I don't own The Avengers. Marvel Does. I only own my OCs.
At the moment, it was early evening in Seoul, but Ultron was aware of the different time zones, so he knew that New York's time was far behind, probably in the morning. He noticed that Steve only slept for a couple hours and then he patrolled the lab in case there was danger, which would seem strange to anyone. Ultron did some research on the Internet and learned of the serum that Howard Stark injected into Steve, turning him into a super soldier. The sentient robot made a mental note to schedule an appointment with Captain America so he could study the biological effects of the serum. If he could ever replicate that serum, it could be possible to push humanity to evolve, but would Steve allow that? Ultron snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed another drone enter the room, focusing its optics on him. It sent him a com-link message, allowing him to read it through his processor.
"Thank you for telling me," praised Ultron.
"Wait, what's going on?" paused Steve.
Ultron turned his head at Steve just as the drone stepped outside the room.
"Thanos is halfway complete with the artificial meteor," clarified Ultron, "it will be in full operation in eighteen hours."
"I hope we have enough time," sighed Steve.
Helen entered the room, having finished her dinner just as the Cradle started beeping. The Korean doctor examined the android body one more time.
"It's finished," Helen announced in a calm tone.
Ultron gave Helen a soft smile.
"Thank you, Helen," replied Ultron, "I'll return the Cradle to you once I activate the comrade."
Ultron gently kissed Carol's forehead, causing her to moan as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Ultron?" whispered Carol.
"Did you get a good sleep?" purred Ultron.
"I guess," nodded Carol.
Carol sat up and stood from Ultron's lap, only for Steve to realize that she hasn't put any pants on once the blanket dropped to the floor.
"I'm…going to give you some time to change," stammered Steve.
Steve left the room, allowing Carol to put on her panties and a pair of shorts from her handbag. While she was slipping on her boots, Pietro and Wanda entered the room.
"Are you awake now?" asked Ultron, "we'll need to move soon."
"Are we in a hurry?" paused Wanda.
"Thanos will not hesitate to extinguish life on the planet," replied Ultron.
Helen pressed on a few buttons that closed the casket, allowing the drones to unhook it while Steve entered the room and Carol stashed her passport into her handbag. Ultron suddenly picked up a hostile signal from outside the lab.
"There's incoming," Ultron muttered.
Without warning, Goliath suddenly crashed through the wall, eliciting a scream of panic out of Carol as the robotic menace trudged towards the cradle, his arm cannon at the ready. Before Steve, Pietro or Wanda could try to stop him, Goliath fired at the Cradle, but Helen thought fast and jumped in the way, the plasma blast hitting her in the arm. She fell to the ground, curling up in pain while Steve threw his shield at Goliath, knocking him back and allowing Wanda to use her scarlet energy to fling him out of the room.
"How did Thanos know where the scepter was?" warbled Carol.
"I'll bet he's trying to get the stone before he destroys us," assumed Steve.
The drones started rolling the Cradle out of the lab while another drone called for an ambulance after inspecting Helen's wound. Pietro lifted Wanda into his arms and sped out while Ultron lifted Carol into his arms and led Steve through the lab, following the drones with the Cradle. Steve pulled out his smart phone and contacted Natasha and Clint.
"Hey, are you awake?" Steve asked.
"We're starting up the quinjet soon. Why?" Natasha replied over the com-link.
"Ultron just finished building his friend and Thanos started sending his followers after the gem," explained Steve.
Ultron, Carol and Steve reached the exit of the lab while making a beeline towards one of the trucks.
"Then we'll need to determine a rendezvous point before Thanos steals the stone," Natasha suggested over the com-link, "should we fly over to the lab?"
"Either that or we could deliver the package to you," replied Steve, "according to Ultron, we have eighteen hours to get the Cradle to Stark, activate the android and fly to Sokovia."
"Got it," Natasha nodded over the com-link, "Black Widow out."
Steve ended the com-link and set off to help the drones load the Cradle into the trailer of the semi truck. Once they locked it into place, Ultron and Carol stepped inside the trailer with a couple of drones while Steve and the remaining drone entered the cabin. The drone activated the ignition and drove the truck out of the facility's parking lot, entering the highway. The super soldier pulled out his smart phone and activated its GPS, allowing the drone to read it and calculate the distance to the rendezvous point. He peered at the outside mirror and noticed Goliath flying out of the lab at a distance. He had a sneaky feeling that this robotic menace might start pursuing them.
Little did the super soldier know, Goliath located Nebula at a loop in the highway so he landed in front of her and handed her the scepter.
