Chapter 27: A Vision of Future
It was late, the streets were empty and the full moon was at display in the sky. Inside a business building, a woman in a black business suit sat in her desk, in her own private room. She was the president of a company, a company that could easily rival Stark Industries is given the right tools. She had those tools, but she didn't care to be better than Stark Industries, she had another goal in mind, a goal that was beyond everything else. The woman stands up and walks to her window, her eyes staring at the full moon in the sky. She smiles at it and let it a satisfying sigh.
"You know... Not a lot of people can sneak into my office while my eyes focus on my window... Of course... You are not even human" She said and turn around. Ultron stands in the middle of her office. He seems surprised, he wasn't expecting her to talk with such calm. She believes that she's in control of the situation. "If you are here to talk then, please, take a seat. If not, I need to ask you to leave. That's why you came here in the first place, isn't it? To ask me for something? That's why I stay in my office so late... I knew you'll come... Ultron" Ultron stare at her, confused. He didn't knew she was waiting for him. What surprise him more is that she knew his name.
"Impressive," He said. "You are acting so calm... so educate... I wasn't expecting you to know about me"
"That's the best thing. People believe that I don't know a thing. That I get my position because I had money, power, influence... No... I'm standing here because I know how the world works... How Human Mind works... I grew up surrounded by humans, interacting with them, socializing with them... I even fall in love with one... So I know how their mind works..." The woman smiles at Ultron and sits down. Ultron did the same, he sit in front of her desk. "I know why are you here. I recognize your design. Strucker was working on Artificial Intelligence and he even had robots in that shameful basement of his... You clearly use his designs"
"... I didn't want to start from scratch. I don't care about my appearance"
"Mmm... You are so full of yourself... That lie of yours might fool the others, but not me" She keeps smiling, this time she takes out a file from her drawer and leave it on top of the desk. "You want to know more about what I'm working on, don't you?"
"On Strucker's database, there was a profile about you. Very detailed. I know what your company does, Kurumi Kiyohara. Kyoi Tecno is heavily focused on developing powerful computers, as well as cell phones and even robots, but some of your secret projects focus on weapons powered by... pure energy. I believe that energy you are referring is... a God" Kurumi remain quiet, her eyes focus on Utron's face. She never stops smiling.
"You know, Ultron. We have a mission... No... I have a mission in life. I've been waiting all these years to create something... to create a weapon that will give me the power to be at the top. I want to be above everyone... To be on top of this company is not enough, I want to be above every single living being on this planet. You could say that I inherit my Father's vision... but also is a personal mission"
"... You are not human. You are a Goddess" He said, he knew. Kurumi wasn't trying to hide it either. She wanted to make it clear. "What is your objective?"
"My objective, as well as yours, are the same. You came here for the blueprints of my weapons that can keep the Gods at bay, I'll give them to you, gladly"
"I don't think our objective is the same. I'll save humanity... I'll save it from itself. You, on the other hand, have a grudge against the Gods. We might have the same enemy when they decided to intervene, but besides that, you don't want the same thing I want... I need to know... What will you do, once I free humanity?"
"... Nothing... I could care less about humans... I just want the Gods to lick my boots, before I snap their necks and take back what belongs to me. You can rule over humanity if you want, once I get what I want, I'll leave... I crave for something bigger than Humanity... beyond the cosmos... Beyond the galaxy... a power that only a few could obtain... An Infinite Power. I have a desire, a wish that only that power will grant me"
"That power you are seeking sounds like a fairy tale"
"I don't care what you think. I know what I'm searching for" Kurumi walk to Ultron. "Listen, as a sign of our... collaboration. I will give you something else that I think you will need"
"What is it?"
"If you, by any chance, have Loki's scepter... break the jewel. Inside of it, there's a power unlike any other" She whispers. "You'll thank me for it"
"I already figure it out, but now I know that I can possess it thanks to you"
"That and... How about a... bomb?"
"A bomb?"
"Yes... A 50 megatons bomb" She chuckled and Ultron look at her in disbelief.
"I thought that Japan was not allowed to-"
"Japan is not allowed to create Nuclear Weapons" She interrupts him. "... But I do whatever I want. You know, stealing a nuclear weapon to the Russian was easier than going to war against Zeus himself with nothing more than a sword and a dream..." Kurumi place her hands in Ultron's shoulder. Her hands then squeeze the shoulders, breaking them little by little. "I will give you this and in return I want you to do something for me... I need you to kill someone for me"
"Let me guess..."
"Yes, kill Kokoro for me and you will count with my help... And if you manage to kill the Avengers, better"
Bruce open his eyes and he was blinded by a light for a brief moment. His eyes try to adjust to the light, but he couldn't see a thing. It was because the light came from a flashlight. The light disappears and it was when he saw Tony, he was checking his eyes to see if they react to the light. Bruce blinked and then look around. He was in the quinjet with the rest of the Avengers and using nothing more than his pants. He was shirtless and almost naked, it was when he realizes what just happen, he remembers the twins approaching him and before he could even do something, they got to him. Bruce sigh and look at Tony.
"Tony, please... Tell me I didn't kill someone" He begs that Hulk didn't make a huge disaster. Tony sit next to him and explain him the situation.
"Luckily, you didn't," He said, but there was a short pause, Bruce got nervous. "... But..."
"There has to be a "but", didn't? Tell me, what did he do?" He asks in frustration.
"Nothing too bad, besides some broken buildings... Veronica wasn't enough to keep you at bay" Tony sigh. "The Hulkbuster was completely wrecked" As he laments, the other Avengers remain quiet.
"Wa-What?" Bruce asks in disbelief. "Th-Then who stopped me?"
