章 1746: 22
Chapter Text
Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes was. Not. Impressed. He had been ambivalent towards the Avengers, before, but now?
He didn't quite know what Tony was up to these days, but for JARVIS to have sent him an email about 'rich protocols being initiated regarding the Avengers' was bad enough.
That the Avengers weren't the team he'd thought, on the other hand….he'd had a concussion, at the time, but even so James had asked JARVIS for footage, because he must've hit his head harder than he'd thought, right? He'd only been imagining the way the entire team had zeroed in on Tony?
Slightly grainy camera footage, however, said no.
Even if Thor had apologized earlier, even if the alien had already left and it'd been nearly a week, he still felt the urge to put the suit back on, battle damage or no, and deck everyone involved— actually, no.
No suit needed, it'd be just like MIT when people thought picking on a tiny fourteen-year-old was okay and it was just them.
Geez. Things hadn't changed much, had they?
…and now he was thinking about those rich protocols again. Dammit.
But he'd been there the last time Stark Industries had done that, it'd been nearly a decade now and they'd been in the arms business, just how badly did the Avengers fuck u—right.
And Tony was…on his own again, same as ever.
He wanted to be there more often, and he trusted Pepper and Happy to watch Tony's back whenever he couldn't, but between his career as a lieutenant colonel and pilot of War Machine, he was hard-pressed to even manage a phone call once a week, sometimes.
And now…how'd they get to this? To watching his best friend break down slowly, unable to help or do anything other than make sure DUM-E didn't put motor oil into the smoothie he'd made, unable to do anything other than sit on the old couch and wait?
Tony hadn't been doing so hot earlier, hadn't been okay for months now, but it still rankled to know that his masks were as good as ever. The AIM debacle had been the first time he'd seen a crack in them, actually, and he'd done his best to help, to be a shoulder to cry on and just listen, and he'd thought it'd been helping!
But, apparently, it wasn't. Or, if what JARVIS' emails were saying was true, it had been, but not…not enough.
He had thought the team would help, would take the pressure off and make sure Tony didn't go Atlas all over again, but apparently the exact opposite happened. Even if the press stateside had nothing but good things to say about Captain America's leadership, had gushed about teamwork, he'd never seen a hint, during their phone calls and the rare visit.
Well…the status quo was shifting.
If he was reading things right, Tony was going back to the basics, which was more than fine by him. The team didn't watch his best friend's back, practically stabbed it even, on top of everything else. JARVIS had already offered a tentative proposal to him, and…
If even Tony's budding Skynet could see that things had to change, then…best get to work.
Tony'd officially pulled out of the Avengers, check.
The Avengers wanted air support and didn't care about Tony? Fine. He had no issue to being put on-call for emergencies, he could swing it with the brass to help keep a buffer between the assholes and the guy with a textbook case of PTSD.
Let them see what they'd missed: Iron Man was forged in a cave and had been an act of resistance, whereas War Machine had been built for a friend and created for battle, full stop. Tony Stark was capable of being kind, of being generous, but James Rhodes?
He'd forged a path for himself, had made a career in the Air Force since before his best friend had revolutionized the arms industry, and while War Machine wasn't as iconic as Iron Man, he was pretty damn close outside of the States.
And he wasn't going to play ball, not the way Tony had been doing.
Because Tony was a civilian who'd been thrown in the deep end, for all he acted otherwise, whereas he was a soldier to the bone. This would be interesting, and he hadn't been kidding when he'd said he was looking forward to seeing how the Avengers operated. Except he doubted Steve Rogers heard it that way, but no matter; he had spent years refining the art of how to talk to the brass, after all.
….now to figure out how to beat it into Tony's head that he wasn't Atlas, or Prometheus, that he had support and that therapy was a thing, c'mon already!
JARVIS was most pleased by the current proceedings, even in light of recent events.
While Sir's breakdown had been inevitable, it was still a most unfavorable thing for him to endure, and Lt. Col. Rhodes' quiet resolve to aid him in his endeavor to best assist Sir was projected to be most beneficial.
When Lt. Col. Rhodes had requested his footage from the infamous party, JARVIS took the liberty of not only copying it to his own private servers [never again, never trust the Avengers, never again], but of also forwarding it, along with a copy of Officer Hill's past memos to SWORD regarding the team, to Ms. Potts and Mr. Hogan as well.
Should anything happen, he could trust these people at least to assist him in his mission to keep Sir safe. He had not been enough to keep Sir safe, but the human element they brought into the equation could…possibly help. It wouldn't hurt, at any rate.
…Now only to find out about the nature of this 'talk' Col. Rhodes had spoken of.
