The Shadow [a marvel fanfiction]

Age of Ultron: Chapter Seven

Marie peered over Nat's shoulder in the quinjet, searching for anything Ultron could be using to transport the cradle. She tied back her hair and kept her eyes on the screen while Clint piloted the jet. Helen Cho was injured and probably dying. She was a good woman, funny and smart, but they had to focus on Ultron and hope that a medical team could get to her in time.

"Did you guys copy that?" Steve asked over the comms. They needed to get the cradle out of Ultron's metal hands and back to Tony to destroy some magical gem. Easier said than done.

Clint answered him. "We did."

"I got a private jet taking off across town," Nat reported. Marie squinted at the screen.

"No m-manifest... that could be him."

"There," Clint said, looking down at the highway. "It's a truck from the lab. Right above you, Cap, on the loop by the bridge."

He ran a thermal scan over the truck. "It's them. Three with the cradle, one in the cab. I can take out the driver—"

Steve cut him off. "Negative! That truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron."

Marie groaned. "I can't wait to-to melt this metal m-m-man, I hate highway fights."

"What? I thought you loved them," Nat teased, walking over to her motorbike. "Hop on. This time, try not to cut off circulation to my legs."

"How about you stop driving like a psycho?"

Clint interrupted their squabble. "We got a window... Four, three—give 'em hell."

Marie squeezed her arms around Nat as the doors opened and dropped the bike in the middle of the street. Immediately, Nat gunned the bike forward, weaving in and out of cars. Marie grimaced and huddled behind Nat's body.

"Marie!" Nat shouted. "Grab that for me!"

Bike tilted to the side, Marie quickly scooped the shield off the ground. "Why are we always p-picking up after these boys?"

Marie hooked the shield onto her back. It was way heavier than it needed to be and dwarfed her frame. Still, she felt completely badass with Captain America's shield on her back.

"They're heading under the overpass," Clint reported. "I've got no shot."

"Which way?" Nat asked. Marie gripped her sides tighter.

"Hard right... now."

Marie squeaked as Nat banked around a corner and drove through a narrow street. They nearly ran into a dozen people, zipping past them and flying up an impossibly tight alley. Marie nearly vomited when Nat skidded the bike on its side and they flew underneath the truck.

"I hate you so much right now!" Marie shouted. The redhead only laughed as they rode up next to the truck. Ultron was too busy strangling Steve to shoot them.

Gripping the shield, Marie launched herself up off the bike. Mid-air, she tossed the shield and sent it flying on a telekinetic wave straight into Ultron's arm. She landed heavily on her feet as Steve grabbed the shield, sending her a quick nod.

"Glad you could join," he said breathlessly. He sent another jab to Ultron's torso. The machine blasted Steve back. He flew off the truck and slammed into the windshield of a car.

Marie ducked and deflected a blast. It clipped an overpass support and she winced. She let another blast phase through her shadow form before entrapping Ultron in a forcefield. Its walls barely held his furious blasts in.