~April 9, 2015~

After the horrendous night of Ultron's sudden attack on the Avengers, they cleared up some of the mess as the whole team had converged back to Bruce and Tony's lab before Helen and Natasha came inside in their normal clothing, the doctor still wore the same evening dress at the party though adding a navy blue sweater while the spy only wore a hoodie over the dark tank top and jeans. Thor was the only one absent in the room, having himself flown off to chase down the last remaining Iron Legions they hadn't been aware of until the team had found out, to their dismay and horror that Ultron had been using the fight to distract their attention from his real goal: stealing Loki's scepter.

Tony stood in front, staring grimly at Ultron's remains laid out on one of his working tables while Bruce and Natasha went through their databases to check on. Steve stood beside the table with his hand leaning on it, his jaw was locked in displeasure as to what happened tonight as he really didn't expect this. Helen slowly paces around feeling a bit overwhelmed at this kind situation they were having then turns around to gaze at Steve who seems to be in anger but keeps himself in check, not that she blamed him. Knowing Tony well, he is always good at sneaking things off when no one knows about his intentions.

Helen wishes she could calm Steve down from doing something that he shouldn't do and maybe comfort him in a silent plea, mainly because he was close to giving Tony an intense argument about what he did for the past few days. But for now, she can't. Due to the fact that she and Steve were not that close as friends like he was with Natasha and the team… though she secretly wanted it too.

At last, Bruce murmured dejectedly. "All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron." Steve muttered under his breath, a little thoughtfully.

Natasha leaned herself back on her own table as she added with a sigh, turning away from the computer she had been scanning. "He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"He's in your files, he's in the internet." Rhodey added flatly while clutching his injured arm as he continued. "What if he decides to access something a little more… exciting?"

"Nuclear codes." Maria said in horror from where she was pulling out the pieces of glass from her feet.

"Nuclear codes…" Rhodey nodded in agreement before he turned back to the team as he said firmly. "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."

"Nukes?" Natasha repeated skeptically then pointed out. "He said he wanted us dead."

"He didn't say 'dead'." Steve corrected sharply as he bit out his lip. "He said 'extinct'."

"He also said he killed somebody." Clint added from his spot on the other side of the lab.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building." Maria said in a serious tone, and at the same time, Tony did as he joined the team at last to speak out in a grave tone. "Yes, there was."

Tony then flicked on a hologram and the whole team's jaw slacked in realization as they took in the complete damaging image of Jarvis' consciousness. They all tensed slightly, straightening their backs as they stared at the image.

Helen watched Tony worriedly as he walked away to place his portable device on the table before placing his hands in his pockets. Steve's back had straightened and crossed his arms over his chest solemnly as Bruce had walked over to look at the hologram closely, and he murmured in shock. "This is insane."

"Jarvis was the first line of defense." Steve murmured quietly while Helen quietly stepped forward to examine the hologram as well. "He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense."

"No." Bruce disagrees on that. "Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is… rage."

Helen's face clouded in disturbance but they all glanced up in surprise as Thor strode in, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the lab. Helen briefly glimpsed the Norse God's face set in an angry mask before he grabbed Tony by the neck, choking him as he lifted the billionaire up into the air. She quickly moved aside, away from the Norse God's wrath even though she knew Thor to be a big gentle and sweet kind of a man when they chatted together at the party but now when things get intense, his anger rises in a fury that Helen would avoid. 'If only his girlfriend were here, she would definitely be calming him down.' She thought a bit sadly.

"Woah, woah, woah! It's going around." Clint called out a little sarcastically.

Tony choked out to the God of Thunder, trying to get him to loosen his hold. "Come on. Use your words, buddy."

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark." Thor snarled back as he lifted Tony even higher in anger.

"Thor!" Steve cut in sternly before stepping towards the angry Norse God. "The Legionnaire."

Thor dropped Tony, letting him go with one last look of disgust and rage before he turned back to face Steve and said flatly. "Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the scepter."

The Captain sighed deeply as Thor finishes with a glare at Tony. "Now we have to retrieve it, again."

