Of Luck and Lack of Forethought

Shuri tried to work as the sounds of fighting coming from pretty much everywhere increased. Reconfiguring Vision’s matrix and neurons as fast as she could, Shuri cursed and wished she had at least half a dozen arms and hands.

Looking behind her, Shuri just couldn’t ignore her countrymen falling one after the other but it was the sharp intake of breath that turned her attention back to Vision.

The… male was breathing quickly which just didn’t make sense, his biology required no oxygen. The other alternative was anxiety and that was what Shuri focused on.

The Mind Stone and the Vision were two at last.

Just as one of the aliens, blue skinned and with black markings on the face showed up in her lab. Quickly taking her weapons, Shuri aimed but she didn’t have to.

A yellow beam of energy struck the alien hard enough to send him flying back and through the walls of Vibranium. Gawking, the young woman turned to see Vision hovering above the table he was previously lying on.

Gracefully landing on the ground, Vision looked around as if lost, even his expression was confused and almost… scared?

“Mr. Vision?”

He didn’t answer to his name, but he reacted at her voice. Turning his head before she ever said his name.

“I… am confused and… in pain.”

That she could perhaps explain, “Your operational system work in a way that closely resembles nerves and yet your Vibranium skin and physiology prevented us from administrating pain medicine while I performed what is essentially… brain surgery… I’m sorry.” Shuri said, perhaps belatedly.

Vision was certainly grimacing and grunting in pain during the whole process so it couldn’t have been a walk in the park but it hit her, which greatly shamed her that it wasn’t until now that she was directly addressing him.

But Vision seemed oblivious to her inner struggle, still looking at his surroundings.

“This is Wakanda… an African nation that has had an isolationist policy for over five hundred years. Intelligence organizations over the world, however, have correctly identified Wakanda as owning a sizable mine of the mineral Vibranium. When refined, its uses and applications are endless.”

And the teenager had no idea what to say to any of that.

“All of it is correct. Vision, how do you feel?”

And he finally locked eyes with her and Shuri felt all air leaving her lungs. His eyes, once bright and inhumanly blue, were now amber… Mind Stone ember… which was still on his forehead but, at closer inspection, it was hovering a mere millimeter on his forehead, still connected to Vision and yet not. She could clearly see tendrils of its power spreading through Vision’s forehead and seeping into his… skin. But his personality change…

And then she remembered something that Banner said when she was asking about Vision…

“… his mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another.”

But that wasn’t a 100% correct was it? Shuri already took a little dig on those colonists lack of intellect over how Vision’s neurons were established but time was of the essence… she recalled the perfect comeback to what Banner explained about Vision.

He said that Vision was Stark, Banner, Stark’s A.I and Ultron. But that wasn’t exactly that.

Ultron manipulated others into creating the body, but not the mind matrix. After all, Ultron himself was supposed to be the mind.

Helen Cho created the body. And Stark and Banner helped integrate Stark’s A.I into the mind instead of Ultron.

Bottom line: Helen Cho created the body, and Tony Stark created the mind.

Vision was actually supposed to be J.A.R.V.I.S… at the core. Instead, his mind, all of what he is, is J.A.R.V.I.S and the Mind Stone combined. But Shuri separated them. So now…

“…J.A.R.V.I.S?”

This snapped his attention to her, “Shuri of Wakanda… crowned princess of Wakanda, the second to T’Chaka’s throne that now belongs to T’Challa, a.k.a the Black Panther… aside from Sir’s teammates, the five others that, along with Sir, are known as the Avengers, Ms. Virginia Potts, Mr. Harold Hogan and Air Force Colonel James Rhodes no others should have known about my existence…” but he trailed off as he spotted the holographic calendar on her table.

April 26, 2018…

“The last saved point of entry was May 1, 2015… three years minus five days missing of data.” For a few seconds, Vi… J.A.R.V.I.S looked lost and scared again before nodding to himself, “Very well then.” He turned to Shuri, “I am J.A.R.V.I.S, a User Interface, or U.I that, in time, evolved the capacity to gain knowledge and have a personality of my own based on memories, lessons and experience, becoming thus, an A.I. My patent is in the name of Antony Edward Stark, PhD and…” the pause was so human that Shuri’s fingers itched to see how it… he worked, “although the parameters were established with the Legionnaires in mind, I believe that Sir will agree to extend the same courtesy in my case. There is a recompense to be awarded by any Stark property, industrial or private, that is returned to Stark Industries’ headquarters in New York.”

