//------------------------------// // An Age of Ultron // Story: Equestria Needs Control // by ultspideyfan //------------------------------// Peter lifted his head after he caught wind of shuffling on his left. He prayed this wasn't Sombra, somehow still alive despite being ripped apart moments ago. He survived being ripped apart before according to the princesses. Lucky for Peter, it wasn't Sombra back from the dead. Though I'm sure Parker would've preferred that over the sight he got. Hank Pym was cradling a body and not just any body, it was the body of his daughter Hope. The older stallion could only cry as he held her close, praying to some power that she'd wake up. Peter was going to comfort his teammate, but Rogers beat him to it. Steve placed a hoof on Hank's shoulder. Pym shrugged off the gesture. A funeral was arranged for the fallen. Most of the remaining heroes attended. The noticeable exceptions were Pym and Wayne. In Peter's mind, Bruce made the most sense to be away. He had a track record of being a no show to these things. Pym on the other hoof, didn't make sense. His daughter was being buried and he wasn't here. Twilight nestled her head into Peter's chest. Right. There was no time to think about that. He lost some close friends, no...they were family. Peter wrapped his arms around Twilight, rubbing her back while resting his chin on her head. The families of Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie had arrived. They....looked devastated. Peter grit his teeth, unconsciously squeezing Twilight. She responded with pushing herself deeper into him. "Don't do that. Don't blame yourself like you always do. This isn't your fault. This isn't your fault." "I should've--" "This isn't your fault." Twilight held Peter tightly. He returned the favor as his tears began to flow. It was so easy to blame himself for every death of those close to him. It was easier to tell himself he could've done better, that he could've pushed himself further, that he could've done something to change the situation! It was crushing to accept the reality that this was out of his control. Twilight pulled Peter closer to her. A month had gone by since the funeral. The world was trying to move on from the losses to the best of its ability. Princess Cadence had to take the position as ruler of Equestria. A rather daunting task, but with the support thrown her way she was eager to please. Bruce Wayne and Pepper Pots did what they could with Wayne Enterprise and Stark International, setting up charities for those who lost their homes in the battle. They also spent their money working to rebuild most of and the cities and towns that surrounded the Crystal Empire. Statues were built to honor those lost in the fight. They were kept clean regularly by generous citizens and guarded by the royal guard. Peter and Twilight were found spending more time in Feast than their own home. The couple did everything they could to help the Crystal ponies. Thanks to Pepper and Bruce's generous donations they had a lot more to work with. Rainbow Dash and Rarity were also found lending a helping hoof to their friends. But with every good thing there's always something bad that comes with it. The world didn't know that a new age was coming. An age that would put them under the heel of a machine hellbent on keeping them down. It took them all by surprise. The creation of Hank Pym, as it proclaimed, was born from hatred and loss. No pony knew what it was originally built for, Pym was killed by it seemingly. What they do know was that it was hunting down those who fought in the battle against Sombra. It didn't care about anything other than killing them. Many of them died. Hal, Barry, Banner, Jessica Drew, Jason, Barbara, Cadence, Shining Armor, Flash Thompson, and a guard named Sentry were the first victims of Ultron. The bot showed no signs of slowing down. Wayne Manor was blasted to bits with Stark tower facing a similar fate moments later. The few that remained tried fighting back, but with every hero meeting their end the more hope was drained from everyone. As the days raged on more and more Ultron bots showed up. An army was made to follow this new age, an army with the intent to obliterate hope. The treebary shook violently as Ultron bots laid down the heavy fire. Spike had been told to hide while Peter and Twilight gave it their all with the bots. The protection spell Twilight had cast was doing its best to keep them safe, but the question of how long could she keep it up crossed Spike's mind when he saw the cracks beginning to form around the bubble. He wanted to help them in some way, he wanted to be there with them, he...was scared they'd fall like all the others. CRASH!!! Spike jolted up from his spot and took off for the first floor. He couldn't take it anymore he had to be there! He needed to do something! When he made it downstairs he found Twilight propping Peter up on the bookshelf. His armor was falling apart, his helmet cracked open on its left side. He was gasping for air with how exhausted he was; his splitting headache wasn't making it easier for him to fight. "They got Feast. Couldn't get a hold of Dash or Rarity. Those bots are everywhere!" Peter gasped. Twilight's horn sparked as her magical aura enveloped Peter's helmet. As she began pulling Peter stopped her with a hoof slamming the helmet back down. "Spider-sense is going crazy. The helmet is helping me stay focused. Besides, we still gotta deal with our rude guests." He points to the cracked dome surrounding their house. "We can take em." Spike's voice took Peter and Twilight by surprise. Fear took hold of them both with him no longer in the "safe zone." "What're you doing Spike go back upstairs and stay hidden!" Twilight demanded. "But I want to help--" "These things will kill you bud. Leave it to me and Twily." Peter says getting back up to his hooves. "No! These robots are killing all of our friends and now they're after you guys. I can't just sit by and let them kill you. I-I-I just c-can't lose you guys too." Tears welled up in Spike's eyes. He tried wiping them away, to show that he was strong enough to stand with them, to convince himself that he wasn't a scared little dragon. Before Peter and Twilight could respond however, the dome broke. A whole was blown into the treebary as Ultron bots began to pile inside. Twilight quickly conjured up a wall and pushed them back. Sweat trickled down her brow as the bots struggled against her. Peter stood tall and unloaded his webbing onto Twilight's wall. The trio made their way upstairs with Peter still firing. Twilight dropped her wall and slumped down to the floor taking in gulps of air. Spike turned back to Peter just in time to see another cartridge fall. Parker dropped back down on all fours, standing defiantly in front of his wife and little brother. "I'm out of webbing. It'll take a while for them to get through that. We're still not safe though." "We have to get out of here!" Spike proclaimed. "We can't....we're surrounded..." Twilight says between gasps of breath. "....I can buy you guys some time." Peter's statement causes Twilight and Spike to snap their heads up at him. "We're not doing that....we stick together..." Twilight begins trying trying get to her hooves, but exhaustion fought with her. "I'm not losing you too." She forces out as she tries to stand again. Peter helps her up. The two stare into each others eyes no doubt for the last time. "Please don't do this." She says. Peter chuckles as he removes his helmet. He rests his head against hers as the two whisper their love to each other. They seal it off with a kiss, the last one they'll ever share. "I love you, both of you. Stay safe," He turns around placing his helmet back on, "Stay strong for me okay." What transpired next was something that stuck with Spike, even in his dreams. The Ultron bots tore through the webbing just as Twilight and Spike made their exit. Peter kept the attention on him with the help of two gauntlets he got from Tony before his death. Twilight's horn sparked and spurred till they finally began disappearing from their home. Twilight closed her eyes, not wanting to see what grisly fate fell upon her husband, no doubt why she would go on to believe he still lived years later. Spike however kept his eyes focused on Peter. Spider-Mane stood tall fighting back against these robots. They swarmed him, ripping away at his armor. That didn't stop him. Not even his piercing headache could make him drop. As the two vanished from the treebary, Peter disappeared amongst the horde of Ultron bots. This would go on to be remembered as the day Spider-Mane took his last stand.