DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.
Chapter 21: A Real Battle Royale
"So, this is what you've been doing these past two months, Ultron!" Captain America declared. "Corrupting innocent kids like Victor is low, even for you!"
"I do whatever is necessary to complete my programming," Ultron droned. "Having my android son, Victor, remove you is but an objective on my path to my goal."
"Thor, we might have brought you and Warbird in as back-up to take down the Runaways," Captain America said, "but it looks like we'll need you to take on Ultron instead! Hawkeye, get the kids out of here and into the Quinjet! The rest of us will take down this mechanical maniac!"
"Okay, kids," Hawkeye said, leading the Runaways out of the warehouse, "let's get out while the getting's good."
"For once I'm in agreement with an Avenger," Nico said. "Ultron's way out of our weight class."
"For a robot," Xavin added.
"Okay, here's a little time I've been wanting," Hawkeye said. "How about we talk?"
"Let me back in there!" Victor cried. "Ultron killed my mother!"
"He did?" Hawkeye asked. "Even so, you'll probably get yourself killed by running in there. I'm positive you guys are qualified to take on guys like Ultron, but the Avengers have fought him for longer. We know how he operates, you don't."
"So…how come you're not taking us into your jet-thingy?" Molly asked.
"Well, like I told Victor back at the football field," Hawkeye began, "I don't share Cap's view on you guys. Just because you're kids doesn't mean you can't defend yourselves or your city."
"What makes you so sure we can actually trust you?" Nico asked.
"I suppose you can't," Hawkeye said, "and that's something Cap doesn't understand. He doesn't understand that the decisions he makes aren't always the right ones. Every decision, no matter who makes it, has a chance of blowing up in their face, and you Runaways are the biggest example of that. You don't belong in foster homes, you belong in…uh…wherever it is you live now."
"You honestly think that?" Karolina asked.
"I sure do," Hawkeye nodded. "And that's why I'm letting you go. All of you."
"Seriously?" Gert asked, raising an eyebrow.
"And here my mom always said you were just a hood," Victor smiled.
"Well, I did have trouble with the law once," Hawkeye admitted, "but that's behind me now. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to go back in to give the other Avengers a hand."
Hawkeye approached the warehouse, but before he entered, he turned back to the Runaways.
"I like you kids," Hawkeye smirked. "Keep on running, Runaways."
And Hawkeye went inside.
"Did an Avenger just tell us to not give up fighting supervillains?" Derrick asked.
"I think so, Der," Gert nodded. "Yeah, I don't believe it, either."
"So, uh…where should I go?" Victor asked.
"You can sit in the back," Nico said, "just don't start trying to electrocute us again."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Victor laughed embarrassedly. "Ultron had me under his control. On the plus side, I learned the truth about what I am, much as I didn't like most of it."
"Cool, what it is?!" Molly asked excitedly.
"Can I tell you guys on the way back to your place?" Victor asked.
"You sure we can bring him with us?" Chase asked Nico. "What if Ultron plugged some 'kill-all-heroes' program in him that'll turn on later?"
"Then I want to do as much good as I can before that happens," Victor vowed.
"Good idea," Nico said.
"Couldn't hurt to have him on the team, I guess," Derrick shrugged. "If the Misfits can do Pyro and Firestar, Vic and I can probably work something out."
"Looks like you're on the team, Victor," Karolina smiled.
"Awesome!" Victor cried. "I always wanted to be a superhero! So, you guys have some kind of rallying cry or something?"
"We have 'try not to die'," Nico said as she, the other Runaways, and Victor entered the Leapfrog. "It's close enough."
****
While Hawkeye had been talking with the Runaways, the Avengers and Ultron had been deep in the heat of battle. Thor fired lightning from his hammer that Ultron managed to dodge, the sinister robot countering by blasting a flying blonde woman in the stomach with an energy beam.
"It happens every time!" yelled Carol Danvers, also known as Warbird. "Every time super-powered kids show up, I get hurt!"
"Quit complaining, Warbird," Iron Man said. "Cap, can you and the others keep Ultron distracted for a little longer?"
"Will do," Captain America nodded, charging at Ultron with his shield in front.
Before Captain America could strike Ultron, however, the robot grabbed his arm and stopped him cold. Ultron then kneed Captain America in the stomach and threw him into Morbius, blasting an approaching She-Hulk with another energy beam. Iron Man suddenly shot a small missile into Ultron's side, which the robot noticed rather quickly.
"What good will that do?" Ultron asked.
"It'll let me do this!" Iron Man cried, firing a larger missile that destroyed Ultron's arm.
"You know I will be repaired, Iron Man," Ultron sneered, expecting his arm to fix itself, but instead finding his nanobots falling off of him in swarms. "What?!"
"You know that tiny missile I hit you with?" Iron Man said smugly. "It wasn't meant to damage you. Instead, I infected you with a virus made to use your own nanobots to eat up your body. I call it 'Technovore'. Like it?"
"NO!" Ultron roared, his nanobots swarming around and destroying his body. "This will not destroy me, Avengers! You will never be rid of me!"
