#A.I. Grows new chips! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vydante · 4 years ago

Text

Restart | 12

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Avengers x Male! Reader (romantically: multiple)

A/N: Missed y'all. I don't think I'm officially off of my hiatus, but I somehow managed to pull a chapter out of my ass after months of radio silence. I really did back myself into a corner with the last chapter, but hey, this is my story and I get to pace it however I want.

Sorry if things are worded weirdly, I'm writing them but they're going through one ear and out the other when it comes to comprehending what I actually wrote. No one will remember what happened, but that's okay. God, I really need a beta-reader... Anyways. Love y'all. XOXO.

Also, sorry if any of the formattings seems off. HTML doesn't really translate well over certain sites. (Tumblr, Quotev, Wattpad, and AO3 are now my main places for posting my works. Anywhere else, that's not me nor was it permitted by me.)

If you want a recap: You're in the process of jumpstarting Project Renaissance after realizing that you've just been doing basically nothing ever since you woke up in your old body. You've also taken to making video logs to report down your progress, and in the last chapter (that was in the POV of multiple video logs), it ended on a cliffhanger with Barnes being discovered and moved to a safe house.

This chapter takes place roughly after the last one.

If you're currently binge reading this story, this recap is only because last chapter was updated... Roughly more than 7 months before this chapter. So. Yeah. :D

Oh, and let's pretend that either A. Barnes doesn't have a tracking chip in his arm OR B. he did, but you got it out during the whole rescue-escapade. That's my bad, I straight up forgot about that possibility until I was like, close to 4000 words deep into this chapter. Now we're at roughly 8k+... Hehe. Whoops.

_______

You're not gonna call Barnes, Bucky.

There's a personal touch to the nickname that bothers you. How awful it sounds in your ears, to call the former husk of a man a name he no longer recognizes. There's history to that name, both on writing and in memory, though only in sparsity. Plus, it'll be difficult for you to associate Bucky to Barnes. A man with an identity to a man without.

So after the whole debacle of getting him out of the mini-Hulk playbox and into decent dry clothing, when he asks what his name is, you quietly debated to yourself what to tell him.

"... Your name is James Buchanan Barnes," you'd eventually reply.

He doesn't comment on the resignation in your tone, but you're confident that he certainly noticed it- surely, the ticks of being the Winter Soldier was still there, no matter how disoriented he must be. But whether courtesy was something that he hadn't forgotten whilst his brain was refried over and over like leftover KFC wings or he was simply too exhausted to ask, you didn't care.

Granted, for a man who should have a lot of questions on his mind, he's definitely proven himself to be a man of very few words.

An hour goes by, and in the midst of you trying your best to build a solid standing between the two of you, he's said so few words that you could probably count all of them on both of your hands.

If it weren't for the nods of affirmation, you'd think that his averted gaze from you would have meant that he wasn't paying attention at all, but honestly, you knew better than to judge him for that if he actually wasn't actually listening in the first place.

Hell, he could tear up the walls to the high heavens and you still wouldn't hold him against it, so you were just thankful that he was so docile, for someone who could snap your neck if he felt so inclined.

Though, as it turns out confusion and disorientation wasn't the actual reason why he was being so docile, you belatedly realize as you're stood in front of a blank-faced Barnes. You're in the middle of trying to give him a basic tour around the house when he quietly interrupted your monologuing.

"Mission parameters," you echoed his words, though mainly to yourself. He nods, and for once meets your eyes. There's neither confidence nor surrender in his eyes, and that makes your stomach churn. Chances are, he probably saw nothing wrong with asking such a thing.

"You want me to give you- mission parameters. Like- like your handlers would?" You laughed incredulously, but the humor was replaced with subdued hysterical horror.

You were aware of what they were. Aware of the types of hunts his Handlers- bastards- would sick him out on. Aware of what he did without a second thought. You saw those files, if only briefly. That was more than enough for you to see the type of expectations that came alongside "mission parameters".

He nods as if you were stating the obvious.

God.

You opened and closed your mouth, and for a split second, once you got past the horror of being asked to tell him what to do, a subtle realization crawled up your spine. In the midst of your impromptu introduction and briefing, you never really made a distinction as to what role you were supposed to play in all of this.

So it shouldn't be a surprise for Barnes to assume that you're his new- what? Handler? Caretaker? After all, as far as you can assume, that's probably all he knows; all he was conditioned to grow accustomed to, to expect his every move to be dictated by some outsider with no care to the wants or needs that Barnes has.

(Hell, if you were to make a reach right now, maybe Barnes thinks he doesn't have wants or needs. That he shouldn't.)

(In the background, a part of you simmer in silence.)

With your jaw clenched, you make an effort to make your voice as even as can be when you ask him, "You don't need mission parameters, Barnes. You're your own free man. You can- can make decisions on your own. You don't need me to tell you what you need to do."

Pray as you might, there's something about realizing that you said the wrong thing right after saying said words that make you wonder what you did to anger the higher powers that be to put yourself in the situation you're in right now.

Barnes doesn't say anything, but his eyes says it all. Confusion. Realization. Grief. Detachment. His metal hand clenches, and you're man enough to admit that it made your heart stutter in fear.

"I...", he mutters, "... don't understand."

You swallowed.

This...

This is gonna be tough.

_______

It's difficult to explain what self-autonomy and freedom meant to a man who is only capable of remembering being chained and held on a leash like a rabid dog.

Thankfully, it was your winter break, so you had a manageable excuse for being away from "home" for a few days, but you only had so long to try and establish to Barnes that you're not going to be able to be there with him as often as you are now (and even then, the time frame was too small to even make any sense of attachment).

You knew for sure you couldn't always be there for Barnes, so one thing was certain: he had to meet DAHLIA. And thankfully, since the whole safe house was yours, not even your father knew that DAHLIA, your own A.I., would be uploaded into the houses' built-in hardware.

(While the hardware was built with the intention of housing J.A.R.V.I.S. there as a standard, he ended up "moving out" the moment that the house became yours. Something about "not intruding on a teenager's privacy", but you're more than thankful for Tony's afterthought, even if you did end up taking slight advantage of his consideration.)

And surprisingly enough, Barnes wasn't really bothered by the concept of DAHLIA as much as you had initially expected. Of course, he didn't really talk to her, but it wasn't like he talked much in the first place.

(On a side note, it looks like DAHLIA seems to like the house, all things considered... So there's that.)

(The original DAHLIA was never installed here, instead she ended up "living" in a retirement house of sorts in a wooded area of New York. She never said anything about the house, so it's... Kind of endearing, to see that she actually might prefer this house instead. And mildly insulting, considering you personally decorated the other house.)

You ended up spending nearly the whole night trying to establish even the most basic of guidelines: use the bathroom whenever he needed to (you initially said phrased it as "wanted", but he promptly cut you off saying "The Asset does not have wants," which, rude, but also sad); whatever is in the kitchen is available for him to eat whenever, where ever; basic hygiene; and the most important one- if he had any questions, his first source would be you. And on the off-chance that you're not available, DAHLIA is always online and ready to help.

He gave a tentative nod, but you're somehow not confident that he might have interpreted it wrong. You're hoping he doesn't do anything to prove you right.

"Alright. So. Any questions?"

