Reina caught the android as it flew at her, slamming it into the ground. She punched her arm through its head, the robot powering down. She ducked the lasers, dodging behind the overturned car. The shield flew through the air, cutting down the android. Reina leaped over the car, catching the shield as she rolled to her feet. She threw it, Thor flying down and smashing Mjolnir against it as it charged with lightning. The shield flew, taking down the line of robots. Reina caught the robot as it ran at her, flipping it over onto its back. She slammed her foot through its chest cavity. She looked up at the group of robots coming at her.
"We're clear here" Clint's voice came into her ear.
"We are not clear" Steve's voice huffed as he took out another robot. "We are very not clear"
"Coming to you" Clint said.
Reina looked back, watching the girl appear alongside a white haired boy. The girl threw her hands up, red energy forming as the robots seemed to pull apart. Reina panted, looking to the people running in the streets.
"Get everyone to safety!" Reina yelled to the girl.
Reina gestured the people towards the building, looking around.
"Next wave will hit any minute. Tony?" Reina asked. "Please have good news"
"Wouldn't say good news" Tony's voice came through the communicator. "Maybe a way to blow up the city"
"Anything better?" Reina asked.
"I wanted a solution, not an escape plan" Steve walked alongside her, scanning the roads for other civilians.
"We're going to have to make a choice here. Impact radius is getting bigger every second"
Natasha joined them, looking out towards the clouds around them. "Cap, these people are going nowhere. If Stark finds a way to blow this rock-"
Steve cut her off. "Not 'til everyone's safe. I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it"
"No one said anything about leaving" Reina looked to them.
Steve looked to her, Reina shrugging.
"I've lived over 70 years. If I'm going to die, it's going to be as a soldier"
Steve looked over to Natasha, she gave the same shrug.
"There's worse ways to go. Where else will I get a view like this?" Natasha asked.
Their intercoms beeped. "Glad you like the view, Romanoff. It's about to get better"
It was Fury. Reina watched the clouds parting, the ship coming into view. She gave a short laugh, watching the helicarrier come into view.
"Nice right? Pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends" Fury said. "She's dusty, but she'll do"
"Fury, you son of a bitch" Steve laughed.
"Ooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Fury taunted.
Reina watched the sides of the ship open, the life boats deploying. Their thrusters turned on, floating over towards them. She looked over, noticing the boy standing with them now.
"This is Shield?" He asked.
Reina smiled, looking back to the boats.
"It's what Shield is supposed to be…" Reina nodded to herself.
"This is not so bad" He commented, a large grin on his face.
He looked back to her, gesturing to himself.
"Pietro"
Reina nodded. "Reina. Nice to have you on the team. Come on, let's load them up"
Reina gestured onto of the lifeboats to follow her as she raced down the debris covered road towards one of the buildings. The lifeboat lowered down, the ramp sliding down. Reina pushed the door to the building open, looking to the civilians. She gestured them.
"Come on, into the boat. We're getting everyone out" Reina watched them file out, looking back as the agents pointed the guns upwards to search for stray androids.
Reina pressed the communicator in her ear.
"Lifeboat 4 full, sending it back" Reina looked up as the boats started flying back towards the helicarrier.
"Thor, I got a plan!" Tony called out.
"We're out of time" Thor grunted. "They're coming for the core"
"Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier" Tony instructed.
"On it"
"Avengers…time to work for a living"
Reina looked over to the church, taking off in a sprint towards it. She leaped through the broken window, stopping as she looked around at the group.
"Romanoff? You and Banner better not be playing 'hide the zucchini'" Tony scolded.
"Relax, shell-head. Not all of us can fly" Natasha ran up to them, panting gently. "What's the drill?"
Tony pointed back to the core. "This is the drill. Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose"
The Hulk leaped down, smashing through the rubble as he too out too androids. Thor looked back, watching Ultron as he levitated in the air. Thor threw his arms open.
"Is this the best you can do?!" He bellowed, taunting.
"No" Ultron held his hand up, the androids converging together to create an army. "This is"
Steve gave Thor a glance. "Just had to ask"
"This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me" Ultron laughed. "How could you possibly hope to stop me?"
"Well, like the old man said…" Tony shrugged. "Together"
The androids came at them, clawing at the rocks to get to them. Reina breathed in, kicking an android in the chest as it blasted back into another. There was a streak of white as both robots shattered into parts. Reina caught another, wrapping her arms around its head as she snapped it off. She grabbed the body of the droid, lifting it up and using it as a battering ram to knock another down. The androids kept coming, the team fighting off each one before they reached the core.
Reina looked back, watching Ultron being thrown out of the church. She looked to the man floating above them, noticing him for the first time.
"Who is that?" Reina asked. "Or what is that?"
Steve bashed the shield against the robot's face.
"The Vision. The stone, from the scepter. Along with Ultron's original form and Jarvis or something like that" Steve looked to her, seeing the confused look. "…He's on our side"
Reina nodded, that being all she needed to hear. The robots began to retreat, running to the side of the rock and flying into the air.
