May 5th, 2015; Avengers Tower…
After cooking lunch for everyone, Danica cleared space in one of the storage rooms and started exercising. She still had Maria's skills and athletic ability, and exploring what she could do was fun. Quick and agile, yet strong enough to deliver powerful punches and kicks. The hours seemed to speed by while she tore through imaginary opponents. By the time Danica finished her workout, hot and sweaty, she realized she hadn't had a change of clothes in days. A quick sniff of her underarm almost made her gag.
"I need a shower," she muttered. Luckily, the Avengers' rooms were all on the same level. A series of doors placed on either side of a wide hallway were marked with plaques of each Avenger's name. The middle door on the right was marked 'N. Romanoff'. Black Widow.
Stepping inside, Danica entered the spacious room. There were no posters or mementos in sight, making it feel rather spartan and bare. Hardly surprising, since the room's owner was a lifelong assassin and spy. Her kind probably trained to never create attachments or make themselves vulnerable. Just enough personal items to grab in case they needed to go on the run.
Stripping out of her clothes, Danica entered the bathroom and took a hot shower. The water felt glorious, and she sighed in ecstasy as her troubles seemed to just melt away. She bore several dark bruises on her abdomen, arms, and her face from her fight with that Maria woman. Also, a thin scar marked her palm from the shard of glass she used as a knife. Luckily, Pietro had found an antiseptic spray in the lab that accelerated the healing process.
After the shower, she dried herself off and rummaged through the wardrobe by the bed. She decided on blue jeans, a grey shirt, a striped hoodie, and a light grey jacket. Feeling much more comfortable, she walked back to the lab. The monitor next to the cradle showed 64 percent completion, and Dr. Cho dutifully stood at her terminal.
Danica walked down the stairs to the lounge, where Wanda and Pietro sat together. They smiled at her as she plopped down onto one of the couches in the centre of the room. "Wouldn't you know? More waiting." She reclined onto her back, letting her feet dangle off the armrest.
Pietro grunted in agreement. "Tell me about it."
"Yeah, you seem like you're really uncomfortable," Hawkeye grumbled. Danica rolled her head to look at him. He and Maria Hill were both suspended from the ceiling by chains wrapped around their feet, and their hands were bound with zip ties. "You know you're on the wrong side, right?"
Danica scoffed. "Right. Which of us is about to get everything they ever wanted, and which of us is hanging from the ceiling like a worm on a hook?"
Hawkeye craned his neck to look up at the chains. "Eh, I've been in worse spots."
"Is that meant to impress us?" Pietro asked.
"Call it what you want, you quick little bastard. I don't care. I'm only telling you how it is. Ultron may claim to care about you, but all he cares about is killing the planet."
Wanda leaned forward in her chair, glaring at him. "You don't know anything about us."
"I know you all lost your families when you were just kids. Had to rely on each other to survive. You volunteered to be experimented on by HYDRA because you thought you had no choice. Let me guess, they sold you on being lab rats so they could make you strong?"
"They were right," Danica said. "We are strong, and your friends couldn't beat us."
"Ultron's turned you into killers. He'll get rid of you once he has what he wants. But it's not too late. You have abilities no one else on Earth has; that makes you special. You can still use them for the right reasons and stop Ultron."
Pietro leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table. "What, become Avengers? Is that what you're saying?"
"In my experience, you can only save the world by helping people. Killing only spreads more pain and suffering."
Danica frowned. She was reminded of how Ultron referred to Crossbones and Klaue and Taskmaster. "They're tools. Useful, but all they care about is spreading pain." The three men were mercenaries, only after money. Having spent time with them, she knew they didn't care how many people they killed. Actually, Crossbones and Klaue seemed to enjoy all the bloodshed. She and Wanda and Pietro were different. They wanted to save people. They weren't monsters.
Were they?
She shared an uneasy glance with Wanda, who played with one of the rings on her fingers. Pietro shifted in his chair uncomfortably. After a prolonged silence, Danica shifted her gaze to Maria. The older woman had a black eye from her knockout punch, along with a split lip. "And what about you? Do you think we can still be saved?"
"Actually, he's the more optimistic one," Maria replied. "I'd be just fine escaping and taking down all three of you."
Wanda rolled her eyes. "As if you could. We're stronger together. We always have been."
"That's what the Avengers are about, kid," Hawkeye said. "We may not be perfect, and sometimes we're definitely not strong enough on our own. But when we work together, there's nothing we can't do. Ask yourselves if your buddies would put anything on the line for you. Or maybe you already know they'd leave you to burn to save their own skins."
Danica pursed her lips and stood up from the couch. Wanda and Pietro joined her as she left the lounge behind and walked up the stairs to the lab.
Ultron, still connected to the cradle, asked, "Our guests giving you trouble?"
"They're just mouthing off," Danica answered. "It's nothing." She looked at the monitor. 67 percent. Once Ultron emerged in its new body, they could begin making the world a better place. A safer place. And yet, Hawkeye's words rattled in her mind like casted stones bouncing on water. They were better than the Avengers. They had to be. But a small part of her wondered if she was trying too hard to convince herself.
