Into the Unknown || A Captain America Love Story

51

Tori

     I march into the lab with Steve and the Maximoffs. Steve and I are fuming with rage. I have my fists clenched by my sides. Steve grips his shield with his left hand, showing his veins.
     "I'm gonna say this once," Steve growls.
     "How about 'none-ce'," Tony replies.
     "Shut it down!" he shouts.
     "Nope," Tony says. "Not gonna happen."
     "You don't know what you're doing,"
     "That 'thing' that you two are creating is Ultron 2.0," I say. "Shut it down."
     "And you two do?" Bruce asks. "She's not in your heads?" He points at Wanda, who clings to her brother protectively.
     "I know you're angry," she begins.
     "Oh, we're way past that," Bruce spits. "I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade."
     "Banner, after everything that's happened—" Steve starts to yell.
     "It's nothing compared to what's coming," Tony snarls.
     "You don't know what's in there," Wanda retorts.
     "This isn't a game!" Steve says.
     I turn around, nodding at Pietro. He rolls his eyes at everyone, but nods back to me.
     "Enough!" I scream. The room goes silent, giving Pietro enough time to zoom around the cradle and yank out a tube.
     "No, no, go on," he says to them. He winks at me and drops the tube on the floor. "You were saying?"
     There is a gunshot. The glass beneath Pietro gives out, and he falls with the shattered pieces.
     "Pietro!" Wanda shouts.
     "I'm rerouting the upload," Tony announces.
     Steve throws his shield across the room. I watch as parts of Tony's suit flies to him. He aims at Steve once he has his hand in that part of his armor. Tony shoots a blast at Steve, knocking him to the ground. I watch Bruce put Wanda in a headlock. Her eyes are red as she tries to look behind her.
     "Go ahead, piss me off," he threatens her.
     By now, I'm sprinting across the room, summoning my own armor with the watch Tony had given me recently. I hear it crash through glass, coming to me. The first thing I feel come on is the armor on my right hand. I shoot at Tony, who is trying to do the same to me. Wanda escapes from Bruce, and Thor eventually joins the fight as well; however, my main focus is Tony.
     It all goes in slow motion. My brother shoots yellowish beams at me to just bolt to Steve. I remember seeing the darkness in his eyes, the same darkness I saw when I was young.
     I had come home from one of my first missions after my long years of training for it. He had told my that he had been betrayed, and that he was going to get revenge.
     Then, his eyes gain a small amount of light in them. They seem apologetic, almost regretful. Before I can give him the same expression, the mask of my suit flies to my face, sending me backwards. The blue sensors blur my vision, blocking the scene in front of me.
     I quickly stand up to sort of see Thor standing on top of the cradle. I am one step away from him, almost a foot, to be exact. He raises Mjölnir and lightning fills the room. The bright sparks dance across my vision as I am flung back onto the floor.
     "Wait!" I hear Bruce shout. But Thor doesn't stop.
     The lightning multiplies. Thor directs the hammer to the cradle. I bring myself up to  crawl away, to not be shocked. The electrocuting sounds fill my ears as I rush to the sides of the lab. Everyone stares at Thor in awe and confusion, unsure of what to do.
     It all stops. I pant and watch Thor end the lightning. Nothing happens. Then, the top of the cradle bursts open, sending Thor to crash through glass. It hops out. A red body lands gracefully in the blue mist. I want to bring up my hand to blast it, but I am paralyzed. It stands, looking into everyone's eyes. It stops at mine, which are not visible underneath the dark blue helmet of my suit.
     It leaps to Thor, who throws it through more glass. It hovers, somersaulting midair. Stopping at the last outer layer of glass that shows the glowing city lights, it stares at its reflection.
     I rise to my feet and silently follow Steve to watch it. Thor raises his hand, signaling for us to stop. Thor sets Mjölnir down and approaches it.
      "I am sorry," it says. Where have I heard that voice? "That was...odd. Thank you."
     I hear a sigh. That voice is so familiar. A golden cape extends from the red man. I step closer to Steve, so that he is arm's length away from me.
     "Thor," Steve booms. "You helped create this?"
     "I've had a vision," Thor replies. "A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and had its center is that." He points to the yellow gem embedded into the red man's forehead.
     "What? The gem?" Bruce asks.
     "It's the Mind Stone," Thor says. "It's one of the six Infinity Stones. The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities."
     "Then why would you bring—" Steve begins.
     Thor interrupts. "Because Stark is right."
     "Oh, it's definitely the end times," Bruce mutters.
     "The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron," Thor says.
     "Not alone," the creature says. J.A.R.V.I.S.. It's the voice I've heard every day for as long as I can remember.
     "Why does your Vision sound like J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Steve asks.
     "We...we configured J.A.R.V.I.S.'s matrix to create something new," Tony answers, stepping up to his creation.
     "I think I've had my fill of new," Steve mutters.
     "You think I'm a child of Ultron," the Vision says.
     "You're not?" Steve questions.
     It shakes its head. "I'm not Ultron. I am not J.A.R.V.I.S.. I am...I am."
     "I looked in your head and saw annihilation," Wanda says.
     "Look again," Vision replies.
     I hear a scoff. "Her seal of approval means jack to me." Clint joins us, a smirk on his face.
     "Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone," Thor says. "And they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side—"
     "Is it?" I ask. "Are you on our side?"
     "I don't think it's that simple," Vision replies.
     "If better get real simple real soon," Clint hisses softly.
     "I am on the side of life," Vision says. "Ultron isn't. He will end it all."
     "What's he waiting for?" Tony asks gravely.
     "You,"
     "Where?" Bruce inquires.
     "Sokovia," Clint answers. "He's got Nat there, too."
     "If we're wrong about you," Bruce says, stepping up to him, "if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be—"
     "What will you do?" Vision asks.
     There is a long pause. We all stare at Vision with wide eyes.
     "I don't want to kill Ultron," he says. "He's unique and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the Earth. So, he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net. We have to act now. And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So, there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go."
     Vision picks up Mjölnir. It doesn't cling to the table; it actually is lifted into the air. He gives it to Thor, who reluctantly takes it. If everyone wasn't paying attention to him before, they sure are now. Vision then walks away without a word.
     "Alright," Thor says silently. "Well done." He pats Tony's shoulder and follows Vision.
     "Three minutes," Steve orders. "Get what you need."