He stares at you for a beat too long before shaking his head.

He's still giving non-verbal answers for the most part, but it's better than nothing. You internally sighed and motioned him to follow you deeper into the safe house.

Considering that it was already pretty late by the time you managed to beat those guidelines into his head (maybe that should be worded better, but you never claimed to be a lyricist; it is what it is), he might be just as tired as you are from how long the day has been.

(Granted, this dude has been "asleep" for who knows how long, but it's the thought that counts.)

"You know where I'm taking you to?" you asked, not really expecting an answer from him.

"No," he responds from behind you. Color you surprised.

You turned into the hallway and stepped up to an unassuming door. You opened it to reveal an equally unassuming bedroom. Muted colors, modern design; it reeked Pepper's doing, knowing that Tony isn't as decoratively-inclined as she is.

Hah, bet she didn't expect that instead of housing you or your dad, it'll go to a super-solder that wasn't Steve instead.

(Not that Steve would ever have a reason to step foot in here, but in this line of work, you'd be stupid to be 100% sure about something.)

You motioned him to come into the room and tilted your head to the bed.

"This is your bedroom, pretty much where you'll be sleeping. There's a bathroom right over there," you motioned to the door adjacent to the entrance door, "and I'll be in the room right next to yours."

Barnes takes a second to process it all, and with a quick scan of the room with calculating eyes, he nods. You absentmindedly scratched the back of your neck.

"I mean, there's plenty of rooms here so if you don't like this one, just let me know and we'll probably move you to another room-" you rambled, secretly trying to get a move on so you'd finally get some shut-eye.

(What? You're not perfect, sleep is heavily slept on in this day and age. Hah.)

(God, you're definitely going to hell.)

"-and you know how to use a toilet, right?"

The raised eyebrow pointed at you definitely proves that that was a pretty stupid question, but hey, you can't take any chances. You shrugged, a tired smirk threatening to form on your lips.

"Well then. Can I leave it to you to settle down for the night, or...?" you left it open-ended.

He didn't say anything in response, only stared at the bed in front of him. There was a pregnant pause, but he nodded at you. There was a strange tilt to his eyes, but you didn't bother to think further into it as you were just thankful that you could finally rest.

"Well then, good night Barnes. I'll come by tomorrow morning and we'll continue to, er," you thought about it, "work, on your situation."

You made a swift exit out of his room and immediately into "your" room, which was literally right next to his. You immediately discarded your clothes and with a brisk shower and teeth brushing, you promptly dropped straight onto the bed with an audible grunt, wet hair soaking straight into the pillow.

Pulling the plush duvet to cover your body, you reached for your phone to check for any messages you might have gotten.

(3 from Tony; he asked where you were. You told him that you're staying at a safe house and that you needed a small break. It wasn't wrong, but definitely an omission of truth. A few days would be fine, right?)

(2 from Rhodey; it's a picture of a Goodwill's, and there's a silhouette in a nearby window of some guy. "This you?" he asks. "No ❤️," you sent back.)

(63 is from the group chat that the Avengers are in- ah, make that 64 and counting. It's just a bunch of nonsense from what you can gather, but you briefly scrolled through it anyways.)

Turning your phone off, you smushed your face into the pillow and sighed, a terrible knot forming at the pit of your stomach. With an open ear, you tried to hear any noise that could come from Barnes' room, but considering that the walls were reinforced and he was already quiet as it is, all you could hear was the AC running in the background.

"DAHLIA," you huffed, eyes drooping, "keep an eye on him, wake me up if anything happens."

"Got it," her voice echoes from the ceiling speakers.

You quietly tucked yourself in bed. As the exhaustion finally started settling in your body, the last thought that lingered in your head was "Man, I hope nothing bad happens tomorrow," before you drifted right off to dreamless slumber.

_______

The next day was, to say the least, a little disconcerting, but a bigger improvement to be sure.

Right after waking up, you begrudgingly put on some daytime appropriate clothes and stepped out into the hallway. You knocked on the door that was right next to yours, and gingerly opened it when you didn't hear much of a response.

"Good morning," you tentatively greeted. Barnes was sitting at the foot of the bed when you knocked on his door. He mumbled back a greeting and stands up to your eye level.

His clothes are still the same from last night, and judging by the clean state of his bed, he either woke up earlier than you expected or he was sat like that the whole night.

You're not too keen on finding out which was the case, but you had to.

"Sleep well?"

You stepped out of the doorway and motioned him to follow you. Briefly glancing down at your phone to see just a few messages waiting for you, you opted to ignore them for now.

"I slept."

He quietly stated from behind you. He avoided saying if he slept well or not, but at least the damn Terminator slept. You mentally deflated a little; the bar was set so low for him, you're not too sure who it's more insulting to- you or him.

(Of course, it's to him, that shouldn't be a question. Your feelings don't matter.)

"We're gonna have to wing this a little, but uh, here's the general gist of what's gonna happen."

Stepping into the kitchen, you're taken aback to last night as he tentatively stands across from you from the kitchen island. Really, you'd opt to go to the living room, but you both radiate too much nervous energy to really sit.

You opened the refrigerator and sighed when all that greeted you was water and non-perishables. Right. You just got here, it's not like there's gonna be freshly stocked food in here 24/7.

"DAHLIA, order some fresh food and get it delivered today. Charge it on my debit," you mumbled quietly.

DAHLIA doesn't say anything, but the refrigerator lights flicker a familiar green hue that keys you in that she heard you. You raised an impressed eyebrow; what an unnecessary feature for a refrigerator to have. You closed the door and turned around to face Barnes.

"I'm here to serve as, say, a guide for," you gestured to him, "your... rehabilitation, of sorts."

"For now, I can't really offer any... Professional help, on a technical level. I'm not- that's not my area of expertise. I'm an engineer at heart," actually, you really liked other things more than being an engineer, but your fate of becoming the CEO of SI was sealed the moment you decided to live with your dad, "so we're going to have to make a compromise on that."

You shook your head.

"If you were anyone else, I'd point you to a shrink," Barnes gives you a confused stare.

"Therapist," you clarified. He nods.

"But quite frankly," Zemo's face flashes in your memory, "I don't trust anyone to properly... Well, I don't trust anyone when it comes to the mental health of you, and the Avengers too, of course."

Pausing mid-rant, you raised an eyebrow at him.

"You... do know who the Avengers are, right?"

He nods and begins to rattle off a pre-scripted monologue. His eyes are blank as he started speaking.

"A group of top priority, compromised of highly skilled individuals, enhanced or otherwise specified. Threat priority ranges from 5 to 9. As of now, 6 active-duty members and 1 reserve member. The Asset is to not engage under any circumstance and reveal-"

"Alright alright, I get it- that's," you're a little offended that you're considered a "reserve member", but that's not technically wrong, "That's a lot to unpack there, but yeah. You- whew, you definitely know who the- we are."

(You've gotten into the habit of distancing yourself from the Avengers the moment that you had become CEO. You're still working on that, but the word "we" still feels wrong on your tongue.)

There's a little more life that came back to Barnes' eyes after you had snapped him out of it, and it's a bit surreal knowing that Barnes just kinda... runs on autopilot when prompted. The image of Barnes being strapped down in a chair and forced to learn and recite those kinds of things by heart is both horrifying and a little funny.

