~April 9, 2015~

"You sweet on her, Cap?"

Hearing a familiar voice coming from behind. Steve's eyes looked away from Helen's sleeping form and turned around to see Tony standing at the back side of the couch, smirking at him with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"What?"

Tony chuckled as he spoke. "Oh please, I see the way you look at Helen since day one up until the part where you asked me about her at the quinjet. You may think no one notices it but I for one, am the only guyfriend here who sees you having heart eyes on Helen."

Steve softly scoffed and didn't reply before drinking his beer. 'Great'. He thought sarcastically.

Of all the people, Tony has to be the one to find out about the Captain's liking for Helen.

The billionaire made a small exasperating sigh at the Captain's denial before saying. "Look, I'm not trying to push you or anything just so you could move on from your past love life." He then pats his friend's shoulder with an encouraging smile. "But as a good friend, Steve. I don't want you to live the rest of your life being alone."

Steve finally looks up at him with a returned cordial smile. "Thanks, Tony."

"Don't mention it, pal. But just remember this." Tony looks at Steve in the eye with a reassurance. "Sometimes all you need is a second chance to find someone you come to love because time wasn't ready for the first one."

And with one last pat on the shoulder, Tony leaves him alone to ponder his feelings about her as he walked away. From a small distance, he looks back at the Captain again where he saw him staring at Helen with deep affection, not noticing that Tony was watching them. He hopes that 'Capsicle' will finally realize his feelings for that woman because if that doesn't happen, he will keep on seeing these two making eye sex without confessing to one another out loud.

'God. That old man is so slow when it comes to women and love. He'd better be hooking up with her very soon.'

Tony shook his head with a humorous grin as he continues to offer drinks to his guess while chatting with them.

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After a few hours, the party had been finished as Tony calls out to his fellow teammates to have a drink at one of his many comfortable sitting areas on the upper floor balcony. Knowing that Steve can't bring Helen to her guest room since he really doesn't know where her room is and Tony told him to just let her sleep at the other sofa with them while they had a drink. So he bridal carries the doctor carefully to the balcony upstairs without waking her up. While walking up the stairs, Steve can feel her soft breathe close to his lower collarbone as he tries to control himself from his desire to intimately touch her. He then lays her body on the couch with her head on the other edge then places her legs down with her feet touching the floor, he comfortably strokes her head one last time before going to the other couch with Thor who gives him a glass of the drink he gave him earlier from his small flask.

Steve thanks him before he took the glass from him and drinks it with a small sip when Thor and Clint begin to argue about the Mjonir not being lifted by anyone but the God of Thunder himself.

"But it's a trick." The archer argued while sitting on the ground on one side of the table with Maria beside her, leaning his back on the couch behind him.

"Oh no." Thor chuckled while pouring Steve another one. "It's much more than that." The Norse God sat on the opposite side of the couch from Clint, besides Steve. Bruce, on the other hand, sat on the couch on the other side from Clint's, chatting with Natasha, who was sitting on the edge of another couch as she held out a bottle of beer where on her side is Helen still peacefully sleeping. While Tony and Rhodey sitting on the same couch, who was playing a card game with Maria.

"Ugh." Clint argued as he pointed at Thor's Mjonir sitting on the table.

He adopted a mock-deep, mighty voice as he said sarcastically. "Whoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!"

Steve laughed at the archer's mockery as Clint scoffed in his regular tone. "Whatever man! It's a trick!"

Thor chuckled in his deep rumble before he gestured at the Mjonir and challenged him. "Well please, be my guest."

Everyone turned in a mix of surprise and interest including Helen who woke up suddenly from hearing about Thor challenging Clint of lifting his hammer. She rubbed her eyes slightly and made a soft yawn before putting her knuckles on her lower chin when she turns her head to see Steve staring at her. Blushing at his gaze, she quickly looks away from him and instead watches Tony taunting at Clint. "Come on."

"Really?" The archer asked in a mix of exasperation and amusement as Thor answered. "Yeah."

