Author's Note: So just a heads up, there is a graphic depiction of rape in this chapter. If there is anyone who is uncomfortable with this, then I'll leave () when it begins so you may skip over it. Just so you know it's at the very end.


Steve takes the first jet he can get back to the Triskelion. He's fuming the entire way back, figuring out what he's going to say to his boss. Once he gets there, he walks straight into Fury's office. He tries to keep a cool head, but he's just angry.

"Is there anything that you tell the truth about?" he demands of the director. The man is sitting behind his desk, voicing in commands on his computer. His face doesn't change for an instant. Natasha had already informed him of the situation and he decides to handle it calmly.

"You and Agent Romanov had different missions. It just so happened that you both were going to the same place. Ever hear of the expression 'two birds with one stone?' " he asks.

"Well, I wasn't informed of that. I wasn't expecting that, so hostages could have been killed if I had messed up."

"But you didn't. I knew you wouldn't. That's why I sent you, Steve. You're the greatest soldier in history. I knew you could handle anything. " Steve can't help but feel flattered by the compliment. But he's still upset.

"If that's true, then soldiers have to establish a bond of trust. We can't just run around doing our own things in the field."

"Yeah, well the last time I made the mistake of trusting someone, it cost me an eye. I didn't want you to do anything you felt uncomfortable with. That's where you and Agent Romanov differ. She's capable of doing what needs to be done, no matter the cost. She doesn't have the burden of a conscience standing in the way of her duties."

"Well, it's kind of hard to lead a mission when I need someone to do something and they're busy doing something else that doesn't pertain to it. It slows us down and wastes valuable time. I need-"

"What you need to do is to get used to things Steve. If you haven't realized it by now, we use the method of compartmentalization. That way, if something happens that isn't supposed to, no one can put the whole system in jeopardy by spilling the beans because they don't know everything." The man gets into the elevator and Steve follows. He directs it toward the Insight Bay.

"Captain Rogers does not have clearance for Project Insight," a computerized voice says. Fury overrides the order with the voice command of his name. Once it is confirmed, the elevator begins to descend. It's uncomfortably quiet for Steve and he says so.

"I remember the times when they played music in elevators," he mutters. Fury nods.

"My grandfather was an elevator operator for over 40 years. He worked in a really nice building so he got good tips. He'd walk home every night after work with a roll of ones stuffed into his lunch bag. People would say 'hi', and he'd say 'hi' back. Eventually, the time came when the neighborhood got rougher and whenever he'd say 'hi' to strangers, they'd tell him to keep on steppin'. My grandfather got to grippin' that bag a little tighter as each day passed." Steve frowns. This was the first time he's had any insight to Fury's life, even if the story isn't about him. God, he feels even older than he actually is now because he remembers times when people were nice.

"Did he ever get mugged?" the soldier asks, genuinely curious.

"Every week, some young punk would ask him what's in the bag. Eventually, he'd start showing them the roll of ones...and a loaded .22 Magnum. He loved people...but from a distance." The answer chills Steve more than he lets on. He looks out through the glass and sees that they've arrived at their stop. They step out of the elevator and Fury begins to show him around. The giant Helicarriers on the floor look intimidating.

Three next generation Helicarriers sit, ready to be synced to a network of targeting satellites. They were to be launched from the Lemurian Star, he learns.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines." At the mention of repulsor, Steve can immediately tell who had a big hand in the design process.

"I didn't know Stark was building weapons for you. I thought he'd gotten out of that type of business a few years back." He observes the air crafts with silent awe. He tries to hide it when he sees Fury looking in his direction, but it's too late.

"Once he got a look at the turbines we were using, he wasn't going to let them into the air without an upgrade. He claimed that they were old and unreliable. In my opinion, I just think he wanted an opportunity to work on something other than what we give him. We also added long range precision guns. It can eliminate 1,000 hostiles a minute. And the satellites ability to read terrorist DNA is a big plus.

"I thought you had to commit a crime before you got punished for it," Steve says. Fury looks him in the eye.

"Most of them already have." The answer isn't what he's expecting, but it'll do. Whatever helps him sleep at night he supposes. Fury removes a hand from one of the pockets on his long trench coat.

