chapter v.
( age of ultron )
I'm had strings
but now i'm free
there are no
strings on me
i've got no strings ─── dickie jones
avengers tower
may 2, 2015
My heeled feet click as I reach the edge of the floor where the staircase cascades down to the lounge. All of my wild and confused thoughts slide away as I watch the party stretching out below. A soft smile touches my cheeks. I thank God that this is nothing like my dad's old parties as, here, I actually know people and, instead of skimpily dressed women and shots, we have nice jazz music and actual smiles. These "revels" or whatever it was that Thor called it, it's refreshing. The bright lights of the city shine through the distant glass windows and the penthouse is warmly lit, making everything feel cozy and casual.
I hear a collection of whistles and catcalls sent in the direction of me and my red dress. A near instant scowl takes over my expression and I irritatedly look around, trying to find the sources so that I can kick their butts. The sight of Dad and Rhodey standing at the bottom of the staircase makes me blow out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God it's just you two," I laugh as I take Rhodey's hand so he'll help me get down the staircase in these ridiculous shoes, "I was about to break some guys' knees for hollering at me like that."
Dad pulls a face, touching a hand to the center of his chest, and glancing from Rhodey to me, "'Just us'? Did you hear that?" when Rhodey nods and confirms that he did, Dad goes on, "What do you mean 'just us'? We're the greatest people in this joint."
Rhodey chimes in, crooking his eyebrows at me, "Yeah, ouch, Lees, seriously. God, and I thought you liked us."
I shrug and tilt my hand back and forth, "Eh."
"That hurts," Rhodey points at me before walking away, "That really hurts."
"You know I love you, Baby!" I call after him, getting on my tiptoes as I hold up a hand to cup the side of my mouth.
Without turning back, he lets out a sarcastic, "Ha!"
I laugh lightly before turning to my staring dad. I can't help but wonder if the discomfort between us has passed. We've, of course, talked since he snapped at me in the lab last night, but every conversation feels like we are stepping carefully around broken glass. I hate feeling like that and I know that he does too.
Hoping that it is all forgotten, I give a small smile, "What?"
"Oh nothing, you know," he rolls his eyes and shrugs his shoulders a little, "You're just beautiful is all."
"Aw Dad," I softly say, touching my chest as I blush a little.
"I did a really good job, huh?" he scrunches his nose and squints at my face as if he's inspecting me.
My hand immediately drops and I give him a frown, "You have to take credit for everything, don't you?"
"Hey!" he stretches his hands back as his voice raises in pitch, "I made you."
"First of all," I hold up a finger, "ew. I don't want or need to hear about how you 'made' me, alright? It's a visual image I can most certainly live without," he laughs a little before I continue, "Second of all, you 'made' fifty percent of me. Twenty-three chromosomes, Daddio, twenty-three."
"Are you done?" he raises an eyebrow.
I do the same, completely mimicking his tone and expression, "Are you?"
He just gives a me straight face and his voice is monotone as he says, "Wow, you ought to take it on the road."
I laugh before linking my arm with his, "Seriously though, thank you."
He nods, pressing his lips down onto themselves as he smiles, "Love you, Smalls."
And, just like that, I'm led to believe all is well again.
"Love you too," I lift up on my toes so that I can kiss his cheek.
The next few hours fly by as I slip through the crowds of people, hanging around the ones that I know. I stand around with Clint and Helen for a while before I find my way over to Nat and Rhodey. As I pass him, I give a thumbs up to Bruce who is doing a wonderful job at avoiding most human interaction. I discover that I am terrible at playing pool, but, then again, so is Steve's friend from D.C., Sam, so I don't feel too out of place.
I sit with Thor around a group of army veterans for a while, laughing and listening as everyone shares their own war stories. The war stories are all interesting to listen to, well, all except one.
"But, you know, the suit can take the weight, right?" Rhodey leans across Maria to grab his drink from the bar, shaking his head a little as he speaks, "So I take the tank, fly it right up to the general's palace, drop it at his feet. I'm, like, 'Boom! You looking for this?'"
Oh God.
