Dawn of New Change

PREVIOUSLY ON: Dawn of New Change

The party is in full gear and Taeyong has a fun time socialising with his friends and family. He talks with Bruce at the bar (drinking apple juice), gets to meet Sam with Steve whilst they plan pool and gets to see Jungwoo again. 

The party eventually gets to a close, but starts a whole new problem. 

The end of the party came in the form of most of the Avengers sitting around the lounge area with some other close friends. Maria Hill, Rhodey and Taeil stayed. Taeil actually spent most nights in the intern rooms anyway, so seeing him was the norm. Taeyong had tired his social battery out and was laying over his dad.

His body across Tony's lap and head resting on two stacked pillows whilst his chin was propped upwards so he could still see everyone. Taeyong, taking up most of the sofa space meant that quite a few of the occupants had to sit on the floor. This included Clint, who was twirling a drumstick from literally nowhere. "How did he..." Taeyong tilted his head, whispering. He turned his eyes away from Clint's stick-spinning to actually pay attention to the conversation. They were discussing the magic behind Thor's hammer.

"But it's a trick," Clint smirked.

"No, no," Thor said, taking the bottle of beer Steve opened for him. "It's much more than that."

"Ah, whosoever be he worthy! Shall haveth the power!" Clint snorted. Taeyong snickered, turning around and sliding over his dad's lap. Tony kept a hand on his back so he wouldn't fall. "Whatever man! It's a trick."

Thor chuckled, hand stretched out to his hammer, "well please be my guest."

That seemed to get almost everyone's attention and Taeyong sat up, crossing his legs and grinning down from where Clint was sat. "Come on," he egged on.

"Really?" Clint asked, already putting down his drumstick. Seriously, did he even play the drums?

"Yeah," Tony smirked.

"Oh," Rhodey lounged backwards, "this is going to be beautiful."

Tony nodded, "Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." Taeyong chuckled along with everyone, watching as Clint made his way around to the edge of the glass table where the hammer was placed. It looked so normal just casually sitting on the table with the other glasses and foods and piles of magazines.

Clint put his hand over the handle and glanced back at Thor, "you know I've seen this before right?" He grunted immediately, pulling at the handle with his back, almost leaning over from the effort. Taeyong bit his lips together to hold in his laugh, watching the man try his best but ultimately laugh it off when he couldn't. "I still don't know how you do it!"

"Smell the silent judgement?" Tony asked.

"Please!" Clint motioned to the man. "Stark, by all means."

Taeyong made a small 'ooh' sound as his dad stood up and unbuttoned his blazer. Tony walked over to the hammer with a swagger in his step; his face, the perfect picture of a man before a million cameras. Taeyong scooted over and sat beside Rhodey, watching his dad stand before the hammer, getting ready.

"Okay."

"Uh-oh."

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony shrugged easily.

"Get after it," Clint said, stepping away.

Tony looked back up at everyone, "it's physics." He thread his hand through the strap at the end of the handle.

"Physics," Taeyong snorted, leaning against Rhodey's side, letting his godfather wrap an arm around his body.

"Right, so, if I lift it," Tony turned to Thor, "I then rule Asgard?"

Thor gave a simple nod, "Yes. Of course."

Tony placed both hands against the handle, wrapped firmly around and he gave a wink to Taeyong. "Whatcha think about that kiddo? Ready to be the heir of Asgard and my company?"

Taeyong snorted, "let Johnny join the fun and I'll even swing by your retirement home from time to time." He ignored the 'oohs' from most of the adults in the room and chuckled along with Rhodey. They all watched as Tony grunted whilst pulling the Hammer before he propped a leg up against the table and pulled harder. Taeyong turned his face to Rhodey's side and tried to tame his shoulders from shaking too much.

"Hnnn, I'll be right back."

Taeyong turned from Rhodey's side and watched his dad walk out of the room. "He's going to get the suit isn't he?"

"Yep," Rhodey responded.

"Think that'll do anything?" Taeil said, his neck was red and his eyes were half closed- head bobbing up and down with how tired he was. "Like Iron Man is more likely to rule Asgard than Tony?"

