Thor was thrown backward onto the floor then shot to his feet to get a better look at what had come out. Whatever it was. It was a deep pink color, other than that it looked normal. Jade stared open mouthed at it. Then the show started.
The thing launched toward Thor. Thor threw it over his head, out a glass window, and out of sight. Steve and looked at each other then ran to the living room. Jade and Wanda shared a glance then ran out the door. They decided to take the stairs rather than throw themselves over the side of the balcony like the two Avengers.
When at the bottom they saw the thing slowly float down to them and join the group that had gathered. Moments later Pietro had sped in.
The things' skin had adopted something very similar to clothes. He was the first to speak.
"I'm sorry, that was odd," He said. Jade immediately recognized the voice, it was Jarvis's. The thing looked at Thor then, with a shrugging motion, a gold cape appeared.
"Thor," Steve accused. "You helped create this?"
"I've had a vision," Thor said, like it explained everything. Jade looked at Clint, and he shook his head at her. "A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at its' center is that." Thor pointed to the glowing yellow/orange thing on Visions head.
"What the gem?" Bruce asked stepping closer.
"The mind stone," Thor explained. "One of the six infinity stones. It's the greatest power in the universe unparalleled in it's destructive capabilities."
"Then why-" Steve started.
"Because Stark was right," Thor interrupted.
"Oh, it's definitely the end times," Bruce said to himself. Jade snickered and Wanda nudged her to stop.
"The Avengers can not defeat Ultron," Thor said ignoring Bruce.
"Not alone," Vision interjected. He stepped closer, he seemed to have no fear of the ones around him.
"Why does your vision sound like Jarvis?" Steve asked looking the pink man up and down. Jade wasn't sure who Steve was asking, but Tony was the one to answer.
"We reconfigured Jarvis's create something new."
"Because your last project worked out so well," Jade said. Tony shot her a glare, but didn't say anything to her.
"I think I've had my fill of new," Steve said right after Jade.
"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" Vision asked. Jade wanted to reply with Well duh, but she thought that might be pushing her limits.
"You're not?" Steve's question was more accusatory than an actual curiosity.
"I'm not Ultron, and I'm not Jarvis," Vision paused and looked at Tony. "I am."
Wanda stepped forward and Jade felt Pietro stiffen beside her. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation."
Vision turned toward her. "Look again."
Jade heard Clint laugh to himself and he started to approach the girl. "Your approval means jack to me." Jade looked up at Pietro and waited to see what he would do. Thankfully Thor interrupted before another fight broke out.
"The nightmares, the horrors in our heads, they all came from the mind stone. They are nothing compared to what it can unleash, but with it on our side-"
"Is it?" Steve demanded. "Are you? On our side?"
"I don't think it's that simple," Vision answered.
"Well, it better get real simple real soon," Clint said to him.
"I am on the side of life, Ultron isn't," Vision said stepping toward Steve. "He will end it all."
"What's he waiting for?" Tony asked.
"You."
"Where?" Tony asked. This time, though, Clint replied.
"Sokovia. He's got Nat there too," Clint said coming to stand behind Vision. Vision was now surrounded.
"If we're wrong about you," Bruce paused. "If you're the monster Ultron created you to be."
"What will you do?" Vision asked. Jade held her breath for the response, but nobody answered. Mostly because there wasn't one, nobody knew what they would do. "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 him on the net, we have to act now, and not one of us can do it without the others."
Jade and Clint made eye contact, then Jade looked down at the floor. Vision walked out of the circle directing Jade's attention back to him.
"Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, I'm not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me, but we need to go." With those words Vision picked up Thor's hammer and held it out to him.
You could've heard a pin drop, nobody knew what to do. Thor carefully took the hammer and Vision walked away. Thor tapped the hammer on his palm.
"Alright." He started to follow Vision, when he walked past Tony he patted him on the shoulder. "Well done." Thor disappeared.
"Three minutes," Steve said to the group. "Get what you need." The team scattered. Jade looked at the twins then at Clint's retreating back.
"The general armory is over there," Jade said pointing down the hall. "I'll catch up with you guys later." The twins nodded and walked in the direction Jade had pointed them in. Jade turned and ran after Clint.
"Hey, wait up!" Jade shouted after Clint. He didn't stop until he reached his portion of the armory. Clint swung the hall cabinet doors open and started collection weapons for the battle.
"I know you're probably mad at me," Jade started.
"Mad?" Clint demanded. "You think I'm mad?" Jade bit her bottom lip and nodded.
"Jade, I was worried about you. Bruce told me what happened with the twins, but after he went green he couldn't remember what happened to you. I didn't know what to think. I was beginning to think you ran again."
"But I didn't," Jade insisted.
"That my be true, but you seem to have made some pretty good friends with the wonder twins," Clint murmured.
"They saved my life, not once, but twice." Jade insisted. "They're not that bad once you get to know them." Clint stopped packing and turned to look at her.
"What happened?" He quietly asked. Jade took a deep breath then gave him the shortest version she could of what had happened. When she was finished Clint nodded and opened his mouth.
"Jade," Steve called from the hallway. Jade turned her head in the direction of the sound.
"You should go," Clint said. "We'll talk more about it later." Jade gave him a half smile then headed out the door.
Steve was in the hallway. He was holding a plastic bag. Jade braced herself for at least a lecture.
"I saw Dr. Cho," Steve began. At the doctor's name Jade looked up at him.
"Is she alright?" Jade asked. Steve held up his hand.
"She should be fine. She gave this to me," Steve said then held out the bag. Jade took it from him and noticed it had several white pills inside. "She said they should help fix your headache problem."
Jade looked back up at him, slightly stunned. "Really?" She asked. Steve nodded.
"I thought you'd want them."
Jade nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm going to go talk with Stark now, make sure you're ready and get yourself to the Quinjet," Steve said. He turned around and started walking away.
"Thank you," Jade called after him. Steve smiled to himself, but didn't turn around.
A few minutes later the whole team was on the Quinjet, including Jade and the twins. Jade had ran back to her room to grab the black jacket. When Wanda had walked on board Jade noticed that the jackets were the same, excluding the color. While Jade's was black, Wanda's was a deep red color.
Tony passed around a box filled with earpieces and each person took one. Pietro was having trouble putting his in so Jade subtly showed him how to do it by putting her own in while he was watching. He smiled at her then slid it into his own ear.
"Ultron knows we're coming," Steve began when everyone was situated. "Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for, but the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting then out. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today, but we can do our best to protect them and we can get the job done. We find out what Ultron's been building, we find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we're monsters, that we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him, it's about whether he's right."
