Too Obvious to See // MARVEL // STONY

2.09 thor you're being childish even though you're the oldest

Knowledge is like underwear. It is useful to have it, but not necessary to show it off. - Bill Murray.

STEVE ROGERS and Maria Hill walked out of the elevator towards the stairs, talking about Ultron.

'He's all over the globe,' Agent Hill told Steve. 'Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs. Reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place.'

The two colleagues and friends walked up the stairs, discussing the peculiar situations. It was weird. A robot created to protect the world and her beauty was now planning to hurt all people on the very same planet. It was like teaching a child to write properly and they used that knowledge to spread hate and false rumors.

'Fatalities?' Steve asked.

Maria shook her head. 'Only when engaged. Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and "something too fast to see."'

'Maximoffs,' Steve realized. 'That makes sense he'd go to them. They have someone in common.'

'Not anymore,' Maria informed the blond. She held up a tablet for Steve only to see a picture of Strucker, dead, against a wall. On the same wall was written in probably his blood the word "peace". Which was very ironic given Ultron just murdered someone. The two continued to walk and Steve stops to see Clint talking on the phone.

'Barton. Might have something.'

'I gotta go,' Clint said into the phone. He hung up.

'Who was that?' Steve asked curiously.

Clint shrugged. 'Girlfriend.'

Not many minutes later Clint and Steve walked into Tony's lab where Thor, Tony and Natasha were gathered too. The redhead sat behind the computer. Steve showed Thor the tablet with the file while Tony walked over to them, looking at the picture.

'What's this?' the billionaire asked confused.

Thor gave the tablet angrily back to Steve while Bruce entered the room. 'A message,' the soldier answered. 'Ultron killed Strucker.'

'And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us,' Tony thought out loud, feeling something wasn't right about this.

Natasha shook her head. 'This is a smoke screen,' she concluded. 'Why send a message when you've just given a speech?'

Suddenly it became very clear for Steve. 'Strucker knew something Ultron wanted us to miss.'

Natasha began to type furiously.

'Yeah, I bet he-' Natasha started. '-Everything we had on Strucker's been erased.'

'Not everything.'