Unbeknownst to everyone else in this room, Helen moves toward the working table to examine the robot trying to figure out this situation but many questions kept on filling in her head. 'Tony… why?' She thought in distressed, trying to understand why this man she had befriended could have done this.

"The genie's out of that bottle." Natasha disagreed as Thor turned to face her in disbelief but she jerked her head at the team and said firmly. "Clear and present is Ultron."

"I don't understand…" Helen finally spoke out while continuously examining the damaged Iron Legion remains. She turned to look at Tony, who walked over to the computer as he avoided everyone's eyes.

"You built this program." She pointed out, a bit disappointed at his actions. "Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony suddenly started laughing quietly, making everyone look at incredulously, most of the team raising their eyebrows. Helen furrows her eyebrows in slight annoyance at his response while Bruce subtly shook his head and hummed at Tony, getting him to stop his snicker. Tony quickly cut himself at Bruce's hint but the damage was very clearly already done.

"You think this is funny?" Thor asked in a mix of anger and incredulity.

The billionaire turned back to face them as he answered quickly. "No, it's probably not, right?"

The rest of the team were giving him looks of confusion and disbelief as Tony continued while choking on more laughter. "Is this very terrible? Is it so… it is. It's so terrible."

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand." Thor snapped at Tony, confronting him slowly.

"No, I'm sorry." Tony interrupted as his own irritation comes through his face. "I'm sorry. It's funny." He snarled as he stepped up forward to Thor. "It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

Helen exhaled heavily through her nose quietly, thoroughly annoyed yet somehow wanting to know and understand him in a way as Bruce suggested softly. "Tony, maybe this might not be the time to—"

"Really?!" Tony demanded as he turned around to face the scientist. "That's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls."

"Only when I've created a murder bot." Bruce replied a bit sarcastically but Tony argued. "We didn't. We weren't even close." His tone has grown demanding as he continued. "Were we close to an interface?"

Bruce pursed his lips, nodding in reply as he raised his eyebrows at Tony pointedly before Steve interjected who's also ticked off at this. "Well, you did something right."

Tony glares at Steve but the Captain stood his ground as he said sternly before approaching him slowly. "And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" Tony demanded while pointing his finger up in the air, making them all bristle even more in agitation.

"No, it's never come up." Rhodey flatly said sarcastically.

"Saved New York?" Tony continued, trying to point him out.

"Never heard that." His friend muttered.

"Recall that?" The billionaire carried on over the colonel as the rest of the team almost sighed at his words, rubbing their heads in irritation.

Tony continued anyways then snaps at them. "A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it." He turned to look at each of them then said flatly. "We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the live long day but that up there?" Pointing directly above with his finger, trying to explain about it. "That's… that's the endgame."

He then looks at Helen with a grave expression on his face. She could see the deep-rooted fear that had never really left him but while she sympathized him completely, enough was enough. From what she had known him before, he was self-destructive. And now, his fear had created a threat to the world.

And what she can see in Tony's eyes also darkened when she just met his with a calm yet disquieted gaze. He turns to face Steve and finally demanded. "How were you guys planning on beating that?"

Steve's cool gaze just met his eyes as he replied with grim determination. "Together."

Tony's brows furrowed a little and slowly took a step closer to him then pointed him out. "We'll lose."

Steve took note of the silent hint but remained firm as he told him in a serious tone. "Then we'll do that together too."

Helen glanced at Steve from the near distance with her eyes slightly stunned at his final words to Tony who examined the Captain's crystal blue eyes for a moment before he turns away. As Stark backs down at least for a moment, Steve said to the rest of the team sternly. "Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us."

He turns to face his team before looking at Helen, her quiet gaze stays in his direction. "The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller."

She searched his eyes for a moment before she turns around and left the lab, leaving him with his team who started to work and investigate on what they can to find Ultron.

~o~

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~o~

Unsettled by Helen's sudden departure after the discussion, Steve leaves his whole team to do their investigation without saying a word as he moved out of the lab and went after Helen to find her. His eyes search for her presence until he finds her going straight to the elevator as he quickly rushes his way to stop her from leaving.

"Dr. Cho!"

The doctor turns around to see Steve walking towards her direction. Helen really didn't expect the Captain to be looking for her as she gave him a wisp of a smile.

