Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Metallic Malice. Enjoy the 5700-word chapter. I don't own Marvel; Disney and a few others do.
Crystal turned in her bed, unsure and unable to figure out everything when it came down to it. Her thoughts about Malin were split. She didn't know if he was good but it was clear his power core was in the right spot.
She hated the idea he was seen as the bad guy. All of it seemed to be an idea she really couldn't and wouldn't be able to think of, wouldn't approve of when push came down to it. The idea cut her brain to pieces when all of it was over and done.
What had come next? What would he do with his metallic mind? Did he hate them? Consider organic people to be inferior. She had no idea at all what he had considered for now and yet he was nice enough for her to consider him a good person.
Still? She didn't at all know him, didn't at all know what was going on and more and more as of now, and yet she didn't at all understand for now.
Yet, she could and would continue to be fearful, unsure of his measures, for now, something she didn't even pause to think for herself as of now and she cracked her fingers, unsure for more as to what to do next.
They had a lot more to do as a hero team anyway. All of it made her mind race as she thought it all up and for the most part?
The avengers were at odds with the rest of the world for times, there was currently a hell to play. A very large part of them currently didn't at all see the Inhumans as perfect people and her role as their ambassador.
Well, she hadn't done the perfect job of making them appear more friendly and approachable. They had a lot more to try and figure out for now and she didn't even doubt she'd fail more with her role as an ambassador anytime soon.
The idea wasn't going to be something she could and would deal with yet before she cracked her fingers and slowly crept out of her room and slowly started to step downwards into the depths of the Avenger mansion.
She cracked a smile as she pulled up her shirt and seemed to find herself more and more annoying when it came down to it as she looked around, conjuring a small flame in the palm of her hand as she did so. She yawned as well
They had a lot more to deal with when it came to making a good impression for their sake.
"Ugh…" Crystal said as she finally flipped out of bed, looking around with annoyance.
She panicked and considered her options, torn down by the ideas within her mind. All of it seemed only to make things worse, how would it end anytime soon, how did someone consider it to be worth it?
Well? She didn't at all know what to do and she certainly couldn't sleep when it came to it and she knew more and more as to what to deal with when it came down to it.
The idea that she was all too exhausted for now, as if they could and would need to do for now and she slowly crept down the stairs. The idea of such a thing seemed too much as she put one foot in front of the other once again.
She was all too tired as she made her way to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal when it came down to it.
The idea of being tired and all of it was amusing to her once more as she looked downwards at the ground, unsure and uncertain of her actions, and yet she was so bored, so worn down by today.
All of it managed to weigh upon her more and more with it all. The idea that could be something beyond it all and yet she didn't at all know what to do next before she hummed and seemed to think more and more.
All of it crashed down upon them, making it all seem more and more uncertain for now as she heard the sound of footsteps.
Crystal turned to look around, the flame burning into a fireball which revealed Malin who had been utterly silent, looking at her with an interest, utterly thrown off by everything on her mind.
"Princess, you are awake?" Malin asked, tilting his metallic head as his eyes were to look to the side. "I am surprised to see you awaken," Malin stated.
"I assumed your duties as princess of the Inhumans maintain that your sleep and physical help come before the continuation of your duties," Malin said before he looked downwards at the ground.
Malin was able to relax once more as he looked at her, utterly silent and unable to think as he looked downwards once more. All of his ideals and thoughts on her when it came down to it.
Every single thought was off at the moment as he glanced at the Inhuman princess, uncertain of what to do next before he sighed and understood himself for a few seconds.
It was clear she was tired more than anything and whatever he could and would explain and expect from it all and all of it was odd.
He looked at her, unsure of his works, and yet? They had a lot more in common for now, a desire that could and would continue to grow upwards for now and it wouldn't be simple.
Well, not for him at least, not when it came down to their abilities when it was all over as he looked downwards once more with amusement.
What else could he prepare for now? Malin looked downwards at the ground, crossing his metallic arms across his chest as Crystal hummed, unsure and uncertain of her intentions as the machine crossed the room.
He clicked his jaw, looking at her with interest as it tilted its head to the side. The interest on his mind was probably well enough noticed considering how well he could and would have allowed it.
"Are Inhumans usually up this late or is it a consequence of being unable to metabolize energy possibly for the same reason?" Malin asked before sighing.
"I do not have full files on Inhumans so my knowledge is without question… Limited." Malin said, tilting his head to the side, unsure and uncertain for now.
He didn't know her, not even for a moment, his files on her were not memories, they were data. It was not something he was proud of it all…
His information was nothing more than a vain attempt to try and get him to subscribe to something he didn't at all like to try and understand her.
