Like a Brother

Party

Today was the day of the party. I was really excited about it. Natasha helped me with my hair and dress. I had a really nice looking hair style that was 40s themed. It was called the victory curls. I also had some ruby lipstick on. I walked out of my room and headed down to the party. I saw Sam and Steve and I rushed over joining them as they walked up the steps.
"Sounds like a hell of a fight, sorry I missed it" Sam said as him and Steve continued with their conversation.
"If I had known it was going to be a firefight I absolutely would have called you" Steve said with a small smile.
"No, I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough. I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case. Avenging is your world. Your world is crazy" Sam said making me smile.
"Be it ever so humble" Steve said.
"You find a place in Brooklyn yet?" Sam asked.
"I don't think I can afford a place in Brooklyn" Steve said making me laugh a little bit.
"Well, home is home, you know?" Sam asked as the three of us looked out over everyone at the party. Me, Steve and Thor were talking to an elderly man at the party later that night after talking with Sam.
"I gotta have some of that!" said the old man.
"Oh, no, no, no. See this, this was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men" Thor said making me scoff. Steve gave me a look before telling Thor to let me try some. Thor pours the drink into three glasses and hands one to Steve. The one he hands to me is half full.
"Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on" said the old man.
"Alright" Thor said as Thor pours some of the drink into the man's glass. I took my sip and raised my eyebrows a little before downing the rest of my glass.
"That is defiantly not for mortal men" I said with a chuckle. I couldn't get drunk and neither could Steve since the serum was in our bodies.
"Told you" Thor said with a small smile. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I walked over to the bar and sat down where Natasha was making drinks. She sent me a small smile before giving me a small glass of water. As she is pouring a drink behind the bar when Banner walks up to her.
"How did a nice girl like you wind up working in a dump like this?" Banner asked as I brought my glass of water to my lips letting the cold liquid past my lips. I loved water.
"Fella done me wrong" she said.
"You got lousy taste in men, kid" Banner said.
"He's not so bad. Well, he has a temper. Deep down he's all fluff. Fact is, he's not like anybody I've ever known. All my friends are fighters. And here comes this guy, spends his life avoiding the fight because he knows he'll win" She said. I knew who she was talking about.
"Sounds amazing" Bruce said.
"He's also a huge dork" she said making me almost choke on my water as Banner looks embarrassed.
"Chicks dig that" I said smiling.
"So what do you think should I fight this, or run with it?" She asked.
"Run with it, right? Or, did he...was he...? What did he do that was so wrong to you?" He asked nervously.
"Not a damn thing. But never say never" she said with a small smile as she walks away. Nat is such a flirt. I rolled my eyes and chuckled softly looking at Banner sending him a little wink.
"It's nice" a familiar voice said making me turn to see Steve.
"What, what, what is?" Bruce asked.
"You and Romanoff" Steve said as he took two beer bottles from a bucket of ice.
"No, we haven't. That wasn't..." Bruce said getting flustered.
"It's okay. Nobody's breaking any by-laws. It's just, she's not the most... open person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed" Steve said as I hopped off my stool.
"No, Natasha, she...she likes to flirt" Bruce said.
"I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that. Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on "waiting too long", don't. You both deserve a win" Steve said as I follow him when Steve walks off.
"What do you mean, "up close?" Bruce asked us as we walked away. I couldn't help but smile at Steve.
Steve set the beer bottles down with a small smile, "care to dance, Steph?"
"Sure" I said as he pulled me out to the dance floor. I laughed as we danced with each other. I remember the first time I danced with Steve. I was five when it happened and Bucky didn't want to leave me home alone. So I ended up going dancing with the two. Steve didn't pay attention to any girls his age. He sat at the table with me and danced a little with me as well.
Later that night we were all sitting in the living room. Almost all the guest had left except for the whole team. I sat with Steve and Stark. I had found something the other day online and it's called Wattpad. Well I discovered something I never want to see ever again... Stony... It is so awkward being in the same room as those two.
"But, it's a trick!" Clint said referring to Thor's hammer that was on the coffee table.
"Oh, no. It's much more than that" Thor said.
"Uh, "Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!" Whatever man! It's a trick" Clint said making me smile.
"Well please, be my guest" Thor said gesturing toward the hammer.
"Come on" I heard Stark say.
"Really?" Clint asked.
"Yeah!" Thor said as Barton gets up and walks over toward the hammer.
"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful" I said making Clint give me a look basically saying you better sleep with one eye open.
"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up" Tony said making me and the others laugh.
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint asked as Barton grabs Thor's hammer and can't lift it. Clint turns Thor after he fails to lift the hammer, "And I still don't know how you do it."