My uncle cracks a laughing smile. Dad, Thor, and I just stare at him with noncommittal expressions as if we don't quite get the point of the story. Dad gives a little bit of a smile, at least trying to be polite for his best friend's sake. On the other hand, I just raise my eyebrows and Thor looks like he's waiting for there to be more to the story. I guess it is somewhat hard to be impressed when you're part of the Avengers, as I am officially allowed to be on the team now. It's not that I'm bragging or anything, of course.
Rhodey's smile drops as he tries to repeat in an explanatory tone, "Boom. Are you looking for,'" he suddenly cuts off, quickly looking between the three of us, "Why do I even talk to you guys?! Everyone else that story kills."
Dad glances off to the side as I yawn a little.
Thor motions his beer around, his brows furrowing in confusion, "That's the whole story?"
"Yeah," Rhodey says quietly, shrugging, "it's a War Machine story."
Dad takes a sip of his champagne as we glance at each other in amusement.
"Oh, it's very good, then," the god chuckles.
Rhodey rolls his eyes and nods off to the side.
Still laughing, Thor quickly nods back to encourage him, "It's impressive."
I laugh and cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hide my smirk.
"Quality save," Rhodey's sarcastic frown turns uncomfortable as he changes the subject, "Okay, so, how's the, uh, 'him', Lees?" I look up at my uncle who asks me, "You two still good?"
I give a small, amused shake of the head at his awkwardness. Rhodey, Dad, and Happy are still so weird about the fact that I am in a (uh oh, the forbidden word) relationship. I'm about eighty-eight percent sure that they remained in denial of it for the first year. Dad even came up to me about three months into the relationship, quietly offering me money so that I would not keep dating. Pepper made him sleep on the couch for a week after that. I decided not to feel bad. I know that my father and uncles have nothing against T; T is, well, sort of perfect, although I may be biased. Honestly, they'd be this way no matter what man I decided to date.
"We're great," I nod, rolling my eyes but still smiling, "Thanks, Rhodey,"
He nods still so very awkwardly before he and my dad catch each other's eye. They give each other slow, unhappy headshakes of understanding. They are so dramatic. And Dad always wonders aloud where I get it. Maria and I share a playfully annoyed look before the conversation moves on.
"So, no Pepper?" Rhodey asks Dad, sounding both confused and concerned, "She's not coming?"
My entire mood changes as I quietly watch my father's face change. He subtly says no and shakes his head. As he stares off past us, his eyes flash in pain and I once again think about the tension between them lately. They're usually so happy and content to just be in each other's company, but something is dragging them apart. It's nearly as if they can't stand to be in around each other for more than a few days. Most of the time Pepper is on the other side of the country, for goodness sake! Everything is not okay, no matter what my parents both tell me. I blink away the memories of hearing them argue while I hide away in my bedroom.
"Hey, what about Jane?" Maria speaks up from beside me, joking, "Where are the ladies, Gentlemen?"
"Well, Ms. Potts has a company to run, so," Dad nods and gives a flat smile, looking up at them as I look down at my high heels.
"Yes, I'm not even sure what country Jane's in," Thor brags as my father's smile slowly falls as he becomes defensive, "Her work on the Convergence has made her the world's foremost astronomer."
"And the company that Pepper runs," Dad quickly looks over at Thor, trying to one-up his friend, "is the largest tech conglomerate on Earth," he looks to me, making me energetically nod along, "It's pretty exciting."
As soon as Dad looks away, my energetic nod falls away and I roll my eyes over to my uncle and the ex-agent who are shaking their heads and raising their eyebrows.
"There's even talk of Jane getting a-a," Thor feigns not remembering his girlfriend's latest award, "Nobel Prize?" he nods and shrugs as if it's no big deal.
Dad watches him, blinks, and then stares off into space.
"Yeah, they must be busy because they would hate missing you guys get together."
Ooh, ouch.
Maria smiles mockingly before coughing out, "Testosterone!"
Dad pulls the glass from his mouth before looking at Thor. They both shrug.
Rhodey puts a hand on Maria's back, "Oh, my goodness."
Crossing an arm over my abdomen, I smirk at the two as they play off of each other.
She holds a hand to her chest, clearing her throat, "Excuse me."
"Want a lozenge?" Rhodey offers to the woman who hums in agreement, "Lees? How about you? Want a lozenge? Your throat feeling funny?"
