SANCTUM | Avengers

11

- ELEVEN -

With Ultron still bearing down over him, Klaue slowly pushes himself up off the ground. Without words, he nods his head to the left and we follow him across the boat. Since we cut the power on the boat, the only sounds to be heard are the workers in the distance and a steady drip of water from the broken pipes. Hallway after hallway, we make our way in to the hull of the ship. Metal groans beneath out feet.

Finally, we reach a door that is pulled open by a burly man that must work for Klaue. He stands at least a foot taller then me and makes direct eye contact as he slides the door open.

We're greeted with large, metal barrels. Wanda and Pietro looked shocked and the latter looks as is if he's about to ask Klaue what this is. He, though, doesn't note the hinges on the inside of the door or the metal scrapes lining it's frame. Nobody moves.

"Oh come on, we don't have all day," I sigh, marching forward and grabbing the lip of metal on the wall. I grunt as I pull it aside, my arms threatening to give out. Ulton lets out a sound of astonishment and reaches out a hand that easily pulls the rest of the room aside. I step back and admire the now visible chamber usually hidden on the boat. It's small and stuffy, with no room to even turn around.

And it's stocked floor to ceiling with Vibranium.

Klaue grabs a glowing metal tube containing the commodity and hands it gently to Ultron.

"Upon this rock I will build my church," Ultron states boldly, looking at the precious metal in his hand. I recognize those words.

More words from the bible, more words to sanctify his actions. Despite the heat, a shiver runs down my spine.

Ultron throws it up in the air and catches it, reveling at the small look of panic on Klaue's face. Again he throws it, but this time it's Pietro who catches it with his lightning reflexes and a look of pure shock in his eyes. I almost groan; somebody needs to teach him how to keep a straight face.

"You know," Klaue mutters, scratching the back of his head, "this stuff came at great personal cost. It's worth billions."

Ultron laughs deeply and tilts his head back. He's doing something but I don't know what. My own brain and eyes search him for any clues but he doesn't leave any. Not the way humans do. His bright red eyes turn back to Klaue.

"Now, so are you."

Klaue looks at Ultron, then at me, and then at the tall man who is supposedly his security guard.

I don't know how Ultron did it, but he somehow just informed the world of the Vibranium that Klaue has. That would mean his net worth is up in the trillions; so, it won't be long before somebody comes knocking on his door for it.

I keep the look of surprise and shock out of my eyes.

"Finances are so weird ," Ultron says with a tone of mock dismay, "but I always say, keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which."

"Stark," Klaue mutters almost inaudibly. I feel Wanda and Peitro tense up behind me.

"What?" Ultron asks, his voice cutting through the air.

"Tony Stark used to say that. He used to say that to me."

  Klaue, with a new air of confidence, steps towards Ultron.

"You're one of his?" he asks the robot.

I can feel it all happen before it does. I quietly grab my gun out of it's holster on my leg.