"... I did..." Bruce turns to see Kokoro, sitting in a dark corner. She was inspecting her sword. "I had to beat you senseless... It wasn't easy. I could've killed you right there... But I didn't... Be grateful that you are still breathing" She said and then avoid eye contact with everyone else.
"... Thanks..." Bruce said with a broken, scared, voice.
"Keep it to yourself. I don't want your thanks" She said with hostility. "They are worthless to me"
"... Is she alright?" Bruce asks Tony.
"Well... She kinda wanted to kill you after Hulk rip her arm off" Tony whispers to Bruce's ear. "Don't worry. She won't be mad for long"
"And I'm assuming that she's here because she's going to cooperate"
"No" Said Kokoro. "Once Ultron is dead, I'm gone. I won't be in a group where one of my teammates hides something from me" She stares at Tony. "You lost my trust and you don't even deserve my help at all"
"Yeah, I get it" Said Tony, clearly upset by her attitude. "For the record, I don't need your trust. I can live without it"
"Good..." She stays quiet and the atmosphere inside the quinjet got really heavy. The Avengers were hit really hard, most of them are a mess. Wanda Maximoff messed with their minds, making them relive horrible events or painful regrets they may have. Thor wasn't affected, he wasn't in the area at the moment, but he could tell that Steve and Natasha need some time on their own to figure things out. They seem troubled, hurt even. Not long after the silence in the quinjet, Maria Hill calls Tony and let her speak to the entire team.
"The news is lovin' you guys," She said with irony. "Nobody else is... There's been no official call for Banner's arrest. Luckily, Kokoro takes him outside the city before he makes any more damage. There are no deaths, only injuries, but they still debating"
"What about the Stark Relief Foundation?" Tony asks.
"Already on the scene... How's the team?" She asks.
"Everyone's..." Tony make a pause and look at each of them. "We took a hit. We'll shake it off"
"Well, for now, I'd stay in stealth mode and stay away from here" She suggests
"So, run and hide?" Tony asks. "That's our best option?"
"Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer. Some sources indicate that he was seen in Asia, but nothing more"
"Yeah... Thanks, we'll... We'll talk once we find a place" He ended the call and walk to the cabin. Clint was the one piloting the quinjet. He walks to him. "Hey, you wanna switch out?"
"No, I'm good" Clint responded. "If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time because we're still a few hours out"
"Few hours from where?"
"A safe house"
Meanwhile, Thor sits next to Kokoro, something that she didn't like at all so she stands up and walks away from him. She walks at another corner and stays there. Thor looks at her and sigh. Kokoro didn't want to have anything to do with them at this point and she even considers her situation to an inconvenience. She could leave, she could just search for Ultron on her own and kill it, but she knew that no matter what she does, he'll keep coming back. She needs them... She didn't want to, but it was a fact that she couldn't do this alone. Power doesn't solve her problems... Not all of them at least. It took a couple of hours to reach their destination. Clint landed the quinjet in an open field, right in front of a single house in the middle of nowhere. Kokoro was the first on stepping outside the quinjet and the endless field of green grass catch her entire attention. It was calm and quiet... peaceful. Clint gets out and guides them all to the house. It was a two-floor house and next to it was an old barn.
"What is this place?" Thor asks.
"Safe house" Clint replied. They all get inside. The interior seems pretty normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Clint went on ahead and start calling for someone. "Honey? I'm home"
"... Honey?" Kokoro asks. Then from the kitchen appear a pregnant woman. She looked just as surprised as the rest of the Avengers when they saw her, except for Natasha, she was happy to see her.
"I brought company... Sorry, didn't call ahead. We had a... problem" Said Clint as he walks to the woman who greets him with a kiss in the lips.
"... This is an agent of some kind. It has to be" Said Tony, almost as a joke because he didn't knew that Clint was married at all.
"..." Kokoro remains quiet, staring at the living room. It reminds her of her old department, from when she was just a normal girl and the only thing she needed to be worried about was her normal daily life.
"Gentlemen, this is Laura" Clint introduce his wife to the Avengers. Laura waves her hand and smile at them.
"I know all of your names" She chuckled. On top of that, they hear footsteps coming down from the stairs. Two kids, a boy and a girl, run down the stair and run into the living room toward Clint.
"Dad!" The little girl almost screams when she saw her father back at home, she runs to hug him. The boy, a couple of years older, follow her behind and hug him too.
"Hi, Sweetheart!" Said Clint and lift his daughter. "Hey buddy! How are you guys doing?" As Clint reunites with his family, the rest of the Avengers look at him in confusion. Clint was hiding the fact that he had a family, all this time. They somewhat felt a little betrayed, they thought they knew him, but that wasn't the case.
"... These are smaller agents" Tony whispers.
"... Intriguing" Kokoro whispers. She wasn't as shocked as the rest, to her, it didn't make any difference.
"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" The little girl asks and Natasha comes out to greet her.
"Why don't you hug her and find out?" She said and embrace the little girl.
"Sorry for barging in on you" Steve apologies for the sudden visit.
"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed" Said Tony, a little annoyed.
"Grow up" Said Kokoro with annoyance. "Like it would make any difference" She then look at Laura. "... Such a lovely house you have here, Miss. I'm actually envious of you" She said in an attempt to be polite and it worked.
"Oh, thank you!" Laura smiled at her compliment.
"Well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined... He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. I'd like to keep it that way" Clint explains.
"Clever..." Kokoro thought.
"I brought us here because it's a good place to lay low"
"We really appreciate the help, Barton," Said Thor and accidentally step in a couple of Legos. He looks down at the pieces and pushes them away. "S-Sorry about that"
"... Barton" Kokoro speak up. "I'll stay in the barn for a moment. I need to be alone"
"Sure... Just, don't do anything weird" Clint chuckled.
