XV. Emris

The quinjet's descent was anything but smooth. The city of Sokovia stretched out beneath us, a mix of crumbling buildings and terrified civilians running through the streets. Smoke curled into the sky in thick plumes, and the distant hum of Ultron's drones echoed in the air.

As soon as the hatch opened, chaos greeted us like an old friend. Explosions rumbled in the distance, sirens wailed, and terrified screams pierced the air.

"Alright, team," Steve barked, already stepping forward. "We need to keep the civilians safe. Focus on evacuations and keep those bots off them."

Natasha and Clint moved first, jumping from the quinjet like this was just another Tuesday. Thor followed, Mjolnir spinning in his grip as he prepared to unleash a storm. Steve and the others filed out next, but before I could follow, a metal-clad hand clamped onto my shoulder.

"Not so fast, kid," Tony's modulated voice came through the Iron Man suit. The mask retracted, revealing his furrowed brow and ever-present smirk. "You're with me."

I raised a brow. "Oh, so now I get a chaperon?"

"You're welcome," he shot back, already lifting off the ground. Before I could argue, metal arms wrapped around my waist, and suddenly, we were airborne.

I gritted my teeth as we soared over the city. "I hate this."

"You and me both, kid."

The wind whipped past us as Tony maneuvered through the air with ease, dodging stray blasts from Ultron's drones as they engaged with the others. Below, the city was crumbling, streets choked with debris and panic.

"Alright, listen up," Tony said over the wind. "We've got people trapped in that apartment complex." He gestured to a half-collapsed building, flames licking at its side. "Get them out and to the evac zone. I'll clear you some breathing room."

"Got it."

Before I could even brace myself, Tony released me mid-air. I twisted, rolling as I landed on the cracked pavement, my knees absorbing the impact. By the time I looked up, Tony was already soaring away, repulsors firing at incoming threats.

"Hey, kid!" His voice crackled through the comms. "You really gonna do this?"

I smirked, already sprinting toward the building. "I'm already here, aren't I?"

Tony huffed a laugh before cutting the feed.

I didn't waste time. The apartment complex groaned under its own weight, parts of the upper floors having collapsed onto the ones below. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to see.

"Help! Someone, please!" A voice cried from inside.

I moved fast, slipping through the partially blocked entrance. The heat was immediate, sweat beading on my brow as I assessed the situation.

Two kids were trapped under a fallen support beam, their mother desperately trying to lift it.

I crouched next to her. "Move back."

She hesitated but obeyed. Planting my feet, I wrapped my fingers under the beam and pushed. It resisted for a moment, the weight threatening to crush the strength from my arms, but with a growl, I forced it up just enough for the kids to scramble out.

"Go! Get out of here!"

The mother grabbed them both, nodding frantically before rushing toward the exit.

Another crash above made me flinch. Time to move.

I pushed forward, weaving through fallen debris, pulling people from the wreckage and guiding them outside. Each breath burned, but I didn't stop. Couldn't stop.

By the time I led the last group out, my lungs felt raw, and my arms ached. But I didn't have time to recover.

"EMRIS, MOVE!" Tony's voice yelled through the comm.

I turned just in time to see one of Ultron's drones diving toward me. Without thinking, I grabbed a loose rebar pipe from the rubble and swung, catching the bot across the head. It staggered but wasn't down.

It lunged. I twisted, using its own momentum to slam it into the ground before driving the rebar through its core. The drone sputtered before going still.

Panting, I wiped soot from my face.

"Nice work, kid," Tony called, hovering above. "But let's not get crushed by a murder bot, yeah?"

"No promises," I muttered before taking off again.

The battle for Sokovia had only just begun. Plus, I can't exactly use my abilities against mindless robots.

The streets of Sokovia were chaos. Smoke clogged the air, flames licked at crumbling buildings, and the sound of gunfire and repulsor blasts echoed between the shattered remains of once-bustling neighborhoods. Civilians scrambled for safety, their fear palpable, their screams a sharp contrast to the dull roar of destruction.

