The team were given ten minutes to get themselves ready for wheels up, and since Riley had no preparation in mind, she opted to stand outside the jet looking down onto the city just as she had done in the early hours of that morning. The wind made her sway on the edge of the building and she couldn't help wondering if this might be the last time she actually saw this city.

Whatever they were about to head into, Ultron wasn't going to go down without a fight, and Riley was ready to fight until she couldn't anymore. The voice in her head kept repeating to her over and over again the words the robot had told her the night before. If Riley was created for a reason, if those experiments meant anything at all, then she was going to turn fulfil that purpose.

If Strucker wanted her to fight, she would fight, but it would be in the name of destroying everything he created.

"Do you ever not smoke?" Bruce asked, stepping closer.

Riley turned to him, taking the almost finished cigarette from her lips and letting it dangle between her fingers.

"The day I don't feel like I have to, then I won't," she shrugged.

"Is it for...you know," he began, trying to find the right words. "Stress relief? Helps you calm down?"

Riley stared back at him for a moment, wondering if he was standing here to intimidate her or out of genuine curiosity.

"Yeah," she nodded, taking another drag. "I mean, it helps,"

"Never really took to it," Bruce shook his head. "There's a lot of other methods,"

"I don't do yoga," she warned. "If that's where you're going with this,"

Bruce smirked lightly.

"Not my thing either, seems to make me angrier,"

"So what is your thing to keep the big bad green guy away?" she asked. "The music?"

"Music calms me down afterwards," he explained, folding his arms. "And I've got a, uh, a system for calming down enough to get back to myself. Something like a lullaby,"

"Work for you?" Riley asked, finally tossing her cigarette butt to the ground to crush beneath her boot.

"So far," he nodded. "Does that work for you?"

"Among other things," she replied, lifting her coffee cup before taking a sip.

Bruce watched her for a moment, noticing her longing looks toward the streets below.

"You still want to walk into this with us?"

"No," she shrugged, shaking her head. "But what's my other option? I can either watch everything fall to shit around me or take a chance to stop it, whatever that means. I always knew all of this shit would catch up to me, that I wouldn't really be free of Strucker and Hydra and all the bullshit that goes with it."

"I know what that's like," Bruce gave a nod. "Hiding from things you can't ever really escape. One way or another they get to you,"

Riley looked back at him with a small nod, the fainted sign of a smile on her lips. Maybe there was one person on this team that didn't completely hate her or her general presence. Maybe it was their mutual short tempers that had Bruce interested, but for whatever reason, he didn't seem to judge her as much as the others did.

Soon enough, the team was ready. Tony headed toward the front of the jet, settling into the pilot's seat as Natasha took her place in her own behind him. Everyone else spread out to their own areas, like school children in a classroom. Riley wandered around the back of the jet, just as she had last time she flew with the group, watching as the back ramp quickly closed and sealed them inside for the journey.

"We have many hours ahead yet," Thor told her as walked by. "Rest, prepare."

"It'd be nice to know what I'm preparing for," she called back.

At that, Steve picked up the Stark Tablet in his hands and wandered over to explain their mission and their game plan. They were in the air before Riley even realized, the jet flying off at a speed that just reminded her this was no ordinary aircraft.

Steve motioned for Riley to join him at the small table in the middle of the jet, waiting for her to take a seat at his side. Riley did so, carefully eyeing all of the equipment she stepped by on her way. Sitting down on the far too luxurious chair, she sat her coffee cup down and watched as Steve's nose scrunched up at the smell.

"Is that...that's not coffee, is it?" he asked, immediately smelling alcohol.

"It's whatever you want to imagine it is," Riley suggested, picking the cup back up and holding it close. "Let's say coffee, okay?"

"We're about to go over the mission plan and you're drinking," Steve scoffed. "And it's not even nine in the morning, by the way."

"Well, depending on where we're heading and timezone changes, it probably is midday somewhere," she shrugged, taking a mouthful.

"You're unbelievable," Steve shook his head angrily.

"Holy shit you're uptight," Riley groaned, rolling her eyes. "Look, I know what calms me down, alright? And unless you want me causing some serious turbulence, you'll deal with it. I'm listening to the plan, so go ahead."

Steve glared back at her before taking a quick glance around at the rest of the team. It seemed they were all doing their best to ignore yet another argument between the two, a situation that was quickly becoming a common occurrence.

"It doesn't throw off your focus?" Bruce asked.

Riley looked over to him.