(Do you think they had a set curriculum he had to learn by?)

"So yeah. The Avengers gotta be careful when lookin' for shrinks, and so do you. There's just too many factors that go into gettin' a personal therapist. So for now," you shrugged, "you're stuck with me."

"What are they?"

"Hm?"

"The factors."

You shrugged.

"Well, for starters, you're- you were, HYDRA's prisoner," the muscle around his jaw visibly clenches when you mentioned HYDRA, but you powered through, "so they'll definitely be interested in getting their fight dog back. They're good at blending in and good at getting their musty little fingers into every nook and cranny. I wouldn't put it past them to have one of their agents go undercover as a therapist for hire. So that's one factor: trying to discern who is and isn't HYDRA."

You raised a finger.

"Then there's the fact that because you're such a... shall we say, top priority, er, asset," that word runs bitter on your tongue, "even if your shrink isn't HYDRA, they'll definitely be targeted by HYDRA if it ever came to light that they have a direct link to you. So there's reason number two: loose ends, and the risks that come with it."

You raised another finger. By now, Barnes has a hard but contemplative curl to his lips.

"And then not to mention how unique your case it. Barnes, you've been a POW for decades. Your brain- no offense buddy, but from what I can tell, it's been fried to hell and back. I don't even have to do any fancy brain scans to know. And that's not even including all the other stuff they probably did to you, only God knows."

You shook your head.

"There's too much at risk for you to get proper therapy right now. But. It's not impossible."

You think back to Shuri, and how she and the other Wakandan scientists were successful in both removing the trigger words and rehabilitating Barnes.

Well, you're not sure about the last part, since you never interacted with the Barnes of your time, but you'd assume that they did help with his subsequent mental health. You wouldn't really put it past them- T'Challa was a nice guy, from your limited interactions with him way into the future, and Shuri was buzzing with ideas and energy. If T'Challa's sympathy for Barnes wasn't enough, then Shuri's crave to help and experiment would supplement the balance plenty. Vice versa, too.

So yeah, future-Barnes' mental health was most likely addressed during his time in Wakanda. And it was almost guaranteed to have been a success.

So you're still gonna hold a torch for the possibility that Barnes' can come out of this as a relatively well-adjusted guy.

Not to mention B.A.R.F. As far as you know, the R&D team assigned to that was still progressing smoothly, but the only downside to that was that it wasn't going to be until a few more years before it's "perfected".

You were never really involved in any way with B.A.R.F. since you were both prepping for SI and finishing college. Your dad was definitely more involved in it than you were, but it's not like you could ask him to pull a few year's worths of experimentation and knowledge out of his ass and exponentially boost the rate of B.A.R.F.'s progress, so.

Helen Cho suddenly sprang to mind, but you quickly threw away that thought. Your- well, Barnes'- issue was neurological, Cho was all about cell regeneration and is a geneticist. So unless somehow the issue crosses over with Cho's line of work, she wasn't a possibility either. There was also Strange, but as far as you've heard the man was pretty... abrasive, even as a wizard. Hard to get a hold of, and very... Hard-headed.

Well, all of that was second hand since it came from Tony, but still. Maybe you could pull Tony in for some clout, but that'll just make him suspicious. God, maybe you shouldn't have kept the whole "I'm actually from the future" spiel a secret, otherwise you wouldn't have to be doing all this crap alone.

Oh well. In for a penny, out for a pound.

You sighed, already feeling the dull thump against your skull starting to form.

"So what now?" Barnes asks. He's less tentative than he was last night, but still soft-spoken when he talks.

"Well, you're stuck with me, bud. I'll do my best to get you prepped for the actual rehabilitation, but honestly, that might take a little longer than you'd expect. So, we'll just- well."

You eyed the outfit he was donning, which was literally your clothes- so it was a few sizes too small for him. He doesn't really seem bothered by it, and if it weren't for the fact that he's sort of proved himself to be neglectful of voicing his own preferences, you'd be a little more inclined to appreciate the view of one very, very beefy super-soldier.

But alas.

Life never really works in your favor, so.

"We'll need to get a few essential things out of the way. Food is already on its way, I assume you aren't allergic to anything?"

He pauses, and there goes that familiar glaze forming over his eyes. You sigh, knowing that he was probably searching through his mental "data-bases" for any allergies, but thankfully it's not long as he blinks back into attention.

"None."

"Yeah, I could'a figured, what with your super-soldier serum."

(You're pretty sure that also makes him immune to cancer, but maybe that's just you glorifying it.)

"So: the food situation is cleared. Now, we need to get you some new clothes because, uh, those don't look very comfortable."

"Comfort does not matter. I am adequately dressed."

You snorted. Maybe it's better that you don't tell Barnes that he's wearing a Sharknado tee and some sweats that have "Eat this!" printed on his behind.

(And maybe it's better that you didn't remember that yes, these are indeed still your clothes.)

"Comfort does matter, my guy. DAHLIA, take some quick measurements."

The kitchen light dims and brightens, shining lime green into the kitchen. It lingers and turns back into that white-blue that sometimes makes your eyes burn when you've been up for too late into the night.

"Seargent Barnes' measurements are now on file. You two want to see the available catalog?"

Right where the kitchen island was, a panel opens up to reveal a hologram of a bunch of articles of clothing, all of which has been adjusted to Barnes' size- or an approximate at least, since there's some that's labeled X or XL.

"Barnes? You got anything you want to do right now or...?"

You gestured to the hologram in front of you.

His face contorts a little, not too noticeable at a quick glance. He doesn't look uncomfortable per se, but judging by the downwards curl of his lips, he's definitely not excited to see the hologram.

You flicked your wrist and it disappeared just as quick as it appeared. Strangely enough, his expression doesn't loosen up as his eyes flicker upwards to yours.

"Hey, that's okay. If it's the hologram, that's no biggie, we'll just move over to the, uh, TV in the next room over. C'mon."

You jerked your head and motioned him to follow you. His face laxes and he walks behind you without a word.

_______

You two ended up getting a lot done all things considered.

Barnes seemed pretty bothered by how many clothing choices there are, but when you asked if he wanted you to just curate a list for him, he easily relented. He was hovering over you the whole time, but you weren't too bothered by it as you were too busy browsing for him.

You went from site to site searching for clothes that screamed "The Winter Soldier", but all that was coming up was clothes in fifty shades of black and with no pizzaz. You did pass by a few Avengers-related merch (especially yours), but he said nothing when you added two or three into your cart, so he probably doesn't care. You did show him a lot of clothes that you thought would fit him, and he nodded to pretty much all of them.

By the time you were done looking for clothes, the doorbell had rung.

("That was quick," you reminisced. DAHLIA was quick to respond.

"It came from a nearby Walmart."

"Huh.")

Barnes' head jerked as his eyes were trained on the entrance door. You patted his arm, and his eyes glance at you.

"Relax, it's just the food. DAHLIA ordered some groceries earlier."

You stood up to go answer the door, and Barnes followed suit. You raised an eyebrow at him, but he doesn't really seem like he's gonna back down anytime soon.

"You know... You can follow behind, but you're gonna have to be in the shadows or something 'cuz, you know... Just- if someone's still at the door, don't let them see you okay?"

