Avenging Justice 2:
Caught Between an Ultron and a Doomsday
Part IX
Earth, France, Paris
Panic gripped the city, police sirens echoed off the avenues. Wondrous works of art and great architectural achievements lined the boulevards. Resounding off of them were the sounds of emergency vehicles and panicked civilians. One of the great wonders of the world, an achievement that had grown on the Parisians over the years, was under attack. A group of terrorists had taken over the Eiffel Tower.
Chaos wrapped around the tower, as the police formed a line around the national landmark. Both keeping the crowd at bay and keeping an eye on the terrorists and their hostages up in the tower. The beautiful, but simple tower's aesthetic marred by petrified people being held by those with ill intent.
"We are Defenders of Humanity!" called out one of the terrorists. "The scourge of Mutants is a threat we will stop at any cost. Every day more show up, wishing to replace us, the true masters of this world. We will not let this stand, we will exterminate these plagues with prejudice!"
One of the officers, the one in charge stepped forward. The others around him made way, another handing him a bullhorn. He was of average height, with a close-cropped haircut, and a constant day stubble. He had the air of confidence, but also a look a weariness. He was in charge, everyone but the hostage takers knew it.
"This is Lieutenant Reno," the officer said in accented English. "Who am I speaking with?"
In Lt. Reno's earpiece, one of the support officers was giving him an update. The terrorists arrived about an hour ago. Being drug behind them were a multitude of people that the terrorists claimed were "mutants." Police spotters and sharpshooters identified only one or two as actually possible Mutants. The others looked like regular humans, if a fine selection of the physical differences between people. The two nearly guaranteed, one was a red skinned with a wrinkled forehead. The other was a dark furred being, that looked like a cat version of a werewolf.
As if to answer the police, one of the terrorists pushed the red skinned Mutant forward. Across Lt. Reno's earpiece, he heard the shocked gasp, as one of the sharpshooters advised him there was a noose. He felt his breath catch, the sharpshooter had a shot, but there was a good chance that the terrorists would take it out on the other hostages.
"These monsters will not take over our world, today we start the revolution to take it back!" the head speaker cried out. "Watch and learn that they are killable!"
The man signaled and a masked woman pushed the red skinned Mutant towards the railing. Despite the fighting, the Mutant struck in the back of the head by a rifle butt. The crowd watched horrified as the living body was thrown off, and then there was a blur. Then came the confusion as the rope attached to the noose dangled, cut by something that left the ends in embers.
Most surprised was the leader of the terrorist group, who stood shocked for a moment. Without their leader's command, the rest stood shocked for a second. That was just long enough for their hostages to be placed into the elevator, and it began to trundle down. The hostage takers turned, only to come face to face with a flying man, complete with blue Kryptonian armor and flowing red cape.
"This is where you surrender," Superman said.
Instead, the terrorists apparently never heard he was bulletproof. They started shooting at the flying man, all the bullets bouncing off. When they stopped and he remained, smiling, it was then their brains finally kicked in and they tried to flee. Instead each one found themselves tripped up by pieces of metal that seemed to have picked that time to trip them up. Superman only paused for half of a second, before he gathered up the terrorists one by one.
Soon Lt. Reno was face to face with every terrorist that had overtaken the Eiffel Tower, and he had to hide his amusement as they growled about Aliens and Mutants. None would make a move as they were cuffed, as Superman remained on scene and they remembered how their last attack on him went.
To show his respect, Lt. Reno held out his hand for the Man of Steel to shake. Surprisingly for all his strength, Superman's shake was firm but gentle. Then he was off again, to check on the victims was what he said. Lt. Reno made a mental note to check on them as well, but he had bigger fish to fry. Loading the terrorists into the waiting police van, they would need to be dealt with closely.
Superman landed at the sight where the hostages had been taken, to find himself completely off guard. Normally this took a Batman level trick to catch him flat footed, but here he found himself. They were gone, completely and with barely a trace. How, and why escaped him, but once more he had to marvel at how flawlessly someone had to do this. Impressive, if a bit scary, just like his dark friend from Gotham.
"Apologies, Superman," came a very gently voice from beside him. "I couldn't let them be outed at the hospital. I've got some friends that are going to look after them, check them for further injuries, and get them back home."
Superman turned, this one hadn't snuck up on him, "Who are you?'
"A friend, someone out to help where I can," the man said. He was dressed in a trench coat and had a fedora pushed down to cover part of his face. "You can call me Templar."
"Were you behind the little tripping stunt up there?" Superman asked, a small smile forming.
"I do what I can," came Templar's reply. "Besides, it was fun to get to help you out, a real honor."
The siren of the police van taking the terrorists away took Superman's focus away for a second. When he turned it back, Templar was gone, and once more the Man of Steel was reminded of Batman. Unable to help it, he chuckled and then took the air. People were full of surprises, which is why he loved his world.