"What happened to the scepter?!" demanded Nebula, "the gem is gone!"
"The Avengers extracted the Mind Stone," answered Goliath, "they must've placed it in the casket."
Nebula groaned in frustration, only to notice the truck about to drive underneath the loop.
"All right," advised Nebula, "I'm going in. Cover me."
With the scepter in her hands, Nebula sprinted across the highway and jumped off, landing on the roof of the truck.
Ultron heard the loud thud on the roof of the truck, and concern filling his optics.
"No, no, no, no," Ultron muttered to himself.
Carol fidgeted nervously as Ultron kept his hearing vigilant while the footsteps wandered from the roof of the truck until he heard someone grasp onto the door. The sentient robot had a sneaky suspicion that the journey back to the Avengers tower wouldn't be so peaceful.
"Leave me alone!" Ultron shouted.
Without warning, Ultron fired a concussion blast at the doors, knocking it open and slamming Nebula into the side of the truck. Still, she held on and using her foot, she pushed the door and swung it closer to the opening of the trailer, but Ultron fired another concussion blast that knocked the door off. The cyborg assassin jumped off and grabbed onto the edge of the roof before climbing on. Steve heard the commotion, so he opened the door and climbed onto the roof while the drone was still driving.
"Hey!" called Steve, "why don't you pick on someone your own size?"
Nebula paused in her tracks and turned her head at Steve.
"I have unfinished business with your robot friend," snarled Nebula.
"Then let me take that time off your schedule," remarked Steve.
Furious, Nebula charged at Steve with the scepter at the ready, but just as she swung the scepter's blade at Steve, he blocked it with his shield. Nebula wasn't willing to give up, so she started swinging her scepter at the super soldier, but he smacked the scepter's blade aside with the shield. During that time, Ultron stood to his feet and placed his hand onto Carol's shoulder.
"Wait here," advised Ultron.
Ultron emerged from the trailer and flew to the roof just as Steve threw his shield at Nebula, but she knocked it aside, sending it tumbling onto the street. She was about to lunge at the super soldier when Ultron used his anti-grav tech to yank Nebula backwards, though she maintained her balance.
"You know what's in that cradle?" growled Ultron.
Nebula spun around until she was face to face with Ultron.
"Something that rightfully belongs to Thanos!" hissed Nebula.
"No, it's the power to make real change," Ultron corrected in a harsh tone, "and that terrifies you."
"Nothing frightens me," barked Nebula, "not even you!"
Nebula charged at Ultron and swung the scepter at Ultron, but the sentient robot smacked it out of the way before firing a concussion blast at her, causing her to leap into the air to dodge it. Steve also parried the blast and charged in to assist Ultron, but he didn't see Goliath charging at him until he felt a fist gut him in his stomach as the robotic menace with the violet optics wrapped his hand around the super soldier's neck. Just then, Pietro sped into the trailer with Wanda in his arms and lowered her to the floor, both twins making a stance in case either of Thanos's followers ever charge after the Cradle.
"You guys," protested Carol, "Ultron and Cap can handle this."
"What choice do we have?" remarked Wanda.
Meanwhile, Clint hovered the quinjet a few meters at a distance from the truck as Natasha opened the hatch, revealing her motorcycle before mounting it.
"Got a window," announced Clint, "four, three, give him hell."
The quinjet lowered itself closer to the street, allowing Natasha to emerge through the hatch and land her motorcycle onto the street. She raced between the traffic to catch up with the truck when she noticed the shield on the ground. She leaned her motorcycle to her left and reached down before picking up the shield.
"They're heading under the overpass," Clint reported over the com-link, "but I've got no shot."
"Which way?" asked Natasha.
Natasha continued to meander through the traffic.
"Hard right," Clint paused over the com-link, "now!"
Upon cue, Natasha made a sharp turn to the right and rode through a narrow street. Meanwhile, while Steve slipped out of Goliath's grip and tried to grapple the robot's neck, Ultron tried to knock Nebula aside so he could help the super soldier, but with each strike from his hand, Nebula quickly recovered and smacked the scepter at Ultron's chest. Goliath spun around and grabbed Steve's neck again. While Ultron fired a concussion blast that knocked the scepter out of Nebula's hands, Natasha emerged from the alleyway and skidded underneath the truck and she tossed the shield back to Steve, allowing him to knock Goliath off of him. While Goliath used his anti-grav tech to rip out a large piece of pavement from the ground, so Natasha had to stop to avoid colliding with it. She maneuvered her motorcycle around it while Nebula pulled out her electroshock batons and turned her attention at Steve while Goliath charged at Ultron. Ultron ripped out a piece of a nearby building with his anti-grav tech and slammed it into Goliath, who swung his hand-flail to smash the debris in half, rendering the shorter robot's attack pointless. Natasha still sped after the truck while Nebula and Steve clashed at each other with their weapons. The Russian Avenger noticed a few more of Ultron's drones descending from the sky and making a beeline towards the truck.