"Me doing something to your barn will be the least of your problems," She said as she walks away. Steve follow her outside and stop her.
"Kokoro!" He yelled.
"Don't waste your breath, Steve. Whatever you are going to say, I'll ignore it" She kept walking.
"It's that so?"
"Yes, it is"
"Well, then, I'll be short. Cut that attitude!" He yells and Kokoro stopped. "Banner told us about your mother. I... We know that you are going through a lot and saying that I understand how you feel will be a mistake because I don't know. None of us know what is like to be in your position. You are changing and it's scaring you. There's no need for you to keep it all to yourself. We are here if you need to talk"
"... I'm the one that needs to talk?" She turns around. "What about you? I bet Wanda show you something that you don't want to even see. She screws you up and the only way to forget about what you saw is trying to help someone like me instead of talking about what's troubling you" Kokoro walk in front of Steve, closing the distance between them.
"This isn't about me, it's about you. I don't want to lose you, none of us want that. What you need now is people which you can trust and we are that people. Stark made a mistake, we all make mistakes, but we move on. Don't hold a grudge, that's what I'm asking you, at least for now"
"... Are you done?" Kokoro didn't care what he had to say, she ignores most of it and walks away. Steve stood there, watching her walk away.
Once inside the barn, Kokoro sit down in the ground, close her eyes and let her mind sink into her own thought. She wanted to crush Ultron, torture him and make him beg for messing with her. Her thoughts of her torturing the robot and him begging for forgiveness was making her happy, making her laugh for a moment. Her moment of peace was interrupted by an unexpected voice from behind. She opens her eyes and sighs, recognizing the voice immediately she stand up and turn around. She saw Nick Fury, hiding behind the tractor.
"If you are going to laugh, do it where nobody can hear you" He said as he stands up. "It's a little creepy, to say the least"
"... I should have known" She said and lay on the tractor. "So, this is where you were hiding all this time? An old barn? Quite fitting"
"Most of the time I hide here, but not always. This place is not on any record so it's the perfect place to lay low" Fury walk to her. "I hear what happen and you seem to be... worse than everybody else"
"... I don't trust them anymore"
"You don't trust them or you don't trust Stark?" He went directly to the point of the problem. "Is Stark an excuse to cut ties with the Avengers and leave?"
"... You don't know me"
"True, I don't know you. I have no right to tell you what to do either, you are free of doing whatever you want and yet... You don't seem to know what you want to do. You are plagued with doubts and fears... the fear that you will become the monster that your father used to be"
"..."
"Listen Kokoro. It's alright to be afraid, it's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you are still human. As far as I know, Gods don't share the same emotions" He looks at her in the eyes. "Be honest with me now... What is happening?"
"... I..." Kokoro didn't know what to say or if she should say something at all. For some reason, she fell that she can trust Fury enough to speak with him. She didn't know why, but Fury seems so sure and in control of any situation that she feels he might be someone she can trust anything. "Actually... I didn't tell them but..." Nick stare at her in silence, waiting for her to speak up. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see visions of the future and no matter what I do, I see death and destruction. My dreams are visions of darkness and the last one I saw was... Ultron. I saw Ultron, grabbing me by the throat, hurting me. I... I hate myself to not see it coming sooner. If I have seen it sooner and more clear, I could've stopped this before it even started"
"So you are blaming yourself for Ultron?"
"No, I'm blaming Stark for messing with something that he didn't understand... And I'm blaming me because I was too stupid to not see it coming!" Kokoro kick the wall of the barn, making it shake. "I hate this... Why can't I have at least a normal day? Can't I have a happy day? I want to forget for once that I might destroy the world if I lose myself in the darkness..."
"You won't destroy the world, Kokoro"
"And how do you know that? Did you see the future?!"
"No, but I know you are strong enough to not do something stupid," He said with determination.
"... Then you don't really know me at all" Kokoro sit down in a corner.
"At least I have faith in you... Do you have it too? Or are you doubting of yourself?"
"..."
Thor was watching the house from the outside. Smiling a little at the peaceful aura the place gives. He couldn't believe a safe house like this could be so peaceful and calm. Yet, the team is barely holding together. Except for him and Clint, the others were affected by Ultron. He wonders if he can do something about it, but the truth is that he can't. He watches Clint playing with his son in the front door while Tony and Steve cut the wood for him. Thor stands up and decided to help them, Steve gives him an axe and the three of them cut wood.
"You seem to be enjoying this" Said Tony, watching Thor with the axe.
"Not really. But this place gives me this calm feeling. I think we really need it after what happened" He explained. "Once my mother said that it's better to take a short break if something is troubling you. Of course, I ignored that advice thousand of times before. It's the first time I stop and take it all in"
"It's good, but we can't stay here forever. We need to take action before Ultron appear again" Said Steve. "And... the team is slowly falling apart. Banner is feeling guilty, Natasha is really quiet and Kokoro... To be honest, I don't know what's going on inside her head"
"Give it time, she prefers to keep things to herself lately," Said Tony as he struggles to cut the wood.
"... Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things" Said Steve as he watches Clint with his son. "I was kind of hoping Kokoro would be the exception. When I met her she seems pretty honest. Now, I'm seeing a young woman that can barely hold herself together"
"That's because she's slowly changing into a destructive force of nature. You see what her father did in Japan, I won't be surprised if she ends up like him, one way or another"
"Mikaboshi was a monster, but you can't compare her to the King of Chaos" Thor defend Kokoro. "And now Ultron took control of her... I bet she feels worse than before, angry even"
"Tell me about it. On top of that the Maximoffs showed up with Ultron and we didn't last long against any of them... "Earth's mightiest heroes"... They pulled us apart like cotton candy" Steve sigh. "It's the first time since the war that I'm starting to feel powerless"
"I don't know. To me it seems like you walked away all right" Said Tony. Steve and Thor stopped right away and look at Tony.
