Chapter Five:

Tony's POV

"Thor didn't say where he was going?" I asked Steve as we chopped wood in front of Barton's family farm. Idly, killing time when my daughter was missing.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." He says.

"Well, we don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." I say, thinking about back to the image that has been permanently seared into my brain. We were all rattled from the visions… well, most of us.

Steve scoffs, "'Earth's Mightiest Heroes.' Brought down so easily."

I shake my head, "seems like you walked away all right." Perhaps it was a bitter and mean thing to say, but I'm angry.

"Is that a problem?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "I don't trust a guy without a dark side."

"Perhaps you just haven't seen it."

"Ultron is trying to tear us apart… and, frankly, is doing a good job."

"You would know, right?"

"Banner and I were doing research."

"Research that would affect the team."

"It would end the team. Isn't that the mission? We fight to end the fight. We fight so that one day, we can go home?"

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die."

I go to say something else, but Laura interrupts, "I'm sorry to interrupt. Mr. Stark, would you perhaps look at the tractor in the barn. It's doesn't seem to want to start."

"Of course," I say. I give Steve one last look and head to the barn.

Tony's POV…. Again.

I'm looking at the tractor when I hear a voice behind me. "Do me a favor. Try not to bring it to life."

Nick Fury. I sigh. "What do you want?" I ask.

"I would like you to tell me you're going to shut it down." Fury says.

I get angry, no one understands. "You're not the director of me."

"I'm no director, just an old man who cares about you."

I laugh. "And I'm the man who killed the Avengers. I saw it."

"Tony…" Fury sighs. "The Maximoff girl, she's playing you."

"I'm also the man who couldn't protect his own daughter. Not from Hydra when she was a child, not from Ultron today."

Fury goes to say something, but I interrupt him, "It's my legacy. To fail every single person in my life. The end of the path I started us on."

"Tony, you come up with some pretty impressive inventions, but war isn't one of them."

Elena's POV

I've been out this for hours. My energy is drained, a reality, but also an excuse to go slower. Buying time is key. I managed to communicate to Helen that we need to evacuate everyone, carefully and secretly.

I could see that she was doing the best she could. Ultron and the twins were too focused on their goals to realize the diminishing numbers in the next room.

At this point, Ultron and Wanda had left. I don't know where they went. Pietro was left to make sure me and Helen didn't go anywhere.

And to make sure I kept working. It was a process. I would grab the parts that Helen had put together and I would grow the tissue, binding it with the vibranium. Helen had to explain to me how to do it and how my powers could do it.

It worked, but the feeling was the same as I was healing. I was in the middle of a break, for if I didn't rest, I would pass out.

It was a bit longer. I didn't think Pietro was really paying attention, but then he turned to me. "You going to start again, or what?"

I ignored him.

"Ultron will be back soon, we need this done." He said, growing angry.

I get up from my position beside the cradle, "Screw you." I say. "I don't care what you need." The anger and exhaustion fueled my words.

He zoomed in front of me. A little startling, but I hold my ground.

"Don't test my patience." He says. "I know your just stalling for time and I'm tired of it. I bet you could have finished before, but I let it slide. It's over. Just get it done."

In superspeed, he zooms me over to the cradle. He grabs my hand and places it on the last piece that needs to be done. "Do it now."

"No." I say, I lift my other arm and go to punch him. He dodges and pushes me, so I fall to the floor. His speed is a real pain.

I huff and look over to the opposite room. Everyone's gone. "I'm done. You're hostages are gone." I say.

He looks over to the room, frowning.

He turns back to me but before he can say anything, there's another voice. Ultron.

"They're not all gone."

Both me and Pietro look towards the door where Ultron is holding Helen by the neck.

I pause for a moment, but then think it through, "you wouldn't kill her. You need her to upload you into the body."

"There are other things, besides death." He twists her arm back, "she only needs one arm to do the work."

I hesitate. I look back towards Pietro and even the look on his face seems to suggest that he thinks torture is a little too far, yet he says nothing.

I look back to Ultron, he pulls her arm back so that she screams out in pain.

"Wait." I shout. "I'll do it."

I turn to the cradle.

I hear Ultron's voice behind me, "I want it completed."

I grab down on the material. I feel my energy leave me. It feels strange, not quite like healing a human being. The exhaustion, pain, and nausea are the same, but something is off.

I push through, not wanting to test Ultron at Helen's expense. The last thing I wanted was for Helen to be hurt.

When I'm sense it's complete, I let go. I see spots in my vision. I curl up into a ball and rest my head on my knees.

"Good." Ultron says. "Your turn, Dr. Cho."

I can't see what's going on, but I hear Helen start to work. She starts explaining, "Cellular cohesion will take a few hours, but we can initiate the consciousness, I'm starting the upload… now."

"I can read him." I hear Wanda say. "He is dreaming."

Then she screams, making me flinch and lift my head up. I see her, practically be held up by her brother. "How could you?"

Ultron is confused. "How could I what?"

"You said we would destroy the Avengers, make a better world." She shouts at him.

"It will be better." He says.

"When everyone is dead." She shouts.

Of course, I thought, death and destruction. What else could they have expected?

In the proceeding argument, I get up. A little wobbly, but I do my best.

Helen and I make eye contact.

She cancels the upload and when Ultron tries to blast her, I push her out of the way.

I look up and see Pietro speed off with Wanda.

Helen and I run off down the hall. I'm still horribly ill, but I've dealt with worse, it only kind of slows me down.

Luckily for us, Ultron doesn't follow. We turn the corner and I see Steve running down the hall. "Elena! Dr. Cho!" He yells.

"How did you know where we were?" I asked, surprised to see him here.

"We figured out his plan and Bruce knew the only person who would be able to figure out the science." Steve told us.

"He's uploading himself into the body." We tell him.

"I'll go stop him."

"I'll go with you." I say.

"No. You look worse for wear. Take Helen and get out of the building."

"I'm fine."

"Elena…" He begins.

"We don't have time to argue."

"Fine. Let's go. And here, take this comm."