The Masked Avenger (Loki X Reader)

Chapter Nine: Who is Ultron?

We were in Tony's and Bruce's lab. Ultron has cleared all of the files from all the computers in the whole tower. I was treating Loki's wound which he happily let me do while the others talked.

"All our work is gone," Bruce said, "Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"He's been in everything," Nat said looking at everyone, "files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other."

"He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" Rhodey asked.

"Nuclear codes," Maria said.

"Nuclear codes. Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can," Rhodey said.

"Nukes?" I asked starting to stitch up Loki's wound, "he said he wanted us dead."

"He didn't say dead. He said extinct," Steve said.

"He also said he killed somebody," Loki said.

"But there wasn't anyone else in the building," Maria said.

"Yes, there was," Tony said.

Tony brought up a 3D image of what looked like a computer consciousness. The only one here is... Jarvis. Ultron killed Jarvis? But why?

"This is insane," Bruce said.

"Jarvis was the first line of defence," Steve said, "he would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense."

"No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis," Bruce explained, "this isn't strategy, this is... rage."

Thor then stormed in and took Tony by the neck, lifting him up. Loki quickly escaped me to stop his brother.

"Come on. Use your words, Buddy," Tony told him.

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark," Thor said.

"Thor! The Legionnaire!" Loki said making Thor put down Tony.

"The trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the sceptre. Now we have to retrieve it, again," Thor explained.

Loki groaned and came back over to me.

"The genie's out of that bottle," Nat said, "clear and present it Ultron."

"I don't understand," Dr Cho said, "you built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony laughed. What's he finding so funny? Bruce shook his head trying to get him to stop laughing.

"You think this is funny?" Thor asked.

"No," Tony said, "it's probably not, right? Is this very terrible? Is it so... is it so... it is. It's so terrible.

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"Tony, maybe this might not be the time to-"

"Really?!" Tony interrupted Bruce, "that's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls."

"Only when I've created a murder bot."

"We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?"

"Well, you did something right," Steve said, "and you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than S.H.I.E.L.D.."

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" Tony asked.

"No, it's never come up," Rhodey

"Saved New York?" Tony asked.

"Never heard that."

"Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but, that up there? That's... that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together," Steve said.

"We'll lose," Tony said.

"Then we'll do that together, too. Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller."

I finished stitching Loki up and we started seeing what we had left. The only files we had left was what we put on paper. Loki was trying to track the sceptre. Not that he's great at technology but he's trying. He's just trying to find the energy signature it radiates. He must know it better than anyone. We got some news on Ultron the next morning. He and some twins that we call the Maximoff twins killed Strucker and the word 'peace' written in his blood on the wall.

Ultron is making clones of himself too. The only casualties are the ones who attacked him. Strucker had some information that Ultron needed and wanted us to miss. We were trying to find files on Strucker but all his files had been erased. Well, except the stuff we had on paper. We found some of Strucker's friends. One was suspicious. His name is Ulusses Klaue. Tony knew him. He operates off the African coast in the black market. He wound talk about finding something new that would be a game-changer.

Thor asked about a mark on the side of Ulusses neck. Tony thought it was a tattoo but I pointed out the ones that were tattoos and the one on his neck was a brand. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief and not in a friendly way. It's a Wakandan dialect. Wakanda is a place that no one can actually find. A hidden city. If this guy somehow made it out of Wakanda, he would make off with some good trades. For example, the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium. The same metal Steve's shield is made of.

I haven't tried to break the shield yet so it had to be strong. I think my sword is made of the stuff but I don't dare ask. I don't want to make a certain God of Mischief jealous. Anyway, now to find this Ulusses Klaus. Where can we find a man who hasn't really been heard from in a long time? Well, I think we already did. He worked in Africa, he might still be there making trades. If he does have Vibranium, Ultron will want it to make more of him or a weapon.

I don't like the idea of either. For those of us who can't fly, we took the Quinn Jet to a scrap yard. Said scrapyard was shipwrecked ships on the shore for people to take the parts for their personal use. I still wonder what they use it for specifically. I'll find out one day. Right now, let's stop Ultron.