Thank you so much for the wonderful responses I received for the last chapter

Here I must add yet another disclaimer because the technopathy really takes off after this chapter:

Tony's ability of technopathy in this story was heavily inspired by the story "Tony Stark: Appliance Whisperer" by Alex51324 on AO3 (Archive of Our Own). If you have not done it already: Read it, leave a comment and give kudos to that inspired, wonderful, funny and heartfelt story. It's one of my favorites.

Chapter 5: Che Piacere Vederti!

He wanted to hug Bruce Banner Laptop so hard! It was not Stark Tech, and Tony did not know her that well, but it did not matter. She adored Bruce, and she had been with him when Tony had not been around to make sure nobody hurt him. Her security was top-notch, but the engineer could already see all her secrets, and she liked him! Give him fifteen minutes and he could be updated on Bruce' research of the last two years. He would never do that. He had always preferred outsmarting computers rather than use their affection for him against them; he did not like being manipulative, and he always avoided it around machines. They appreciated it too and the highly sophisticated computers usually fought harder than they would without his condition. It was always exhilarating and they were normally graceful losers. Anyway, hacking Bruce' computer was not his concern today.

He had to take a look at the code Bruce had shown him.

It was terrifying. Unlike his Science Buddy, he knew exactly what he was looking at. Unfortunately, that was not very comforting. He twirled and fiddled with the code, tried to find a solution while trying to ignore the constant chant of horrified What were you thinking, Arno? in his head.

"Can you walk us through, Tony?"

So, he was no longer 'Stark', now? The team leader's voice was almost apologetic, and it made Tony squirm. It was so easy to piss Steve off, to say something offensive, just to make him indignant to the point of hurtful. Tony loved trading barbs with him, and he adored the battle conversations the other man had with the bad guys, but he hated the latter ever since he had received the designation of 'bad guy'. Something that reminded him awfully of five-year-old little Tony desperate for his father's approval (adoptive father! Why did he even assume I would ever be as smart as him, not to mention his ingenious, genetically engineered son? Not that he was wrong, but the sheer assumption is ridiculous!), cried out every single time Steve was his Captain America self.

'Do you actually think the fact that you know how to program a computer makes you more of a human being than me? That I'm out of touch because I don't know what you know? I know what freedom is. I know what it feels like to fight for it and I know what it costs to have it. You know compromise.'

'You made this war. You birthed it into existence by sheer force of will.'

'Tell me, Stark, was it worth it? Tell me!'

He sometimes wished he did not have an eidetic memory. Worst thing was, Steve was right. He had made this war. Every single person affected by the war was yet another person hurt by Tony Stark. Yet, he would do it all over again. After all, it was worth it.

"I'm trying to fix the code, but it's not easy. It will take some time…" he began, but two hands covered both of his wrists causing him to look up right into Steve's eyes.

"Tony," the taller man sounded pained. "Before you try to fix this," Tony hated that tone of voice. It sounded like Howard whenever he had not acted, as he should. "Explain us what the problem is in the first place."

"I…"

How to explain this without his old workshop? He had built an entire room just to explain to other people what he was doing. He would not be able to explain any of this without the aid of holographic imagery. Worse, he had not used jargon of any kind around anyone but JARVIS, whom he had created from scratch and who knew him like the back of his hand, in two years.

Back to basics!

He grabbed a piece of paper from his surveillance desk and showed it to Steve, Barnes and Bruce. The latter would understand the jargon, but Steve would not appreciate being talked over. Howard had always detested it when he did that before he stirred the conversation in a direction that made Tony feel about two inches tall.

Dead for more than twenty years, still taking me to school.

"This is the kind of code I have usually received from Arno: white and clean." He avoided the word 'sterile'. "Any computer scientist would tell you that this kind of code is flawless, perfect. Normally," he picked up another piece of paper, crumbled it at the edges and ripped it in a few places, "that's the kind of code you get from people who are good at their job but not at our level. There will be hick-ups, flaws. It's hard to predict and the codes need constant upgrades to bridge these flaws. The code you showed me isn't flawed," he grabbed a sheet of paper he usually used to draw negatives, "it's pitch-black."

"What does that mean?" Steve said at the same time as Bruce, while he noticed that JARVIS really wanted to take a closer look. He pressed a few buttons to bridge Bruce Banner Laptop with the virtual interface he had created for JARVIS (named JARVIS junior) as well as the order to analyze but not integrate or even 'touch' the code. Steve did not notice Tony's actions, while Bruce did. Thankfully, he did not ask or say anything.

"That means my brother created the antithesis of his own code. I don't know why. He can't have created this coincidentally, but I don't see how he could do this on purpose. I mean, who would? Justin Hammer is an idiot and he treats his creations horribly, but he wouldn't have the brains to create something like this and even if he did, I don't think he would unless someone pays enough. Why would Arno do this?" he was starting to babble, he knew he did, but this was bad.

"Tony, what does that mean? Will Stark technology try to take over the world like Ultron?"

"Ultron?" the engineer looked at Steve, entirely confused. Why on Earth would he assume a StarkPhone to be like Ultron? That would be like thinking a puppy could launch nuclear weapons. "No, Ultron is… I wrote something that was supposed to help, but it twisted and was destroyed in the process." Together with JARVIS. Oh God, JARVIS! I'm sorry. The code had been ripped apart. JARVIS nearly died! Ultron had been a monster. He had created a monster… "But that was artificial intelligence. That's not what this is. Once the new Stark technology is distributed, there will be mishaps, but not something that would trace back to SI: a text that is not delivered, but there will be nothing to indicate the text was sent in the first place making the writer doubt it was ever written or saved. Slightly altered text messages that will look like Freudian slips. Gossip emails that were meant for one person are suddenly sent to the entire department. Fake or real porn sites shown to spouses… Because it would seem like fun."