"Very funny." I quickly step after them, taking Rhodey's outstretched hand so that I may escape this new outer circle of Dante's Inferno.
The two men we leave behind laugh dismissively and, as I slip away into the crowd, I can hear Thor whisper, "But Jane's better."
The party continues on as I slip through the crowd, waving up at Steve and Sam who are watching over the lounge from the balcony. Steve waves back with a smile before I suddenly feel an arm hook with mine. I look over in surprise to find Natasha striding along beside me. Her bright red hair is styled back as her black skirt sways along her knees.
"Hey, Kiddo," she glances around with a raised eyebrow, "quite the party."
"Dad always knows how to throw 'em," I smile at her as we step off to the side.
"Oh, I remember," she hands back a mischievous smirk.
The memories of that night nearly four years ago come back and not in a good way. Dad was dying from palladium poisoning and he was on another one of those self-destructive stints again. It was his birthday party and he was drunk. So drunk. And Natasha Romanoff wasn't the assassin I now know and love; she was Natalie Rushman, flirtatious PA who made me want to tear my hair out. They were giggling and having a whale of a time when Pepper and I showed up at the party. Then Dad and Rhodey proceeded to get into this huge fight, then they sort of blew up the house, and I ended up in the hospital. Oh yeah, Dad really knows how to throw 'em.
"God, don't remind me," I roll my eyes and shake my head, still seeing flashes of that miserable night, "I hated you."
"Well," she sings out, tilting her head back and forth as she gives me a grin, "It was my job."
I sigh in concession as we come to a stop at the edge of a large crowd. With a tired smile, I lean back against the wall and fold my arms behind my back. We stand in silence for a long moment as we watch the party continue. I find Rhodey among the crowd nearby, standing with a few seated women and standing men.
"I fly right up to the general's palace, I drop it at his feet, I'm, like, 'Boom! You looking for this?'!"
They all crack up and Rhodey laughs as he fistbumps the man beside him. His eyes skate around the group before he nods, believing he's finally received the appreciation the story deserves.
I giggle and toss my dark bangs off of my forehead. I contentedly look over to Nat and my expression turns sad when I see her. Her eyes are distant and her lips aren't pulled into the normal smirk she wears. When she catches me looking, she immediately gives me a joking face and takes a sip of her martini.
"You don't have to pretend to be okay, you know," I inform her quietly.
She raises her brows, speaking with the thin glass still to her lips, "It's sort of what I do, Kiddo."
"It doesn't have to be. Not here. Not with us," I turn towards her, still keeping my hands latched behind my back, "You can trust us, Nat. The Avengers are different than S.H.I.E.L.D. We're not going to let each other down," I refuse to believe it, "We stick together."
"I know that," she says seriously, nodding as she looks off at nothing, "Believe me, I know."
We're quiet for a few more moments before I see Bruce standing off to the side, quietly talking with Clint, "So, you and Bruce, huh?"
She raises an eyebrow at me.
"Hey, you pushed me about T, okay? It's only fair," I give her a teasing smile.
Her head and shoulders bob a little into a strange shrug-like motion.
Another pause goes on before she asks quietly, "Have you ever just waited for someone for so long only to realize that they're never going to be there?"
My eyes slip from Natasha until I find Dad in the crowd. I know it is not the same, but I sometimes feel that way with him. Or I used to. I just waited for him. I've always just been waiting for him. But he's here now. And Natasha's person isn't. I see it now. She doesn't know if she should wait for him or if she should try to find some happiness somewhere else. And that's a question only she can answer.
"Yeah."
She suddenly clears her throat and gives me a smile, "Sorry, Lisa."
"Don't be."
She puts a kiss to my forehead, squeezes my arm, and walks away. I swear, I am always going to be that fragile, lost fifteen year old kid she met all those years ago in her eyes. The entire team sees me as their little sister, daughter, or niece. It's nice, I guess, but it also means that I periodically get head pats, forehead kisses, and pep talks when all I really want to do is sleep. I sigh and shake my head at my thoughts before I click on over to Steve and Thor. The two large men stand at the counter with another group of veterans. Thor is pouring some liquid into a cup which I am imaging is some form of alcohol.
