Red Assassin ~ Pietro Maximoff x OC

four ~ stupid tony

edited 3/28/2022

Kat POV

It's quiet. Too quiet. Avengers Tower is never quiet. Not that I mind.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., why is it so quiet?" I ask, pulling a brush through my hair. All that answers me is silence. "J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

Weird. He's not responding. He might be down for maintenance, but Tony's pretty good about warning us beforehand and wouldn't do anything without saying something. I start getting ready for school like normal, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach.

I can hear arguing coming from the lab, and while I'd like to think nothing of it (Tony's done countless stupid things when drunk), the arguing makes my stomach churn. I try to shove aside the uneasiness that's settled in my stomach as I open the box of Cocoa Puffs and pour myself a bowl. The back of the cereal box is enough to distract me for all of five minutes, but then Clint comes in for a cup of coffee.

"You look like hell," I comment, looking back at the cereal box.

"I feel like hell," Clint says, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Long night."

"Yeah," I say slowly. "Hey, is there something going on that I should know about?"

"It's nothing important, kid. Just go to school, alright?" he says. He gives me a quick side hug, tousles my hair, and leaves the kitchen.

Right. "Nothing important" sure sounds important.

I know I'm only sixteen, but it really is annoying how much I'm treated like a kid around here, I think to myself as I shoulder my backpack and head for the elevator. One last outfit check in the reflection of the elevator doors—black tank top, maroon flannel, dark skinny jeans, and black zip-up wedge sneakers. My dark auburn hair is in a loose side braid trailing down my right shoulder. I don't look like the assassin I was raised to be. I look...normal.

And that is an equally terrifying thought.

🔴 🔴 🔴

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" I call out, dropping my backpack on the floor. Afternoon sunlight is streaming into the living room, reflecting off the bits of shattered glass on the floor. Other remnants of last night's party are scattered throughout the place. Normally, I'd put my headphones on, park my butt on the couch, and start working on my homework, but with all the glass fragments, working in here seems like a safety hazard. Thankfully, I know where Bruce is going to be; he also won't mind me using his lab to sit and do my homework. The lab is also a bit of a mess, but it's an improvement over the living room.

"Hey, kid. How'd your math test go today?" he asks, not even looking up from his project.

"Pretty good, I think. Hey, why isn't J.A.R.V.I.S. answering?" I ask.

"He's...uh..." Bruce stammers. "Here." He beams up a hologram that almost looks like J.A.R.V.I.S.'s matrix.

"Oh, God. What happened? Is that...is that J.A.R.V.I.S.?" I ask.

"Yeah. He, uh, he got a virus last night," Bruce says. "Tony and I did what we could, but he was too far gone."

A virus, huh. "But wouldn't a virus try to assimilate J.A.R.V.I.S.?" I ask. "I mean, he's the first line of defense for the Stark Industries mainframe, the Iron Legion, and the tower, right? All a virus would have to do is bypass J.A.R.V.I.S., not rip him apart. What aren't you telling me, Bruce?"