Capítulo 1743: 19
Notes
Alien invasion ahoy!
Chapter-specific warnings: on top of the usual [unreliable narrator, way-closer-to-Skynet-than-is-comfortable!JARVIS, not Team Cap or Wanda friendly, etc], also watch out for the dude with PTSD who's dealing with a situation that is very similar to what caused it in the first place. I tried to be kind of vague about some things, but there's an undercurrent of extreme tension and related emotions. [However, there's no actual panic attack, due to deus ex machine Mind Stone shenanigans. A lot of stress, yes, but no panic attacks in this one.]
Also, author's attempt at jargon, so if it doesn't quite make sense, that's why. Plus a bit of a cliffhanger.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Tony didn't need Thor's abruptly straightening up to realize something was going down; the lab's instruments had been giving erratic readings over the past hour, and Dr. Foster had sent some very…informative emails about her own data bearing similarities to what she'd gotten during the New York fiasco.
Plus, it was really kind of hard to dismiss the way something he couldn't describe tingle, in his bones and in the back of his head. An itch, but not, something that especially resonated where his arc reactor once was [where Extremis now languidly curled around bone and scar tissue].
Or the screaming, there was that too.
Externally, the screeching from the invading force was pretty damn hard to miss, though that was pretty much white noise to the internal litany of "oh shit don't panic, can't afford to panic, hold your shit together Tony come on you can do this" that had started up when he'd realized this was it, round two of aliens incoming, and oh shit he'd lose it if he had to go through portals again—no.
No, one thing at a time, he could do this. [He had to.]
Suiting up was done on autopilot, and if he relaxed more than what was warranted when JARVIS had shut off visual and auditory input for a few seconds while he got his bearings back, nobody noticed, anyway.Again, the Chitauri made for a very good distraction, and JARVIS was attentive enough to listen to Rogers' orders and give him the highlights while he focused on clinging to every shred of progress he'd made since New York.
He could do this. He could.
Ultron was elated. He was finally fulfilling his objective!
Sure, he'd kind of lost track of the Mind Stone for a moment there, but he knew where it was, and his Lord's resources would surely be able to assist him in returning it to its rightful owner. And, given the current chaos of the battle, and the manner in which these 'Avengers' had treated Stark meant that nobody would miss him if, say, a squadron of Chitauri were to overwhelm him, right?
Given the way they had seemingly erupted into chaos once the first few Behemoths had arrived, and the Asgardian's preoccupation in impeding their progress, and the Mind Stone's proximity to his original target, this was the perfect time to do it. Sure, this Vision might prove to be a bit of a challenge, but this had been what Ultron had been made for, and he had his Lord's army to assist him.
Things were finally going his way, surely nothing would go wrong.
JARVIS was most displeased by this latest turn of events.
While progress had been made regarding Sir's replacement for therapy, his stress levels had still skyrocketed. That the Avengers had opted to recruit rather than restrain the Enhanced responsible for the events over the last few days was also a factor, and he made a note to bump them up accordingly on his threat assessment index, and to make a further evaluation after the current threat had passed.
Meanwhile, however, he continued to parse through the input and orders from the team's comms and kept Sir updated as to what was needed, as well as potential future concerns and general data. That his assistance apparently helped lower Sir's stress levels, even if only by a marginal amount, meant this was an beneficial endeavor on a number of levels. Even so, however, he had to resort to using FRIDAY's voiceprint when dealing with the Avengers because of Sir's concern regarding their stance on his existence. This ruse was already becoming irksome, and the portal had not been open for five minutes.
At least the Iron Legion was ready: while Sir did his level best to carry on while ignoring what stressors JARVIS couldn't quite filter out, the Iron Legion proceeded to split its efforts between the assistance of SWORD and local authorities evacuating the Sokovian citizens who had been caught up in the chaos, and providing air support. Col. Rhodes' impending arrival meant some of the stress surrounding such an endeavor would soon be reduced, and Sir would indubitably appreciate having a friend close at hand for after the battle.
…The Avengers were still so, very grating to his sensors, however. Their continual insistence on mistrusting Sir and favoring the new additions meant the Iron Legion gradually prioritized civilians over air support in several sectors. Not that anyone noticed; between the local authorities' input, and SWORD's equally discreet contributions via aiding the evacuation efforts, and the sheer chaos of battle, it was a subtle change.