Clint pushes himself up from the floor while Maria watched in amusement.

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful." Rhodey commented as Helen and Natasha exchanged expectant looks, getting ready to have a good laugh.

As Clint walked up to his way towards the hammer, which was placed down on the coffee table so its handle was sticking up in the air as Tony called out. "Clint, you've had a tough week we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."

Everyone laughed lightly at this while Helen just giggled at the Billionaire's joke on Clint as the archer told Thor cockily. "You know I've seen this before, right?"

The whole team waited expectantly as Clint grabbed the handle with one hand. He grunted while he pulled with all his might before he laughed and said out incredulously. "And I still don't know how you do it."

The others all chuckled again while Tony quipped. "Smell the silent judgment?"

"Please." Clint challenged right back as he gestured at the billionaire. "Stark by all means."

Tony stood up casually with his cocky attitude.

"Oh, here we go." Natasha muttered while Maria sighed. "Okay."

"Uh oh." Rhodey's eyes widened, never expecting his friend to go for it.

Helen was grinning madly, clearly enjoying the show as Clint hummed tauntingly at Tony. "Um-hmmm."

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." Tony said arrogantly as he stepped himself up to the hammer.

Clint rolled his eyes good-naturedly and chuckled as he walked back to his seat. "Get after it."

Everyone mumbled sarcastically but were all leaning forward in a mix of amusement and anticipation as Tony added cockily. "It's physics."

"Physics!" Bruce scoffed at this but all of them went silent as Tony grabbed the Mjonir.

"Right." He checked out. "So if I lift it, I-I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course." Thor answered good-naturedly. His expression clearly says that he didn't think any of them could lift the hammer, and Helen had to silently agree. But it didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the show for fun as Tony then tightens his grip. "I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta."

He then tugged on the hammer, not moving it even an inch or a hair of an inch. Helen was biting back her laughter as Tony let go abruptly and muttered. "Be right back."

Helen covers her lips with her hand, trying to hold onto her laugh not noticing Steve was looking at her with a smile on his face when he sees her enjoying it. She looked adorable when she laughs like that, Steve thought in amusement and admiration as Tony returned with his suit jacket removed and his dress shirt sleeves rolled up… and his Iron Man armor attached to his hand as he tugged on the Mjonir once more, even turning on the flight jets.

Helen then begins to let out a laugh with Maria as Tony still failed to lift the hammer. He enlisted Rhodey's help as the two men grabbed the hammer with their armor-encased hands. "Are you even pulling?" Rhodey asked with a grunt as the hammer didn't budge.

"Are you on my team?" Tony shot back and Rhodey pointed out. "Just represent! Pull!" Both of them fired their flight jets.

Alright, let's go!" Tony bit out through his grit teeth, as they pulled as hard as they can but the hammer still stayed in place without a movement.

Next up to try to lift the Mjonir was Bruce, who placed his feet on the coffee table on each side of the hammer and took it with both of his hands. He yelled out as he pulled it with all his might, trying to change into the Hulk and uses the other guy's immense strength. Unfortunately, it ended with him backing off the hammer, still the normal Bruce.

The team stared at the dorky scientist in silence, Clint on the side of the table is unimpressed while Thor, Steve and Helen were looking highly amused while Tony, Rhodey and Maria stared at him blankly. Natasha just grinned indulgently as she looked at Bruce and shook her head slightly. Bruce sheepishly placed his hands in his pockets with an embarrassed smile. "Huh?"

Steve grinned at Thor, who casually sips on his glass of beer as the Captain was stood up before walking his way towards the hammer while Tony called out. "Let's go Steve, no pressure."

The women were all smiling again, completely amused by the spectacle of the men were making of themselves. Helen watches Steve rolled up his sleeves with a tint of blush in her cheeks, seeing the traces of his lower-arm muscles. 'God! Stop staring at his arms, Helen!' She scolded herself in thought before she focused her full attention on the super-soldier as he grabbed the hammer.

