- SEVENTEEN -
After careening through the sky, Ultron lands the back of the truck in some remote area of a forest just outside of the city. As soon as we step off the craft, and without warning, Ultron grabs my arm and we take off in to the air.
My breath hitches at the sudden flight, but it only lasts a minute. Somewhere, deep in the same forest, he drops me on to the ground. My wind blown hair is stuck to my face and I wipe it away quickly as I follow him towards a large rock face. The rock is lined with all sorts of plants save for one small patch at the bottom. If you didn't have a trained eye, it could have been easily missed. From his hand, a red laser shoots out, scanning across the small area of stone. With a hiss, the stone rolls away, revealing a small passage. I follow him through, the stone rolling back behind me.
Within seconds, we enter a chamber and my jaw almost drops to the ground when I see what is inside.
Thousands of metal machines fly across the cathedral sized cave, all working to piece together more robots.
"The greater good," Ultron mutters, his voice low enough for the words to possibly have been just for himself.
"The greater good," I nod, doing my best to make a mental note of everything I see.
Ultron looks down at me, pausing for only a second.
"I need you to do some research for me," he drawls, continuing to walk through the cave, his metal feet barely audible over the sounds of the all the workers and clanging machines.
I smile. "What kind of research?"
"I need blueprints of Sokovia. Every square inch, I need it mapped on paper. I need details about the people living on the edges of the city. You have two weeks and then we move out."
My brows furrow in confusion. Why could he not just find this himself? His mind is a living array of all information.
As if he read my mind, he chuckles.
"Stark has his suspicions about my plans. He hasn't told his team, but if he finds out that I have cracked through his security, he'll connect the dots. I can't having him catching on. Not yet, at least."
"And what do you have planned?" I wonder aloud, looking up at him.
"I'm going to protect the world."
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My days in the cave feel like months, each day blurring in to the next. The only real upside was that I was able to gain more information than I ever thought I needed. With Ultron busy preparing for his master scheme, I had free reign to find out all I could about all of it.
By my count, it has been a week and a half since that day in the city. Each night as I tried to sleep, my mind always wandered to whether or not they got my message. If they didn't, who knows if they would even let me get close at all. That is, if I can escape this fortress.
Ultron had become lenient, too. His trust for me meant that I had free reign and because of that, the notebook of information, schematics, and blueprints that I had compiled sat undisturbed under my small cot.
In the first of the long days and nights surrounded only by Ultron and his robots, my mind wandered at what he had planned, but now, I have to escape.
The moon is covered by clouds and I know it is my chance. I slipping the notebook under my arm, I slowly open the door to my room. Checking for anything in the hallways, I creep through the cave as quiet as a mouse; not even an echo disturbs the giant cavern.
I can't take the main exit - the loud noise will surely stir Ultron.
But air has to get in somehow, and I need to find out from where. Slowly, I tip-toe further until I reach the main production shaft. The robots work day and night, only stopping to recharge every 72 hours. It has been three days since I began to plan my escape, and once again, the production room is silent.
Metal body parts line each of the long tables, making the shaft look like a dystopian graveyard.
Moving shelves aside and pulling tables away from the wall, I search for anything that will lead outside. Suddenly, I feel it- a cool breeze. I turn my head frantically in search for the source and see a small opening near the top of the cave. I try not to sigh with relief.
I scramble to get to it, standing on a table and using the rough rock face to get my hands and feet in to position. I pull myself up, scaling the rock as silently as possible, the tiny handhold sharp under my fingers. Finally, I begin to pull myself on to the small ledge leading out of the cave. Just as my hand reaches the final lip of the rock, I hear heavy, clanging, footsteps.
Ultron.
I scramble, trying to pull myself up faster; but, after climbing up the entire wall, my arms are aching and blood is seeping from the cuts on my fingers.
His steps get louder and my heart roars in my chest. I swing my leg to reach the final ledge, but fall just short. I almost gasp as my hand slips and small bits of the rock drop on to the floor now twenty feet below. The room is so quiet that the sound of the pieces hitting the ground might as well be as loud as gunshots.
I carefully place my hand back on the rock, the footsteps are now only seconds away. I swing my leg again, using all the force I can muster to latch it on the ledge. The footsteps are rounding the corner just as I fully pull myself up and out of sight. I can feel my heart beating in my throat. Crawling on my hands and knees, I make my way out of the cave. In the pitch black, only the cold nighttime air guides me onward.
After what feels like an hour crawling through mud and more sharp rock, I reach the exit of the passageway. So far, nobody has followed and no alarms echo behind me. I let go of a breath that hadn't noticed I was holding.
Looking up through the trees to the sky, I search for something that could lead me north to the city. The sky is like patchwork through the branches, but I follow the stars and they lead me to a small town just outside of Seoul. I almost cry out in joy when I see a small plane sitting in what must be the town's airport.