"Is that a problem to you?" Steve asked, a little annoyed about his comment. Thor didn't say a word.
"I don't trust a guy without a dark side" He smiles and cut another wood. "Call me old-fashioned"
"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet" Steve replied.
"You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?" Tony asks.
"Well, I guess you'd know. Whether you'd tell us is a bit of a question" Steve said while cutting more wood, this time with anger.
"Banner and I were doing research!" Tony replied
"That would affect the team"
"That would end the team!" Tony yell and caught everyone's attention, even from Clint and his son. "Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the "Why We Fight"? So we can end the fight. So we get to go home!" As he yelled, Steve grabs a big piece of wood and break it in half with his bare hands. That way ending Tony's yelling. Thor kept in the side, watching the argument unfold.
"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time" Steve said with anger and sadness. "By doing so they start a war that was not meant to start at all"
"..." Tony look down. Feeling guilty. "I..." Tony was about to reply but Laura, Clint's wife, interrupt them.
"I'm sorry," She said. "Mr. Stark. Sorry to bother you, Clint said you wouldn't mind but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might..."
"Yeah, I'll give her a kick" He said and then point at his small pile of wood. "Don't take from my pile while I'm gone" He walks away.
"... Does he realize that your pile is even bigger?" Thor asks.
"He was joking... I think"
Tony enters the barn, close the door behind him and saw the tractor right in front of him. It seems that it wasn't used in a long time. The barn was big enough for him to work and any piece he needs for the tractor might be scattered around the barn.
"Hello, Deere" He said with a playful tone and start disarming the motor. "Tell me everything. What ails you?" As he starts to work in the tractor, Nick Fury appears from the corner.
"Do me a favor" He said and Tony drop what he was doing and look at Fury. Not expecting to find him here at all. "Try not to bring it to life"
"*Sigh* Why, Ms. Barton, you little minx. Let me guess, Maria Hill called you, right? Was she ever not working for you?"
"Artificial Intelligence" Fury interrupt him and avoid answering that question. "You never even hesitated"
"Look, it's been a really long day, like Eugene O'Neill long, so how's about we skip to the part where you're useful"
"Look me in the eye and tell me you're going to shut him down"
"You're not the director of me"
"I'm not the director of anybody" Said Fury and sit down in a chair. "I'm just an old man who cares very much about you... and the rest of the team" He looks at Tony in the eyes. Tony took a deep breath and let it all out.
"And I'm the man who killed the Avengers" He said and Fury looks at him confused. "I saw it. I didn't tell the team. How could I? I saw them all dead, Nick. I felt it. The whole world, too. Because of me... I wasn't ready. I didn't do all I could"
"Maximoff girl, she's working you, Stark. Playing on your fear-"
"I wasn't tricked, I was shown" Stark interrupt him. "Wasn't a nightmare, it was my legacy... The end of the path I started us on"
"You come up with some pretty impressive inventions, Tony. War isn't one of them"
"... I watched my friends die... You'd think that'd be as bad as it get, right? No... it wasn't the worst part"
"The worst part is that you didn't" Nick stand up. "It must've been a horrible experience. I understand what is like to try and fix things, only to come out worse than expected, but you can learn from those mistakes. You hear that, didn't you, Kokoro?" Tony's eyes widen and turn around to see Kokoro sitting in a corner.
"Yes, I hear it all..." She walks to Tony and pats him in the shoulder. "Listen... Your legacy will be other. If you do something stupid, know that you'll have people that have your back"
"... Now you are nice to me? What change?"
"Nothing, I still hate you. But we all need a talk with Fury once in a while, don't we?" Kokoro smile, the first smile he saw since she left. "Don't worry about what Wanda show you. That is not going to happen"
"How do you know?"
"... I have faith" She said and look at Fury. "A little old-fashioned, but isn't that what we need in times of war against a robot that wants to conquer the world?" Tony chuckled and look down.
"... I'm sorry that... I hide that weapon from you"
"And I'm sorry for... leaving, I guess" Kokoro look down.
"... If you are going to hug me, you better do it now. I won't allow it later"
"Who would want to hug you?" Kokoro laugh. "I'm not that desperate"
"Yeah, I thought so..." Tony extend his arm. "A handshake then"
"Sure" Kokoro give him a handshake and put aside their difference. "Let's kill that robot"
Later that night, everyone gathers inside the house, discussing about Ultron, what might be the best way to deal with him and what is he trying to accomplish. They all gather around the dinner table while Clint's wife stays away with the children.
"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time," Said Nick. "My contact all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing"
"As far as I know, he might be building an army of himself, completely made of Vibranium" Said Kokoro.
"Did he tell you that?" Steve asks her.
"No, he didn't. He was going on and on about his mission. He strongly believes that by destroying us, he will accomplish world peace if he places himself above everything else"
"Very narcissistic if you ask me" Said Tony.
"So, what about Ultron himself?" Steve asks Nick. "Any information?"
"Well, he's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans, though"
"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asks.
"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway"
"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare," Said Tony, proud of his hacking skills. "It shouldn't be that difficult to him because he's all over the internet now"
"Well, I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that" Nick sigh. "They have something interesting to say"
"Nexus? What's that?" Steve asks.
"It's the world internet hub is Oslo" Bruce explains. "Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on Earth. You'll get what you are looking for and less than a second"
"So, what did they say?" Clint asks, very impatient.
