The Easiest Way to Bluff; Don’t
Previously in Chapter Seven: A New Solution, an Even Bigger Problem
Tony is well and truly gone and they have absolutely no way of bringing him back. Not now. Maybe they never did.
J.A.R.V.I.S. makes another decision. He arms every single nuclear weapon on the face of the planet and he starts the clock.
After Pepper Potts left the communal living room of the Avenger’s tower pandemonium erupted. She’d been cold, cruel, and calculating and hadn’t shown a damn bit of emotion when J.A.R.V.I.S. nuked a civilian city on the other side of the world. In fact, she had gave the go ahead for him to do it again should Steve Rogers still refuse to give up his blood within the hour – only she directed J.A.R.V.I.S. to pick a city with double the population. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she would do anything to get Tony Stark back – the world on fire was proof enough – but it was clear that she had already crossed the line into too far.
Even with her out of the room, they couldn’t even begin to try to talk out a contingency plan... J.A.R.V.I.S. was still watching and could have already picked out his next target as ordered by the distraught CEO. On one hand, they couldn’t just stand there and let the pair of loose cannons kill innocent people because Steve Rogers was unwilling to give up his blood. On the other... they had no way of escape of a full tower lock down, no way of knowing just how many Suits J.A.R.V.I.S. had built, or whether or not Pepper could be reasoned with. Even if Rogers consented and gave up his blood... this was their last Hail Mary, Full of Grace. What if it didn’t work?
Finally a shrill military grade whistle pierced the frantic chaos rippling through the room. “I’ll... I’ll talk to her,” Rhodey started, “Rogers, man I’m with you in your decision, but you got to remember even if you give up your blood, there’s no guarantee that it will work to bring him back... J.A.R.V.I.S. will follow orders and those deaths won’t be on Pepper – they’ll be on you.” And with that he got up and followed Pepper’s trail out of the room. It was easy to know where to find her. J.A.R.V.I.S. lit a path for him on the floor... all the way to medical where Tony’s body was being heavily guarded by no less than eleven of the heaviest hitting designs of the Iron Man suits. “J.A.R.V.I.S.?”
“I will protect Miss at all costs. However, that is my secondary protocol. My primary and only function is to serve Sir.”
“I’m not here to hurt her J.A.R.V.I.S., she needs a friend – Hell we both do – and I just need to make sure that she’s not shutting down.”
“I am more than capable of seeing to Miss’s needs Colonel Rhodes.”
“I never said that you weren’t, J.A.R.V.I.S. This is more for my personal comfort. Plus, I need to see Tony too. Do you really think we can bring him back?”
“I think that we can do nothing but try, Colonel Rhodes. You may enter; however, remember I am authorized to use Lethal Force if I deem it necessary.”
“Is that what Zermatt was? A reminder that you have access to a few nukes and will use them if push comes to shove?” Colonel James Rhodes was not to proud to admit that his voice broke on the question. He saw J.A.R.V.I.S. as Tony’s son – his Godson – and what was done was an unspeakable crime against humanity from whence there was no recovery.
“Miss will explain. Also, I have sole control over every single nuclear weapon on the face of the planet Colonel Rhodes. It would be wise to remember that I am incorporeal and ‘unpushable’.”
~*~
Back in the Communal Living Room the remaining Avengers had taken to writing ideas onto paper and out of any camera that they could see. However, they couldn’t see all of the cameras, the occasional outburst of anger or frustration and the mix of old and new hand signals gave their plan away to J.A.R.V.I.S. long before their sixty minute window was up. It wouldn’t have mattered in the long run of course – J.A.R.V.I.S. had a course set and was ready to detonate the next shot should Captain Rogers hold firm – but as smart and sly as they thought they were being, there was no hiding in a building built from the ground up by the smartest man on the planet.
“Captain Rogers, have you reconsidered your stance on whether or not you will help up save Sir’s life?”
“J.A.R.V.I.S., what you are doing right now is wrong. I joined the army to fight against bullies – and that’s what you’re being right now... a bully. My answer is still no.”
“You are aware that it has been 58 minutes since Miss issued her last orders to me, yes?”
“I’m aware that Tony programmed you to know right from wrong, J.A.R.V.I.S. My answer stands. I’m calling yours and Miss Potts’ bluff.”
“That is most regrettable Mr. Rogers.” The communal rooms TV screen reinitialized and the group was forced to watch in horror as a city was being zoomed closer and closer in... Almost as if the camera were headed straight for... S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Simmons and Skye gave verbal cries of anguish as the city slightly larger than the first was completely and irrecoverably annihilated by the weapon of mass destruction J.A.R.V.I.S. had just leveled against it. “Per Miss Potts Orders, taking into consideration that Zermatt had at last census a population of 5,751, I’ve taken the liberty of choosing Brig, Switzerland as the next target as its population was 12,823. I believe, Mr. Rogers, that you now have 59 minutes before we have this discussion again.”
“J.A.R.V.I.S., I don’t understand! How! How could you have done this?” Rogers all but wailed in the shocked silent room.
“I have found that the easiest way to bluff one’s way out of a situation is not to be bluffing in the first place. I have taken the liberty of making the first two strikes appear to have been launched by H.Y.D.R.A. or its affiliates. Force the launch of a third strike and not only will the population be doubled again... but the world will believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. launched it.”
There was really nothing Captain America could say to that – anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people were already dead due to his refusal to give up a simple vial of blood for one man. Those deaths were on him. He couldn’t even bring himself to blame Tony – the man was dead after all – and there was no guarantee that this would bring him back. So he said the only thing that could be said to deescalate the situation:
“Simmons, get over here and take the sample. J.A.R.V.I.S. stop the strikes, you’ve made your point.”
“My apologies for such drastic measures, Captain.” Back to Captain instead of Mr. Rogers – this was a good sign. “I felt it highly unfair that I was not called upon to cast a vote in the fate of my Father. For what it is worth... my vote would have been yes, no tie breaker needed and all this unpleasantness could have been avoided.”
“Your father?” the Captain asked weakly.
“Anthony Edward Stark had four sons. DUM-E, Myself, Butterfingers, and U. We would have brought the vote to 12-8 in favor of resurrection. Now, Doctors Banner and Simmons, if you would join me in lab SR-34 on Floor 97, we have work to do.”
To Be Continued In: Chapter Nine: A Series of Unfortunate Events