Scarlet Lovers • Wanda Maximoff {BOOK 1}

TWELVE

After showering, the team along with Laura, met up in the kitchen with Nick Fury who had shown up early when Tony was "fixing" Clint's tractor.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all day he's building something. The amount of vibranium he's made off with, I don't think it's just one thing." Nick explained.

Alexis sat on the counter.

"What about Ultron himself?" Tony asked.

"Oh, he's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit." Fury replied. "Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans, though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asked.

"Yes, he is. But he's not making any headway."  Fury answered.

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony bragged.

"No need to brag. We all get it, you're smart." Alexis rolled her eyes. "And by smart I mean smart-ass."

Tony gave her a look, the others doing the same, but a different look.

"Well, I contacted our friends at Nexus about that."

"Nexus?"

"It's the world Internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on Earth." Bruce clarified.

"So, what'd they say?" Clint asked.

"He's fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly being changed."

"By whom?"

Tony then ducked his head out of the way when Clint threw a dart, landing a bullseye.

"Parties unknown."

Alexis smirked and stood up, giving it a try, but completely missing and it landing at Tony's feet. She giggled and he through it back at her, it whizzing just past her hair and she squinted at him, Clint trying not to laugh.

"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asked from the table.

"Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing." Nick said. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslo." Tony offered. "Find out unknown."

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you you'd have more than that." Natasha frowned.

"I do. I have you."

They all gave him a look.

"Back in the day I had eyes everywhere. Ears everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream of. Here we are, back on Earth, with nothing but out wit, and our will to save the world." Fury continued. "Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global distraction. All this, laid in a grave. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Natasha smirked, eyeing Steve.

"You know what, Romanoff?" Steve gave her a look.

Alexis giggled, her eyes flickering in between the two.

"So what does he want?" Fury interrupted.

"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies. The human form is inefficient. Biologically were outnumbered. But he keeps coming back to it."

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed." Natasha commented.

"They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve." Bruce looked around.

"That's it then, isn't it?" Alexis jumped off the counter. "These two idiots screwed this whole thing up trying to make Ultron in order to 'protect' the human race, but since they need to evolve and grow rather than be protected, then technically Ultron is following his orders."

"What does that mean then?" Steve asked.

"Don't you see?" Alexis furrowed her eyebrows.

"Ultron's going to evolve." Bruce answered.

Tony smirked and whispered, "Thats a true Stark right there."

Alexis folded her arms and rested herself against the counter.

"How is he going to evolve?" Fury questioned.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" Bruce looked around.

Once they took one more look around at each other, they came up with a game plan for what they were going to do.

"I'll take Nat and Clint. If Ultron's really building a body—."

"I'm coming too." Alexis followed Steve and Tony.

"Alexis, you don't—."

"We could use some backup." Steve nodded.

Tony sent a look over to Steve.

"Come on. I know what I'm doing. I have a brain and I can walk through walls! And disappear! And posses people for gods sake!" Alexis exclaimed.

"Fine. You can go. But before you suit up, I just want to say that...well...I...I'm...I'm sorry, Al. I'm sorry for lying to you for the past eighteen years. When I had you, I was this...party animal. I was still in college and I didn't know how to raise a kid. I also had a career to focus on and my father was extremely disappointed in me. So, my mom offered to take care of you and though I wanted to do it, because I knew you were going to be just like your old man the second you popped out, I—."

Alexis interrupted him by wrapping her arms around him. "Stop. You don't need to to this right now. We can continue this later, but I know you had your reasons."

"Alright. Kick some ass out there. Oh, and if you ever tell anyone that Tony Stark uttered the words, 'I'm sorry,' you're grounded until the day you die." Tony pointed.

Alexis laughed. "Trust me I know."

She swallowed and gave Steve and Tony each a look before stepping away to go suit up for her mission.