"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed" That got everyone's attention, especially Stark's.
"By whom?"
"Parties unknown," Said Nick.
"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asked.
"Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing. Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is. Whoever it is, is changing the codes so fast is making Ultron frustrated"
"That seems impossible," Said Kokoro. "You have to be some... God level hacker to do that"
"Indeed" Stark agreed. "I might need to visit Oslo to find our unknown hacker. He might be useful on getting rid of Ultron"
"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that" Said Natasha.
"I do... I have you" He points at the entire team, which make all of them stay quiet and listen to what he has to say. "Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere. Ear, everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream up. Now look at us... Here we all are, back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this, laid in a grave... So stand, Outwit the platinum bastard"
"... Steve doesn't like that kind of talk" Said Natasha with a smile. Steve sigh, laughing a little of himself and the fact that Natasha makes a little joke in the middle of a motivational speech.
"Don't start now, Romanoff" He laughed.
"Jokes aside and the fact the might be made of Vibranium by now" Kokoro stand up. "Global destruction might seem his actual goal, but I think it goes beyond that... He is so focused on wanting to succeed on his mission, believing that by destroying us will achieve peace of some sort... When I was being controlled, he spoke to me about... protecting humanity from itself and destroying anything that is stopping them from evolving. He keeps repeating that word... evolve... evolution"
"Besides his program, he wants to be better than us" Said Tony. "He keeps building more bodies, creating an army, but besides that... They all look human. The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it" As he talks, Bruce stare down at a drawing from one of Clint's sons, the drawing of a butterfly.
"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed" Said Natasha.
"They don't need to be protected... They need to evolve..." Bruce looks up, at the team, realizing what Ultron truly wants. "Ultron's going to evolve"
"How?" Nick asks him.
"... Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?"
"He's going to use the Cradle?" Tony asks. "Are you suggesting that he's going to build a body with the Cradle using the Vibranium?"
"Not just anybody... a perfect body... What's better than a robot?"
"An Android... Shit"
"I'll see if I can get in contact with her Lab" Nick stand up and grab the phone to get any of his contacts. After 15 minutes he comes back to the group. "Ultron's there"
"Let's move then," Said Steve and everyone stands up from the table. "I'll take Natasha and Clint"
"All right. I'll hit the Nexus. I'll join as soon as I can" Said Tony.
"If Ultron's really building a body..."
"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An Android designed by a robot"
"You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me" Steve sigh.
"Well... he won't take me down that easily" Kokoro smirk. "Not this time"
"Yeah, you might be our trump card if all is lost" Tony pat her in the shoulder. "What are you going to do?"
"If Ultron has an army, we might need one of our own then" Kokoro look at Thor. "Hey, Thor. I need you for something. You are coming with me"
"Are you getting us an army?" Steve asks.
"I'm not making any promise, but I see what I can get"
"I'll drop Banner off at the tower" Said Nick. "You mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?" He asks Tony.
"She's all yours. Apparently" Tony replied.
"What are you gonna do?" Steve asks Nick.
"I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope" He said and leave. Kokoro sigh and look at Thor.
"Listen, Thor... How good are you fighting in the dark?"
"... What do you mean? Where are we going?"
"Where we are going you only need to know two things. Don't let your guard down and most importantly, don't be scare. They can smell fear from miles away" She explains. "So, are you ready?"
"I would be if I know where I'm going" Kokoro grab Thor's hand, drag him outside of the house and stab her sword, literally, in the air. She moves the sword down and opens a black portal. "This is... different"
"Grab my hand until we hit the ground. Don't you dare to let go of it" She grab him and drag him inside the portal. Steve, Tony and Nick saw the portal closing by itself with eyes wide open.
"... That was interesting" Said Tony. "If she can make an interdimensional jump like that I need to know the secret"
"Believe me. The last thing you need to mess with is interdimensional travel, Stark" Said Nick and leave.
Meanwhile in Seoul, Korea. Inside the Genetic Research Lab, Helen Cho was being controlled by Ultron in order to create a new body for him with the Cradle. Ultron uses Loki's scepter with her and was now on complete control over her. Alongside Ultron were the Maximoff twins, watching while Ultron's body was made with the Vibranium. The Cradle was open, showing the body being constructed, by piece, cell by cell.
"It's beautiful," Said Cho. "The Vibranium atoms aren't just compatible with the tissue cells, they're binding them" She was amazed by the discovery. "And S.H.I.E.L.D. never even thought to..."
"The most versatile substance on the planet and they used it to make a Frisbee. Typical of humans" Ultron take the scepter and put on the table. He took the jewel and with a laser break it apart, revealing a smaller yellow gem. "They scratch the surface and never think to look within"
"How did you know about that?" Pietro Maximoff asks him.
"An unexpected ally share this information with me. She indeed proves herself to be very valuable... She calls it... Infinity Stone" Ultron walk to the Cradle and place the gem in the body's forehead. "With it, I will have more power" Cho look at the monitors and the gem seem to be affecting and helping to develop the brain of the Android.
"Now this is more amazing. The gem is helping to develop the brain. In a few minutes, it will be fully operational. Cellular cohesion will take a few hours, but we can initiate the consciousness stream" Cho signal Ultron to sit down while she connects him to the Cradle. "We're uploading your cerebral matrix... now" She initiate the process. Ultron closes his eyes and feels his thought flowing into the Cradle. Wanda walks to the Cradle, troubled.
"I can read him," She said. "He's dreaming"
"I wouldn't call it dreams. It's Ultron's base consciousness" Explain Cho. "Informational noise. Soon..."
