Chapter 31: Nightmare in Scarlet
Tracking down Klaue turned out to be the wise move, as the Avengers found Ultron there. They slowly entered the warehouse, splitting up in order to find better vantage points and stage an ambush. Thor, Steve and Tony approached from the front in order to directly confront Untro, while the others took up position above the area. Catra and Adora ended up across the facility from one another. As they moved into position, they overheard the conversation Ultron, in his new body, was having with Klaue.
"You know. It came at great personal cost." Klaue had said, rubbing the brand on his neck. "It's worth Billions."
Ultron merely chuckled and closed his eyes for a moment, before looking back at Klaue. "Now so are you." He told the surprised arms dealer. The buzzing of one of his subordinate's phones confirmed the bank transfer. "It's all under your dummy holdings. Finance is so weird. But I always say, 'Keep your friends Rich, and your enemies rich, and wait to find out which is which'." Adora shook her head, recognizing the phrase from one of Tony's old interviews.
Even Klaue found it familiar. "Stark."
"What?" Ultron asked, sounding….displeased.
"Tony Stark used to say that." Klaue continued, seemingly ignoring or ignorant of the machine's growing anger. "To me. You're one of his."
"What!? I'm not-" Ultron angrily lashed out and grabbed Klaue's arm, glaring down at him. One of Klaue's guards tried to raise his pistol, but Wanda used her weird powers to keep his hand at his side."I'm Not." Ultron's voice lowered to a growl. "You think I'm one of his puppets? One of his hollow men?" Ultron's voice began to raise as he continued. "I mean look at me! Do I look like Iron Man? Stark is NOTHING!" As Ultron yelled the final words, he sliced off Klaue's arm at the elbow, before suddenly looking concerned. "I'm sorry I'm...oh...I'm sure that's gonna be okay? Sorry." The Machine's voice seemed genuine, as if it was apologizing for spilling a drink and not severing a man's arm. "It's just that I don't understand. Don't compare me, with STARK!" Ultron then swung back into anger and kicked Klaue in the face, knocking him down the stairs.
"As amusing as this was maybe we should move in…" Catra deadpanned. Thor, Steve and Tony agreed and moved in to meet Ultron.
"It's a thing with me." The robot continued to rant. "Stark..he's a SICKNESS!"
"Ah, Junior. You're gonna break your old man's heart." Tony quipped as he flew down in front of Thor and Steve.
"If I have to…" Ultron replied, the Avengers moving into position and Adora drawing a pistol.
"Nobody has to break anything." Thor said, trying to deescalate things. Adora was more than ready for another Tony quip, but to her amusement, Ultron beat him to the punch.
"Clearly you've never made an omelet."
"He beat me by one second…" Tony groaned under his helmet.
"Ah yes, he's funny." The male Enhanced, now known as Pietro, said as he walked over. Adora sort of zoned out while Pietro and Wanda spoke. She caught the gist of it, insulting Tony for his military manufacturing past.
She came back to her senses when her father spoke. "I know you've suffered-"
Ultron simply chuckled as he tried to talk to the two. "Ah yes, Captain America. God's righteous man, pretending you can live without a war." The robot mocked. "I can't physically throw up in my own mouth, but…"
"If you believe in peace, then let us keep it." Thor argued.
Ultron was still not dissuaded. "I think you're confusing 'peace' with 'quiet.'" He retorted, sounding more bored than anything.
"Uh-huh, what do you need the Vibranium for." Tony finally just asked.
Ultron motioned with his hand, and Adora caught sight of something opening up. "I'm so glad you asked. I was hoping to tell you all about my evil plan." Ultron deadpanned. And then with a magnetic pull, the battle began.
The battle for the Warehouse was beyond Chaotic. Shortly after things began, Klaue's men began to open fire on both sides. Soon things erupted into a massive three-way fight, and Adora was doing her best to not get overwhelmed. She threw her sword into an Ultron drone, and dodged automatic fire to punch the shooter unconscious. Even Bruce called to ask if a Code Green was required.
She called her sword back into her hand and slashed down another drone. "Catra, you holding up alright?" She called into her communicator.
