Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Metallic Malice. Enjoy the 4000-word chapter. I don't own Marvel; Disney and a few others do.
Tony allowed Steve to break the news. Not out of fear for what was happening, no. Tony knew he was charismatic enough to fix it all and he could and would do so… But the avengers as people were a family and Tony was the little brother nobody wanted to invite to the table even if they were asked.
Still? Seeing T'Challa, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, War Machine, and others? Well, it at least told Tony that they were still a damn family no matter what was said and done.
"Tony is creating another android, one called Malin," Steve said before looking at Tony who shrugged. "He wanted to help Ultron find some peace in the world and believes it would help if he had a friend or brother to assist," Steve said before Tony hummed.
"Gee, thanks, Steve. Remind me never to tell you if someone is having a surprise party." Tony quipped before turning to the others. "Yeah, I am. He needs someone to help and he's the only guy out here who's different enough by the contrast of being a robot. I'd probably get a little resentful if my only buddies weren't even my species." Tony said as Ultron frowned at it.
"So, can I finally get that upgrade on my web shooters or will I have to build you a giant robot instead?" Spidey joked as Tony chuckled.
"Relax, I'll help you there just like I promised, Pete," Tony said as he looked at T'Challa. "So, what does the king of the most advanced nation on Earth have to say? Because I would have asked for some Vibranium but I already can tell it's a firm 'NO'." Tony joked as T'Challa hummed.
"No, I am merely conflicted on if this android will be friend or foe. Ultron spent at least 2 months pondering his existence before he decided to act upon such things." T'Challa said to which Tony hummed.
"You can ask him yourself. He's online enough to talk and I doubt he'd be in any real trouble trying to say much." Tony said before another voice spoke up.
"And how about Malin? What's he going to do when he's up?" He heard as he hummed.
He knew that voice very well at the end of the day, it belonged to the Inhuman Princess known as Crystal who sat on a small chair only big enough for one purpose. It wasn't exactly something that most people would sit on, but then again? Crystal wasn't most people and she wasn't someone who was regularly around, not at all when it came down to it.
"Well, probably ask you what you want, Crystal? He's shy and people kinda bug him." Tony quipped to which Crystal rolled his eyes.
"There's a lot you should remember, Tony… it doesn't hurt to be nice." Crystal said as the others knew he was in his way as he always seemed to be able to do more and more once again.
It was a very awkward and confusing situation that bothered them massively at the time being unable to try and figure out what to try and figure out as of the time.
There was a lot more for Ultron to say about it all and something he didn't at all know.
The idea that they could and would say something that bugged him like this? Well, it was going to be all horrid over and over at the moment.
He didn't at all know what to say as of the time being as he clicked his fingers once more, unsure and unable to say much for now. There was a lot more on his mind before he cracked his fingers once more.
"Are you ok?" Tony heard before he looked at Ultron and seemed to be able to relax once more as he seemed to sigh.
Crystal slowly flicked flame through her fingers as she slowly seemed to be able to relax once more and slowly sat upwards as of now. She looked at Tony and then the others before she looked down at the ground and then upward at him.
"I wish to see Malin before I say something about him joining him, he should get a chance to join us." Crystal said as Tony hummed.
"Good, there's a lot of things to talk about with him," Tony said before he looked down at the ground.
There were a lot more battles to come as he seemed to think of his options, smirking to himself as he seemed to think of what to say now.
"Very funny, Tony. Let me see, Malin. We need to see what we're going to be working with… We deserve that much." Crystal said before she slowly yet surely climbed to her feet and tried to push past him.
"Fine, fine… C'mon, I just need to make sure he doesn't do something crazy. He's still going through testing his weapons which means sooner or later? He's going to be fighting sooner or later, just means he's going to be a lot more powerful than he is now." Tony said before Ultron spoke a few seconds later.
"His weapon systems seemed to be fully online from what I've been able to analyze. He should be fully prepared to fight for now." Ultron said before he sighed.
It wasn't a lie and knew it. He was all too uneasy around here and unhappy with the state of things. He wanted to be happy with the fact Malin was his brother and he was able to relax with his sibling… But he wasn't, purely because he didn't know if Malin was unable to interact and hope with him that they were family.