"No, if anything it balances me out," she explained. "At least, whenever I'm stressed. And right now, sitting here with you Cap, after the week I've had? Stressed doesn't even begin to cover it."

"I won't have you compromising everyone else-"

"The only thing compromising this mission is that fact I have no idea what's going on, so how about we skip ahead to that?" Riley snapped.

With another moment of tense silence, Steve finally pulled the tablet close and opened it to the images he needed to explain. He didn't have to like the situation, and he didn't have to pretend to be okay with Riley's preferred methods of preparation, but he knew they all needed to get through this mission. It didn't matter their opinions and their feelings on one another, in the end, they shared the same goal.

Ultron needed to be destroyed, and they were going to do that together.

"You sure you don't want me to wait here with Dr. Green?" Riley asked, folding her arms as she watched the jet's exit ramp lower onto the dirt.

Bruce frowned as he sat against the window, looking out at the cargo ship his teammates were about to go walking into. He wished he could help, but none of them knew if the Hulk would even be necessary. The Other Guy was for the worst case scenario.

"We're sticking to the plan," Steve sighed, walking past her, shield in hand. "Come on,"

With a small huff, Riley pushed off the wall she was leaning against, trailing behind the leader. She looked back at Bruce with a small grin, wishing him luck with guarding the jet in the middle of nowhere. Somewhere off the African Coast, somewhere Riley didn't plan on visiting again. Not by the look of the salvage yard anyway.

As they began their walk toward the building, Riley began to wish she had packed a flask of some kind so she could get rid of the nervous tremor in her body. The idea of facing Ultron again was one thing, and she was more than prepared for that, but something told her he wouldn't be alone.

"Riley?" Steve asked, watching her closely. "You okay?"

"Having second thoughts?" she countered, flashing her orange eyes at him before returning to their normal shade.

"Try not to lose control," he advised. "We don't know what we're gonna be facing,"

"Always a comforting thing to hear last minute," Riley nodded.

Natasha and Clint trailed behind them as Thor and Tony gathered a more aerial view. As much as Riley didn't want to join any sort of team, she did feel more at ease knowing that they were all walking into this together. Whatever was going to come at them, they were going to fight together.

In the distance, they could hear shouting and screaming, and they knew they were in the right place. They were looking for the arms dealer, searching for the vibranium he was no doubt dealing, and it was becoming apparent that Ultron had beat them to him.

Steve's paced picked up immediately, now running. Natasha and Clint were close behind him, and Riley couldn't help but follow in their haste. She began to run behind them, hearing more cries from the ship and shattering glass. Splaying out her hands at her side, Riley shot up into the air to get ahead of the group on the ground, falling down toward the entrance just as Tony and Thor did.

Riley's body was full of adrenaline as her feet hit the ground, her eyes glowing orange and her hands trembling with anticipation. It always felt like this when she used her abilities - her body didn't want to stop.

"Stark,"

They heard the rough voice down the long, metal bridge corridor. It was dark inside and it reeked of oil and metal, just like the Tower back in New York. Just like Ultron. Riley turned to Tony who just continued to charge down the corridor, using his thrusters to speed up. Steve ran down the bridge to join him, following behind Thor.

"Tony Stark used to say that to me," the arms dealer spoke, his voice becoming clear as they closed in. "You're on of his."

"What? I'm not! You think I'm one of Stark's puppets?" Ultron roared.

Riley's heart began racing at the sound of his robotic, haunting voice.

"His hollow men? I mean look at me, do I look like Iron Man? Stark is nothing!"

There was a brief pause before they heard Ulysses' cry of pain. His groan echoed through the metal room, and Riley was sure the man was close to death gathered by his response. She wouldn't be surprised if Ultron killed the man.

"Stark is a sickness!" Ultron roared.

Ahead, Tony had landed at the scene. Ultron was standing before him, Ulysses was at the bottom of the stairwell, barely conscious.

"Ah Junior," Tony began. "You're gonna break your old man's heart."

Then Riley got her first look at Ultron. The real Ultron. No longer contained in a broken, mangled piece of the Iron Legion. Now he was in a silver form, a robotic figure not too unlike Tony's, and this one wasn't going to break as easy as the last. He looked powerful, durable. And just as she felt, he was not alone.

Wanda and Pietro stood by the robot's side, their angry eyes staring back at the three man before them. The people they hated most in this world.

"If I have to," Ultron warned.

"We don't have to break anything," Thor cut in.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet," Ultron quipped.

