ASCENDANCY / P. MAXIMOFF

ablaze (part two)

"That was a close one," Pietro breathed in Ana's ear, setting her down on her feet, away from the disaster that was bound to be a Tony and Ultron face-off. Ana's head was still aching hellishly, her vision blurry from the hit she took, but the relief that rushed through her was cool consolation. Pietro and Wanda would never leave her, she was the foolish one for thinking otherwise.

"Are you okay?" Wanda asked, placing an always gentle hand on her shoulder. Ana nodded breathlessly, watching warily as Steve came jogging into the abandoned, half demolished home they were taking sanctuary in. He tossed Ana her old com receptor with a cheeky grin spread out on his face.

"Tony is taking care of Ultron, so we only really have about three minutes to come up with a game plan," Steve informed them.

"Wow Cap," Tony grunted through the com receptor Ana now in her ear. "I appreciate the- fuck! I appreciate the vote of confidence!"

"Is Lady Anastazya back?" Ana heard Thor ask through the mic. Ana smiled.

"Yes, Thor. I'm back."

"Good to have you back, kid," Clint's strained voice echoed through Ana's ear.

She did not answer.

"Tony helped me tamper with the core reactor yesterday, but once Ultron figures that out it won't be long until he can restore it back to his former glory again. It'll only buy us a little time before he completely blows the place to the ground," Ana rambled, stopping only when she realized that none of them had any idea what she was talking about. She sighed.

"Ultron and the sentry boys planted this device under the ground in the four far corners of Sokovia, that's meant to lift the country off of the ground and into the air. The core reactor will explode, and the force of Sokovia coming back down to Earth, accompanied by the explosion, will likely wipe out the human race, split the Earth in two. Something like that."

" I think you are confusing peace with quiet. This the catalyst for the new age, for a better world. I am just doing what will have happened eventually.When the Earth starts to settle, God throws a stone at it. And believe me. He's winding up."

"Well then," Steve sighed shakily. "Guess we don't have much room for error." He said, before looking at them with determined eyes. "No one dies today, you hear me? Ultron is not going to succeed. We won't let him. We are out numbered ten thousand to one, but we aren't giving up, no matter what the circumstance. You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed, walk it off."

Wanda and Pietro nodded, looking fired up ready to go. Ana looked at Steve suspiciously.

"What movie did you take that from? That line was way too bad ass to be something you made up."

-

Anastazya had fought many wars before this one, all vicious, and barbarous, and she was sure that this one would have the smallest effect on her sanity. Fighting the sentry bots was much less gruesome than fighting and killing people, or aliens. The risks, however, were still dangerously high. Ana could feel the pressure, closing in on her, making her feel claustrophobic, like the breath was being squeezed from her lungs. Despite the panic, the fighting was relatively easy. Monotonous. The numbers however, weren't. There were hundreds of them coming from every angle possible, 24/7. All nine of them were fighting now but Anastazya couldn't see an end coming anytime soon, Bruce had found Natasha still evacuating the other Sokovian citizens and brought her straight to the fight. The battlefield was void of any true life, only artificial intelligence.