"Holding in. These Drones are tough." Catra replied, suddenly nyaing in surprise. "PLEASE tell me I didn't transmit that sound to the entire team…"
"'Fraid so Catra." Clint Deadpanned. "Heads up!" He fired an arrow which whizzed past her to head-shot someone sneaking up on her.
Catra groaned and dug her claws into a drone's chest. "Thanks Clint."
"I'm gonna try and find the Enhanced." Adora suddenly said, heading off past a few of the attackers. "If I can take one of them out of the fight, it'll do us a world of good."
"Be careful Adora!" Nat called out. "Wait for backup!"
"Be warned my friends." Thor suddenly said over the comms. "The Witch attempted to affect my mind. I doubt a human could resist it. Fortunately I am mighty." He boasted, before his voice trailed off.
Catra's eyes widened and she remembered what she heard from Natasha at Avengers tower. The survivors of Ultron's attacks mumbling about things that scared them. "ADORA!" She ran off to try and track down Adora before Wanda got to her first…
Adora, meanwhile, just finished tears two Ultron Drones apart with her sword and bare hands. Her hunt for the Enhanced had not been going well, especially since one of them had Super Speed. She wasn't wanting to fight them, in truth. She wanted to help them. She knew what it was like to be raised by HYDRA, by a madman. Or in her case, a madwoman. While Catra seemingly had forgiven Santos for what she did, Adora was far, FAR less willing to do so. Eespecially considering she nearly had her entire life wiped away to make her some hollow vessel for an Elder God. So she wanted a chance to at least try and discuss things with Wanda and Pietro, try to convince them that they were misguided. The chances were slim due to their rage at Tony, but it was at the very least worth an honest try.
As she stalked through the hallways, she felt a strange heaviness taking over her mind and saw small wisps of red. She quickly swung around in time to see Wanda grinning smugly at her. "You..what did you just do?" She demanded as Wanda backed away into the Shadows. Adora went to follow after her, only for the shadows to appear to close in around her. She looked around, quietly, until she came across the last thing she ever wanted to see.
Catra's body lying dead on the hard, stone ground of the Followers base.
"C-Catra….no…" Adora's voice shook as she walked over and cradled her dead friend, trying to check for a pulse, desperately seeking signs of life. "Catra, please don't go...please!" She shook Catra, and tears began to form in her eyes. "CATRA!"
"She was weak, Adora…" The voice sent chills down Adora's spine. Then came the familiar feeling of a cold hand on her shoulder. Doctor Lorraine Santos was alive, and right next to her. "She would never have been able to survive. But you? You are truly special." Santos's hands gripped the sides of Adora's head and she yelled out in terror as the Followers gathered around her…
Catra rushed over in time to see Adora on the ground, rolling and clutching her head. She tried to rouse Adora from her waking nightmare, when she caught the scent of another approaching. An unfamiliar scent. She quickly gripped Adora's sword, barely even realizing she was able to lift it, and threw it behind her. The sword barely missed Wanda's head and embedded in the wall. Catra, glaring dagger and baring her fangs, hissed out at Wanda. "What did you do to my Adora!?" She angrily demanded of the Enhanced.
"Shown her what she fears most." Wanda replied, energy swirling around her hands. "I wonder what your nightmare will be."
"That supposed to be a threat? Well, let me tell you a secret. I spent the last fifteen years of my life living my greatest Nightmare. You can't hurt me anymore than I already have been." Catra replied, letting her claws out and growled. "Bring your worst, Scarlet Bitch. I'll claw your eyes out for what you did to her!"
Adora, still unaware that she was in the midst of a horrific vision, now found herself within Avengers tower. As she looked around, she saw the corpses of the Avengers lining the room. Among them, was also several people she knew and loved in Shield, such as Kyle and Fury. Even worse, her own handed were covered in blood. The only Avenger still alive was Natasha, who leaned back against a counter with her gun drawn at Adora.
"You...you're not Adora anymore…" Natasha said through gritted teeth. "You're not!" As she raised the pistol to pull the trigger, Adora found herself raising her own handgun and firing, against her own will. The bullet struck Natasha right in the heart, and she slumped over dead.