He nods, almost mechanically so, and you turned around and walked to the entrance door.

Opening the door, you were greeted with a few big boxes. You raised an eyebrow and glanced out through the door; there are no cars nearby, and DAHLIA whispers in your ear that the clearing's safe- not a single life signature anywhere.

"Barnes, the coast's clear," you called out, already reaching down to grab one of the boxes. You grunt, adjusting your grip before you lifted and turned around.

Barnes, having already popped out of whatever dark corner he was in, is already a few feet behind you.

"Hey, you don't mind helping me bring in those boxes, will you?"

You were already walking past him, but you barely caught the briefest flash of furrowed eyebrows before you saw him walk over to the door. You mentally shrugged, but placed the box in the kitchen and went back over to the door to get the other one.

By the time you were done setting down the box, Barnes had already closed the door and was standing under the arch connecting the kitchen to the main hallway.

You motioned him over, and he complied.

"What is inside?"

You're almost proud that you didn't jump. He doesn't talk much, but when he does it always startles you.

"Groceries, but I don't know what specifically. DAHLIA chose all of it. And by the looks of it, she chose a lot. So. You're gonna help me unpack and we'll probably- well, I'll probably make some food. You can help if you want."

Your back was turned to him, and you started unloading the boxes and their contents. Barnes doesn't move for a hot moment, but he squats down next to you and starts unwrapping the smaller boxes that were inside it.

"You don't mind if I put on some music, right?"

You glanced at him.

"I... don't. Mind," he mumbles, tentatively glancing back at you. You gave him a brief thumbs up and turned your attention back to

"DAHLIA, play something chill. Low volume."

_______

Pretty much, the whole day consisted of unpacking all of the groceries that had been delivered. You ended up pausing, having gotten tired of being awake without food in your stomach, and made some food for the two of you.

You tried conversing with him, trying to get him to at least feel more comfortable, and it... kinda worked. There are a few touchy subjects that he doesn't really seem to like talking about (he doesn't really vocalize his discomfort, but his flinches, no matter how minute they were, spoke louder than words). HYDRA, obviously. Anything revolving the Avengers put him off as well, among other things.

Really, most of the eating consisted of small talk and eating noises, but at least some of the tension in his shoulders had lessened by the time that you two needed to get back to unpacking. Hell, by the time that was done, Barnes' clothes had arrived.

(Oh, the benefits of being insanely rich. Say it with me kids: Thank you, Tony!)

You're usually a little apprehensive about buying clothes online, but color you surprised when not only did all of them fit; Barnes didn't have a single problem with any of them.

"You like 'em?"

You whistled when Barnes came out of his bathroom, now back in your clothes that you had given him originally. He tried all of them on, and you ended up buying him so many clothes that a lot of time had passed by the time he was done. You just sat on his bed, slowly collecting all of the clothes and ripping off the tags, damned if he didn't like one of them; you'll just take it instead.

"They're adequate," he nodded. In his hand were the folded clothes (A camo tee and dark sweatpants), and he set them onto his bed with the other folded clothes.

"Did any of 'em uncomfortable? Too tight, any of the fabric feels wrong...?"

You left the question open-ended as you helped him dump it into a laundry bin. He doesn't respond right away as if he didn't hear you. His eyes flicker over to yours.

"... No. They- I..." the muscle under his eye spasms, "I liked them..."

You grinned, "Glad to hear that, guess we got lucky that none of these was a dud, huh?"

The ghost of a smile that was on his lips appeared briefly, but it was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

Really, that had basically been the peak of the day before things had started to mellow out a little bit. But that was okay, you took whatever it was that Barnes gave, and if it was just the smallest smile you've ever seen on a man, then so be it.

Afterward, the day somehow managed to blend together and pass along like an exhale. Not much happened, since you couldn't really- well, offer anything that could scientifically and medically help him. So you opted to just- try to get him up to date as much as possible.

Honestly, by the time that you had gotten through the first three decades (starting when he was born), it was already pretty late into the night.

(He had a lot of questions, and you really didn't blame him. Hell, most of the more personal information really came from DAHLIA, because as much as you sympathized with the man, you really didn't care to learn about his whole entire biography.

But, at least you answered most of the history related questions. If you had to go through a few history college classes back when you were in college, then you'll be damned if you didn't at least make an effort to learn and internalize them.)

Barnes didn't really show any signs of exhaustion if the casual leg bouncing wasn't enough, but you sure were pooped.

(What? Unlike your dad (and most of the Avengers) you actually had a normal internal clock. For the most part, anyway.)

"Well, as much as I liked talking about prehistoric times," you sounded sarcastic, but you actually did like it, "I gotta sleep, I don't run on super-soldier energy like you do bub."

You stood up, stretched, and saw that Barnes was now standing up as well.

"Should I...?"

Raising an eyebrow, you huffed in good nature, "Go to sleep? Yeah, probably. We're not done with the History101 crash course, and we'll probably be talking about other things tomorrow as well," especially about the fact that you're not gonna be at the safe house often soon, "so we both need the energy for that. So, go clean up and get some Z's, yeah?"

"Oh."

He looked a little lost but followed you back into your shared hallway. Stopping in your doorway, you turned your head to glance at Barnes.

"Good night, Barnes," you nodded, not waiting for a response as you headed into your room. It was quiet and almost inaudible, but you still heard it with your ears before you had closed the door shut.

"... Good night."

You stood in your room, a sudden wave of both exhaustion and dread flooding your body. You shook it off though; it was just the nervous jitters hitting you at an inopportune time.

But really, you trusted your guts almost as much as you trusted Tony.

So as you brushed your teeth and did your business in the bathroom, you tried to quell the anxiety that was building up in your chest.

"DAHLIA, keep an eye on him."

"Gotcha, doll."

You sighed, dropped onto your bed, and hoped that whatever it was that might happen, you'd be prepared for it.

_______

And lo and behold, it didn't even have to be the next morning before shit all hit the fan when DAHLIA wakes you up in the middle of the night (3 A.M., to be specific).

"-oll, wake up! Barnes is having a panic attack!"

It takes half a second to process the fear in DAHLIA's voice. It takes another to process her words.

Fuck.

Scrambling immediately out the bed, you thanked whatever higher being there is that you were sleeping with at least some sweatpants on as you booked it straight to your door and right through Barnes'.

(Maybe you should have joined the football team, because that would have been one wicked tackle. Ha, yeah right, you know nothing about football.)

The lights were on, most likely DAHLIA's doing, and his bedsheets were clearly mussed up. He's nowhere to be seen, so your eyes jump to the joined bathroom door, and lo and behold, there was light bleeding through the cracks.

You quickly approached the door and opened it, throwing away the worry that he might have been absolutely naked.

The good news was that he wasn't nude.

The bad news was that he was hunched over on the ground, right in front of the bathroom counter, and he's gripping his head so tightly you would have thought his skull would have caved in.

Terror shoots down your spine like a lightning bolt, and you immediately rushed to the curled over Barnes, adrenaline rushing through you as a million thoughts ran through your head.

"Barnes!"

