『 eighteen. BIKE OF DEATH 』
"Two minutes. Stay close."
The team has split up, Bruce heading straight for the tower to await their arrival, not ready for another code green with the wound still open from the last time people met the Hulk. Tony had gone to Oslo, to find out who was on their side or by Fury's perspective, going against Ultron. This left Natasha, Steve, Hallie and Clint to take care of finding the body that Ultron was trying to build, which wasn't that hard seeing as they knew where Dr. Cho was. The hard part happened to actually be getting the body from Ultron.
Steve was on the ground, running into the lab alone to see if Ultron and the body were still there, leaving Hallie and the assassin duo in the quinjet, waiting for orders. Or at least Hallie was, the other two probably knew exactly how to deal with the situation by now. Hallie was just following, something she may not have done often but it seemed necessary at this point in time. Didn't want to argue with the experts and all that.
They wait to hear from Steve again, Hallie opting to stand next to Clint, even if it wasn't very safe in a moving plane that likes sudden movements. She'd heal eventually and currently they weren't in any real danger from the looks of things.
Over the comms, they all heard Steve say loudly, "Dr. Cho!"
There was the sound of heavy breathing, before another voice that Hallie recognized as Helen Cho said, "He's uploading himself into the body." When Steve asked where he received no answer, and for a second Hallie feared the worst but then she said, "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."
"First I have to find it." Steve muttered.
"Go."
"Did you guys copy that?" Steve asks the small part of his team that had followed him.
"We did." Clint answers.
Natasha had already started searching locations for. The cradle, Hallie and Clint choosing instead to look out side the jet and down on the citizens driving on the streets. "I got a private jet taking off, across town, no manifest. That could be him."
Clint was first to notice a truck from the lab, cruising along the highway as though it wasn't being driven by robots. "There. It's the 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."
"Negative!" Steve says as he gets to where Clint told him. "If that truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron." There was a short pause, in which there was noise in the background before Steve said, "Well, he's definitely unhappy! I'm gonna try and keep him that way."
"You're not a match for him, Cap."
Hallie raised an eyebrow at the discouragement, looking to the archer as Steve replied sarcastically, "Thanks, Barton."
"Come on kid, we're going for a ride." Natasha called to her as Clint continued to fly the quinjet, Hallie finally moving from her position and walking towards Natasha, seeing a bike.
"I'm more of a vintage four wheel car person." Hallie said, looking at the bike skeptically hoping that this wouldn't be her doom.
That's be a horrible way to go, and a rather boring way. She grimaced at the thought. She'd lived through a lot in the past few years, and to be taken out by a random high tech bike seemed pretty stupid in her opinion, but she was sure people who'd actually died that way would definitely disagree. Besides, at the moment she was more likely to be taken out by genocidal robots.
Natasha looked amused for a moment, before Clint called to them, "We got a window." Hallie climbed into the bike behind Natasha, feeling extremely awkward on the foreign object but settling down all the same as Clint counted off, "Four, three. . . give 'em hell."
Hallie resists the urge to scream as they drop out of the still moving quinjet and onto the open street, cars everywhere. Natasha on the other hand is completely calm, swerving through traffic like she'd done it a million times before (which she probably had of Hallie thought about it). Cars moved out of their way as they swerved between cars so as not to hit anyone, and Hallie nearly screamed and panicked several times, feeling bile rise up in her throat. How the hell did Natasha make this look so easy?
Spotting Steve's dropped shield in the middle of the street, Natasha shakes her head and says, "I'm always picking up after you boys." Leaning down to grab it before handing it off to Hallie. Unsure of what to do with the item, Hallie swings it in her back like she seen Steve do a million times.
"They're heading under the overpass, I've got no shot." Clint informs over comms, being their eyes in the sky as they were on the ground.
"Which way?" Natasha asks.
"Hard right. . ." Hallie prepared for the stomach jerker as Clint have them instructions, their own personal GPS. "Now."
Natasha swerves in front of a car, which nearly stops so as not to run into the two girls, Hallie waving apologetically at them before feeling the bike hit a bump and soar into the air before bouncing down again, holding onto Natasha tightly. Pedestrians ran out of their way, the two not blinking an eye on their direction.
"Yep, never doing this again." Hallie muttered as Natasha made another quick turn.
"You'll get used to it kid." Natasha called to her, although Hallie was very against getting used to it. She'd rather fight an army of Ultrons than do this.
The truck comes into sight, Hallie praying to whatever god was out there that she survive rushing into traffic, part of her longing to close her eyes but still managing to keep them open as Natasha slid skillfully under the truck. At this point Hallie loosened her hands, throwing Steve his shield and continuing to move, Natasha giving a nod signaling for her to jump. The brunette did, using all of her strength and balance to jump from the bike to the truck, the bike slowing down a second later as Ultron notices it but it's too late, for Hallie already is gripping onto the truck, the area around her hands bending in due to the heat giving her a better grip.
Guards point out their arms, shooting at Natasha but like the stormtroopers in Star Wars have horrible aim, allowing Natasha to move before it's too late. Hallie reached out, grabbing a robotic arm and pulling it out, quickly taking its place as the other guard turns to her, aiming at her but missing as she ducks out of the way. She dodges again, reaching the second guard but with her back turned towards the street she didn't notice the first guard regrouping, instead a metallic arm wrapped around her and pulled her out, causing her to roll onto the street.
Steve also seemed to be having trouble staying with the truck, the Ultrons working to defend it. Hallie quickly stood, jumping on one of the approaching cars while feeling a slight pang of guilt for the driver, before jumping of and reaching the truck again, only this time on the top even though it wasn't her preferred destination.