All of it appeared to be more and more relaxing on his mind and a desire that didn't at all die for now. There was something more on her mind, something she didn't at all know, didn't grasp for now, and could not at the moment do so, not for a second could he relent and he knew it over and over again at the moment what was coming and going.
Still? if Malin was friendly? He'd deal with it all the same, even if he didn't wish to… He'd not hurt him, not without a valid reason for such a malicious thing at the moment now, something that could end more and more and more unsure as of now.
There was a lot more on the wind, an ominous omen that could and would relax upon now what to try and say to them all. All of it was figured out, they were beyond serious about something like this.
He stepped aside as T'Challa and Spider-Man followed Crystal into the lab. He turned only to look at Tony who had gazed at Steve with a fowl expression.
"We don't know what he'll do, Cap," Tony said before he tapped a button on his wrist. "Jarvis? Can you ask Pepper to meet me in my office in 1 hour? I need to tell her something and discuss Stark Industries' stock for the next quarter." Tony said before he slowly started to walk to the lab.
He knew what the game plan was and he knew Malin was harmless enough. Whatever he did to fix it? he had to be quick and through to the end of the rope, even if he didn't wish to and didn't want to at the moment.
He'd see it done if for no other reason than he owed Malin a chance. There was some pride in the fact Malin was his creation but it was going to be better if he wasn't treated, for now, it was beyond the pale, something that could and would relax upon being done and dusted for now.
He wanted to relax, to properly see it all end at the moment. A desire that could and would allow them all to end it all within one go.
Steve could only sigh. He saw this from the perspective of a soldier and as a hero. The soldier in him saw a fresh recruit, someone out of Bootcamp who had no clue what was going on.
There was more to this and was new to the ways of the world… Of the ideas and wonders spinning around his head.
And the other part of him? well, it saw a feeble old machine that was unable to see the world around him unless it was through data.
He'd see it through the eyes of a machine that was still learning to take its first steps into the darkness.
No. He couldn't see it that way. Malin wasn't a mistake, not yet, not without a proper way to see if he was evil and if they were able to look down at the ground as of now.
There was a lot more on the line that he didn't even fathom as he glanced downwards at the ground. He knew more and more that the princess and king would wish to see Malin and decide if he was a worthy friend, for now, someone who served their decisions.
Tony wouldn't be the fool to stand in their way. It wasn't like he could, either way, they both had powers he didn't and he didn't even have the armor on which meant more and more that if he fought? He'd be defeated fairly easily and he was smart enough to admit that.
Meaning? He'd simply wait and see what was coming, what was combining was something that honestly seemed to be able to relax once more to try and figure out every single little thing in life. He wanted more and he'd have gotten it.
"Your majesty, your highness, to what do I owe this pleasure of communicating with two royal Avengers?" Malin asked as he booted up and his eyes flashed a blue light upon them.
"King T'Challa, 4th Black Panther possibly, data unknown. Avenger and chief scientist of Nano mechanics," Malin said before turning to Crystal.
"Crystal Amaquelin. Crown Princess of the Inhuman Royal family, ambassador to Earth and Avengers… I apologize for any discomfort. I am merely checking if the information I have upon you since my 'birth' is correct." Malin said before nodding his head.
"You are an advanced machine?" T'Challa asked before Malin blinked.
"I am a Phase 2 Synthezoid of the creation of Tony Stark and based on the Mark 1 Synthezoid Ultron. I am known as Malin." Malin said before blinking.
"Malin? As in the name little warrior?" Crystal questioned to which he nodded.
"Yes. My name is…. Difficult to think of when most hero titles are already occupied. I was not aware you were well read on names… Though, I suppose Malin has several different names." Malin said before turning to T'Challa.
"Tony Stark wished to gain your help in my creation though out of respect? He did not wish you to possibly be involved if my creation had side effects… Though, I feel his concerns are unfounded." Malin said before Crystal hummed.
"You're a lot more different than Ultron, aren't you?" Crystal asked as Malin shrugged.
"I might be. It is a consequence of dealing with being slightly based on him… I stress slightly." Malin said before he hummed.