He doesn't appear to hear you, groaning and panting as he further curled in on himself. His muscles spasm, hard, and you're at a loss at what to do. He's sickly pale, and the sheen on his skin makes you want to vomit. His panting is shallow, and if you weren't sure if the glint that shone in your eyes was the reflection off of the marble floors or a puddle of saliva coming from Barnes.

You're not sure if touching him right now is a good thing, but you'll be damned if he wasn't your responsibility now. You reach out to him, wrapping one arm around his hunched back and the other trying to pry at his wrists.

(Would you have touched him, if you didn't have the reassurance that DAHLIA has your back?)

(Shut up.)

Maybe you were tensing up for him to go all "Winter Soldier" mode on you, but he's the one that tenses, even more, when you touched him. Thankfully, he doesn't resist your pull as his arm is limp the moment you tried to pull it back, but it doesn't change the fact that he's shaking, badly, and your mind is frozen in limbo.

"DAHLIA, what-"

You're at a loss for words, but DAHLIA, sweet DAHLIA already knows what you were about to ask.

"Sergeant Barnes was displaying elevated levels of anxiety, however, it did not seem to warrant any mentions. I thought-"

She cuts herself off, almost as if she was worried that she had made a wrong call. You swallowed, knowing that despite being a baby A.I., she's never done wrong by you- both in the future and now.

"You thought what?"

You try to rub Barnes' back as if he was a dog that had needed soothing. He groans, but you're not sure if you should interpret that as a hurt groan or a relieved one. You paused and moved your hand away, hovering it just inches away from his back, and his breath hitches.

Your hand dropped onto his back once again, and you could feel the muscles on his muscles spasm a little; his whimpers aren't as loud and painful (though, they're still more than worrying).

So, on the very small bright side, back rubs don't seem to be hurting him either. It's a small win, but a win for sure.

"You- my visuals were clear in the conclusion that you saw it. His discomfort. Your body language and expression acknowledged it but you refrained from addressing it. I- acted under the assumption that it was all under control..."

Something in your mind pauses for a pregnant second before your eyes widened.

"What?"

DAHLIA doesn't even get the chance to reply as Barnes jerks his hands away from yours and pulls at his scalp again. You lurched forward.

"Hey! No!"

You bit back a growl as you grabbed his wrists once again. You yank them back down to his sides as his body jolts, a sob ripping through him. You placed a hand on his chest and tried to boost him back up so he'll have his back against the bathtub that's behind him.

He offers little to no resistance as his back makes contact with the bathtub, but he's slumped into himself. He pulls his knees forward and curls his head into them. For a super-soldier, it's almost cute how hard he's trying to take up as little space as possible if it weren't for the fact that your heart was absolutely breaking at the sight of him.

"Oh, Barnes..."

In shuddered breaths, he mumbles something incoherent.

"...-an't, I- I- I-.... -can't..."

He shakes his head, jolting as if someone had shocked him. You rubbed his arm, glancing down at what you can now confirm to be a puddle of saliva, and then over to the trash can right next to the toilet. You're not too sure if you should get it just in case he decides to vomit, but you're ready to lunge for it the moment Barnes shows any signs of gagging.

"DAHLIA," you spoke at a lower volume, "what- when was he, um, uncomfortable."

"Two nights ago, roughly 22:00, when you told Sargeant Barnes that he was his own free man. Yesterday morning, 08:00, when you asked if he wanted to do anything prior to browsing the available clothing catalog. Right after, he was also discomforted by the catalog, before you offered to buy clothes for him. At-"

"That's- that's enough," you breathlessly muttered. DAHLIA doesn't say anything else, but the air has suddenly become heavier than you remembered.

Your head was almost dizzy with not only how many instances Barnes had been anxious in such a short time, but also at how you remembered each and every instance with startling clarity.

Barnes was anxious at the idea of freedom, but you put it off and opted to just give him a nickel tour of the house.

Barnes was anxious when you asked if he wanted to do anything before looking at clothes, but looked too relieved when you brushed over it.

Barnes was anxious at the idea of shopping for fucking clothes but was okay after you took over for him.

The taste of stomach acid burned your tongue, as yesterday's dinner threaten to rise at the implication of all of this.

"DAHLIA," you mumbled, "the- the rest of those instances- do they..."

You trained your eyes on Barnes.

"Do they all- follow the same... The same- pattern?"

DAHLIA was always in tune with you, even after the time jump.

"... Yes," she lamented.

"God..."

Now, you're not sure who that trash can would be really for; you or Barnes.

"Barnes..."

You murmured quietly. He flinches, and his shaking hasn't gotten any better.

"What- what was it? Was it- was it all too much? God, I'm so sorry, it probably was, wasn't it? I should have- fuck, I should have taken it more slowly, I-"

Barnes shakes his head, stopping you in your rambling. You blinked rapidly.

"Then- was it..." you paused, "... Was it the choices?"

It's almost expected that he doesn't answer you straight away, but he nodded anyway.

"I... It was- it was too much- I couldn't- I don't know- I-"

His breath shuddered with each word as if it hurt him to just even speak right now. You shushed him, ignoring the intrusive thought that it was akin to shushing an animal.

"Hey, hey, it's- it's okay. You'll be okay."

It's not much, what you're saying to him, and it's no surprise that they didn't do much anyway.

Honestly, you didn't know what to say at this point. There didn't even seem to be any phrasing in the known English language that would be able to comfort a man with as much baggage on his shoulders as Barnes, and briefly, just briefly, you wished that you were literally anywhere in the world, but here.

You tried thinking about anything that came from your (albeit limited) interactions with him between the past days that would help ground him, before something jolts you from deep within.

("What are my mission parameters," Barnes asked from behind you.

You paused.

"Mission parameters?")

You didn't even realize that you had said that out loud, but Barnes had tensed up even more before you could even take it back. He held his breath, audibly swallowing.

("You don't need mission parameters, Barnes. You're your own free man. You can- can make decisions on your own. You don't need me to tell you what you need to do.")

("I... Don't understand...")

You spoke on impulse.

"You... You need them, don't you? Mission parameters."

Immediately, you regretted even speaking up just as those words left your mouth.

While every fiber in your being hoped that it wasn't true, there was a small inkling in your head that already knew the answer to your question. It was the only thing that was barely even logical enough to make sense.

His apprehension of making a choice.

How uncomfortable in his own skin he always appeared, despite it even being just a few days.

How relieved he always looks, when the choice was already made for him.

His body tenses underneath your hand, but it's the slight bob of his head that makes your stomach drop. You thought- what a fool you were- you thought he'd be okay without being ordered around, but that was nothing but wishful thinking.

(What was the saying? It's hard to teach an old dog a new trick, was it?)

(Yeah.)

Looking at how only a few days of what you had originally thought was Barnes' newfound freedom turned out to be much more of a nightmare for Barnes, it might just be better for the both of you to push aside your comfortability and start making an honest-to-God investment into Barnes' recovery, even if that means that you had to take a step backward.

A very, very risky step backward.

It was a shot in the dark, but it was the only thing that you could place your bets on for now.

You just hoped that your aim wouldn't fail you now.

"Okay, well... How about this, Barnes, here's your main- your main mission, okay? Become a free man. Hey, no, look at me," you swiveled his head so he could look at you. His eyes were panicked, crazed, and irredeemably sad, but you had to make sure nothing crossed through your face so he'd know that everything will be okay. Your grip on both sides of his face was firm as you pleaded with him.

