Look to the Future | reader insert

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Once we were all ready, we joined together on the jet.

"Ultron knows we're coming," Rogers began what I'm assuming is his usual before battle monologue, "odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire and that's what we signed up for."

Is it?

"But the people of Sokovia didn't," he continued, looking to Pietro, "so our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace but that's not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them and we can get the job done."

"We find out what Ultron's been building, we find Romanoff and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us," he glanced around the ship, "Ultron thinks we're monsters, that we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him, it's about whether he's right."

"Well I know I'm a monster," I stood up, finished playing with my guns, "that's why I know that you are not. I'm a bit morally grey, so thanks. You know, for not locking me up and letting help."

Everyone nodded to me.

"Let's beat some robot ass," I smiled, "said literally no one ever. God. I never want to say that again."

"Let's go then," Clint said before we set off.

We reached Sokovia just as the sun was rising and began the evacuation efforts.

Thor and Banner went on ahead to find Romanoff while the rest of us hung around, well, actually, I went in search of a nice high point since I'd brought a Barrett M82A1M with me. Might as well be a good sniper and show them what the best sniper in Hydra looks like, right?

I walked across a roof, not really sure if I like the spot but found quickly that it didn't matter if I liked the spot or not.

"Hoo boy, these guys did not wait around," I muttered, looking at the robots as I quickly set up my station, "Alright guys, you've got eyes in the sky. Somewhat sky. I'm on a roof, let's just leave it at that."

"Just start firing," Rogers ordered.

"Yes, sir," I peered through the scope and started shooting, "still not rusty."

I found myself smiling as I hit robot after robot successfully in the centre of their heads.

The sound of stone cracking caught my attention as the ground suddenly began shaking, forcing me to miss one of my shots. I moved and looked up to see part of the land was literally just rising up.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked, "why is the floor moving?"

"Ultron," Tony replied.

"Do you see the beauty of it? The inevitability?" I heard Ultron speak, "you rise only to fall. You, Avengers, are my meteor. My swift and terrible sword."

I stood up, staring as I watched the edges of the flying land crumble and fall down onto the land that had stayed put where it was supposed to be.

"And the earth will crack," Ultron continued, "with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal."

"Mate this is insane," I stared before noticing a whole bunch of robots flying towards me.

"Stark you focus on getting the city back down safely," Rogers came across the comms, "the rest of us have one job, tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt them back. You get killed, walk it off."

I sense some logic problems in that order.

Grabbing my gun, I quickly jumped down off the building, quickly regretting it when it seemed a lot higher than I had expected it to be.

Bracing for the impact it didn't come as I was placed somewhat gently to the ground.

I frowned but found myself looking at Pietro.

"Did you see that coming?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head, "half expected to break a kneecap."

"No breaking of kneecaps today," he smiled before sprinting off.

Yeah. No breaking of the kneecaps.

"Whoa-" I just barely managed to dodge as a robot came barrelling for me.

Tossing the sniper to the side, I pulled out two handguns and began to shoot, one robot down. Two down. Three.

"This is exhausting," I breathed before turning and beginning to run through the streets, I used a car to propel myself a little higher in the air and shot a few bullets here and there, "Hm."

I landed.

"I think my hand eye coordination has gotten a little better," I smiled.

"We're all clear here," Clint's voice came across the comms.

"We are not clear," Rogers followed after, "we are very not clear."

"Same here but numbers are thinning," I chimed in.

"Alright coming to you," Clint announced.

I'm guessing he's talking to Rogers since here-

I shot a few more and paused, letting out a breath.

-we're almost done.

"Keep up, old man," I heard Pietro.

I stifled a snicker.

"Nobody would know. Nobody," Clint said, "the last I saw him, an Ultron was sitting on him. Yeah he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already."

"Uh- Clint? Your comms are still on," I chuckled.

"Right.." he muttered.

I spun around just in time to catch the fist of one of the robots.

"Hi there," I smiled before putting the gun up against its head, "Goodbye."

I shot and watched it crumble to the floor.

Turning, I started running down the street again, shooting down any robots I came across.

Eventually, I started to run out of bullets.

"OK, so didn't bring enough," I chuckled, "I'm a bit out of practice after all."

Finishing off the last few rounds I had, I tossed the guns to the ground and pulled out my knives.

"Close combat it is," I nodded to myself, pushing myself forward.

I started doing a whole lot more dodging now that I was out of ranged attacks.

Sprinting forward, I noticed multiple robots at the end of the street.

"Oh boy, this is going to be.." I sighed before sprinting forward I threw one of my knives first, it embedded itself in the robots face, I then reached them and swung the other one into another face. I pulled it out and ducked down, dodging a fist and grabbed the other knife before slamming them in the back of the other robot and dragging the knives up it and then spinning around just in time to push the knives in both sides of anothers head.

"Too many in one spot," I muttered before pushing forward and continuing.