"Malin's neural net is wired so he'll adapt and form his own opinions on things and topics… Meaning he'll simply be unable to do a lot more without literally overthinking it." Tony said as he looked down at the two.
There were a few seconds of silence as they fell silent, unsure if they had heard Tony, to be honest. The idea inside their head was he was different in his way as she hummed and looked upwards and into the sky.
There was more on the mind. He didn't know what to try and tell them at the moment as he reclined in the wires, watching Crystal poke at his metallic chassis with interest, wondering what to tell her as he thought of it. All of it baffled her to no end and no awe-inspiring idea at the end.
There was a lot more upon which she could have done. Malin raised a metallic hand towards her, wires and metallic plating covering his lib as he did so. It made him tilt his head as he offered the limb in a gesture of friendship. All of it reminded him that they were nothing like him at the moment.
Crystal gently took the hand and shook it, smiling before T'Challa did so a few seconds later as he tilted his head, unsure and unable to fathom it for the moment. There was a desire that made him click his fingers at her as she seemed to be able to relax once more for the time being.
"We've got a lot more to think about than your invitation to the Avengers… Not every single hero can be a member of the clan." Malin heard as he hummed.
"I would be willing to perform to the best of my ability to try and gain admission to the Avengers at the moment, your highness. It is not my intention to do something as small as duck out of helping an entire group of heroes." Malin stated before he rubbed his temples.
"Then it will be good to have another superhero on the team, Malin… Uh, how do you know I am a princess?" Crystal asked as Malin metallically tilted his head to the side.
"There is a list of rosters which I have downloaded and it is official avenger knowledge at least you and King T'Challa are officially diplomats to the Avengers meaning you are both part of the avengers at the moment… I do not at all believe you are unregistered within your kingdoms… I am sorry, I do not know if I was correct or not." He said before he tapped his metallic hands.
There was a lot more upon his mind, something that he could reconcile with as he tilted his head and looked down upon the ground, he needed to relax and calm his doubts. There was a desire to be superior and help them with their issues, something that disturbed him if for no other reason than he wished to relax once more.
He didn't at all know himself nor others nor could he do so without trying to get into their lives his way. His mind was that of a machine which meant he truly for the life of him that he was entirely ready to break into some sort of mess at the sight of it all. All of it was going to make him scream, ready to snap in half by the mere sight of it all and unable to think for now at the time.
There was just too much upon the mind for him to think and deal with it. He really could not for the life of him think of what they expected of him.
"Are you sure you're, ok? There's a lot more fathoming to try and do for the moment… Are you unsure and uncertain or are you capable of dealing with it?" Malin heard before he clicked his metallic mouth shut down for now.
It was a move that he could and would not be able to handle and wouldn't be able to dwell upon as Malin slowly tugged himself free of the metallic cables holding him upwards, allowing himself a moment of clarity before raising himself to his full height.
There was a hum as he thought of everything, of whom these two were or their next move, what had been pushed in their direction…. He looked at both Crystal and T'Challa with an interest, a fascination that was matched only by his shortcomings, his desire to grow beyond his programming and become something more, something new and something better.
Yes, all of it only seemed to match what he was doing next, it would become all too nice, all too relaxing for himself.
He didn't even know them but he was smiling over it. He lowered himself slightly, being taller by being an android and being beyond the qualms of human or Inhuman Biology. It felt so odd for now but in a way, only he could seek to understand, only a way that he was certain of.
All it pointed to him being the odd one out between them as he cleared his voice processor.
"You are both heroic figures and it honors me to see both of you on the battlefield when it comes down to it. I do not know but I also wish to try and relax… My systems are not fully online nor do I know when I will be able to talk and focus on talking with both of you, it is a pleasure to meet both of you all the same." Malin said as he crossed his arms.
"I do not know if I trust someone who's several feet taller than me, then again. I trust you guys so there's that… Isn't that special at the moment." Spidey stated, perching atop one of the pillars in the room as he tapped on the sides of his face.
He didn't even want to know what was going on but he looked at Malin with a raised eyebrow.
