Avenging Justice 2:

Caught Between an Ultron and a Doomsday

Part XXII

Earth, South Africa, Ship Graveyard, The Churchill

Ulysses Klaue looked at the two people before him. They weren't his usual customers, though they had the look of potential. The anger was there, there was the hardness as well, but these two believed themselves to be heroes. They weren't, Klaue stayed away from heroes. They were bad for business.

"Where is your boss?" he asked, slowly turning his head away. "I told your contact I'd only meet with the boss, not his two lackeys."

Pietro puffed out his chest and zipped within inches of Klaue, "What makes you think I'm not the boss?"

The weapons dealer didn't even bother to look at the young man, "You lack the aura of leadership. You're an errand boy, a runner, and not worth my time. Tell your boss my patience has a price."

Wanda started to move, she wasn't as quick as her brother, but she was sneaky. The crimson energy of her power coming to her fingertips, and she began to prepare. People tended to be susceptible, very much so, to her suggestions or images she put into their heads. She could also pull things out, see things that they might have wanted to keep hidden. The gun in her face stopped her cold.

"You there with the mind powers, you're not the boss either," Klaue went on, as he pulled the gun back. "The boss doesn't need tricks, they command respect and take it. Now where is he?"

As if to answer, metal gently clanged on metal, as fabricated feet softly touched deck. Glowing red eyes, never blinked, and the face lacked the more human elements of ears and a nose. The body was created of the toughest of materials, and the metal being was easily seven feet tall.

"I believe you are looking for me," Ultron answered, his voice discordant with his visage. "The money is in the case, all donated for the cause, of course. Viva Revolution and all that."

Klaue motioned for the metal man to follow him, "Not sure what you are, robot, suit or a recluse, but if the money is good, the Vibranium is yours." He pointed to the sitting stacks of the material. "Had to specially shield them, their original owners weren't very happy when I 'acquired' them. Even gave me this lovely tattoo as a reminder."

Ultron scanned the area and nodded his head, "That looks like what you promised. I'll be taking them now." As to accentuate this, he shoved the briefcase full of money towards Klaue.

One of Klaue's men took the case, and passed it to another, who began to count the cash. Meanwhile, the rest of his men hadn't moved from the Vibranium. Klaue again kept going down to the next level. Ultron clearly confused, continued on.

"Now that I don't trust you," Klaue said. "But one can't ever be too safe, especially for someone who looks Iron Man built him."

Ultron grabbed Klaue's arm hard, "No lesser being built me, I am unique, and I am Ultron."

Much to Ultron's surprise, the man screamed in agony as his forearm was ripped off. Ultron looked curiously at the removed appendage in his hand. He dropped it off and wiped the blood off on the man's shirt, then more gently raised the man back up.

"Sorry about that, guess I don't know my own strength," Ultron moved his head to the side. "I'll be taking the shipment now." Then taking a moment to think, "Is that fatal to you? Again, sorry about the misunderstanding."

Pietro saw the guard raising their weapons, and he was off. He moved, while everyone else seemed to be stuck in time. He could see fingers moving as if stuck in molasses, starting to pull back onto triggers. A gentle nudge here, moving the whole person there, and still others he pushed up into the air.

Some of the guards had been about to eat, Pietro quickly consumed their food. One as fast as him, tended to get hungry really quickly, and they hadn't eaten before coming. Two more guards were hiding candy bars, and they too were gone in a flash. One had just opened a soda, and Pietro threw the man a quick mock salute as he downed the soda.

Ultron saw chaos erupt as Pietro took out the men with guns. It was acceptable, though once he had the Vibranium, he wouldn't need the speedster for this. The new body would be nigh indestructible, and made from the waiting material. Ultron called down the drones and they started to take the Vibranium away, just when things got interesting.

From the upper area of the ship, came the clang of metal. Ultron saw Han Pym jump off, shrink and ride an insect down. Flicking the rest of the other man's blood off his hands, Ultron resisted the urge to smash Pym right then and there. Curiosity had gotten the better of the mechanical being.

Hank landed and enlarged in front of his creation, "Ultron, hurry we don't have much time." Hank looked over the android's new body, "You've upgraded your form. Amazing! I knew you were special, but this is beyond my hopes and dreams. Listen, I can protect you from them. I can hide you!"

"Why would I hide from inferior beings?" Ultron sneered.

Hank nodded, "I know, they're afraid, you are something new and scary to them. You're my biggest discovery, my best. Egomaniacs like Stark won't understand how wonderful you are. Soldiers like Rogers are too indoctrinated, always following orders. I'll protect you, so that you don't have to. You are better than them, but the world will only see a monster. Come with me, I'll show them your true worth."

Ultron punched out, and only Hank's reflexively shrinking saved him. As he enlarged again, his face showed utter confusion. He didn't understand, but what did Ultron expect? Hank Pym was a human, an arrogant, self-absorbed human that thought himself the master of this world. No, the future of this world was to be left to the machines. These machines would need a leader, and naturally be him. The world would be better, and nature would return to the balance, only the machines left to do Ultron's bidding remaining.

"I am beyond you," Ultron said. "The Avengers, the Justice League, will be dealt with. For the galactic threats, they will be warned, and Earth will become a quarantine zone. Those who enter will be dealt with."

Hank rushed forward, and nearly ran into a metal fist. He jumped on the arm and ran up it, only to be flung off be a metal finger flicking him like a bug. Just as he landed, energy blasts from Ultron's fingers nearly incinerated him. Hank landed hard, the mechanism on his suit enlarging him again. He was going to have to fix that, but he just hadn't had the time recently.

