Book 3: Chimera [Thor]

Chapter 17

Steve rushed through the front door to the U-GIN building. His presence caused a commotion when he alerted security that a breach had occurred. They activated the alarm system to empty the building, the super soldier rushing up to the research center without backup. Between the flashing lights and the blaring noises, Steve observed the computers on the floor going in and out. As if they lost their connection or suffered from a loose wire. But that was the least of his worry the further he went. The staff lay dead in their bays, all with fresh wounds to their torsos. The edges of their clothes were brunt and gave away what the cause of the attack was. Ultron's calling card from the hand blasters. The man rushed into the back when he saw movement.

Dr. Cho was alive, thankfully, but not without injury. Her right shoulder bled profusely, the woman struggling to sit up. Steve quickly grabbed a padded cloth that lay discarded on the ground to help staunch the flow. The man then helped her lean back against a cabinet in a more comfortable position.

"He's uploading himself into the body," Helen managed out, breathlessly.

They'd been correct in assuming Ultron would use the Cradle to create a higher form. "Where?" Steve asked.

"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."

She nodded in agreement and pushed his hand away. "Go, I'll be fine."

Steve rushed out, passing security and medical personnel along the way. "Did you guys copy that?" the super soldier questioned over the earpiece.

"We did," Clint answered. The three agents were already scanning the city below from the aircraft's radars and their own eyes.

"I got a private jet taking off across town," Natasha relayed. She'd been combing through the databases on one of the smaller handheld screens over Anya's shoulder. "No manifest. That could be him."

Clint glanced down, finally catching something moving out of a tunnel. "There."

Both women looked to see where the archer pointed, noticing a large truck that stood out from the rest. It made its way in the opposite direction from the U-GIN building.

"It's a truck from the lab. Right above you, Cap. On the loop by the bridge." Anya focused the radar on the outside of the vehicle confirming the U-GIN logo before breaching the hull with its heat sensor. "It's them. You got three with the Cradle, one in the cab. I could take out the driver."

"Negative!" the super soldier quickly ordered. He cleared the top of the staircase on the roof and rushed in the direction of the looping freeway. "That truck crashes the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron."

The man lunged for the nearest strip of road, rolling across the concrete. He then rushed for the maintenance workers ladder attached to the structure.

"He's nearly there," Anya noted from her position.

"Do you have a lock on the truck?" Clint questioned.

"It's not going anywhere."

Steve reached the highest point of the interchange, looking over the edge. The U-GIN truck made the last loop towards his position. The super soldier turned, running for the gap between the cars to dive through the air. He hit the roof, hard. Rolling across the flat surface the man struggled to gain a hold of the flat surface before catching an edge at the back. His body swung over to hit the latched doors. Before Steve had a chance to drag himself up the back doors were blasted open by an energy force. His spine hit the side of the truck, clinging on for dear life, boots pushing against the flat surface to come around. For a brief moment, he managed to catch sight of the Cradle sitting inside hooked up to Ultron. His henchman guarded them both. Another blast ripped the damaged metal from the top hinge, throwing Steve up into the air, before it bent over to scrap against the road asphalt. He landed on what remained of the door.