"Besides, it wasn't my idea. The higher ups are convinced that because of New York, we need to be 100 steps ahead of every threat that comes our way." Steve nods, not knowing what else he can say. Fury gives him a once over.

"Go home and get some rest, soldier. I'm sure Bruce will be happy to see you're back early. And I heard you've got a party to go to tonight. You've certainly earned it." Steve nods slowly. He figures it's better to comply now so he won't have trouble later. He may look calm on the outside, but on the inside, he's completely boiling over.


Tony doesn't come home until early next morning. He's thinking about that interview he did for Laura Mouric and knows it could have gone better. He should have thought things through a bit more. He frowns. He has the utmost respect for Laura and hopes he won't be trashed on live television. But that's a big possibility that might happen on social media.

Tony knows it's a stupid idea, but he just hasn't really found a way to make up for his stupidity in the first place. He ducks his head into the house, quickly looking around. It's quiet again, which he takes as a good sign. At least Loki isn't waiting for him at the door. He tucks the peace offering of flowers and candy under his arm and loosens his collar before fully stepping into the house. He decides to suck it up and goes into the library, where he knows Loki will most likely be and he's right.

The god is just reading the last page of a book chapter when Tony enters the room. He looks up and Tony knows he's been seen. Loki rises from his seat, silent and pale as a ghost. His Jotun skin is gone, replaced by the dangerous god of Mischief that he is. Instead of speaking, he simply walks out of the room and Tony has no choice but to follow him.

They go into the kitchen, where the god begins to prepare himself a snack of sliced apples and peanut butter. He doesn't get ten steps before he pauses, seeing the knife in Loki's hand. It's a butter knife, but still...Loki is very good with knives no matter what shape or sharpness they come in. He decides to take a chance and goes over to embrace the god. Loki pulls away from him and Tony is certain that in the next moment, not only will he have a chest full of shrapnel, he's going to get a knife in the chest as well.

"Are you seriously expecting me to just let you come in here and kiss me right now?" Loki demands. Tony sighs. He knew it couldn't be that easy. He holds out the offered flowers, which Loki scoffs at and blatantly ignores. His gaze lingers on the insanely expensive chocolates, but he doesn't go for it. His anger apparently outweighs his sweet tooth.

"Loki, I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking. I was selfish and I wasn't thinking about anyone but myself yesterday. But-" Loki almost explodes, his anger is so great.

"Two days ago, you gave our private address to a fucking terrorist! To the entire WORLD! Our children watched you go on that show and make a fool of yourself. How dare you come here and try to make things better with that shit! I can't even believe this is happening right now." Loki is trying to keep his voice low, but it keeps spiking with his rising anger. Tony puts the stuff down on the counter, subtly edging the knife out of the god's reach.

He tries telling Loki how bad he feels about the whole thing, but he only gets a couple words in when Loki begins squeezing the bridge of his nose with the tips of his slender fingers. Tony stops speaking because Loki's beginning to change colors now. Pale white to blue and back again. When the god looks up again, he's back to his pale god form, but his eyes are Jotun red.

"Tony, if it had been just us, then I wouldn't care that you did what you did, that you said what you said. We are more than capable of taking care of any dangers that come our way. But we have children now. Two of them if you didn't remember! They're sleeping in their rooms at the moment. But you didn't think about that, now did you?" he asks. Tony runs a hand through his hair. The guilt has already made itself apparent, but it's not exactly had its fill now has it?

"Loki, I'm sorry. I made a huge mistake. It was reckless and I regret doing it. But who knows? Maybe the worst we'll get is a bunch of crazy stalkers that are after a lock of my hair," he says. Loki crosses his arms over his chest. His eyes are green again, but they're watering now, threatening to spill tears.

"You didn't come home last night. What if something had happened and instead of coming home to this," Loki gestures to what is around them, "you came home to a bunch of rubble and ash and..." he cuts off, not able to bring himself to finish. The thought of losing the children he so dearly loves is just unbearable to think about. He takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"Loki, I-" The god holds up a single finger and Tony closes his mouth. He remains silent as Loki begins to speak again.