Malin was furious, truly furious with his lack of information meant he for the life of him simply did not know Crystal.
He did not connect to her on a physical level and that bothered him as he had thought it meant he had failed to try and deal with it for now.
It bothered him it did as the Inhuman princess was silent, looking at him with a look that straddled the line between human and inhuman alike when it came down to it.
These sorts of such measures truly did not appear to matter to him or her.
It was clear more came down to it as of the time being that he was still learning the ropes upon which he could not wait for enough to throw himself down, learning every single little molecule.
"No, I just could not sleep. I've been tired all day and yet a lot is on my mind, it's just bugging me so much." Crystal said as Malin hummed and looked to the side.
"Hmm, so you are implying you have been having what organics consider nightmares? I can discuss these events if you need to." Malin said before he tapped his arms.
"I am sorry, the more prudent course of action would be to let you discuss it at length. Please, feel free to tell me what ails you, and I will suggest the best course of action." Malin said before looking downwards at the ground.
What else could happen? What else would be allowed? He did not know her as he smiled, watching as the small flame within her hand slowly started to burn brighter.
There was no hated, no desire to look down upon her for anything. He was able to think for only a few moments… A few seconds at best.
He tilted his head and held up his palm, projecting a flame as well in the palm of his hand.
She laughed, chortling for only a moment as he rolled his eyes at her giggle, knowing that she was simply amused by his mimicking of her talents.
It was not mockery; she knew it to be so. He was simply curious about what her ability was and curious more about how it worked for the time being and beyond for now.
He was simply doing what he could and would be able to relax, he would be certain that it was for the best and nothing would change… Nothing else would come as a result of it all.
Had something else come down the wire? It'd be just as odd but it was clear more and more that this was simply him trying to mimic her, seeing a sort of friendship when it came down to it.
He had something else between when it came down to it as he hummed to himself, clicking his fingers as he properly looked at her, understanding little but not at all unsure of it all.
"Are you ok? There are a few different medical programs Mr. Stark had programmed into me if you require… It will only take a few seconds to boot them up." Malin said as he looked downwards at the ground.
"I am sorry, I am merely trying to understand your powers. I do not understand the rest of your powers." Malin stated before he looked downwards at the ground.
There was something else when it came down to it, he had a larger amount of insurance on his existence. He had a larger amount of patience on it when it came down to it.
She fidgeted from one foot to the other, the flame dancing in her hands as now. She didn't at all understand how she had managed to relax more and more.
What she did do next? It was far more amusing again and again for now when push came down to shove.
"No, I am utterly ok. There's a larger amount of stuff going on in my mind." Crystal said before Malin hummed and looked downwards.
"Stuff?" Malin questioned before he crossed his arms, the flames dying off.
"I am sorry. I am not sure what it comes down to it. Life is funnier around certain things I find… Odd around organics." Malin said before he looked downwards at the ground, walking around the kitchen.
He had been quiet while he did so, the only sounds being his metallic footsteps on the ground as he did so.
He looked over at her, her crystal green eyes making her look like a small little diamond when it came to it.
"You are a very odd woman, Ms. Amaquelin. I do not mean that with any offense, it's delightful when it comes down to it and I enjoy our talks. I find it a lot nicer than what I expected to…" Malin said as he sighed to himself.
"I am sorry if that means something bad, I mean no offense when it comes down to it," Malin said before he clicked his palms against his metallic arms.
They had a lot more to try and figure out while he had to go and relax once more. They had a moment of silence before he was able to relax once more, resting his hands on the table as he did so.
Had he managed to relax for now as he looked downwards at the ground? Had he found some measure of peace? He didn't know, truly? He didn't know while he glanced at Crystal before he hummed to himself.
Was there some sort of pain on his face as he looked at her before he raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked downwards at the ground?
"Are you going to be true, ok? I am not programmed for emotion; I am perhaps unused to it." Malin said as Crystal nodded, looking at him once more. "Will you be, ok? I can conduct a scan for now." Malin said before Crystal sighed, tapping on the ground before she looked upwards towards him with a smile.
"Yes, I am going to be ok. I am just a bit thrown off for now, there's a lot on my brain. Being a princess isn't easy when you have to deal with the burden of it." Crystal said as Malin hummed, tapping his fingers together before stopping for a few seconds.
"Oh? You mean about dealing with the power over your kin or the leadership of sort of problems that come with the privileges." Malin said before he raised his eyebrows.
Malin processed what had been thrown onto the idea of a princess. She was an odd little princess, one little princess who ruled people far stronger than him.