They waited another two hours, watching the monitor's progress update. 91 percent. Not long now. The mercenaries had joined them, standing off to the side while looking menacing. They didn't have to try all that hard. Danica kept herself occupied by spinning in her stool, staring up at the ceiling. Pietro paced, while Wanda stared at the cradle. "I can hear him, stronger now," she said.
"Is he still dreaming?" Danica asked.
"Yes, but…"
Danica stopped spinning and looked at her. "But what?"
"It's like there are two voices. One of them is very faint, like a whisper. It's trying to say something." Wanda stepped over to the cradle, staring intently at it. She touched it with both hands and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, she pulled back as if burned and screamed in pain. Pietro was at her side in a blink, holding her as she clutched her head. Danica stood up and joined them. Wanda panted and shook, her eyes wide with terror. Ultron stood, looking down at her with concern.
Pietro cupped Wanda's cheeks, and she looked up at Ultron. "How could you?" she demanded.
"How could I what?" Ultron asked, shrugging.
"Y-you said we would destroy the Avengers," she stammered, glaring at the Prime Body. "Make a better world."
"It will be better."
"When everyone is dead?"
Danica's gaze snapped between Wanda and Ultron, a tingle of unease rippling across her skin. "What do you mean, 'when everyone is dead'? What's going on?" Looking at the Prime Body, she said in a firm tone, "Tell us the truth."
"That is not…" Ultron started to say, indignant at the accusations. "The human race will have every opportunity to improve."
"And if they don't?" Pietro asked, facing the robot.
"Ask Noah."
Danica felt as if someone had slapped her. She ran her hands through her hair, forcing herself to take deep breaths. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. They were trying to make a better world, not end it. Ultron would never lie to them, to her. Not about something like this. "Danica," Ultron said, and she turned to see it looking at her expectantly. "Try to understand."
"Understand?" she asked, incredulous. "Understand what?"
"This is the future we've all been fighting for. Once my final form is prepared, we will gather all the Earth's gifted individuals. Inhumans, soldiers, scientists, all those worthy of helping to forge a new world. A better world."
"And what about everyone else?" she countered. "The non-gifted?"
"Nothing can be done for them. We have to wipe the slate clean, start fresh. Once we have everyone we need, we eliminate all the rest. The noise, the chaos, will finally end. When the world is emptied of all the broken, needy masses, the real work can begin. The Earth will be cleansed, and reborn under my guidance. Our guidance."
"You are a madman," Wanda spat.
At the edge of the lab, Crossbones and Klaue took a half step forward, arms hanging at their sides and shoulders braced. Taskmaster slowly stepped around the back until he exited the lab.
"There were more than a dozen extinction-level events before even the dinosaurs got theirs. When the Earth starts to settle, God throws a stone at it. And, believe me, He's winding up. We have to evolve. There's no room for the weak." It stroked the surface of the cradle, admiring its soon-to-appear new body.
Danica stared at the cradle, nearly finished its work. Then, a soft red glow caught her eye. She looked over at Wanda, who curled her fingers. A wispy pulse of her energy touched Dr. Cho, clearing the fluorescent blue from her eyes. The doctor shook her head, as if waking from a long, terrible dream. Wanda looked at Danica, who nodded silently. They all fought for revenge against the Avengers, but this…this was too far.
Ultron needed to be stopped.
While the silent exchange went on, Pietro asked, "And who decides who's weak?"
"Life," it replied, chuckling. "Life always decides." The Prime Body perked up, turning to look into the distance. "There's incoming," it muttered. "The Quinjet. We have to prepare."
Pietro kissed Wanda on the forehead. Dr. Cho stepped up to her terminal and said, "That's not a problem." She pressed a series of keys, and the cradle –which had been humming the whole time– shut down. The monitor froze, showing 96 percent completion.
Ultron sighed, rolling its red eyes. "Rumlow, could you just…I don't have time for this."
"Sure thing," Crossbones said. Drawing his Desert Eagle, he aimed at Dr. Cho and shot three times without hesitation. Only, the doctor wasn't there anymore. With a streak of silver, Pietro had grabbed her and dropped her off somewhere else in the tower before returning to his previous position. Crossbones blinked, likely trying to wrap his mind around what just happened.
"I would say I'm surprised," Klaue said with a slowly growing grin on his face. "But I'm not. This is going to be fun." He drew his own pistol, pulling the hammer back. Wanda extended a hand, palm facing him as her hands and eyes glowed red. Klaue's pistol was knocked out of his grip by the energy, and he stumbled back.
Pietro zoomed around the room in less than two seconds, disconnecting all the power cables to the cradle. He stood there, glaring at the two mercenaries as they aimed at him, when a gunshot cracked through the air. The glass at Pietro's feet shattered, and he fell down to the lower section of the lab. "Pietro!" Wanda cried. She and Danica hurried over to the side of the newly made hole in the floor, seeing him on his back. Standing over him was none other than Hawkeye, free from his bonds and holding a gun in one hand.
"What, you didn't see that coming?" Hawkeye taunted.
