CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

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Clint dropped Steve off on the roof of a building while the quinjet made it up into the air again with Natasha and Cosima still inside.

"So what now?" Cosima asked, trying to fit into the group which she felt she was beginning to do.

"We wait until we see Ultron," Clint replied.

"Two minutes," Cap said over the intercom. "Stay close."

"Roger that," Clint said, making Natasha laugh. Cosima didn't get the joke but she laughed as well.

"You ready for what's gonna happen?" Natasha asked Cosima.

"I'm sure I'm up for it."

"If you need anything, call on one of us. We're all here for each other."

Cosima nodded and a silence followed.

"Dr Cho!" Steve sounded distressed. 

Helen's voice filled the intercom. "He's uploading himself into the body."

"Where?"

There was a silence. "The real power is inside the cradle. The gem ... it's power is uncontainable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark."

"First I have to find it."

"Go!" Cho said. Cosima could hear over the intercom the sound of Steve running.

"Did you guys copy that?"

"We did," Clint replied. 

"I've got a private jet taking off across town," Natasha said, studying a computer screen. "No manifest. That could be him."

Cosima was watching Clint who was studying the road. "There. It's a truck from the lab. Right above you Cap on the loop by the bridge. It's them. Got three with the cradle and one in the cab. I can take out the driver."

"Negative!" Cap said. "That truck crashes the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron. The sounds over the intercom sounded strange, as if Steve was fighting. "Well, he's definitely angry. I'm going to try and keep him that way."

"You're not a match for him Cap," Clint said.

"Thanks Barton."

"But I am," Cosima said.

Natasha turned around. "No. Cosima it's too dangerous."

"Isn't that my life?" Natasha knew she couldn't persuade her. "Clint open the door. I'll help Cap and keep you updated on what to do."

"Girl's got a point," Clint said looking at Natasha.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Open the door."

Clint proceeded, and Cosima jumped down. She let the breeze carry her before she spread her wings. She needed to be more right, so she took a sharp turn. Utron and Cap were up ahead of her. She needed to beat the traffic. She flew as hard as she could, but Ultron had spotted her. He was sending heat surges towards her which Cosima needed to avoid at all costs. She could see that going between herself and Cap was tiring Ultron out, meaning there was more time to attack him.

Cosima took a knife out of her side pocket, aimed and threw it. It hit Ultron's neck, severing some wire cable and producing sparks. Ultron looked directly at Cosima as she used her feet again and stood on the top of the truck.

"You know, I've had enough of you," Ultron said, directing his comment to Cosima. "And I know I said I wasn't the monster, but I need to get rid out of you somehow." In one swift movement, Ultron grabbed Cosima and flew into the sky with her. Cosima could hear Cap shouting her name, but that wouldn't help her. She tried to open her wings, but with Ultron's metal arms wrapped around her, she couldn't.

"There's no use in struggling Cosima. I have you right where I want you."

"And where exactly is that?" Cosima deadpanned, trying to waste time to think of a plan of escape.

"Somewhere you can listen to my voice. Very closely."

The ten words.

"No," Cosima said.

"I'm gonna turn you against your 'friends'. Stryker was useful for something." Cosima struggled in Ultron's grip, trying her hardest to release herself, but Ultron wasn't for budging. 

"Longing. Rusted. Seventeen." Cosima kicked Ultron, but he never so much as flinched.

"Daybreak. Furnace. Nine." Cosima moved her arm and grabbed another knife from her pocket. Ultron saw what she was doing and grabbed her hands instead of her body.

"Benign. Homecoming. One." Cosima now used her free wings to rise upwards in the air, pulling away from Ultron. She hoped it was enough. She focused on everything else apart from his voice. She pictured Soldier. She hadn't thought about him in ages until the late night talks with Steve. What had ever happened to him.

Ultron and Cosima locked eye contact. "Freight-car." 

Cosima's wings stopped and something within her moved. Adrenaline filled her veins and surged across her body. She suddenly felt ready for something, but it was as if someone was controlling her. It was like she was taking the back seat of her body, and some other force had taken the control panel. She tried to fight this feeling, but the more she fought, the more far away she seemed. And there was pain. An overwhelming pain to finish something for Ultron so that this pain would go away. 

"Soldier," Ultron said, seeming a little uneasy.

There was three words Cosima had to say to find out what Ultron wanted and then this pain might go away. "Ready to comply."

"Kill the Avengers."

Right on cue, the quinjet started firing at Ultron. Cosima could see it was Clint, but she saw him differently. He looked evil. Strikingly evil and dark. She felt it was her duty to do what Ultron had told her.

Cosima launched herself quickly onto the quinjet. Clint looked more than surprised. 

"Guys. I think something is wrong with Cosima," Clint said over the intercom.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"She just ripped a side panel off the quinjet after speaking with Ultron."

"Is she containable?" Steve questioned.

There was no response from Clint. 



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