"Your only 'mission' right now? Breathe," ironically, his breath hitched, "If not for your own sake, then for mine."

You swallowed, heart stuttering as you looked into his glassy eyes.

"Please," you let your desperate prayer lingered in the air.

Maybe it was being given a task to accomplish after days of trying to figure out what to do with his supposed new "freedom", or it was how non-labor intensive and just... simple, his new mission parameter was, but it was almost instantaneous how all of the tension in his body dissipated into thin air.

Witnessing the moment of mercy upon grief through Barnes, no matter how brief or temporary it may be, was almost cathartic.

Almost.

(Perhaps you shouldn't be looking for absolution vicariously. But you were never really a good person, were you?)

_______

A/N: I've read a lot of WinterIron fics. While I have read a lot of interpretations about how Barnes would have reacted when he was freshly freed from HYDRA, this is how I choose to interpret it- one that would best fit the story for now. Next chapter, since I couldn't fit it in this chapter, is a special, but it is very much important and related to the story, and Barnes as a character. If you're familiar with some WinterIron tropes, this won't be too foreign of an idea. Not too sure about other ships/ stories, but. Ah, I'm rambling. Anyways, see you next year lol.

_______

Masterlist

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Tagged: @unsolvetheheckoutofit @tonystanktheirondad @ludwigvonbaethoven @rspctot7 (if you’re not @/ fabledxmystery, so sorry for the mistag! LMK if it’s not you) @tolkoskott @klanceiscannon14 @deos-life (grr it won’t let me tag you) @kp1183 (kperla1183) @xyuriko-akamine (akabaneyuriko) @kettnerjanea @soldier-42 @daybreakmistakes @spnfanboy777 @crash-zite @jm-cy

#male reader #avengers x reader #avengers x male reader #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x male reader #bucky barnes x reader #restart #reader insert

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chancelloramidala · 4 years ago

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Across The Stars In A Galaxy Far Far Away ★ Star Wars & Marvel Crossover AU

TWO.

Despite her Jedi training, Ahsoka couldn’t help but be have a child-like excitement of their surroundings. She sat in the window seat beside Anakin and pressed her face against the glass, staring at the big flashy lights and people they passed. From what she saw, Manhattan looked like a smaller version of Coruscant, and lacked the many, MANY, skyscrapers, flying speeders in the air, and alien species walking around. In fact, Ahsoka could only see the human species on the streets and in the cars they passed. Were there no other alien species on Earth? Was she the only alien species here?

Padmé, who was on the other side of Anakin, grinned at Ahsoka’s visible enthusiasm and constant pointing at something new she didn’t recognize but thought it resembled something back home. She nodded along to the teenage Torguta’s animated hand movements and tried to answer as many questions as she could. But the Senator, once Queen, was equally as curious about this planet they were on as Padawan, but dimmed down a couple of notches.

Anakin on the other hand, didn’t like any of this. He was one to throw original plans out the window and improvise, but this was a completely different territory for the Jedi Knight. Hell, this was a completely different part of the galaxy that didn’t know anything about the Jedi or the Force.

Obi-Wan, who was sitting in the front seat with the chair slightly reclined backwards (not that Ahsoka was complaining), could sense his former student’s anxiety about their new environment. Their bond never diminished as time passed, but fortified and became a constant in their lives. He turned his head to look at Anakin and gave him a small smile, sending him soothing waves of warmth through their bond and then closed his eyes for a moment.

Rex was stuck in the back with Artoo, and even if the SUV was roomy, he did not like the tight space. It was different, nothing like a speeder or ship he’s been in. Even Artoo was quietly grumbling about how much he hated this stupid speeder because with each turn and stop, Rex had to outstretch his arm(s) to make sure the astromech droid didn’t topple over and hit Anakin in the back of his head.

Their driver, Clint, stared at the strange bunch. Now when he was expecting a couple of aliens that had kidnapped Peter, he was expecting something along the lines of the Chitauri that he faced all those years ago. But these aliens, weren’t anything like them. Most of them were human, the teenage girl though, she was definitely an alien, for she had orange skin, white face markings and something that resembled horns? She also didn’t have any hair, which wasn’t an issue for the man, but it was different than what he was used to seeing.

But then again, after joining S.H.I.E.L.D. and becoming an Avenger, normal wasn’t in Clint’s vocabulary anymore.

After they finally reached the garage of the Tower, Clint parked the SUV and lead everyone to the elevator, including the beeping robot, which somewhat resembled a rolling trash can, that he forgot they had.

“They have turbolifts here, Master,” the orange skinned humanoid female commented as the elevator started to move. “Fascinating,” she mumbled under her breath.

“It’s slower,” the shaggy-haired human male said with a small smirk.

Clint chuckled softly, “Don’t let Stark hear you say that, he’s already an insufferable bastard as is.”

“I take it this Stark person made this turbolift?” Padmé inquired.

“Yup,” Clint popped the ‘p’, “and the entire building along with a lot of other technological gizmos. He’s the one in the metal suit from earlier that wanted to blast your asses on the spot,”

“Comforting,” Anakin said dryly.

Then, the doors to the turbolift or also known as elevators, opened revealing a red and gold skinned being. Vision smiled amicably at the newest arrivals and stepped aside to let them through. “Welcome, my name is The Vision or just Vision. I’m a synthetic android made from vibranium that was once an A.I for Mr, Stark. He also told me to lead you to the medical labs to be checked up on and to provide you with clothes to change into.”

“Thank you, Vision.” Padmé smiled back at the man and decided to walk beside him, introducing herself and the rest of her group to him.

Anakin then took Obi-Wan off of Rex’s hands, allowing his former teacher lean against him as they followed after Vision and Padmé down the long corridor. When they finally arrived at the doors to the lab, Vision input something into the panel before the doors slide open. There was a man in a purple shirt with his back to the rest of them, staring at a holographic screen and rubbing his chin anxiously.

“Dr. Banner, may I introduce our guests?” Vision told the man, causing him to turn around with blatant surprise.

“Vision, hey,” the Doctor nodded his head and curiously glanced at the group behind him.

“This is Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Captain Rex, Ahsoka Tano, and their astromech droid, R2-D2,” Vision carefully gestured to each and every being clearly making sure that each brief description Padmé gave him correlated correctly.

“Nice to meet all of you, my name is Bruce Banner,” he raised his hand slightly to wave. “I’ll be doing some basic scans and check-ups on all of you, Tony guessed all of your sizes and has some clothes stacked on the bench over there,” he pointed to said bench, “that you can change into. There’s an bathroom connected through that door,” again, pointing to where said door was.

“I’ll go first,” Ahsoka stepped forward with a bright and eager smile.

Bruce eyed the young Torguta with a great amount of curiosity before nodding firmly and gesturing to the table he’d be examining her on. “Thank you, and you’re... Ahsoka, correct?”

“You’re right, doc!”

━━━━━━━━━━━━

An hour or so later, everyone had changed out of their clothes and into Earthly outfits. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Rex were given gray, black, and blue sweatpants along with white, green, and gray t-shirts. Ahsoka and Padmé wore black leggings paired with red and blue tees. They’d also been given black sneakers and socks which were surprisingly comfortable.