"To whom? Arno?"

"No, the tech!" Tony replied.

"So, they are artificial intelligences hidden as normal tech," Bruce interjected, looking at Tony critically.

"No," Tony contradicted. "It's highly sophisticated technology. Well, I assume it is, even though I haven't been allowed to see the hardware that goes with it, but the code does not create anything that can reason or self-improve. It's not independent intelligence."

"Then why would they do something like this?"

"Because Arno removed any kind of compassion or conscience from his code. They won't suddenly turn murderous, that's not how they're programmed, it's not their function, but they will not work with their owners… Instead, they will make their lives so much harder."

"Tony…" Bruce began, haltingly. "What you say would imply that machines or appliances have feelings. I do not dispute that JARVIS, DUM-E and your other AIs have feelings, I mean, our welcoming committee proves this if nothing else, but we are talking phones here… Are you sure Arno did not install some kind of artificial intelligence in there somewhere?"

Tony felt a shudder run down his spine.

'Never ever tell anybody, Tony. All Starks are great men. Men. They are not mutants.'

"Of course, Big Guy. You are right. Anyway, this code is bad news, and we should talk to Vision about this. Why have you not talked to him already?"

Deflection was the best strategy in this.

"We have, and he was not sure what he was seeing. He told us to talk to you," Steve replied.

Of course he did. The coward would not start a discussion about electronic life and feelings.

'Nobody will listen if it comes from me for I too am artificial life. However, people will listen to you. You are human and you have created such life before.'

'Yeah, and that was a major bust.'

'I was talking about your family: DUM-E, Butterfingers, U and JARVIS. Myself too if you wish. After all, I am somewhat JARVIS' grandchild.'

Vision knew him too well, and after hugging the living daylight out of the other Avenger, welcoming him to his family, he had turned around to finish a war he had started in the hopes to save everyone. Never let it be said that he did things halfway.

This time, it was Bruce who grasped his forearm, no less gently than Steve had before.

"Tony, stop deflecting. What are you trying to say?"

He did his best to hold eye contact as he had been told to since he was four years old, but it was hard. Bruce Banner Laptop demanded his attention; Steve Rogers Nokia gave another sigh just how boring the man was, while Captain America Communication Device told it to shut the hell up, that Nokia was clueless and stupid; Winter Soldier Arm still screamed in pain while simultaneously begging for help and threatening to kill him. Butterfinger, U and DUM-E were worried; JARVIS who had finished analyzing the code was back to hovering over him as protectively as he could. That on top of Howard's 'Don't tell anyone!' and his own 'Don't let them see!' he had no idea where to look, or what to say.

"Does anybody want a drink? I have… water, beer, some booze, and I think a Coke in the fridge," he babbled.

"What are you…" Bruce began, but Tony spoke right over him. He knew how much people hated it when he did that.

"Rehydration is important, especially after coming from a long flight…"

"You are deflect…"

"And I know you don't like flying, so you didn't do that or find any rest on the plane…"

"Stop it, please…"

"You need to catch some sleep. By the way, you look horrible. The bags beneath your eyes look as if you were in an abusive relationship."

"The Hulk swam half-way across the Atlantic to get to you! I didn't even know he could swim. He usually avoids water."

That efficiently shut him up.

"Oh."

"Technology and feelings," Bruce continued, "Don't think I don't know all of your tricks to get out of a conversation. Rhodey and Pepper filled me in on those you haven't used on me yet."

"Traitors," said Tony, in the hopes of lifting the mood, but instead, it made Bruce flinch, causing the former billionaire to feel guilty instead. "Not you."

Why were humans so complicated? If words failed with machines, he projected, or just wrote in code what he had meant to say. Humans' feathers were so easily ruffled. Not that he was any better.

'Are you my son, or a machine, Tony?'

'You are like a robot. Stop acting like this!'

'Your son is a highly functional sociopath, Mr. Stark. My analyses have clearly shown that.'

'I have strong suspicion to believe that your son is autistic. It is a condition that…'

If people only knew how many times he had wished to disappear into Iron Man never to reemerge. Life as Iron Man was easier; more dangerous of course, but nothing could hurt him the way it could as Tony Stark. People had actually liked him for once. He did some good, and was actively atoning for the mistakes of the past. This wish was only supported by the fact that all his new failures had been committed as Tony Stark, like the creation of Ultron, which only confirmed his hypothesis. However, Armor lost its inherent programming to avoid hurting people if he decided to fully disappear and become as Iron Man. He would never use Armor like that.

He had never said anything to Rhodey or Pepper; he had dumped so much on them already. This could finally be the thing to make them leave. However, Steve already did not like him, while his sense of justice would not let himself use Tony's condition against him. Barnes followed Steve's lead. Tony trusted Bruce, though he would probably leave after this (chance of him leaving again as of now is exactly 46.76%, chance of him leaving after being informed is approximately 67.43%, chance of him telling anyone other than the rest of the Avengers is less than 0.0023%; if he decides to stay, the chance of him doing that for a) scientific reasons is 89.4%, b) solely for the sake of friendship: 3.2%, c) both: 7.4 %), but then Tony had survived the first time around, he would do it again. Ironically, he had less to lose if he told them now than he had when they were still a team.

Only two more years.

"I have an X gene mutation. I'm a low-level mutant, and my abilities are entirely passive. Professor Xavier would not be able to pick them up without the help Cerebro or without reading my mind. It's called technopathy; unlike with technomancy, I do not have the power to control machines." Which was nothing short of terrifying, by the way. It was like mind-control, and he had protected his AIs from it as soon as he had first heard about it. "I sense the thoughts and feelings of all electric life."

Good? Bad? More?