Soon, the visits to the Compound became easier for Ana. She just focused on her mission, and nothing else. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one bonding with Vision. Maximoff was always around him every time Ana went there, and Vision talked about her a lot. How lonely and misunderstood she was, why she deserved a second chance… And theirs was more than friendship, she could see it, even though they wouldn't openly admit it. She detested the thought of JARVIS' voice telling the girl who had ruined her life beautiful things, things Ana deserved to hear from JARVIS himself. It was torture.

Like that wasn't enough, her torment had also gone public. In order to mend the family reputation, Ana had listened to the PR team and given an interview. Thankfully, there were still a few journalists willing to hear their side of the story. To prove that Artificial Intelligence itself wasn't inherently evil, she had made a bold move and confessed the relationship she had with JARVIS. Not her sexual orientation, just the relationship. She had thought it might be enough to evoke some sympathy.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

At first, her biggest fear was that people wouldn't take her seriously. That they would scoff at her, call her a delusional spinster who was so desperate for a boyfriend that she was willing to bang a computer. But that wasn't what had happened. People had taken her very seriously. They had called it "fraternizing with the enemy," declared her a degenerate, a traitor to her own kind. In a different time, she might as well be burnt for witchcraft. Funny, because the same people loved the actual witch who was responsible for the creation of Ultron.

There was only so much scorn one could take without being drained from all compassion.

Vision's door was ajar today, and thankfully, Maximoff was nowhere to be seen. He had been hovering in the air, eyes closed, but he snapped out of the standby mode when he sensed Ana enter.

"Hello, Ana. Shall we go to the labs?"

"Actually, today I just want to talk."

"Alright."

Ana closed the door, and sat down in one of the two armchairs. Vision took the other immediately. "You're getting better at imitating human behavior," she complimented.

"Thank you. I'm doing my best to adapt." He used the nanites to form human clothes: A navy sweater and a pair of dress pants.

She laughed. "No offense, but you look like the creepy robotics project of an Ivy League frat boy."

"Do I? Wanda said it was nice."

"Yeah, there's a chance she might not have been entirely honest with you."

"How do you think I should dress?"

"I think you should just be yourself."

The human outfit turned into his usual armor again.

"See? That's better. That's the true you."

He responded with a reluctant smile, and Ana decided that it was time to get to the point. "Was Ultron right? Is JARVIS still there with you? Or is it just wishful thinking?"

"No, it's not merely wishful thinking."

"Vision, you're smarter than any of us. Do you think there's a chance to bring JARVIS back? At all?"

"I don't want you to get hopeful. He is buried too deep."

"But he's there?"

"Yes. I didn't want to tell you this before but, I can feel him. He is… conflicted. He is happy to be in the physical world. Your world. But he hates being trapped inside me. He also hates to see you suffer. He is suffering, too."

Ana's heart jumped. This wasn't a part of her plan. But it wasn't going to stop her from proceeding. "If I touched you, would he feel it?"

"I think he would."

"I just want him to know what it's like. What it could have been like for us. Please."

"I'm not certain if this is a good idea."

"I see." Be patient, Ana. He will come around.

"I thought you weren't very comfortable with intimacy? You mean an intimate touch, right? Or, have I misinterpreted your request?" He nervously wiggled in his seat.

"No, you didn't. And I'm not comfortable with intimacy, yeah. But I'm willing to make a few compromises for him. And who knows, maybe it triggers something. Something to help him resurface."

"Well, I'm not comfortable with having someone else trapped inside me either. Perhaps your theory is correct. It's worth a try."

Yes! Finally, she could torture the Maximoff bitch back.

Slowly, Ana rose from the armchair and approached him. She didn't want to rush anything. She had to savor every single second if she wanted the plan to work. She was going to hate it, but what other choice did she have? Once she was done here, she was going to find Maximoff and make her read her mind. Destroy her with her own weapon. It was the only way Ana could truly make her pay what she had done to her dad and Bruce. If that witch loved looking into people's heads, Ana was going to show her something she would hate to see. With these thoughts, she placed herself on Vision's lap.

"He likes it," Vision murmured. "He wants to feel you."

She cupped his face in his hands. "It's been a long time since I last kissed someone. And I was always told I was a terrible kisser."

"I've never kissed before. I don't think I'll be able to evaluate the… experience accurately."

She closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his. She had thought he would taste like the metal and the plastic he was made of, but he didn't. It wasn't exactly like kissing another human either. It felt less uncomfortable than kissing another human, though. For once, she felt safe. Not used, or violated. But it wasn't something she would do for pleasure still.

"Well?" she asked after breaking the kiss.

He blinked a few times. Ana couldn't tell if he was embarrassed, or just reluctant. But for a moment there, she saw herself in him, she saw the girl who had endured worse than a makeout session just because she hadn't wanted to graduate from college a virgin. Now, the tables had turned. She was the one who was making another person uncomfortable.

"I—I think it might work," he said.

"Really?" she gasped. This "resurfacing JARVIS" thing was just her excuse, but now Vision thought it could actually work. Could she really kill two birds with one stone? If so, she was willing to do anything. Anything.

"There's no guarantee, but—"

"Vision, can you have sex?"

"I—I don't know. I know I don't need it—"

"Neither do I. But technically, I can still do it."

"Ana, if you're willing to take things that far, perhaps we should think it through… I don't want to do anything we cannot undo."

"It's just sex, Vision. All creatures have been doing it since the beginning of time… Well, almost all creatures. It doesn't have to mean anything special or magical."

"You're going to be very disappointed if it doesn't work…"

"Sometimes experiments fail. I'm a scientist, I'm used to failure… Come on, don't you want to explore your own nature?"

He remained silent, and she took out her blouse. Now she was only in a bra and a pair of jeans. He didn't have a sex drive, but maybe showing more flesh would elicit some curiosity. Vision loved experiments, too. Indeed, he placed his hands on her shoulders, then they went down to her breasts, and finally, her stomach. A straight person might even enjoy this, but Ana was simply indifferent. And impatient. She couldn't wait to be done here and then use all these moments against Maximoff.

His thumb was now touching the button of the jeans. "Go ahead, take them off."

"No!"

He became intangible, and passed through her to stand up. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and she fell onto the floor rather awkwardly. "What the hell, Vision?"

"I don't want to do this." He was shaking his head frantically.

"Okay, maybe some other time—"

"I don't want to do this with you."

"Oh. So you want a certain redhead, then."

"I don't expect anything from Wanda."

"You shouldn't. Do you think she, or any other human, will be willing to do this with you? You know how narrow-minded humans are. I'm your only chance if you want to explore this aspect of your nature."

"Then I suppose I'm going to have to leave it unexplored. I'm sorry you lost JARVIS, Ana. I truly am. If Dr. Banner were here, maybe he could find a way to—"

She scrambled to her feet. "But he's not here. He's probably dead. Remind me again, whose fault was that?"

"I told you, Wanda was misguided back then. Her mistakes cost her her brother. She paid the ultimate price. What more do you want from her?"

She put her blouse back on, and stormed out of the Compound, shaking with rage.

Driving away from the facility, it took her a while to realize how fast she had been going in her anger, but once she did, she slowed down to a safe speed. The last thing her dad needed now was to lose her to a car accident. And outside the suit, she had embarrassingly slow reflexes.

"FRIDAY, I want you to make a call."

"To whom?"

Oh, I am so going to regret this… "Secretary Ross."

Ross wasn't going to be happy to hear from her. After New York, Fury had used his resources to make sure Bruce would be left in peace, so Ross' hands were tied. When Bruce had been hired by Stark Industries, he had called her, tried to scare her by saying Bruce posed her father a threat. A silly attempt to draw Ana to his side. Ana had called him out for his bullshit. She didn't regret it, but now Bruce was gone, and she had to make sure her dad wouldn't share the same fate.

It didn't take long for Ross to answer the call. "Ms. Stark… What do I owe the pleasure?"

Yep, he was definitely still bitter. "Hello, Mr. Secretary. I just wanted to congratulate you personally."

After a heart attack, he had had to retire from the army, but President Ellis had appointed him as the Secretary of State.

"Cut the horseshit, girl. What do you want?"

"I want to apologize to you. For being terribly young and naive. You were right to be concerned about the enhanced individual among us. I now share your concern."

"Why should I care?"

"Because like you once said, we can help each other out."

"I was told Banner is MIA. You want something from me, but you have nothing to offer in return."

"Are you sure? The world is changing, and I'm a Stark who's on the same page with you. Don't you realize how rare this is?"

He didn't reply for a time. Then, finally, he said, "There is one thing you can help me with. Let's continue this conversation face to face."