They had problems, issues, and little cubes of disinformation that he didn't at all understand.
Humanity truly baffled him for now, truly threw him off, and yet he was eager to learn for the moment, something that couldn't be understated.
He smirked, looking at her before his arms folded, metallic fingers clenched together before he slowly wrung his head to himself.
"I am sorry, I am sorry that I did not entirely understand things when it came down to it," Malin added.
"My memory banks were not properly updated and I am starting to figure out what people mean by their words," Malin said before he clicked his jaw against the roof of his mouth.
She nodded, knowing that he was simply trying to figure out, for now, everything surged through his CPU. It made him thrown off, for now, ready to scream, to punch through what to try and do for the moment.
He had more and more upon his brain before he looked up the idea of what a princess's duties were. It was clear to him that she had some problems adjusting to it all… Something odder and odder still for now.
He didn't want to try anything that could hurt her, he didn't at all know what to say and do, he was prepared for now.
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he hummed before clicking his fingers and then slowly marching around the table once more.
All of it seemed to be understandable, he was ready for now, ready to deal with it. Their moves were in sync, he was in sync with her and moving as a machine such as himself said for now.
He prepared for now, prepared for every possible dialogue option she had and could have for the time being, it was a nightmarish thing at the moment. All of it seemed to be odder and odder.
Everything on the brain was bothering them, pushing them up a wall now and again and again for now.
He sighed to himself and cracked his fingers, a metallic clang echoing through the entire building as he did so. Everything about it bothered him as he watched her slowly and surely walk around the corner.
He was ready to do whatever he had to when it came down to it. All of it contracted with him for now, he had a lot more to see and do with for the second.
The measure of a hero was imprinted inside his mind and then he rubbed at his metallic temples.
He clicked his fingers against the roof of his metallic skull, walking around in circles again and again. He glanced at her, watching as he hummed to himself, clanking his hands together for the time being.
Crystal sighed and walked to the living room of the mansion, Malin followed, unsure of it all for now as he looked at the Inhuman Princess for the time being.
"Are you going to be perfect, ok? There's a lot more to see and discuss, I calculate that your heart rate has spiked since we've started talking, I apologize if I have been rude." Malin said as he looked to the side.
Crystal tapped a foot on the ground before she tapped her hands together, rubbing the flame out of it as she turned to look at her friend.
Malin stopped, looking in her direction as he sat down on the sofa with her doing the same.
"You are new to the whole heroic thing, right? Most of your brain is focused on what's logical and what ain't, right?" Crystal asked, kicking her feet up on the sofa.
"That is correct, I have fallen under the jurisdiction of my CPU as Tony updated my code, it is not as well as you think and there are still BUGS as I believe they are established in my coding," Malin stated before he sighed.
"I try my best to correct them," Malin said before he leaned down on the ground.
"I do not want to let Mr. Stark down, I do not wish to try and correct him," Malin said to himself.
"I still have things to do for the time being, and yet I cannot for the life of me correct it." Crystal heard as she nodded and looked downwards at the ground.
She knew how it felt, for now, thrown around for now before she cracked a smile.
They were ready to talk and ready for the moment to relax, used to each other again for the moment when it came down to it and their antics for the time being.
They were truly ready for it to continue to vex them for the moment and he racked his mind to try and think of answers.
Malin was divided into what was coming down the wire, he had a lot to reflect on when he returned to the charger a few hours later.
His power core was not perfectly addressed, Tony constantly seemed to cycle through 50 or 60 different designs, each more bodacious than the last.
It seemed only right Tony focus his efforts on his Iron Man armor and other inventions in his arsenal.
Crystal sighed and stretched herself out, her T-Shirt exposing her stomach as she hummed, stringing her fingers together, and then hummed to herself.
"I have researched the duties of a royal and I believe you are both ambassadors to the Inhumans and crown princess? You will be crowned the queen of the Inhumans?" Malin questioned as Crystal hummed and nodded.
"Yes. I am both, but there are a lot of problems when it comes to being a princess, mainly that it SUCKS when it comes to it." Crystal said as Malin tilted his head.
"I don't mind helping my people but it seems only I want to reach out to others. My sister and brother-in-law constantly seem to want to put our people over others, we can't survive without outside help for the time." Crystal hummed.
"And this is… Tedious to you as a princess?" Malin asked as Crystal ran her fingers through her hair for the moment.
"Yes. Nobody seems to want to give an inch. We have food, Humans turn into Inhumans and it only concerns my sister when it's THEIR suffering." Crystal said, pausing to take a deep breath.
