Clara drank uneasily from the tumbler full of whiskey that Clint had handed to her after dinner was finished, soothing her nerves. Both Clint and Laura had reassured her countless times throughout the day that she would be completely okay around the kids. Natasha had practically forced her to come inside for dinner. Clara had been perfectly fine during dinner, sitting in between her brother and Natasha. Steve had been stealing glances of her all night. He missed her. Missed seeing her this much.
"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something." Fury announces to them as Lila runs from her mother to where Natasha and Clara were sitting. The small girl happily showed them her picture, Natasha pinching her cheek in response. Fury just continues, "The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."
"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asks from his spot against the wall. His arms were crossed and Clara did not know how he found a black hoodie his size from Clint's clothes. However, she was currently forced into some of Natasha's old clothes that she had stored here and that was really a surprise in itself. The shorts were almost comically small, but Clara was trying to hide that with one of Clint's shirts. However, Steve had noticed and the thought of how she looks in those shorts made a blush lightly come across his cheeks.
"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." Fury responds as Clara downs the rest of the alcohol, letting it burn down her throat. Natasha happily poured her another glass.
"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony questions as gets ready to continue throwing darts.
"Yes he is, but he's not making any headway." Fury answers as he pulls out two slices of bread. Clara wished that the alcohol would actually have some sort of affect on her.
"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony retorts and Clara perks up slightly, a small smile on her face. Steve instantly notices the change in her mood.
"I cracked into SHIELD's when I was around the same age. It isn't that hard." Clara adds, Natasha rolling her eyes at her friend's antics.
"Well, I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that." The one eyed man replies, spreading some condiment unknown to Clara on the bread. The younger Stark leaned back in her chair, using her powers to lower the temperature of the drink in her hand.
"Nexus?" Steve questions, which makes the corner of Clara's mouth tip upward at the cluelessness of their "leader".
"Its the world Internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth." Bruce explains, Steve nodding in response. He still really did not know what any of that meant and Clara knew that.
"So what'd they say?" Clint keeps the conversation moving as as he fiddles with darts.
"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed." Fury responds and Clara leaned forward in her seat slightly.
"By whom?" Tony questions and he quickly has to move his face as a dart flies centimeters away from his nose.
"Parties unknown." Fury answers, eating his sandwich.
"We have an ally?" Clara questions after downing the rest of her drink.
"Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing. Still I'd pay folding money to know who it is." Fury continues, taking a sip of what looks like is apple juice.
"I might need to visit Oslo. Find our unknown. Clara, you in?" Tony asks and Clara shrugs, partially considering it. Tony rolls his eyes at his sister.
"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that." Natasha says, leaning in her chair slightly to look at 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. Here we all are, back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and will to save the world." Fury states, continuing with his speech, "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. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."
"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Natasha teases, trying to lighten the mood.
"You know what, Romanoff? Steve responds from the door, arms crossed over his chest. Clara rolls her eyes and turns her attention away from the annoyed Rogers and smirking Natasha.
"So, what does he want?" Fury asks and Clara sits back in her chair.
"Wants to become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies." Steve answers as Clint moves to take a seat, as does Fury.
"Person bodies." Clara adds, to which Steve nods. Bruce moves from his spot in the corner, standing over Nat and Clara.
"The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it." Tony continues the conversation as Bruce looks down at the painting of a butterfly Lila had created.
"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed. They truly can't do anything without you, Clara." Natasha jokes and Clara chuckles.
"They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve." Bruce announces, looking up from the painting.
"How?" Fury asks, pulling the glass of apple juice away from his lips. There's a sinking feeling in Clara's stomach.
"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" The curly haired scientists asks and Clara swallows hard.
-
Clara zipped her navy blue suit fully before walking into the house. As she quietly entered, she saw Steve put his shield on his back.
"I'll take Natasha and Clint." He told Tony, his back to Clara as she walked further into the room.
"Alright. Strictly recon. Clara and I will hit the Nexus. We'll join you as soon as we can." Tony responds, eyes down at his watch.
"Actually, I'm going with Rogers. They'll need me more than you'll need me." Clara speaks up, catching both men off guard. Tony and Steve both raise an eyebrow at the blonde woman. She rolls her eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. Either of you." Clara lightly snaps as Steve and Tony walk towards her. Both raise their hands in mock surrender.
"If Ultron is really building a body-" Steve continues and they all glance at each other.
"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot." Tony clarifies and Clara swallows.
"You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me." Steve joked and without really thinking of it, Clara smiled. Her smile quickly disappeared when Fury entered the room. Steve had noticed it though.
"I'll drop Banner off at the tower. You mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?" Fury asks as he puts on his coat.
"She's all yours. Apparently." Tony says, muttering the last bit. Clara slaps his playfully on his arm as Fury glances back at him.
"What are you going to do?" Steve questions.
