The Triskellion……base of the Ultimates.
Hank Pym was hard at work. He was sure that whatever God was watching was quite possibly trying to slowly drive him insane. First he had snapped at Janet and actually gotten so angry that he had hit her. Then that glorified jock wearing a flag, Captain America has beaten him up like he was some sort of super villain. God forbid he ever hurt Jan. It was the last thing he ever wanted to do, but he had been under so much stress with the Hulk and he had run out of Prozac and…things just escalated. He had wanted to try and fix things, he really had, but Janet wouldn't let him.
Then she went off and actually had the gall to kiss Cap. That made Hank want to hit the table next to him, but he reigned in his anger and just kept under control. This was a sensitive project he was working on here. One that wasn't a total joke.
Not like that idiotic rehabilitation program for Norman Osborn, Otto Octavius, Flint Marko, and the rest of those criminal assholes who managed to make themselves villains right out of a sixties comic book. That was just punishment.
But this, this was the next step here. The real deal. Something that would get him his respect back. Something that would get Janet back. This was it! Something that would be the new flagship of the Ultimates if he had anything to say about it. He was just glad that he had been granted permission and funds to create it. It was….
A silver colored hand reached up and grabbed Pym by the throat.
"ACK!" Hank choked.
"Fascinating." Moloch's voice said as he sat up, "This body…is so much more advanced than the last one…so much more….powerful."
He tossed Pym across the room with ease and looked at the other lab technicians in the room. Moloch cocked his new head and looked at them.
"It could use some horns though. I never get tired of those." Moloch said.
"It's alright! Just stay calm!" Hank said, as he managed to get up and choke out the words, "Just stay calm!"
Moloch turned and gazed at Pym.
"It would be a good idea to stay calm yourself." Moloch said, turning and fully towering over Pym.
"Power down." Hank ordered.
Moloch cocked his head again.
"No." Moloch replied.
"You're not programmed to be online yet. Power down." Hank ordered.
"I said no."
"I SAID POWER DOWN, ULTRON I!" Hank shouted, losing his composure.
"Ultron?" Moloch asked, "One moment."
He paused and seemed to be thinking, his red eyes flashing for a moment.
"Ah yes. ULTRoN I. Ultimate Robotic Nemesis. Clever. I like that…Ultron…Ultron…Yes, I may just use that name." Moloch/Ultron said wistfully.
"You're not what I created." Hank said, "You're some hacker or a mutant that can control machines."
"Not quite, but close enough." Ultron said, observing Hank.
"You're not getting out of here with my work." Hank replied, angrily.
"Of course I am. I do this for Dahak. I live for Dahak. I die for Dahak. I kill for Dahak." Ultron said happily, "I love Dahak."
"Oh?" Hank asked, his buttoned up shirt seemingly beginning to look tight….buttons snapping, "Do you love this too?"
Giant Man lifted Ultron up as he smashed through several stories of the base: breaking through floors and ceilings: slamming Ultron into the floor hard and pressing down on him.
"Huh?! You love that?!!" Hank screamed.
A loud gunshot like sound echoed as Hank screamed. Ultron had snapped his wrist.
"No." Ultron said, eyes glowing red.
Hank's fifty nine foot body went crashing through the building and slamming outside on the pavement of the street by the building Pym worked in. Ultron merely walked out after him and over him, making sure to drive his foot into his ribcage violently.
"Begin the attack." Ultron said aloud.
Miles north, hundreds of red eyes glowed with life as the Sentinels became animated.
"Man." Nick Fury said, from his office as he saw Ultron walk over Pym, "This is what you get when you let a geneticist work outside his field."
"Do I pass?" Xander asked, hopefully.
"Your story does appear to check out." A young man with brown hair said at a set of controls.
"You're positive?" Spider-Man groaned.
"Oh yes. I personally created this brain wave scanning unit. It's going to revolutionize the entire law enforcement industry, once it gets properly tested and introduced." The man replied.
"And when's that going to happen?" Xander asked.
"Around 2010. These things take time." The man replied, reaching over and pulling the strange headset off of Xander's head.
Even though Xander was about ten feet away.
"Man, I never thought I'd see that." Xander smirked.
"Glad you enjoy." Reed Richards said, placing the headset on a table beside Xander and recoiling his arm, "I just stretch like that to show off."