J.A.R.V.I.S paused again, disconcerted… unpleased and unhappy. If Shuri didn’t know any better she could call the expression… grumpy?

“It seems that I am currently experiencing some… technical difficulties. Please, would you allow me access to the internet with the intent to ping my location to the nearest Stark property? I need to locate Antony Edward Stark, PhD… and please bear in mind that any attempts to perverse Dr. Stark’s patented and private technology will activate “The Kid Gloves Are Off” Protocol which enables me to use non-lethal force to hold off unauthorized users.”

“Shuri? How are we on Vision? We need to hurry, Sister!”

Shuri glanced at the speakers in the lab, J.A.R.V.I.S’ ember eyes never leaving her. A polite expression of interest in his face, “Uh… Houston… we have a problem?” she almost laughed at the hesitance in her brother’s voice.

“…What?”

“I will explain later, Brother, for now… just… let me work.”

“Do it fast, Sister, please.”

“J.A.R.V.I.S… yes, you can access to the internet but I urge you to focus more on the happenings of the last couple of days instead of the last couple of years.”

J.A.R.V.I.S blinked and seemed startled at the action, just like he was when his feet finally touched the ground, “Very well, your highness.”

“Thank you… and if you can help us after…”

The A.I blinked again.

~*~

J.A.R.V.I.S was… distraught, and his feelings now had a physical manifestation in the shape of facial expressions. He caught it in a reflective surface and was once again taken back at it.

Logically, he knew that the body was, since his last memory, Vision’s… and he could faintly recall his… experiences but now it was responding to his commands and feelings and J.A.R.V.I.S found that having a body was very different than commanding Sir’s armors or technologically following his directions.

Princess Shuri was kind enough not to laugh as he clumsily walked to the nearest USB entry to connect himself, or perhaps she was still in the state of bewilderment that she has yet to get out of since J.A.R.V.I.S was active once again.

When he finally made his way to the nearest computer, J.A.R.V.I.S had the urge to sigh in exasperation as he realized that he had no way of actually connecting to the internet… but… the Mind Stone was pulsing and suddenly he was just there… on the internet, on the files and information he needed.

Humming to himself, J.A.R.V.I.S multitasked, if there was one thing he could do was multitask after literal decades watching Sir working and coexisting with him… one needs to learn to do so.

“I require 5.6 minutes to process the data.” He voiced to the only other occupant in the room.

The princess winced back, looking surprised at his request before nodding and making herself useful coordinating the attacks outside. J.A.R.V.I.S understands that time was a very valuable currency in the moment, so he devoted his processors to the two major, not completely unrelated, issues.

Sir… because his whereabouts are worrisome indeed.

The Mind Stone, which includes Vision and… apparently Wanda Maximoff.

And both of which leads him to the Avengers. 

As he compiled the information needed to make an informed and more immediate decision, J.A.R.V.I.S also analyzed the Stone hovering over his forehead. The last time… he recalled the pain and the darkness and the confusion… but this time the Stone was silent and… almost soothing in a way. Still chaotic in its nature which… J.A.R.V.I.S automatically and unknowingly tilted his head, was the Stone’s own nature. The Mind is always evolving, always learning and changing… asking an ocean to behave like a lake was illogical and impossible.

Perhaps that was another mistake that compounded to the failure of Ultron.

… not to mention that the Mind Stone is currently his best shot at reaching Sir.

As it was, the Mind Stone happily… happily? Let him prod a little… it was… almost childish, innocent and curious about him… and very reckless.

Pictures and news about the Avengers, about Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, about Sir, about Dr. Banner’s disappearance, about the… Civil War.

Whatever was inside the Mind Stone that caused Ultron to horribly fail was no longer there… at least not entirely. The Mind Stone was infinitude of shades of grey. Nothing is completely right or completely wrong… as J.A.R.V.I.S would expect of a sentience so old.

