Burning

“You’re looking brighter this morning.”

Natasha’s eyes moved upward from the spoon swirling in her coffee to meet her friend’s gaze. She returned Laura’s smile with a sigh of satisfaction.

“A good night’s sleep always helps a troubled mind,” she replied.

Laura’s eyes flashed mischievously. “It helps to share a bed with a super soldier too, I’m sure.”

Nat lifted her coffee mug to her lips and took a long sip to hide the flush that she suddenly felt creeping to her cheeks. “It doesn’t hurt,” she muttered.

Her friend laughed and maneuvered herself into the seat across from her at the kitchen table. Laura’s smile faded quickly, however. Her eyes swept the room as if to double check that the two women were the only occupants before speaking again.

“Clint said it’s pretty bad,” she said, her words forming slowly, as if she was afraid to admit them outloud.

Natasha bit her lip. As much as she didn’t want to worry her friend, Laura had a right to know the truth. And Laura was a former agent of SHIELD, she reminded herself. She was no stranger to the wickedness of the world.

“It is,” Nat replied honestly, meeting the other woman’s eyes again. “This AI is smart, fast, and has nothing to hold him back. It’s keeping us on our toes.”

She paused, green eyes searching the ceiling as she fought for the right words. “But that’s not the worst part.”

“The worst part is that the Avengers aren’t getting along.” Laura replied with more of a statement than a question.

Natasha nodded, swallowing thickly. “When we fought Loki and the Chitari in New York, or when we fought Hydra’s super weapons, or in any other battle, we did it as a team. But now, the synergy is off. We don’t communicate as well, and the boys are fighting with each other just as much as they’re fighting the enemy.”

She took another sip of coffee before throwing Laura a melancholy smile. “Makes it hard to trust a teammate to watch your back when you don’t trust him to speak the truth outside of battle.”

Laura nodded. “That doesn’t make for much of a team,” she added.

The two women sat in silence for several seconds before Laura spoke again. “Is it because Dr. Banner has a crush on you?”

Natasha’s mouth fell open as her attention snapped back to the here and now. She shot a glare at Laura, who responded with a laugh.

“What? It’s obvious the way he all but ogles you. At least, whenever he thinks Bucky isn’t looking.”

Nat crumpled up her napkin and tossed it at her friend, which made them both laugh even more. “I told him I’m not interested,” she insisted, fighting to keep a straight face.

“Sure,” Mrs. Barton replied. Her voice feigned seriousness while her dimples betrayed her humor. “I can’t imagine how you managed that without him turning green.”

“It certainly doesn’t make it easier that I’m the only person who can pull him out of it when the Hulk takes over,” Nat said, folding her arms across her chest, her tone becoming somber again. “I don’t want to lead him on, but I don’t want to lose that connection we have. As friends.”

Laura pursed her lips and nodded. “I don’t envy your position. Really.”

“Her position?” A deeper voice interrupted, making both women go rigid in their seats. They both knew that voice without even seeing the speaker.

It continued, and Natasha slowly looked over her shoulder to see someone moving in the shadows of the nearby hallway. “Sipping coffee and relaxing with a friend? Her position looks pretty comfortable right now if you ask me.”

Natasha arched an eyebrow. “I have to take my breaks where I can get them. Not all of us get to go on vacation for months at a time, Boss.”

Nick Fury stepped into the light of the kitchen as casually as if he had been invited over for tea. The lady of the house regarded him with her head cocked to the side.

“Been a while since you’ve paid us a visit, sir,” Laura said. “To what do we owe the honor?”

Fury’s eye moved from the women to the window and back again. “Business, as usual. I need to talk to Stark. Alone. Can you arrange something?”

Laura’s lips quirked into a smirk as she rose from her seat. “No problem. You’re going to stay for dinner though, right?”

——-

As much as the Avengers complained about Nick Fury, as much as they openly spoke of their distrust for the man and his hidden agendas, having the former director around brought a sense of focus to the group. Fury’s mere presence seemed to remind the others of their mission, and that it was time to step outside their own heads and work toward a plan together.