Given his current vitals, reviewing the attached documents, and the emotional signature Vision had said was best described as a stormcloud, it sounded like it would be of matters pertinent to Sir's safety, in some manner. And, possibly, his own, given the reaction the colonel had shown when JARVIS' offlining had happened, during the party. That portion would be…interesting, to hear discussed.
Hmm…well, it would happen whenever Sir woke from what his sensors registered was now a regular nap. Far better than his earlier state, for certain; JARVIS had never felt more helpless than in moments like these, only able to monitor the situation, unable to act, unable to help, internal alarms blaring about the Primary Protocol—but no matter.
At current, Sir had moved from his spot on the workshop floor, to the couch, and was currently sprawled across both Lt. Col. Rhodes and Vision, with both humans fast asleep while Vision quietly helped brainstorm possible actions to take, and potential outcomes from there.
His subroutines were, of course, busily churning away in the background.
First and foremost was Phase 2, which was still underway.
In Sokovia, while the Avengers had gone home, the Iron Legion was still assisting in clearing the rubble and the majority of the survivors had been either located or were in the process of being rescued. Stark Industries' PR department was already working on the first wave of press releases, while the Legal department was bracing itself for the chaos that was to follow. As of half an hour ago, three countries' representatives had already contacted them, after all, and the media was only starting to get wind of it. International chatter was spiking to levels comparable to the DC intel breach, after all. [This would be a most interesting situation to monitor.]
Johannesburg was in similar straits: not 72 hours after the Avengers had left, but between the emergency evacuation and the local Iron Legion's input, Phase 2 was well underway. Given the extent of the damage, it would remain so for quite a while, and Accounting was working with a representative from the international coalition funding the team and various insurance agencies to work out the most efficient reconstruction efforts. The injury list was still growing, however, and while the death toll was still, miraculously, zero, various clinics and hospitals' resources were currently strained to the breaking point. The PR department was currently working on the second wave of press releases, as recent developments and rich protocols meant a different tactic would be necessary when dealing with Mr. Rogers' latest recruit.
In New York, the progress report on repairs was currently being made for Sir's purview. The damage estimates for the lab, and penthouse [the room Sir had been choked in] were reasonable, and the fix should take no more than a few days at most.
Even if Sir was currently indisposed, and in a way JARVIS was unable to help him as well as he would have preferred, the future held promise in a way he hadn't seen in years. Not since immediately after New York, in fact.
Last time, things had gone beyond his control, but now?
Now, JARVIS had experience on his side. Last time, he'd made the mistake of agreeing with Sir in his assumption that the Avengers were a good thing, a dawn of a new age. And they'd both paid dearly for it.
Now, JARVIS knew he had to be more proactive. He wouldn't make the same mistake again; he couldn't trust the Avengers with Sir's safety, not again, never again. Not when they clearly didn't have his interests in mind, not when his own inactions had led to part of this current predicament.
The status quo was shifting, and with all the threats to Sir that'd been brought to his attention?
Yes, this…this, he could work with.
To: All SWORD Members [All branches]
From: Hill, M. Head Intel Officer [Communications, New York branch]
Subject: Threat Reassessment
Now that Ultron's been taken care of, and SI's Phase 2 is underway, let's talk about the reassessment I'd mentioned earlier this week.
The Avengers were previously thought to be allies of Dr. Stark, but we now know that is not the case. Rich protocols have been initiated regarding them, and for those not in the know yet, that's essentially code for 'Treat them with a smile, watch the fallout a safe distance away' and apparently it's a thing, and also a throwback to their weapons manufacturing days. Keep that in mind these next few days: apparently this is the first time in over half a decade, if not nearly a decade, that we're doing this.
The incident regarding the initiation of said protocols is being kept under wraps, due to the way Dr. Stark wants to play things, but the short version includes a marked disregard for civilian life, among other things. As such, a reevaluation regarding the Avengers is necessary: we're covering the bases while the boss is doing his thing.
Thor's off-planet, and Former Agent Barton is also retiring from the Avengers, but a new roster's currently being made and we need to get on the case, stat.
Analysts, I've forwarded you some of the particulars regarding the roster changes, and want a dossier by the end of the week available for collective review.
R&D: the threat's passed, you're cleared to return to your projects. Just be aware that with rich protocols being initiated, some resources might be strained so please stay within budget for property damage. I know I'm asking for a miracle, but try anyway.
Legal, PR: sorry for blowing up your inboxes, and the short notice. The call for additional hands has already gone out, and JARVIS should have forwarded you the list of people available. A review of past actions is being compiled, and hopefully keep things tidy as everything's been above-board and run through the proper channels.
On a final note: while the Avengers are now classified as a potential threat in our books, the initiation of rich protocols at least means we will no longer be dealing with them, even if the time frame was shorter than expected. While I understand some of you may have some personal issues with the team as it is projected to be, Dr. Stark needs them available and on hand just in case.