I didn't have time to think. Only time to move.

A man was trapped under the remains of a collapsed awning, his leg pinned beneath a heavy metal beam. His breathing was ragged, eyes wide with fear as he clawed at the ground, desperate to free himself. I sprinted toward him, sliding the last few feet before planting my feet and gripping the beam. My muscles burned as I forced it up, just high enough for him to drag himself free.

"Can you walk?" I asked, barely glancing at his injured leg.

He winced but nodded, pushing himself up with shaking arms. I looped one of his arms over my shoulder and helped him limp toward a clearing where a group of evacuees were being guided away by SHIELD agents.

"Stay with them," I instructed, gently lowering him to the ground. "They'll get you out of here."

He gasped out a grateful "thank you" before I turned back toward the city, heart hammering in my chest.

I was just in time to see three Ultron drones swooping down from above.

One of them locked onto a small group of civilians—a mother clutching her child and an older man who looked barely able to stand. The drone's arm lifted, ready to fire.

I moved without thinking.

Dashing forward, I locked eyes with the mother, focusing on the panic radiating from the mother and child. A wave of calm spread outward, latching onto them, dulling their terror just enough for them to move.

"Run!" I ordered.

They did. The mother gathered the child in her arms, the older man following, their movements steady even as the world fell apart around them.

The drone's cannon fired, but I was already there, spinning to the side and grabbing a fallen metal pipe. I launched it like a spear, piercing the drone's core. It sputtered before crashing to the ground in a heap of sparking parts.

The other two drones turned on me.

"Alright, tin cans," I muttered, cracking my neck. "Let's dance."

One lunged, but I ducked beneath its swing, pivoting on my heel and driving a knee into its midsection. My hand shot out, grabbing hold of its exposed wiring. A pulse of power flowed through me, spreading into the machine, and for a brief second, I felt the artificial intelligence squirm beneath my touch.

Then it short-circuited. The drone jerked violently before collapsing in a lifeless heap. Guess that worked.

The last drone hesitated.

I smirked. "Yeah, I'd be scared too."

Before it could make a move, a repulsor blast from above struck it down. Tony rocketed past overhead, giving me a two-finger salute before banking hard to engage another wave of drones in the distance.

"Showoff," I muttered before sprinting back into the fray.

The moments bled together.

I didn't know how many people I had helped, how many times I had reached into the minds of terrified civilians, pulling them from the edge of panic so they could run to safety. I fought, I ran, I pulled children from the rubble and carried the wounded to the evacuation points.

At some point, I found Wanda and Pietro. The Maximoff twins were in the thick of it, Wanda's red energy thrumming through the air as she shielded a group of civilians, while Pietro darted back and forth, moving people out of harm's way before they even realized they were in danger.

Wanda met my eyes, breathless but determined. "We need to clear the streets!"

I nodded, already moving to help. Together, we guided the last group of stragglers toward the bridges where SHIELD's helicarrier had arrived to help with the evacuation.

For a moment, it felt like we were winning.

Then the ground beneath us trembled.

A low rumble filled the air, growing into a deafening roar. I staggered, barely keeping my balance as the very city seemed to shift beneath me. Buildings groaned, the pavement cracked, and then—

We were rising.

I looked up just in time to see Ultron himself hovering above the city, his expression unreadable, his mechanical form glowing with energy.

"This is the end," he declared, voice booming through the ruins of Sokovia. "You cannot stop what is coming."

The city lifted higher, debris tumbling off the edges, spiraling into the sky. Wind howled as the altitude climbed.

I clenched my fists, breathing hard.

Oh, this was bad.

Pietro exhaled sharply. "Tell me this is not happening."

Wanda's face was pale. "He's turning the city into a meteor."

I swallowed, glancing at the devastation around us. I had spent all this time getting people to safety, but if Ultron succeeded—

There was no safety.

I lifted my head toward the sky, toward the machine that had caused all of this, and clenched my jaw.

This wasn't over. Not yet.

Not by a long shot.

The city was still rising.