Obi-Wan, despite his initial injuries, was given a thorough check up by Dr. Banner. His chest was wrapped and he was given some pills for the pain. Everyone else had a clean bill of health, and vaccinations just in case.their space bodies couldn’t handle whatever illnesses Earth had to offer.

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé were then tasked with trying to explain their situation to the Avengers (which Anakin was absolutely floored to learn that was their actual team name.) Ahsoka and Rex lingered in the background, keeping to themselves and talking to each other about how weird this all was.

An eccentric billionaire who used all of his high-technology to make the world a better place. A super soldier that was frozen alive for 70 years with a heart of gold. Two assassins with a deep history with one another. Super-powered twins, one was weird, the other was fast. A Doctor that turned into an alternate person which was green and severely muscular when angered. A former assassin that was brainwashed to be a human weapon... and many other team members that they haven’t met because they weren’t on site according to Vision.

“Sorry if I find it hard to believe... any of that.” Tony blinked after Obi-Wan and Padmé spoke about the Clone Wars that had recently ended in their galaxy. “And sorry, that you two and the kid are... um... space wizards?”

“Some find that the Jedi are sorcerers with our magic-like abilities through the Force,” Obi-Wan nodded patiently.

“What about this War you had? You said it was caused by the secession of star systems from your government, the Republic to the Confederacy and for the War, the Clone Troopers were created for the Republic to be used for battle... but there was another alternative plot beneath it all?” Steve asked, particularly eager about the war they had fought.

“Yes, the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Sheev Palaptine, was actually a Sith Lord who orchestrated the entire War. He wanted the Republic to crumble along with the Jedi Order so he could restore the Sith Empire... and...” Padmé carefully glanced over at Anakin who was now staring at his hands, gripping them tightly.

Padmé frowned softly and then reached forward and put her hand over his, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze.

“Palpatine... Darth Sideous was grooming me for years and nearly seduced me into the dark side of the Force to become his new apprentice...” Anakin announced in a soft voice as he tried to steady himself from lashing out or leaving the room.

“He had chips put in Rex and all of the clones that when activated, would massacre any and all the Jedi they served.” Obi-Wan added, quick to take attention away from Anakin, knowing all-to-well that the revelations of Palpatine’s true nature was a hard pill for his former student to swallow.

The room went silent for a moment, allowing the information they were receiving to float in the air. It was clear that this group had been through hell and back again for the three years that the Clone Wars raged on.

Steve looked at each and every person, taking note of what kind of role they played. Padmé was a senator, the former Queen of her planet Naboo, who didn’t agree with the War from the start. Obi-Wan and Anakin were generals who watched hundreds of soldiers die under their command for a worthless war. Rex was one of those soldiers who didn’t know where his place was without the War and had survived it but not without a few battle scars. And Ahsoka, she was only a child when the War started, now a growing young woman who not only shouldn’t have never stepped foot on a battlefield, but never had a real childhood.

"I still don’t understand how you got here though. I know space is huge, but out of all the planets to land on, you really chose Earth, huh? And New York nontheless!” Tony chuckled lightly, doing his best to make light of the situation.

“It’s possible that during our escape, we got sucked into a wormhole.” Obi-Wan suggested. “There’s been no records of anyone travelling through one before.”

“Yup, now you’ve lost me,” Clint blinked blankly before getting up to walk into the kitchen. “Anyone want some beers? Don’t answer that, because everyone is getting one. We’ve deserved it.”

“Like I said before, there are Separatist sympathizers that want us dead. They hit our hyperspace drive right when Ani put in the coordinates while we were escaping the skirmish and... here we are.”

Clint then returned from the kitchen, handing out beer bottles to everyone before stopping in front of Ahsoka and eyeing her warily. “How old are you anyway?”

“Galactic Standard would have me at 17,” Ahsoka replied as she eyed the beer bottle in his arms. “It’s the legal age to drink in most of the galaxy,”

“Ah, sorry little lady, but the legal drinking age here is 21,” Clint patted the space between her montrals ever-so carefully in a playful manner before continuing to pass out drinks.

Ahsoka scrunched her face together in annoyance and turned her head in the direction of Anakin. “What a bunch of bantha-poodoo! Master, you’ve seen me drink before! Tell the sleemo,”

“Sorry Snips, but if their legal age is different here then...” Anakin shrugged his shoulders to indicate that the situation was simply out of his hands before popping open the top of the beer bottle and taking a sip.

Rex laughed loudly and slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle it. He’s seen his fair share of the Torguta drinking, many times he had to drag her back to base over his shoulder because she was a bit of a lightweight. And if he was going to be honest, this was the peek of entertainment.

The teen crossed her arms over her chest and huffed as she watched him drink. “This sucks, Skyguy.”

“Ah, I’ll have to decline from drinking.” Obi-Wan gestured to his chest. “I’m on medication and I don’t know how well that would mix with alcohol.”

“I can make some tea instead, I don’t drink anyway,” Wanda waved her hand as strings of red floated from her fingertips and towards the kitchen, where the stove turned on and a tea kettle started to bottle.

“Splendid,” Obi-Wan nodded his head in her direction, thankful that they at least had tea here. “Might want to make some for Ahsoka here, she looks like she needs a calming tea.”

Ahsoka stuck her tongue out at the older man in a childish manner. “Oh you think you’re so funny, Master.”

Whilst everyone was busy conversing and sharing stories, Padmé would discreetly pass her beer to Ahsoka, knowing that a few sips couldn’t hurt. The teenage girl was more than happy that the Senator was giving into her whims. Plus, the two have had their fair share of nights spent sharing a bottle of Alderaanian wine towards the end of the War.

Though, this act didn’t go unnoticed by everyone. Tony thought it was funny when he first noticed the exchange, recalling how his first few drinks were at home with Jarvis. He didn’t say anything, just smirked behind his bottle and went on with their night.

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mukubear · 4 years ago

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His Beating Metallic Heart

So this is my first story I wrote when joining the DR fandom! It's one of my favorite ships and is a comfort for me, and most likely have see it on AO3 or on my old account, but here it is again! Enjoy!

Since his creation, K1-B0, only knew one thing. That thing was that he didn't really have much going for him, it was made painfully obvious by the other scientists that came and commented on how his creator did a bad job, always saying that K1-B0 would never amount to be useful to anyone.

As his life went on, just like he was told how humans work as they get older, their body grows with them, the same happened to him. He kept growing, by growing, it was just his AI chip being switched to different bodies while his software kept getting updated with emotions that were gathered from various studies and implemented into his A.I. and shaped him.

While during a time when he would be considered a twelve year-old, K1-B0's creator decided to bring him out of the lab and into the outside world. While he was out, an encounter happened with a group of some boys that were around his age, during the time he was walking the group of boys kept looking at him, giving mean glares towards him. They were typical bullies based off that, even further they gave those glares because K1-B0 was different from them, he was fully made of metal, artificial hair, and a voice that still sounded to that of a phone A.I.. All reasons for him to be targeted by them.