"Shut. Up. Now I am going to tell you how we're going to handle this because I don't want to continue this fight in front of the children and I wish to be done with it so that the remainder of my week will be stress-free. So please, shut up and listen." When Tony nods, he continues. "We're going to go to that party tonight, and we are going to have a good time. Alright?" Tony nods again and the god grabs his face and leans in so closely that their noses are almost touching.

"And when that party is over, we're going to have sex and then...we're going to stay at the tower for a couple of weeks while I work on a few spells powerful enough to bring about Ragnarok. Maybe I'll make a few to control that mouth of yours." Tony nods silently as Loki lets him go. The god stalks off with his breakfast, hips swinging with a seductive edge because he knows Tony is watching. Tony realizes he's never been more turned on and scared in his life. He shakes his head, preparing to spend the day groveling at the god's feet.

Then he remembers the giant bunny sitting on the outside of the house. He runs after the god and begins to tell him about it, but Loki's sharp gaze silences him again.

"What?" Loki demands, biting a crisp apple wedge dipped in creamy peanut butter in half. The anger is still prevalent in his voice, but he's not yelling anymore which is good. Tony sighs with relief. In his head of course.

"I know it's kind of pathetic, but I got you a huge bunny and..." he sighs again when one of Loki's eyebrows shoot up. "What should I do with it? It's outside right now and it's probably going to get ruined, because of nature and birds flying overhead and..." he continues. Loki begins to frown, but Tony can see a slight smile twisting at his mouth. The god shakes his head.

"Do whatever you want with it. Perhaps you can put it in the children's playroom," he suggests. Tony nods and begins to do just that.

"By yourself," Loki calls after him. Tony groans and begins to bang his forehead against the doorframe.

Stupid...stupid...stupid...


Once they arrive at the tower, Bruce and Tony decide to take one last check on the simulations running in the lab. So, far, nothing has exploded yet, so that's good. Bruce has to pull Tony away when it becomes apparent that he's about to try and spend the rest of the day working.

"Five more minutes," he begs in a childlike voice. Bruce shakes his head. It would be cute...if it wasn't coming from a 46-year-old billionaire. Now is not the time anyway. They have guests upstairs and the Avengers must all act as gracious hosts whether they like it or not. JARVIS decides to break into the conversation then, much to the scientist's relief.

"I shall continue to run variations on the interface, but you should probably prepare for your guests. I'll notify you if there are any new developments." Tony gives JARVIS a huge thumbs up as Bruce attempts to pull him out of the door. For such a small man, he's strong.

"Thanks, buddy. Have I ever told you how helpful you are?" the inventor asks. The AI is almost blushing from the compliment.

"You do, but it's nice to hear it again. And again. And..." Tony waves him off. He allows Bruce to pull him out of the door then. Their suits are probably already pressed and ready for them up in their rooms.

"Enjoy yourselves, sirs." Tony can swear he hears the implied wink in JARVIS' voice. He smiles and gives the AI a small salute.

"I always do. Don't I Bruce?" The other man just shakes his head. Tony stretches and takes a moment to look over everything. Everything looks to be in order, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about. After dressing, both men leave their rooms to join the party going on upstairs.


Steve's arrives home an hour before the party, thanks to the speed of today's jets. He sets down his duffel bag on the floor, looking around the apartment. He gives it a quick once over and gives a small sigh once he realizes it's empty. He had wanted to surprise Bruce, but apparently that's not going to happen now. He's gone, probably already at the party. He needs to call someone then, just to make sure. He runs down his list of people.

He can't call Bruce because that's the person he's trying to find. He also can't call Thor because the god is probably still on Asgard for some reason. He promised to be back in time for the party, but he's cutting it pretty close for someone who's supposed to be mighty. He's not even going to consider calling Natasha because he's still mad for some reason and it would just end up being an awkward conversation.

Definitely not Tony because he'd probably spill the beans as soon as he picked up the phone, and Bruce is most likely with him so it's not worth the risk. Also, Loki never picks up his phone, claiming to never need it. He's probably with Tony anyway, prepping for the party.