"Come on, Cap." Tony called out in a surprising show of support, making Helen smile although they were all surprised when the hammer is actually lifted slightly. She glanced over at Thor to see the smile on his face had disappeared as he was also taken aback, making her blurt out a small laugh at the Norse God's expression.

Unfortunately, that was the best Steve could do to lift it and gave up with a defeated sigh. Helen giggled, particularly when she saw the relief wash over Thor's face before he laughed. Steve raised his hands in defeat, smiling like a good sport as he returned to his seat.

"Nothing. Ha-ha, nothing." Thor chuckled.

Then suddenly, the men were all glancing at Natasha as Bruce clears his throat as he gestured at her pointedly.

Helen looks at Natasha with an amused scoff as the spy's smile faded, slightly confused until Tony said with his eyebrows raised. "And?"

"Widow?" Bruce suggested while Thor sharply nodded, gesturing her try out.

"Oh no, no. That's not a question I need answered." Leaning back at the couch before drinking her beer.

"All reference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged." Tony quipped.

Thor just shrugged out good-naturedly at the others' sore loser attitude as Tony and Rhodey stood up drinking their bottles of beer. Clint got up to fetch his own before he added. "You bet your ass."

"Steve, he said a bad language word." Maria piped up as she pointed at Clint who smirked. Helen laughs out slightly while Steve made an annoyed sigh before he demanded Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"

The others chuckled while the billionaire ignored the Captain's question as he asked Thor. "The handle's imprinted, right?"

Thor almost rolled his eyes a bit sarcastically as Tony continued to ask. "Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is I think, the literal translation?"

"Yes." Thor said easily as he finally stood up then gives a simple answer. "Well that's uh, that's a very, very interesting theory and I have a simpler one." He picked up his Mjonir easily with one hand then tossing it in the air before catching it and spoke out. "You're all not worthy."

Helen giggled while the others just scoffed and began to make sounds of disagreements. Natasha was smiling when sharing Helen's amusement along with Steve who also laughed at this while Thor was chuckling at their dismayed reactions as he was about to take a sip of his beer when a piercing screech played over Tony's speakers.

Everyone flinched, turning their heads and wincing at the sounds of pain as what it hears to be like horrible feedback rang shrilly in their ears for a few seconds before it cuts abruptly as it had been started. Tony pulled out his remote device, getting ready to call out Jarvis as Steve quickly glanced at Helen, automatically checking to see if she was alright.

They all paused when they hear a deep voice growling slowly and almost gutturally. "Worthy…"

The team all turned slowly to look down towards the doors, all of them standing up as they saw what it looked like to be one of Tony's Iron Legion soldiers walking in. Except, it was unfinished, the casing cracked and it's missing in many places, revealing the insides tangled.

The robot was also covered in oil, leaking from it seemed to be broken wires. It was as though the robot had broken in from the recuperation and damage control harnessing all the Iron Legions were sent to for the repairs after the battle, like after Sokovia.

Helen was beginning to feel tense as the robot continues in a clearer, deeper voice. "No… how could you be worthy? You're all killers."

It accused vaguely as it gestured pointedly at the group as best as it could with its limited movement capabilities.

"Stark." Steve called out, never moving his eyes from the robot.

Helen narrows her eyes at the newcomer while Tony muttered out into his device urgently. "Jarvis."

"I'm sorry." The robot mumbled as though disconcerted. "I was asleep, or… I was a dream?"

The robot sounded almost confused when Tony called into his device anxiously. "Reboot, Legionnaire, we got a buggy suit."

The agents in the room were all coiled uneasy as the robot mumbled out, trying to rub its head except it was missing its hand. "There was a terrible noise…" Tony slowly gave up on his device as he stared at the robot. "And I was tangled in…" The robot stumbled about. "In… strings."

It held up its broken arms, the wires dangling uselessly.

Helen stood still while her hands clenched a bit shaken as the robot added thoughtfully. "I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked, his tone becoming colder.

The robot almost shrugged as it answered. "Wouldn't have been my first call. But down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

Helen frowned at the robot's words, it was almost as if it was thinking and speaking of its own accord. Completely like an AI.

