Ion Heart

Chapter 20: Visions

Sparky. 

The affection is still there. The warmth, the familiarness. But his mouth shuts and he looks away. Broken. 

My head swims as I search for the moonlight. A hand dares to reach out. A soft word waits to slip from lips. But I won't. Because I cannot, will not, apologise for who I am. We are Anakin and Padme. Romeo and Juliet. Two separate sides. And I will not cross to his. So instead I look away and I push my feelings aside. 

Wanda lifts a finger. Red curls around my mind. Wanda's magic,...  Ultron's eyes,....  my           heart                           tearing             in                    two. 

Whatever she did must have knocked me out because I'm tied up in a different location. My dress is filthy and my make up claggy. I'm exhausted. The pounding of metal vibrates through the walls, making my fingers tingle with electricity. I scan the area. The robots are building each other. Machines making machines... Ultron is creating an army. I need to get out of here. I need to warn the Avengers. I feel nauseous. Maybe Pietro zipped me up here. I ignore the thought of his hands on mine and push away the blush forming on my cheeks. I'm just hot, I tell myself, despite the fact that I'm shivering. I hate the cold. 

Ultron comes back from the tour he was giving his two followers. Pietro's eyes catch mine, his silver eyes a shining light in the dark. His sister ignores me. I wish I had the ability to read minds. I would search through his. I would see how he sees me. 

I try to listen into their conversation. Wanda seems to do most of the talking. Both stand close together, ready to defend if they need to. I don't think they trust Ultron, not entirely. Wanda is looking around curiously at the metal factory. 

'All of these are-'

'Me.' Ultron finishes. 'I have something the Avengers never will. Harmony. They're discordant, disconnected. Stark's already got them turning on each other.'

As much as I hate to admit it, I fear Ultron may be right. With the creation of a murder bot, my disappearance and dad's strong opinions, they're probably ripping each other to shreds. Secrecy never boded well. 

Ultron turns to Wanda, a sinister smile creeping across his face. 'And when you get inside everyone's heads-' 

'Everyone's plan is not to kill them.' Pietro interupts. A spark of hope flares inside of me. He has been oddly quiet. Maybe he doesn't want this. Maybe he'll be the shining prince to rescue me. Stop.

'You need to see the big picture.' Ultron retaliates. 

'I don't see the big picture. I have a little picture.' Pietro snaps back. So much fire. But I think I know where this is going. I'm starting to piece the puzzle together. It makes my stomach flip but I may have a chance to take control. To change his mind.

'I know you lost your parents in the bombings and I'm sorry. But helping Ultron won't bring you the closure you think it will.' I look straight at him, mustering all the sympathy I can. 

'Do you know who killed our parents?' Wanda spits, but there's more remorse behind her words. My plan may have backfired.   

'We were ten years old, having dinner-' Pietro starts. Whatever hope I had is slowly starting to fade away. I fear the moon is showing its dark. '-when the first shell hit, making a hole in the floor. I grab her, roll under the bed and the second shell hits. But it doesn't go off. And on the side of the shell is painted one word. "Stark." 

Suddenly I feel very, very sick. 

'Every movement and I think this will set it off.'

'We wait for two days for Tony Stark to kill us.'