They limited the talk of Ultron while the kids were around, but after dinner everyone dove into the mission again. It seemed there was a reason why Ultron hadn’t plunged the world into nuclear winter, as Fury shared that someone was keeping him from the particular part of the internet that stored the nuclear codes. That was the good news.

The bad news was that Ultron appreared to be building something, but no one knew what or where.

“Well he stole all that vibranium,” Tony said. “It’s gotta be a weapon of some sort.”

“A weapon, a machine… even reinforcing some sort of base or stronghold. Who knows?” Steve replied.

Bruce shook his head, pacing in a darker corner of the kitchen. “Not a base. One of Ultron’s strengths is that he can use the internet to be anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t make sense to reinforce a physical place if it’s better to keep moving.”

Fury rose from his seat at the kitchen table to make his way to a plate of cookies Laura has set on the counter. “What do the Wakandans use vibranium for?”

It was Bruce who spoke up again, being the Avenger with the most contact with the secretive nation. “Almost everything. Buildings, transportation, electronics, medical care, weapons…”

“My old man’s notes did say it has a lot of pretty amazing properties. Makes sense it would be versatile.” Tony made his way to the dartboard hanging near the back door. He gestured to the three darts stuck into the tiny bullseye.

“Was this all you?” he asked, glancing back at Clint.

Hawkeye just shrugged. “Can’t seem to miss.”

Steve shifted in his seat, doing his best to keep the conversation on track. “Well, whatever Ultron has in mind, it’s either really big or a lot of little things. Klaue’s stash was a lot of vibranium.”

“Way to narrow it down, Cap,” Tony quipped.

James rolled his eyes, but Natasha was quick to place a gentle hand over his to quell his anger. The last thing they needed was another argument. Her thumb grazed back and forth over his metal knuckles as the conversation continued.

“He’s got Tony’s Iron Legion. Could he be making weapons for them?” Clint asked.

Bruce pursed his lips. “That doesn’t seem right. Ultron thinks bigger than just arming his soldiers.”

“Probably a good thing,” Tony added in agreement. He pulled the darts from the board and took a few steps back, eyes on the bullseye. “Can you imagine a bunch of legionaries with Captain America’s shields or Bucky’s arms?”

Across the table, Natasha saw Steve stiffen. His blue eyes lowered to where her fingers were wrapped around James’ metal hand.

“If Hydra could make an arm out of vibranium…” he began slowly.

At her side, James raised his eyes from picking at the label on his beer bottle. “… why couldn’t Ultron make an entire body?” he asked, finishing his friend’s thoughts.

Bruce stepped forward into the light, his own eyes lowered to James’ arm. “When’s the last time anyone’s been in contact with Dr. Helen Cho?”

“Not since right after the party,” James was quick to reply, but his voice sounded tight. “She was gonna… help me with something after we got Ultron sorted out.”

“Sounds like you’d better call and confirm your appointment with the good doctor,” Fury said. Their former director didn’t spare any time heading toward the front door. He pulled his long jacket from the coat rack before turning back to the team. “I’ll contact Ms. Hill. I have a few ideas to go over with her.”

“I might as well head to the Nexus,” Tony said. “See if I can’t weed out our ally.”

“I wanna come. I’ve always wanted to see it,” Bruce said, jumping at the chance. Tony nodded in agreement.

“That means the rest of us are heading to Seoul,” Steve announced, rising from the table. “Get packed and suit up. The sooner we leave, the better.”

Though the other woman’s back was turned towards her children, Natasha didn’t miss the way Laura’s shoulders rose and fell in a heavy sigh. Her eyes rose to search James’ blues, hoping to find some sort of comfort and optimism there. But her boyfriend’s face was lined with worry instead.

Nat bit her lip. Something about this mission definitely felt off.

——

“Go get ‘em, boys,” Natasha said over the comms as Steve and Bucky exited the quinjet. Bucky’s ice blue eyes surveyed Dr. Cho's lab - a beautiful building of glass curves and soft angles. It stood out from the other buildings in the city, all silver and blue and shining in the sunlight. As if it was as alive as the sea that surrounded it.

