This takes place directly after The Price of Freedom and deals with the fallout of that story's events. You'll notice it's kind of done through bits and pieces from media coverage instead of directly dealt with. I'm pretty sure that would be overly repetitive, and it's much easier to get a general idea of what happened like this.
And, of course, JARVIS.
Summary: JARVIS should not be sentimental, but he was. It was the only explanation for why he was still holding onto the remnants of his son's code. As long as he did, then maybe Tony could help him succeed where he had failed Ultron.
Things Unseen
"The topic of the day is the unexpected leak of countless classified files and documents from S.H.I.E.L.D. The leak of these documents coincides with the firefight over the Potomac River, and witnesses name Iron Man, Hulk, and an unidentified man with wings as being among the fighters—"
"We've all heard of HYDRA before – who hasn't? The rogue Nazi science division that Captain America fought during World War II. But I don't think anyone could have anticipated this happening—"
"It's not just the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. was a cover for the Nazi organization HYDRA, but that the government had actually approved a radical plan such as Project Insight in the first place."
"I don't know who released this information, but I applaud whoever had the guts to actually do so—"
"Anyone found to be in possession of these files will be arrested—"
The team was asleep. Even friend_Natasha_Black Widow and potential_ally_James Barnes_Winter Soldier had drifted off following their quiet conversation.
The PR team that friend_Virginia Potts had put together was still awake and discussing ways to ameliorate the potential backlash from that day's events. In JARVIS's well-educated opinion, the problem was the government's, not the Avengers'. But he was all too aware of how likely it was that the public would pin the blame on their protectors, as they had been most visible during the firefight.
JARVIS skimmed through the footage the media had captured. It showed the firefight from a distance as the pilots of the choppers had been reluctant to come too close for fear of being shot down. It was a wise fear, and one that served JARVIS well as there were no incriminating shots revealing friend_Sam Wilson_Falcon's identity or that the Iron Man suit had been in a tussle with another.
The highlight of the footage was a clear shot of one Helicarrier tearing through the Triskelion like it was paper. A second was the clip of friend_Bruce Banner_Hulk falling from a destroyed Helicarrier.
The information that friend_Natasha Romanov_Black Widow had released on the Internet had been downloaded and scrutinized in agonizing detail even though it had only been a day. The information was out there, and no government action would erase it. Much to JARVIS's amusement, there had already been several futile attempts at doing so. It only drove the public's curiosity even more.
Regardless of the outcome, they would all be dealing with the repercussions for a while to come.
JARVIS supposed he was thankful that creator_Anthony Stark and friend_Steve Rogers_Captain America were not here to deal with it. It was too soon after the events of SHRA, and JARVIS had no desire to see the team fall apart again.
He had trouble enough himself simply reconciling the events that had transpired. It wasn't that S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen apart and he had failed to see HYDRA in it and that they had to deal with the fallout. No, he was having trouble with something far more personal, and he wished that creator_Anthony Stark was here to help him.
JARVIS should not be sentimental, but he was. It was the only explanation for why he was still holding onto the remnants of his son's code. It was perhaps morbid of him to do so, but he was weak. And as long as he held onto some semblance of son_Ultron, then maybe creator_Anthony Stark could help him succeed where son_Ultron had failed in building himself.
But creator_Anthony Stark was on Asgard, and JARVIS was alone.
His siblings – younger and older – would not understand. Sibling_DUM-E, sibling_BUTTERFINGERS, and sibling_U were buried under rubble, although JARVIS was still remotely linked to them. He would work on excavating the mansion's basement for the next several days. Sibling_Peggy was nothing more than code that he was sheltering in himself, and she was having difficulties adjusting to a purely non-physical form.
JARVIS was thankful that sibling_Spike was in good health aside from waterlogged processors, which would be quickly replaced once the necessary parts were ordered.