"Smell the silent judgment?" Stark asked making me laugh a little bit.
"Please, Stark, by all means" Clint said gesturing toward the hammer as Stark gets up.
"Oh, here we go" I said smiling.
"Okay" Maria said.
"Uh-oh" Rhodes said.
"Um-hmm" Clint said making me laugh a little bit.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge" Stark said unbuttoning his jacket.
"Get after it" I said taking a sip from my water.
"Here we go" mom said.
"It's physics" Tony said.
"Physics!" Banner said making me laugh as Stark grasps Thor's hammer.
"Right, so, if I lift it, I...I then rule Asgard?" Tony asked.
"Yes, of course" Thor said as I watched the great Tony Stark.
"I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta" He said as Stark tries to lift the hammer but fails, "I'll be right back."
Stark comes back into the room wearing his armored hand, Stark tries to lift the hammer again and fails. Then wearing their armored hands, Stark and Rhodes both try to lift Thor's hammer.
"Are you even pulling?" Rhodes asked.
"Are you on my team?" Stark asked.
"Just represent! Pull!" Rhodes said.
"Alright, let's go!" Tony said as they both pull as hard as they can. I couldn't help but laugh as the fail. Banner tries to lift the hammer, he yells trying to change to the Hulk but fails, everyone just stares at him.
"Huh?" Bruce asked. Next Steve gets up to try.
"Let's go, Steve, no pressure. Come on, Cap" Tony said. Steve starts pulling on the hammer and manages to budge it a little, to Thor's surprise but still fails to life it; Thor laughs with relief.
"Nothing" Thor said. Tony looked over at me with a smile. I sighed and got up slowly walking over to the hammer. I looked at the group of heroes.
"So if I am able to lift this... I basically become Queen of Asgard?" I asked smiling.
"Yes, yes of course" Thor said. I wrapped my hand around the handle and stared at the group. I lifted slowly. It budged but it didn't lift all the way. It was like what happened to Steve.
"So close!" I said making them laugh. I walked back over and sat beside Steve.
"And?" Tony asked looking over at Natasha.
"Widow?" Bruce asked.
"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered" she said taking a sip of her beer.
"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged" Tony said.
"You bet your ass" Clint said making Maria gasp and hit mine and Steve's shoulder.
"Steve, Steph, he said a bad language word" She said pointing to Clint.
"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve and me asked Stark.
"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. "Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints" is, I think, the literal translation?" Tony asked clearly ignoring mine and Steve's question.
"Yes, well that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one" Thor said as he gets up and lifts his hammer and flips it, "You're all not worthy."
There's a chorus of disagreement from the other team members before they were interspersed by a loud screeching noise fades and everyone turned to see a robotic man step into the room. He was like a childish rendering of a metallic figure, dripping with cable. He seemed cobbled together with bits and pieces of the Iron Man suits, and something bad about him gave off a very bad vibe. Everyone suddenly tensed.
"Worthy... No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers" said the robot with a hollow voice that sent a chill down my spine.
"Stark" Steve said.
"Jarvis" Stark said as he took out his device.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a dream?" The robot said as Stark was tapping his device.
"Reboot, Legionnaire, we got a buggy suit" Stark said.
"There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy" said the robot.
"You killed someone?" Steve asked as he slowly pushed me behind him protectively.
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices" the robot said.
"Who sent you?" Thor asked as the robot began to replay a recording of Tony's voice.
"I see a suit of armor around the world" Tony's voice said.
"Ultron!" Bruce yelled in realization. I looked over at Tony wondering that it was.
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission" Ultron said.
"What mission?" I asked.
"Peace in our time" Ultron said as suddenly the Iron Legion bots break smash through the walls and attack the team. Steve was first into action he pushed me out of the way and he kicked the coffee table at one of the robots while simultaneously leaping onto another one. Maria Hill started open fire at the robots. I crawled across the floor slowly before standing up and jumping over the bar where Natasha and Bruce were. I landed behind it and peaked over the counter. I grabbed a gun and fired at the robots. I used my telekinesis to pull them apart. I looked over seeing that Bruce had landed on Natasha making his face turned red.
"Sorry!" Bruce said.
"Don't turn green!" Natasha said.
"I won't!" Bruce said. I quickly shot at some more robots but one attacked me. I ended up cutting my arm badly but I tore the robot to pieces. Steve looked over at me and nodded to the food elevator. I shook my head but he gave me a look which made me quickly crawl into the elevator and shut the door.