Taeyong shrugged, "Iron Man, Tony, what's the difference? Both are willing to cut the wire," he shot a look at Steve who simply smirked.

Taeyong and the others all waited for Tony, who came back with his gauntlet. They watched him try his best, but more grunts and even some repulsor energy lifts later, he called a tag-team with Rhodey. Taeyong flopped against the sofa and let Rhodey go to get the War Machine gauntlet before he slithered out of his seat and went to rest over Natasha's lap instead. Her hand went to rest on Taeyong's hair, before patting his shoulder. Taeyong yawned, watching both his father and godfather try their best.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey groaned, twisting his shoulder in an uncomfortable way.

"Are you on my team?"

Rhodey sent Tony an exasperated look, "Just represent. Pull."

Tony flexed his jaw, "all right, let's go." Both their gauntlets started to whizz with a noise that made Taeil scoot away from them and Taeyong curl closer to Natasha.

After that, it was like watching a stream of people trying their best. Bruce went next, giving a loud roar as he tried to pull the Hammer. His neck veins flexing until he just started to roar in general and Taeyong snorted from his seat.

"We should let the Hulk try!"

"NO!"

Then Taeil reluctantly went ahead, but no one gave him shit because he tripped over his own feet getting up. The man sent everyone a little smile as his hands went to the handle and then he had to stop and stand back up. "Sorry," he blinked sluggishly. "My hands are sweaty," he wiped his hands on his pants and then went back to pulling but almost slipped off and fell backwards.

"Welp," he said, shrugging before stumbling over to the loveseat and flopping over it. "I try."

"Did he just say 'welp'?" Hill asked, already on her feet and twisting her arm around it.

"It's a millennial thing," Taeyong said, sitting up and watching as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Head tried her best to pull Thor's hammer but ultimately couldn't. Steve got up with a small grin and Taeil gave a small cheer from his face down position on the chair.

"Go ahead, Steve. No pressure," Tony said.

"It's because we've all failed," Taeyong replied.

"You haven't even tried!" Tony accused, pointing a finger at his son. Taeyong just pointed back, narrowing his eyes at his dad.

Steve, already rolling his sleeves upwards, pulled once and then twice, but not even a budge. Taeyong got up, running over to the Hammer and rubbing his palms together.

"So... I get Asgard?" he asked, looking back at Thor.

"Sure," Thor chuckled.

"Neat," Taeyong grinned. "I just want everyone to know that you can come visit me in my palace whenever you want." He placed his hands over the handle and closed his eyes. "I feel like I should pray to a higher power but Thor's literally a God so..." He opened his eyes again and chuckled. "Yo Thor? Do the Greek Gods exist? Will Hestia appreciate me asking for help?"

Thor boomed a great laugh whilst the rest of the Avengers watched on in amusement. "The Goddess Hestia will always welcome you. Go ahead my boy."

Taeyong nodded, quickly letting go and clasping his hands together. "Dear Goddess Hestia of the Hearth, I'd really like a kingdom so y'know, help a brother out huh?"

Rhodey snorted, "oh this is priceless."

"That's adorable!" Tony grinned, eyes lighting up at his son.

Taeyong went back down to grip at the handles and he pulled. As hard as he could until his knuckles were white and his arms strained. Taeyong pulled hard enough he could feel arm muscles flex for the first time. He jumped on the table and bent down to perch and shifted his balance as he tried for a third time. "Gonna- urgh- work," he grunted, face screwed up.

"Okay now," Tony laughed, standing up and picking Taeyong up by the waist. "Let's not tear a muscle huh?" Taeyong pouted, crossing his arms but allowed his dad to carry him back to his seat.

"Ahem."

"Widow?"

"You gonna...?"

"Oh, no, no." Natasha held her bottle of beer close to her as she leant back in her seat. "That's not a question I need answered."

"Shame," Taeyong said. "I think you'd rule Asgard pretty well."

"All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be Kind, but it's rigged." Tony plopped Taeyong down between himself and Rhodey.