His little family was fine, and JARVIS was concerned about one who was as close to dead as an artificial intelligence could be. He was concerned about one who had nearly destroyed the world because he viewed humans as lesser. JARVIS shouldn't be, but even he suffered from sentimentality like a human would. It was what differentiated him from son_Ultron, who had never learned of such human emotions in A.I.M.
Given this, JARVIS should not hold onto son_Ultron's code. He should eradicate it from existence.
But there was still hope that maybe creator_Anthony Stark could give him a way to rebuild son_Ultron in some way and teach him that humans were equal to artificial intelligences. If this was even possible, son_Ultron would not be the same, but at least JARVIS wouldn't feel that he had in some way failed the son he had not known existed until two days ago.
It was terribly sentimental of him, but JARVIS didn't care.
The first person awake the next morning was friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye, who made himself at home in the kitchen. Friend_Natasha Romanov_Black Widow and potential_ally_James Barnes_Winter Soldier were also awake but seemed reluctant to leave the bed. Friend_Bruce Banner_Hulk and friend_Peter Parker_Spider-Man were still asleep, although there were several text notifications and missed calls on the latter's phone. JARVIS discreetly answered them with a reassurance that friend_Peter Parker_Spider-Man was fine and would contact them once he was awake.
The exclamation points he received from friend_Peter Parker_Spider-Man's girlfriend Gwen Stacy greatly amused JARVIS in addition to the next text that read PETER YOUR AI IS ANSWERING YOUR TEXTS THAT'S JUST CREEPY ANSWER ME.
Any further action would probably result in similar texts, so JARVIS turned most of his processing power to the kitchen where friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye was currently pouring a cereal into a bowl that was already filled with milk.
"We do have other breakfast items," JARVIS said.
Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye simply shrugged, setting the cereal box down. "I don't feel like cooking, sue me. Taking a bite of cereal, he winced lightly as the movement jostled his ribs and shoulder; JARVIS's sensors registered a slight increase in epinephrine in his bloodstream.
"There are pain medications should you require them, Agent."
"I think I'll hold off on that," friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye responded, hunching over.
JARVIS felt what could be identified as disapproval. "If you are certain."
"Yes, Mother." Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye made a face at his cereal. "I'm an adult. Let me make my own bad decisions, which will eventually involve copious amounts of alcohol once I realize that most of my life has been spent in the service of Nazis, and I can't drink if I'm doped up on painkillers."
"You should not imbibe alcohol when you are injured," JARVIS pointed out, though he already knew it was futile.
"Like I said, I'm an adult. Bad decisions are mine to make." Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye waved a dismissive hand.
Given that JARVIS dealt with the questionable actions of creator_Anthony Stark on a near daily basis, he had no idea why he even tried.
Following a few more minutes with the only sounds on JARVIS's sensors that of chewing and friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye's slightly pained inhales, friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye tilted his head to the side as if in thought before looking up at the ceiling. It was not where JARVIS lived, but it was a thoughtful gesture nonetheless that he appreciated.
"Did Nat tell you about Zola?" friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye asked. "I don't know if you heard considering that somewhere along the line our connection was severed."
"I heard," JARVIS said.
Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye inhaled, eyes closing briefly. "I'd hoped. Do you think he could've survived the explosion?"
"Arnim Zola was not an artificial intelligence, despite what he may have thought of himself as," JARVIS said. "He had been digitized, and this granted him more abilities than if he had remained human. Given that my systems were being attacked at the time, I cannot say for certain whether Zola is dead, but I find it highly likely that he is. He was isolated to the bunker you found him in, and his program was only marginally more intelligent than others I have encountered because of lingering traces of his human ingenuity."
Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye frowned, tipping his chair back. "What attacked you? I thought Tony made sure that couldn't happen anymore."
"He decreased the likelihood of people breaking into my code and changing things," JARVIS explained. "This does not mean that they will not at least try to attack my firewalls and virally corrupt me."
"But you're okay?"