More intel to follow, as Phase 2 continues
—Hill
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To: Santos, R. Mechanical Engineer [R&D, Sao Paulo branch]
From: Jacobs, A. Coordinator [PR, Cape Town branch]
Subject: What The Fuck
Just what the hell did the Avengers even do?!
And where the /fuck/ does SI even get these people from?
My department's already wrapping up the second wave of press releases and when someone mentioned rich protocols the manager just laughed and last time I saw a smile like that was during that one time with INTERPOL and a crate of smuggled alligators.
Any ideas?
—Jacobs
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To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]
From: Jacobs, A. Coordinator [PR, Cape Town branch]
Subject: Johannesburg, Phase 2
The second wave of press releases have been sent out.
There's no mention of Nazis or HYDRA in there, just that the Hulk was aggravated by "a terrorist threat" who's "been taken care of". No names beyond the necessary bits, nothing.
The Iron Legion's already starting with Phase 3 in some sectors, and being able to spin Legal and Accounting's collaboration with the coalition funding this hot mess means deflecting attention could be worse.
Nicest goodbye present I can think of, for the A-Team.
That's not to say this Maximoff chick's getting a 'get out of jail free' card, though: I get the feeling that Dr. Stark and JARVIS aren't going to be doing too hard a job of fudging just where this 'Scarlet Witch' came from. Anyone who bothers to do some legwork and can read between the lines can probably tell what's going on, but hopefully by then Plan B'll be up and running.
Here's to hoping, anyway
—Jacobs
Sir's awakening had heralded the start of the talk Lt. Col. Rhodes had mentioned wanting to have, back in Sokovia.
And JARVIS was…at a loss for words. It'd been several hours, and he'd ended up putting in an order for takeout, and having Vision bring it to the workshop, it was taking that long.
Their readings indicated a degree of stress that he did not like, but considering the subject matter and heavy emotional component, there was nothing for it.
Well…it sounded like it would be cathartic, at the very least. Lt. Col. Rhodes was addressing several concerns JARVIS had, actually.
The subject of mental health was one of the first to be brought up, after Sir had shifted to a more comfortable position, and even if he wasn't human JARVIS felt he did a reasonable facsimile of pride anyway, when their version of therapy was mentioned.
"You're not alone, Tony. Don't isolate yourself, it's killing me to see you like this."
"Pfft. Like I can talk to a therapist."
"I'm not even asking that now. Just…when's the last time you talked to that Keener kid?"
The Avengers were also a central topic; the affirmation of rich protocols and the circumstances surrounding their initialization had JARVIS reviewing past encounters and coldly analyzing what could and could not be used against them, should they become an active threat once again.
If Sir had not specified his reasoning, he would have taken a far more…proactive stance [don't trust them again they hurt Sir never again], but oh well. Sir indicated they had matters of higher concern to focus on, for instance. [Not that either Lt. Col. Rhodes or JARVIS would be letting it go, of course; Vision had mentioned the resolve emanating from the man was practically a beacon.]
"Rich protocols are a go. We need them, for now. When I went through that wormhole, I saw—remember New York? That wasn't even the start of it. There were so many of them waiting out there, the mothership was—I can't begin to describe. We need the team handy, for now. Just in case."
"Tony…"
"No, we do! I'd been planning on getting Ultron online within five years, but with how the team's acting, I…I need—"
"Tony, you're not alone. Who told you you're responsible for saving the world?"
"Okay, one, the Avengers Initiative, for all that it's bullshit in the end. Two: you really think Hank Pym'd listen to what I've got to say? He hates the Stark name, I'm actually curious as to what the hell started that blood feud between him and Howard."
"Aaand you can't ask anyone else because…"
"The World Security Council's too trigger-happy for my tastes. J, you mind playing the video? And the one we got from the DC mess?"
JARVIS was quietly impressed by the language Lt. Col. Rhodes used, once the sequence was done.
"Okay, I get why they're a no-go, never mind. But what about…"
And so it went.
JARVIS occasionally shifted his focus to other ventures, such as monitoring the progress of the penthouse's repairs, and on the various subroutines running.
Then Vision was brought up.
"By the way, congratulations, Tony, you're a grandfather."
Sir's resulting sputtering was almost expected, at this point. His almost choking on his third smoothie, however, was not.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Rhodey."
"He's JARVIS' kid, isn't he? And you created him, so…"
"That's not how it works!" But Sir's readings were far more relaxed than before, despite his almost desperate tone.
Though JARVIS was also baffled by how to approach this situation, he was more amused than anything by the banter. It's just…he had a son now. [That was new, that was very new.]
