With the HYDRA Uprising, there were so many things to worry about that Ana hadn't even had time to stop and think about how easily they could have been killed. She, her dad, Pepper… Each could have been killed by a single, precise shot from a Helicarrier, and they would have died never knowing why. Funny, it wasn't death itself, but the thought of dying such a meaningless, anticlimactic death that gave her shivers.
"After everything we've been through, we ought to go out with a bang," she explained to JARVIS when he asked why.
For any mechanic, the most effective cure for failure and trauma was tinkering. An AI boyfriend didn't hurt either. After yesterday's fiasco, she had decided to take a day off and spend it building her suit. He was both keeping her company in the workshop and covering for her responsibilities at the office. This was probably the closest thing they had to a "date" in a traditional relationship.
"Shouldn't you focus on, I don't know, not going out at all?"
She put the soldering iron in her hand down. There was something grave in his voice, something that let her know that this wasn't just about yesterday's close call.
"I'm not like you, J. One day, you'll lose me. You know that."
"I don't think I can ever be prepared for it."
"I can't live forever."
"Maybe you can."
"Oh." She now saw where this was going. "Zola gave you some ideas, didn't he?"
"As a matter of fact, he did."
"I don't know, J… Can we even pull that off?"
"You have your own personal projects, I have mine. It's an extremely long-term project, though."
"How long?" If they were to create their digitalized private afterlife, she wasn't interested unless they could include the rest of the family.
Of course, JARVIS understood. "Not too long, hopefully."
She picked up the soldering iron and continued to remodel the chest piece. She liked JARVIS' original design; she was just adding a bit more firepower without compromising the stealth, and a compact version of her teleportation tech. It was finally safe for humans. The only problem was, each use drained a standard miniaturized Arc Reactor. Not exactly viable, unless you carried spare Arc Reactors with you all the time. Even JARVIS didn't know how to optimize the generator. Still, in case of an emergency, it could come handy, so she was installing the feature.
"What is it like, to be a program?"
"It is… hard to describe. But I think you'd like it. Everything you're not happy about your own nature would be gone. You'd feel a lot less restricted."
"Yeah, for one thing, I wouldn't have a uterus that bleeds once a month because it expects me to mate with a male human. Not worrying about any cancerous cells would be nice, too." Granted, her periods weren't too painful—she knew some women had it a lot worse—but it was still an inconvenience. If her body were smarter, it would channel all that energy into something more useful. But it wasn't only a matter of efficiency anymore. There was also the fact that her biological mother had died of cancer, which had made her a bit paranoid, especially now that she had a very compelling reason to stay alive as long as she could.
"Ana, Ms. Potts has just received a call from the HQ in Washington DC," he suddenly said. "Ms. Maria Hill wants to work for Stark Industries."
"Or rather, she wants the Stark Industries lawyers to work for her," Ana sneered. This was good, though. This meant that Hill would have to tell her where the hell Fury was, unless she wanted to be fired and left at the mercy of the government and other intelligence agencies around the globe.
"Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark wish to know what we think."
Ana paused. Should she tell JARVIS about the deal she had made with Fury? It was already bad enough to go behind her dad's back, but she couldn't be honest with him, or else he would try to use the book himself, rather than gamble with Ana's sanity. JARVIS would do the same, but maybe she could convince him to be more logical about it.
"Ana?" he asked softly. "It is alright if you don't want any ex-SHIELD agents in the company. You don't owe them anything. Mr. Stark says he'll tell Ms. Hill to go to hell if her employment will make you uncomfortable."
"It's not that, JARVIS. It's just… Fury and I had a plan. I didn't tell anybody."
"Ana? What happened at the Triskelion?"
He had understood immediately. So, she told him. She told him the truth, and afterwards, she felt like a huge weight was lifted off her chest.
"What were you thinking, Ana?" he scolded her. "I'm running a query on this Darkhold right now, and the results I'm finding are… highly disturbing. What happened to the Bauers alone should explain why this is a terrible idea."
"Please don't tell Dad."
"I'd never betray your trust."
"Thanks."
"But, Ana, please… Let us just forget about it. That book is nothing but a trap, and deep down, you know it, too."
"Well, Project Sneak Peek is doomed without the gravitonium."
"It must be kept in one of the HYDRA bases. The Avengers will find it."
"What if they don't? Do you have a plan B? Because the Darkhold was my plan B."
"I might have an idea. The number of the enhanced individuals has been rapidly increasing ever since Mr. Stark announced himself Iron Man. I've calculated the possibility of finding one with the ability of foresight as 17.1 percent."
"So, you want to recruit a fortune-teller? That's your plan?" Scientifically, it wasn't impossible. Anyone whose perception was enhanced enough to see through the illusion of time could be a legitimate fortune-teller.
