He broke off mid-sentence. The Thrusters beneath his feet spat a sudden burst of flame, and he shot diagonally toward the Atlantic Ocean, tracing a sharp arc through the morning light.
Captain America, Steve, wasted no words. Shield in hand, he strode toward the Quinjet, glancing at Natasha as he passed her.
Natasha sighed helplessly and climbed into the pilot's seat. Her fingers flew across the controls, and the engines roared to life.
Hawkeye and Thor boarded right behind him. A huge green figure squeezed through just before the hatch closed, making the cabin wall bulge slightly.
Superman hovered in the air and activated his super hearing, his dark Kurenai cape pulled straight by the morning wind.
At last, he took a deep breath and flew toward the east coast of the United States.
Diana rose from the Rock and brushed the dust from her pant legs. Her gaze swept over Batman's silent figure leaning against the tree. Then she took off too, drawing a short golden arc through the morning light.
In an instant, most of the camp had emptied. Only Batman remained.
He still leaned against the trunk of the crooked old tree, arms folded across his chest. His dark gray cape hung at his side, its edges curling slightly in the morning mountain breeze.
His gaze passed over the Vibranium shield before him and settled on the outlines of the forest-covered hills inside Wakanda. He did not move.
Before leaving, Tony had sent him an encrypted message containing only one line: "It's a diversion. Stay here."
Batman had not replied, but his actions had given Tony an answer.
He was waiting for Ultron to reveal his real weakness.
If Ultron wanted an army made of Vibranium, he would have to attack here!
Two hours later, Batman's judgment