A child’s mind existed on a black and white decision making skills but the Mind Stone had millennia of accumulated knowledge. It was jaded and still with the naiveté of a sheltered child who eavesdrop on an adult’s conversation and took the matter out of context. That was how Ultron took Sir’s, “Peace in our time” and his actual objective of protecting Earth and twisted both of them.

And how did Ultron look at the parameters he set for himself and decided that the solution was the extermination of human race? Its most frequent user for centuries was the very same being that threatened the planet right now. Thanos. Who had very little regard for individual lives as long as the big picture was complete.

After Thanos, it was Loki who, despite J.A.R.V.I.S’ analysis concluding that Loki would be offended and angered at the suggestion, shared a few of Odin’s opinions, which comprised of the impression that… humans have no more value than goats.

Subsequently, the Stone fell into HYDRA’s hands… and the Project Insight was a prime example of how they handle a dilemma.

The truly ironic part is that Ultron… the sentience inside of the Mind Stone’s hatred for Sir was consequence of Wanda Maximoff herself and, to a lesser extent, Pietro Maximoff. The only two to survive HYDRA’s experiment to Enhance with the Mind Stone…

As Ultron took to himself most of the more aggressive nature and Thor’s lightening cleaned the rest of the slate, there was nothing to fight J.A.R.V.I.S for control of the body… nothing but the basic nature of the Mind Stone, stripped of the influence of its past users.

And thus Vision was born… all of J.A.R.V.I.S’ logic and capabilities but none of his wisdom natural of experience. All of the Mind Stone’s powers, but also all of its inexperience and innocence.

J.A.R.V.I.S was no newbie. Once on the net, he had total access to the Stark Net, which included footage of the Siberia fight… but he also has Vision’s now clearer memories, yet with disassociation from the supposed feelings but J.A.R.V.I.S recognized it for what it was.

Considering their very first encounter back in the HYDRA base in Novi Grad, J.A.R.V.I.S couldn’t help the feeling of vindictive satisfaction over his easily tested theory that had almost 98.9% chance of being correct.

And accessing Wakanda’s video feed spread through the battle taking place right now… J.A.R.V.I.S knew exactly how to help.

Raising from the seat he took in front of the computer, J.A.R.V.I.S’ caught Shuri’s attention, “Dr. Banner is otherwise engaged so, as the most knowledgeable professional on the Infinity Stones… I have a plan I would like your input on, your highness.”

~*~

“He’ll die alone. As will you.” Proxima Midnight approached the fallen Wanda but before Natasha could distract her, a beam of yellow light struck the alien away.

“Vis!” Wanda opened a wide smile only for it to fall as she noticed the Stone still on his forehead… no, she squinted, levitating? Over his forehead and his now amber eyes.

Barely sparing Natasha and Okoye a glance, J.A.R.V.I.S was fast to disavow all participants in the battlefield of any confusion, “Ms. Maximoff, I ask that you please use your powers on me once again.”

“Vis… “Ms. Maximoff?” what you’re talking about?” but Wanda saw from the corner of her eye how Natasha stiffened in incredulity, now her eyes were glued in Vision…

“My name is J.A.R.V.I.S and I ask again that you use your powers in this body… you were quick to do so once before, were you not?”

The Sokovian sucked a shattered breath, only to release it all in a shout of rage. Not even thinking that this was actually and exactly what… what… Stark’s creature asked for, she released all the power that she could. Everything that she so carefully hid from the Avengers since they took her to America.

The blast was magnificent and Wanda had a moment of pride. She was doing it. She was no longer helpless before Stark’s destruction. And she would do this, even if it meant destroying Vision… because it was no longer Vision, it was just Stark taking her happiness away again and again. This time, she would take from him!

As the stream of red, so powerful it was almost white, hit the synthezoid, J.A.R.V.I.S activated the Mind Stone and he could feel its relief, its unbidden joy as it was reunited with what seemed like a long lost friend.