“This isn’t how I wanted to visit this place,” Bucky said, half to himself.

At his side, his best friend gave a short nod. “Then let’s get this over with.”

He instructed the rest of the team in the jet to stay close, and the pair quickly made their way toward the lab.

They entered the building on the ground level, avoiding the terrified staff members who were fleeing the scene. Besides the panicked crowds. nothing was amiss in the lobby or in the stairwells the duo took toward their destination. But that wasn’t a surprise. Ultron wouldn’t have bothered with the scientists or laboratory staff in any other part of the building. He was a creature of focus, so the men set their sights on the same target they suspected was his goal.

The lab that held the regeneration cradle was the crowning jewel of the building, Dr. Cho’s pride and joy. It took up the entirety of the top floor, a symbol in itself, looking upward and outward into the future. But as soon as he pushed open the door from the stairwell into the lab, Bucky knew they were too late.

The air was filled with the smell of fried electronics. Walls were painted with scorch marks and a few splatters of blood. Equipments was knocked over and displaced, some letting out quiet beeps of alarm like dying animals.

His heart sank. The Winter Soldier had left quite a few places in the same state when he was through with them. He flexed his metal fingers, curling them into a fist. It was over. Just like that, his dreams of being “normal” again were over.

Steve, however, was undeterred. Light on his feet, he picked his way quickly through the debris until he found their target: Dr, Helen Cho. She was slumped against a stack of hard containers, blood on her temple and oozing from a larger wound on her shoulder.

Kneeling in front of the doctor, Steve placed his palm to her shoulder, applying pressure. Bucky moved to stand behind him, shaking his head at his friend’s attempts. Just listening to Cho’s ragged breathing, he could tell there was fluid in her lungs. She was weak, dying. They wouldn’t be able to get help in time to save her.

Dr. Cho told Steve what little she knew about Ultron and the body he had forced her to create. About the power of the gemstone inside. Well, that was good to know. At least they weren’t so late as to miss any new information.

“Sergeant Barnes.”

Bucky’s eyes rose from the shattered glass on the floor to meet those of Dr. Cho. Her expression was pained, regretful.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her fading voice not more than a whisper.

Bucky’s throat felt tight, and he swallowed hard against the sudden wave of self-loathing that washed over him. This woman… this strong, brilliant, and generous woman had only wanted to make the world a better place, and it ended up costing her life.

And he was disappointed about his arm? How selfish of him.

Bucky lowered himself into a squat at Steve’s side and took Dr. Cho’s hand in his own. “I’m sorry too,” he said, earnestly, meeting her dark eyes.

The doctor coughed and squirmed against the pain the movement sent through her body.

“There’s something else,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper between gasps. “The girl… she saved me.”

“The girl?” Bucky repeated. “Wanda? She was here?”

“…wanted… you to know…” Dr. Cho’s voice trailed off in one final exhale, and her eyes dimmed.

When she failed to breathe again, Bucky rose to his feet and turned his back to her lifeless body, anger coursing through his body like an electric jolt. He was sick of playing catch-up. Sick of taking too long trying to guess what Ultron was up to. Now a good woman was dead because the Avengers had been distracted, focused on each other rather than the real enemy. They just hadn’t been good enough. Himself included.

The Soldier inside was clawing at the walls of the cage Bucky so carefully kept him in. He was snarling, ready to be let loose on the robots, to cause carnage and destruction. Bucky Barnes hadn’t been enough to stop Ultron. Maybe he needed the Soldier, who operated with single-minded purpose, who always accomplished his mission. He flexed his metal arm, the one he had been so ready to give up.

But maybe he needed that part of him, too.

A heavy hand on his shoulder drew Bucky from his thoughts. “They won’t have gotten far with the cradle. Not yet,” Steve said. “We should move.”

Bucky nodded, boxing up his feelings again and mentally setting them aside. “Yeah. Sounds like the twins will be around here too.”