Aquila's eyes darted across the scene beneath her, searching for anything suspicious that stood out to her.
"There," She suddenly said to Clint pointing out the semi-truck that was driving beneath them.
"It's the truck from the lab. Right above you Cap." Clint said. "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."
"Negative!" Steve shouted. "If that truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron."
Silence filled the Quinjet again as Clint focused on flying, Aquila walked over to Natasha.
"Hey."
"Hey," Aquila replied. "How are you?"
"I'm pretty ok for the current situation," Natasha responded. "You?"
"Feeling pretty chirpy," Aquila replied. "But I do have a question, what are we now?" Aquila asked, her self-doubt returning.
Aquila's naive nature with relationships as she never had actually been in one before, had caused her to feel extremely doubtful about her relationship with Natasha if you could even call it that. Just like she had said to Dr. Cho, she hadn't ever really done commitments before.
However, the self doubt quickly disappeared as Natasha pressed her lips to Aquila's again, despite the sounds of disgust from Clint.
"I guess that's a discussion we will have to have when a robot set out for global destruction isn't trying to kill us."
"I guess it is," Aquila replied, with a chuckle.
"When you two have stopped swapping spit, we've got a window," Clint announced.
Aquila gave one last smile to Natasha before an eagle appeared where Aquila had been standing moments ago.
"Four, three. Give 'em hell."
Natasha mounted the motorcycle before her, dropping down to the ground as Aquila flew out of the Quinjet, taking to the skies.
She watched the bike below her, dodging through cars, racing down the road, but quickly lost sight of the redhead as she took what she hoped was a shorter route.
"I'm always picking up after you boys," Natasha scolded on her comm, as Aquila's eyes picked up the truck a little way in front of her.
She flew close to the side of the truck, dodging when Ultron threw a beam her way.
The sound of the motorcycle quickly approached Steve's shield flying past her as Steve caught it easily before using it again to aid his fight with Ultron.
However, Ultron balled his hand together to make a fist which somehow brought the ground in front of Natasha up, causing the bike to front wheelie.
Aquila was still flying close to the truck, her wings flapping up and down at a rapid speed as she kept up. She watched the still continuing fight between Ultron and Steve waiting for an opening.
She finally found it, causing her to strike, her talons outstretched but barely leaving a dent on Ultron's body.
Her talons which usually ripped through flesh like sliding through the water, were going to be ineffective this time.
She tried coming up with the plan to help Steve but was quickly distracted by Natasha calling to her and Clint over her comm.
"Clint, Aquila, can either of you draw out the guards?"
"I can try," Aquila replied.
"Let's find out." Clint's voice came over in Aquila's comm.
The Quinjet glided over to them, bullets ripping through the air and towards the truck.
The guards quickly flew out from the inside of the truck in pursuit of the Quinjet and Aquila quickly followed as well.
Ultron's guards were attacking at the jet, trying to find a way inside when Aquila swooped up behind them, her feathers rustling in the wind.
The element of surprise was on her side for once, as she was able to easily take out the first robot as it fell victim to her talons, a tactic that hadn't worked on Ultron.
However, as the second one leaped at her, holding her wings firmly to her body, the two of them started to fall, Aquila unable to fly.
She quickly whipped herself in the air, pushing down the robot so he would fall first, her talons ripping into his chest, the robot's functions slowly shut down as they continue to free fall.
Just before the robot was due to hit the water with Aquila trailing behind her, the robot's hands fell away from Aquila's wings, allowing her to fly again.
Her wings keeping her afloat once again, she watched as the robot disappeared into the murky depths of the water below.
Exhaustion almost fully consumed her, just her little encounter with the Ultron bot had left her drained but she couldn't stop.
She quickly flew back to where she had last seen the Avengers, searching for any sight of a continuous struggle with Ultron.
"Heading back towards you. So whatever you're going to do, do it now."
"I'm going in." Natasha's voice came through the comm. "Cap, can you keep him occupied and Aquila if you can a little help would be appreciated."
"On my way," Aquila said, her body ripping through the air as she finally spotted the truck.
She flew in, just as Nat picked up a tablet than Aquila assumed controlled the cradle.
She landed on the floor, her talons clicking on the metal beneath her. She wanted to transform back to try and help Natasha but first wanted to make sure that there weren't any more threats.
A beeping sound emitted from the cradle as Aquila found herself thrown to the side before she fell out of the truck onto the road below her.
She looked in horror as the truck lifted up right in front of her eyes with Natasha and the cradle still inside.
She pushed herself up from the floor, shaking her wings out before she flung herself into the air again despite her growing exhaustion.
As she landed back inside the truck, Aquila nearly found herself thrown out again as Natasha herself nearly fell out.
"You alright?" Aquila asked through her comm.
"Yep, fine."
"The package is airborne. I have a clean shot." Clint's voice then came over the comm.
"Negative." Natasha quickly said back. "I am still in the truck."
"Correction." Aquila corrected Natasha. "We are still in the truck."
"What do we do now?" Natasha asked.
"Maybe we could release the cradle and I could fly it down to the Quinjet."
"Are you even sure that you could do that?"
"Well, what other option did we have."
With a figure of Ultron slowly approaching, the last strap holding the cradle in place was free, Aquila wrapped her talons around the front so she could guide it into the Quinjet with Natasha at the back.
Aquila crashed into the ramp of the Quinjet with the cradle still clutched in her talons. Despite her exhaustion pleading with her just to close her eyes for a few moments, she still picked herself up, a talon outstretched to gently help Natasha into the Quinjet.
But she had been too late. Aquila watched on in horror as Ultron grabbed Natasha's figure slowly disappearing out of view.
In an instant, she had transformed back, her throat hoarse as she screamed out Nat's name.
"Natasha!"
"Cap, you see Nat?" Clint asked his voice as concerned as Aquila's.
"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!"
"Do you have eyes on Nat?" Aquila demanded, past the point of caring anymore. She just wanted Nat to be alright.
"Go!"