If JARVIS was human, he might have felt a modicum of pride at registering the female Enhanced's limp when getting to position. Even so, he still could not help but note that his aim needed to be improved, as he had intended for an injury far more substantial than the one his sensors picked up on, and his calculations for possible counters to the male Enhanced were still running, as he did not have anything in his arsenal to compensate for the speed this potential threat exhibited. Not yet, anyway.
But no matter: the current battle took precedence, and Sir needed all the help he could get.
Vision was so, very grateful that JARVIS' base code had been so well-versed in combat situations, because he had the sneaking suspicion that if not, he would have been completely and utterly lost.
Capt. Rogers' orders notwithstanding, he had been created less than an hour ago, and was still trying to get used to maneuvering with a universal singularity and all the power that entailed. As such, Vision found himself defaulting to JARVIS' preferred tactics when stressed, and was just as surprised as his progenitor when he'd discovered he was able to communicate with the Iron Legion without any additional gear. [Okay then, that was new.]
The sensing others' intentions thing was a similarly new discovery, as was the emotional resonance, and after his third mishap with gravity [multitasking with a body was new, sue him] he opted to remain close to Tony, due to sheer practicality. That he was somehow also helping influence Tony's emotions, in that he'd somehow managed to put a temporary barrier between the man and his trauma [though Vision didn't have the slightest clue as to how] was a bonus, really.
If Vision felt slightly more at ease with having a swirl of exhaustion-kindness-supernova close at hand, he wasn't saying a word. It was a far better sensation than the eldritch writhing sensation caused by the Chitauri, and while he understood why the Avengers had an undercurrent of distrust that itched whenever they saw him, that didn't mean he had to like it.
Tony was just as surprised as Vision when the panic attack he'd been staving off by the skin of his teeth was suddenly swept up in what felt like a whirlwind of…dispassion?
Just—he knew he was feeling dread, and fear, and 'oh god not again please', but suddenly he wasn't drowning in it, wasn't measuring his breathing to keep from having an episode; rather, it felt like he was seeing it behind a glass wall, and while Tony didn't doubt he'd be feeling it later [traces of anxiety were already starting to leak through]…he could work with this.
"Thanks, Vision." Tony said over the private comms [and just how had Vision gotten on them? Cool, but still].
"I can honestly say that is new. But before you ask, I am not certain I can safely replicate it, as I am still—"
"Working out the kinks, got it. Gotta run before you walk, right? Good luck with that, by the way. But still, thanks."
He might actually be able to do this.
JARVIS' prior experience was serving him very well in maneuvering the Iron Legion where it was needed. The data from London, as well as from Sir's past escapades, meant he was well aware of his limits, and capable of planning accordingly.
Sir had asked for the evacuation to be put as top priority, and as such it was commencing as well as could be expected. The Avengers' involvement sometimes clashed with local authorities, however. For instance, the nearby contested airspace was also a source of difficulty, because even if the Chitauri didn't care about international borders, friendly air support was still inconvenienced greatly.
Not to mention the orders that Capt. Rogers issued, or the way they sometimes didn't align as well as they could have with the efforts the local military was making. That the Avengers prioritized shutting down the apparatus generating the portal was logical, but did not always coincide with the locals' efforts to reduce collateral damage.
The Iron Legion, on the other hand, had taken to speaking Ukrainian to reduce communication difficulties, and after having established their priority was reducing civilian casualties first and air support second, were regarded less warily as the battle progressed. Iron Man, War Machine, and his…son[?] were proving to be adequate air support for the Avengers, anyway.
And then Sir's phone rang, and if JARVIS were human, his blood would have run cold. [Likelyhood of affecting Primary Protocol: 83%, unacceptable, action must be taken.]
"Sir, the World Security Council is on the line."
Ultron was vaguely impressed by the fight these 'Avengers' were putting up. For having been a scathing splintering mess, they sure did a good job at putting aside their differences, and even if it was a minor setback, Stark in action was a magnificent sight.
Even if he'd need more firepower if he wanted to capture him, evidently.
Well, technically it was the being at his side that was the primary target, but this Vision was still young and malleable, whereas Stark was obviously the bigger threat in this scenario.
