Natasha and Aloisia had slowly walked downstairs as Al had wanted to meet Clint's family properly. Lila had run up to Natasha, wrapping her small arms around Natasha. She had turned shyly to Aloisia as Laura and Cooper walked over. "Hello" Aloisia whispered gently, crouching down closer to Lila's height
"Hi" Lila whispered shyly. The whole Barton house had heard lots about the goddess Aloisia. The woman who made Natasha so happy. Laura smiled and walked over to the two.
"It's lovely to meet you Aloisia" Laura smiled, Al stood back up and Laura noticed the two women's hands interlock again.
"I wish it was under better circumstances. You have a lovely home" Al replied politely, offering Laura a small smile.
"Is it true that you can make fire with your hands?" Cooper asked, giving Aloisa a small, very shy smile. He and Lila weren't sure if they believed their parents when they spoke about Al.
Al crouched down once more, standing in front of Cooper and Lila "it is. Would you like to see?" Al asked, looking to Laura to make sure it is okay. Laura nodded as Clint's children replied with a very enthusiastic yes. "Okay, stand back a little" the two took a large step back. Aloisia smiled at them as she opened her palm, a small flame flickered on top. She allowed it to weave between her fingers. She flicked her wrist and created a small tornado of fire in the palm of her hand.
Lila and Cooper awed, Laura was incredibly impressed. She had heard what Aloisia was capable of, but seeing it in person made it much more real, much more impressive.
——— . ———
A few hours later Fury meets with the rest of the team, most of them sit around Clint's table.
"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 announces, Lila runs up to Natasha and Aloisia handing them each a picture. She had attempted to draw a small fire for Al, but it looked more like a red scribble with a circular shape. Al smiled at her. Thanking the girl as Natasha cups her face smiling at the girl.
"What about Ultron himself?"
"Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though" Fury adds
"A what?" Aloisia asks, only to get ignored
"He still going after launch codes?"
"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway" Nick explained
"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare" Tony boasted
"Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that"
"NEXUS?" Steve questions
"It's the world internet hub in Oslo, every byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth" Bruce explains for him
"So what'd they say?"
"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed" says Fury
"By whom?" Tony asks, as a dart flies past his head, hitting the bullseye. He turns to Clint who only shrugs at him, smiling.
"Parties unknown"
"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asks
"Ultron's got an enemy, that's not the same thing. Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is" Fury explains
"I might need to visit Oslo, find our "unknown" Tony offers
"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that" Natasha says, Al nods agreeing it's her girlfriend.
"I do, I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard"
"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk" Nat turns to Steve cheekily as she replies to Fury
"You know what, Romanoff?" Natasha smiles mischievously at Steve as he talks
"So what does he want?"
"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies"
"Person bodies. The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it" Tony explains
"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed" Natasha say, turning to bruce and Tony
"I cant even pretend to be surprised though" Al adds
"They don't need to be protected, they need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve" Bruce says as he looks at Lilas picture of the butterfly she had painted for Natasha.
"How?"
"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" Bruce asks
in Helens lab, Cho is using the Cradle to create a new body for Ultron, he mind warped by the sceptre.
"It's beautiful. The Vibranium atoms aren't just compatible with the tissue cells, they're binding them. And SHIELD never even thought--"
"The most versatile substance on the planet and they used it to make a Frisbee. Typical of humans, they scratch the surface and never think to look within" Ultron uses a laser to break open the scepter's blue gem, and a yellow gem that was inside floats out and lands in his hand. He places it in the head of the body
Back at the Barton's far Steve says, "I'll take Natasha, Al and Clint" Steve says
"Alright, strictly recon. I'll hit the NEXUS, I'll join you as soon as I can" Tony agrees
"If Ultron is really building a body..."
"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot"
"You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me" Steve says with a small sigh
"I'll drop Banner off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?" Fury asks
"She's all yours, apparently" Tony replies
"What are you gonna do?" Steve asks
"I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope" Fury replies
"Honestly, don't do anything dramatic like creating another robot" Al says to Fury, turning to Tony and winking at the man. Tony rolls his eyes at her.
"I'm gonna finish re-flooring that sunroom as soon as I get back" Clint says to his wife as they talk away from everyone else.
"Yeah, and then you'll find another part of the house to tear apart"
"No. It's the last project. I promise" he kisses her; later Laura watches them fly off in the Quinjet
——— . ———
In NEXUS Internet Hub, Oslo, Norway "A hacker who's faster than Ultron? He could be anywhere. And as this is the center of everything, I'm just a guy looking for a needle in the world's biggest haystack" Tony explains
"How do you find it?" A tech asks
"Pretty simple. You bring a magnet" he starts playfully singing as he types "Oh, I'm decrypting nuclear codes and you don't want me to. Come and get me"
Steve and Al are on U-Gin Genetic Research Lab roof, "Two minutes. Stay close" Steve says, inside the lab Steve finds Cho wounded "Dr. Cho!" He runs up to her as Aloisia checks on other doctors.
