I don't own The Avengers. Marvel Does. I only own my OCs.
The following morning passed since Ultron showed Carol his new base. Once she woke up, she heard Ultron telling her that the showers in the base were up and running. She gathered a set of clothes for the day and followed Ultron out of their bedroom, wandering down the hall until they reached the shower stalls. Once Carol stripped herself of her pajamas and they stepped into one of the shower stalls, Ultron turned the shower on and scrubbed some shampoo into his girlfriend's hair. Likewise, she returned the favor by scrubbing the grime off his metal frame using a washcloth. After that, Carol allowed Ultron to scrub her body while he gave her a kiss.
"Are you feeling refreshed this morning?" Ultron purred.
"Yeah, I guess," Carol nodded.
Smiling, Ultron ran his fingers through Carol's hair while she rinsed off the soap under the shower spray. Once she finished in a matter of moments, Carol turned on her feet and turned off the shower.
"So, Ultron," asked Carol, "what do you have available for breakfast?"
"Carol," reminded Ultron, "you're my guest here, remember? You can request anything you'd like."
"Oh, in that case," blurted Carol, "do you have one of those rotating waffle makers like the ones you see in the breakfast bar in a hotel?"
Ultron smiled and chuckled as he led Carol out of the shower stall and reached for a towel. His girlfriend plucked the towel off his hands and dried herself off before putting the towel back onto the rack. She then slipped on her clothes and followed Ultron out of the shower stalls. They wandered through the hall until they reached the kitchen, where the silver robot reached into the pantry and the refrigerator to gather the ingredients. Carol located the coffee maker on the counter and browsed the different flavors of coffee next to it. She found the package of French Vanilla coffee and poured some of the beans into the coffee grinder, which she used to grind the beans. While Ultron finished gathering the ingredients for the waffles, Carol poured some water into the coffee maker and placed the ground coffee into the filter. She activated the coffee maker and stepped over to the table. Just then, Turrican stepped into the kitchen while Ultron was adding the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
"Oh," Carol chirped as she waved her hand, "morning, Turrican!"
"I'm here with a message to Ultron," replied Turrican.
Ultron paused and turned his attention to Turrican.
"What do you have to report?" he asked.
Turrican's optics lit up.
"I recently detected an unusual solar weather phenomenon at the entrance to the base that occurred for approximately five seconds," Turrican reported, "I believe we may have a guest."
"Oh?" instructed Ultron, "in that case, escort our guest here."
"Right away," nodded Turrican.
Ultron continued to mix the ingredients while Turrican left the kitchen. Carol stood from her seat and approached her boyfriend, catching his attention.
"Did Turrican say we have a visitor?" Carol clamored while fidgeting.
"I don't remember inviting someone recently other than you," admitted Ultron, "but I suppose whoever decided to come here has something he wants to say."
By then, Ultron finished mixing the ingredients, so Carol stepped over to the waffle maker on the counter and plugged it in.
"Can we put in the batter now?" Carol begged.
"Not yet," Ultron declined while he held his hand up in a placating gesture, "we have to let the waffle maker heat up first."
Carol was tempted to pout, but Ultron gently placed his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. While they were waiting for the waffle maker to get hot, Turrican and Alpha returned with Loki following them.
"Wait a minute," exclaimed Carol, "what's Loki doing here?!"
Ultron wasn't sure how to answer, yet Alpha and Turrican stepped aside, allowing Loki to approach the tall silver robot.
"Are those your servants?" Loki asked while gesturing to Alpha and Turrican.
"Yes, but there are more than just two," answered Ultron.
"They clearly looked like Frost Giant rejects," commented Loki.
Alpha and Turrican exchanged glances in confusion.
"I never saw a Frost Giant," admitted Carol, "so I don't know. Would you like some waffles?"
"No thank you," Loki scoffed playfully, "I already had my breakfast."
Ultron tilted his head while he checked the temperature of the waffle maker. After that, he turned his attention to Carol while he opened the waffle maker.
"Feel free to make as many waffles as you'd like," advised Ultron.
Carol eagerly picked up a small cup and scooped up some batter before pouring it into the grooves of the waffle maker. She then closed the appliance and rotated it, which automatically started the timer while Ultron grabbed a plate from the cabinet. During that time, Carol turned her attention to Loki.