"Like an arcade game?" Taeyong asked.

Clint nodded, "you bet your ass."

Hill sat up, "Steve! He said a bad language work."

Steve sighed, closing his eyes, "did you tell everyone about that?"

Rhodey, Tony and Taeyong all spoke up, "yep."

"Anyway," Tony turned back to Thor. "The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. 'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation?"

"Yes." Thor said, putting his foot down and standing up. "It's a very, very interesting theory. But I have a simpler one," with one hand he barely had to touch the Hammer before it was in his hand. He gave it a flip and caught it. Taeyong's jaw dropped. "You're all not worthy."

Taeyong scowled, "Oh boo!"

"Oh, come on!"

"Urgh-"

Taeyong couldn't make out what the others said when a high pitched ringing cut the air. He flinched, hands covering his ears immediately with both Tony and Rhodey making a grab for him. "What-" Taeyong fell back against the sofa, blinking up and looking around the living room. The ringing sound stopped and Taeyong sat up straighter, leaning against Rhodey's side as his dad pulled out his phone, already pulling up the schematics for the lounge.

"Wo-uh-orthy-" came a jarring voice from behind them all.

Taeil sat up, looking through his squinting eyes and shaking his head. "Is that the Iron Legion?"

Taeyong turned around to find that it was. An Iron Legion suit was standing right at the back of the lounge, coming up from the laboratory downstairs. It was still damaged with exposed wires and pipes that squirted out black liquid, wafting a foul smell of sour acidity in the air. Taeyong stood up with the rest of the group, scanning over the suit for anything that was wrong.

But it was just odd, in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. "No," the bot waved off, looking to the side and on the ground. Taeyong tilted his head, the bot felt human, more like Jarvis than the robotic voice and mannerisms it usually had. In fact, it's voice was gravelly in tone, deeper and almost smoky. "How could you be worthy?" it said, taking broken steps towards them.

"You're all killers."

Taeyong backed away, fingers softly grazing the small buttons on his watch. He looked back at his dad and the other Avengers, but they were staring at the suit.

"Stark," Steve called, his voice in mission-mode.

"Jarvis," Tony called, fingers flying on his phone.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep." It looked to the left and then turned, almost scanning its surroundings. "Or I was a-dream."

"Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit," Tony ordered, looking back at his control pad.

"There was a terrible noise."

"It-" Taeyong flexed his wrist, feeling the small vibration on the watch start to pulse against his arm. "-It doesn't sound like a buggy suit dad."

"And I was tangled in... In... Strings..."

Taeyong looked back at the sofa. Almost everyone in the room was an Avenger or a soldier. He eyed Taeil and then Helen Cho, who were staring at the suit with tense expressions. Taeyong slowly started to walk in Taeil's direction, noting that Natasha was on the defence and Clint was holding his drumstick a bit tighter.

"I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve frowned.

"Wouldn't have been my first call." It sounded so distinctively human Taeyong almost wanted to reprogram it back to its stoic and inhuman nature. "But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?" Thor stepped forward, standing in front of Helen. Taeyong looked back at Taeil and then slowly moved over to him but then he froze, hearing a familiar voice come from the bot, a recording.

I see a suit of armour around the world.

"Ultron," Bruce and Taeyong said at the same time.

"In the flesh," he said, looking back at Bruce.

Taeyong froze, if Ultron killed a guy- "Jarvis," he whispered.

"Or no- Not yet. Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready," he said. Then Thor's grip on his hammer tightened and Hill pulled out her gun, switching the safety off. Taeyong went to grab Taeil's arm, squeezing his wrist softly. "I'm on a mission."

"What mission?" Natasha took a step forward, gaze focused on him. On Ultron, their creation.

It took Ultron a second to reply but when he did, two Iron Legion suits blasted their way into the room. "Peace in our time."

"Taeyong!"

"I got it!" he shouted, turning and pushing Taeil backwards. Taeil went easily with a yelp but his chest was covered in Taeyong's armour. Taeyong himself at least had his arms covered with his gauntlets and when he turned back Steve had kicked up their coffee table before one of the Legion suits flew into him. Taeyong ducked, crawling forward and then redirecting Taeil to the bar.