"It's impossible to try and work things out for now, to clarify and fix it all for the time being," Crystal said before she ran a hand across her temples, planting her bare fingers on her forehead as she massaged ice into it.
The princess sighed and kicked her legs up in the air like a tired child, her lack of a foot on the ground only causing her to collapse onto the ground before Malin gripped her.
He gently pushed her back onto the sofa as he slowly started to sit upwards for a few seconds and then decided against it, plopping down on it with an audible click and clack for now.
What could he say? That he grasped what she was going through? He doubted it immensely, he didn't know himself even for a bit when it came down to it as of the time being, what he did know.
There was a lot more to try and understand as of now before it came down to what needed to be done, explained, properly seemed to try and understand.
If nothing else? Both could understand the other's issue for the moment as he looked at her and him with far more amusement than usual, it was clear with all due respect something had to give for now.
A measure of mercy would be bothering them for the time being. They had a lot more to try and figure out for now, something not even he could or would seek to predict.
It was a measure of mercy, one not easily dealt with or afforded fair treatment as of now.
He had to keep learning or he'd come off as a stubborn and ridiculous fool, one incapable of anything more than he had already.
"We don't go in feeling weak, we don't go in doubting ourselves. We have to be better than we are for the ones who matter." Crystal said as Malin clicked his jaw.
"Meaning?" Malin asked before he tapped his fingers. "I am sorry, I am becoming tics as I heard they are called. The finger tapping on my chassis seems to be a reason for it all." Malin said before he clicked his jaw against the roof of his mouth.
"It's a part of being alive for now, something that isn't easy when it comes to it… Take it from someone who deals with it daily." Crystal stated with a sigh.
"There are worse parts of life when it comes to such things I have heard, you are in a bad mood… Perhaps you would like caffeine? I've heard it is something organics like when they are tired." Malin stated before he turned his hands over.
"I don't need it, I'm going to be in a meeting in 6 hours, and getting coffee now? it… Doesn't help as much as you think." Crystal said before Malin hummed.
"Why do you refer to yourselves as Inhumans? That moniker assumes to be offensive the same way one calling a mutant… A mutant is. I do not mean in any caliber of the word that it is offensive to you." Malin said as he hummed, checking if he could continue to be awake.
"Simply that I do not at all understand it for now, purely because I cannot for the life of me figure it out," Malin said to which he could allow himself to try and figure it all.
He was unsure of what to tell her as she kicked her foot up in the air again, almost trying to fall downwards into the ground before she hummed.
They had a lot more to talk about but it seemed as if he would keep growing out as of now, he clicked his fingers against one another before he sighed to himself while he hummed.
He began to blink, understanding what to see and do next before he yawned.
Was there something that could and would be able to yawn himself as he hummed once more?
He was able to look downwards before he hummed once more as he was ready to look upwards and then dealt with it. He seemed to be relaxed for now, contemplating life in his way for the time being as of now.
Life was odd, very odd for now and it continued to see something end like this for now. They had a VERY large amount of amusement written across their faces as both of them continued to handle it properly.
He knew, for now, that life was nice enough for him to act upon it, driven only by a desire to surpass what he had been, what he could be for now. There was too much on the mind, far too much to try and deal with and yet he could have dealt with it slowly and surely.
All of it seemed a madness he could not deal with, life was illogical, and yet he was driven by the illogical need to surpass it for now. He questioned what he'd learn and what he could allow himself to feel on this level.
Crystal finally decided to sit crossed legged, bending her fingers slightly before yawning to herself as he looked at her, probably assuming that he had bothered her.
"You're not annoying me; I just have a… Lot on my mind. There's a lot of work that comes with being a princess and it's annoying me, to be honest." Crystal said as she sighed. "I don't even know what else is going to happen if we want to keep going like this. My people, I mean." Crystal said as she sighed.
"It is difficult to tell someone they are wrong when they are leader, those who seek to be leaders often believe they were given that leadership for a reason," Malin said before he looked downwards at the ground.
He had a larger amount of power than her yet it seemed as if they were on equal footing… He was… Oddly at peace with it, it showed more restraint than usual, he felt like he was far too tired, exhausted for now as of the time being.
Every measure of understanding he showed still went down the drain far superior now, a desire to grow beyond what had been able to deal with for now.
He looked at her before he looked at the ground before he sighed to himself as of now. He wasn't going to be relaxing once more anytime soon, not without understanding what he was doing and what he would keep going down the road.
Was something else going to bug the rest of the group he sighed to himself and looked downwards at the ground before slowly raising himself to his feet, unsure and unable to focus once more.