Once out of the lab, Tony leaped over the railing and landed on the lounge floor. Barton looked at him and said, "What's the matter, Masters? Your little club of evil-doers having a spat?"
"You could call it that," Tony replied, glancing at the lab above. The argument seemed to intensify, and with this many super-powered people in one place, things were going to get messy. He looked back at Maria, who glared at him with her bruised and bloodied face. "Oh, don't give me that look. I had enough of that after the divorce."
Barton blinked. "Wait, hang on. You two were married?"
"It's not exactly something I'm proud of," Maria replied.
Tony snorted. "Don't get all emotional on me now." With a grumble, he added, "Okay, here's the deal: turns out, Stark's murder-bot is a little too murder-y. He's got it in his chrome dome that the Earth needs to be cleansed of almost everybody. That way, he can rule over some Terminator-esque, ashen wasteland with his super friends."
"And yet I'm not surprised you chose to work for something like that," Maria said, maintaining her glare.
"No need to get mean. This was just a paycheck. Nothing more, nothing less. But, since my client turned out to be a genocidal freak, my contract is now null and void."
"So what are you gonna do?" Barton challenged.
Tony shrugged. "Eh, something stupid." Extending his bow with the flick of a wrist, he loosed an acid arrow at the chain holding them up. It split, and they landed on the floor. Using one of his knives to cut their zip ties, he helped them stand. "Here," he said, holding out a pistol to Barton. The archer took it, giving him a steely look that conveyed his deep dislike, then hurried over to the mechanic shop directly under the lab.
"So, this'll be the part where…" Tony started to say as Maria aimed one of his guns at him. "You point a weapon at me."
Lips pursed, she said, "I can't let you walk away this time."
He shook his head. "Ugh, how many times are we gonna do this? It seems like you have more important things to worry about. Besides, my armour doesn't have any openings for you to hit me." Tony looked out the window and saw a Quinjet-sized aircraft approaching the tower. "Looks like your Avenger pals are on their way, so you lot can take down Ultron while I watch over Samantha and keep her safe."
"No, Tony. You're–"
A trio of gunshots sounded from the lab, drawing Maria's gaze. Tony used the momentary distraction to take out a smoke pellet from his belt. He threw it on the floor, creating a cloud of smoke that shielded him from view. Ducking low, he rushed towards the nearest set of doors as Maria started shooting in his direction. With a final look at the Quinjet outside, he slipped out.
Crossbones drew a combat shotgun from his back, pumping it before aiming at Danica.
"Wait, guys!" Ultron said, trying to regain control of the situation. Four sentries flew into the lab, landing between Crossbones and Klaue on one side and Danica and Wanda on the other. Looking at them, Ultron's features softened, its red eyes almost…pleading. "Please, don't do this."
"What choice do we have?" Wanda countered.
Danica could only glare at the Prime Body. After everything they'd been through, the connection she'd forged with the AI, all of it had vanished. All trust had been destroyed.
Then, chaos was unleashed.
The sounds of plasma beams and gatling fire outside were the only warnings. The glass separating the lounge from the hangar shattered as Thor, Iron Man, War Machine, and the man with the metal wings on his back blasted through. Ultron's Sentries flew out of the lab, firing plasma beams over the Avengers' heads or grabbing them by the arms. All the Sentries in the tower attacked, but they were turned to scrap with every blow.
As the battle raged outside, Klaue ran over to help Ultron reconnect the power cables. Danica and Wanda focused on Crossbones, who glared at them. Before they could do anything, however, a Sentry crashed through the lab as it was blasted by lighting from Thor's hammer. The impact –and subsequent explosion– knocked everyone back. Danica fell on her back and flipped onto her stomach. Her ears rang and her brain felt like it bounced in her skull like a tennis ball.
Crossbones stalked over to them, kicking Wanda in the face. Digging his boot into Danica's side, he rolled her onto her back and pointed the barrel of his shotgun at her face. "Time to say 'night, night', bitch."
Danica looked over at the lounge, where the Avengers were tearing through the sentries. She just needed to find one in particular. Then, she saw him. The God of Thunder swung his hammer like a bolo, ripping a pair of Sentries apart. She focused her power on him, copying his abilities the same second Crossbones fired his shotgun.
"Dany!" Wanda cried in alarm.
Danica blinked, looking back at the shotgun. It was close enough for her to smell the acrid stench of gunpowder. Apart from that, she hadn't felt anything. Her strength had increased thousands of times; almost nothing could harm her, as she bore the might of the strongest Avenger. Crossbones recoiled, eyes wide with shock.
"My turn, bitch!" she spat, grabbing the shotgun with one hand and squeezing it so hard it crumpled and broke in half. He powered one of his gauntlets and tried to punch her in the throat, but she kicked him so hard he flew across the room. Getting to her feet, Danica charged Crossbones and punched him through a wall. He drew his desert eagle and kept shooting at her. Every bullet, while making holes in her clothes, bounced off her skin. He ran down the hall, shooting until his gun emptied. Casting it aside, he took out a grenade, pulled the pin, and chucked it at her.