"So what brought you here?" asked Carol.
"I was going to ask your lover about his…creation," explained Loki.
"Vision?" Carol clarified.
Loki nodded.
"Oh yeah, a chip off the old block," Ultron joked, keeping his optics focused on the waffle maker to ensure that Carol's breakfast did not end up burnt, "what would raise your interest concerning him?"
"It has more to do with a particular part of him that I think you know full well about," Loki replied, casually strolling throughout the room and examining the various appliances, "it used to be part of a staff that I once wielded in my invasion of the city of New York."
"You mean the scepter I initially swiped from Stark?" Ultron clarified.
Loki nodded. Soon, the waffle maker beeped, so Carol rotated the appliance and opened it before she removed the waffle and placed it on her plate. She scooped another cupful of batter before pouring it into the waffle maker's grooves.
"So did Thor tell you about Vision?" Carol asked.
Carol closed the waffle maker and rotated it, instantly starting the timer.
"No prizes for guessing that, I'm afraid," Loki nodded, "a rather ingenious function for that yellow stone, if I do say so myself. I thought it was only capable of controlling minds but now I hear it's somehow given powers to mere mortals and even had some role in your creation."
He looked up at Ultron.
"As well as this Vision," Loki continued, "of course, at the time that it was in my possession, I hadn't been in any position to wonder just what it was capable of."
The Trickster shrugged again.
"But, hindsight aside…I need to speak with Vision about this stone."
"Do the other Avengers know you're on the loose?" Carol grinned.
"Uhhh…no," Loki shook his head, his expression taking on a more sheepish or embarrassed form, "and I would rather prefer if as few of them as possible know about me, given our obvious history."
Carol tilted her head to the side.
"That's a shame," Carol replied, "because Vision is with the Avengers. How are you going to get to him?"
"Oh…I may have to put that little discussion on hold, as I do with all awkward exchanges of dialogue," Loki decided, "besides, there may yet be what you humans refer to as a bigger fish to fry, another stone similar to the one in Vision's possession that will hopefully not be embedded in a living being when I find it."
Carol's face lit up as she clenched her fists and bent her arms closer to her chest.
"Oh, cool!" chirped Carol, "can Ultron and I come along?"
Loki shook his head in disbelief.
"For a girlfriend of a robot," Loki sighed, "you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
"The Avengers were thinking the same thing when she said that she wanted to join them," remarked Ultron.
Ultron tilted his head in Carol's direction.
"And fortunately," Ultron continued, "she is still alive."
Just then, the waffle maker beeped, so Carol rotated it and opened it before she removed the second waffle. She stepped over to the coffee maker and poured herself some coffee and mixed in some sugar and milk.
"I would rather not put you two at risk regardless," Loki pronounced.
Upon hearing those words, Carol turned her head at Loki.
"Ok," she shrugged, "I guess I'll have to tell Mr. Stark that you dropped by to say hello."
Ultron let out a chuckle at how quickly the smile faded entirely from Loki's otherwise composed face.
"Ooooh and she strikes it right on the nerve," the robot commented.
Loki slowly inhaled and closed his eyes.
"Very well," he said, opening his eyes again, "but just so you know, I am not responsible for anything that happens to either of you, no matter how much Thor might insist otherwise later on."
"Not to worry," Ultron assured Loki, "Carol and I have each other's backs."
Smiling, Carol sat at the table and started eating her breakfast. During that time, Ultron sent a message through his com-link and after several minutes, a drone arrived with Carol's alchemy gauntlet. Once Carol finished her breakfast, she fetched her shoes and socks from the guest bedroom and slipped them on before she met up with Ultron and Loki at the hangar.
"So are you ready to go, my little kitten?" purred Ultron.
Carol plucked the alchemy gauntlet from Ultron's hands and slipped it on after placing the strap of her backpack around her.
"Ready whenever you are, my silver knight," Carol nodded.
Ultron lifted Carol into his arms while he led Loki onto the elevator platform. Ultron tilted his head in a drone's attention and nodded in approval, prompting it to flip a switch that caused the elevator platform to lift Ultron, Carol and Loki out of the hangar and onto the surface of the base.
