "Can't say the same for—"

"T'Challa!"

Tony dragged himself out from the mess, blood trickling from his mouth. He looked up from where he had been nearly entombed. He slowly rose to his knees at what he saw T'Challa resting unharmed in front of him, some barrier set up around him. Ultron and the she-elf were nowhere in sight. Vision's corpse was resting besides him. Tony sighed as he slowly climbed to his feet, stumbling forward as fast as he could carry himself. The barrier dispersed, and he knelt down next to T'Challa, trying to access his health and how strong his pulse was.

"Where did they go? Tony, did you see where they went to? Tony!"

Tony looked over his shoulder. Steve had freed himself from the mess, clutching his left arm.

"Where did they go?"

Clint popped his head up from where he was. "What just happened? What the hell just happened?"

Nick lowered himself down, sighing. "Oh, god."

Tree bark exploded from nearby. Tony threw himself over T'Challa to cover him up. Ultron stood up from his spot, seething and glaring at them with such murderous antagonism.

"I will kill you all for this!" he swore hatefully. "Get away from him now!"

Nakia scrambled from her place and brought out her chakrams. "You keep away from him! He is the rightful king of Wakanda," she said.

"Then let it die with him," Ultron avowed. He held his hands up, coating them with a dark maroon color.

Black, misty smoke shot out from the cracks. They slithered towards where T'Challa and Tony lie. Ultron was forced back as it crawled towards him. It changed direction as it turned towards the pair. Tony had to hold onto T'Challa as the smoke gathered and rose above them, taking the form of a woman.

"Leave the panther cub alone," she hissed. "He belongs with us."

Nakia took a step back from the woman. She felt incredibly small compared to her, even though they looked to be the same height. She saw Ultron scowl and, much to her surprise, his body collapsed and transformed into a conspiracy of ravens. Thor had pulled himself free of the mess, running forward and swinging at the birds. Clint tried to smack as many as he could with his bow. Natasha gripped her swords and sliced at them. The ravens weaved and dodged each attack as they ascended into the air. They disappeared from sight.

The woman watched them go. Her eyes lowered to the ground, staring at T'Challa. The young king himself barely regained conscious at the time. To him, he caught a glimpse of green and black before he passed out again.

How did this happen?

Shuri thought of that over in her head as she gripped Scott's hand tightly. Both had found themselves dangling over the edge of a cliff, near where the chasm below them was covered in mist. Probably where the river was, but it was hard to tell how far down it went.

"I've got you," Scott said gently to her over and over. "I've got you."

Shuri would have taken that bit of comfort if they hadn't dropped a meter. She screamed. Scott looked back up and his eyes widened. The root he had been clinging to had been ripping itself out of the cliff's side, possibly due to the weight it bore.

"Scott!"

"Hold on!"

Scott gritted his teeth, trying to hold tightly to both the root and Shuri. He cursed himself. Why did he have to leave? Why couldn't he stay home? Would any of this happened either way if he had stayed or gone? Oh, but there was no use to weighing what could or could not have happened.

"Scott? Shuri?"

"Down here," Scott called up.

Bucky appeared over the edge. He had to do the math in his head to measure the length between himself and the pair below. He looked over his shoulder and called for someone to throw him rope.

"Shuri, don't let go," Scott strained.

"Why would I let go?" Shuri spat.

With one hand, Bucky caught a coil of rope. He undid it and threw it over the edge. "Take it, quickly."

Scott heard another crack. He noticed thin bits of the rocks trickling from around his support. He cursed to himself again.

"Scott!"

"Shuri, you're going to have to stretch your arm out," Scott told the young woman below him.

Shuri looked at the rope to her right. She slowly reached out, praying to every deity she knew that she wouldn't fall. Her hand grabbed the rough material and she let go of Scott, wrapping a section of it in one hand.

"Might wanna save some of that for Scott—"

Bucky was cut off by what happened next. The root suddenly caved out, ripping itself out more. Scott was forced to lose his grip. Still gripping the rope, Shuri reached out in hopes of catching him. Her fingertips brushed against his, but she could never get a hold of him. Instead, all she could do was scream out his name and watch as he fell deep into the chasm until his body was concealed by the mist below her.