We Rise, Only To Fall / Steve Rogers

18

Strongest Metal On Earth

Several of Tony's Iron Legion bots burst through the wall. Steve threw the table up in front of the two of us but one of them hits it and we get thrust back, crashing onto the hard floor that made me scream in agony at my still-healing wounds. 

"Son of a bitch!" I grumbled. 

I grabbed the gun from my holster and readied it as Steve pushed himself up with ease and jumped on the back of one of the Legion. It simply used the suit to crush him against the wall. I aimed away from Steve's face and tried to shut it down but another bot flew at me. I quickly rolled to the side and allowed it to soar past. I could hear the others fighting them too, soon becoming overwhelmed. 

"STARK!" Steve yelled as he broke away from the bot. 

"One sec!" Tony replied, clearly strained. 

I got up off the floor and rejoined Steve. He cast me a brief glance, to check I was all okay and then turned as one of the Legion cornered Helen Cho. He grabbed the bot and flung it backwards. "THOR!" 

Thor obliterates it in seconds. 

"Steve!" I cried and the soldier's head darted to me instantly. 

"You okay?" He asked me quickly and I nodded.

"Shield." 

He looked at me then nodded, looking around for his shield as Clint called "CAP!" and threw the shield to Steve. He jumped and caught it effortlessly and honestly if we weren't fighting an evil army of Tony's Iron Legion, I would've swooned right there and then. Steve threw the shield at the last remaining bot and it broke in two, clattering to the floor in a pile of metal.

Everyone waited for more but they didn't come. 

"That was dramatic!" Ultron merely commented, breaking the silence. He stood where he had before, looking worse for wear but still standing. Tony sat himself down on the stairs and I stood closer to Steve. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through." Steve took my hand and we moved further. Pure fury was written on his face. "You want to protect the world but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve?" Ultron picked up on of the broken Legion bots. "With these? These puppets." He broke its head. "There's only one path to peace. The Avengers' extinction."

Thor threw his hammer at Ultron and he broke into pieces. 

The lights in Ultron's face began to fade as he sung, "I had strings, but now I'm free..."

Everyone dared to breath, then slowly turned to Tony. I marched up to him, barely able to contain my anger. I shoved Steve off when he tried to grab for my hand. "Lab. NOW!" I barked at him, not even bothering to be kind to my brother who had somehow created that monster and hadn't even told us. Especially me. 

I was mad as hell only ten times hotter.

~

"All our work is gone," Bruce mourned. "Ultron cleared out. He used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron." Steve repeated quietly, shaking his head. 

"He's been in everything," Natasha added. "Files, surveillance."

"He probably knows more about us all than we do about each other." I sighed, rubbing my face. 

Rhodey stood up. "He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"

"Nuclear codes..." Maria realised.

"Nuclear codes," Rhodey repeated. "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can."