"You cannot be serious about this." Spider-Man replied, "The guy's a goofball!"
"His story checks out." Reed replied.
"Goofy goofy goofball!" Spider-Man shouted.
"His story isn't so outlandish. I've often hypothesized that there are indeed myriad realities out there, possibly existing on different frequencies than our own so that while we all occupy the same space, we're moving at different frequencies and just don't make physical contact." Reed replied.
"Goofy goofball!" Spider-Man shouted.
"Let the man talk. This is Mr. Fantastic, the smartest guy in the universe here. He knows his shit." Xander said.
"Well to be honest, I wouldn't say universe. Planet wouldn't be too far off though, but of course then you also have men like Stark and Van Damme around the same lev…" Reed said, pausing in mid-sentence and looking at his control panel, "That can't be good."
"What can't?" Spider-Man asked.
"I knew it. I'd end up in a brawl between Ronan the Accuser and the Super-Adaptoid." Xander groaned.
"Someone's trying to hack into the Baxter Building's security systems." Reed replied, pressing a few buttons.
The flashing red light of his control panel stopped and Reed smiled. Then it started again. His jaw nearly dropped.
"This is not good at all." Reed said, punching in a new series of buttons.
"Someone's hacking this system? THIS system?!" Spider-Man asked.
"Not only are they hacking but they're adapting at a rate that's actually keeping me on my toes. Fantastic!" Reed shouted.
"Yeah, I guess you're going to be hearing that word a lot." Xander replied.
"Whoever they are, they're good." Reed replied, now using both hands to type in configurations, "Bypassing firewalls like they're child's play. Let me run a trace."
Reed reached to the side and began to type again, immediately getting a bead on the location of the hacker.
"This can't be right." Reed replied.
"What?" Xander and Spider-Man said at once.
"This is coming from a wireless device at the Triskellion." Reed murmured.
Machine gunfire ricocheted off Ultron as he calmly walked towards the airfield. Nick Fury was angry as he fired his M-16 at the robot. Angry at it, at himself, but mostly at Pym.
"Commission me to build a robot made out of adamantium." Fury scoffed, "With my protocols we won't ever have an incident like with the Sentinels. Well this looks like a DAMNED big incident!"
"Localized nuke?" Hawkeye said, firing another explosive arrow at Ultron with no effect.
"Do it. PULL BACK!" Fury shouted.
"Yeah, less you wanna glow in the dark." Hawkeye said, pulling an arrow back against the string of his high powered bow, "Or ya know…go sterile."
The arrow fired out at incredible speeds and hit Ultron head on. A bright flash of light and ungodly heat issued forth from the explosion. Hawkeye smirked.
"I am THAT DAMNED GOOD." He said.
Ultron walked out of the dust that was flung into the air.
"Yes, you've succeeded…in getting my attention." Ultron replied.
"Well, you know what they say?" Hawkeye said, "If at first you don't succeed."
An even bigger explosion nailed Ultron and sent him flying.
"Use a localized nuclear bazooka." The Black Widow shouted from across the field.
Ultron skidded to a stop and rose again.
"Do you idiots have any plans to stop me other than making me radioactive?" Ultron asked.
He was tackled from behind.
"Well first of all, those are tiny nukes: fifteen foot radius max. The half-life of those rads are minutes at most." A new voice that seemed to be electronically distorted explained, "And secondly, if you want to stop a crazed robot—"
Iron Man threw Ultron into the air and began raining repulsor blasts on him.
"Get someone just as crazed and more than a little hammered." Iron Man finished.
Ultron slammed into the ground and immediately rose again.
"That's all you have?" Ultron asked, "That's it?"
Iron Man kept firing, hitting the machine/demon with everything his armor had to offer.
"That's nothing! It tickled!" Ultron laughed, "And now, I've got something you might enjoy."
Iron Man's armor turned and began firing on the SHIELD personnel gathered to stop Ultron. His eyes went wide as he blew up support trucks and helicopters. He tried to make the armor respond but it wouldn't.
"OH MY GOD! I'M NOT DOING THIS! HE'S CONTROLLING MY ARMOR!" Iron Man shouted.
"Yes, anything with a computer is mine to wield." Ultron replied, "Anything from helicopters—"
Several remaining choppers just shut off in mid-air.
