AN : So I haven't been feeling particularly well emotionally for a couple weeks and while this chapter isn't getting any better, it's also currently not half bad. So here's my early Christmas present since I don't expect to post anything for my fics any time soon, not unless a Christmas miracle happens anyway.
Ch 2 : Once More, Without Feeling
I lower my hand to look at her and cock my head as my face tugs into a frown like a cheap mask.
"It seems I... They... We couldn't deal with the feedback loop of guilt, shame, and rage at our situation so the chips decided to unplug us from our emotions. We understand this isn't healthy but there is no alternative, besides perhaps memory death which the chips wouldn't allow in the first place."
The frown slips as it's too foreign to hold consciously for long as the Ancient One sighs and takes a hold of the screen that's still floating in the air, currently playing the post credit scene for Avengers.
"As you might be able to imagine I'll need some time to process this. I'll take this for review, in the meantime you're free to stay here. I've lived a very long time, I should know a thing or two to at least help you make the framework of an inhibition. Though one thing confuses me, what's the correlation between this world being fictional to you and the Time Stone being unable to see any timeline you're in?"
I nod as my chips form a book as I gesture to it.
"That's rather simple. Seeing as this world is fictional it stands to reason so am I now, nothing more than a fictional representation of the person currently writing this story. The Infinity Stones might create spacetime and act as a stabilizer, but no force in any universe can look into a future that doesn't currently exist. To put it another way, there's nothing wrong with the stone, it's just that there quite literally is no future until my story advances. You can see what I mean by using it to look past the point you tried it the first time."
She frowns as she once again uses the stone, her face getting more severe as she gasps.
"You're right. The point I couldn't see past is now filled with our interactions. Even as I speak the present and past get filled out. But... Wouldn't that mean your very existence is what keeps reality intact? "
I nod
"Well, yes. After all a story can't exist without it's main character to experience it. Should I somehow die completely, everything else will effectively cease to exist, just the same way with my real self dying. With them gone there will never be a future for this or any other story I've written."
She frowns more as she nods before gesturing to the wider sanctum.
"Very well. In that case we better see if you can use magic hm? I wouldn't be much of a Sorcerer Supreme if I didn't make sure the lynchpin of our reality wasn't as defended as possible. Lacking that, you should at least know the various mystic threats you could encounter."
I force a grin on my face for a moment before nodding.
"That's great news. Though even if I am unable to use it myself, I do have a work around I can propose once you've seen the post credit scene for Doctor Strange. That is of course unless you want to use Kaecilius instead. Removing his magic and giving it to me should be no problem no? I could steal his knowledge too to skip you having to teach me wholesale, I wouldn't want to be too much of a bother, after all you're very busy even without my appearing here."
She blinks before it clicks.
"Ah, are you suggesting that this situation, as awful as it might be for you, isn't wholly bad since I'm no longer fated to die since the future in which that happens no longer exists? Well as I'm sure you know, I've done many things to extend my life to protect the universe, if what we're assuming is true I wouldn't mind at all doing so. Still I feel... Well I'm not quite sure what I'm feeling now. It's a lot to take in."
I let out a mockery of a chuckle as I let out a huff of air.
"Don't I know it. I'm sorry for all this. Though you should rest easy on the continuation of reality. I'm not eager to die and I'll always have a bit of my in the Quantum Realm in case the impossible happens and the rest of me somehow dies."
I glance away from her momentarily, catching my dead eyed reflection briefly, before turning back.
"Though before you go watch all of that I'd like to ask you for a favor. I'd like you to make a portal to Vormir. I've no interest in acquiring the Infinity Stones but an added layer of protection for the Soul Stone would do the Universe well. Having a nano swarm of myself there to save those going to be sacrificed for it might go someway to atoning for this fucked up situation."
She smiles slightly as she nods, opening one to said planet before closing it as a bit of myself enters.
"Yes, if you wanted the stones you could have killed me upon finding me. Though I am curious why you don't want them."
I grimace slightly before sighing and stopping. Emoting without emotions is exhausting.
"That's rather simple. The stones, for all their power, are equally as powerless as my hive to give me what I desire. Even now I can feel the phantom eyes of the readers peering at me like I'm in some sort of fucked up human zoo. It's... revolting. No amount of power would be able to mask me from their sight or protect my thoughts and feelings from their scrutiny."
My skin ripples as a brief flash of intense nausea blooms in me before being suppressed again. I don't like the look of pity the Ancient One is giving me as she frowns.
"Yes, I imagine that'd be distressing for anyone. Here's hoping I don't join you in existential despair once I've gone over everything. You're free to read up on the basics of Magic as you wait."
I nod before frowning and shaking my head.
" Hold on, I've another favor to ask you. I'd like you to expose me to the Time Stone directly so my Hive can grow resistant and hopefully immune to it should it somehow be stolen. Once we begin rounding up the other Stones I'll subject myself to them as well, or at the very least the Reality Stone since they're the most powerful."
The Ancient One takes a beat to think it over before nodding as the Eye of Agamotto opens up again, the Stone in it glowing brilliantly.
"Very well. I'll do so, as a act of good faith."
With a gesture the rays of green power fill the room as Time crawls to a halt. My 4th swarm remains frozen for a few minutes, noted by the other 3 who were currently busy dismantling Hydra and dumping all of their files to Nick Fury, a copy of me currently sitting across from him as we continued our discussion of events yet to come.
As the minutes ticked by my chips grew accustomed to the energies of the Time Stone, taking stock of it's wavelengths and radiation, helped by the swarm uneffected by it's touch, and all at once that body was moving again. I nod to the Ancient One in appreciation as the green glow, so reminiscent of another powerful artifact, was pulled back into the Stone.
"Thank you for that. Hopefully getting a grip on the Reality Stone will go much smoother now. Speaking of Stones... I'm afraid you'll have to look at the reel some other time. We've a guest coming this way quickly. Nick Fury to be exact and the Tesseract and Mind Stone in tow."
She frowns as the screen disassembles into so many Nanochips while looking at me with a resigned glare before sighing.
"I realize you don't have inhibitions so I can't really fault you for jumping the gun and forcing a introduction but I'd rather you have asked before doing so."
I have the grace to look away in feigned embarrassment at the faux pas before shrugging at her and frowning myself for a brief moment.
"Normally I wouldn't be so forthcoming or reckless but not having inhibitions is making it impossible to hold off on things I feel should be done. Like wiping out HYDRA, freeing and deprogramming the Winter Soldier, rebuilding New York, and being generally proactive in preventing future tragedy. That and I can't say it doesn't feel somewhat good, at least phantomly, knowing I'm making it as hard as I can for the me writing this to get out of the corner I'm boxing them in while my meta knowledge is still somewhat intact."
She lets out a sharp laugh as she nods.
" Well on that we can agree. Very well, since you're so eager to meet up we might as well make sure we do this in as private a place as possible. Please inform them not to be alarmed by what's about to happen next."
With a wave of her hand we drop into a portal and land on the roof of the Sanctum before another portal opens and in drive through Fury, Maria Hill, and another copy of me as it dismantles into a swarm joined by the me that was already here before we arrived. As they get out of the tactical car I wave.
"Welcome to the Mirror Dimension. We should be safe from most prying eyes and ears here."