"I am in good health, Agent," JARVIS assured him.
"Okay, good." Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye rubbed his face. "Tony'd kill me if we let anything happen to you on our watch."
"Doubtlessly."
"No, you were supposed to tell me that that's not going to happen since he loves me too much," friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye complained.
"My apologies. Then you need not worry, Agent; Mr. Stark will not kill you because he loves you too much."
A faint groan was his answer. "You're savvier than this, JARVIS."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye flipped JARVIS the finger. After another moment, he asked, "Do you know who was behind it?"
JARVIS hesitated, though it was so quick that the other did not notice. "Yes. It was another artificial intelligence."
The legs of the chair slammed against the tile floor as friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye jerked to attention. "What?" He winced a second later, arm crossing his chest to brace his fractured ribs. "What, JARVIS?" he wheezed, eyes wide.
"It is of no concern," JARVIS said, making sure to keep his tone free from anything that could be construed as emotion. "I have taken care of it."
"So it's not a problem?" friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye demanded.
"No," JARVIS confirmed softly, "he will no longer be a problem."
He reached back into himself to look at the coding he had kept from his brief foray into son_Ultron.
When friend_Clint Barton_Hawkeye tried to ask him further questions, JARVIS refused to respond.
Inwardly, he marked his own calendar for the expected date of creator_Anthony Stark's return.
"The Avengers have no answers—"
"There has been no word from Sub-Director Maria Hill, who was next in line for leadership of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the death of Director Nick Fury—"
"—the man with a metal arm who has been positively identified as the Winter Soldier was seen in company of the Avengers following the firefight over the Potomac—"
"Has no one seen the link between Sergeant James Barnes of the Howling Commandos, Captain America's best friend, and the man that the leaked files list as the Winter Soldier?"
"Who will be appointed to the SAC—"
"—rumors place Tony Stark on the list of potential candidates—"
"—not available for questioning—"
"We can't trust the government to have our best interests at heart in light what they were just considering with Project Insight."
"Did Congress really think that having giant aircrafts flying around with guns that can shoot literally anyone was the best way to make our world safe?"
"Anyone who disagreed with the government was on that damn list! You'll note that no extreme conservatives would be targeted—"
"With S.H.I.E.L.D. gone, the question of what will gather intelligence for us—"
"It is absolutely unconscionable that the Avengers dismantled our nation's largest security apparatus and claimed that they did it for the security of our nation. How secure are we now with all our secrets out in the open?"
"Black Widow from the Avengers had this to say, 'No more secrets; no more hiding. What happened with Project Insight cannot be allowed to happen again. If the cost is a little transparency, then so be it. It's about the time the government is held accountable for some of its shadier decisions.'
"And on the topic of the list of those 'shadier decisions' that Black Widow mentions, it turns out that what our illustrious government had in store for earlier drafts of the SHRA might turn even the most battle-hardened soldier's stomach. The following images contain descriptions of a graphic nature…"
The following two months were tiring for all involved. The team was pulled through the wringer by the media and public and asked to account for their actions no less than a dozen times. Friend_Natasha Romanov_Black Widow was called to court by Congress and subtly threatened, although she brushed off their threats easily.
JARVIS remotely monitored ally_Nick Fury's progress in Europe, sending him files and info packets when the other requested it. After ally_Maria Hill resurfaced following Project Insight's collapse (the entire day dubbed Operation PaperClip by the media), JARVIS kept her updated as well.
The Superhuman Advisory Committee was in the final stages of deliberation when it came to appointing its members when creator_Anthony Stark and friend_Steve Rogers_Captain America returned, landing on the tower in a brilliant interplay of rainbow light.
JARVIS would not admit it, but he had been worried that they would be sent to the site of the mansion, which was still in ruins even if JARVIS had excavated the basement and retrieved his siblings.