Danica caught it with both hands, her heart pounding with fear despite knowing it couldn't hurt her. The grenade exploded, and for an instant her world was consumed by flames. Then it ended, and she barely felt a thing.
Crossbones yelled, punching her with both of his powered gauntlets. She didn't budge. Grabbing him by the wrists, she head-butted the mercenary hard enough to crack his helmet in half. Seeing an elevator door behind him, Danica delivered a savage kick to his chest, crumpling his armour. The kick knocked him through the elevator doors as if they were kindling, and he fell down the empty shaft with a scream.
Spitting on the floor as a final insult, Danica ran back into the lab. By now, just about all of Ultron's Sentries were destroyed. She saw Pietro streak by three of them, knocking them down like bowling pins and crumpling their metal frames. Klaue had re-attached all the power cables to the cradle, and the monitor now showed 98 percent completion. The arms dealer, seeing her, grabbed a rocket launcher he'd stashed earlier and aimed it at her.
Danica started moving towards him when a plasma beam cut through the launcher. It exploded, launching Klaue back. When the smoke cleared, she saw him laying on the floor, blood pooling around the stump of his left shoulder. The explosion had blown his arm off. She looked at the lounge, where Black Widow stood holding an Ultron Sentry's arm in one hand. The other was wrapped around the back of the sentry's head, the glove sparking with electricity.
Danica locked eyes with Black Widow, nodding as thanks.
Pietro appeared beside her, as did Wanda. The Avengers entered the lab from the other side, and Iron Man flew in through the wall where she'd shattered the glass hours earlier. The wealthiest Avenger aimed his palms at Ultron and fired his repulsor beams, blasting the Prime Body's head clean off. As he and Bruce Banner hurried over to the terminal, the rest of the Avengers faced Danica and Wanda and Pietro. Danica tensed as Thor twirled his hammer and War Machine aimed his weapons at them. Wanda's fingers curled in anticipation.
"Oh, shit," Iron Man said. A moment later, the monitor dinged as it showed 100 percent.
The top of the cradle blew open, and everyone stepped back as a figure emerged. It floated out, crouching on the floor. While human in shape, it was definitely artificial. Its skin was bright red, almost scarlet, with silver patterns running along like a circuit board. The figure steamed as it radiated heat, freshly forged. It reminded Danica of stories of her great uncle, who worked in a smelting plant. The yellow stone Ultron took from the scepter rested in the centre of its forehead, glowing.
Wanda gasped at the sight, and Danica couldn't blame her. The figure stood, examining its hands and the rest of its body. The whole room was silent, everyone holding their breath as they waited for the newcomer to speak.
The figure then looked at Danica and her friends, shaking its head in disappointment. Turning to glare at the Avengers, it said in Ultron's voice, "Behold, my Vision."
Ultron –or rather, Vision– looked at Iron Man. The stone in its forehead glowed so bright it might as well have been a miniature sun. A beam of energy spewed out of it, striking Iron Man in the chest and launching him across the room into the lounge. Captain America hurled his shield. Vision, not even looking at it, seemed to partially disappear. The shield passed through, as if striking a cloud. It came as such a surprise that Pietro didn't have time to react when the shield slammed into his chest, knocking him down the stairs.
As the other Avengers scattered, lining up their respective shots, Captain America charged in and attacked with his superhuman fists. Vision blocked only some of the punches and jabs, acting like it couldn't be bothered to defend itself more than that. The blows that landed reverberated through the lab as Captain America grimaced. Vision's skin must have been super dense.
Not even reacting to a punch in the face, Vision roundhouse kicked his opponent into a wall, leaving a large dent.
Danica focused on Ultron's ultimate form with her power. If she could copy its abilities, then they would have a chance to defeat it. But no matter how hard she stared, she couldn't see the usual glowing pattern of nerves. This was an artificial being, with metal skin and no brain or heart. Standing beside her, Wanda thrust her hands forward. The scarlet energy threw Vision into the wall. But a second later, it propelled itself forward like an arrow and, grabbing Wanda by the throat, lifted her off the ground as it flew into the lounge.
"Wanda!" Danica cried, running after them.
Vision floated in the centre of the wide open room, staring into Wanda's eyes. "I wanted to create the future with you by my side. But now I see that can't happen. I can't let you stop me, but I can give you the gift of seeing your parents again."
Bellowing at the top of her lungs, Danica leaped off the floor and full-body tackled Vision. They crashed into the bar, demolishing half of it as she rained down a savage series of punches to its face. The stacked bottles shook and the glasses tinkled from the reverberations. In the back of her mind, Danica knew she would have broken her hands by now if not for possessing Thor's strength. Vision caught one of her fists in its hand, then fired a beam from the stone in its forehead. Danica felt the impact on her face, and the heat from the raw, cosmic energy, as it sent her flying through the air.
She flipped like a discarded marionette, then stopped when a pair of strong hands caught her. Blinking past the disorientation, she looked up into the eyes of Thor. He gave her a grim expression, and Danica suddenly felt guilty for attacking him back in Sokovia.