'But that's… that's impossible. Only Tony has the capabilities. And if any of his Iron Legions went into distress, Jarvis would have picked it up and stop this.' She thought with uneasiness.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Thor called out the robot sternly. "Who sent you?"

The robot whirred around a little before it played a record of Tony's voice saying. "I see a suit of armor around the world."

Tony became speechless of this as Helen's expression grew aghast while Steve's jaw locked in anger. Natasha's face had also tightened while Clint's lip curled in dismayed and Thor's frown deepened at this. Bruce breathed in shock, glancing at Tony in horror. "Ultron!"

"In the flesh." The robot, or Ultron, agreed at this claim. Tony glanced at Bruce before his nervous eyes flickered briefly at Helen who looked horrified yet tried to remain calm, although thankfully she was exchanging looks with Clint and didn't notice Tony's nervous gaze on her.

He didn't look at Steve, not wanting to know what the Captain's expression would look like though he can tell that he really is angered at this. Meanwhile, Natasha had turned to face Bruce in disbelief as Ultron continued by correcting himself. "Or no, not yet. Not this…" He glanced down at his broken body. "Christmas. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

Thor gripped his Mjonir a little tighter and moved slightly on the side to protect Helen behind him while Maria cocked up her gun before she also stood up slowly. Clint readily faces Ultron as Natasha asked him carefully. "What mission?"

Ultron cocked his head a little and answered her question, his voice deepened when Helen was horrified to hear Tony's layered tone below Ultron as he said. "Peace in our time."

Suddenly the wall behind Ultron burst out a group of Iron Legions, smashing their way through. The team quickly sprang into action as they saw the imminent attack, Steve immediately kicked up the coffee table to shield himself from the Iron Legions' blasts but got easily thrown out backward by their ramming while Maria ducking herself down behind the couch for cover as the others all dashed to the sides of the room.

Thor turns his side to face Helen. "Hide, Lady Helen!" Before he whacked his Mjonir against one of the robots as the doctor quickly moves her way towards the grand piano and hide for cover.

Tony and Rhodey both ran into another direction and slide their way to get their suits but the two Iron Legions chased them as the other one flies right into Tony, sending him into the bookcase with a hard thud before it flew over to chase Clint while the other fired at Rhodey that sends him to fly through the glass panes leading to the lower level.

"Rhodey!" Maria worriedly shouted.

Before the robot could fire another fatal shot, Thor flew at it then whacked with his Mjonir then breaks it into pieces to stop it from getting backed up. The other Iron Legion was firing at Clint but nearly dodged it from its blasts as he ducked for cover beneath one of the many booth counters.

Natasha and Bruce had gone off for cover behind the bar counter, avoiding another one of the Iron Legion's blasts. Natasha swiftly hides under the table while Bruce just stayed on top, trying to slide down as he can but the spy grabbed his lower coat and pulled him down quickly. He lands himself right in front of her chest and immediately apologized.

"Sorry!"

Ignoring his apology, Natasha directly tells him. "Don't turn green."

Bruce shook his head and said. "I won't."

Tony woke up from his unconsciousness and looked up at the table where the metal skewers placed as he moved himself to get one of them. Natasha, on the other hand, reached her gun under the table and fired at the robot as Steve suddenly sprung out of nowhere and jumped at the Iron Legion. He tried to pull out the wires inside but the robot had upward and backward, smashing Steve into the wall before being thrown down into the bar area by the robot.

The red-headed assassin and the scientist in question had run for a more secure cover on the upper floor as Tony jumped his way at the robot that had been firing at Natasha and Bruce.

"Stark!" Steve yelled out sharply.

"One sec, one sec." Tony answered with aggravated.

He tries to unwire it while being dangled as the robot was still hovering at the upper floor level, struggling against Tony's chokehold as the man tried to push a metal skewer into the robot's neck.