"Don't think we don't know that," Captain America said. "And this time, we'll make sure your head doesn't end up in another junkyard."
As he said this, Ultron was once again reduced to nothing but a head.
"Good riddance," Warbird spat.
"Hawkeye, what happened?" Captain America asked the returning Hawkeye. "Where are the Runaways?"
"You want the truth, Steve?" Hawkeye said. "I let them go."
"What?!" Captain America cried, and though most of the other Avengers had similar reactions, Morbius seemed to not care. "Why?"
"Simple," Hawkeye began. "Fury's wrong about them, and so are you. They don't want to take over LA, like their parents did. They just want to make sure no one else takes their parents' place. Besides, because of what you did, they wouldn't trust you if their lives depended on it."
"That's no reason to just let them go!" Captain America cried.
"Actually, it is," Morbius interjected.
"Michael?" Captain America said. "You're siding with Hawkeye?"
"In a sense, I am," Morbius said. "I do, however, have one statement I wish to make."
He looked to the Avengers, and then spoke.
"I quit," he said.
"Michael, you can't—" Captain America began, but Morbius interrupted.
"Be quiet, Captain America," Morbius growled. "I am not leaving the team out of a desire to resume feeding on people. I am leaving because my place is not among the Avengers, but on the streets, drinking enough blood from criminals to send them into unconsciousness."
"Why would you think that?" Captain America asked.
"Your twisted opinions, Captain, are what have convinced me," Morbius said.
"My what?" Captain America said, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The Runaways," Morbius said. "I had originally thought you were a sickeningly perfect hero. But, after hearing the tale of the Runaways, I was proven wrong. You are just as flawed as everyone else, and your biggest flaw is refusing to admit your mistakes."
"Mistakes?" Captain America said. "Michael, putting the Pride's kids in foster care—"
"—was quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life!" Morbius snapped. "You repeatedly refuse to admit it, as you are blinded by your oversized ego and your intolerance for teenage heroes, even if they simply wish to do the right thing!"
Morbius snarled at a stunned Captain America before continuing.
"I must admit, Captain, that you have taught me much," Morbius said. "While I have been brooding about my…condition…for many months, you have taught me that I must use my power to help those that I could not help with my research. You taught me that innocent lives truly are important, and that each one means much. For that, I thank you. But I do not fit in amongst the Avengers. I do not share your warped version of helping teenage heroes, and that is where we separate."
"Where would you go?" She-Hulk asked.
"Perhaps Malibu, California," Morbius shrugged. "I hear that, despite the sunlight, it is a lovely city. It is also close to here, Los Angeles, where I hope to learn more of true heroics from the Runaways."
Before Captain America could object, Morbius flew through the hole in the roof.
"Farewell, Avengers," Morbius said, leaving the team forever.
"Michael, wait!" Captain America cried, but Iron Man put a hand on his shoulder.
"Cap, Morbius needs some solo time," he said. "It might do him more good than we ever could."
"I suppose you're right," Captain America sighed. He looked, and saw the Vision as depressed as a robot could possibly be. "Vision? Are you all right?"
"I do not know," Vision replied. "Steve Rogers…I believe I know what it means to feel alone."
"What are you talking about?" Iron Man asked.
"Yeah, you've got the rest of us!" Warbird added. "How could you possibly feel lonely?"
"You all have families," Vision replied. "You can commune with them. I cannot."
"I think I understand, Vision," Captain America said. "Your father is Ultron, and the only good relative you have is your new half-brother Victor."
"And we've seen what happens when you try to hang out with Victor," She-Hulk groaned. "Shock city."
"Let's go back to the HQ," Captain America suggested. "This mission's left most of us feeling a little down."
"Not me," Hawkeye smirked.
"We'll talk later," Captain America glared.
****
Several hours after the Avengers left the warehouse, something strange was happening.
The nanobots Ultron had originally used to repair himself began to move, swarming collectively through a small space underneath the door. The nanobots swarmed a nearby brown car, just as its owner came to it.
"Hey!" cried the car owner as the nanobots began to disassemble his car. "What the heck's going on?!"
The nanobots then began to reform the car. First, a pair of dinosaur-like legs took shape, followed by a skeletal body with arms to match. Finally, a reptilian head appeared, and a monstrous creature was formed.
"Th-this is why I left New York!" the owner cried as he attempted to run, but the creature grabbed hold of his leg and lifted him off of the ground, inspecting him.
And then the monster spoke.
"Analyzing," rasped the monster in a metallic voice. "Biological. Irrelevant."
The monster threw the man over its shoulder, before turning its head about the area.
"Must seek technology," the monster droned. "Must consume. Technovore's programming must be fulfilled."
****
Little story behind the involvement of Technovore. Yes, I watch "Iron Man: Armored Adventures", and I like it. I'd actually first heard about Technovore from that show, so I figured he was made by the creators of the show. I did some searching, though, and it turns out Technovore was in the Iron Man comics, too. Couldn't really find any info on the Technovore from the comics, so I used the one from the show. Just in case anyone who actually read the comics was wondering.