Eighty Nine

I gave up trying to upload the new AI to Ultron and went and enjoyed my party. I tried my best act like nothing had happened. I put on my best playboy smile and went out to enjoy myself. I donated a lot of money to the veterans, drank a lot, and prayed what happened earlier, wasn't a dream.

After all the Vets left. Barton started teasing Thor about Mjölnir, saying it was a trick. Thor finally had enough teasing and placed the hammer on the table, challenging anyone to pick it up.

"Stark, you're always up for a challenge." Clint said after giving it a good try.

"I never shrink from a challenge." I stood, approaching Mjölnir on the table. "If I lift it, do I get to rule Asgard?" My hopes of reaching Loki in Asgard rose.

"Yes, of course." Thor agreed. I smiled wide, taking the handle and not even budging it.

"Be right back." I paused running off to get one of my gauntlets. I was not going to be defeated by this hammer. I tried again with the jet assist on my gauntlet. Nothing.

"Rhodey, get over here and help." I called. He brought over one of the gauntlets for the War Machine suit. He grabbed the handle with me.

"Are we even pulling?" He asked.

"Are you on my team?"

"Just represent, Pull!" He grunted, trying to lift this damned thing.

I was defeated by a damned hammer. I sat, inwardly sad I couldn't rule Asgard and have Loki rule by my side.

Bruce gave it a go, as did Steve. It did however slide across the glass for the red white and blue asshole. Natasha didn't even want to try, said it was something she didn't need answered.

"The handle's imprinted." I jested. "Whoever so ever is carrying Thor's fingerprints is I think, the literal translation."

"That's a good theory, but I have a simpler one. You're all not worthy." Thor explained, picking up Mjölnir. The rest of the group had a good laugh at his joke. I was still upset. Worthy? How does a person bent on destroying his own brother's happiness, still worthy?

My thought process was interrupted by an ear piercing screech. We all stood, trying to figure out what it was and how to shut it off. Much to my surprise, one of my Iron Legion drones, partially complete from the previous battle. I hadn't summoned any of the drones and was very shocked to see this one moving on its own.

"How could you be worthy?" The drone echoed my thoughts. "You're all just puppets, tangled in strings. Humanity is flawed, and must be eliminated to make the earth safe."

"Ultron?" Bruce asked me. Thor took the opportunity to throw Mjölnir at the drone, dropping it. Things became a blur as I called my suit to me and the others destroyed the drones that answered in response. One of the drones escaped with the scepter amongst the chaos. It took a minute to process what had just happened. My own drones attacking me, claiming humanity was flawed. Then taking off with the scepter, the only means I had of maybe contacting Loki.

I took off for the lab. I needed to confirm my suspicions. I hadn't even noticed most of the group following me. I started running diagnostics, trying to figure out why Ultron was corrupted. Had the upload failed? Did it upload incomplete?

"Jarvis? What happened?" I asked of my computer. No response. "Jarvis?" I started tapping the console, manually figuring out what had happened. I pounded on the desktop in frustration.

"Stark! What have you done?" Thor boomed. I forgot that I left the parameters on the screen open, showing the transfer of the scepter's intelligence into the Ultron drone. "This is could have been avoided if you hadn't been playing with things you don't understand." Thor picked me up by the throat, backing me into a wall. I struggled against him, trying to get down.

"Its funny how you don't get why we needed this." I defended after I was set down.

"Tony, now's not the time." Bruce piped up.

"Really? That's it! You roll over and show your belly anytime someone snarls?" I turned on my friend.

"Only when I've created a monster."

"We didn't. We're we close to an interface?"

"Well, you did something right and you did it right here." Steve spoke, his arms across his chest. "The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD."

"Anyone remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?

"No, don't remember that at all." Rhodey added his two cents. I shot him a look that hopefully conveyed the lack of helpfulness he was at the moment.

"Saved New York?"

"Never heard that." Rhodey didn't help again.

"Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers, we can bust arms dealer all the live long day, but that. That's the end game. How were you going to beat him?" I ranted on.

"Together." Steve spoke.

At that moment I pushed aside my differences I may have had with Thor and Steve. I was going to need their help to defeat Ultron. I could hate them after this incident was over. I had my suspicions yet, but nothing was in black and white. And I couldn't retrieve the footage from the night in question until I restored Jarvis. Ultron had destroyed Jarvis as he was the first line defense.

The team left me to sift through damaged footage and data trying to figure out what actually happened and where Ultron may be headed. I rubbed my forehead in frustration. It was another sleepless night. My pain was lifted as Kitty jumped onto the console. I scratched him behind the ears. I noticed the thin chain around his neck, it held a blue jewel. The same jewel I'd created for Loki.

"Loki?" I asked. I was exhausted and had a headache. My mind was playing tricks on me. I rested my head on the desktop.