"How soon?" Ultron ask. "I'm not being pushy"
"We're imprinting a physical brain. There are no shortcuts. Even with your magic gem, we have to..."
Wanda stands in front of the Cradle, watching the body. She places her hands on top of it and watches the Android's dream. The dream was brief, yet a warning of what was to come. She saw the world, in complete darkness, then thousands, maybe millions of human lives cease to exist. An explosion like none other could be seen from the space, shaking the entire world. Wanda let go of the Cradle immediately and scream. The "dream" felt too real, too painful, too horrible to even witness. Pietro hugs her and Ultron stand up, not worried, but nervous about what she might've seen.
"How could you?" She asks.
"How could I what?"
"You said we would destroy the Avengers, make a better world"
"It will be better" Ultron replied.
"When everyone is dead?"
"That is not..." Ultron stop and rethink what he was about to say. "The human race will have every opportunity to improve"
"And if they don't?" Pietro asks.
"Ask Noah" Ultron respond.
"You are a madman"
"No... I'm a savior. Listen, there were more than a dozen extinction-level events before even the dinosaurs got theirs. When the Earth starts to settle, the Gods throw a stone at it. And believe me, they are winding up. But the Gods are not going to be a problem when I start to guide humanity into its next evolution. We all need to evolve, including me... There's no room for the weak"
"And who decides who's weak, huh?" Pietro asks. "You?" Wanda moves her hands behind her back, using her power to free Cho from Ultron's mind control. She regains control over her body, but stay away to not make Ultron suspicious.
"... Life" Ultron answers and laugh a little. "Life always decides" Ultron look around, receiving information from the other Ultrons. "There's incoming. The Quinjet, they are coming. We have to move"
"That's not a problem," Said Cho and was about to cancel the upload completely. Ultron shoots a laser at her, almost killing her. The Maximoff took this opportunity to run away. Pietro took Wanda and ran before Ultron could even stop them.
"Wait, guys!" He yells, but it was useless, they were already gone. "They'll understand. When they see, they'll understand. I just need a little more time" He disconnect himself from the Cradle, stopping the process momentarily.
At the other side of the portal, Kokoro and Thor fall into an infinite void of darkness. Kokoro was grabbing Thor by the hand, not letting go of him at all. She look down, expecting to see solid ground, but there was nothing at all. Everything was so dark that she couldn't see where she was going. Kokoro close her eyes and when she open them, they turn dark, allowing her to see in the darkness. She finally saw the ground and prepare to land. They both landed and then she let go of him. They were standing in a small piece of ground floating in the void that looked to be a city street. A streetlight was right next to them, broken and rusting.
"Welcome to the Void. This place became the home of the most dangerous creatures and is the place where the light will never exist. A place hollow, infinite darkness. Mostly demons conquer this dimension"
"And what is your plan? Why did you need me for?"
"Listen, Thor. I'm going to be honest with you" She speaks up.
"What is it?"
"We are going to do something messy. What we are about to do is to force the demons of the void to obey me"
"So... you are talking about slaving the demons of this dimension. It sounds wrong"
"They are demons, Thor. We'll put them to good use. Besides, they are mindless monsters that follow the strongest demon. I'll kill the strongest of this world, I need you to keep at bay at the rest of them because they'll defend it. They are hard to deal with when they are in group"
"I'm against slaving a race, but demons were always monsters that kill everything they encounter. I'm going to help you with this insanity, but only once"
"Don't worry, it won't be that difficult... The problem is that they are a lot so we'll be outnumbered. I could fight them on my own if it wasn't because I can't focus too much on my surroundings"
Kokoro stares into the infinite darkness and, slowly, something starts to move from within the darkness. Thor stays right next to her and looks at her direction, trying to see in the darkness his next enemy. Two red eyes appear from the darkness and slowly approach them. In an instant, they got a giant demon in front of them that resembles a giant dragon with spider legs and tentacles instead of arms. The Demon roar at them and smaller demons appear from beneath and surround them. The smaller demons look like humanoid reptiles with horns.
"I... KNOW... YOU..." The demon speaks up. "DAUGHTER OF CHAOS" The demon place its tentacles around the ground and its spider-leg beneath it. "IS THE END... NEAR?"
"If you are talking about your end... yes" Kokoro answer him.
"NAIVE CHAOS SPAWN..." The demon gets closer to them. "YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN END MY LIFE?"
"I don't believe it... I know I can end it... Unless you cooperate with me and let me borrow your army"
"I WON'T COOPERATE WITH THE CHAOS CHILD. THE ONE THAT DESTROYS ITS OWN DIMENSION AND DEVOURS HER CREATOR'S POWER. YOMI KEPT THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE VOID AND THE DARK DIMENSION. YOU DESTROY OUR PEACE AND LET THE DARK DIMENSION TO CRAWL INTO THE VOID. LITTLE BY LITTLE, DORMAMMU IS ABSORBING OUR ENERGY"
"... So... the destruction of Yomi was more big of a deal that I thought it was" Thor whisper to her. "Who's Dormammu?"
"Don't worry about him. He's one big idiot"
"YOU EITHER LEAVE PEACEFULLY OR DIE BY OUR HAND!" The demon roar at them and Kokoro grab Thor's hand.
"Stay with me, don't leave my side if you don't want them to drag you into the void. If they take you, you might not come back" Kokoro explain.
"Don't worry. We got this... But we better talk about the disaster you cause with Odin once all this is over"
"I didn't do it on purpose" Kokoro whispers. "I'll fix it... It's on my long list of things to do" Thor raise his hammer and shoot lightning at the demons surrounding them while Kokoro jump at the bigger demon, with sword in hand, prepare to slay him with one swing.
