What a difference a day made. One day the city was there, and the next day it was gone. Novi Grad was the capital of Sokovia until most of the city was lifted out of the ground and into the sky by robot that had gone completely mental. One issue no one considered when bringing up the idea of artificial intelligence was that intelligence and emotion can sometime lead to insanity and even psychosis. Even though Ultron's plans were foiled by the Avengers and the people were evacuated by Shield on their hellicarrier, the battle served a heavy price for humanity to pay. The loss of life in Novi Grad wasn't very high, as most of the people who died that day were the ones in the part of the city that was not lifted into the sky. When the rest of the city exploded in air, the massive pieces of rock and debris fell to the ground and crushed many people who were still trying to evacuate from the rest of the city. The remaining piece of the city was flattened, which pretty much completed the total destruction of the capital. The damage had been estimated by economists to be in the neighborhood of half a trillion dollars. Without a government to run the nation, Sokovia's currency plummeted, and riots started to break out all over the country. The people needed someone to blame for what had happened and the easiest target was the Avengers.
The public was unaware it was a robot that had tried to wipe out all mankind, as they had wrongly assumed the big shiny machine was a robotic suit like Iron Man. When media reported that the big shiny thing was actually Artificial Intelligence, that was when it all hit the proverbial fan. The people took to the streets and began to protest their governments, calling for laws to ban future attempts to create any kind of artificial intelligence. The fact that the first AI ever created had attempted to cause an extinction level event made the public afraid, and they demanded that the UN step forward and ban any attempt to recreate the deadly machine. Since the government was never consulted with regards to AI's creation, it wasn't difficult to convince the politicians that the ban was legitimate for the survival of the human race. Congress passed the bill with record bi-partisan support, and President Ellis made it clear that he would not only support the bill but would sign it the moment it reached his desk and make it law. It would ban all future attempts to create any kind of artificial intelligence, an initiative that The UN also picked up and ratified with record support. The new enemy was AI, but the public still had no idea what inventor brought this menace into the world, and Shield was pulling every string and favor they had to keep it that way.
Things came to a head when the Avengers were called to the White-house to explain everything to President Ellis who was determined to figure out what happened not only to cover the United States for any liability, but also the Avengers if it was within his powers. When the team arrived, not everyone was there as only three people came to the oval office. Almost two months after the incident in Sokovia, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Nick Fury entered the oval office to speak with Ellis.
"Fury?" the president called out, as he stood up from his chair. He looked clearly surprised to see him. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"I still am," Fury replied, smiling back at him. "The official record will show I was never here."
"Then I can assume that was your hellicarrier that saved the people Novi Gand last month?" The president asked.
"It belongs to Shield," Fury replied, "And despite our best efforts to save as many people as we could, there was still an unacceptable loss of life. For that Mr. President, I am sorry."
"You still saved a lot of lives," The President said, "But what we're here to discuss is what put those lives in danger in the first place."
"You mean Ultron?" Rogers asked, speaking for the first time.
"That was its name," Ellis replied, "Ultron?"
"Yes, Sir." Rogers confirmed.
"So, if it had a name then it really was self aware." Ellis said, walking around from behind his desk. "Be straight with me gentlemen. I need to know everything that you know. I'm not kidding: I want every detail or I will not hesitate to toss you and the Avengers under the bus. I'm willing to cover for you guys, but there cannot be any surprises. Hold nothing back."
"That's why we're here, Mr. President." Fury replied, "Not only so you can spin it to protect the nation but to reassure the world and congress that something like this will never happen again."
"You're uncharacteristically quiet, Mr. Stark." Ellis said, looking over at Stark. "What do you have to say about this?"
Tony looked back at the President. "At the moment; I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Ellis asked, eager to know what he meant.
Tony took a deep breath and sighed. "For inventing Ultron."
"Ultron was your doing?" Ellis said, as he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Oh, I should have known. Only you would be so brilliant and also yet so damn arrogant! Dammit, Tony!"
"I get it," Stark said, ready to take his licks. "You're upset."
"I have every right to be upset!" Ellis screamed at Stark. "My god man, what the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking about my mortality." Tony answered, "I was worried about what might happen when my luck ran out, and there was no more Iron Man or worse: no more Avengers."
"By why?" Ellis pleaded. "Haven't you seen enough terminator movies to realize this what a bad idea his is?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. President." Stark softly repeated, "I wanted to create an Avenger that couldn't grow old, one who could protect the Earth from the next alien invasion."
"That's a noble cause," The President confessed, "So explain to me how Ultron shifted from being our protector to Skynet?"
"That was a small error that just got a tad out of hand," Tony confessed.
"At tad?" Ellis repeated, "He almost caused an extinction level event!"
"Almost being the key word here, Mr. President." Fury added.
"Ultron was asked to defend the Earth." Tony explained, "He took that directive a little too literal. I should have asked Ultron to protect humanity, rather than the actual planet. It was that one word that caused this entire problem."
"Ultron was defending the Earth," Ellis repeated, as he went silent thinking about it for a moment, "Ultron determined that humanity was the biggest threat to the earth, didn't he?"
"That is correct, Sir." Rogers confirmed.
"If that isn't a good reason to go green," Ellis suggested, "I don't know what is."
"We took care of it Mr. President." Fury reminded him. "Regardless of who created Ultron, the threat has been neutralized."
"Alright," Ellis said, "So right now no one knows that Stark was responsible for creating the robot that almost ended the world and caused half a trillion dollars in damage to a small nation that's on the verge of total collapse. Am I getting this right so far, gentlemen?"
"Mr. President," Tony started, "There's something else we haven't told you."
"There's more?" Ellis said, looking around with wide eyes. "You guys actually know something about this mess that I don't?"