Hopping over the fence, I creep towards the plane. It's small- unable to fit more that two people- but it would survive the journey. Silent again, I run to the building, grab as much fuel as I can carry, and put it in the plane. The flight will be long, but I smile as I place the notebook on the passenger seat beside me. My fingers move from memory, twisting wires until the engine juts to life.
The plane soars down the runway and into the air, the night sky enveloping me in darkness.
"New York," I mutter to myself, "here I come."
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The flight feel short as my brain turns over the possibilities of what will happen when I touch down in New York. If they believe my story, what will that mean? And if they don't trust me?
I can't even think of an answer.
In the distance, Stark tower gleams in the night, cutting through the New York skyline like a blade.
I pull the small plane around, landing smoothly on the roof of Stark's personal roof-top runway. My heart is racing like it never has before as my foot hits the pavement. It would be an obvious choice to just kick me back on to the street. Or they might do what I would do in their position: kill the intruder.
I take a deep breath, clutching the papers tightly and tucking them under my arm.
I reach for the door to try and pry it open, but just as I do, the roaring sound of lighting explodes from inside the building. I gasp and pull my hand away from the metal door handle as a spark runs through it. The whole building in buzzing with electricity. A second later, the sounds of another explosion- crashing metal and shattering class- come from inside the building.
Growing impatient, I grab my gun from my holster and shoot the lock twice. Hopefully with all the commotion, they wont realize I'm here.
I race down the stairs, easily ten floors up from where the explosions took place. I keep going further, my footsteps echoing in the seemingly never ending hallway.
Finally, I reach what must be the main floor of the tower. Opening the door inch by inch, I pear through. It is all I can do not to gasp when I see the cause of the commotion.
Floating easily twenty feet off the ground, a man with red skin peers out at the city skyline. The whole of the Avengers looks on, their faces as awestruck as mine.
I step in quietly, still hoping they are too preoccupied to notice me.
The floating man turns and faces the group, a tight, green suit forming over his body as he does. As I see his face though, that is the least fascinating thing.
Embedded in his forehead is a glowing yellow stone. As I stare at it, I can almost feel it's power thrumming through the whole room. I force myself to tear my eyes away.
I look around again and see expressions of shock turn in to ones of confusion and concern. I even see the twins, Pietro and Wanda, sharing a look of worry.
Dropping slowly down to the ground, the red man gives a small smile to Thor who is standing right next to him. Thor must have shot the lighting through the building.
"Sorry," the man says, his voice impossibly human compared to his looks. "This is... odd. Thank you."
He looks at Thor and nods, as if they have a sort of understanding.
I creep out slightly from the shadows.
"Thor," the Captain finally says, "you created this?"
"I've had a vision," Thor breathes, still looking shocked. "Soon, there will be mass destruction. Total chaos, with that," he points at the stone on the man's head, "at it's centre."
"And you brought it here?" the Captain exclaims, dropping his arms at his sides in frustration.
Thor continues, unfazed. "It's one of the six Infinity Stones- the Mind Stone."
"The gem?" Banner asks, his face contorted in confusion.
"It's unmatched in it's destructive capabilities," Thor continues, looking out at the group. I duck back behind a pillar to avoid his gaze.
"Again," Rogers asks, "why bring him here?"
"Because Stark is right," Thor mutters.
"Oh it's definitely the end times," Banner comments quietly, his hands worrying at the bottom of his shirt.
"The Avengers can't defeat Ultron. Not alone," the red man says quietly.
"Thor, why does your vision sound like Jarvis?" the Captain asks. I don't know what he means by this, but Stark looks at the new man with awe etched on to his face.
"He's configured Jarvis' matrix," Stark says, walking slowly towards the man.
"So what are you?" Rogers asks, circling the man from the vision. "One of Ultron's creations?"
"I am not Ultron. I am not Jarvis. I just...am."
The team stares at him, unsure and worries.
Finally, somebody else speaks up.
"When you were being created," Wanda spits out, "I saw annihilation."
"Look again," he replies calmly, without hesitation.
"Listen," Thor exclaims, grabbing the attention of the entire group. "The power he holds- the mind control, Ultron- all that power came from the stone. And those are nothing compared to what it can unleash. With it on our side-"
"Is it?" the Captain asks, turning to stare at the glowing, yellow stone. "Is it on our side?"
"That question," the man replies, "might be better answered by somebody else."
From my position behind the pillar, I see him lock eyes with me. He gestures for me to come out. My heart jumps in my chest. I try to breath, but the air catches in my throat. Hesitantly, I step out from the shadows.
In a split second, guns an arrows are drawn, all pointing at my head.
I smile nervously. "I guess you didn't get my message, then."
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New chapter whoohoo! Also, HOLY COW THIS BOOK IS ALMOST AT 8K WHAT?!?!?!?
That is so so crazy, thank you for all the support, it means so much to me, you don't even know. Also, I saw some stats today that told me I have some new readers from Norway, so if that's you, hey!!!!!!!!!
As always, any votes, comments, and feedback are SO appreciated!
Lots of love,
Brynn x