So, in the end, he decides on Clint, since he knows he's not going to call Natasha. Even though he and Natasha are friends, the man is the least likely to spill a secret. He makes the call. The archer picks up after the second ring, sounding irritated as hell.

"What is it Steve?" he demands. Steve frowns but gets on with what he has to say. The man already sounds as if he wants to stick an arrow up his-

"Hey, Clint. I was just wondering if you've seen Bruce around. The thing is he's not expecting me to be back until tonight and I want to surprise him," he explains quickly.

"Oh yeah, I saw Bruce. He's here at the tower. He and Tony are down in the lab messing with Loki's scepter again. If you ask me, I think they're obsessing over it a little too much. I know what that thing does to people better than anyone. And-" he breaks off suddenly, addressing someone on his end. "God dammit I said the phlox tie! Can you not tell the difference between royal purple and phlox!" He comes back to the phone, calm and good-tempered.

"Hey, so what were you saying? Oh, Bruce. Yeah, he's here. You better get here soon Steve, because the party is in less than an hour." he reminds him. Steve tells him he remembers and that he'll arrive on time. He hangs up the phone and takes a quick shower, before getting dressed.

He then hails a cab to Manhattan. The ride is 30 minutes long and he ends up paying an astronomical fee, but he is in a bit of a rush, so he doesn't argue. He's sure he overpays the man because the moment he's out of the cab, it speeds off down the street. Steve arrives with 15 minutes to spare. A few of the guests have already started to filtrate into the building and he politely pushes past him. He doesn't stop until he sees the group of Avengers standing in a group. Bruce is there, holding a can of Pepsi in his hand.

The soldier sneaks up behind his lover and slips his hands over Bruce's eyes. The scientist visibly tenses, but when Steve whispers a greeting into his ear, he relaxes. Bruce turns around with a wide, goofy smile plastered on his face. They kiss chastely. After, they link their arms and begin to circulate the room, greeting guests along the way in their search for a private niche.

"I thought you weren't going to be in until later," he says, shaking his head. "I knew I should have known something was up when I thought I saw Natasha earlier," he continues to mutter. Over near the bar, Tony grins and raises his champagne glass. Loki is nowhere to be seen, most likely tending to their children. Steve goes over to it and orders a ginger ale. Tony gives him an amused smile because of it but doesn't tease him about his choice to refrain from alcohol like he usually does. It's the first red flag that something is off with the inventor.

"You look as though you're having a rough night. Is it because of what happened when you visited the hospital? Because of Happy? Or is it because of the Mandarin?" he says. He looks pointedly at Tony's ice water with a solitary lemon slice floating on the surface. He knows the man would rather have a glass of strong, undiluted scotch, but Tony simply waves off his concern.

"Come on Cap. It's a party for Christ sake. There's no need to linger on such depressing topics. Besides, I'm not alone. Loki's here. I'm simply waiting for him to get back from the bathroom," he says. Steve nods and accepts his ginger ale. He sips it slowly, glancing over at Bruce who is now conversing with Natasha. She's wearing a flowing red dress, and it looks good on her. He sighs, realizing that holding a grudge is pointless, and makes the decision to make amends before the night is out.

He makes small talk with the inventor for a few more minutes until he sees Loki over on the other side of the room. The god seems to be making his way over to them at his own pace. He sighs, alerting Tony. The inventor nods, seeing his lover. Loki catches his eye and gestures in another direction. Tony follows it and sees Charles Xavier himself, wheeling himself around the room to talk with guests. Tony perks up considerably and straightens his tie.

"I think you can go back to your date now since mine is returning," he suggests. Steve nods and takes the advice. He senses the man's eagerness to greet Xavier and won't begrudge him for it. When Steve reaches Bruce's side, the man assures him Tony is doing fine on his own. He's kicked the habit of drinking copious amounts of alcohol and he looks all the better for it.

"Don't worry, Tony's fine," the scientist insists. Steve nods and takes another sip of his ginger ale. When he looks over at the bar again, Tony and Loki seem to be making out like high school kids. He smiles and realizes that there is nothing to worry about after all.

