The Emerald Witch - Melanie Maximoff - AOU

Chapter 3

I stopped running in some alleyway to talk to my sister.

"What were you saying earlier, about seeing their fears?" I asked.

"Right, yes, I think if we can figure out what they're all afraid of, we can use it against them. You remember how to mind-dive, don't you?" Wanda said.

"Of course, but doesn't it only require one of us? Are we splitting up?" I asked.

"Yes, and I'm getting Stark." She said.

"Fine, I'll take the Hulk." I said.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Hey! Don't underestimate me, Wan." I laughed.

I started running off, but she called my name.

"Melanie, keep an eye on the sky, I'll let you know when to meet back up." She said.

I saluted with two fingers and dashed off to find the Hulk. I'm really hoping he's worn out, or something, cause I think I'll just have to settle for Hawkeye or Black Widow if not.

I got back to the same area with the tank, where Pietro was messing with Hawkeye, but nobody was there. I closed my eyes and heard them in the distance, so I went to find them. 

They were loading back up onto their ship, probably getting ready to go home. Why're they leaving so soon? Did they give up? Did they get the scepter? No way did Strucker let that slide.

Isn't the scepter in Strucker's lair with the secret door, you know, the one that Tony Stark is in? How did Wanda let this happen? 

Then, Wanda called to me. She threw a burst of energy into the sky, almost like those fireworks that don't explode. I began my run back to her.

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About three days later, we were walking the streets, and saw that the church roof had been damaged. We decided to go inside.

There was a figure in a shawl sitting on the center throne. 

Wanda said, "Talk, and if you are wasting our time-"

"Did you know that this church is in the exact center of the city? The elders decreed it so that everyone could be - equally close to God. I like that. The geometry of belief." The person said. "You're wondering why you can't look inside my head." 

"Sometimes it's hard. But sooner or later every man shows himself." Wanda said.

The person started getting up, and turning around. When the shawl was dropped, we all saw that the person was in fact a robot. A silver robot with red eyes. 

"But you needed something more than a man. That's why you let Stark take the scepter." The robot said.

So she did let him take it? We haven't talked much about it at all.

"I didn't expect-" She looked widely at the robot "But I saw Stark's fear. I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct." 

"Everyone creates the thing they dread. Men of peace create engines of war, invaders create Avengers, people create -- smaller people? Uh, children! I lost the word there. Children. Designed to supplant them, to help them end." It said.

"Is that why you've come -- to end the Avengers?" Wanda asked. 

"Ive come to save the world." It replied. "But also, yeah." It added.

He then took us to Strucker's underground lair, the very same one that Stark took the scepter from. 

"We'll move out right away. This is a start, but there's something we need to begin the real work." It said as we rounded the corner and saw hundreds of Iron Legion robots walking around. 

"All of these are..?" Wanda asked.

"Me." It said "I have what the avengers never will; harmony. They're discordant, disconnected. Stark's already got them turning on eachother. And when you get inside the rest of their heads-" 

"Everyone's plan is not to kill them." Pietro said. 

"And make them martyrs. You need patience. Need to see the big picture." It said.

"I don't see the big picture. I have a little picture. I take it out and look at it, everyday." Pietro said. 

Wanda and I looked at eachother, then at the floor. 

"You lost your parents in the bombings. I've seen the records." It said.

"The records are not the picture." Pietro said, getting angry. 

"Pietro-" I said.

"No, please." It said.

Pietro looked at me. "It was only your first birthday." He looked at Wanda "We were 10 years old, having dinner, the five of us. The first shell hits two floors below. It makes a hole in the floor, its big." He looks up at Ultron. "Our parents go in, and the whole building starts coming apart. We hide under the table, and the second shell hits, but - it doesn't go off. It just sits there in the rubble, 3 feet from our faces."

"And on one side of the shell, is painted one word." I added.

"Stark." Wanda said.

 "We were trapped in there for two days." I said.

"Every effort to save us, every shift in the bricks, I think -- this will set it off. We wait for two days for Tony Stark to kill us." Wanda said.

Pietro nodded, "We know what they are." 

The robot said, "I wondered why only you three survived Strucker's experiments. Now I know. We will make it right." It looked at Pietro, "You and I can hurt them." It turned to Wanda. "But you will tear them apart." 

"And what of me?" I asked.

It walked to me, stared at me, then said, "Now you, you are interesting. Tell me, why do you harness what they both have?" 

I looked at my siblings, then back at the robot. "Long story short they tested everything out on me before applying it to them. Do I need to prove anything to you, whatever you are?" 

"That won't be necessary, I've seen plenty of your strength. Also, my name is Ultron." It looked at me for a while, then said, "And to answer your question, you shall do whatever it is you please. You sure have the capability to do so."