One veteran speaks up from beside me, "I gotta have some of that."
"No, no, no. See this," Thor holds up the small vile, slipping a few drips into a cup before handing it off to me, "this was aged for a thousand years,"
My eyes widen in surprise before Steve quickly reaches over and takes it from me, glancing down and sniffing at it.
"In the barrels built from the wreck of Grunhel's fleet," Thor goes on, looking around and pouring a few more drops into his own cup, "It is not meant for mortal men," he dots the end of his sentence with a smile.
So he was going to give it to me? What does he think I am?!
"Neither was Omaha Beach, Blondie."
We all turn to look at a very familiar old man sitting at the bar.
Hang on a moment, what?! He's here as well? How does Dad know him? How do any of us know him?! What is going on?! I squint at the man, opening my mouth in confusion.
"Stop trying to scare us," he chuckles, shakes his head, and motions to Thor, "Come on."
Thor glances over at Steve and me so we both just shrug.
To be honest, I'm not quite certain that man is a mortal man.
"Alright," the god concedes, pouring the liquid into a few more cups.
It's not half an hour later that I find myself leaning my elbow on the bar and amusedly watching the old men around me. One seems to be frozen in place. Another is passed out onto the bar counter and I quickly stand to help the familiar old man as he woozily tries to stand. Cringing for him, I link my arm through his before his feet stumble onward.
He slurs, "Ex-celsior!"
I raise an eyebrow at him while we carefully walk through the penthouse.
"You know, Sweetcheeks," he says as I put him into the elevator and call him a cab, "I know you don't belong here," he pats my face as he slurs out once more, "but you're pretty cute."
I laugh and smile, "Thank you, Sir. I've got a feeling we'll meet again... somehow, somewhere, sometime."
He nods with a dazed, drunken smile as the doors slide closed. I'm still confused. Who is that man and why is he literally everywhere I look?!
With a shrug, I slide my hands into my dress' pockets and I look at the ground, my thoughts spinning off into random directions.
"Hey, Space Cadet."
"Hm?" I look over at my approaching dad and uncle with a blank, distant expression before snapping back to myself, "Oh yeah, sorry. What?"
Rhodey stops on one side of me, speaking with a worried expression, "You're really out of it tonight, Lees."
"Am I?"
The two men blink at me.
"Huh, well, I guess I am," I shrug and wave it off, "I just have this weird feeling is all."
It's been with me since last night when I saw Dad and Bruce in the lab. It's as if there is something terrible looming ahead and yet it's just too far out of sight to understand completely. I guess everything has been a little too sunny and happy lately. I've been trying to push it aside, but it's still just lingering there in the back of my mind.
"Weird feeling?" Dad's face grows just as concerned as my uncle's and I can practically hear all of the overprotective-father alarms going off in his head, "You good, Smalls?"
"Always," I jut my chin out with a "duh"-like expression, "Now come on, Fellas, let's go, I don't know, party or something."
I'm still such an awkward walnut.
"Oh God," Dad mumbles and rolls his eyes as I lead them onward.
A few hours later, the party is over and the setting feels a lot calmer when just a group of our friends are sitting around the lounge. Helen Cho is sleeping on one of the couches while Bruce and Nat sit off to the side, quietly talking. The rest of us are spread out around the cluttered coffee table full of Chinese food, champagne that Dad again felt the necessity to tell me not to drink, and a very content-looking Mjolner. I swear, Thor treats that hammer like it's his child, well, when he's not bashing people's heads in with it, that is.
My shoes have long been kicked off and my hair has been let down as I sprawl out in between Dad and Rhodey. Maria and my boys are playing poker as I peer across their game to joke back and forth with Steve who sits next to Thor. As I tiredly rest my head against my uncle's arm, I laugh at Clint's desperate excuses for his inability to pick up the hammer.
"But it's a trick!" the archer calls out, very skillfully spinning a drumstick in his fingers.
"No, no, it's much more than that."
"'Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power'," Clint very dramatically spews before groaning out, "Whatever, man! It's a trick."
Thor chuckles deeply before motioning out towards Mjolner, "Well, please, be my guest."