"They're trying to escape" Reina called over the communicator.
"I'm on it" Rhodey fired into view, shooting the robots.
The vision took out the remainder, using a beam from the stone on his forehead.
"We gotta move out" Steve's voice brought her attention back to them. "You guys get to the boats, Reina and I will sweep for stragglers. Be right behind you"
"And the core?" Clint asked.
"I'll protect it"
Reina looked over to Wanda. Wanda looked to Clint, giving him a reassuring nod.
"It's my job" She said.
Reina nodded, gesturing Steve. Clint and Natasha jogged towards a car, Steve and Reina walked back out onto the streets.
!
Reina ushered the last few people out of a building, looking to Steve and Thor.
"This the last of them?" Thor asked, gesturing to the people as they climbed into the life boat.
"Yeah, everyone else is on the carrier" Steve nodded.
Tony's voice came over the intercom. "You know, if this works, we maybe don't walk away"
Thor shook his head. "Maybe not"
Shots rang out, the three looking back as the gunfire rained down towards them. Steve grabbed Reina, holding up the shield as the two slammed onto the ground. The rocks and dust lifting from the ground as it rained back down over them.
"Steve?" Reina asked, looking back to him.
"I'm fine" He said instantly. "You?"
Reina just nodded, the two standing. They looked back a few yards as Pietro collapsed to the ground. Reina and Steve raced to him, Reina looking to the overturned car at Clint cradling the young boy. Reina's breathing hitched. She looked to Steve, nodding as Steve picked up Pietro's body.
She gave Clint a gentle shove, the three making their way to the life boat. Steve gently laid Pietro's body on the floor of the pod, Reina looking over as Clint handed the boy back to his mother. Clint staggered, walking back towards the town. Reina stopped him.
"No. Stay on the boat" Reina walked him to the seats.
Clint fell into the chair, laying down as he looked down at Pietro's body. Reina walked back to Steve, scanning the town as the last few people hurried onto the boat.
"We got everyone" Reina looked to him, then back to the destroyed town.
The ground shifted, Reina and Steve sharing a quick glance before launching themselves onto the ramp. The earth fell away from them, the town going into a free fall. Reina clung to the metal grate of the ramp, looking back at the city plummeting down. She watched as the thrusters engaged, sending the rock barreling down faster.
"Come on guys…" Reina whispered.
The lightening engulfed the rock, breaking away the earth and buildings. The large explosion rang out, shaking the life boat. The rubble rained down onto earth, the rocks and debris striking into the ocean. Reina released the breath she was holding, laughing softly.
They did it. They won.
!
Reina sat quietly in the passenger seat of the orange Lamborghini, turning her head to look at Tony as they drove down the dirt path through the forest.
"So, a whole new facility huh?" Reina asked, breaking the silence.
Tony looked to her, nodding.
"Yea. State of the art. Everything anyone could ever want" Tony looked back to the road. "Figured those former Shield agents deserved a new job"
Reina laughed gently, looking forward as the facility came into view.
"…So, you gonna join them? Cap and Nat I mean" Tony looked at her again. "Training new recruits and all"
Reina shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe for a while. Just to have something to do"
Tony nodded, the glass doors sliding open as they drove into the garage.
!
Reina walked down the walkway with Steve, Tony and Thor. She looked out to the people training out on the lawn.
"But if you put the hammer in an elevator?" She heard Steve ask, turning her attention back to them.
"Elevator would still go up" Tony nodded.
"Elevator's not worthy" Steve shook his head, earning a chuckle from both Thor and Reina.
"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours" Thor clapped Tony on the shoulder.
Reina shrugged. "Not if you don't leave"
"I have no choice" Thor sighed, the four continuing their walk. "The mind stone is the fourth infinity stone to show up in the last few years…it's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position.."
Tony shook his fist and opened it like he was casting dice. "Triple Yahtzee?"
"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked as they walked down the stairs onto the grass.
"I do…besides this one here," Thor patted Tony's back. "There's nothing that can't be explained"
Thor broke off from them, turning to them and gave them a nod. He lifted his hammer, the rainbow of energy flowing down around him and lifted him off. The glyph was left burned into the lawn.
"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance" Tony shook his head.
Reina smiled. "I dunno, I think it makes it look better.
Tony pressed the button on his keys, his Lamborghini rolling up to them. Reina gave Tony a tight hug, smiling.
"See you later, Tony" She kissed his cheek, releasing him.
"Yea, see you Rae…"
Reina watched Tony and Steve walk to the car together, Steve seeing him off. Tony drove off, Steve turning back to her.
"Alright, let's go meet the new recruits" Reina smiled.
"I'll grab Nat, meet you there" Steve nodded to her as they made their way back into the facility.
Reina went straight to the gym, the door sliding open as she looked around the room. Rhodey and Sam looked back to her, Sam giving her a sly grin. The Vision phased into view, landing. Wanda not far behind as she levitated down and landed. Reina looked back as Steve and Nat joined her on the platform. Steve looked to them, then down to the recruits.
"…Avengers!" Steve shouted.