prevously in chapter 86
"Aghh," Thor groaned before yelling, "Why don't you fight me head-on and see, you coward?" Henry sighed as he said, "Now I know why Loki is better than yo—" But before he could finish, the world started to shake, as the literal fabric of reality fractured. The Avengers looked around, only to see Banner in the midst of transforming. The world they were in burst into red mist, and when the red mist cleared, they looked around. They were never tied down to chairs by tentacles, nor was Henry anywhere to be seen. "Did I have too much vodka?" Clint said. Thor, who was still holding the hammer, sighed. He looked relieved as he said, "Oh, thank Odin's beard." That is when Tony said.
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Chapter 87
"It's her," as he turned to Steve, who nodded. "Wanda Maximoff," Agent Hill replied as the team tensed up. "An illusion," Tony said as Clint added, "Well, that's humiliating." Thor continued, "Never felt so powerless." They sat back down while natasha calmed the half transformed banner, but of course, they made sure that nothing was underneath them. That is when a loud screeching noise filled the room, like a microphone feedback, causing everyone to cover their ears. The Avengers winced in unison, hands instinctively clamping down over their ears until the piercing sound faded. As the noise died away, Tony Stark pulled out his device, his expression shifting from annoyance to curiosity.
Suddenly, one of the Iron Legion suits, heavily damaged and housing Ultron's consciousness, stumbled into the room, its movements jerky and unsteady.
"Worthy... No, how could you be worthy? You're all killers," Ultron's distorted voice emanated from the suit, filled with a mix of confusion and contempt.
Steve Rogers, always the sentinel, took a cautious step forward, his shield at the ready. "Stark," he called out, his tone demanding answers.
Tony Stark glanced briefly at Steve before addressing his AI. "JARVIS," he said, tapping furiously on his device.
Ultron's voice wavered, sounding almost melancholic. "I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or... I was a-dream?"
Tony, still focused on his device, muttered, "Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit."
Ultron continued, his voice tinged with a mechanical sadness. "There was a terrible noise... and I was tangled in... in... strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."
Steve's eyes narrowed. "You killed someone?" Ultron's response was almost casual. "Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."
Thor, his presence commanding as always, stepped forward, his voice a thunderous demand. "Who sent you?" Ultron's reply was chilling, as he replayed a recording of Tony's voice. "I see a suit of armor around the world." Bruce Banner's face paled. "Ultron!"
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this... chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission," Ultron's voice dripped with sinister intent. Natasha Romanoff, ever the strategist, asked, "What mission?"
"Peace in our time," Ultron replied, his tone mocking. Without warning, the walls exploded, and several Iron Legion bots barged into the room. Chaos erupted as the team sprang into action, fighting off the mechanical invaders. Rhodey was knocked through a window, and Maria Hill screamed his name in horror.
Banner scrambled over the bar to avoid the incoming fire from the bots. Natasha grabbed him, pulling him down with her. They landed in a heap, Banner's face a mixture of embarrassment and apology. "Sorry!" Natasha, her tone both urgent and reassuring, said, "Don't turn green!"
"I won't!" Banner assured her, his voice tense. The Avengers continued their fight, each member displaying their unique skills. Natasha called out to Banner, "Come!" Amidst the battle, Steve Rogers kept a keen eye on Tony, who was attacking one of the Iron Legion bots with a fondue fork, his usual improvisational flair on full display.
One of the bots, half-destroyed, hovered menacingly towards Dr. Helen Cho. "We are here to help... Is unsafe. Please back away," it droned.
Ultron watched, his mechanical voice filled with scorn. "Hmm." The bot lowered its weapon, only for Steve to grab it and throw it away, setting it up for Thor to smash with his hammer.
"Thor!" Steve called out, the coordination between the Avengers seamless. Tony, still struggling with his fork, finally managed to disable one of the bots. "Come on! That's the one!" The battle raged on until Clint Barton tossed Steve his shield. "Cap!"
Steve used the shield to dismember the last Iron Legion bot. As the room settled into a tense silence, Ultron's voice filled the void once more. "That was dramatic! I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. 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?" He picked up one of the dismembered bots, his grip crushing its head. "With these? These puppets?" He crushed the head completely. "There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."
Thor, reacting with characteristic fury, threw his hammer and destroyed Ultron's body. As it crumbled, Ultron's voice lingered, singing hauntingly. "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me, no strings on me." In the lab, the Avengers gathered, their expressions grim. Bruce Banner was the first to speak. "All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch." "Ultron," Steve said, the name a heavy burden.
Natasha, her face a mask of concern, added, "He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other." James Rhodes, ever the pragmatist, voiced the worst of their fears. "He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"
"Nuclear codes," Maria Hill said, her tone sharp. "Nuclear codes," Rhodes echoed. "Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can." Natasha's voice was steely. "Nukes? He said he wanted us dead." Steve corrected her, "He didn't say dead. He said extinct." Clint Barton, always perceptive, added, "He also said he killed somebody."
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A/N well, it began, for the avengers, as for henry,well, he needs to be busy.