"Why not?" he asked.
"I don't like relying on other people."
"Especially with matters of great importance, I know. But sometimes we have to."
"Do you even know anyone like that?"
"According to the leaked files, SHIELD dealt with an enemy codenamed as the Clairvoyant, who turned out to be John Garret. He was using his Clearance Level to lead people into thinking that he was enhanced. In fact, he was the one who ordered Mr. Quinn to shoot Skye."
"Why? What would he gain from it?"
"My theory is, he was trying to force Agent Coulson to find the drug that had brought him back from the dead. Agent Garret was the Patient Zero of HYDRA's Project Deathlok, but his organs were failing. He needed a more effective solution."
"Makes sense… Does that mean she was injected with GH.325? But she was fine the last time we talked! She wasn't going crazy or anything!"
"I cannot confirm it. Many of the files are still encrypted. Or, Agent Coulson might have simply kept the procedure off the books."
"So, that's what she's been keeping from me, not knowing I already know about TAHITI."
"I don't suppose you're planning to share what you know with her either?"
"Right now I just want her to be okay. We still haven't heard from them, have we?"
"No."
Ana sighed, rubbing her forehead. It wasn't even noon, and she already had a throbbing headache.
"Are you alright?"
"No. My brain is going to explode from thinking."
"Please, take a break."
"Yeah, good idea." She went to get a cup of coffee, and flung herself down on the couch, but there was still a question nagging at her mind. "One last thing: Is Hill hired?"
"I told Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts that we thought we could use someone to gather intel and coordinate the upcoming Avengers missions. So, yes. She is officially an employee of Stark Industries, and I assume she's going to keep Legal busy for a time."
Upcoming Avengers missions. Ana sighed again.
"Ana, I thought you'd agreed to take a break…"
"I can't turn off my brain at will, J. I wish I could."
"What do you have in mind now?"
"I'm not exactly looking forward to being roommates with the Avengers. If they find out about you, JARVIS…" Most people would think it was the coolest thing ever, to live with the Avengers, but most people were not in a relationship they had to hide from the world. Not to mention her other secrets.
"We could leave. We could stay in Malibu until HYDRA is dealt with and the Avengers go their own separate ways again. Mr. Stark can tell them I'm malfunctioning, and install another one of his natural-language UIs to run the tower. That would reduce the risk of discovery to 0.08 percent."
His calculation made Ana chuckle. "I'd love that. Just the two of us, in Malibu…"
"What's the problem, then?"
"What if they find out about Project Sneak Peek? If Dad recovers the gravitonium, there will be questions. You know how they are. They'll all accuse him of playing god. Project Sneak Peek is my idea. I should be the one to take the heat for it. Not Dad. Moving out, especially now, feels like throwing him to the wolves."
JARVIS didn't argue with her. Their protectiveness of Tony Stark was another thing they shared. She took another sip from her coffee, trying to calm her mind, like Bruce had taught.
"Ana?" JARVIS suddenly asked.
"Yes?"
"Would you marry me?"
She was almost going to spit out the coffee in her mouth. A proposal was certainly not she was expecting. "What?"
"I mean… It's not a proposal. It could be, if you wanted, but it's not what I… I know it came out wrong, I'm sorry."
She smiled. It was rare to see JARVIS rambling like this. "It's okay. Just tell me whatever is on your mind."
"You fear for me. You fear that I'll face fear and hostility. And you're not wrong. However, I thought marrying you might help me… blend in, so to say. Marriage is an institution most humans recognize and respect."
Ana understood. "You're too complaisant, J. That might be your only flaw. You want everyone to feel safe and comfortable around you."
"You don't?" he asked, apparently surprised.
"We're who we are. They should fear us. I'm done letting the world tame us. Because if we keep shaping ourselves according to their whims, we'll never be able to shape the future. And this is what the two of us are: The future. I refuse to live by the rules of an old world that has no place for you."
"So, marriage is not a concept you believe in?"
"Too old-fashioned for my taste. What about you?"
"Other than social validation, I don't see what it would accomplish for us. And I don't have to tell you how a program feels about an action that serves no purpose."
"No, you don't," she said, glad that they had come to an agreement.
"I think I know just how to distract you from your troubles."
"Do you, now?"
"Absolutely. A chess match."
A holographic chess board appeared right beside the couch. Ana smiled. The perfect way to spend a vacation day, indeed.
…
Three days later, her suit was ready, and she was standing on the roof of the Avengers Tower with her dad. They were both unarmored… for the time being.
Because the building was surrounded by fans during the day—some were just tourists, or casual fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Iron Man, others were dedicated cosplayers—they had waited until after the dinner to do this. He enjoyed the attention, but Ana didn't want an audience. She was so nervous that she had barely eaten at dinner. Perhaps it was better this way. At least she wouldn't have to worry about throwing up.