Ultron was prepared, firing at her as soon as she landed (at least he had the decency to wait for her to land). Hallie moved out of the way, surprised at her own balance as she managed to stay on the edge of the moving truck. She charged the robot, ducking under his first strike at her and managing to catch his metal hand in her own, heating it up quickly causing Ultron to groan in disgust, before swinging his other arm at her, this time hitting her causing her to stumble back.
Captain America had managed to find his way back on the truck though, stealing most of Ultron's attention from the girl who was healing quickly at the strike. Hallie quickly regained her senses as the quinjet came down, raining bullets at the truck to draw out the guards, giving the two a second to breath as they moved out of the incoming bullets.
A moment later the quinjet was pulling up, leaving Ultron to the two super humans. Hallie's eyes glowed orange as she kicked at the Ultron, who focused on it and didn't see Steve's punch coming, causing him to stumble. Steve tossed the shield to Hallie who hit the Ultron in the head with it, their small victories turning to defeat as Ultron used the moment to fire an energy blast a Steve, who was giving barely enough time to catch the shield Hallie passed back to him. Ultron fired another blast at Hallie, who fell forward from the impact and slid over the edge slightly, but managed to regain her former position in a matter of seconds.
Steve soon got the upper hand, managing to toss Ultron off himself and into a cement column, Ultron coming back at full power and tackling the Avenger duo into a running train, screams of shock echoing around. Steve quickly regathered himself, picking up his shield and throwing it at the charging robot, Hallie sliding under the bot at Steve jumped over. A blast hit Steve as he landed, causing him to roll back, Hallie picking up a piece of wreckage as Ultron tried the same move, being pushed out of the way, nearly falling out of the train through the hole created.
Over the speakers which Hallie had pretty much blocked out by now, Natasha called, "I'm going in, Cap, Hal, can you keep him occupied?"
The two still recovering super humans groaned, Steve asking, "What do you think we've been doing?"
Hallie stands up, charging the robot again, taking him by surprise as she slid through his legs instead of going straight for him, turning around quickly and jumping up, wrapping an arm around his neck catching it in a choke hold, his arms coming up to pull her off, leaving him vulnerable to Steve. Hitting the bit with the shield then punching it, Steve managed to get a few good hits as Hallie melted through part of the metal, and as it had many times her skin appeared to have fire running beneath it.
Ultron managed to throw Hallie off, Hallie sailing towards the opposite door, her back hitting it and she crumpled to the ground with a thud, pain echoing through her. The super human pushed herself to her feet, ready to attack Ultron again with his back turned, but someone else did, and in a blur, the same boy from the shipyard was standing next to her, his blue eyes casting a look to her and giving her a nod which she returned, the two turning to face Ultron who was blocked in by Wanda Maximoff.
"Please." Ultron's robotic voice called to the two. "Don't do this." He begged.
Glaring at the robot, Wanda scowled, "What choice do we have?"
Ultron turns, realizing their decision and shooting at Hallie and Pietro, who uses his super speed to pull them both down, the blast hitting the front of the train, providing enough of a distraction for the four as it makes its escape to reclaim what had previously been his.
"I lost him!" Steve calls, Hallie looking around to see if everyone was still uninjured, apart from minor cuts. Everyone except the conductor seemed in exceptional condition. "He's headed your way." He told Clint.
As Steve checks the conductor, Hallie looked up noticing that their somewhat smooth sailing was about to end, the railroad coming to an end not too far ahead of them, leading straight into the market place with busy civilians just trying to go about life. Her eyes grew round at the sight, boy having much of a way to stop the train.
Over comms, Halle heard Clint call, "Nat! Cap, you see Nat?"
"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!" Steve demands.
Ignoring the order, Clint asks, "Do you have eyes on Nat?"
"Go!" Steve calls again leading a reluctant Clint to take off in the Quinjet. Steve turned back around, looking at the three and focusing on the twins. "Civilians in our path." Steve says to Pietro, who speeds off a second later to clear their way. Next he looks to Wanda, asking, "Can you stop this thing?"
Hallie grabs onto something as Steve goes flying past her, Wanda using her powers to reach out and stop the train from continuing its path of destruction. Screeching can be heard through the train, leaving a ringing noise in Hallie's ears as it slowly comes to a stop.
Loosening her grip from the train, Hallie breaths heavily, tired, before exiting the train, finally being able to think about things other than tactical and strategic moves against the metal man. People were being helped off the train by civilians, leaving the four to regroup, and for the Avengers to assess the two who'd previously been against them, causing their team pain.
Hallie stumbled off the train, eyes the same caramel color they normally are, her skin the same cream color. Her cheek glowed slightly as it healed a bruise but other than that she looked fine, in perfect condition as though she hadn't just battled a robot. Walking out, she finds the twins, Pietro sitting down on a crate, catching his breath as Wanda leans worriedly over him.
"I'm fine." Pietro brushes her off, taking deep gulps of air as he tells her, "I just need to take a minute."
"I'm very tempted not to give you one." Steve says, glaring at the two, still annoyed after what had previously occurred and no one could blame him.
Wanda turns her attention to Steve, asking, "The Cradle, did you get it?"
"Stark will take care of it." Steve reassures.
A declination look shows on the girl's face, "No, he won't." She shook her head.
Hallie frowns, annoyed that Wanda is questioning Tony, quickly defending, "He wouldn't do anything." She denied.
Steve looked at her, shaking his head and saying, "Hal's right. You don't know what you're talking about, Stark's not crazy."
"That's debatable but he isn't that crazy." Hallie corrected.
"He will do anything to make things right." Wanda insisted.
Steve seemed to hesitate in arguing with the girl, wondering if perhaps she may be right. "Stark, come in. Stark. Anyone on comms?" Hallie listened, heart pounding and waiting for someone to answer, to deny it. But all they got was silence.
"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?"
( w / c ) : 2510
( a / n ) : again, sorry about short chapters.