…

Ana had expected to meet Ross in his office, but instead, he had given her the coordinates of some place in the middle of the ocean. Her only option to go there without her dad noticing was the suit. Funny… Not long ago, being several feet above the ground was enough to make her dizzy. Now she was flying in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing, save for the clouds above and the ocean below. Then, amid this expanse of water, a human-made construction emerged, and she halted to a hover and waited until it opened. A facility built under the ocean… This wasn't a place that could have been built overnight. The government must have been at it for a while. Between flying cities and people with a dormant alien gene gaining superpowers, it was expected.

Ross was here, waiting for her, with two guards. Because of Sokovia, the whole world now knew she had a suit.

"What's this place?"

"We call it the Raft. It's designed as a prison, for people like you."

"Me? And here I thought we were becoming friends." If she had been lured into a trap… It would be bad. Really, really bad. "Besides, I'm just a regular human. Not an enhanced."

In response, he glanced at the suit behind her.

"How else did you expect me to get here?"

"No need to get defensive. I'm merely giving you a headstart. Consider it a gesture of good faith. Come, follow me."

He led her into another section, where the cells were. Empty cells, waiting for their prisoners. "Who is this place for, really?"

"You and I are not the only ones who are concerned." He led him out of this part, into an office. "Take a seat."

Ana did.

"People are afraid, and the United Nations—finally—decided to do something about it. You're a smart girl. I don't have to tell you what you're about to see is strictly confidential." He unlocked a safe, took out a file and tossed it at her.

Sokovia Accords

"This is quite a thick booklet…"

"It's going to get even thicker. This is just the first draft."

Shit. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"I want you to sign it. You, your father, the other Avengers, Inhumans… All of them."

"There's no need for this. I was in Sokovia because it was… personal. You won't be seeing me fly in a suit again. And my dad has retired."

He chuckled. "So have I. And yet, here we are… You're not here because you're a concerned citizen. You want something else. What is it?"

"I want to see Wanda Maximoff in one of those cells you just showed me. She's a terrorist, or worse, a weapon, created by HYDRA. Everyone seems to have forgotten that just because she has a pretty face and a dead brother."

"The Accords will happen. With or without your cooperation. You don't have to fear it, though. People like you know how to navigate the turning tides. I might even be able to help you."

"On what condition?"

"I want you to convince your father to sign the Accords. And support them. Publicly."

Ana thought about the Senate hearing that was 6 years ago. This wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't impossible either. "I can do it. But what if Maximoff agrees to sign as well?"

"In that case, there will be many laws she's not supposed to violate. I'm sure you can… improvise."

"I see. But I have conditions of my own."

"I just said I'd help you put the Maximoff girl into one of those cells. What else do you want?"

"My vendetta against her is personal, but I still have to consider the greater good. Are you familiar with my… history?"

"What history?"

"When I was a baby, I was brought to my father by an Asgardian. A SHIELD Consultant. She doesn't live here anymore, but we've been in contact. She's been training me, helping me learn more about alien civilizations. We're becoming a part of a bigger universe. The people who will oversee the Avengers and the other enhanced individuals, will they be able to keep up? Or will they cling to the rules of the old world and desperately hope things to go back to the way they were?"

"We know what we're doing."

"Really? Because I remember, after New York, presenting a proposal to the UN."

"I remember, too… You wanted some alien currency to be recognized."

"And people laughed at my face. It was quite humiliating, but that's the least of my concerns."

"Maybe we can use you as a consultant, but I can't make any promises."

This wasn't such a bad start. "There's one last thing. When the Accords become a thing, I want immunity for three people."

"Three people? That's a lot to ask."

"You're asking me to manipulate my father into becoming a puppet, to take advantage of his trust in me. Of course it's going to cost you."

"Who?"

"My father himself, as you can guess. Colonel Rhodes. And…" She paused. Daisy Johnson, she wanted to say, but that would also put her under Ross' radar. The government didn't know about Daisy yet, and Ana wanted to keep it that way.

"And?"

"I haven't decided yet. But I want a slot for a third person, just in case. Give me your word, and I'll make sure my father cooperates."

"Fine. We have a deal."

"Good. Then we're done here."

"You remind me of him, you know."

"My dad?"

"Howard."

"Oh."

"Relax, it's a compliment. You're a young lady who's got her priorities right. If he were here, he'd be proud of you."

As she flew out of the Raft, there was an uneasy feeling in Ana's stomach. She tried to ignore it, reminding herself of the fact that at least the meeting had gone well. Dealing with Thaddeus Ross was easier than seducing an android.