"He beat me by one second," Tony groaned.

"Ah, this is funny, Mr. Stark. It's what, comfortable? Like old times?" Pietro began, looking at the man with a bitter smile.

Tony looked back at him. They were surrounded by weapons, explosives, rockets - anything that could be used for large scale damage, and they were all very aware that none of it was here legally.

"This was never my life."

Riley kept her distance, standing back along the bridge, watching as they all spoke together. It was the calm before a storm, and Riley knew this back and forth wouldn't last too much longer.

"You two can still walk away from this," Steve told the twins.

"Oh, we will," Wanda bit back, her eyes beginning to glance over to where Riley stood.

Riley never thought she would be looked at by Wanda in such a hateful way, and yet here she was, receiving the same glare Tony did from the girl. They were sharing a look as if they were never friends, as if they hadn't gone through hell together, as if they were always meant to be on opposite sides of this war. As if they were enemies.

"I know you've suffered," Steve continued.

"Ugh, Captain America. God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but..." Ultron taunted.

Riley continued to hold Wanda's stare, noticing Pietro looking her way as well. There were two people in this world that Riley knew could understand why she always felt the way she did, who could understand what she had been through, what she had fought through to be alive. And now all Riley felt from them was hate.

Even from Pietro, who understood exactly why Riley didn't want to follow Strucker and Hydra's plan. It seemed Ultron had won them over.

"And you bring along a stray," Ultron continued, looking over at Riley as well. "The weak, unwilling, failed experiment,"

"Nice to see you too," Riley muttered, stepping forward slightly.

"Is that what you plan to do? Use Strucker's lost lab-rat to help you save the day?" he asked.

"This doesn't have to be a fight," Steve warned again.

Ultron's gaze turned from the Captain back to Riley.

"You let them speak for you too?"

"Coward," Wanda seethed, her red eyes glaring back at Riley.

"Coward?" Riley bit back. "You're following the orders of a fucking robot Wanda. Do you think he's going to help you? Do you think he gives a shit about you and your country-"

"You told me you were getting as far from this fight as you could," Pietro cut in. "I asked you if you were fighting alongside them,"

Riley looked back at him, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well, none of this was my first choice," she told him. "Especially not this. Pietro, you know this isn't going to go the way you want,"

Pietro stared back at Riley with a frown, but his anger didn't mirror his sister's. It wasn't a hateful glare. It was full of frustration, betrayal and anger, but not hate. Not yet.

"Well isn't this a fun reunion," Ultron cut in before turning to Tony. "Is this going as well as you had planned?"

"What's the vibranium for?" Tony asked, ignoring his attempts for an argument.

"I'm glad you asked that, because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan," Ultron spoke, snidely.

They all watched as Ultron's hand came up, clenching into a fist and glowing, suddenly pulled Tony in his suit forward with a beam of powerful energy and then shooting him back against the metal wall behind him. Then the other robots appeared. The Iron Legion, except they were no longer under Tony's control.

The robotic soldiers came for all of them, beginning a fight against each of the Avengers as Tony and Ultron flew up into their own battle. Riley contemplated joining them, trying to subdue Ultron, but her attention was once again taken by her old friends.

"Don't," Riley looked to Wanda warningly, lifting her hand in early defence. "Look what this freak is trying to do! Don't be his puppet Wanda!"

"I'm no one's puppet!" Wanda bit back, her eyes glowing and her hands beginning to swirl with red aura.

Riley could feel people running around her, and just as she turned to see Steve advancing toward Wanda, his body was shot back to the ground by the a blast from the young twin's hand. Pietro had given Riley one last look before he ran off into the escalating battle, clearly fighting for Ultron's order.

They were officially on opposing sides.

Gunshots began ringing all throughout the room, on every level, as Klaue's men came to his aide. Riley could see Natasha taking down men and throwing their guns to the ground, and from high above, Clint was perched on the walkway shooting down their enemies with arrows, one by one. Everyone was defending their team, and yet Riley stood there doing nothing.

All she could do was stare back at Wanda who looked as if she wanted to fight, but held herself back. Pietro had gone pummelling into a stack of ammunition crates after messing with Thor's hammer, and he was currently gasping out in pain while Wanda's eyes glanced over to check on him.

"Everyone's going to get hurt Wanda," Riley continued. "People are going to die and I know that isn't what you want!"

"You don't know what I want!" Wanda snapped.