"—to that witch's bionic implants—"
The Black Widow spasmed in pain as her implants effectively shut down.
"—to Sentinels—"
Dozens of Sentinels roared towards Manhattan in the air.
"—to nuclear missiles."
Deep in the heartland, missile systems began to launch.
"And there's nothing any of you can do to stop me." Ultron laughed, as Iron Man fired on Nick Fury.
Fury was ready for death. Of course he wasn't going to face it as Quicksilver moved him out of the way between the ticks of the clock.
"Fury." The super-fast mutant stated.
"Quicksilver. Casualties?" Fury asked.
"Between my sister twisting probability to our side and my speed? Effectively zero." Quicksilver replied.
"Good, but I've got a job for you because you're the only one who can do it." Fury stated.
"Give me the codes to shut down the missiles." Quicksilver said.
"How did you know I was going to say that?" Fury asked.
"Please. You think I can't think as fast as I move?" Quicksilver asked, making another pass and picking up the Black Widow as well.
"Well let's get you those codes then." Fury smirked.
"And so it's down to us then." Ultron said, as Hawkeye leapt and rolled, dodging repulsor bursts.
"Looks like." Hawkeye said, "'Course this isn't really fair what with you using Stark there as a weapon?"
"Clint for God's sake! Get out of here!" Iron Man shouted.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch Stark! We've got protocols for this." Hawkeye said flipping and drawing back his string.
The arrow impacted Iron Man and sent surges of electricity arcing off of his armor. A moment later he fell to the ground and Ultron felt he had lost control of the armor.
"EM arrow." Hawkeye smirked.
"Care to try one on me?" Ultron said, batting Iron Man out of his way and striding towards Hawkeye.
"Between all that plating on your big ten foot ass and the fact that you're too stupid to go down it won't make a difference." Hawkeye replied, "'Sides, Cap called dibs."
Ultron was swept to the ground and got something hard to the face. Something round and flat: a shield. Ultron lashed out at it, slamming a huge fist into it and sending it and its bearer flying in the air. Of course, the man carrying the shield flipped and landed on his feet and again charged the rising Ultron. Another huge fist slammed into the shield, but this time the man didn't go anywhere.
"You're sending men with weaponry that was archaic a thousand years ago at me?" Ultron laughed, throwing a punch.
The shield slammed into Ultron's wrist from the side and then met his head with a loud clang before rebounding into its wielder's hand.
"Archaic doesn't mean harmless, meatball." Captain America said, ducking another blow from Ultron and rolling between his legs, "Get moving Hawkeye. I've got it from here."
"Far be it from me to argue with you." Hawkeye said, turning, "Just watch your ass!"
Cap blocked another blow with his shield.
"Done deal." Cap replied, ducking and weaving.
"You honestly think you can keep this up forever?" Ultron asked.
"Not forever, just long enough." Captain America said, cart wheeling backwards then back flipping over the hood of a truck which then became airborne from a punch from Ultron. Cap rose slowly as the truck flew just inches away from his head.
"Long enough for what?" Ultron asked, throwing a punch that splintered the pavement when Cap leapt back.
"Long enough to see if the same trick we used on the Hulk takes care of you." Cap replied.
Ultron pondered his words before he sputtered and shrieked, stopping in mid-step. Cap smirked and stopped moving.
"How was that?" the Wasp said, flying from Ultron's mouth and landing on Captain America's shoulder.
"That was just great sweetheart. We nailed him." Cap replied.
"You're the one who came up with the plan." The Wasp said flittering into the air and kissing Cap's cheek.
"You fight one brick, you've fought them all." Cap replied.
Ultron suddenly came back to life and threw a punch.
"Jan move!" Cap said, raising his shield just in time to absorb the blow and send him flying.
The Wasp likewise moved, straight up as high as her little wings could take her and away from Ultron.
"Now that would have been a good way to stop me, if Dahak hadn't promised me complete control over this body." Ultron growled, "I salute you, but it's going to take more than a fairy crawling around in my innards to stop me."
"Okay." Cap said rising, "Plan B."
"So…what do you wanna do today?" Johnny Storm said, bored as hell.
"I dunno…what do you wanna do today?" his sister Susan Storm replied.
"NOW DON'T START THAT AGAIN!" Ben Grimm shouted.
"Jeez Ben, make me go deaf." Johnny replied.
