Shadow of Hope(Book 2)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

May 2, 2015

I smirked watching as the others all attempted to lift Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Well, everyone but Natasha. I thought I saw fear on Thor's face when Steve tried, but he quickly hid it with a smile. " Alice?"

" No thanks." I said sipping my water, already knowing the answer myself. " More than happy with the power I already have."

" All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be King, but its rigged." Tony said." The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. " Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints" is, I think, the literal translation. 

" Yes. its a very, very interesting theory." Thor agreed, before stating as he picked up Mjolnir and flipped it around by the handle." I have a simpler one. You're all not worthy." Everyone began to groan out in annoyance, and I snickered before getting up with a sigh, sharing a look with Thor who set the hammer back on the table.

" Bunch of Nonbelievers all of you." I muttered shaking my head, before I smirked calmly taking the hammer from Thor and switching it for my glass of water in one quick movement. All the laughter in the room died out and I set Mjolnir back down on the coffee table.

It had been accident when I found out. Thor and I were training, and I had gotten distracted by something, not realizing that I had picked it up until I was already giving it back to Thor.

Tony glanced from me to the hammer before shaking his head. " Still rigged. Doesn't count." He denied, and I made a face.  Hilariously, I had to agree with him.

I winced, covering my ears as a loud ringing drew everyone's attention toward the stairs leading down into Tony's lab, where a very broken looking robot was hobbling from. " Worthy. No." It said. " How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

" Stark." Steve said.

" Jarvis." Tony called out.

" I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a dream." The robot continued.

" Reboot Legionare OS. We got a buggy suit."

" There was a terrible noise. And I was tangled up in..." It trailed off looking down at itself." In... Strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

" You killed someone?" Steve questioned.

" Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices." The robot admitted. 

" Who sent you?" Thor asked.

" I see a suit of armor around the world." The robot said using Tony's voice, and I glanced over at him, before looking at Bruce. " Ultron." He said.

" In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this Chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

Seeing that things were about to go south, everyone slowly got into position; with no weapon, I was already forming a plan to teleport Helen to safety.

" What mission?" Natasha asked.

" Peace in our time." Ultron responded, before several of Tony's suits came flying through the wall. Everything happened in slow motion, as Steve kicked the coffee table I made a waving motion with my hand, moving Helen out of the way as it slammed into them while at the same time teleporting myself behind the counter. I landed next to Natasha and Bruce, gunfire going off over our heads. Natasha grabbed a gun that was hidden under the counter top, pulling Bruce after her as she moved up the stairs nearby.

I peeked around the counter, only to duck back as my head was nearly taken off. I let out a breath to center myself before quickly getting to my feet and throwing out my hands, making a ripping motion toward one of the robots. It froze in midair before suddenly breaking in two as its body was forced apart and to separate sides of the room.