Moments later Steve opened the elevator door and helped me out scooping me up into his strong arms. He looked at my arm and then carried me to where Dr Cho was. He set me down and Dr Cho began to clean my wound before she would stitch it up.
"All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch" Bruce said.
"Ultron" Steve said as Cho dabbed my wound gently with the cloth.
"He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other" Natasha said.
"He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" I asked as I hissed in pain.
"Nuclear codes" Maria said.
"Nuclear codes. Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can" Rhodes said.
"Nukes? He said he wanted us dead" Natasha said.
"He didn't say dead. He said extinct" Steve corrected as Cho sighed before walking over to Natasha.
"He also said he killed somebody" Clint said.
"But there wasn't anyone else in the building" Maria said.
"Yes there was" Stark said showing us the image he was looking at. It was an image of JARVIS ,Tony's A.I system, Jarvis's data matrix had been clearly ripped apart. The whole system was flickering. All do us knew what this meant. Jarvis ,their constant companion, was a fatality of Ultron's attack. There was a moment of grim silence until Bruce broke it.
"This is insane" he said.
"JARVIS was our first line of defense," Steve said thinking tactically, "He would have shut Ultron down. It makes sense."
"No, Ultron could've just assimilated JARVIS into himself," Bruce explained, "this isn't strategy. This is rage."
Just then, Thor rushed into the room wearing his full battle armor. He grabbed Tony Stark by the neck backing him through lab equipment and up against the wall.
"Use your words buddy" said Tony.
"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark" Thor huffed.
Steve stepped up trying to defuse the situation, "Thor... The Legionnaire?"
"The trail went cold one hundred miles out. He's headed north... and he has the scepter" Thor responded to Steve putting Tony down.
"This is the magical alien scepter that controls minds, creates enhanced people, and makes angry machines come to life- have I got that right?" asked Rhodey.
"Technically it's the stone inside," Bruce pointed out, "the scepter is just a receptacle."
Rhodey gave Bruce a blank look.
"But uh.... I guess that's not your point" Bruce said.
"We have to retrieve it again" Thor was quick to say.
"Yeah, but the genie's out of the bottle" Natasha said.
"The clear and present danger is Ultron" I said.
"If we find one, we find the other" Steve said, "which means that Ultron still needs the stone for something. Any ideas Stark?"
Tony looked up and said nothing.
"I don't understand something ,Tony," said Dr Cho, "it's your program. Did you program it to kill us?"
"And if he's so bent on killing us, why didn't he?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest clearly upset with Stark.
"He could've blown up the whole building taking most of us out. Instead he attacks us head-on?" Steve asked.
"It wasn't an attack" Thor grimaced.
"It felt very much like an attack" said Rhodey.
"It was an invitation" Thor said.
"Or a distraction" Hill said.
At that moment, Tony laughed out loud earning us to look at him. "You think this is funny?" Thor asked angrily.
"No" said Tony honestly, "it's very terrible."
Thor was back in Tony's face. "And it could have been avoided if you hadn't-"
"No! Wrong!" said Tony, returning Thor's aggression. "There's a million different scenarios that could have played out, but if you think any of them involves us getting out of a fight, then I change my answer to yes, this is funny."
Bruce tried to calm his friend down. "Tony, this might not be the time to-"
"Really? That's it? You just roll over and show your belly every time somebody snarls at what we were doing?" Tony said cutting him off.
"Only when I've just created a murder-bot!" Bruce said.
"We didn't!" Tony shouted, "we weren't even close to an interface."
"Well you did something," Steve observed, "you did it right here, keeping it secret from the rest of us. The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD."
Tony's face flushed with anger. "Does anyone remember when I carried a nuke through a worm hole and saved New York?" Tony asked.
"Wow, no, it's never come up" Rhodey said dryly.
"When did that happened?" I asked sarcastically.
Tony ignored him and continued, "A portal opened to another galaxy, to a hostile alien army, and we were standing 300 feet below it. Whatever happens on Earth, that up there's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?"
"Together" said Steve firmly.
"We'll lose" Tony said with a serious look.
Steve was unfazed. "Then we'll do that together, too."
Tony seemed unconvinced by Steve's words, Steve turned to the rest of us, "Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. I'd like to find him before he's ready for us."
The others nodded to one another, knowing he was right.
"It's a big world, guys," Steve continued. "Let's start making it smaller."
"I agree with Rogers" I said staring at Steve as I put my hands in the sweatshirt pockets.
"Does no one agree with me?" Tony asked.
"I don't think I should" I said dryly as I exited the lab and walked to my bedroom. I rubbed a hand down my face and laid down on my bed. I looked at the ceiling thinking about my older brother. I hoped he was okay.