𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐘 | 𝒕.𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏

[ 24 ]

" it is both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply."

The team had discovered who Ultron was heading for, Ulysses Klaue. Apparently, the man had a shit ton of vibranium.

"Stark... He's a sickness!"

Tony, Steve and Thor all walked over, meeting Ultron at the other end of the catwalk. While Ash, Natasha and Clint hid in the shadows waiting to strike.

"Nobody needs to break anything." Thor sighed.

"Clearly you haven't made an omelette." Ultron replied.

"He beat me by one second." Tony said.

Ash rolled his eyes from his spot and listened to the conversation. Within a couple minutes, a fight started. He wasted no time in destroying the sentries and dealing with Klaue's men. He finished with one and watched them fall to the ground. Ash continued on his way, jumping up and leaping along the wall. He collided into his target, making them collapse into the floor, pinned under him like a bug.

He fired his gun and stood up, looking around but he froze. His breathing quickened, his surroundings changed. Nicotine was gone, his breath shook and called for him, hearing no response. He called, again and again. He continually heard nothing. Finally, he dropped to his knees, screaming. Nicotine had gone ballistic, the exact same thing happening to him. Dark veins and mass surrounded Ash as a kind of nest formed around him. His screaming and eventual sobbing echoed throughout the ship as the twins went about doing the same they did to him to the rest of the team.

Not just his screams, but yells of panic and terror sounded as Nicotine destroyed everything around him in his effort to find Ash. It seemed as though this outburst would never end. The continuous pulses of emotion erupted from his heaving chest intensified everything around him, he hadn't realised it, but his powers were making his teammates' visions all the more vivid. But suddenly, everything went black.

Ash jolted awake, before panic could set in, Thor reassured him and Nicotine that everything was okay and that they were on the quinjet. He was safe. Ash's breath shook as he pulled Thor in for a hug. The blonde accepted the gesture gratefully as Ash buried his face in his neck. Nicotine emerged to join, securing the two of them in his hold. The throuple made no moves to separate and stayed that way for the rest of the trip.

***

The Team arrived at the farmhouse, when the group walked inside, Clint introduced Steve, Tony and Bruce to Laura. Ash and Thor smiled, greeting her from a distance. Nicotine said hi as well when he emerged from his host's shoulder. Lila and Cooper ran downstairs to greet their dad.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" Lila asked, it was clear who her favourite was. But well- Everyone's favourite is Nat.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Natasha grinned, receiving a hug from the young girl.

"What about-?" Cooper started but stopped himself when he saw Ash and Thor.

He rushed over and hugged them before asking the big question; where was Josh?

"He's with MJ right now, kiddo. Sorry about that." Ash smiled.

"More like his girlfriend!" Nicotine laughed.

"MJ is his girlfriend?" Cooper asked.

"No, she isn't. Your Uncle Nicotine is lying again." Ash chuckled.

"Don't spoil the fun." Thor smirked.

"Yeah!" Cooper agreed.

"Oh? The Prince of Asgard is enabling lying? Loki would be proud." Ash smiled.

Thor chuckled and before he could say anything else, Steve's voice interrupted them.

"Sorry for barging in." He said.

"Yeah, we would have called before but we didn't know you existed." Tony agreed, crossing his arms.

Ash was going to make a remark but decided not to, he didn't want to start an argument. But his brother's stance and emotions told him he was upset over something... Jealous. Ash decided to ignore it, he had his own issues to worry about. Cooper went back over to his dad, seeming as though he didn't exactly like Tony. Thor turned to look at Ash and took his hand,

"Can we talk in private?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, of course." Ash replied.

They walked to the front door and stood outside. Ash and Nicotine waiting for him to talk.

"I saw something in that dream. I know I already told you what I saw... But there was something different and I need answers." Thor explained.

Ash sighed, knowing that Nicotine was thinking the exact same as him, "Okay. Go find it, but be safe, okay?"

"I will. I love you."

"We love you too."

A loving kiss was shared and Thor spun Mjolnir, taking off into the sky. Nicotine returned into Ash's body, the blue seeping back into his attire. Steve appeared at the front door and he looked over at him.

"Where's Thor?" He asked.

"He saw something in that vision, it was something important so he left to get answers." Ash told him, walking over.

Steve nodded as he headed back inside. Ash talked to Laura and after a while he went to go shower. After getting dried and changed, he left the farmhouse to go to the quinjet. When he arrived, he looked around for his duffle bag. Once he found it, he searched inside, finding his sketchbook and other art supplies inside another small bag. Ash smiled, grabbing it and leaving. He walked back to the farmhouse and sat in the grass, sitting cross-legged. He took his sketchbook and opened it flipping through the full pages to a blank one. He rested the book on his thigh and took a pencil from his supplies. Ash's pencil moved across the page freely, the base of a cat forming. The face was a little grumpy but that was okay. Soon enough a detailed sketch formed. He put his pencil behind his ear and took oil pastels from his bag, colouring the shading to create a tabby cat.

Ash continued to spend time alone sketching and painting, whether that be animals or people he knew. Eventually, it began to get late, so he gathered his things, returned them to their home in his bag and headed back to the house. Turns out Fury arrived. Ash greeted his old boss and joined Laura in the kitchen, helping her with whatever she needed done. The evening was spent with Fury giving the team a pep talk and Bruce coming to the conclusion Ultron was evolving by using Helen Cho.