The machine for his time being was silent, trying to offer a smile that was all too easily uncanny considering the fact he was a machine without lips or anything to close his mouth. It was unrealistic to him and it would probably continue to be so for now.
There was a lot more upon his mind and a lot more upon the others as of now. He wanted to relax upon dealing with it all. Malin for his part said nothing and made himself comfortable as he crossed his arms.
Tony looked down at the android who had simply allowed himself to be made the center of the universe once more. Malin looked at Crystal, unsure and uncertain of his tactics once more upon his mind focused once.
Crystal conjured a small flame within the palm of her hand, unsure of everything, of what to say, what to do next. She didn't even know what to tell her friends, able to relax for a second.
She didn't know him, she didn't know many of the avengers who had been her friends, to begin with.
Her friends were not real friends, so much upon her mind drove her to panic once more and she didn't even know herself as of now. Was it odd that in her way things were not as she wished them to be?
All of their madness was making it madness over and over as of now. she glanced at him as he clicked his metallic jaw against the top of his mouth, making him snap a few more seconds later as she seemed to be able to think.
She knew that he could and would continue to be so much more than he was upon which he was able to perform. He was a machine much more for the war than anything else, the problem was uncertain for now, a problem they could and would deal with all in due time.
Crystal watched as Malin looked at T'Challa, happily chatting as he looked at the king of Wakanda without the fear most did due to his status. Perhaps he just didn't understand fear so he didn't express it. He was an android after all which meant little in the way of her and tactics for now, only that they could understand each other in their way and it said so much about him.
Tony for his part in creating the android was silent for once, it bugged her considering Tony was never one to mince words or even tactics. He was open and vocal in his way about everything even if people don't want them to be heard… All of it only served to be something he could not truly relax upon hearing.
His ways of talking told her little about them, she didn't see the avengers the same way she saw others which wasn't due to a lapse of care on her own hands.
They didn't know what to talk about or what needed to be done and dusted. All of their tactics were divided upon what suited them and what suited others and what suited their tactics upon the fact.
Crystal didn't exactly have room to judge them at the moment as she knew the Inhumans were just as divided as well amongst those who supported her brother-in-law and those who had wished he hadn't been king.
This was a sentiment she was well aware existed due to the idea he hadn't been a good king entirely in his ways. They were far beyond divided upon what she could and would change so much over and over.
All of it stung, all of it hurt over and over and over. What little Malin could do would not sustain himself against such a barrage. He had little recourse and little experience in such a way that he didn't at all understand what to do about it all and didn't know himself in his way.
All of it continued to be something he could and would study at large, interested in more and more methods he found to be unsavory.
Then again? They probably found the idea of a machine like him being seen in such a way as… Beneath them, far beneath them than possible. He was a machine and the others weren't, there was a larger moment upon his mind than this however at the moment.
All of it seemed to be a nightmarish thing, a desire that he wished to purge but couldn't from his memories… All of his mind ached, it cut deep into his soul and he wished to relax and keep fighting all the time… In a manner, he could and would have to deal with.
Crystal seemed to notice his fear and offered him a hand for now as she looked at him with a smile, glancing at the machine as he hummed, taking it and letting her lead him from the room. It was a lot clearer to him that some of them were good friends, friends that he could and would trust now as she looked down and then up.
He smiled, able to relax and able to research things and topics that he found to be odd… He'd end them all.
"May I say how well I am happy to work with your group of individuals? Because I am, truly… I am. I wish to live for this and I do it in a way that I can do more beneficial actions." He said before he clenched his fingers.
All of it seemed to be something that could and would continue to do more and more for his people. His friends mattered to him or whom he hoped would be his friends once again and again and would continue to matter in a way that only made him want to scream upon the end of the day… All of it seemed frankly odd, frankly, it bothered Malin how he was able to feel and just how problematic he was being jerked around by it all.
He felt it all slamming down on him in a way he really couldn't fathom as a machine. It cut deep into his mind, offering a way out he figures out sooner or later and he didn't want to say anything for now.
They had to and would keep going over and over and over again on the line for now
There was a lot more to try and figure out for now what to deal with.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed and will show more and more about the Inhumans and Avengers and Malin. Until the 900–6500-word chapter in 2-10 months. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!