The once-sturdy streets of Sokovia trembled beneath my boots, the altitude climbing higher with every second. Wind howled through the fractured buildings, whipping smoke and dust into the air. Fires raged, and explosions echoed in the distance as the battle raged on. I barely had time to breathe, let alone think.

Because the machines kept coming.

Ultron's drones were relentless, moving in synchronized, predatory swarms. They darted through the air like mechanical vultures, their glowing red eyes locking onto targets before descending in a hailstorm of plasma fire and shrieking metal. The ones on the ground fought with brutal precision, their steel limbs striking out in lightning-fast attacks meant to kill.

I had no choice but to meet them head-on.

I twisted, ducking under a clawed swipe before driving my fist upward into the drone's core. I cracked the casing, and I followed it up with a sharp kick, sending the bot careening into a crumbling wall. Another one lunged at me from behind, its sharp metal fingers outstretched. I spun, grabbing its arm and yanking it forward, using its own momentum to slam it into the pavement. My boot crashed down onto its head, metal crumpling beneath my heel.

Two more came at me next. One from the left, one from the right.

I dodged the first but barely avoided the second's claws as they raked across my shoulder, tearing through the fabric of my suit. Pain flared, hot and sharp, but I pushed through it. Grabbing the drone by the arm, I twisted, using my weight to flip it over and slam it hard against the ground. Before it could rise, I sent a controlled pulse of energy straight into its core.

It spasmed violently before going still.

I turned to the last bot, only for it to suddenly be ripped apart by a burst of red energy. Wanda stood atop a broken car, her eyes glowing as she sent another wave of chaos magic into the fray. The wreckage of metal limbs and severed heads scattered across the ruined street.

She nodded to me, breathless. "We have to keep moving."

I wiped blood and grime from my forehead, nodding. "No argument here."

We pressed on, fighting our way through the streets, clearing the path for the last few civilians still scrambling toward evacuation points. The city groaned beneath our feet, the altitude making the air thinner, making everything feel stretched, unstable.

We were running out of time.

And then I heard it—the heavy whirring of thrusters directly behind me.

I turned, but too late.

A drone slammed into me at full force, sending me hurtling backward. I barely had time to register what was happening before my back crashed against the jagged edge of a fractured rooftop. My fingers scrabbled for purchase, but the concrete crumbled beneath my grip.

And then—I was falling.

Wind roared in my ears, tearing at my hair, my clothes. The burning city above shrank rapidly, while the dark abyss of the earth rushed up to meet me. I was weightless, tumbling, my limbs useless against gravity's merciless pull.

For the first few seconds, I fought. My arms flailed, instinctively searching for something, anything to hold onto. But there was nothing. Just empty space and the distant, flickering lights of Sokovia high above.

Then—acceptance.

I exhaled, my body relaxing.

So this was how it ended.

No more running. No more fighting. No more punishments. No more Dragunov, no more missions, no more orders barked at me in the cold, sterile walls of the Black Lotus. No more waking up wondering if today would be the day I finally broke beyond repair.

And yet—

I had spent all this time chasing people. Enemies of the Black Lotus. Political figures. The Winter Soldier. And now, I would never finish that mission. Never find him. Never even care that I didn't.

Maybe that was the worst part. I had spent so long being told who I was supposed to be, what my purpose was. And now? I had none.

The thought should have been freeing.

Instead, it was just... empty.

A crackle in my earpiece.

Then—

"Kid? Where the hell did you go?"

Tony's voice.

I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily. My stomach twisted, but not from the fall.

An asset. That's all I had ever been. A tool for someone else's goals. But for the first time, I had started to wonder—could I have been more? Could I have been an Avenger? Could I have had friends?

Could I have had Tony?

He had been so annoying, constantly calling me "kid" like I was his responsibility, like he actually cared. He had treated me like... like I mattered.

Why? Why had he done that? Why had he looked at me like I was something more than a machine?

The wind screamed around me. The ground was getting closer. This was it.

I let out a slow breath. It doesn't matter now.