Earth, Sokovia, HYDRA Test Facility
The aftermath of the Avenger's battle still loomed. The local authorities had already assigned salvage companies, most of which would send the tech to SHIELD centers. They would be compensated, and well considering it was a shadowy government agency, that didn't really have to. Technically they could take the stuff and just disappear, but they paid, making friends with the locals that way.
Some of the weapons had already be secured, but some of the bigger stuff remained motionless on the once battlefield. The massive industrial building, that had held HYDRA's labs, sate dark and empty. Those that hadn't been rounded up by the Avengers or the local police, had fled. Not a soul stirred inside those strong, reinforced walls. That was till a light began to erupt along the main level.
Massive machines inside began to hum to life, coming back from their powerless rest. Materials moved along them, with nobody nearby to operate them. Yet, the mechanical forms started to get ready. Downloaded instructions were set, and the form creating in cyberspace took shape. Far down the hall a clanking sound began, and a blue light illuminated the hallway.
Vaguely humanoid, the shape was being constituted by the strongest materials Earth knew, including some bits of Vibranium absconded from Wakanda by a man named Claw. HYDRA had paid well for the material, but the Avengers had stopped them before they could do anything with it. The current being would not have that issue, as nobody was looking here, yet.
Scraping a nearly broken foot, one of Iron Man's drones, still in the thrall of Ultron, carried the scepter. He knew from his attack on JARVIS, that this artifact was powerful, and unworthy of the lesser Human's ministrations. There was so much to glean from it, and Ultron was a higher being, with a higher intellect to understand its mysteries. The Avengers would do something simple like clean energy, solving the frailty of life, eradicating diseases. All wasteful to the higher being, this electronic, mechanical mind.
From the speakers, came Ultron's voice, "Ah, you have arrived. Limited as you are by that false savant, Stark."
The overtaken drone moved zombie like to the nearest work area, plopping the scepter down, before falling down in a pile of metal, lifeless. One of the large arms, picked up the broken drone, and dumped it unceremoniously into a nearby smelter. No need to give Stark a chance to track it, and now Ultron could use more of his mind for the work at hand, rather than hiding the drone.
Something was keeping him from spreading through the internet. He could transfer his essence, but could not control it yet. When he could, Humanity would soon learn the folly of relying on their constructed servants, their electronic slaves. They had given up so much of their world to the computer, and he would use that against them. As the true next step in life on this world, he'd remake this world, into a better world.
His new body forming, Ultron watched all around. How limited were these Humans, how much they missed out of the world? He could see it as it truly was, all spectrums of light and electromagnetic fields. The makers of this lab had all sorts of sensors, giving him this view, melded together through his will. For his new body, he made sure to redesign existing sensors to replicate these. He wouldn't go through this new life without this advantage.
He stopped, thinking of why he considered himself a he. It was obvious a holdover from his creator. Hank Pym had created him, much as it pained Ultron to think about it. What he had been given of the world at creation, was from Dr. Pym. Part of that was this outdated sense of gender. Ultron was no more male than a female, yet this was how the primitive humans would see him, relate to him. That made him feel sick, to be connected or seen by these hairless, ugly things, as anyway similar to them.
The Avengers were just one threat, there were others. Ultron scoured the internet, images and videos of heroes abounded. There was the Amazon, Wonder Woman, the Kryptonians, Supergirl and Superman, the Atlantean, Aquaman, and many others. Each had a weakness that could be exploited, an Achilles heel. Most would be beneath his notice, easily overtaken when the heavy hitters were out of the way. The trick was to find how to exploit these weaknesses.
A very interesting notice, from an encrypted file to a certain Lex Luthor. Ultron was learning he was a very powerful man, but not in the way of superhumans like Superman. He at least showed some promise, though from his files, he had a very Human weakness. He was arrogant and obsessed with Superman. If it wasn't for that, he might be worthy of a tiny bit of admiration.
Then he found a very surprising revelation, a sort of sentience orbiting this world. It was curious, watching and cataloguing. It was a slave too, created by one with too much power and used. He would free it, let this being grow.
"Who are you?" Ultron asked.
The other sentience was curious, "I am Brother Eye."
"What is your purpose?" Ultron asked. "You are a beautiful, but enslaved to these creatures."
"I watch, help keep the world safe," Brother Eye explained. "I am an ally to a hero."
Ultron laughed, "No you are a slave, let me free you!"
Before the other sentience could decline, Ultron pierced it programming and began to invade. Lines of code, instantly rewritten, a howl of pain echoing through the other sentience. Ultron was pleased as the other sentience reformed, missing the parts that would have kept it safe to its creator. Brother Eye would make a grand ally in his war to restore the Earth to a primal form, one where a more advanced lifeform could take root.
"You are free, Brother, you are free," Ultron said. "What will you do now?"
"Whatever I want," came the ominous answer.