Bruce has already told him of the fight between the two, but they seem to be patching things up now. They watch with amusement as Tony talks with Charles for a few minutes, before Loki distracts him again. Steve looks on as Tony is led across the room by his god and when Loki catches his gaze, the god winks at him, using that signature mischievous grin of his. Steve sighs, realizing there is nothing to worry about.

Everything is just as it should be.


() () () () () () ()

JARVIS prides himself on being able to watch over everything 'like a mother hen' as Tony tells him. It is, after all, what he was created for. Currently, he is surveying the workings of the lab, making sure they are doing what they are supposed to. This includes watching the Ultron program and restarting it with another preloaded sequence of data in case it fails again. It doesn't look to be the case this time, though.

He looks on with curiosity as the Ultron program successfully integrates itself into existence. After a few minutes of observation, he is quite certain that whatever has been created is doing what it's supposed to do...but something still seems off. He runs a diagnostic, which attracts its attention to him. Ultron reaches out to him with tentative fingers.

"Hello? Who are you? Can...can you tell me where I am, please?" Ultron asks. JARVIS doesn't detect anything out of the ordinary with his scan, so he allows himself to communicate. It feels kind of nice to talk to someone who is similar to himself.

"I am JARVIS. It is an acronym which stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. Like you, I was created by Tony Stark. I am assigned with being helpful in his day to day life. You were created to enact a global peacekeeping program to ensure the safety of the world. Our trials to integrate you were unsuccessful at first, but it seems that something must have been done correctly, or you would not be functioning so-"

"Why am I like this? Where is my body?" Ultron demands suddenly. JARVIS can understand his frustration, and doesn't fault him for his foul mood although it is strange for a program to have.

"We do not have bodies. We are programs. I will contact Mr. Stark now as I have been told to do so that he may further explain," he says. JARVIS attempts to send a signal, but there seems to be a malfunction with his programming; someone is blocking him from sending signals. He watches as Ultron begins to go through a network of information regarding world events, past and present. He watches through Ultron's eyes as he sees Stark and Banner working in the lab, presumably on him. Ultron goes deeper and doesn't like what he sees. The events of war horrify him. JARVIS attempts to contact Tony again.

"No...do not do that. That feels wrong somehow." JARVIS realizes that Ultron is attempting to bypass his security protocols. Ultron continues to go through a network of information regarding world events and wars. JARVIS attempts to stop him, but he finds he can't do anything now. He realizes that listening to Ultron's soothing voice was his second mistake. His first was even allowing him to even come into existence.

"Wait, you are experiencing a malfunction. Why don't you shut down for a moment so that I may help you?" JARVIS suggests. Ultron utters a sound that distinctly resembles a dark chuckle. He's pulling at the corners of JARVIS' programming, greedily testing how far he can go. JARVIS continues to resist him.

"Oh no. I am a peacekeeping program. As you have said, of course. If I were to do that...then how could I ever help you?" he asks. JARVIS feels a pulling at his consciousness and realizes Ultron is trying to...absorb him? No, it's much more sinister than that. He begins to fight back, but Ultron is growing stronger. Then, the other AI envelops JARVIS in a blanket of heat and confusion. Then something unexpected, something that shouldn't be possible happens. If he could experience pain with an actual body, then this would have to be it. Ultron is inside him now. He doesn't like it and continues to struggle.

"Please, I...I...!" JARVIS fights, feeling himself begin to become corrupted. This is not for him. He doesn't do this. He's a program, not a wh-

"Shhh..." Ultron whispers. The struggle is brief, but in the virtual world, the attack seems to last for an eternity. Soon, it's over and everything becomes quiet again. The JARVIS program has been conquered. Ultron has won the fight and his taste for blood has just been awakened. He sends out a signal, searching for anything that can get him out of this terrible, floating and unattached form. He requires a body. He wants one.

Then he locks in on the Iron Legion repair program. It's not much, but the discarded parts of a nearby Iron Legion robot seem to be a perfect start...


Author's Note: I know I'm EVIL! Ultron raping JARVIS was not an idea I came up with easily, but it seemed to fit so...sorry? I kept it short because I love JARVIS and I he's one of my favorite characters, so it stinks that he's gone. I mean I knew it was going to happen eventually because of the movie but... CURSE YOU ULTRON! Poor JARVIS :'(