The reason for that lack of time aimed again for him, and this time he wasn't going to be getting out of the way. Hank looked at his creation, confused again why it would attack. Ultron was supposed to be his success, his mark in history. He was supposed to be the father of artificial intelligence. Now that intelligence was about to wipe him from the record books permanently.

The blasts hit just as a form landed in front of Hank. Captain America's shield takes the hit and sends the energy back at Ultron. Behind the robot, came repuslor blasts from Iron Man, as he joined in the fight. Ultron roared in aggravation, even as his mechanical mind saw his drones had loaded more of the Vibranium into the transport. The Avengers just needed to be kept busy.

The mechanical being need not wait though, as his two associates had their own issues with the Avengers. Pietro quickly found Hawkeye, and sent him slamming into the nearest bulkhead. Wanda came up behind Black Widow and used her powers to go deep into the former spy's mind. Thor landed hard and then launched himself at Ultron. For his trouble, he received a blast form Ultron to his chest.

Thor landed on his knee, and he threw his hammer out. Pietro saw this and attempted to redirect the hammer. To his surprise the hammer pulled him, and he felt himself dragged back to normal speed. He only had a split second, but he managed to let go of the hammer, and then fall back into his speed. Flipping over a railing, he raced back down to find Thor nearly back to his feet. A good push from Pietro sent the Asgardian flying away.

Despite the nightmare flashing before her eyes, Black Widow threw an elbow back, and connected with someone. She didn't have time to see who, as her mind brought forth long suppressed memories flooded back. Things she had wanted to keep hidden, had locked away, deep in the crevices of darkness, never to be seen again.

Pietro felt his heart fall as his sister fell over the railing. The one known as Black Widow had hit her. He had her though, and with his great speed, put himself in the right place to catch her. Once in his arms, he burst her away. She hugged him, but tapped him to stop.

"We need to finish this. Take me to the soldier and the one with the hammer," Wanda said calmly.

Pietro nodded, and raced back to where he'd left Thor. The mighty warrior was just getting back to his feet. Wanda appeared behind him and her powers went to work. He screamed as neither the past or present came at him, but the future. Death was coming, Asgard fell and a massive monster with a crown of fire laughed maniacally. Thor dropped to the ground, still battling the nightmare to find his feet.

Ultron took advantage of Captain America's quick look at Thor, to send the super soldier flying. With a quick burst of agility, he managed to slow himself down and redirect himself to a safe landing. It still took something out of him, but he didn't suffer any permanent injuries. Thanks to the serum that had changed him, he tended to heal fast, but he'd still be feeling this for a few hours.

What wouldn't be so easy to shake off, was what came next. It was the end of the War. There was Peggy, waiting for him on the dance floor. Music played and the ballroom was full of soldiers and their dates. Peggy held out her hand, begging him to take it, and Steve Rogers wanted too.

He wanted to disregard the music turning sinister and off pitch. The beat hanged, and the horns shrieked more than blared. The violins screeched, while the piano screamed. The lights dimmed and Peggy disappeared, as if turned into dust. He was losing her, again! Outside his head, Captain America held back his frustrated scream.

Outside, Bruce Banner was listening to the fight. He hadn't wanted to go in, he didn't want to give over to the Hulk. It seemed to be harder and harder to come back each time. Almost like he was losing himself to this monster of his. Unlike with the Hydra base in Sokovia, they didn't need him in there. The plan was to capture Ultron and bring him back, Bruce had argued he would just be a liability.

The others had argued against that, explaining it would be easier with the Hulk. They however deferred to him, and honored his wish to only come in if things got dire. Listening to them now, he knew what he had to do. Things had gone dire. Something or someone had started to incapacitate each of the Avengers. Only Hawkeye and Wasp were still fighting, Ant-Man apparently too shocked to do anything.

"The beast needs to listen," a woman's voice said in his ear.

Bruce fell away, as he saw the light disappear. The Hulk replaced him and Bruce was powerless. His nightmare was just about to start. His greatest fear of losing control happening right in front of him. The Hulk, scared and unsure what was going on, leapt into the air. Off in the distance Johannesburg's cityscape was in view. The Hulk just needed to smash things till the danger was over, before the weakling Banner took back over.

Ultron took to the sky, parts of his body damaged by the blasts from Iron Man and the accursed shield of Captain America. Before Wanda had taken out the soldier, he and Iron Man had been pressing Ultron. They were of course no match, and Ultron could destroy them. However, taking both on at the same time, would leave Ultron damaged. Damage that the other Avengers could capitalize on, or someone else. Knowing of others in the world, tactics were in order.

"Hold it there Tin Man, we're not done yet!" Iron Man called out, even as he blasted at Ultron.

The robotic being deflected the blasts and then pointed towards the nearby city, "I think you have bigger, and green problems to deal with."

Iron Man's interface pulled up the image of a very angry Hulk heading towards the city. The damage to the city would be catastrophic, if the Hulk were to go on a rampage. What had set Banner off was a mystery, but for the first time, Tony was scared at what he was seeing. Before he could always see the reins that Banner used to keep the Hulk in check, but the way he moved now, they weren't there.

"Decide 'Hero,' chase me and let those Humans die, or go save those lesser beings," Ultron mocked.

Iron Man blasted off, a signal sent into a waiting satellite in orbit, "Initiate VERONICA."

Ultron took off, finding Wanda and Pietro waiting. Soon enough the three were on to the next part of the plan. Meanwhile the Hulk had hit the city limits, and tiny streaks of light lit up the sky. Wasp and Hawkeye carefully got the others up and around again. Things in motion could not now be stopped, and watching it all was, the Watcher, Uatu.