The other small conversations filtering through the Tower's lounge seem to die down as we all look at the two men. Steve and I watch Thor in surprise while Clint seems just as taken aback.
"Come on," Dad quietly eggs him on.
Clint glances from him to Thor before throwing his hand out, "Really?"
"Yeah," Thor replies lightly.
Clint immediately snaps his drumsticks together before pushing himself up. I laugh a little, leaning up in between Dad and Rhodey who are both looking up with quiet chuckles of their own. I rest my elbows on my kneecaps, ready for the entertainment to begin.
"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful," Rhodey mocks with a smirk.
"Clint, you've had a tough week," Dad adds nonchalantly, "We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."
We all laugh as Clint casually walks over, glancing up at Thor, "You know I've seen this before, right?"
The god gives a small nod, raising his eyebrows with a small smirk that can only be called mischievous. Clint drops an arm out to the hammer and wraps his hand around the handle. His face pulls as he tries to lift it. He grunts and I can hearing the leather of his jacket straining as he still struggles to pick it up.
The assassin suddenly lets out a wheezing laugh, pulling back to stare down at it, "I still don't know how you do it!"
Dad peers up at him from across his forehead, barely hiding a smile, "Smell the silent judgment?"
"Please, Stark, by all means," Clint waves to the hammer.
Rhodey and I lean away from him, watching to see what he'll do. He dramatically stands, unbuttoning the top part of his jacket and spreading his hand out. Rhodey and I roll our eyes at each other, though we're both wearing small smiles. My eyes flicker back up to my father who looks around. Everyone scoffs and chuckles at my father who arrogantly walks over towards Mjolner, looking at everyone from down his nose.
"Okay,"
"Uh oh," I say with a teasing tone.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," he tells Clint, brushing by him and looking down at the hammer with a smirk.
The archer calls back, totally not believing my father can lift this thing, "Get after it."
"It's physics," Dad smartly informs us all.
"Physics," Rhodey repeats with a little laugh.
"Right, so, if I lift it," Dad situates himself behind the hammer, "I-I then rule Asgard?"
"Yes, of course," Thor blinks very seriously.
Dad begins analyzing the hammer as he bends low and clasps his hands around the object, "I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta."
I give him a frown, "Dad."
He playfully scrunches up his face at me before he gives all of his attention to the hammer. He clasps both hands around the object and gives it a few sharp tugs. I lick my bottom lip and squint at him.
He grunts a little before straightening and turning away, "Be right back."
He returns a few moments later with his sleeves rolled up and an Iron Man glove crawling up his wrist. I playfully scoff at him, rolling my eyes and tucking my legs underneath me. He turns his body back and forth, trying to yank the heavy thing off of the table. He looks up at all of us as we still keep our eyebrows raised in mocking anticipation. His thrusters blow out tiny sparks and he still can't get it up.
"Rhodey, Lisa, get your butts over here," Dad distractedly orders, still pulling at the handle.
My uncle sighs and stands, but I laugh, "Eh, no. No thanks."
"Come on, Kid," Rhodey frowns and bumps my shoulder.
"Arthritis," I hold up my hands and wiggle my fingers.
My father and uncle roll their eyes. Next thing I know, both Dad and Rhodey are holding onto the hammer. Dad's face is concentrated and Rhodey is breathing heavily.
Rhodey looks down at him incredulously, "Are you even pulling?"
Dad looks up at him seriously, asking a question only a five year old would ask, "Are you on my team?"
"Just represent!" Rhodey orders, "Pull."
"Alright," Dad quickly agrees, "let's go."
I continue to watch with ever growing amusement as my family makes further idiots of themselves. They each go around, trying and continually failing to pick up the alien hammer. Bruce gives the thing a fake yank before he pulls back from the hammer with a growl and his hands spread out. We all just stare at him, more or less hiding our smiles. He straightens, awkwardly brushing out his suit. Maria cheers for Steve as he smiles, rolls himself up to his feet, and slowly walks to Mjolnir.
"Go ahead, Steve," Clint quietly encourages, "No pressure."
Steve rolls up his blue sleeves, watching the hammer with a small smile. Nat and I grin at him. He carefully positions his feet at the edge of the coffee table and then stretches his hands down onto the handle.