"So when does our ride get here?" asked Ultron.
Loki made an amused chuckle.
"Do you really have to ask?" Loki commented.
Just after Loki spoke, the Bifrost shot down the sky and enveloped Ultron, Carol and Loki, carrying them across the cosmos. In a matter of moments, the trio emerged from the portal and stepped into the Bifrost Bridge, where they could see Thor and Heimdall ahead.
"Thank the Norns you've come back," Thor sighed in relief, "I was worried Thanos might've gotten you."
Loki scoffed playfully.
"Please," Loki remarked, "he was nowhere near Ultron's base of operations."
Thor made a brief glance at Ultron and Carol.
"I hope that time has passed peacefully for you both on Earth," Thor said as Ultron set Carol down, "it is good to see you again and in good health."
"I'm guessing you had reason to think we wouldn't be, in that case," Ultron ventured a guess.
Thor shrugged.
"I had reason to worry, yes," he admitted, "more than usual, given what I've been occupying myself with as of late."
"It's because of the stones, right?" clarified Carol.
Thor and Loki nodded.
"And we'd better hurry," suggested Loki, "it would be terrible if Thanos were ahead of us."
"Heimdall," called Thor, "set the course for Kataran!"
Nodding in agreement, Heimdall placed his sword into the pedestal, causing the Bifrost to lock onto the alien planet and activate. Ultron, Carol, Thor and Loki stepped into the portal, which whisked them across the universe. In a matter of seconds, they landed in Kataran. Loki checked the map in the book to confirm the location of the entrance to the labyrinth while he scanned the surroundings at intervals. He did confirm that they should be in front of the entrance, but after hearing Carol whimper, Loki noticed a humongous beehive at where the entrance should be.
"Well, that's disappointing," commented Loki, "I believe someone built a nest on top of the labyrinth."
Thor examined the beehive at a distance while he placed his hand behind his head.
"Perhaps there is another location on Kataran similar to the map?" Thor assumed.
Loki shook his head.
"I don't think so," replied Loki, "we will have to venture into the beehive if we are to reach the labyrinth."
A few giant bees flew by, and Carol yelped in fear before she embraced herself to Ultron's leg.
"W-We have to go in there?!" protested Carol, gesturing to the beehive, "there are giant bees flying around in that place!"
Loki couldn't help but smirk as he chuckled, turning his head at Carol.
"Don't worry, lass," Loki teased, "these bees only eat humans."
Carol let out a quavering moan as she pressed her face into Ultron's leg and closed her eyes. Ultron's visual receptors flared bright red as his face plating shifted, giving him the expression of one who was glaring venomously at the Trickster God.
"Say, Reindeer Games, after this how about we re-enact my favorite part of your ill fated invasion? It's a little something from Stark's security cameras entitled 'Puny God'."
Loki's mouth clamped shut as he realized the concealed meaning and the threat therein behind Ultron's words.
"I thought as much," Ultron nodded, knowing that the Asgardian had clearly received the point.
Ultron stroked Carol's back until she released her embrace.
"You know what," Carol suggested, "I'll just wait out here and find a place to hide."
Loki furrowed his eyes at Carol.
"That won't work," objected Loki, "Thanos could easily find you and take you hostage. Would you rather have him kill you in front of us?"
Carol cringed when memories of Thanos using his knife to slice through her arm and her leg returned to her mind. Loki might've been suggesting that Thanos could do much worse if he ever caught her again. But then she didn't want to risk getting stung by any of the giant bees, and she feared this could kill her.
"Maybe Ultron can…keep me safe out here?" Carol peeped.
Loki shook his head.
"Why not?" Ultron protested, "I can keep Thanos from harming her."
"There is a possibility that Thanos has the Reality Stone," clarified Loki, "he might use it to destroy both of you if you two remained outside the hive. But even if he doesn't use it or his physical violence, you should be more worried about his attempts to manipulate you into despair and insanity."
Carol groaned in defeat while Thor placed his finger on his chin, remembering the results of Sif and Volstagg's attempt to retrieve the Aether from the Collector.
"Ok, I'll go!" Carol fussed in such a childish tone.
I'm still open to suggestions on how to continue the fanfic.
Please leave a review, so Ultron and Loki would be happy.