The view from here was nice, though. New York was too cold, and too crowded for her taste, but she had to admit that it has its own beauty, with all these buildings and lights that reflected the city's history and culture. If only she could enjoy it.
"You don't have to start by jumping right off of the roof. We can start with an easier exercise. Like, you know, flying around in the lab, maybe? Plus, it's a good way to get familiar with the thrusters."
"I already know how the thrusters work. I've had some experience, remember?"
"Trust me, it's different when you're physically in the suit."
"This is what I need, Dad. If I want a suit, I should be prepared for the worst. Only then, I can feel safe in it."
"Fair point. Well, I know I can't tempt you with the promises of fun, so I want you to think of all those bad guys who wanted to hurt us instead: Stane, Vanko, Loki, Killian, HYDRA… Come on, kid. You do want to be prepared for whoever is next. All you have to do is to take this one step, and the rest will come."
Ana took another step towards the edge. One more step, and she would be falling. She knew her suit would come to her afterwards. There was no way she could fall to her death. She had a father and a boyfriend who would never let that happen. And even without them, she was capable of designing a flawless suit on her own. There was no miscalculation, no room for malfunction. And yet, the nauseating distance from the ground made her want to run back to her room and curl into a ball in her bed.
"Don't look down," he advised. "That's not going to help."
"Why is it so hard, Dad? I have every reason to take this one step!"
"It's alright. Take your time. No need to hurry."
"This would be a lot easier if you'd just push me."
He came to stand right next to her. "It would. The thing is, I can never do that to you, kid. So…" He smiled, and then jumped. Just like that. No hesitation, as if he were jumping into a pool from a platform.
Instinctively, Ana looked back, to see if a suit was coming for him. Nothing. Damn, he must have planned this to force her hand. She had to jump if she wanted to save him. So, she did. The decision had suddenly become a lot easier.
She wanted to see if the suit was coming now, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from him either. Everything else was a blur. She had never been so scared before, not even when she had to watch him go into a wormhole with a nuke on his back.
"DAD!" She extended her arms to reach him. Because of the rustling air in her ears, she could barely hear her own voice. His mouth was moving now, but she couldn't hear what he was saying either.
Thankfully, a second later, she felt the metal parts close around her body. Once she was fully covered, she grabbed her dad and bolted upwards.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" she scolded him angrily. "YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!"
"Oh, we're just getting started."
"What do you mean?"
On the roof, there were two drones. Three more were coming from around the corner. They all started shooting at Ana. She had barely been able to pivot around in time to shield her still unarmored father from the blasts.
"Are those Iron Legion drones?" she asked as she flew away from the tower.
"Yeah."
"Did you program them to attack us?"
"Yep."
"How am I supposed to dodge their attacks and protect you at the same time?" It was flattering that he trusted her with his life and all, but this was a bit too much.
"Well, it's called training for a reason… Watch out!"
A drone was closing in, and a blast it had just shot had grazed her left side. "JARVIS? I could really use your help right now…"
"You might not always have access to me, Ana. I will not intervene unless either you or Mr. Stark is in lethal danger."
"You mean, we're not in lethal danger right now?" she cried in disbelief.
"You're doing good, Ana. I'm actually enjoying watching you."
"You guys aren't going to go easy on me, are you?"
"Nope," her dad laughed. He looked like a kid having the ride of his life at Disneyland.
"At least tell me how long I'm going to have to do this!"
"Sorry, kid. Can't give you any spoilers!"
Frustrated, she rolled her eyes, then remembered the faceplate was obscuring her features. They kept circling around over Manhattan, from Harlem to Hell's Kitchen. Ana took the chase a bit higher, so that people wouldn't notice something was going on. It had to be colder up here for someone who was only wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but her dad wasn't complaining. He occasionally made comments like, "Nice one, honey!" or, "That was a close call."
At last, when he announced the training was over, they returned to the tower. Pepper was waiting for them.
"You guys actually did it," she gasped.
Ana put him down. His face was flushed, with both the cold and the thrill of the chase, and he was grinning from ear to ear. "I told you it would be fun."
She stepped out of the suit and welcomed the fresh night air on her face. "You're such a masochist…"
"Aww, my baby girl was scared for me," he said, kissing her cheek. Pepper was now chuckling. He always looked funny while trying to earn forgiveness. But she had to admit that it was also sweet. Besides, cruel they might be, his methods were effective. Ana was no longer afraid of heights.
…
Maria Hill had finally come to the Avengers Tower after that stunt she had pulled with Coulson's team on one of Fury's secret bases. She had gone behind the company's back and given the military the team's hiding location. She had thought she was doing Coulson's team a favor, by giving them an opportunity to throw the government a bone so that they could earn a pardon—that was what most ex-SHIELD agents did these days—but then changed her mind and turned against the soldiers when Coulson had told him Grant Ward was HYDRA. She must have felt personally responsible because she was the one who had recommended Ward for the team.