And then—

Something yanked me sideways, cutting through my freefall like a missile. Strong arms locked around my waist, the sudden jolt nearly knocking the air from my lungs.

I blinked.

We were flying.

I turned my head slightly, my heart slamming against my ribs as I came face to face with Sam Wilson.

"Did you really just try to free fall off a floating city?" he yelled over the wind, adjusting his grip as he maneuvered through the air.

I let out a short, breathless laugh, too stunned to form a real response.

He carried us upward, the city getting closer again, the wind screaming past. I glanced down at the ground—so, so far below—then up at the burning ruins of Sokovia.

Still here. Still breathing.

Dammit.

Sam's grip tightened slightly as he flew us back up to the city and set me down on the floor. "Thanks, Birdy," I shout to him as he flies away

The city groaned beneath my feet, the altitude pressing against my lungs as I sprinted through the wreckage of Sokovia. Smoke thickened the air, the scent of burning metal and crumbling stone filling my nostrils as screams and gunfire echoed through the ruined streets. The evacuation points were close, but not close enough for the people still trapped in the destruction.

I had to move faster.

A mother and her two children stumbled out of a collapsed building, coughing from the dust and debris. The older child, no more than eight, clutched his little sister's hand so tightly his knuckles turned white. Their mother's wide eyes darted between the chaos around them, searching for an escape.

I didn't hesitate.

Dashing forward, I slid to a stop beside them. "Hey, I've got you. We need to move—now."

The mother clutched her children to her chest. "Where? Where do we go?"

"SHIELD has evacuation points two streets down." I scanned the skyline—more drones were circling like vultures, searching for stragglers. "I'll get you there."

I reached for the boy's hand, but he shrank back, eyes darting to the chaos around us. His breathing was erratic, chest rising and falling too fast. A full-blown panic attack.

I knelt in front of him, lowering my voice. "Hey, kid. I know it's scary, but I need you to take a deep breath for me, alright?"

He shook his head, trembling.

I softened my gaze and extended my ability—just enough to push a sense of calm through the overwhelming fear. His heartbeat slowed, his shoulders relaxing. He blinked up at me, suddenly steady enough to take his mother's hand again.

"Better?" I asked.

He nodded quickly.

I squeezed his shoulder before turning to his mother. "Stay behind me."

We moved fast, keeping low as we weaved through the shattered cityscape. Buildings leaned at dangerous angles, groaning under the strain of the rising altitude. Explosions rang out in the distance as the Avengers fought to hold back Ultron's forces, but the battle was far from over.

A drone descended from above, its targeting systems locking onto us.

I shoved the family behind an overturned car. "Stay down!"

The drone opened fire, plasma bolts ripping through the air. I dove forward, rolling to the side before launching myself at the machine. My fist struck its head, denting the metal casing. It reeled back, recalibrating, but I didn't give it the chance—I tore a loose pipe from the rubble and drove it straight through the bot's core. Sparks exploded outward as it convulsed, its red eyes flickering before going dark.

The moment it hit the ground, I turned back to the family. "Move! Now!"

We sprinted toward the evacuation zone, where SHIELD agents were ushering civilians onto the last of the transport ships. I pushed the mother and her kids forward. "Go!"

She turned, eyes wet with relief. "Thank you."

I gave her a sharp nod before turning back toward the city. More people needed help.

I wasn't done yet.

I found a group of elderly civilians trapped inside a half-destroyed pharmacy. The entrance was blocked by debris, and their voices wavered with fear as they called for help. I scaled the fallen rubble, prying away chunks of broken concrete until a gap was wide enough for them to crawl through.

An old man grasped my arm as he stepped into the light. "Bless you, dear."

I barely had time to acknowledge his words before a drone descended on us, its metal limbs clanging against the pavement. The civilians screamed.

I positioned myself between them and the bot. "Stay back."

The drone lunged, its clawed hand slicing through the air. I ducked, grabbing a fallen piece of rebar and swinging it like a bat. The impact cracked through the bot's torso, sending it stumbling. It recalibrated quickly, its arm transforming into a blaster.

