Titanium | Barnes (1)

18. Creating a Vision

The glass shatters from beneath Pietro's feet, and he drops down.

Everything descends into chaos. Steve throws his shield but Tony deflects. Wanda tries to help, but Malka sees Banner coming. She snaps the garrote in her hands and steps between the two, narrowing her eyes. "Touch her, and you won't like what happens next."

"Didn't she make you lose control?" Banner sneers. "Go ahead, piss me off, Laska. Let's see whose monster is worse."

Before either can engage, Thor bursts into the room and leaps atop the cradle, striking it with lightning before anyone can stop it. Malka wraps her hand around Wanda and pulls her back as the cradle explodes, sending Thor to the ground as a red being emerges, a glowing yellow stone in his forehead.

It takes a look around before it lunges for Thor who tosses it through the window. It stops its fall just before it can fall from the apartment, looking out over the city of New York as everyone slowly approaches it.

"Stay behind me," Malka whispers when she feels the brush of wind that accompanies Pietro.

The being turns back to them, floating to the ground as Thor sets his hammer down and approaches. "I'm sorry, that was odd. Thank you." It rolls its shoulder back, a cape manifesting along with armor.

"Thor," Steve pants. "You helped create this?"

"I've had a vision," Thor says. "A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at its center is that." He points at the being's forehead.

"What, the gem?" Banner asks.

"It's the mind stone," Thor explains. "It's one of the six Infinity stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities."

Steve frowns. "Then why would you bring it to—"

"Because Stark is right."

Malka lets out a low whistle. "I can die happy now knowing the world is imploding."

"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron."

The being tilts its head. "Not alone."

"Why does your vision sound like JARVIS?" Steve asks.

Tony steps forward. "We reconfigured JARVIS' metric to create something new."

"I think I've had my fill of new."

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" The being asks.

"You're not?"

"I'm not Ultron. I'm not JARVIS. I am...I am."

Malka purses her lips when Wanda steps forward. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation."

"Look again."

"Yeah, her seal of approval means jack to me."

"Shut up, Barton," Malka hisses.

"Their powers, the horrors in our heads," Thor says. "Ultron himself. They all came from the mind stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side—"

"Hold on." Malka holds out a hand. "You're putting our fate in a power you can't hope to control? In a being with its own mind, like Ultron. You think it's on our side? Are you?"

"I don't think it's that simple." She can practically see the code in its eyes.

"Well, it better get simple real soon," Barton replies.

"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't, he will end it all."

"What's he waiting for?" Tony asks.

"You."

"Where?" Banner demands.

"Sokovia," Barton replies. "He's got Nat there too, we just got her."

Banner shakes his head. "If we're wrong about you, if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be—"

"What will you do?" It looks around at them all. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain, but that pain will roll over the Earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net, we have to act now, and not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me, but we need to go." It picks up Thor's hammer and holds it out to him.

Thor carefully takes the hammer from it as it walks away. Everyone stares. "Right," Thor clears his throat. "Well done."

"Three minutes," Steve says as he looks around. "Get what you need."

"Come on," Malka murmurs to the twins. "I'll show you to a change of clothes."

The three walk down silently to the armory. So many different rooms, yet each is different. Malka holds her hands out as she turns to face them. "Stark's got all you'll need. You should suit up, even if you're not fighting with us. Just against Ultron."

"Wanda says you knew our grandfather," Pietro says, tilting his head.

"I did." Malka bites the inside of her cheek. "Did he die peacefully?"

The twins exchange a look. "In his own way," Wanda replies. "I am sorry for before. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"We all do at first." She glances between the two, a small smile tugging at her lips. "He'd be proud. I made a promise to him a long time ago that I broke. I plan on keeping it now."

"What promise is that?"

"To keep his family alive."

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Oh, Malka...don't make promises you can't keep...

Hope you enjoyed!

-L