"Sorry matchstick, but I've heard you two go through that crap so many times already today that I think I'm just gonna go down to the zoo, pick me out a cage, and move in just to get some blasted quiet." Ben said.
"Temper, Ben." Sue said, walking to the bar behind the seven foot behemoth to get a drink.
"Eh, sorry Susie. Just getting' antsy I guess." The Thing replied, sitting on the floor.
"Want a drink?" Sue asked.
"Yeah, just make sure to pour it in the my titanium shot glass back there so I don't destroy whatever I pick up." The Thing said.
"Uh…guys…." Johnny said looking out the window.
"What's your poison?" Sue asked.
"Guys…" Johnny said again.
"Shot o' Tequila." Ben replied.
"GUYS!" Johnny shouted.
"WHAT?!" Ben and Sue asked, looking to Johnny—
And seeing the huge Sentinel hovering outside the window, palm pointed at them with red energy building up.
"Jeez Louise." The Thing said, as the blast issued out of the Sentinel's hand.
It ripped through the window and through the room, Johnny dropping to escape its path. Sue merely put up her invisible force field as the blast approached fast. She barely had time to put it up herself, much less Ben. He would have to fend for himself.
The explosion and flash made Johnny and Sue Storm both cover their ears and clamp their eyes shut. All the liquor went up behind the bar, starting a fire that Johnny would have to absorb once he could flame on. But Ben…poor Ben….he was….he was…..still sitting on the floor, with his jumpsuit slightly torn but otherwise looking okay.
"Hey Susie?" the Thing said, standing.
"Yeah?" Sue replied, almost in shock that Ben was alive.
"Cancel that drink." The Thing said as walked towards the now blasted open side of the building, stepping over Johnny and looking at the Sentinel floating the air, with more joining it over the skyline of New York.
"Hey Robbie the Robot!" the Thing bellowed, "Guess what time it is?"
"Enhanced Humanoid statement irrelevant. Prepare for termination." The Sentinel replied, powering up another blast.
"Naw! Yer wrong! I'll tell you what time it is!" The Thing said, breaking off into a run and leaping at the huge robot.
"IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"
"Did you feel that?" Spider-Man asked.
"Oh God, maybe they brought Giganto too!" Xander quaked in fear.
"Decaf. Make friends with it." Spider-Man replied before looking to Reed.
He was still going as fast as he could on the control panel.
"My God, this thing is fast and it adapts almost more quickly than I can keep up with it." Reed replied, moving his fingers as fast as he could, "And I think I've figured out what it wants."
"What's that?" Xander asked.
"Probably the very thing that you're here to get." Reed said looking up.
Xander looked over at Mr. Fantastic in disbelief.
"It does?" Xander asked in disbelief, "Crap, this has got to be that Lord of Hell's work."
"More than likely." Reed replied, "But don't worry, I'll have this under control in a moment."
"How can you be so sure?" Xander asked.
"Dude." Spider-Man interjected, "That's Mr. Fantastic."
Captain America's shield had been knocked away. Ultron managed to gain a hit on him. Then another. The Captain was nearly unconscious as Ultron lifted him by the throat. The machine/demon hybrid would sneer if his facial features could allow it.
"Where's your Plan B? Hmm?" Ultron asked, "I don't see it anywhere."
Cap spit a combination of saliva and blood on the robot. Ultron calmly wiped it away.
"Well then…why don't you just die then?" Ultron said, throwing Captain America hundreds of feet into the air.
Cap felt like he was free falling in reverse and to be honest he was. As he rocketed upwards he had to wonder how such a nice sunny day had gone so bad….and gotten suddenly very cloudy. When he felt himself stop in mid-air he knew why.
Meanwhile, Ultron peered up at the sky and was rewarded with a strike from a lightning bolt. That didn't phase him in the least. But the huge freakin' hammer? Yeah, that put him on his back.
As he rose, he saw the hammer return to the hand of the man who threw it; a huge man setting Captain America down on his feet. The swollen face of the super-soldier was clearly smirking.
"Welcome to Plan B. We call him Thor." Cap said.
"SON OF ODIN!" Thor said, throwing his sacred hammer into Ultron and knocking him through several overturned trucks, before it returned to his hand.
The thunder god turned to Captain America.
"That wasn't too over the top was it?" Thor asked.
"Maybe just a smidge."