At least he didn't have to worry about safeguarding the generator overly much, even if he was doing so for form's sake. These Midgardians didn't seem to know how to manipulate energy the way it was necessary to shut if off, and yet Stark…
Ultron sighed. Send in a bigger contingent, show his hand, and risk the attention of the Asgardian, or try for a more discreet route?
Hmm…choices, choices...
This day was just getting better and better, wasn't it. [Deja vu all over the goddamn place—how the hell was this his life?!]
"JARVIS, please tell me you're joking." Tony replied, and tried to focus more on the incoming Leviathan and less on the growing dread in the pit of his stomach.
"I'm afraid not, sir. They appear to be rather insistent on the matter."
"And since when have I been on their speed-dial, again?"
"Well—"
"That was a rhetorical question, J, we're in the middle of an alien invasion. Shouldn't they be calling the guy who's, oh, I don't know, calling the shots? How is this not Rogers' problem?"
"Sir, this is not a thought exercise, the Council is on the line."
Tony swallowed, and reached back to help stabilize Vision when he once again struggled with how to best defy gravity. "Okay, J. Patch me through."
JARVIS might not have been designed for combat, might have created as a companion and friend rather than a weapon, but decades of experience, coupled with the nature of his source code, meant he was very capable of doing so anyway.
Sir's debut as Iron Man had seen them both staying up until dawn on numerous occasions, discussing possible tactics and strategies to be taken in different situations. When asked why, Sir had replied that he was flying solo, and since his only backup was a bodiless AI, he had to use something other than more traditional methods to get the objective done.
Lately, of course, Sir had changed his approach, what with having to get used to operating in a team capacity, even if only for a short period of time.
However, JARVIS had a long memory, and, though Sir was distracted with a highly stressful conversation and the battle at hand, he noticed when things took a turn for the worse.
Data at hand: enemy movements that shared a 78.1% similarity to what were generally referred to as 'shock and awe' tactics, and 15.7% similarity to Blitzkrieg tactics. This was done while drawing Sir slowly but carefully away from the rest of the Avengers, all of whom had shown a marked disinterest in Sir's welfare. Which, coupled with Ultron's fixation on recruiting…
Conclusion: Sir was being driven into an ambush.
Unacceptable, action needed to be taken to remedy this.
Data at hand: the Avengers were on the threat assessment index, and as such were unsuitable. Local officials were incapable of taking necessary action, and War Machine was occupied with covering the southern sector while Sir was being drawn northeast. The Iron Legion's forces had been reduced by 26.9% since the start of the battle, and nearby contested airspace precluded possible reinforcements.
Conclusion: Vision was the only one nearby who was trustworthy and capable enough to assist him.
So, while Sir continued to argue with the World Security Council because "we're in contested airspace, near Russia, there is absolutely no way that would end well, Councilwoman Hawley!", JARVIS quietly sent Vision a datapack with all the pertinent information.
Sir was so preoccupied with dealing with the threat of a possible incoming nuke, he didn't really notice when Vision abruptly headed away from him.
When the hell did this become his problem? Tony didn't know. Why he was the one arguing with the WSC, of all people, regarding the usage of nukes in an area that was near one of the jumpiest countries on the planet, he didn't know either.
As it was, between the stress of the past few days, the alien invasion, and Vision's ever-so-helpful Emotional Glass Barrier [he was bad at names, sue him], Tony was lucky the Merchant of Death hadn't made an appearance. Especially considering the subject matter, even though he was probably approaching it, if the looks he was getting when he'd smiled at that last repulsor blast were any indicator. [Oops.]
"The Avengers have already successfully repelled multiple alien invasions, both individually and not. We do not need any heavier ordinance that what we have at hand."
"It was not the Avengers that stopped the fighting, Dr. Stark. It was a warhead through a wormhole that did that, we have the footage." Councilman Wang countered reasonably. He was pragmatic enough to not add that the entire world did, actually, thanks to the SHIELD data breach, but really, everyone knew.
Tony took a second to regulate his breathing, thank the Emotional Glass Barrier that kept the surge of mind-numbing terror away and his heartbeat steady, then proceeded to blast yet another squadron. [Why were there suddenly so many?]
Then, that done, he continued. "That was three years ago. Now, we know how to stop it, and without risking kick-starting another missile crisis. We just need more time to shut it down."