The demon roar and spit fire at her, but it didn't affect her. The demon's tentacles grab her and crush her, but Kokoro free herself without too much effort. She then throws her sword at the demon, like if it was a spear, right into the demon's mouth. The sword got stuck inside the demon's throat, she reaches for her sword, grab it and swing it, cutting half of the demon's head without any difficulty. The demon falls on top of the ground, roaring in pain. The demons ignore Thor completely and went right to Kokoro to protect their leader. She raises her sword to block the demons, but they got her before she could even defend herself. The demons got on top on her and try to rip her apart while some of them crawl to the big demon and fuse with its flesh, becoming one with it and regenerating its skull. Thor was about to throw his hammer to help Kokoro, but the demons got him from the behind and drag him into the abyss of darkness. Just like they did with Kokoro, they got on top of him and try to rip him apart, piece by piece, but he manages to keep him at bay with his hammer and punches. He was clearly outnumbered and he couldn't keep them at bay with brute force alone. He gathers the power of his hammer and electrocutes every demon that came in contact with it. He then proceeds to hit them all with his hammer, defeating them with little to no effort. They kept coming, crawling on top of the defeated demons and jumping right at him. Thor tries to look at his surrounding, but he didn't know where they were coming at all, he didn't even know where he was. He was lost in the darkness and Kokoro was nowhere to be seen. The demons took the advantage on Thor as soon he looked away for a second. They bite him and try to eat him, but then a loud noise echoed in the entire void. An explosion. Before Thor could even react, Kokoro slays the demons on top of him, grab his hand and throw him back to safe ground. The bigger demon was still alive, but struggling to stand up. Kokoro kills the demons that try to drag her down into the abyss, fly toward the bigger demon and finally kill it by stabbing it right on the head. The demon stopped moving and the entire army of demons stare at her. Kokoro retrieves her sword and look at the demons surrounding them.
"Look at them..." Said Kokoro. "They are lost without it... and this is where I enter in the scene" Kokoro land on the ground and stab her sword in the ground, she then yells at the demons. "If you want to kill me for this, you are free to try, but you won't come that far. I know you all can understand me, I can understand you too. If you don't want to die by my hand, or his. I suggest you all do what I say... Because as of now... I'm in charge of this place now. You can't live without a leader. So choose, follow me, or die!" The demons hear her and none of them try to attack her at all. They all watch her in silence and then some of them approach to the ground and bow to her. Thor was surprised by how they quickly surrender to her will. They clearly have self-preservation, but are not able to think or act for themselves when they are threatened.
"They adapt really quickly," Said Thor. "They will do everything you say?"
"They'll follow me to battle. That's all I need for now"
"Good... Now... About what that demon said..."
"I'm sorry, all right? It wasn't on purpose. Really, it wasn't. I'll fix it, don't worry about him or the Dark Dimension. They are not a threat to Earth... For now" Kokoro sit down and close her eyes.
"What are you doing now?"
"I'm going to use this opportunity to try and see a possible future" She explained. "Every time I try to sleep, I don't dream, I see visions of future. It's a curse. The worst part is that I don't get to see complete visions, only parts of it"
"So, if you try to see our future encounter with Ultron, then you won't be able to see how it start or how it ends"
"Exactly" Kokoro sigh. "Thor... How you do it?"
"What?"
"I'm starting to feel that I don't actually belong anywhere. No matter where I look, I see people... humans... I stop seeing them as equals. I'm having thought of vanity... I see myself on top of them. I want them to see me for what I am... I want them to fear me... Why I'm having those thoughts? Why I'm slowly turning into my father?" Kokoro looks at Thor. "You are above them too... How do you not feel the need of crushing them?"
"... It's your father's power what's troubling you. It's corrupting your soul, your very essence, turning you into a monster. You are a good person, Kokoro. It's not your fault what is happening to you"
"... I wish... to turn back time and go back at the time where I only need to worry about my daily routine. I want to see my mother again..."
"I know how it feels to lose a loved one... but you can't change the past"
"At least... I get to see the Future and change it... Let me tell you... If I ever get the chance of having a normal life, I'll take it right away" She closes her eyes and a vision quickly show to her. She saw something different, something unexpected. A Green Stone, glowing inside a necklace. She then saw a man, taking the necklace and use it to control time. The vision disappears and instead, she saw Ultron grabbing her by the throat. She starts to shake. Thor kneels in front of her and touch her shoulder, he then got to see her vision. Ultron disappears and instead, visions of another future appear. They saw the Tesseract, breaking apart, revealing a smaller blue stone, then more stone appear, a red one, a purple one, and lastly a yellow stone, taking out of Loki's scepter by Ultron and placed in his new body's forehead. The vision jumps to the android waking up in Stark's laboratory, alive and interacting with... the Avengers, peacefully and lastly... fighting alongside them against Ultron. Kokoro opens her eyes and Thor let go of her. They both look at each other.
"The Infinity Stones," Said Thor. "There was an Infinity Stone inside Loki's scepter"
"... I hear about them... But I didn't expect to see them all in a vision" Kokoro stand up. "That stone... The Mind Stone, was on the Android's head and he's..."
"Fighting alongside us" Thor finish the sentence. "We need to go back and help them"
Inside the Avengers Tower, Tony and Bruce work on a plan that sound and looked completely insane. They had the Cradle, with the android inside. It's body was complete and ready to come out, but its mind was empty. Tony come up with a plan, turns out that the hacker that was stopping Ultron from obtaining the nuclear codes was none other than Jarvis. He was hiding. Tony wanted to put Jarvis inside the Android's mind. That way they have a chance to fight fire against fire, to use Ultron's android against him. At first, Bruce didn't want to do it, but decided to do it anyway, thinking that it won't be any mistakes this time, it was Jarvis who they were talking about, not Ultron. They prepare and Tony upload Jarvis into the Android's mind.
