Raptor

Chapter 7

Raptor stayed back in the shadows as Ultron and the twins stood before Ulysses Klaue. At the moment the man was finishing up telling them of his greatest fears but Ultron was getting a bit impatient, nearly losing it when he cut off as a new thought came to him.

"Are you one of Stark's?" Klaue looked Ultron over carefully.

Ultron moved and ripped off the man's arm in a fit of anger that faded quickly a moment later. "I'm sorry, really, I am."

Ulysses screamed in pain as blood pulsed from the stump of his severed limb. Raptor wanted to go finish him off but forced herself to stay hidden until Ultron called for her.

"I am not one of Stark's puppets!" Ultron growled before sighing. "Now give me the vibranium I require."

Klaue scrambled back and unlocked a safe with his good hand before moving out of the way. "It's a valuable metal... It costs a fortune."

"Check your bank account." Ultron advised as he took the metal. "Now let's go before the disease known as Stark shows up."

The glass to the office shattered and Raptor gave a hiss as Tony Stark himself blasted into the room. "Jr. you're breaking your old father's heart...!"

"Stark." Ultron and the twins growled together.

Iron Man landed and Raptor could see the other Avengers nearby behind him destroying some of the robots Ultron had created only hours ago from remains of Stark tech they'd found. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch took on attack stances but Ultron held up one had to stay them.

"Get the others first, then you may have your prize." He told them and Raptor knew if he could glare with his robot eyes, he would've been. "I'll hold him here."

Iron Man flew up again to dodge a blow from the twins' attacks as they passed before kicking Ultron back through a wall. Raptor didn't hesitate to wait for a command anymore and screeched as she launched from her hiding place and caught onto the metal suit, though her claws had a bit of trouble tearing through it at first.

"Hey Thor, found your friend!" Iron Man shot Raptor off with his chest pulsar blast.

Raptor crashed through the machinery and fell dully onto the cold floor. She knew some of her bones were broken as she tried to stand up, but ignored it enough to dodge a blow from Thor. The blond man persisted in his attack however, and Raptor felt a heavy blow from his hammer smack into the side of her head. She staggered back with blood dripping onto the ground before shaking herself and lunging again, using her height to her advantage to claw his face and shove the man to the ground. She sank her nine-inch claws into his chest and she saw blood well up in his mouth as she bit his neck. A hard disk crashing into her made her let go and she growled as she saw Captain America coming towards her for another attack.

This one again... Looks like its time for some payback. Raptor thought with a low grumbling noise.

"And I thought I was a fossil." The leader of the Avengers mocked before knocking her back.

She glared at him and grabbed the shield before yanking it forward, sending Cap to the ground as he was pulled as well. Raptor was about to finish him when Thor's hammer crushed into her ribs. She gave an agonized roar before backing off as he summoned his hammer and prepared to throw it again. When he threw it again however Quicksilver's blue blur rushed in front of her.

"I've got it!" He called out to her.

Raptor was only allowed to relax for a second because as soon as Quicksilver grabbed the hammer it dragged him with it instead of changing course. Both the hammer and her ally slammed against her and they fell back in a tangle of weapon, claws, scales, and flesh. She turned human right before landing against a wall and gave a wheezing breath as Quicksilver groggily sat up, quickly releasing the hammer, which was half way on her throat. She struggled under its weight and when he saw why, Quicksilver tried pushing it off to no avail.

"Hold on." He instructed before running off.

Raptor's struggles grew weaker and she barely made out the large figure of Thor walking over to her and lifting the unmovable hammer off her airway. She didn't have any trouble hearing his triumphant cry. "I have vanquished the creature! I am victorious!"

He was gone a second later as a glowing red pipe knocked him away. A few minutes later, Scarlet Witch shook Raptor back into the world as she knelt beside her. "Can you still fight? We still have to take out the others... though Stark has escaped to chase the monster."

"I'll be fine..." Raptor replied, not attempting to shift and get back to her feet until the other female was gone.

Raptor slunk in the shadows, in no condition to fight with her broken form, but when she saw the red haired Avenger in a dazed nightmare Scarlet Witch had put her in she couldn't resist the easy prey. She stepped forward, pleased that the woman scrambled back, before going for a swift kill with a single bite to the throat. What she didn't expect however was the jarring electric shock going through her as the dying woman defended herself with the bracelet like devices on her wrists. Raptor hissed and felt her heart weaken for a moment from the voltage before dragging herself away as Hawkeye cried out in horror from above.

"Nat!" She watched as the other Avenger dropped down and checked his ally's wound before drawing out an arrow and firing at her when he found her dead. "I'll finish you!"

Raptor managed to take the hit to her tail, the least injured part of her, before turning and running, her plan was to fake retreat and to attack from behind but another arrow landing between her shoulder blades sent her to the ground. Hawkeye landing on her back and pulled his arrows out of her before walking so he could see her face. She gave him a growling hiss but this time couldn't find the strength to defend herself as he took out a knife and knelt down to look her in the eyes.

"She was my most trusted ally I had in S.H.I.E.L.D. and you just killed her." He held the knife against her skull. "You murdered her in cold blood, I should let you live to allow the others to decide your punishment... Unfortunately that will take to long."

A breeze blew by her and Quicksilver shoved him away. "Good thing I only needed a second."

Hawkeye slid across the floor and hit his head against a support beam with a thud. Raptor felt metal hands force her to her feet as Ultron joined them. "Turn human, we need to get you to the jet. When we get back I can fix you."

Raptor gave a shaky breath before giving a moan of pain as she shifted. She was limp in Ultron's arms as she panted, blood dripping into her lungs. She was shifted over to Pietro's arms before he ran off to the jet. The cold wind created by him running kept her conscious for the short trip before she was laid down on the floor of the jet where Wanda was already waiting.

"Will she make it?" Pietro searched his sister's expression, knowing she was going into Raptor's mind.

Wanda took a few moments to answer but finally nodded as Ultron got in and took off in the jet. "She will heal, in time."

"We don't have time." Ultron replied. "I will fix her faster than the human body is capable of when we get back. Using the vibranium I will build my church on this rock... and she could do with some upgrades."

Pietro held her closer to him, not liking the sound of what he just said, but didn't speak up. As long as Raptor survived, and Ultron could help them kill Stark, he wouldn't question him... not yet at least. For the hour flight back he sat there beside his twin while Raptor's broken body faintly shuddered with every quick, shallow, breath she took.