"I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope." Fury responds, smirking slightly. Clara grins.
"As long as you don't fake your death again, it's all good with me." She teases and Fury chuckles before walking out the front door. Steve moves to follow him and Clara is about to follow Steve, but Tony wraps his hand around her forearm and yanks her back. Clara turns to look at her brother, highly annoyed.
"Why are you going with him?" Tony asks bluntly and Clara blinks for a moment, wondering why she is going with Steve before the reason comes to mind.
"I just have a bad feeling about all of this. I need to make sure everything is okay. I'm not going because of Steve-" Tony quickly cuts his sister off.
"It doesn't matter if you're going for him, okay? You're an adult. I just want you to be safe. That's all. Just want you to be safe and happy." Tony tells his sister, loosening his grip slightly. Clara narrows her eyes slightly.
"Are you okay? You look worried. Really worried." She says, raising an eyebrow. Tony gives her a slight smile in response.
"I'm always worried about you. You're an idiot. Sometimes."
-
"You are so fucking heavy." Clara grunts as she held on tightly to Steve as they flew towards Cho's laboratory. The man she was carrying chuckled.
"Mrs.Barton made a huge dinner. I had to help myself." Steve retorts, a smile on his face. They land on the roof of the building, Clara immediately letting go of Steve once their feet hit the ground.
"My arms better look great after doing that." Clara response before they move to scale down the side of the building. They enter through an open window and the scene in front of them isn't good.
"Dr.Cho!" Steve exclaims as he and Clara run towards the woman. She is slumped over on the floor, bleeding from a wound on her shoulder. The lab was completely destroyed. Clara and Steve knelt down by the thankfully conscious woman. Steve grabbed a rag to press against the wound while Clara helped her sit up.
"He's uploading himself into the body." Cho says in between pants. Clara pressed her lips together tightly, realizing that this situation isn't good at all.
"Where?" She asks as Steve starts to stand. Cho grabs his hand, stopping his movement.
"The real power is inside the cradle. The gem, it's power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up." Cho starts before glancing at Clara, "You have to get the Cradle to your brother."
"First, we have to find it." Steve responds in full Captain mode. Clara stands and Cho motions for the them to leave.
"Go." She commands. Steve and Clara run out of the lab, heading towards the road.
"Did you guys copy that?" Steve questions as they continue to run, heading towards a ladder that leads up to a bridge.
"We did." Clint responds over the comms as Clara follows after Steve.
"I got a private jet taking off across town. No manifest. That could be him." Natasha adds as Steve starts to climb a ladder. Clara simply just floats up beside him.
"There. It's a truck from the lab. Right above you guys. On the loop by the bridge. It's them. You got three in the cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver." Clint offers and Clara's eyes widen.
"No. That truck crashes and the stone could level the entire city." She quickly informs them as the reach the bridge. Clara quickly pulls her hair up into a ponytail, realizing this is going to get very messy.
"We need to draw out Ultron." Steve adds as Clara stands on the ledge of the bridge, waiting for him to catch up.
"Don't be an idiot and jump." Clara teases as Steve runs from one end of the road to see where the truck is. Steve then backs up and jumps off of the loop, landing on the truck. The woman sighs and flies after him, gently landing beside him. Steve climbs down onto the doors on back of the truck. It's only seconds before the door flies open and Steve has to quickly tighten his grip. Clara jumps off of the top of the truck just as Ultron fires at Steve again, sending him flying into the air. Luckily, the Captain lands on the broken door.
"Well, he's definitely unhappy. I'm going to try and keep him that way." Steve announces, which makes Clara chuckle. She draws water from her surroundings, sending piercing icicles at the robots. The blonde dodges the energy Ultron starts to shoot at her.
"You're no match for him, Cap." Clint retorts, which only makes the smile on Clara's face grow.
"Thanks, Barton. You better not be smiling back there, Stark!" Steve teases and Clara simply rolls her eyes.
"Really shouldn't be focusing on my smile, Steve!" She teases right back. Clara attempts to climb into the truck with Steve, but Ultron does something that sends both of them flying off in two separate directions. Steve lands on the car that was directly behind him while Clara is sent flying into the road, rolling on the hard asphalt. Pain erupts all over her as she quickly stands, jumping up into the air to fly after the truck. Steve quickly gets up, swinging from one truck to meet with Clara. Both blondes land on the roof of the truck, Ultron meeting them within seconds.
"You know what's in that cradle?" Ultron asks, firing at the two of them. Clara moves upwards and Steve twists so it hits his shield instead. Ultron just continues, "The power to make real change. And that terrifies you all."