"Captain Rogers."

"Why did you leave?" He asked as his eyes furrowed in bewilderment.

"There are some things I need to do." She calmly replied, trying to look professional in front of him.

"But we need you, Doctor." His voice turned into a calm tone rather than a serious one.

She shook her head slightly. "You don't need me… Your team needs you." Her dark eyes meeting his blue ones, never leaving each other's gaze as Helen added softly. "I'm flying back to Seoul tonight to continue my work. I don't belong here, Captain."

He didn't want her to leave now, the team needs her. They need a professional doctor to tend the injuries of his teammates and civilians if anything goes wrong and there is no one who can heal better than Dr. Helen Cho, no one. But somehow in his heart, the real reason he wanted her to stay it's not just because the whole team needs her… it's because he needed her. 'I need her?' Steve thought to himself, never considering that he would actually think of needing her.

Instead of saying another word, he stares at her with an almost yearning look that Helen didn't expect to see from him as the silence began to grow around them, making this a bit uncomfortable. Especially when Helen and Steve's bodies are almost close to each other, causing her to feel her skin getting a bit hot all over her when he walks slowly to her direction. She slowly moves back away from him as Steve continues to move closer until her back finally touches the elevator door still not opened.

Once Steve stops his pace in front of Helen, he places his hand at the elevator door beside her head almost trapping her from leaving. Helen's heartbeat suddenly begins to fasten as she stares into his eyes mutely, completely lost in his beautiful blue eyes that she secretly adores. 'Why him…?' She thought, questioning herself.

Suddenly he spoke out softly as she can feel his breath touching her face. "Please… don't leave…"

His eyes trying to penetrate through hers with a sudden passion that they both now feel. Helen tries to remain calm from his stare… but it seems her eyes are starting to go blind from his piercing blue gaze.

"Helen." Steve softly spoke her name, causing her eyes to widen when he says her name instead of Doctor or Dr. Cho that he usually calls her. She somehow liked calling her name and it feels… 'Blissful'. She pleasingly thought, yet traces of fear are starting to flow through her nerves. His gaze flickered down to her lips as Helen begins to breathe heavily in uneasiness. Her whole body froze as she reeled internally.

But as Steve slowly began to lean forward to hers, his eyes flickered back down to her lips but her body seemed to slightly move away from him. And Helen broke out of her frozen state as her mind caught up to her when the elevator dings it open, giving her a chance to back away from him quickly, even as hurt and then concern flickered across Steve's face.

"Dr. Cho?" He asked, now going by her name status instead of her first name. Puzzled by the look of stunned and loss on her face. Steve frowned as he saw her expression changes immediately to a calm and serious face as she spoke out to him.

"I'm sorry Captain Rogers, but I have to go."

Before he could say anything, she quickly presses the elevator button as the door swiftly closes and said out in a whisper that Steve could possibly hear.

"Goodbye…"

The Captain remained frozen in front of the elevator, looking so crushed from what happened between him and Helen. He didn't expect this to happen…

'What the hell is wrong with me?' Steve scolded himself, thinking that he did something wrong towards Helen. He shouldn't have done that, he really shouldn't have approached her like that. And he most definitely shouldn't have feelings for Helen, Peggy is the only woman he cares and loves. Not Helen, but sometimes he can't stop this feeling has for her.

The only way to avoid having such feelings for Helen… is to forget about her.

Yes, he will try to forget about Helen Cho... Forget about ever seeing her again…

And so with that, he turns around and walks away from the elevator where Helen had left him. Never looking back as he went straight into the lab to help Tony and his team to investigate on finding Ultron. He believed his words and said them truthfully to his team, but it didn't stop him from fearing for the team's safety in what he knew would be another confrontation with Ultron.

But what he really fears him the most is that the certain person he was trying to forget, could have been in danger. He was somehow glad that Helen went back to her country, just so that she could be away from Ultron…

But also to be away from him…

Ooooohhhh, Steve is going to forget about Helen (T ^ T)"

Will he really forget about her? And will he still be in love with Peggy?

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I will be updating the next chapter later, see ya there ;)

Review (^u^)❤️?