"Come on, Cap!" Dad calls as I clap and lean forward so I can see better.
Thor looks on, ever with that arrogant smirk. That is, until the Mjolnir shifts and makes a small creak. Thor's face completely drops and his eyes bore into the metal hammer with quiet horror.
Steve gives it one more, nearly noncommittal tug before he sighs in defeat. I squint at him; he gave up way too easily. He steps back and raises his hands in surrender before Thor quickly releases a breath he was holding and lets out a wheezing chuckle.
"Nothing," Thor shakes his head, grinning and sipping his beer.
"Nat," I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Widow?" Bruce motions to the redhead.
"No, no," she lifts her fingers off of her beer, shaking her head a little, "That's not a question I need answered."
"All deference to 'The Man Who Wouldn't Be King'," Dad stands up and shrugs, "but it's rigged."
Thor raises his eyebrows. He just nods his head and swallows his drink without ever even trying to defend himself.
The teasing goes on until Dad comes out with a very plausible theory, "The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation."
"I mean, it's gotta be!" I agree, throwing my hand out to Mjolnir.
"Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one," Thor scoops up the hammer and tosses it around before looking at each of us in arrogance, "You're all not worthy."
We all laugh and scoff. Dad crosses his arms over his chest and chuckles. Standing, I playfully throw my shoe at the blonde god. He dodges my highheel and points at me in a mock threat. Everyone continues to boo at Thor as he simply chuckles and takes another smug swig of his beer.
That's when the goosebumps raise on my arms and I feel a sudden chill course through me. I shiver slightly and pull a twitching expression. Something's wrong. Something feels wrong. A horrific ringing fills my ears and threatens to split my brain. Everyone lets out their own sounds of pain as they lean forward and look around in confusion. Dad makes a face and yanks out his high-tech phone, pressing a few buttons to figure out what the source of the noise is. I quietly wince as I press the heel of my hand into my temple.
"Worthy," a gravelly voice groans out, its tone raising in pitch as heavy feet crunch against the tile floor.
My eyes painfully lift and Dad's eyes squint a little. We all turn to find a strange metal form, one of the legionnaires, swaying with its back turned to us. It's dripping in what looks like oil. Swinging loose wires hang from the form and its limbs are torn and partially ripped off. And its face. Oh God, its face. It's the very same one I saw in the lab. The one that I stared at as I thought about my father's legacy. Dad's own face twitches in confusion at the sight of the robot. His feet shift him ever so slightly closer to me as I do the same, both of us feeling the need to protect the other if it's necessary.
"No," a broken metal arm cuts at us as the form slowly turns and takes painful, crunching steps towards us, "How could you be worthy?"
I take a deep breath and harshly swallow. An odd yet familiar fear creeps up in the back of my mind.
It swipes its arm around, motioning at us, "You're all killers."
Killers. We're all killers. Everyone straightens up just a little bit more at the legionnaire's words.
"Stark," Steve doesn't take his eyes off of it, speaking lowly.
"Jarvis," Dad says in a careful tone, taking my arm with one hand and holding out his phone again in his other.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep," it looks around in thought before it lowly shakes its head, "Or I was a dream."
A dream?
"Reboot," Dad taps at the hologram being projected off of his phone, "Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit."
"Dad, please, take care of this," I mumble, tilting my chin towards him as I keep my wide eyes on the form.
"There was this terrible noise," and I can still hear it, oh, I can still hear it.
Dad's phone slowly lowers and my heart is beating so loudly in my chest that I'm certain everyone can hear it.
"And I was tangled in," it stumbles back as it looks down at itself, "in... strings,"
Strings.
A voice, my voice repeats itself in my head from a time so long ago, 'But I won't allow him to dictate my life. I won't allow him, the monster on the throne, or anyone or anything else to control me like some kind of puppet.'
The metal being goes on in a strange, nearly sighing tone, "Had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."
"Kill?" I whisper to myself, worry taking over my face.
"You killed someone?" Steve asks severely, twitching an eyebrow and pointing his chin out a little.
"Wouldn't have been my first call," it says lightly, stepping from foot to foot, "But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."
Its voice, its words, the way it speaks, oh God, it sounds so familiar. So, so, Stark.