I had less than a second to react.

The shot fired—

Steve's shield flew through the air, intercepting the plasma bolt before it could hit me. The energy deflected harmlessly into the rubble, sending up a cloud of dust. The drone barely had time to register the interference before the shield ricocheted off its metal skull, sending it staggering backward.

I turned to see Steve catching his shield effortlessly, already sprinting toward me. "You alright?" he called.

I didn't waste time answering. Taking advantage of the bot's brief disorientation, I rushed forward, gripping both sides of its head and twisting sharply. Metal groaned as circuits fried, and with a final, jerking shudder, the machine went limp. I let go, watching as it collapsed to the ground in a useless heap.

Steve nodded approvingly. "Nice work."

I smirked. "Not bad yourself, Captain."

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he motioned toward the civilians. "Get them to safety. I'll cover you."

Turning back to the civilians, I motioned forward. "Go! The extraction point is that way!"

They didn't hesitate, moving as fast as their aged limbs would allow. I waited until they disappeared around the corner before forcing myself to keep moving.

I reached another street just as a father and his teenage son struggled to pull an unconscious woman from a fallen beam. Her leg was pinned, blood pooling beneath her. The boy sobbed as he tugged at the wreckage, his face streaked with dirt and tears.

I knelt beside them. "I've got this."

The father hesitated, but I didn't wait for approval. Gripping the heavy metal, I focused every ounce of strength into lifting it. My arms screamed in protest, but I gritted my teeth and heaved. Inch by inch, the beam rose until there was just enough space for the father and son to drag the woman free.

I let the debris drop, exhaling heavily.

The son grasped my wrist. "Thank you."

I patted his shoulder before urging them toward the nearest agent. "They'll get you to safety."

The city trembled violently. We were still rising.

I turned toward the sky, breath catching as the altitude grew more dangerous.

Time was running out.

And I wasn't stopping until every last person was out of here.

Wandering the deserted streets, I searched for any remaining civilians, but the thinning air made each breath harder. Just as I started to feel the pressure in my lungs, a blur of silver and blue streaked toward me.

Pietro skidded to a stop in front of me, his expression urgent. "Emris, we have to go. It's getting harder to breathe up here."

I hesitated. "There might still be—"

"No time," he interrupted. "Come on."

Before I could protest, he swept me up into his arms, holding me securely in a bridal carry. With a smirk, he added, "Try not to fall for me, yes?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just run, Speedy."

He took off in a blur, the city streaking past us. Within seconds, we reached a SHIELD checkpoint, and he set me down. "Stay here. I have to help more people."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving only the wind in his wake.

The SHIELD evacuation ship loomed ahead, its open ramp a beacon of safety amidst the destruction. The wind howled around me, carrying the distant sounds of battle—gunfire, explosions, the metallic screeches of Ultron's drones tearing through the remains of Sokovia. Civilians rushed past, their faces a blur of panic and relief as they boarded the ship, ushered in by SHIELD agents.

I took a step forward, ready to follow, when a sharp, mechanical whirring cut through the chaos.

Instinct screamed at me to move.

Too late.

Cold metal arms clamped around my torso, lifting me off the ground before I could react. My breath hitched as my feet left the pavement, the city shrinking beneath me as the drone rocketed upward. I twisted violently, slamming my elbows into its arms, kicking with all my strength, but its grip was like a vice. It carried me higher, beyond the rooftops, beyond the tallest of the crumbling buildings, until Sokovia spread out below me like a battlefield frozen in time.

I clenched my teeth, shoving back the rising panic. It was even harder to breathe now.

Not again. Not again. Fuck, I hate heights.

I threw my weight to the side, trying to disrupt the drone's flight path. It faltered slightly but adjusted, carrying me higher still. The wind roared past my ears, whipping my hair into my face as I struggled, my muscles straining against its hold. I managed to shift just enough to catch sight of something—or someone—in the distance.

Ultron.

He stood on a fractured tower, his metallic form gleaming under the blood-red sky, his piercing robotic eyes locked directly onto me. Next to him, hovering in his suit, was Tony.