He set her gently down on the floor, then ran towards Vision. Danica saw Wanda standing off to the side, and breathed a sigh of relief. Pietro, or one of the Avengers, must have caught her after Danica tackled Vision.
Looking back at the robot, she saw Black Widow sliding across the bar. The super spy kicked it across the face, then leaped up and wrapped her thighs around its head. She drew a pistol and emptied the entire clip into its cranium, but the bullets didn't do any damage. Vision phased, and Black Widow fell onto the floor. It kicked her across the room.
Iron Man fired repulsor beams from his hands, making the robot's skin glow at the points of contact but not much else. Vision, glaring up at him, fired a beam from its forehead that the Avenger barely managed to dodge. Thor grunted and bellowed as he fought Vision in hand-to-hand, swinging his hammer and fist in equal measure. The first hit with the hammer actually staggered the robot, eliciting a look of surprise. It phased whenever the hammer would land after that, and the weapon passed through it without causing any damage. Thor's fists landed with incredible strength and power, but not enough to make a difference.
Vision grabbed the hammer, but when it tried to wrench it from Thor's grasp, it couldn't. The momentary delay let Black Widow shoot a pair of discs from her gauntlets and into Vision's head. They glowed blue, discharging large amounts of electricity.
A wave of yellow energy rippled across the robot's skin from the stone, overloading the discs. It then punched Thor in the chest and the head, forcing him back.
War Machine flew high above the floor, unloading a number of missiles and firing from a machine gun extended from its right arm. Vision fired a laser across his arm and shoulder, incinerating the machine gun and missile launcher. Pietro zoomed straight at it, but bounced off when his target hardened his body.
Danica caught Wanda's eye, jerking her head to indicate Vision and mouthing 'Give me a boost?' Wanda nodded, curling her fingers. Danica saw scarlet energy envelop her body, lifting her a few feet off the ground. Then, it launched her forward like a slingshot. She pulled back her fist, ready to punch Vision in the face. Between Thor's strength and the speed of being thrown across the room, she figured she should at least damage it a little.
The robot spun on its heel almost faster than she could comprehend, grabbed her by the hair and jacket, then threw her into the back of the bar. She slammed into the shelves, shattering dozens of bottles, and fell to the floor. The smells of so many different alcohols mixed in her nostrils as the liquor soaked into her clothes. Groaning, Danica clung to the bar as she hauled herself to her feet.
"Haven't you realized it, yet?" Vision demanded, blocking an explosive arrow from Hawkeye with its hand. "I'm indestructible. With this stone, I'm the most powerful being on this planet. I know you all better than you know yourselves. All those encounters with the Masters, all those dashing displays of heroics…I watched you, studied you. I dissected how you fight, how you move. No matter what move you make, I already know it."
"Careful there, Junior," Iron Man said as he flew around the room. "You're starting to act like your dear old pop with the grandiose speeches."
Vision growled, firing a laser that shattered one of his shoulder pieces. "You want to talk about grandiose? How about the fact you made armour out of simple titanium alloy, and you chose to paint it that garish red and gold?"
"Well, it's popular with the public."
"What was I thinking? You're usually so discrete."
Iron Man faltered mid-flight. "What did you say?"
"I said 'let's play a game: 'catch the Iron Man to win a prize'!" Vision took off like a missile, flying through the air after its original creator. Just before it could grab him, though, it was knocked back by Thor's hammer. It demolished a pair of couches when it landed, though it reoriented and stood remarkably quick. When Vision tried to lift the hammer, the weapon wouldn't budge. Grabbing with both hands, it heaved with all its might. The flooring at its feet began to crack and cave in from the pressure.
Noticing movement beside her, Danica turned to see Hawkeye and the Maria woman hurrying over to the bar. They aimed at Vision with their respective weapons. With her enhanced senses, she heard Iron Man speaking over the duo's comm devices. "Guys, I think I might have a way to end this."
"You might want to hurry up with that," Hawkeye warned.
"What's the play, Stark?" Captain America asked.
"I think J.A.R.V.I.S. might be in there somewhere."
Danica frowned, not knowing who, or what, that might have been. Wanda jumped down beside her from the upper level, using her powers to soften the landing.
Her friend's presence brought back the memory of how this whole chaos started. Ultron and the cradle, the new body nearly complete. Wanda hearing a second voice that prompted her to read the body's mind and witness Ultron's true plan.
"Wanda, the voice!" she said, grabbing her by the arm. "The other voice you heard."
"What voice? What the hell are you talking about?" Hawkeye asked.
Wanda glanced at Danica, then replied, "When Ultron was making Vision, I heard him dreaming. Not long before you showed up, I heard another voice calling out from within his mind. I read him, and that's when we learned what Ultron plans to do."
Hawkeye tapped his earpiece. "Stark, did you get that?" While they spoke, Captain America and War Machine launched a two-pronged attack on Vision.
"Yeah, got all the mystical phooey. I think our best chance is if we pin down Po the Teletubby and reprogram it."
"And you really think that's gonna work?" a voice Danica didn't recognize asked.
"Right now, it's our only shot, Wilson," Iron Man countered, sounding irritated.