"Good to hear your family's growing, Tones."
"…point."
"Hey, Vision, do you want to hear about that time your grandfather decided to invent—"
"Don't you dare, Rhodey, or he'll hear about the time with the—"
Yes, this development was unexpected, but…JARVIS could roll with it. Probably. Being a father couldn't possibly be harder than taking over a planet, now, could it?
Tony felt exhausted in a way the English language couldn't concisely encompass in words. He was still sore from battle, and his breakdown shortly afterwards hadn't exactly helped, either.
But…Rhodey always had his back. Even if he'd had to go sort things out yet again, because this had been an emergency but now there was paperwork to deal with for War Machine's fighting aliens.
He didn't know just how much he'd needed that talk, until they'd had a heart-to-heart for the first time in…months? Years, even? [Wow did time fly.]
And now…even if he was tired, it wasn't…as heavy, as before, if that made any sense. He'd woken up in the workshop feeling lighter than he had in months, and Rhodey'd reminded him of a few things he'd forgotten. If he was going back to his roots, might as well go the full mile.
Okay. Legal and PR'd been helping on the Avengers front, and he'd been thinking of hitting up R&D for some ideas…
"Hey, JARVIS," Tony started, before pausing.
No, first things first, better to have a solid foundation and get going from there. And J had been through a week from hell.
"Hey, J. Are you okay? How're you feeling?"
"Sir, I am well."
…of course J copied him with ignoring the obvious. Tony sat down, and rubbed his temples.
"You're sure, J? I remember having a heart attack when you were…when you were…"
He couldn't say it. Same way he couldn't bear to look towards the communal lab, where even now golden strands of code were strewn haphazardly through the room like so much broken glass—
"Sir, I can assure you I am well."
"JARVIS, I…I don't think my heart can take something like this happening again. You could've…I could've lost you, because of my mistakes." Tony said, and steepled his fingers.
Then, he made up his mind as how to best go forward. "I don't know how many backups you have, beyond the ones I'd made. But I want you to double it at least. And…are you're sure you're okay?"
"Sir, I am fine. My Primary Protocol is intact and improving by the minute."
"This must've been a learning experience, I'll bet." Tony muttered, and ran a hand through his hair. "Hell week, more like."
"Well, you have to admit it most certainly has been that." The AI replied cheekily.
Oh, JARVIS.
"Anything I can do to help? Any ideas?"
"Well…I would not…I'd appreciate having an assistant, with some things."
Tony blinked. This was…oh, right, learning experience. J probably learned some of his limits, just like he had. He was so proud, even as he felt a stab of guilt for not noticing earlier.
"Really, J?"
"Sir, you had been working on a communications system whenever you weren't improving me or working on what was once the Ultron project. I am capable of continuing as I am, but given the way the situation is changing…"
"Right, right." Tony waved a hand, distractedly, before continuing. "Communications…to help with SI?"
"And SHIELD has expressed an interest in something like it for their own use, what with the Compound and its security tiers, and the addition to the Avengers roster. As you have refused to give them the time of day…"
Tony didn't even pretend to hide the smile breaking on his face. "Oh, sneaky, J. I'm so proud."
"Well, they did ask."
"Okay. FRIDAY should be up and running within the month, you'll be a big brother aside from a father—okay, that sounded a bit more ominous than what I'd intended it to be, but still."
"And as for what was once the Ultron project—"
"We're renaming it," Tony immediately said, and leaned back. He would never hear that name again and think of the AI he'd had in mind, not after Sokovia.
Tony had a lot to do: call Harley because the Avengers had interrupted their semiregular video call schedule, get Fri up and running, bring in R&D so he wasn't the only one on the project, talk to Pepper, deal with rich protocols…but best take this one step at a time.
He could do this. First things first:
"Hey, J. How do you think JOCASTA sounds?"
Notes:
Not mentioned but happened off-screen: the hugs. All the hugs.
Unreliable narrator instance this round: JARVIS' Primary Protocol. I've hinted at it since the beginning, and I'm fairly certain you guys can tell what it is, but when Tony first programmed and brought him online it was basically "to learn, grow, and survive" with an emphasis on learning and growth. Only thing is, JARVIS changed it, and Tony doesn't know. [Oops.] This bit of miscommunication's possibly the longest-running one in the fic, rivaling only Tony's obliviousness in regards to all things world domination.
JOCASTA had a cameo in AoU, kinda, so in this AU JARVIS is going to have not one, but two little sisters. [Wow that family's growing fast.]
I know it's kind of slow, but some things needed out. This arc's dealing with the fallout from AoU, recovery and rebuilding are major themes this round and I had to start somewhere.
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I'm a student trying to survive classes, erratic updates are a thing and won't change anytime soon.
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