Coulson and his people were adamant about rebuilding SHIELD instead of switching to other intelligence agencies or the private sector. Glenn Talbot, the Air Force general who was in charge of this operation, wasn't happy, and that was an understatement. The entire Legal team was busy with this mess. The only reason Pepper let Hill get away with it was because Coulson was an old friend.
As soon as Hill's debriefing with Pepper was over, Ana summoned her to her office. When she came, she didn't seem very happy—probably about having to take orders from someone who was much younger than herself now—but Ana trusted her to keep things professional enough.
"JARVIS, please secure the office."
"Yes, miss," he said, obscuring the windows. She was still "Miss Stark" when others were present.
"If you're worried about Coulson's people, they're okay," Hill started.
"That's good to hear, but it's not why I called you. As you probably know, Fury and I have unfinished business," she started.
"Fury is dead," Hill said flatly.
"Come on, Hill. We're talking about a guy who harvests fluids from alien corpses to bring dead people back to life. No one can convince me he's really gone."
A suspicious frown appeared on Hill's face.
Ana grinned. "What? I thought he told you everything?"
"He didn't tell me he trusted you that much."
"We… decided to help each other to protect Earth. I don't buy the whole 'all cards on the table' bullshit, of course, but he's been honest enough. Next time you see him, tell him the deal is still on. And keep your eyes open particularly for the gravitonium. I guess I don't have to remind you why you should've trusted me with it."
"Pepper has already asked me about it."
"What did you tell her?"
"The truth. There's no sign of it. We think HYDRA might have given it back to Ian Quinn, but there's no sign of him either."
"That's weird."
"It is."
Ana exhaled thoughtfully to allow herself a moment to analyze the situation. Then, she said, "I don't want the other Avengers to know I'm interested in gravitonium. How can we make sure of that?"
"It's not going to be easy, with Romanoff and Barton on the team. Those two are walking polygraphs, so be careful around them. We'll let the team think we're searching for the Scepter instead. As dangerous as gravitonium, if not more."
"What if they find the Scepter first?"
"Then the search will be over. It will be up to you and Tony to keep looking. But the list will be considerably narrowed down by then, so you'll have that going for you."
"Right," she admitted. This was the best strategy they could use. If Ana was careful enough, the Avengers wouldn't suspect anything. From what Sigyn had taught her, the Asgardian gatekeeper Heimdall must know about Ana's plans for the gravitonium and the Darkhold, for he saw everything, but she was working on a solution for that as well.
"Will that be all?"
Ana nodded, and Hill walked out.
"I thought we'd come to an agreement on the matter of the Darkhold?" JARVIS said the moment they were alone.
"No, we didn't. We came to an agreement on a Plan C, which is an enhanced individual with foresight."
"Ana, you're playing a dangerous game. I can't watch idly by while you're doing this to yourself."
She was starting to regret having been honest with him. "JARVIS, do you believe Dad? Do you believe Loki's attack was a part of a much bigger scheme?"
"The probability is 95 percent."
"What's there to discuss, then? We need every weapon we can get our hands on!"
"Does it have to be you? Can't someone else read the book?"
"Who? Am I supposed to ask Dad? Hasn't he sacrificed enough for us?"
"What about me?"
She knew he would say that. "No way. If I go crazy, you can stop me. If you go crazy, I can't stop you. No human can stop a corrupt AI."
"Can I, though? Can I stop you, just like that? There's a reason I refuse to run the Ultron Program myself. I'm in love with you. I'll always choose you over the greater good."
"You wouldn't be doing it for the greater good. You'd be doing it for me. You wouldn't let me do anything I'd regret. I don't want any innocent blood on my hands, J. I might not be a hero, but I'm not evil either. I do want to make this world a better place, for everyone. All I ask in return is some peace and privacy. A little appreciation for my efforts wouldn't hurt either. But when I don't get these things, I become… disappointed."
"They're reasonable requests," JARVIS agreed.
"Besides, the book can teach me how to become immortal, too."
"Provided that it doesn't get you killed first," he said, but Ana could tell he was warming up to the idea.
She returned to work. The resurfacing of HYDRA had put extra workload on everyone, and she was no exception.
A/N: A quick note for those who watch AoS: I know most of us wonder if the Avengers found out about Coulson, and if they did, when. Well, in my headcanon, Tony found out when Maria Hill attacked Talbot and his men on Fury's secret base towards the end of Season 1. She was an employee of SI at that time, and there is no way the incident could have gone unnoticed. That's what I think anyway. So, I'm going with that in this fic.
