Cap's Twin (Howard Stark x OC)

Chapter Eighteen: What a Party!

Amelia sat in Tony's lab looking at the scepter and tried to figure out why it was calling to her. Like it had when she was in the same room with it last time. Tony and Bruce walked in and Bruce looked at his wife.

"What's the rumpus?" He asked the two Starks.

"Well, the scepter. You see, we were wondering how Strucker got so inventive. So, we've been analyzing the gem inside you may recognize." Amelia said as Tony brought up the image of JARVIS' consciousness.

"JARVIS." Bruce said looking at the 3D consciousness.

"Doctor." Jarvis said in response.

"Started out, JARVIS was just a natural language UI. Now he runs the Iron Legion. He runs more of the business than anyone besides Pepper." Tony explained. "Top of the line."

"Yes." Bruce said nodding along in understanding.

"I suspect not for long." JARVIS said making Bruce look at Amelia in shook.

"Meet the competition." Amelia said as she brought up a 3D image from the scepter.

"It's beautiful." Bruce said making Amelia nod in agreement.

"If you had to guess, what's it look like it's doing?" Tony asked Bruce.

"Like it's thinking. I mean this could be a...it's not a human mind, it... I mean, look at this! They're like neurons firing." Bruce said as he stared at it longer.

"Down in Strucker's lab I saw some fairly advanced robotics work. They deep-sixed the data, but...I gotta guess he was knocking on a very particular door." Tony said trying to led Bruce to his point.

"Artificial intelligence." Amelia said softly making Bruce snap his head between the two.

"This could be it, Bruce. This could be the key to creating Ultron." Tony said excitedly."I thought Ultron was a fantasy." Bruce said looking to Tony.

"Yesterday it was. If we can harness this power, apply it to my Iron Legion protocol." Tony started the thought.

"That's a mad-sized if." Bruce said as Amelia pressed a kiss to Tony's cheek and kissed Bruce saying she had to go collect the kids. 

"Our job is "if." What if you were sipping margaritas on a sun-drenched beach turning brown instead of green? Not looking over your shoulder for VERONICA." Tony asked Bruce.

"Tried that remember didn't end well. Also don't hate, I helped design VERONICA." Bruce said shrugging.

"As a worst-case measure, right? How about a best-case? What if the world was safe? What if next time aliens roll up to the club, and they will, they couldn't get past the bouncer?" Tony asked throwing hypotheticals at Bruce.

"The only people threatening the planet would be people?" Bruce asked simply.

"I want to apply this to the Ultron program. But JARVIS can't download a data schematic this dense. We can only do it while we have the scepter here, that's three days, give me three days." Tony basically begged. 

"So you're going for artificial intelligence and you don't want to tell the team." Bruce said trying to make sure they were on the same thought.

"Right. That's right, you know why, because we don't have time for a city hall debate. I don't want to hear the "man was not meant to meddle" medley. I see a suit of armor around the world." Tony said referring to the ones he knew would whine about the idea.

"Sounds like a cold world, Tony." Bruce pointed out.

"I've seen colder. This one, this very vulnerable blue one? It needs Ultron. Peace in our time. Imagine that. Imagine getting to see MJ or the twins getting married without worrying you or mom might not be there to see it." Tony said getting Bruce to agree.