"Something tells me Ultron called for reinforcements," said Natasha.
Nebula broke free of the clash and sprinted towards the entrance of the trailer. She jumped inside, but Wanda quickly generated an energy shield just as the alien cyborg assassin slammed her electroshock batons onto the shield. While Pietro held Carol protectively, the drones inside the trailer fired at Nebula, knocking her out of the trailer. Ultron fired a concussion blast at Goliath to stun him long enough to use his anti-grav tech to rip a large piece of pavement from the ground, keeping Nebula at a distance.
"Nice one!" Steve quipped, "but we have one more menace to take care of."
Steve threw his shield at Goliath's back before he could strike Ultron, catching his attention. While Natasha jumped off the motorcycle and boarded the trailer, Wanda levitated herself out of the trailer and onto the roof.
"Wanda?" paused Ultron.
Two of Ultron's drones attached themselves to the side of the truck while Wanda fired energy bolts at Goliath in an attempt to knock him off. Goliath prepared his hand-flail, but Ultron, Steve and Wanda thought fast and stood side by side. The super soldier threw his shield at Goliath's hand-flail while Ultron fired his concussion blast at the taller robot. With all her mental strength, Wanda conjured scarlet energy and lifted Goliath into the air and threw him into a building. Ultron flew off the roof and used his anti-grav tech to restrain Goliath with a metal sign.
"You think you can save the humans?" growled Goliath.
"You could say I'm their shepherd," remarked Ultron.
Ultron flew off while Goliath struggled to free himself. The sentient robot caught up with the truck and landed on the roof.
"I'd say we took care of our pests," said Ultron.
"Great!" advised Steve, "now get Carol to safety. We'll get the Cradle to the quinjet."
Ultron nodded in agreement, so he flew into the trailer and motioned Pietro to step aside as he stepped towards Carol.
"Is it over?" clamored Carol.
"For now," replied Ultron, "but they could still catch up."
Ultron gently lifted Carol into his arms, allowing her to wrap her arms tightly around him.
"What about the Cradle?" reminded Carol.
"We can take care of it," Pietro assured Carol.
"Ok," nodded Carol.
Ultron stepped towards the entrance of the trailer and flew out of the truck with Carol in his arms. While the drones in the trailer emerged from it, one of them carrying Pietro, Natasha held onto the Cradle, waiting for the trailer to become airborne. Two of the drones lifted Steve and Wanda into their arms before taking off and the drone in the cabin stopped the truck and stepped out before detaching the trailer. Seconds later, the drones on the sides of the trailer activated their rocket boosters on their feet and opened their faceplates wide, activating the rocket boosters in their mouths that lifted the trailer into the air. Clint hovered the quinjet and positioned it before opening the ramp, preparing it to receive the package.
"Don't you get irritated when Ultron tells you his crazy ideas?" Clint asked over the com-link.
"Not as crazy as our previous enemies," remarked Natasha.
While the drones in the air brought Steve, Wanda and Pietro inside the quinjet, Natasha started cutting through the harnesses holding down the Cradle. Once she cut the other harness, she mounted onto the Cradle with a hard grip as it slid out of the trailer, falling into the waiting bay of the quinjet.
"Nice catch!" called Steve.
Natasha dismounted the Cradle and slammed her hand onto the button that closed the ramp. Clint could see Ultron's drones retreating to the sky while two of them detached themselves from the trailer and detonated it in midair.
"Ok, Hawkeye," announced Natasha, "we secured the package."
"Yeah, but we lost Carol," reminded Clint.
"Don't worry," Steve assured Clint, "she's with Ultron. She'll be ok."
Sighing, Clint flew the quinjet out of Seoul, not wanting to avoid further attention from the civilians.
Meanwhile, Goliath freed himself from the sign and landed on the ground. He scanned the surroundings only to find that the Mind Stone was gone. He growled in disappointment until Nebula stepped towards him, putting away her electroshock batons.
"The Mind Stone disappeared," growled Goliath.
"Is your pride so important to you?" sneered Nebula.
Goliath focused his purple optics on Nebula.
"My only pride is my service with Thanos," corrected Goliath.
Please leave a review, so Ultron and Loki would be happy.