"M-mom...mom no I…" She stammered, trying to find the right words and dropping the handgun. "I'm sorry! I didn't...I didn't do this! I can't have!" She stumbled out of the room and collapsed down a flight of stairs, coming to a stop in front of a large mirror. In the mirror, she could see that she was back in her old Followers uniform, stained crimson red by the blood of the Avengers. Her friends, her Family.
"Well done my dear Adora…" Santos said as she began to form out of the room's shadows and glared down at her. "You truly are my greatest creation...my perfect soldier." Santos patted Adora on the head like she was some sort of pet, and chuckled darkly at her. "Did you really think you could ever be happy? That you could have a family? No no...you're just a creation. A thing." Santos grabbed Adora's chin and pulled her face to face. "You belong to me. Your life is mine to command and use as I wish. You will fight who I demand you fight, kill who I command you to kill. You. Will. NEVER. Be free."
"Sh-shut up...this...this isn't real! This isn't real!" Adora pleaded, trying to wrench herself free from the witch's grip.
"You will be my weapon Adora, and when the time is right, the vessel for our god." Santos repeated. "Do you honestly believe someone like you can ever be a hero? You're nothing but a murderer pretending that you fight for some kind of justice. You're a monster, Adora."
"SH-SHUT UP!" Adora screamed with tears in her eyes as she fired at Santos, the bullet passing right through her. She began to scream in rage and sorrow as she unloaded her entire clip at the shadowy figure, until her entire world seemed to shake.
"Adora! Adora can you hear me!" The Voice of Catra rang clear, and Adora looked around in confusion. "Adora listen to me! That witch has messed with your mind, it's not real! ADORA!"
"ADORA!" Catra yelled, shaking Adora and giving her a firm, solid slap across the face to bring her back to her senses. The Red mist around her head cleared and Adora looked around with a look of terror on her face. The moment her eyes locked with Catra's, she embraced Catra in the tightest hug she's ever had.
"C-catra...I saw...I saw you die…" Adora said, beginning to cry. "A-and the Avengers...killed by me."
"That witch screwed with your head." Catra told her, pulling her head close and running her hand through Adora's hair. "She tried to do it to me too. She even hit Thor, Steve and Natasha with it."
"It all felt so real." Adora said, curling up as she trembled. "Where's Ultron."
"Tony was chasing after her. Last I heard, Clint knocked Wanda out, but her brother got her away." Catra explained.
"They're victims, like us, Catra." Adora told her, despite her voice shaking.
"They're monsters Adora." Catra bitterly replied. "What they did to you-"
"Were we any better under Santos?" Adora pointedly asked, stopping Catra's rant in its tracks. The two shared a long glance, each trying to figure out what to say.
Tony spoke up for them. "Natasha, I'm gonna need a lullaby real quick!" he said over the group's comms. This terrified Adora.
"Oh shit….she got Bruce!" She said.
"That's not gonna happen." Clint replied. "Not for a while. The whole team is down except me and Catra. You've got no backup here."
There was a short silence over the radio before Tony spoke up again. "I'm calling in Veronica." The Hulkbuster. Tony was desperate enough to call in the Hulkbuster armor. Adora and Catra could only imagine what horrible things Bruce- no, the Hulk was being shown. It had to be bad to drive him berserk enough for Tony to resort to the Hulkbuster unit he and Bruce had designed together. And if Hulk and Tony were about to throw down in the middle of a city, the collateral damage was going to be horrific.
Unfortunately, they both knew there was nothing they could do, and silently made their way back to the Quinjet. They saw Natasha, Thor and Steve were as out of it as Adora was, and as Clint and Catra shared a look, everyone gathered knew that the mission was an utter failure…
To be Continued…
Not much to say here. This chapter was difficult to write to be perfectly honest. I went through about three different iterations of the nightmare scene before deciding on one. Hell at one time it was gonna be Catra that got the mind-screw, but I feel that we already saw her at rock bottom, so Adora fit much more.
I do not own She-Ra or the MCU
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NEXT TIME: Discussion and Recovery.