Agent Mikaelson

Chapter 9: This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Hope's POV:

When we get into the kitchen I grab a drink from the fridge and we go sit at the table. I don't look up at Steve even though I know he's trying to get my attention. I nod my hello to Fury who nods back.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with...I don't think it's just one thing." Fury says. Lila run sup to Nat and I, handing us both identical sheets of paper.

I smile and thank her before she runs back to Laura. I look down to see Lila, Nat, and I as stick figures smiling and holding hands. I smile softly. "What about Ultron himself?" Steve asks. I look up briefly and make eye contact with him. I immediately break it, looking down at my hands

"Oh, he's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a catholic rabbit. It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though." "Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asks. "Yes he is, but he's not making any headway."

"How? I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony says. "Well I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that." Fury explains. "Nexus?" Steve asks, confused. Obviously he would have no clue what Nexus is.

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth." Bruce tells him. "So what'd they say?" I ask Fury, crossing my arms. "He's fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly being changed." Fury explains. "By whom?" Tony asks.

"Parties unknown." "We have an ally?" Nat asks. "Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing. Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is." "I might need to visit Oslo. Find our unknown." Tony says.

"Well, this is good times boss, but I was kinda hoping when I saw you you'd have more than that." Nat tells Fury. "I do. I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere. Ears, everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream up." He's not wrong.

"Here we all are, back on earth. With nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this, laid in a grave." He says.

I look around at my teammates. "So stand. Out wit the platinum bastard." "Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Nat jokes, lightening the mood. "You know what Romanoff." He grumbles with a smile on his face. "So what does he want?" Fury asks, sitting down.

"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies." "Human bodies." Tony adds in. "The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking we're outmoded, but he keeps coming back to it." Tony says.

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed." I grumble. "They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve." We all look at Bruce with a curious look. "Ultron is going to evolve." "How?" I ask. "Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho."

That son of a bitch. "Suit up." Steve says. We all nod and go to change. Once I have my suit on I head back down stairs where Tony and Steve are talking. "I'll take Natasha, Clint, and Hope." Steve says. "Ok, strictly recon. I'll go to Nexus, I'll join you as soon as I can." Tony says.

"If Ultron is really building a body..." Steve trails off and Tony picks up his unfinished statement. "Then he'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot." That can't be good.

"You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me." Steve says. Then Fury enters. "I'll drop Banner off at the tower. You mind if I borrow Miss Hill?" He asks, putting on his coat. "She's all yours, apparently." Tony says.