Both of them watching.

My stomach clenched.

Tony's body was tense, his hands curled into fists at his sides. I could practically hear his voice in my head, the exasperated way he always called me 'kid' like I was some reckless teenager.

Ultron, on the other hand, looked amused. Smug, even. Like he had orchestrated this moment just to make a point.

Then, without warning, the drone adjusted its trajectory—carrying me past the remains of the city and toward the edge. My heart slammed against my ribs as the land beneath me disappeared, replaced by open sky and an endless, dizzying drop.

"No, no, no—" I snarled, thrashing harder, my pulse hammering.

I managed to twist enough to reach the drone's arm, gripping the wiring beneath its plating. With a growl, I yanked, ripping through circuits and exposing delicate mechanics. The drone jerked violently, sputtering midair, but it wasn't enough to force it to release me.

The fingers around my torso flexed once.

Then let go.

The air was stolen from my lungs as I plummeted, my body flipping weightlessly through open sky. Wind roared past me, tearing at my clothes, making my eyes sting. My stomach twisted violently as I spun, the city above me shrinking, the clouds smearing into streaks of gray and orange as I fell toward the nothingness below.

My mind splintered into fragmented thoughts—

I wouldn't have to see Dragunov again. I wouldn't have to be punished anymore. I wouldn't have to keep running.

Then—

I wouldn't find him. I wouldn't find the Winter Soldier.

And the worst part? I wasn't even sure if I cared anymore.

A voice crackled through my comms, laced with frantic urgency. ""Kid! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Tony.

I squeezed my eyes shut, something in my chest tightening painfully. I thought about all of it—the life I could have had if things had been different. If I hadn't been made into a weapon. If I had been free. If I had let myself believe, just for a second, that maybe—just maybe—people like Tony Stark, like the Avengers, could have been more than just temporary allies.

Tony treated me like I was his kid, but why? What did he see in me that made him care?

I'd never know.

The sky blurred.

The wind howled.

Then—

Impact.

Not against the ground—against something solid, something warm, something moving.

The jarring stop sent a shock through my bones, but I was no longer falling. No longer plummeting to my death. Strong arms held me tight, metal plating pressing against my side as the world tilted—no, we were rising again, back toward the city, away from the abyss that had nearly swallowed me whole.

It took a second for my brain to catch up.

I knew the suit. Knew the way it moved, the way it felt. Knew the voice that rang in my ear a moment later, thick with irritation and barely veiled relief.

"Y'know, kid," Tony muttered, "you've gotta stop making a habit of this."

I exhaled a shaky breath, my heart still hammering. "Not my fault these damn bots have a grudge against me. Plus, you didn't save me both times."

His grip tightened slightly, just for a second. "Yeah, well... try not to die, alright?"

I swallowed hard, the adrenaline still surging through my veins. "I'll do my best."

Tony didn't say anything else, just held onto me as he rocketed back toward the battlefield, back toward whatever was left of the fight. And for the first time in a long time, as my breath evened out and my heartbeat steadied, I realized something.

Maybe I wasn't alone after all.

I huffed out something that might've been a laugh if I wasn't seconds away from passing out.

The SHIELD ship was in sight again. Tony angled toward it, pushing his thrusters to the limit. The second he landed on the deck, he set me down, hands hovering like he thought I might collapse right there.

And maybe I would.

The altitude was messing with my head. The air was thin, my lungs struggling to keep up. I staggered, my vision swimming. The edges of the world turned soft, unfocused.

"Whoa, hey—" Tony caught my arm. "Breathe, kid."

I tried. I really did. But my body wasn't listening. My knees buckled, and I felt myself tipping forward—

And then I saw them.

Clint, cradling a limp figure in his arms, his face twisted in grief and urgency.

Pietro.

Blood soaked his uniform, bullet wounds littering his body like a cruel mosaic. His head lolled, silver hair darkened by grime and red.

My lips parted slightly, like I might say something, but no sound came out.

The world tilted once more—

And everything went black.