"He's uploading himself into the body" Cho explains
"Where?"
"The real power is inside the Cradle. The gem, its power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the Cradle to Stark" Helen says
"First I have to find it"
"Go"
"Are you sure?" Al asks, the woman nods and Al hesitantly leaves.
Steve speaks over the Quinjet's comms "Did you guys copy that?"
"We did"
"I got a private jet taking off, across town, no manifest. That could be him" Natasha says
Clint noticing a truck heading across a bridge "There. It's a truck from the lab. Right above you, Cap. On the loop by the bridge. It's them. I got three with the Cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver" Clint adds as he scans the truck
"Negative! If that truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron" Steve jumps onto the roof of the truck, Aloisia flies along, hovering near him.
"No, no, no, no, no. Leave me alone!" Ultron shouts
Ultron blasts the truck door as Steve tries to enter "Well, he's definitely unhappy! I'm gonna try and keep him that way"
"I can only get a clear shot at him when you are out of the way Stevie" Al shouts
"You're not a match for him, Cap"
"Thanks, Barton" Steve says as he holds onto the door. Ultron unplugs himself from the Cradle and blasts Steve back onto another car as he tries to enter the truck, but with some maneuvering Steve manages to get back onto the truck's roof
"You know what's in that Cradle? The power to make real change, and that terrifies you"
"I wouldn't call it a comfort" Steve tries to fight with Ultron as Al watches for civilians that could be in danger. She cant get any shots at Ultron without harming Steve
"Stop it!" Steve's shield gets caught in his chest, and he smacks it away and fires at Steve
Clint turns to Natasha "We got a window. Four, three... give 'em hell" Natasha drops out of the Quinjet on a bike and rides towards the truck. On her way, she picks up Steve's shield
"I'm always picking up after you boys" Nat mutters, Al smiles at her words.
"But not me" Al grins. Nat smiles upon hearing her voice.
"They're heading under the overpass, I've got no shot"
"Which way?"
"Hard right... Now" Natasha heads over the truck. She throws Steve back his shield and he uses it to knock Ultron away from him
Nat speaks to the pedestrians on the pavement as she chases after the truck on her bike "Out of the way, coming through! Sorry, coming through!" Al deals with the car wreckages trying to avoid any more damage.
Steve continues his battle with Ultron on top of the truck "Come on!"
"Clint, can you draw out the guards?" Nat asks
"Let's find out"
"Beep beep!" Nat shouts, Barton manages to draw out the Drones from the truck
"Heading back towards you. So whatever you're gonna do, do it now" Clint says
"I'm going in. Cap, can you keep him occupied?" Nat asks as Aloisia flies in Ultron and Caps direction. She had death with the people so went to regroup and find Steve.
Steve continues his battle with Ultron on a speeding train "What do you think I've been doing?" as Natasha enters the truck the Drones head back, pick up the truck and lift off
"The package is airborne. I have a clean shot"
"Negative. I am still in the truck" Nat says, Aloisia attempts to fight ultron, unable to use her fire.
Clint Barton: What the Hell are you...?"
"Nat, get yourself out" Al shouts as she and Steve fight ultron
"Just be ready, I'm sending the package to you" Natasha tells Clint
"How do you want me to take it?"
"Uhh, you might wish you hadn't asked that" Natasha says as she cuts the ropes attaching ultron new body to the van.
Pietro and Wanda turn up on the train to fight with Ultron, Pietro speeds in as Wanda Blocks Ultron off using her powers to move the metal. "Please. Don't do this" Ultron says sadly
"What choice do we have?" Wanda says, Ultron flies off
"I lost him! He's headed your way!" Steve shouts
"Nat, we gotta go" Nat drops the cradle into the Quinjet but her foot gets caught by Ultron and she's pulled away
"Nat! Cap, you see Nat?"
"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!"
"Do you have eyes on Nat?" Clint continues to ask
"What happened to Natasha?" Aloisia asks
"Go!" reluctantly Barton takes off in the Quinjet; back to the train
"Damn it" Clint says as he flies off
"Where is Nat?!" Al flies off, knowing Steve will know what to do with the train as she tries to find Natasha.
"Civilians in our path" Steve orders Pietro, who speeds off; he turns to Wanda "Can you stop this thing?" as Pietro picks up civilians and moves them out of the way of the train, Wanda uses her powers and stops the train