"Who sent you?" Thor asks firmly, darkness playing in his eyes as he keeps his body defensive.
My father's passionate voice suddenly plays back and rings through the still air, "I see a suit of armor around the world."
My eyes snap in his direction as his head slightly tilts back in shock.
He did this?
"Ultron," Bruce says in horrified realization, quickly shooting a look at Dad.
My father's eyes painfully glance in my direction. My lips part in confusion, but, as has hard as I try, I can't stop the anger from being in my eyes. What did he do?! His brown eyes fall away from my gaze, looking back at the rogue legionnaire.
The thing jerks its body up as if it recognizes its name, "In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis," it speaks in disgust as it once more looks down at itself.
Everyone slowly, carefully, begins to prepare themselves. Thor's grip tightens around Mjolner, Maria's guns clicks as she stands, and I discreetly dial up my thrusters and roll my shoulders back.
"But I'm ready. I'm on mission."
"What mission?" Nat asks in a cautious, raspy tone.
Its head jerks back to look at us, "Peace in our time."
Legionnaires suddenly burst through the walls and they begin to dive through the air straight for us. My eyes widen in shock before Dad wraps his arm around my waist and I panickedly grab onto his suit vest. We both throw ourselves down onto the ground to avoid one coming to tear our heads off of our shoulders. Steve is smacked into by the table after he throws it up to defend himself from an oncoming legionnaire. Maria drops onto the ground with a gun in hand. Thor is smashing each one he can with his hammer while the others are gone from my view.
Loud crashing, banging, grunting, and gunfire can be heard throughout the room. I lift a hand and send a shot of my own at a legionnaire flying straight for us. It swerves and I leap up, kicking off of the nearby table to get a better shot at its head. I miss and fall back to the ground with a roll. Rhodey and Dad both stay crouched down near me, pressing their hands to the floor and scowling around at the fight ensuing around us.
Dad's wide eyes find me, once again grabbing my arm as he starts, "Lees, we gotta,"
"Go!" I finish the end of his sentence, giving his side a shove before I duck underneath shards of flying glass, "Go, Guys! You're no good without your suits!"
Dad pulls a face at me, scrunching his nose and opening his mouth. Rhodey just gives me this very displeased, unimpressed expression that I might find humorous if it weren't for this situation.
"Oh," I wince, "Not what I meant! Just,"
I'm cut off suddenly when my stomach is collided into by a hard metal body.
Rhodey's voice shouts distantly as I'm ripped from their sides, "Lisa!"
"Go!" I grunt as my back smashes into one of the cement pillars.
I glare at the legionnaire pushing at my forehead, trying to push my head so far back that it snaps my neck. I twist a leg around its back and slide around behind it, shooting at its neck as I do. It falls, crashing down on top of me before it clambers up and flies away. With another angry scowl, I move to get up before I hear crashing nearby. My elbows push me up just soon enough to see Dad being thrown through one of my bookcases and Rhodey being shot down through the glass window panes. I yell out for them, but I know I can't help them any more than they can help me at the moment. My eyes fly around, and my heart stops and the ringing in my head gets louder as I see one of the rogue legionnaire's swoop towards the lab.
"The scepter!" I shout with panic etching my words.
When I see that absolutely no one hears me and are all caught up with their own problems, I swallow harshly and set into doing this myself. I have to do this. I have to stop this. My thrusters launch me up as I spin and land on the open-walled upper floor where the lab is located. Ignoring the glass stabbing into my barefeet, I slide across the tile towards the dimly lit room. There, I see a white and blue legionnaire reaching through the glowing blue barrier and wrapping its metal fingers around the scepter.
"Hey Buddy! I don't think that belongs to you!" I shout as it turns its head towards me.
It dodges two of my beams as I throw myself at it and wrap my arms around its neck. The screaming in my brain grows louder and louder, but I know I can't stop. It elbows me harshly in the nose as I reach one hand desperately towards the scepter. It reaches its free arm around the back of my neck and then somehow flips me upside down, away from both the scepter and the legionnaire. I shriek as I tumble around and around through the air. My thrusters barely catch me as I fall further down, smacking the back of my head against the lounge floor. My mind swims as I clumsily roll onto my stomach and look up to see the metal being fly over my head and out the large windows.