"Hide," he whispered, grabbing Taeil by the shoulders and pushing forward. Taeil was screaming, half drunk and half shocked into sobriety. He was probably having the worst night of his life but they flew over the bar and fell right over the frame. Taeil groaned, as the chest area of the suit slipped off him. Taeyong fell back into it, letting the suit wrap itself around him before another body fell over theirs.

"Rhodey!" Hill called.

There were shots fired from above and Taeyong lifted his mask, finding Bruce and Natasha there. "What-"

"Don't go green," she hissed, pushing Bruce further into the barkeep area, with Taeil and Taeyong. "You stay here-"

"I can fight!" Taeyong whispered.

"Your dad will kill us before he kills whatever this is," she said, before slipping out.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Taeil cried, hands covering his head whilst his knees were drawn up.

"Ultron," Bruce said.

Taeyong nodded, "Artificial Intelligence, designed to bring peace-"

"That- that is the very opposite of what it's doing," Taeil hissed, flinching as a shot was heard and glass shattered over them.

"I can't-" Taeyong put his mask back on. "Taeil, calm the Hulk down, Bruce don't go green. I'm going-"

"What?!"

"SCEPTRE! IT'S GOT THE SCEPTRE!" Tony shouted.

"I got it!" Taeyong called, flying over to one of their more upgraded legion suits and tackling it mid-air. The suit turned around, ripping Taeyong from its shoulder and throwing him across the room. Taeyong made a whoosh sound as he flew straight into Steve, who also had been on one of their backs. They both crashed right into a wall and Taeyong groaned. "I don't got it."

"Stark!" Steve called, wrapping his arms around Taeyong's waist and pulling the boy (who was also in his suit) around as another Legion shot at the both of them.

"I got it!" Tony said, shoving something into the nearest Legions neck. It started to spout out its usual 'we are here to help' message over and over again. Like it was just malfunctioning.

"Okay that's a buggy one," Taeyong coughed, opening up his mask and then pushing his helmet off completely. The suit that was shooting at both Steve and Taeyong stopped. "It- what?-"

'Please back away- Taeyong Lee-Stark-'

"Is he calling you?" Steve asked.

"Apparently?!" Taeyong ducked, flying away and scanning the room. Helen was crouched by their piano, a Legion suit who was cut in half horizontally, had an hand out, repulsor at the ready. "Doctor!" he shouted, flying over and going to grab her. Steve grabbed the Legion, throwing it over to Thor who swung Mjolnir down and crushed its head in.

"Come on! That's the one," Tony said, mid-flight on the suits back, the both of them wrestling. "I still have this!"

Taeyong gently set Helen down behind the bar and watched as Clint threw Steve his shield, who sliced another Legion suit in half. Taeyong winced looking over at all the dead suits. The only one standing after Tony finished off was Ultron. Taeyong flew over to him-

"Wait Taeyong!" Tony called.

"Ultron!" he called, stepping out of his suit.

"Well that was dramatic," Ultron sighed, looking around at all the damage. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well." Taeyong furrowed his brows. "You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?"

"Taeyong," Tony called. "Step away."

"Ultron?" Taeyong whispered. "What are you-"

"There's only one path to peace. The Avengers extinction." Ultron turned to stare at Taeyong then, who flinched when a woosh sound came from his left and Mjolnir flew straight into Ultron. Taeyong yelled, almost falling over as Ultron's body smashed into the wall and Tony started to shout.

"Don't worry best friend," Ultron whispered. Taeyong's eyes widened and he felt his body go rigid, even as Tony pulled him away. "I had strings, but now I'm free."

Taeyong let Tony pull him away.

"There are no strings on me." 

NEXT TIME ON: Dawn of New Change

"There wasn't anyone else in the building," Hill reminded.

Tony sighed heavily, finally stepped back from his work space and walked forward to the centre of the Labs. "Yes, there was," he said, hand holding a familiar device.

Taeyong felt a lump in his throat, "dad- no."