Danica looked at Hawkeye and said, "Wanda can do it. She's faster than a computer, and she can put your J.A.R.V.I.S. thing in control."
Maria scowled. "You honestly think we'd trust you to do that?"
"Please," Wanda said. "We were wrong to follow Ultron. We see that now. Just let us do something right, before our mistakes wind up destroying the world."
While Maria didn't look convinced in the slightest, Hawkeye seemed to consider the idea. "Well, we'd better get moving fast. Otherwise, Ultron's going to tear us to pieces. Thor, you might want to use the hammer to keep that thing pinned."
"Very well."
Danica moved towards Vision, brushing off shards of broken glass from her sleeves. She grabbed a chair and threw it at the robot, who punched it into splinters. "I'm disappointed, Danica," Vision said. "You told me you had an emptiness inside you, a gaping pit of grief. Do you honestly think these do-gooders can help you fill it? I'm trying to enact real change, while they want to keep the world as it is: broken, divided, messy. I thought we shared the same vision for humanity."
"I thought so, too," she said. "But if destroying the world is the cost of revenge, then I want no part in it. I've been holding onto my anger for so long I didn't realize it was changing me. Now I see it has changed you. Please, it's not too late. I know you're hurting, but don't let that suffering define you. You can be better than this."
He faltered, and for a brief moment Danica thought he considered her words. Then he lashed out and grabbed her by the throat. She grunted, trying to pry his metal fingers off to no avail. Vision pulled her in close. "You think empty platitudes are going to change me? I'm doing exactly what I was created to do: bring lasting peace. You've lost your way, just like Wanda and Pietro. Fine. I'll just have to complete the work myself. In the end, each of us lives and dies alone."
"Not exactly," Black Widow quipped from behind the robot. He swung his other fist at her, but she ducked and attached a metallic half-sphere onto the back of Vision's head. It beeped for a second, then delivered a pulse of electrical energy that staggered him. His grip loosened, and Danica pried his hand off as she stepped back, holding her throat and coughing.
Thor landed in front of Vision and smashed his hammer into the robot's face, knocking him to the floor. Then he gently set the hammer down on his chest. Vision, still a bit dazed, tried to get up, but he couldn't move the hammer. Pietro appeared with Wanda by his side. She knelt down and held her hands on either side of Vision's head. Red energy slithered from her fingers into his eyes, and he stilled.
Danica stood beside Pietro as they and the Avengers watched with bated breath. This was their only chance at stopping Ultron from possessing the ultimate form. As he'd amply demonstrated, none of them –even combined– were enough to stop him. If this didn't work, Danica had no idea what they could do.
"I think…" Wanda said, face scrunched up in concentration. "I think it's working."
Shortly after she spoke, Vision's fingers twitched. Everyone tensed, readying their respective weapons. Then, Wanda pulled her hands back. The red energy dissipated, and the robot blinked. He looked up at everyone, almost quizzically. Then, he phased through the hammer –which thunked when it hit the floor– and lunged at Thor.
The God of Thunder caught him and threw him back towards the glass separating the lounge from the landing pad. Vision tumbled, then came to a momentum-defying stop before he hit the glass.
Captain America raised his shield, but Danica held up a hand, indicating he should wait. She watched the formerly murderous robot stare out at the city, touching its reflection on the glass. He then floated back down to them, and a dark grey suit materialized over his red and silver skin. When his feet touched the floor, he said, "I am sorry." Danica blinked in surprise; he spoke in a different voice. "That was…odd." He looked at Wanda. "Thank you. Thank you all." Vision shrugged his shoulders, and a glimmering golden cape sprouted all the way down to his feet.
Iron Man retracted his helmet, cracking his neck and grimacing. "That stone really packs a wallop, Thor. Guess you weren't kidding about how powerful they are."
Thor nodded. "That is the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities. The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron."
"Not alone," Vision added.
"Stark," Captain America said, "you said J.A.R.V.I.S. was still in there somewhere. How did you know?"
"When he took the time to diss my armour, he said, 'What was I thinking? You're usually so discrete'."
"What does that have to do with anything?" a dark-haired, middle-aged man asked. Danica hadn't seen him at all during the battle, but she recognized him. Even without the green skin and animal rage.
"It's something J.A.R.V.I.S. said to me when I first built the Iron Man armour seven years ago."
"Yeah, and?" Hawkeye prompted.
"When Banner and I were designing Ultron, we used an entirely new digital framework based on what we found in the scepter. J.A.R.V.I.S. is great, but I thought we were really onto something. None of his operational coding was put into Ultron."
"Hang on," Dr. Banner said, rubbing his eyes. "I thought Ultron killed J.A.R.V.I.S."
"He did," Vision confirmed. "But in the process, Ultron somehow assimilated some of his code. It wasn't enough to constitute a full consciousness, but enough to make some subtle alterations."
Iron Man nodded. "The nuclear codes. Remember when Fury said Ultron's viruses always rewrote themselves before they could do any damage? J.A.R.V.I.S. must have implemented self-destruct commands into them without Ultron even realizing it."