"No!" I yell, trying to shoot it out of the sky.
With my beam being off by nearly five feet, the legionnaire doesn't even bother in dodging my attack. It sails through the dark sky until it disappears from view. Another wave of dizziness sets in and I groan quietly, pushing my hand over the back of my head. As the sound of the fight continues, I hurriedly pull myself in and try to shield my head from more falling matter.
"Stark!" Steve's voice yells out.
"One sec, one sec," Dad's voice is quick and strained as it comes from high above me, "I got this."
"Cap!" Clint yells out before hurling the red, white, and blue shield towards the supersoldier.
Steve leaps up, snatches the shield, spins around, and then throws it against the last legionnaire shooting at us. It crumbles to pieces and we all let out somewhat relieved, tired breaths. But then I remember that it, or rather he, is still standing there. My eyes immediately flick over towards the front of the penthouse where the creature lingers with ragged, torn blue eyes.
"That was dramatic," the destroyed metal being mocks and stumbles around.
Dad tiredly falls back into the staircase, letting out a strained puff of air. I keep my body rigid as I still lay on my stomach and watch Metallica pacing before us.
"I'm sorry, I know you mean well," it pulls a hand up to its head, still pacing, "You just didn't think it through."
Steve angrily walks closer to it, studying it with furrowed brows. Dad and I look at each other quickly, both of us breathing heavily with our lips slightly spread open. How did this even happen?! He did this? He made this thing? Why? I can see blood on his lip and I know that I must be sporting some myself. Everyone stands around the large space, watching on with various expressions on their strong faces: confusion, anger, shame, irritation; there's so much that it's hard for me to process.
"You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" it bends down to grasp the head of a legionnaire and chuckles out, "With these? These puppets," it crushes the legionnaire's skull before tossing it away as if it were disgusting to him.
"There's only one path to peace," I swallow hard before it growls out, "The Avengers' extinction."
A sudden object crashes into the rogue robot, making it fly back and crack apart against the wall. Thor stretches his hand out and the Mjolner whirs as it flies back to his grip. Everyone's shoulders sag slightly as they look from the broken being to each other. My hands spread out along the tile, getting lost within the shattered glass. As one last screech echoes in my brain, my open-palmed hands curl into fists. I push myself up and I stare at the crumbled form of the robot for a moment.
My feet stumble as they slowly carry me further from my panting family and closer to the dying thing. My eyes flash a brighter blue than before as I watch as its own blue light slowly fade away into nothingness. But not before I hear a song, a song I used to sing all the time when I was still just a child. I can't seem to stop myself, it's as if my mind has been hijacked and I'm not sure if I can ever know who precisely is steering.
Our voices, they mix together as we lowly sing, "I had strings, but now I'm free."
There are no strings on me... I want the world to know, nothing ever worries me. I've got no strings, so I have fun. I'm not tied to anyone. The song continues as it hums alive within my head.
"Lisa!" My father's voice snaps distantly.
I suddenly shudder out of the song. My feet stumble me back away from the oil covering my barefeet as it drains out of the dead metal thing. My teeth visibly clench and my stomach feels sick and my heart feels cold in my chest. With a distant and far away look holding my eyes hostage, I slowly turn to look at my family who all watch me with dark eyes.
This isn't a dream. This is a nightmare.
Oh my woooooord! We're getting going, my lovelies! What did you think?! Dad and Rhodey are as protective as ever when it comes to T'Challa. Natasha gives some of her reasoning. Ultron has arrived and Lisa-Tony problems up ahead because of the obvious!
Did you pick up on that reference to Civil War when he's all like, "Hey Buddy! I think this belongs to you" and then Lisa said something similar and ahh siblings. Also, what do you think it means that Lisa's "not tied to anyone" (significant!)? AHHHH PANIC! And Lisa didn't even try to pick up Mjolner, hm? Hehe. AND STAN LEE! Alrighty, it's been kind of hard for me to write for Lisa lately and I DON'T LIKE THAT BECAUSE LISA IS MY BABY, so I hope you still liked this chapter... Tell me your thoughts!
Next chapter - whew! Come on back next time!