While Steve stood up from the ground and tries to fight against one of the Iron Legions, one of them who has the upper-part activated and fly towards the piano… but in behind that piano is a woman… a woman he knew well, that he had such warm feelings for her.

'Helen…' He thought worriedly as he furiously came in running to stop the robot from firing his woman… 'His woman?' he shrugged his mind quickly as he speeds up to save Helen from being killed.

Helen was still hiding away from the Avengers' intense fight with the Iron Legions when suddenly the lower-half bodied robot still activates itself and flew its way towards Helen. Her eyes widened in horror as she slightly stumbled backward away from it as the robot raises it's arm and prepares to fire at her.

'Am I going to die…?' She thought grimly, thinking that this will be her end but then something in her mind began to appear of a certain man she had come to care. 'Steve…' Helen thought heart-brokenly, knowing that she will never be able to tell him that…

When Ultron senses the robot trying to eliminate Helen, he telepathically tells it in its robotic mind. 'Let her live… for now. She's useful to us.' The robot then lowers it's arm, ceasing it's fire as Helen looks a bit confused yet relieved at the robot's odd mercy for her when suddenly Steve furiously grabbed the robot and throw it sharply backward then yelled out. "Thor!"

Thor then smashes the robot with his Mjonir, straight on its head, crushing the robot into the ground while Steve ran over to check on Helen.

"Are you alright?" He looked at her with intense relief and concern when he touches her head gently to check if there are any injuries in her.

Astonished by his sudden touch on her head, Helen can feel herself blushing completely when their faces almost got close to each other. 'Steve… he saved me. He really did…' She thought in content yet can feel a bit anxious after what had happened tonight.

"I-I'm fine, Captain." She said a bit jittery when suddenly the robot that had been chasing Natasha and Bruce started firing at all of them randomly as Steve senses the blast from behind and brings Helen down to duck with him. There was a crash on the ground as Tony succeeded in bringing down his robot, although it also resulted in him falling to the ground surrounded by broken glasses.

"Stay down." Steve ordered Helen who nodded in reply as she stayed behind, crouching before the Captain rushed out to fight. Natasha was firing some shots at the remaining Iron Legions, using up the last of her own ammunition as she tried to get it to stop firing at the team when the robot turned to focus its fire on her.

Clint quickly gets the Captain's shield and dashes his way to throw it to Steve and called out. "Cap!"

He threw the shield expertly as Steve ran and jumped it into the air to grab it, using his momentum to spin it around in the air and throw his shield at the robot. The shield smashed the Iron Legion to pieces, and there was the final almighty crash as the dead robot and the shield fell to the ground, and then an abrupt silence descended upon the room.

The Avengers all stood up slowly, breathing heavily as they remained poised and curled for combat. Ultron commented, almost dryly. "That was dramatic!"

Tony collapsed to sit on the stairs beside him, wincing while Maria and Helen slowly stood up at last. Ultron continues to speak. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well."

Steve and Thor slowly began to approach Ultron, staring at the robot with deep frowns on their faces as it added. "You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change."

Tony's eyes meet with Bruce's, both scientists lowered their heads slightly as Ultron hummed. "How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to… evolve?"

Natasha glanced at Bruce, almost disappointed while Clint's jaw locked in anger as he stood himself still. Ultron picked up one of the dismembered Iron Legions as he said in an almost scathingly. "With these? These puppets?"

He crushed it with his metal hand around the Iron Legion's head, smashing it even further before he tossed it aside as though disgusted. Tony's eyes narrowed slightly, almost thoughtfully as he leaned forward and Ultron snarled at the team. "There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' Extinction."

Helen's eyes flared in displeasure. 'This monster…' She thought angrily when Thor threw his Mjonir furiously, smashing Ultron to pieces. Steve stared at Thor in disbelief but the God of Thunder had already pulled his hammer back into his hand, looking absolutely infuriated as the team all tensed when Ultron sang brokenly just before the robot body powered down.

"I had strings but now I'm free…"

Ooooohhhh, this is getting deep (O ^ O)"

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See you soon for the next chapter ;)

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