Chapter 5
Jasper always liked the labyrinth. It always had a homely feel to it, like a soft blanket being draped over them after a long day. A very long time ago one of Thoth’s former Avatars made the labyrinth and most of the knowledge about it has been lost to those who aren’t his avatars. Everyone knows about the myths, about the labyrinth being made to keep the Minotaur captured, but the fact that it is also a haven and a passageway was lost. The Minotaur wasn’t bad, just didn’t know his strength, and Thoth’s Avatar knew that so instead of an inescapable prison they made a predicated area where he could learn to control himself. In theory, the Minotaur could leave now, but the labyrinth has become his home. Jasper sees him occasionally when they are passing threw and always make sure to greet him.
This night they didn’t see him while they were passing through though. It was quiet, if someone dropped a pin it would sound like someone rang a gong. It was easy for them to make it to the door they wanted to, a door that looked perfectly fit to be on the inside of a broom closet. They took a moment to summon their suit, so that their identity wouldn’t be revealed and so that the people that they might meet would recognize them. Stepping through the door they are met with the crisp air of the air-conditioned room. The room was dark for a moment before it realized their presence in it, at which point the lights started glowing dimly.
“Hello ‘Magic Man’, may I ask why you’re here?” a British voice greeted an unseen speaker. Jasper knew it was Stark’s AI, and was expecting it. One doesn’t prance into a building Tony Stark owns, and was very proud of, without getting noticed.
“I’m just here to poke around a bit, nothing big,” Jasper said, before tacking on, “and please don’t call me ‘Magic Man’. I’m not the biggest fan of gendered words.” They had tried to make it sound more like a joke than it was.
The AI felt the underlying current before replying. “Of course, Magic, but it would be easier if I had something to call you then,” Jarvis responded.
Jasper hummed for a moment before saying, “You can call me Jay.” They had already planned on telling anyone they would run into that night to call them Jay, so telling the AI that was natural. They started towards the bar, planning on swiveling around it to get to the cabinets when Jarvis spoke next.
“I have alerted Sir to your presence, is there anything I can do for you while you wait for him?” Jarvis asked his unexpected guest. It was currently 2212 (10:12 pm), and Tony had been working in the lab too long, so even though it was unexpected it was very good for getting Sir out of the lab.
“Nope!” Jasper started, happiness evident in their voice, “I was going to ask you to bring him up anyways. I wanted to formally meet Mr. Stark, but also knew that after that hubbub a few days ago that he’d need some time first.”
The AI thought for a fraction of a second, trying to understand what this person wanted. They had been acting very carefree since they exited the closet. They had acted very similarly the last time they were in the tower as well, surprising everyone in the room with their appearance. There was a noticeable difference in how they were acting now compared to last time though, as if they were lighter now. It is possible that it is just because there has been some time for them to settle down, but Jarvis thinks there’s something else too.
Jasper knew that the AI was thinking about them and how they were acting differently than the last time they were in the tower, but they didn’t care that much. They knew that the AI didn’t have enough information to figure out who they were, and that was enough for them at the moment. They were making sure to keep their jaunt consistent, but also not their normal one, and besides they had come here for two things; to make a friend and to eat pop tarts. While Jarvis was thinking a few thousand thoughts they reached the cupboards, opened them, and grabbed the tasty treats.
It was shortly after they had started eating Tony’s boxed treats that the man himself stepped out of the elevator. He was not impressed to see someone in an all-black suit with half their mask sitting on his bar eating his pop tarts. He was a bit interested in how their mask was removed from the top half because when he had seen the mask before he hadn’t seen a seam that it would come off from.
“So Magic Man-” Tony started before being interrupted.
“Magic Them,” They corrected Tony. Tony was not very impressed by being interrupted.
“Jay,” Tony started, emphasizing the name before asking, “Do you often break into people’s houses and steal their food?”
“No, only people I want to befriend,” was Jasper’s response.
Tony looked at them for a moment before slowly saying, “Right.” Tony was not convinced in the slightest, and he knew nothing about them other than they wanted to be called Jay.
There was an uncomfortable silence where Tony was just looking at Jasper while Jasper tried not to let it bother them. They made it about thirty seconds before saying, “Would you like a chocolate bat?”
Tony looked at them quizzically before asking, “A chocolate bat? Not a chocolate bar?”
Jasper was practically giggling when they took out a few foil-rapped chocolate bats. “Yeah! A chocolate bat! I have a few different types! There’s milk chocolate, dark chocolate, almond, and also some shaped like the animal the bat and some like the sports equipment bat!” they told the billionaire while practically vibrating in their seat. Something was endearing about how this person got excited over the chocolate they were offering him that caused him to drop his guard.
Quietly chucking to himself, Tony asked, “Why do you carry chocolate bats with you? Why not something else?”
Still quite energized, but now a bit bashful, Jasper says, “Well chocolate is good at activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and I just like bats.” They got a bit quiet at the end, but Tony managed to hear it still.
After a bit of silence, Jasper asked “So, do you want a bat or not?”
Tony thought for a moment before responding with, “No thanks, I’m good. Thank you for the offer though.”
With a shrug, Jasper said, “Suit yourself.” Jasper took a moment before unwrapping a little chocolate shaped like a winged creature and starting to eat it.