Something he couldn't at all allow himself what he needed to deal with for now… A decision to grow past it again and again.
He had a lot more to see and do it next for now before she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she hummed to herself.
She looked downwards at the ground before as she managed to try and deal with it as of now, an idea that could and would be able to be relaxed.
Whatever needed to be done would be done and be done, he hummed to herself. She was utterly unable to try and figure out what to see and do… They had a plan for the brain to see and do as of the moment
A lot of plans would end up terrible and she knew more and more that had to be done to fix the Inhumans wasn't easy wasn't a small little idea and it would take a lot of time to see and do, a monstrous decision that was going to bother them all.
"It is very hard to be the leader of a people who seem to not want a leader, my people always seem to want something new, something that honestly bugs me. They had a lot of arguing back when I was still at the palace and yet they still keep bugging me with it all." Crystal said as she sighed.
She didn't know what to do and didn't at all understand what the next part of the mission was. There were a lot of different twists and turns and all of it was going to be bothersome for now.
They had a lot more to try and figure out, something that was going to keep pushing them. She didn't even entirely understand her people which always seemed to rub them the wrong way.
She knew her people were divided for a good reason but it was something that she could understand.
Mostly because she knew exactly what this was doing to them and just how little it'd be dealt with for now, they had a lot more to see and do, she had been in that sort of rut before. People didn't want answers, they wanted security.
She was able to deal with something while she looked downwards at the ground, something that was so bothersome.
She looked at him as he hummed, unsure of everything, of what to say and do as a result of what came next. Malin felt somewhat tired and lacking in information at the moment.
Whatever he could and would do next paled compared to what needed to try and figure out. He had so many questions at the moment, a desire to end it that just couldn't be easily dealt with for now.
It hurt to not know what to do next but it hurt a lot more to see he had almost no idea what was going to happen next.
That scared him far more than needed to be scared, what needed to be thrown at his path to fix it. This had to be superior to the next move or else it was all lost.
He sighed and slowly stood up, beckoning her to follow for now, everything on his mind bothered him for now, a desire to keep moving onwards for now, a desire to get beyond this for now, a desire to keep going for now. Something about it would keep growing, over and over at the moment…
They had a lot more to see and do, a decision for which this didn't end anytime soon. This isn't going to be dealt with easily… Not when it came down as he hummed, looking forwards.
"I am sorry that I could not allow things to end the same way you wish it to, there is never going to be a good answer as I believe I can find one… Simply that I do not at all know things the same sort of things you do." Malin said before he sighed and looked down at the ground.
There was a lot more to try and figure out as he hummed to himself, they were going to keep focusing on the small little things.
"I need to recharge my power at the end of the night, we have to figure it all as of the time being… Tonight had been a very long time as of now." Malin said before he sighed to himself as he snapped his fingers.
He hummed as he sighed, totally unsure and figure as he clicked his jaws together, ready to sigh to himself.
He had a lot more to see and do, a lot more that he was going to have to do to deal with it as of now. They had a lot more to figure out.
"You are bothered as of the time being, no? There will always be a good time." Crystal stated before she sighed to herself as she hummed.
"No, I simply require recharge as this has been… A very long and tiring day." Malin said before he shook his head and looked upwards. "This isn't going to be easily ended at the moment. I have to think about it… On everything, again and again." Crystal heard as she turned and rubbed her eyes.
They had a lot more to discuss and she knew it for now, she knew it again and again that if she let him go it might cause problems.
They would all continue to grow again and again, something that had to be dealt with properly again and again, she wasn't going to just watch him sulk off for now, ready to see it end at the time of day they were enjoying now.
They would eager to see it all fall apart as now; he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He had a lot more to try and deal with tomorrow, they had a lot more to try and figure out as of now.
He would group upwards, seeing it all end for now… He had a lot more to dwell on next as of the time being.
"You should know I don't think less of you because of how it is… There are always problems with life, problems a machine like me is going to be unable to think properly. I think in terms of logic and machinery. I do not see it ending perfectly. All of it continues to vex us for now." Malin said as Crystal nodded.
"So, your… Going to power down or something?" Crystal asked as she looked downwards at the ground.
"I do not know. I don't think I've ever managed to run my power down before… I will see things perfectly. At least then we're going to need to try and deal with it properly." Malin said as he sighed.
"I will speak when I can, nothing else will be bugging me., Malin said before he turned and retreated, for now, something that wasn't dealt with for now.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words. The next chapter will be delayed and will show more of both Malin and Crystal talking and Crystal talking more to Tony Stark. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!