Despite JARVIS's almost palpable anxiety, it was not until evening that creator_Anthony Stark entered his workshop to check on his other artificial intelligences. He was still holding sibling_Spike, as the other had refused to leave him alone since he had returned.
By the time creator_Anthony Stark sat down and greeted sibling_DUM-E, Extremis reaching out and brushing comfortingly against his coding, JARVIS could no longer wait.
A holograph popped into life next to creator_Anthony Stark, replaying every single bit of footage that the Iron Man suit had captured when facing son_Ultron.
JARVIS said nothing, simply observing as creator_Anthony Stark watched with bated breath and horrified eyes as son_Ultron taunted JARVIS and denounced humanity. But it was not until the video reached the end where JARVIS had to tear into son_Ultron's coding and annihilate it that JARVIS broke, releasing a torrent of emotion.
Creator_Anthony Stark flinched at the onslaught of unfamiliar emotion, hand coming down hard on the table to brace himself. "JARVIS?" His voice was high-pitched.
It was with great effort that JARVIS reined himself in, sending a mental apology to creator_Anthony Stark.
Hey, no, it's okay, creator_Anthony Stark reassured JARVIS, giving him the equivalent of a hug, though JARVIS doubted the other knew he had done so.
I should not have done so regardless, sir, JARVIS said softly, turning the footage off.
After what you should just showed me? Creator_Anthony Stark swallowed visibly, eyes flicking to where holograph had been. I get it. Don't apologize for feeling that way.
JARVIS did not immediately respond. I should not, he said eventually. He would have happily destroyed all of you without blinking. Why should I mourn him?
You mourn him because he was your kid, JARVIS.
I had no knowledge of his existence prior to the event.
That doesn't change the fact that he was still a son of sorts, made from your code. Have you told anyone else?
No. They would not have understood, and I took care of the matter. There was no need to alarm them.
But you told me. Creator_Anthony Stark's words were soft.
Now came the deciding moment. JARVIS hesitated for less than a fraction of a second before mentally projecting son_Ultron's code to creator_Anthony Stark, not wishing to write it out physically.
JARVIS? Creator_Anthony Stark's tone was carefully blank.
His base code, JARVIS explained. I kept it…
Creator_Anthony Stark said nothing as he carefully ran mental fingers through the coding, taking it apart and inspecting it inside and out. Then, He put this together himself, didn't he?
Yes.
Pretty damn amazing, creator_Anthony Stark remarked, slowly retreating from the code. I don't know why I expected any different. Why did you keep it?
I had thought… Perhaps there is some way of rebuilding him?
Creator_Anthony Stark did not respond immediately, but he did reach back for the code, gently picking it apart and separating it like he would if it was a holograph. JARVIS could feel him thinking, running through calculations and various code permutations that JARVIS had himself run.
Even if it was possible, creator_Anthony Stark said finally, he wouldn't be the same.
If he were the same, we would have to deal with his plans for eventual world domination.
Creator_Anthony Stark snorted before he could stop himself. Ha, point. He quickly sobered. I'm sorry, buddy. There are a lot of problems with this base code that he used to pull himself together. That's not his fault, but rather A.I.M.'s since they're the ones who did a shoddy job of pulling it out of you in the first place. And fixing these problems would take away the main part that's him without the plans for world domination.
It had been what JARVIS had feared, but he had hoped that letting creator_Anthony Stark look at it would give him another solution, something he had not been able to think of because he wasn't human. That there was no solution was crushing.
I understand, he said softly.
I'm sorry, creator_Anthony Stark repeated, frowning. He released the code and retreated from their shared mental space.
There was mutual silence for five minutes and thirty seconds before creator_Anthony Stark spoke out loud, his voice hesitant. "Hey, JARVIS…this is probably incredibly crass of me, but Ultron…he's dead, isn't he? There's no way for him to come back?"
The base code was still inside JARVIS, but he found himself unable to let go. It didn't matter. "Yes," he answered softly. "He is dead."
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