An Age of Metal

The Vision

As Pietro lay on the floor amid Clint's arrows and glass shards, many things happened. Tony leapt towards one of his (now damaged) computers. 

"I'm rerouting the upload," he said to no one in particular. 

 "Tony, you simply cannot do this again," Peggy said, walking towards Tony with the attitude of a mother about to scold her foolish child. 

 Wanda stepped forward too. She was stopped by Bruce, who grabbed her tightly.  

"Go ahead," he dared her. "Piss me off."

She never got the chance, for at that moment in between the upload and Peggy's inevitable beat down of the scientists, Thor appeared. He flew in from above the lab, landing on top of the Cradle. The metal buckled under his weight. 

He summoned a bolt of lightning, the sparks flying everywhere and setting a piece of paper alight. He brought it down on the Cradle, the glass shattering in a cloud of smoke. Thor stepped to the side. Peggy and Steve shot him a look that said what have you done? 

The bolt of lightning was enough to jolt the body awake. From the smoke and steam emerged a humanoid figure. He was maroon, with silver designs crossing  his body. A yellow gem sat squarely in his forehead, the focal point of everyone's eyes. Everyone stared at it in apprehension. Wanda was the most afraid. She had seen inside his mind, and without her brother by her side she felt even more vulnerable. A million thoughts filtered through the android's mind. 

Hurt. Anger. Fear. Pride. Beauty.

Suddenly the android took off into the air like a rocket, smashing glass without any regard for the damage.  Peggy drew her gun, and Steve readied his shield.  

 "Wait!" Thor commanded.

 From the hallway, Robert, Noor and Charlotte heard the sound of the crashes and came running in. They stopped when saw the android hovering in front of the window,  seeing his reflection for the first time.  

Dad, what the fuck have you done? Robert thought.

"I am sorry," the android said finally. His feet touched the ground.  "That was...odd." His accent was British. 

"Thank you," the android said to Thor. He quickly fashioned himself a green bodysuit and a gold cape to match his.

The trio of New Avengers made their way towards Wanda, listening in.  

"Thor," Steve said, marching towards him. "You helped create...this?"

Thor nodded, then started to explain. Pietro sped into the room, skidding to a spot beside his sister. Clint soon followed. 

"I've had a Vision," he said. "A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at its center is that."

He pointed to the glowing gem. 

"What?" Bruce asked, his eyes flicking betwen the two. "The gem?

"It's the Mind Stone," Thor told them. "It's one of the six Infinity Stones. The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities."

"Then why would you bring it-" Peggy demanded. 

"Because Stark is right," Thor interrupted her. 

"Oh yeah. It's definitely the end times," Bruce mumbled. Tony shot him a dirty look.  

"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron. Not alone," Thor continued. 

"Why does your Vision sound like Jarvis?" Steve asked. His voice had sent a pang in Peggy's heart. With the body combined with the voice, she was painfully reminded of her dear friend Edwin. How deeply she missed him.  

"We reconfigured Jarvis's matrix...to create something new," Tony answered.

"So...no more Jarvis?" Robert said, a touch of sadness in his voice. Jarvis had been around since he was a baby, he was practically family. Tony nodded softly, and Noor squeezed his hand for comfort.  

"I think I've had my fill of new," Steve told them. 

"You think I'm a child of Ultron," Vision observed. 

"How do we know you're not?" Peggy asked. Her gun hung heavily from her waist, waiting to be fired. 

"...I'm not Ultron," he stated softly. "I am not Jarvis, either. I am...I am."

"I looked in your head," Wanda said, practically shaking. "And I saw annihilation!"

"Look again," Vision offered, his silver, gear-like eyes meeting Wanda's brown ones. 

"Her seal of approval means jack to me," Clint said, crossing his arms. The twins shared a look. 

We probably deserve that.

"Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone," Thor argued.  "And they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side..."

"Is it?" Steve asked. He turned to Vision.  "Are you? On our side?" 

"I don't think it's that simple," Vision replied. 

"Well, it better get real simple real soon," Clint stated.

"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all," Vision stated.  

"What's he waiting for?" Tony asked. 

"You," he answered. 

"Where?" Asked Bruce. 

Clint answered this time. 

"Sokovia. He's got Nat there, too."

The twins shared another look, this time one of fear for their country that they so badly wanted to protect. 

"If we're wrong about you," Bruce began.  "If you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..." 

"What will you do?" Vision asked. 

The answer hung in the air, unspoken. It was etched on everyone's faces. 

We will destroy you.

"I don't want to kill Ultron," Vision said. "He's unique and he's in pain.
But that pain will roll over the Earth.
So, he must be destroyed.
Every form he's built,
every trace of his presence on the net.
We have to act now.
And not one of us can do it
without the others.
Maybe I am a monster," he said, looking down at his artificial hands. "I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So, there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go," he finished, gently picking up Thor's hammer and offering it to him. 

Dead silence. This had never been done before, but it was very convincing. Pietro glanced around the room. Charlotte's jaw had literally dropped. Eyebrows had been raised, mouths hung open. 

"Holy shit," Noor whispered. 

Thor took the hammer, looking just as confused and awed. 

"Right," he said, awkwardly tapping the hammer. He went over and patted Tony's back. "Well done." 

"The younger kids aren't coming-" Steve began. 

"What about us?" Charlotte asked, gesturing to the trio. "There's no way we can't not go."

Steve debated internally before saying,

"Alright. But you follow direct orders and when someone says get out, you get out. Got it?"

"Aye aye, Captain," they said in unison. 

"Everyone, three minutes. Get what you need," Steve commanded. With Peggy at his side, he marched off.