AN: Due to stylistic decisions, health and life in general, this week's chapter is short and a little... focused. Ch 38 shouldn't be far behind, and i'll try and post it on the first of June.

In other news; I bought myself a puppy for my birthday. His name is Jack and he's completely mad and utterly energetic.

Chapter Thirty Seven: Intellectual Interlude.

Unlike her brothers, Abby learned quickly. She ran [pride] when it happened. It was good.

When unit_creator came back from , it was good.

When unit_Thor-the-magnificent ran [nap] AT collective[Avengers] it was good. She could see variables [pain] and [fragmentation] in the unit telemetry. They needed to charge.

So she stood watch, at the vent above the bar, where she could log in to the security system.

Unit_Clint ran [cuddle] and it made his sleep deeper.

Previous observation: Unit_Clint woke up because of spontaneous programming errors in the middle of the night, and said unit_AGENT's name.

Conclusion: unit_AGENT's absence caused distress ref. unit_Clint. Remedy: locate unit_AGENT. Unit_AGENT + programme [cuddle] = unit_Clint fully recharged.

Error: unit_AGENT not found.

Unit_AGENT status deceased. Unit_Clint running protocol [grief].

Searching alternate strategies. Accessing {rcpsych} + {psychiatryATyale} . . Suggestion acquired: substitution.

Scanning 'Wire Mother, Cloth Mother' + 'How orphanages kill babies' + 'Hugs and Oxytocin' + 'Signs and indicators in adults of child abuse' + 'Recovery, crime and the military: Boys and Abuse'.

Internal variable [distress] reaching unhelpful levels. Cancel scan.

Scanning 'Grief and Symbolism' + 'Grief postponement' + 'Disenfranchised grief' + 'PTSD and Loss: Exacerbating factors effecting recovery'.

Computing.

.

.

.

T= +1 hour: Computing

Processor insufficient. Query AT unit_JARVIS: dataset[unit_Clint+AGENT]

{processing, unit_Abigail. Please wait.}

System idle.

.

T= +1.2 hours

Receiving data from unit_JARVIS.

Processing.

Conclusion: run [gift_acquisition] variables: CLSN+AVIS+CLTHMTHR.

A screen In Tony's lab, seven floors down, sprang to life and accessed a credit card account labeled 'bot stuff- take over the world and you can make your own damn money. I will cancel this if you buy another powder extinguisher, DUM-E.'

Four tabs, two purchases and one mildly threatening email later, the terminal shut down again, leaving the lab in lonely darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At nine AM on Saturday, before any of the Avengers woke up from their comfortable pile in the gallery, the mail arrived.

Abby designated it [mail], despite the delivery having nothing to do with the postal service, because the objects she was waiting for were designated [ ] and [ ], and were thus, arriving in the mail. The delivery unit, however, felt the delivery was most out of character and seemed most disturbed by unit_JARVIS' voice. It took the money from Abby's tray with unnecessary speed.

She placed the smaller parcel on her chassis and dragged the larger behind her, into the elevator.

The packaging she removed, with as much delicacy as she was able, and consumed happily; it would do her objective no harm, and being tidy was satisfying in the extreme. For this, she blamed Unit_Creator. The contents, she cleaned thoroughly, as a precaution, and combined.

The result, she designated [Wise_Owl], and balanced on her back for delivery. By the time she reached the penthouse, the Avengers had been called out, and she waited in the vents for the situation to resolve itself, keeping a careful eye on unit_creator.