"I wouldn't call that a comfort." Steve retorts, throwing his shield at Ultron while Clara uses whatever water she can go fire an onslaught of various sharp objects at Ultron. The shield comes back to Steve and he throws it again, this time it gets caught in Ultron's chest
"Stop it!" Ultron shouts, throwing back Steve and tossing the shield into the road. Clara can't even focus on where Steve is because Ultron fires at her in the mere seconds she is distracted, which makes her shout in pain. Her shoulder is bloody and raw, the suit now torn in that area. Ultron is now distracted as Clara feigns fear, watching as Steve quietly sneaks up behind Ultron. The Captain jumps up and wraps his arm tightly around Ultron's neck.
"Fucking evil toaster." Clara grumbles, pulling a knife out of her boot and launching herself at Ultron. The robot yet again sends her flying back, blooding dripping everywhere. Clara watches as Ultron wraps his hand around Steve's neck. For a moment, all Clara sees is red. Thankfully, Nat comes in and throws Steve his shield. Steve slams it into Ultron, sending him down onto the roof of the truck. Once again, Clara stands and uses the water from a nearby fire hydrant in her defense as Steve goes flying behind him, landing on another car.
"Enough!" Ultron screams at Clara, quickly grabbing her by her neck. The blonde woman desperately claws at the metal fingers, kicking her legs. His grip tightens and black spots for her vision. Ultron throws her into oncoming traffic again and this time Clara lands on top of a car, shattering the windshield. It knocks all of the air out of her. She carefully rolls off the car, greedily taking in air. Her comm link is no longer in her ear, so Clara was to try to see glimpses of Cap or Ultron. Luckily, she sees the bright light of an explosion coming from a train next to the road.
"I hate my brother." Clara grumbles before flying off in the direction of the train. She flies through the opening Steve and Ultron had made. Immediately, she sees all the passengers that are trembling away from the fight currently taking place. Clara uses what water is in this section of the train-maiming from drinks, and builds a thick wall of ice between the fight and the passengers. Clara turns and slams her foot into Ultron's head just as Steve gets hit by the robot. Ultron backhands Clara, sending her into Steve just as a blue blur pushes past Ultron. Clara doesn't even care that Steve is holding onto her as red magic twists metal, blocking Ultron from Steve and Clara.
"Please, don't do this." Ultron begs, turning to look at Wanda Maximoff behind him. Steve helps Clara up, his hand still in the middle of her back.
"What choice do we have?" Wanda questions. In a split second, Pietro pushes his sister out of the way as Ultron fires straight throw the train and flies off. Steve's hand slips off Clara's back and he hurdles over twisted and broken metal.
"I lost him! He's headed your way!"Steve exclaims and Clara quickly follows after him, her body in a lot of pain. They reach the conductor with seconds and he's dead. The train jolts as they go off the rails, Clara pushes the dead man aside and desperately tries to stop the train.
"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!" Steve shouts, looking out the area that once held a window. Clara continues trying to push buttons, they aren't working.
"All of the controls are fried. I can't stop it." She tells Steve and he quickly turns, looking at the twins.
"Civilians in our path." He announces, his captain voice making it sound much more like an order. Pietro runs out as Clara draws in water from anything nearby. Steve then says, "Can you stop this thing?"
"Steve, we are headed towards a building!" Clara shouts out and he quickly comes back to her. Rogers holds up his shield, but debris sends them both flying back. They quickly get back up as Wanda stops the train. Steve and Clara are both panting. The Captain looks over to the agent beside him, noticing all her wounds, especially the one on her shoulder.
"He really did a number on you, doll." Steve murmurs, his old pet name for her slipping out of his mouth. She smiles lightly as he hops out of the train and then helps her out.
"I've been through worse, Rogers." Clara responds as they walk over to the twins.
"I just need a minute." Pietro says, out of breath as he sits down.
"I'm very tempted not to give you one." Steve retorts, both he and Clara standing tight in front of them.
"The Cradle. Did you get it?" Wanda questions and Clara raises an eyebrow. She was about three seconds away from slamming her fist right into Wanda's face.
"Stark will take care of it." Steve responds, taking a step forward as Clara studies the twins. Wanda recoils at the mention of Clara's brother.
"No he won't." Wanda announces and Clara rolls her eyes.
"You have no idea what you are talking about, Maximoff. My brother and I will take care of it." Clara practically snaps at her, taking a step forward. Wanda glances at Clara before looking back at Steve.
"They will do anything to make things right." Wanda says in an almost accusatory tone. Clara narrows her eyes at the brunette.
"Stark, come in. Stark. Anyone on comms?" Steve tries. Clara mentally curses out her brother as Steve turns around.
"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?" Wanda asks. Clara walks over to Steve.
"You don't actually believe Maximoff, do you?" She asks in a low voice, looking up at Steve. He looks right back down at her.
"Clara, he did make-" Steve starts and Clara chuckles drily, looking away. Her arms cross over her chest.
"Just when I think maybe you aren't an asshole anymore, you go and prove me wrong. Find your own way back to New York, Rogers." Clara mutters before flying off in the direction of the airport.