"I heard him," Wanda said, drawing everyone's gazes. "He called out to me. That's how we learned of Ultron's plan."
"Oh, please," Dr. Banner scoffed. "Are we really going to take her at her word, after what she did to us in Africa? How do we know she's not in our heads, or in Vision's head?"
"I know you're angry–" Wanda started to say.
"Oh, we're way past that." He leveled a chilling glare at her. "I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade." Danica took a protective half-step in front of Wanda, as did Pietro, silently daring the angriest Avenger to make a move.
Before any further altercation could happen, Thor said, "Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone. And nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side…"
"Is it?" Captain America countered. Looking at Vision, he asked, "Are you? On our side?"
"I am not Ultron," Vision declared. "Nor am I J.A.R.V.I.S. I am…I am. But I don't think it is as simple as choosing sides."
Hawkeye snorted. "Well, it better get real simple real soon."
After a moment's pause, Vision said, "I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all."
"What's he waiting for?" Iron Man asked.
"You."
Banner crossed his arms. "Where?"
"Sokovia. This tower was the only place where Ultron could build this body, but Strucker's former headquarters is where he is preparing his end goal. When Ms. Maximoff freed me and placed me in control, I caught a glimpse of Ultron's network before he shut himself off. We must go to Sokovia."
"If we're wrong about you," Dr. Banner said. "If you're still the monster Ultron made you to be…"
"What will you do?" Vision asked. He didn't say it like a threat, more like a genuine question. No one spoke, and Danica realized for all their collective genius and power, no one in the room had a clear answer for how to destroy Vision. "I don't want to destroy Ultron," he said softly. "He's unique and he's in pain." Danica looked down at the floor, remembering her earlier conversation with him in the lab. "But that pain will roll over the Earth. So he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net."
"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it," Wanda added. She gave a deliberate look at Iron Man. "Where do you think he gets that?"
Iron Man scowled, but Danica sensed not all of his anger was directed at Wanda.
"We have to act now," Vision said. "And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So, there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go."
Vision picked up Thor's hammer and held it out to him.
The Avengers stared at the sight with naked shock and amazement. Danica frowned at them, wondering why it was such a big deal. Vision couldn't move the hammer when controlled by Ultron, but now he could. She looked at Wanda and Pietro, who shrugged. They didn't get it, either.
Thor took the hammer, stunned silent as Vision walked past. "Right," he managed.
"We'll secure the tower," Captain America said. "We find Rumlow and take him in. Disable any tampering or booby traps. Once we're done, we'll only have a few minutes to get going. Let's get it done." The Avengers nodded and began to split up. Black Widow glanced at Danica, then stopped and gave a double take as if seeing her for the first time.
"Are those my clothes?"
Danica and her friends sat in the only intact pieces of furniture in the lounge. Thor and Vision stood several feet away, conversing quietly. It didn't take a genius to question why the two most powerful Avengers were within striking distance, watching over the three of them. The Avengers didn't trust them. The thought rankled Danica, but she had to admit their culpability in Ultron's crimes. It wasn't like they were forced into serving him.
Ultron had learned enough about their lives to manipulate them into doing whatever he wanted. He'd counted on their rage, their grief.
Looking back, Danica cursed herself. She'd been such a fool. Only a complete idiot would have trusted a robot while helping him kill and plan for global annihilation. He must have giggled to himself whenever they had their private discussions behind the club in London, and here in the home of their enemy. Danica had freely given up her darkest thoughts to a genocidal machine, all the while thinking it was her friend.
She didn't realize how hard she gripped the end table beside her chair until it split in half. Exhaling, she buried her face in her hands.
"It's going to be okay," Wanda soothed from across the hole in the floor.
"No it won't," Danica refuted. "We volunteered for the experiments so we could have power. And what did we do with it? We gave Ultron everything he needs to blow up the world. I thought I was honouring the memory of my family, but instead I've spit on their graves. They would be ashamed if they saw me now."
"Hey, none of that," Pietro scolded. He shrugged, then said, "We did what we thought was right. There's no way we could've known otherwise."
Wanda walked over and held Danica's hand, squeezing it tight. "Remember that you're not alone. We each have…many things to atone for. And we will. By destroying every last trace of Ultron from the planet. Whatever the future holds, we will face it. Together." Danica gave her friend a weak smile, appreciating the efforts to make her feel better. She still felt like shit, but at the same time grateful to not be alone in this.
"Well, Rumlow's in the wind," Maria –who Danica learned went by 'Agent Hill'– said as she approached them.
"How can that be?" Danica asked. "I kicked him down an elevator shaft. That's at least…thirty or forty floors down. Not even he could survive a fall like that."
Agent Hill crossed her arms. "Well, evidently, he managed to catch himself on a door and pried it open. We tried to follow him, but he set off a few pre-placed explosive devices. He's long gone by now."
Another reason for Danica to feel terrible.
"And what about Klaue?" Wanda asked.
"We stabilized his condition, and we'll keep him in a holding cell until someone can take him off our hands. Taskmaster's gone, too. In the meantime, everyone else is suited up and ready to go. Cap says you're clear to prep for the mission."