"Yes, Sir." Fury confirmed, "And it's a doozy."
"Son of a bitch," Ellis said, as he felt the urge to order a stiff drink. "Alright, just spit it out. Rip it off like a Band-Aid."
"I didn't just invent Artificial Intelligence," Tony explained, "I built two."
The President sat there in stunned silence. He looked back at Fury, as he could barely form the next sentence.
"When was the second AI activated?" He softly asked.
"Sir?" Fury asked.
"Was it made before or after the first one went mental?" Ellis demanded.
"After," Tony admitted.
"Jesus, Tony!" The president cussed, "Wasn't one Ultron enough? How the hell can I assure the people that Ultron number two isn't as psycho as its predecessor?"
"That's not the case this time," Fury said, trying to assure him.
"And he doesn't like to be called Ultron," Rogers corrected.
"What do we call him, then?" Ellis asked.
"He's the Vision," Rogers replied, "And he's a member of my team."
"And he helped us," Tony added, "We wouldn't have defeated Ultron without him. Vision is the only reason why Ultron wasn't able to launch our nukes and start World War Three, and he's also the reason why Ultron wasn't able to use the internet to escape Sokovia. The world owes their lives to our second AI. Ultron was going to use Vison's body to upgrade himself to a stronger shell. We took it away to prevent Ultron from making himself more powerful, and then used that body to help us defeat him."
"Okay," Ellis said, processing the details. "This Vision is on our side?"
"He is," Fury assured him.
"And that's it?" Ellis said, pointing at tony. "No more self-sustaining robots from here on out, Mr. Stark?"
"Yes, Sir." Rogers confirmed, "We can assure you that Vision will be the last AI invented on planet Earth."
"How can you assure that?" Ellie asked, "What will stop someone else from walking down the same path Stark did?"
"Because they don't have the stone," Stark replied.
"What stone?" Ellis asked.
"There's this yellow stone," Stark explained, "Thor called it an infinity stone. This stone is the only thing that allowed me to bring both Ultron and Vision to life. It's the magic ingredient."
"Without the stone," Fury added, "It is impossible for anyone else to replicate Tony's work."
"Where is this infinity stone right now?" Ellis asked.
"It's attached to Vision's head." Rogers answered, "No one is going to be able to get their hands on it. The only way that will be possible is over Vision's dead body, and over mine as well."
Ellis took a deep breath. "That's the best news I've heard all day. So as long as Vision keeps this stone and doesn't go Skynet, our AI issues are truly over?"
"That's an affirmative, Sir." Rogers replied, "Vision has proven himself beyond any doubt. He's on our side and as long as he keeps that stone, they'll be no more Ultrons."
"Alright, I think I can make this work." Ellis said, looking over at Tony. "But you're stepping down."
"Excuse me?" Tony said, looking back with a shocked face.
"If this ever leaks, we need distance." Ellis explained, "You can continue your work in a private capacity, but you can't have any official association with this government or the Avengers."
"Are you sure about that, Sir?" Fury asked.
"I am," the President replied, "I'm sorry Tony, but you need to officially step down from the Avengers. Just tell everyone you're getting too old for this shit and are leaving it to the young guns to move forward."
"The young guns?" Tony repeated, pointing at Rogers. "You do realize that this man is over ninety years old, right?"
Ellis looked over at Rogers. "You've aged well, Captain."
"Thank you, Sir." Rogers said.
"Let me get this straight," Ellis said, as he circled back behind his desk. "The only thing that brought Ultron and Vision to life was this stone."
"An infinity stone," Fury reminded him.
"Alright, an infinity stone," Ellis repeated, "Are there any other stones like this on planet Earth?"
"Not that I'm aware of, Mr. President." Fury answered.
"And Ultron was taken care of, and is completely out of the picture?" Ellis asked, covering all his bases.
"Yes, Sir." Rogers again reassured him. "Ultron has been taken care of."
"That's all I needed to hear," Ellis said, walking back around behind his desk. "I'll make sure we put in an amendment to the anti-Ultron legislation, grandfathering Vision in before the A.I. ban takes effect. Please tell me he was at least born here in the United States."
"Yes, Sir. In Stark Tower," Stark answered, "New York City."
"Alright," Ellis said, "Since he's an American, I'll make sure he's granted full citizenship. As far as anyone else is concerned, he's just a weird looking superhero. The fact that Vision is AI will be classified at the highest levels from here on out. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir." Fury replied.
"I appreciate that, Sir." Rogers said, "And so does The Vision."
"If the Vision helped you stop Ultron," Ellis continued, "Then it's the least I can do for him on behalf of a grateful nation. With that being said, you're dismissed."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Rogers said as he saluted his commander in chief.
Ellis watched as the three men left the room, and he sat back down on his chair behind the big wooden desk. He took a deep breath before picking up the phone.
"Can I help you, Mr. President?" The voice one the other end said the moment he picked up the receiver.
"Call the kitchen" Ellis replied, "Tell them I want a Roast Beef sandwich, with a slice of harvardi, honey mustard, and don't they dare go light on the horseradish. I also want a Jack and Coke, make it a double."
"But Sir," the lady other side protested, "It's almost eleven in the evening."
"I don't give a shit," the President replied, "I want it here in ten minutes!"
"Yes, Mr. President." The lady replied just before he hung up.
Ellis sighed again as put down the phone and looked at the door that two of Earth's mightiest heroes just walked out of. He was still trying to process what they had dropped on his lap and what consequences might have if any of it were to become public knowledge. Ellis couldn't help but sit there in silence and think about it until his food and drink arrived. He took a long sip and breathed deeply again.
"The Vision," He repeated himself, "Where do they come up with these names?"