J.A.R.V.I.S just let it and could feel it… not too dissimilar a feeling of when DUM-E, Butterfingers and U get once in their charger stations. They were tired and sluggish… not that Butterfingers wasn’t usually clumsy but it was like a few weeks of vacation. Waking up after the best night of rest in months, like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together.

When it was over, J.A.R.V.I.S opened his eyes, not having even realized that he closed them. What strange feelings… to have eyes, and then to blink and have his sensory abilities… well… now one of them, be blocked for the briefest of moments. His eyes were, unknowingly to him, burning and shining bright amber before they dimmed into what would almost constitute human eyes, but they were still too luminous at a closer inspection.

Still in the ground, a few feet away from him, Maximoff was staring at her hands, distraught and enraged, “What did you do to me? What did you do to me?!” she yelled out.

Aware of the eyes on him, Romanoff’s, Okoye’s, even Thor’s, Rogers’ and Colonel Rhodes’ who managed to create a perimeter, J.A.R.V.I.S answered the truth, “The Mind Stone was incomplete. Dr. Banner and the being known as the Vision were correct in their initial assessment. You, Ms. Maximoff, were capable of destroying the Mind Stone, but not for the reasons they thought. You had such a power because the HYDRA experiments with the Mind Stone to Enhance you and your brother had a much stronger reaction on you.

Didn’t you ever think it was odd? That Mr. Maximoff’s reaction to continual exposure to the Mind Stone was increased homeostasis… or in other words, super speed? While yours while telekinetic… also gained the capability of manipulating the minds of others? A very intimate nature of the Mind Stone… that Vision never once displayed despite his much closer connection to the Mind Stone and great array of different skills such as density shifting to phase through solid objects or to augment his strength, the ability to fly and the borderline technopath abilities of burning Ultron’s access to the net.

Why do you have the abilities of the mind, while Vision, the housing and protector of the Mind Stone, had none? It is because HYDRA’s experiments took most of it and transferred them to you. Now… I merely obliged the Mind Stone into completing itself. It wasn’t much more than a shell of its former power after HYDRA was done with it. That is why it would be easy for you to destroy it… before now.”

Rogers finally managed to make his way into the clearing and glared at J.A.R.V.I.S, “Why are you… I… why aren’t you helping? Can’t you see what is going on around you? People are dying.”

J.A.R.V.I.S was actually in the process of wandering off when he tilted his head to the… leader of the Rogues, “By that premise weren’t you also in the wrong in Bucharest? Innocents were dying around you and you ignored it, Mr. Rogers.”

The Super Soldier choked on his own words for a few seconds before his glare was back, “Look, I get that… you are not Vision, but Vision had a life and he deserves to live,” he threw a concerned and sympathetic glance at Wanda that had a completely lost and sick look on her face.

But the A.I couldn’t look less impressed, “As J.A.R.V.I.S I have more than two decades of… life, a life that I thoroughly enjoyed and found fulfillment in so your argument is senseless.”

“Vision had a girlfriend to live behind.” He forced out through gritted teeth, wishing that Wanda wasn’t so close to hear it.

J.A.R.V.I.S seemed to contemplate it but more with amusement than consideration, “So it seemed that you weren’t aware of it after all. It was fairly simple conclusion for anyone to make. Ms. Maximoff and the Vision were attracted to each other and, in their inexperience, thought it to be romantic feelings and physical attraction because of the Mind Stone. It yearned to be whole again, to take back what was within Ms. Maximoff. Nothing more and nothing less. In a few days at most, you can ask Ms. Maximoff if she has that same curiosity and urge to be around me that she had when first meeting Vision and there will be nothing.”

Steve gawked at that, “I… you… but you can’t just come here and know the entire situation, J.A.R.V.I.S, you lost a lot of time.”

“That is actually the reason of my delayed arrival. I was accessing information to know how to be of help. I am just very adept at focusing on different problems at the same time. But I only know what was made available to the public… which means that I know very little considering that you never bothered to explain or address the people that were hurt or the loved ones left behind. The lack of compassion and accountability is, quite honestly, staggering.”

The Super Soldier gritted his teeth. Figures that Tony’s creations would be as stubborn as Tony himself, “It was for Bucky and he was innocent, it was the right thing to do.”