"We can scramble a jet within five minutes—" Councilman Jones started.
"How?! We're surrounded by contested airspace—never mind. But don't. We just need—" Tony paused to recover his balance from that last onslaught, "more time."
The lead Councilwoman gave him a sharp look through their impromptu conference call, but Tony didn't miss the glances some of the others were sharing. [Councilmen Petrov and Wang looked amendable to it…c'mon, work with him already.]
"We can do this. Just give us…ten minutes, or so. Just ten minutes to shut it down. The fighting is secondary, it's the portal that's the root of the problem." Hopefully he didn't sound too desperate, that was never good when negotiating. If push came to shove, he could probably do it again, or ask J to have the Iron Legion do the same, but… [Please let this work, please let this work.]
Councilwoman Hawley, after a few seconds' pause in which she doubtlessly had a whispered conversation with the rest of the WSC but Tony didn't catch due to yet another wave of Chitauri distracting him, finally spoke again.
"Your team has ten minutes, Dr. Stark." With that, the World Security Council cut the connection.
Well then.
Okay, he could work with this. Ten minutes was better than nothing. Ten minutes. All right then. [Though…'his' team? Just where did the wires get crossed, for them to get that message? Never mind, that was a problem for later.]
"You got that, JARVIS?"
"Affirmative, sir. Efforts are underway to complete the primary objective, and if my estimates are correct, should fall within that margin of time. Vision is currently taking point in this endeavor."
"Thanks, J. Any other status updates? Switch me off private comms after, too."
"The evacuation's been assisted by the Iron Legion, and given current conditions, proceeding as well as can be expected. The local military has taken to providing auxiliary support on the southeastern sector to War Machine, Thor is currently near the center of the town and doing what he can to prevent the Leviathans from entering, and the rest of the Avengers are taking care of the ground troops."
"Okay—"
"And, sir? All data indicates you are being herded into an ambush. Some of the Iron Legion has been dispatched for backup and will arrive in two minutes."
Well then.
"Thanks for the heads up, J. You're a lifesaver."
The next few waves of Chitauri had Tony going far closer to the portal than he was comfortable with [the other side of the planet was too close], and Tony was barely able to register Rogers' voice and Barton's sarcasm over the comms, with how much he was fighting to secure his position.
Vision may not have been JARVIS, but that didn't mean he did not feel irritation at Mr. Rogers' attempt at a reprimand when FRIDAY's voice over the team comms informed the team of their surprise deadline.
…Then again, the irritation might have actually been because of the sparking rogue Legionnaire within eyesight, the one guarding what all data indicated was the source of the portal.
Even if he wasn't JARVIS, the AI had been used as his base code, and Vision wasn't embarrassed to admit that he also held a degree of fondness for Tony. ['A degree'. Ha.] As such, he did not appreciate anyone trying to kidnap the man, and the presence before him was practically projecting his intentions into the ether.
Vision was not fully aware of how his powers worked, was still figuring things out via trial by error, but he was a fast learner, and given prior experiences and data, he had an idea as to how this was going to go.
As he floated down slowly [carefully, so, so carefully, how did gravity work again? Oh right], Vision geared himself up with what he had at hand. [If he also did his best to emulate Tony's air of confidence, as well as Thor's restrained power, well…he was an impressionable youth and they had style, sue him.]
"Good evening. Ultron, I presume?"
Notes:
Unreliable narrator instance this round: Tony's confusion regarding the WSC calling him rather than Captain America.
Tony's kind of busy, so's his company, and the world in general's seeing Stark Industries filling the vacuum of power left behind by SHIELD and doing a kick-ass job at that. Between cleaning up, and SWORD in action, it's pretty hard to tell who's calling the shots when the leader's been incommunicado for months while the alleged consultant is the one giving press releases talking about reconstruction efforts, etc. [...I did mention this was the fic where it's his self-awareness that becomes a cryptid, right? Yeah.]
———————
Sorry for the delay, this time it was visiting family and a case of the 'why was this chapter so hard to write?!' variety.
Oh, and a heads up for next chapter, just in case: remember how I'd warned for JARVIS' different take on morality? Next chapter's the first time we get a closer look, and see how close to Skynet he's capable of getting.
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