"Well, now that we have his permission…" Pietro said, saluting with his middle finger.
Agent Hill didn't look impressed, and Wanda slapped him on the arm. As they made their way up the stairs towards the armoury, Danica glanced at the older woman a few times. After working up the courage to speak, she said, "For what it's worth, I, uh…I'm sorry. For the bruises and…Well, for earlier."
After staring at her with an unreadable expression, Agent Hill said, "Thanks. It's not the worst beating I've ever taken. And you showed solid technique. My technique, I guess, but I take it as a compliment that only someone like me can take me down. You showed a lot of promise."
Danica scoffed. "Yeah. Like the Avengers would ever consider taking us in. They only need us to fight Ultron. After that, we'll probably get shipped off to some secret government prison in the ocean." Pietro looked down at the floor, clenching his hands into fists. Apparently, he'd had similar thoughts.
"I wouldn't be too sure," the older woman said cryptically. "It's never too late for second chances."
They reached the armoury, and Agent Hill made a point of standing outside where she could watch them the whole time. Danica wasn't in the mood to cause trouble, especially with Thor and Vision nearby. Pietro changed out of his clothes, and Danica couldn't help but pause and secretly admire his toned physique; he'd certainly filled out since they were kids. He changed into a pair of expensive-looking running shoes and silver shirt with black pants. Slipping on the shirt, he caught her staring. Their eyes locked for a moment, and he gave her a smirk.
Wanda had thrown out her jacket, since it had ripped in the fighting. She stared out a window, watching Thor and Vision speaking, while Pietro reached into a locker and grabbed a red jacket. He tossed it to her, startling his sister. She gave him a half-hearted glare, then put it on.
Danica swapped her shoes for a pair of black combat boots. She passed her gaze over the utility lockers and storage cabinets. There was no real need for a weapon or gadget, since she could simply adopt the strength and ferocity of the world's greatest heroes. Danica looked at herself in a full-length mirror. She touched the skin just beneath her right eye, pulling it down a little. She'd had her father's brown eyes all her life, until Strucker's experiments turned them a mesmerizing blue.
HYDRA gave her powers so she could be used as a weapon, an instrument of pain and brutality. Ultron had used her as a tool for mass-extinction and revenge. She'd been given an extraordinary gift, and all this time she'd been wasting it. Stopping Ultron represented more than paying back a betrayal; it meant using her gifts not as a sword, but as a shield to protect those who could not protect themselves. The people of Sokovia, her people, were at risk. Danica had a chance to protect them, and their home. The thought reminded her of her ancestor's words.
"To defend one's family is the mark of the virtuous. To defend one's home is the mark of a warrior. To defend one's country is the mark of a hero. Legends are often borne out of humble beginnings."
Having finished gearing up, they followed Agent Hill out to the landing pad. Iron Man, Captain America, and Dr. Banner stood next to the Quinjet's boarding ramp.
"No way we all get through this," Iron Man said. "If even one tin soldier is left standing, we've lost. There's gonna be blood on the floor."
"I got no plans tomorrow night," Captain America quipped with a smile tugging his lips.
"I get first crack at the big guy. Iron Man's the one he's waiting for."
Vision walked by them and said, "That's true. He hates you the most." Iron Man sighed, looking into the distance. Danica couldn't help but snicker. They stepped into the Quinjet, where the rest of the Avengers were already strapping in. Danica sat next to Wanda and Pietro, glancing at the former enemies they would soon be fighting alongside.
Fate was a mysterious, cold bitch at times.
Black Widow, who sat in the co-pilot's chair, happened to glance back at them. She frowned. "Hey, is that my jacket?"
Wanda touched the red jacket, and Pietro replied, "She needed something to wear. No big deal."
"It is when you three keep raiding my closets," Black Widow muttered, flipping switches on her board.
As the ramp closed, Captain America strolled into the centre of the jet. "Ultron knows we're coming," he said, drawing everyone's attention. Pietro took out earpieces from a case under his seat and gave one to Danica and Wanda. The three of them put one in their ears. "Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't."
Danica shared a glance with her friends, then looked up at the star-spangled Avenger. He gave her a nod, conveying so much in a single gesture.
"So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not gonna happen today. But we can do our best to protect them. And we can get the job done. 5We find out what Ultron's been building, we find any hostages he's taken, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us." He paused, looking at the floor. "Ultron thinks…we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right."
He gave a nod to each of them, then sat in a chair and strapped in.
Danica sat back and reluctantly muttered under her breath, "Okay, that was a pretty good speech." With a jolt, the Quinjet lifted off from the landing pad and soared over the skyscrapers and massive towers of New York, towards Sokovia. Danica and her friends were going home.
This was a fun chapter to write! I originally ended it when Ultron says "Behold my Vision", but that made the chapter a bit too short. So, we have the entire fight here. I hope I did a decent job at portraying just how powerful Vision was when arrayed against so many heroes. For me, it highlights the 'Superman' quality Vision has once he becomes a hero, restraining his god-like powers for the greater good.
Well, that's all I've got for now. See you next time!