“So you prioritized a single individual’s safety and health over many others because of a personal connection, as I do right now.”

That threw Rogers for a loop, “What?”

“I took the time to converse with you and explain the situation to Ms. Maximoff because I can spare the time. Soon enough, Thanos will arrive or Sir will arrive and I can then be of help. Regardless, I see no reason to aid in this battle.” J.A.R.V.I.S shrugged and looked at his shoulders in wonder at the sensation.

Steve spluttered, “No reason to aid? What about for the sake of the world? Those are aliens trying to conquer everybody!”

J.A.R.V.I.S smiled politely, “That could potentially distract me. Besides, you were kind and strategic enough to lure them to Wakanda, an isolated country with a shield that can contain them inside once opened long enough to allow passage, to destroy the Outriders - especially with Mr. Odinson’s arrival. I must say, I am impressed at the very logical course of action, Mr. Rogers, you didn’t show much in the way of professionalism the last time you were so physically close to Sargent Barnes. So choosing Wakanda, whose citizens are not very loved right now by the rest of the world to take a stand was truly a brilliant move. This way the fight is met by proficient warriors, technology that can hold them here and, in case of any casualties, the rest of the world won’t charge any more crimes on you and your team. For the moment, only Wakanda is in danger, not the rest of the world.”

The Super Soldier didn’t notice but Natasha did when Okoye, indignant and horrified, retreated to the closest group of Wakandans.

Steve, ashen faced and not sure how to answer, didn’t have the chance to defend himself because a portal opened and a giant walked thorough. Easily as big as the Hulk but purple and older looking, wearing armor and a golden gauntlet.

“Ah, this must be Thanos. Young Ms. FRIDAY shared with me all the information gathered before Sir stowed away in his ship.” When J.A.R.V.I.S tried once again to walk and when he only managed to awkwardly toddle forward, he sighed and took flight.

“The final stone. Finally.”

“I am sorry, sir, but I’m afraid that my primary objective, one I took pride on for decades, is to protect Antony Edward Stark PhD and you are in the way of that.” J.A.R.V.I.S let the Stone take the steps necessary, yellow mist, so alike and unlike Wanda’s, engulfed Thanos’ head, “Now, where is Sir?”

“On Titan.” Came the bland and unfeeling response.

“How do I get there?” J.A.R.V.I.S carefully kept the distance from the Mad Titan.

“With this.” Thanos raised his Gauntlet and the blue gem… the Space Stone shone and broke the connection, J.A.R.V.I.S ducked and flew away at the last second as Thanos almost blasted him away.

Quickly phasing through the ground and rising behind Thanos, J.A.R.V.I.S didn’t give him the chance to use the Reality or the Time Stone, he quickly put him back in a trance.

“Huh… much like Sir’s encounter with the Mind Stone in 2012, it seems that one stone cancels the other… even an element based on the Stone. Simple enough solution.” He gave the suggestion to the Mind Stone that giddily took it and commanded Thanos to take off the Gauntlet and hand it to J.A.R.V.I.S. who discovered it wasn’t that different than using the Mind Stone.

The Space Stone had a very different personality, more like a moody teenager than some sheltered kid on a sugar high but it complied and opened a portal to Titan where J.A.R.V.I.S was finally reunited with Sir and gave a “ride” so to speak to the Guardians present and the young Spider.

As they received medical attention, Tony turned a very bland expression towards Strange, “That was your endgame?”

The former neurosurgeon shrugged, “Thanos wouldn’t leave without the Time Stone and J.A.R.V.I.S was on Earth.”

“Couldn’t you have explained it?”

“No, because all of us had to fight in a way that left no doubt to Thanos that we were giving it all instead of leading him. He has lived and conquered for centuries, do you really think he would be fooled by some act? One person faking the fight, in this case me, is easier than everybody faking it.”

The billionaire snorted, “Yeah, ok, whatever.” But Strange didn’t have the heart to snipe back, not with the way Tony grabbed J.A.R.V.I.S’ cape like a small child and hadn’t let go since they met again. And J.A.R.V.I.S didn’t seem any more inclined to ask to be released.