As Riley prepared for another screaming match with the girl, she felt her body jolt as something pierced through her skin with force. Letting out a slight groan, Riley looked down at the hole now obvious in her navy jacket, slowly growing darker and wetter as her shoulder bled uncontrollably. Lifting her hand from her clothes, Riley looked at the deep red stain over her skin, her eyes now glowing orange.

Adrenaline was creeping its way back into her system, and this time there wasn't a thing she could do to stop it.

The entire metal, rusted ship began to shake and groan as Riley felt every object around her shift. She turned to the robots behind her, reaching out her hands and shooting them back into the metal wall with a force she hadn't felt herself wield before. From a distance, she focused her grip on the heads and a moment later watched as the metal wires disconnected from the body and rolled onto the ground.

Then it became a game of spotting robots and men with guns, tossing one after another into walls and breaking bones and metal in her path. Having telekinetic ability was always an advantage in battle, but Riley had never appreciated the fact she didn't have to move her feet a single step to do this as much as she did now. With blood rushing down her arm and her shoulder finally beginning to cause some intense pain, Riley settled for simply taking down every enemy with a beam of energy and forcing boxes of ammunition down onto their bodies.

She could feel Wanda trying to knock her down, watching the red beams travel through the air and fight against Riley's own. They had never fought each other before, they had never used their powers on one another, and they were both beginning to realise that they seemed to be quite a match for one another.

But there was a whole other power Wanda possessed that couldn't be met by Riley, or anyone.

"It's time for some mind games," Ultron's voice came through one of the many robotic soldiers, guiding Wanda.

"No, Wanda..." Riley's eyes widened, lowering her hands. "Come on, don't do this for him!"

"Not for him," Wanda shook her head, stepping back.

Riley stepped away from her vantage point in the middle of the room, wading through all of the chaos to follow behind Wanda. Her eyes were still glowing with anger, and as she neared the girl in front of her, Riley raised her hands to shoot out and push Wanda into a small clearing. With a gasp of pain, Wanda steadied herself against the ground where she landed, trying to get up.

But there was an intense pressure keeping her down and when she looked up, she saw Riley standing by the door with her hands stretched out, a blurry trail of energy running from her hands to Wanda's body, holding her in place.

"You are truly one of them, aren't you?" Wanda seethed.

"I'm here to stop Ultron," Riley bit back. "And if that means stopping you and Pietro, then that's what I'll do,"

Wanda glared at her friend.

"It can't be stopped," the girl shook her head. "And you can't help,"

"What did he promise you?" Riley asked. "I can guarantee you don't walk away from this with what you want."

"Your word means nothing to me,"

Riley stared back at her, continuing to hold her in place.

"You knew I would leave, I didn't betray you-"

"You were going to fight alongside us, help us protect the city, to stop people like Stark and the Avengers, and here you are-"

"I never wanted this, why would I want to use it? I never agreed to any of this, especially not fighting alongside you,"

"I can see that now," Wanda continued to glare. "Instead you've joined them. What have they promised you?"

"I'm not doing this for them," Riley shook her head.

"Then why do you care?" she asked. "If you don't care about them..."

"Because even you know that warping people's mind is another level of fucked up, Wanda."

Wanda lifted one of her hands, her fingers moving as a red mist appeared above them, and she shot it out against Riley's body. It wasn't enough to break Riley's hold, but it was enough to hit right against the bullet still lodged in her shoulder.

Letting out a groan of pain, Riley dropped one of her hands to clutch at her shoulder.

"Don't get in my way," Wanda warned.

"Don't do this," Riley shook her head. "Jesus, just think Wanda!"

A moment later Wanda's body was up, fighting agains the weakened power Riley had over her. With glowing red eyes that mirrored her own, Wanda stared at Riley in silence for a moment, watching as Riley's hold crumbled underneath Wanda's and her pain.

Riley's chest was heaving as she backed into the wall, clutching at her shoulder and biting down on her lip. Wanda was holding her there with enough force to push her through the wall itself, but that wasn't what had Riley concerned. Instead, her focus was on Wanda's hand. Waving around just near her head, a string of red following as she moved it around tauntingly.

"Don't you fucking dare," Riley grit through her teeth.

Wanda's lips had curled up into a small, hateful smirk as she moved her fingers one last time, sending the red mist into Riley's mind. The orange eyes turned red, opening widely, before fading back to orange, and slowly to normal.

Then Riley was left in a daze, alone in a small metal room, heart racing faster than it ever had before.

Hey guys! Thanks for continuing to read. Please leave a review with any thoughts xx