"This framework is not compatible," Said Tony.
"The genetic coding tower is at 97%" Said Bruce. "You have got to upload that schematic in the next three minutes"
Steve enters the lab and alongside him were the Maximoff twins. They leave Ultron's side. Steve saw Tony working in the Cradle and speak up. "I'm gonna say this once"
"How about "none-ce"?" Tony replied.
"Shut it down!" Steve yell at him.
"Nope, not gonna happen" Said Tony and keep working.
"You don't know what you're doing!" Steve keep arguing with him.
"And you do?" Bruce asks him. "Are you sure she's not in your head?" Bruce point at Wanda
"I know you're angry" Said Wanda. "But you have to-"
"We're way past that" Bruce replied. "I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade" Bruce threaten her and Pietro stand in front of Wanda.
"Banner, after everything that's happened-"
"It's nothing compared to what's coming!" Tony interrupts Steve.
"You don't know what's in there!" Wanda yelled
"This isn't a game!" Before they could keep arguing with each other, Pietro runs to the Cradle and disconnect it, stopping Tony's work.
"No, no. Go on" He said. "You were saying?" Pietro then hear a gunshot, then he saw a bullet coming from beneath. He saw it slowly raising up, puzzled, never expecting a bullet from below. The glass beneath him give in and he falls to the floor below where Clint point at him with his gun and step on his leg.
"What? You didn't see that coming?" Clint moke him. Tony then run to the computer.
"I'm rerouting the upload" He yelled to Bruce. Steve throw his shield at the computers, but Tony raise his hand and a gauntlet from this suit fly toward him then shoot at the shield and Steve. Wanda was about to stop Tony, but Bruce grabs her from behind.
"Go ahead, piss me off," He said. Before the fight could escalate even further, Thor and Kokoro come through the window and jump right at the Cradle.
"Thor, do it!" She yells at him. Thor raises his hammer and lightning came from the window, electrocuting the hammer. He then redirects the energy from the lightning right into the Cradle. Everyone look, speechless as the Cradle is charged up with the energy that it needed to complete the process. There was complete silence for a second before the Cradle explodes and send both Thor and Kokoro flying away. Then, from the Cradle, the Android raise. His skin was red with the Vibranium showing in some parts of his skin. He looks around, inspecting his surroundings. Then his eyes focus on Thor. Out of nowhere, he jumps at him, with the intention of attacking him, but Thor stops him and throws him toward the main window, but he stops few centimeters before hitting the glass. He was floating right in front of the window, looking outside, amazed by the view of the city. They all gather around and saw the android looking at the outside world. Even Clint and Pietro join them. The android then turns around and fly toward them. From his body, a jumpsuit starts to form that appear to be fused with his skin, alongside a golden cape. He looks at Thor and apologizes for his behavior.
"I am sorry," He said with Jarvis's voice. "That was... odd... Thank you" As he said that, Thor leave his hammer on the table.
"Thor. You helped create this?" Steve ask.
"Yes, he did" Kokoro answer for him. "I had a vision. I saw a lot of futures, all of them focused on one thing and one thing only... The stone" She pointed at the gem in the Android's head. "The Mind Stone. One of the six Infinity Stones. A powerful gem with limitless possibilities. The greatest power in the entire universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities... Besides my own power of course"
"Then why would you bring-"
"Because Stark is right," Said Thor, interrupting Steve.
"... It's definitely the end times if you are saying that" Said Bruce.
"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron... not alone," Said the Android.
"Why does your Vision sound like Jarvis?" Steve asks.
"We reconfigured Jarvis's matrix" Tony explain as he approaches the Android. "To create something new"
"I think I've had my fill of new" Said Steve, tired of everything that's been happening.
"You think I'm a child of Ultron," Said the Android.
"You're not?" Steve ask him, but the Android is taking its time to answers.
"I'm not Ultron. I am not Jarvis. I am... I am" He answer.
"He's his own entity," Said Kokoro. "Free from any program. The stone is giving him thought, the ability to think, to be... Ultron wanted that. To be in a body without a machine's limitations"
"I looked in your head before," Said Wanda with despise. "and saw annihilation"
"Look again" The android replied. Willingly letting her see inside his mind.
"Yeah, her seal of approval mean jack to me" Said Clint, clearly not trusting the Wanda Maximoff.
"Their powers, the horrors in our head, Ultron Himself, the all came from the Mind Stone," Said Thor. "And they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side"
"Is it?" Steve asks, distrusting the Android. "Are you? On our side?"
"I don't think it's that simple" He replied.
"Well, it better get real simple real soon," Said Clint.
"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all"
"What's he waiting for?" Tony asks.
"All of you" He answers
"Where?"
"Sokovia" Clint answer that question. "He's got Nat there, too"
"If we're wrong about you," Bruce speak to the Android. "if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..."
"What will you do?" He asks, showing an emotion they didn't expect to see... fear. They all look at him, having second thoughts. He wasn't a machine, he was almost human. It goes beyond an I.A. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique and he's in pain. 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. We have to act now. 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 definitely not what you are and not what you intended" He walk to the table where Thor's hammer was. "So, there may be no way to make you trust me but we need to go" He turns around and look at Thor while lifting his hammer in his direction. They all stare, speechless at the Android, especially Kokoro. She wasn't expecting that at all. Thor grabs the hammer and the android walks away.
"... Did he just... lift the hammer...?" Kokoro asks and starts laughing hysterically. "Hahahahahahahahahaha, you should see your face! It's priceless!"