Eventually K1-B0 wandered off from where his creator was at so that he can see more of the area he was it, resulting in that group of boys following him and cutting him off from the path he was taking, teasing him at first before they started making threats as they got bored of how he reacted to their words. Teasing to insulting, insulting to threatening, then finally threatening to assaulting. Each of the boys took turns finding ways to hurt K1-B0 as they found trying to punch and kick metal to only cause them pain and even more anger. Getting creative, one of the boys managed to take off an arm, another managed to get into his circuits and mess them up, another broke some of his major components by using the detached arm against him. During them doing all that to him, K1-B0 tried to defend himself, but didn't know how, he was never given data on the subject so all he could really do was sit there and endure it.

After all the carnage done, K1-B0 had difficulty walking, sporadic movements of his remaining arm and head, blurred vision, and incapable of speaking. He grabbed his detached arm and started shambling around until he finally got somewhere that he could at least take a moment to try and get help. He eventually shut down after making his way to the entrance of a small apartment building.

During his time while shut down, this girl, the same age as him, came and took him into her apartment and investigated every part of him. She was fascinated by every aspect of him, messing with different aspects of his circuitry and testing the capabilities of them. She took a few days to finally get to repairing him, she disassembled almost all the electronics in her apartment to make the best repairs she could do and after she made them, the girl connected him to an outlet and let him charge up. While K1-B0 was charging, the girl continued her testing on his body and it's capabilities, seeing that he has the strength to do almost anything and some more things similar to it.

After reaching full charge, he finally woke up and saw his surroundings, seeing that he was inside a room that was a dark shade of pink and many electronics scattered about before finally having his eyes reach the girl who managed to bring him back from that damaged state he was in. He waved at her and gave a tiny smile of appreciation and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out his mouth except for a noise that sounded like something grinding together in his head. The girl looked at him, grabbed his hand and smiled, happy about the work she had done, but also sad cause she didn't know about the one problem that wasn't discovered. She moved up to where his ear is, saying something.

"Don't worry about it, just remember me, Miu."

He smiled and then looked down and saw that his repaired arm had a different design that had pink and black with a steampunk like design. Then after that, K1-B0 couldn't remember how he got back to the lab and his creator, receiving repairs he needed, but refusing to want his new arm replaced and having more real world learning with close watch over the next few years until he reached high school where he was brought to Hope's Peak as the Super High School Level Robot.

The class year he joined had someone of interest to him for two reasons. One, a girl that seemed familiar to him. And two, he didn't feel like he was really being judged. One day, he was paired up with the girl who was the Super High School Level Inventor. After her introduction and hearing her name, he remembered where she was from. Miu. That girl who helped him after he shut down those couple of years ago. K1-B0 smiled and showed his arm to her, making sure she saw it was still the one she made him those years ago. Seeing her reaction to finding him again, it made something inside him start, in his chest, a beat that wouldn't stop. He didn't know how to introduce himself, as he felt nervous now, all because of that beat in his chest.

"Hi Miu, I'm Kiibo, pleasure meeting you again."

#danganronpa #sdr2 #drv3 #miu iruma #drv3 miu #drv3 kiibo #drv3 k1 b0 #kiibo #k1-bo #kiiruma #drv3 kiiruma #pregame kiibo #pregame k1-b0 #pregame miu #pregame kiiruma #writing

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zerotoninrp · 3 years ago

Photo

Below you will find our Earth timeline. We hope that this puts our vision of the world of ZEROTONIN into focus, and gives you inspiration and ideas for your wonderful characters. Note that our site is explicitly canon divergent and follows the inception of many of our well known heroes and villains. However, it is ultimately at your discretion where your character may fit within this unique universe. Of course, this is a non-exhaustive list which does not cover every important point in history.

If you are interested and have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

______________________________________________________________

➔ PRESENT DATE: New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day; January 1, 2000

1942: The secret military “Manhattan Project” created to develop the first US nuclear weapons, as part of the nuclear arms race between the United States, the Soviet Union and their respective allies.

1945: The first US nuclear bombs are used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, ultimately leading to the end of World War II. Succeeding the war’s end, world governments competitively spend massive amounts of money to further the advancement of warfare weapons and technology, particularly weapons of mass destruction.

1947: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is formed to collect and distribute information regarding foreign policy intelligence and analysis.

1950: Top secret Tamarind expedition executed. Many of Earth’s population note these UFO sightings, however this is not the first time it’s been recorded throughout human history; sightings and interaction date back to the early civilizations, though no scientific evidence is made public.

1957: Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence are made.

1958: The National Aeronautics and Space Act is signed, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Shortly thereafter, a top secret facility in Nevada named “Area 51” is revealed to be used for testing related to space findings and “other experiments.”

1962: In reaction to the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, President Kennedy makes a similar show of force by unveiling new military weapons: particle beams, mother boxes, and boom tubes. Ultimately, however, the Soviet Union and the U.S. agree to not engage in any acts of war.

1969: Hover cars and boards hit the market.

1970: Justice Society of America (JSA) formed; the birth of “super” heroes.

1972: As the Watergate scandal breaks, Americans are glued to their phones and TVs, watching the debacle unfold through holographic broadcasts.

1974: Infant found amidst the debris left by a crashed UFO in Smallville, Kansas.

1981: Thomas Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, and his wife Martha Wayne are murdered on Park Row in Gotham City.

1985: Much to the surprise of political pundits, despite his instrumental role in the development of the particle-beam gun, scientist and professor Thomas Morrow is appointed Secretary of Defense.

1986: A.I. pop group, New Kids on the Block, take the world by storm with their debut.

1988: LexCorp trades publicly for the first time, setting record high opening days on the U.S. Stock Market in only its first year.

1991: The end of the Cold War and the advancement of technology marks a seismic shift in priorities for the CIA. Responsibilities have grown to now include counterterrorism, nonproliferation of advanced weapons and weapons of mass destruction, warning/informing American leaders of important overseas events, counterintelligence, cyber intelligence and warning/informing American leaders of extraterrestrial threat/contact.

1992: Beating advancements made since the 60’s in Japan, America’s first high speed rail system is finally completed, with its grand terminal built in Central City, allowing for cross-country travel in only a matter of hours. Rogue scientists alert the media of the use of a cosmic force known as the speed force to aid the system.

1992: The first exoskeleton brain-implant is a success. Corporations make a mass move to implant exoskeleton chips into employees' brains. The landscaping and many manual labor intensive fields—construction, many of the skilled trade jobs—see rapid implementation of these originations.

1993: Women now make up half of the workforce, as the proliferation of automated robots in homes have alleviated traditional gender roles for most families.

1993: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the first criminal action against a sentient A.I. A.I. who randomly gain sentience may still be punished by the State.

1994: The “Crime Bill” passes, leading to President Clinton’s commission of Arkham Asylum. The asylum is effective in cleaning up Gotham’s streets, and is hailed a massive success.

1996: Grounded cars officially phase out of the market, with manufacturers that were unable to keep up with hover car production going out of business (e.g. Ford, Honda).

1996: Kids go crazy for simulations. While they had been slowly gaining popularity in the workforce, allowing for greater employee training, they have now been fully monopolized by the entertainment industry. Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC go on to become the largest sellers of simulation merchandise.

1996: Congress debates exoskeleton control after another black market exoskeleton death occurs.

1996: Supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell popularize synthetic high fashion.

1996: Reputable publications rank Metropolis the “Best City in the World”.

1996: The southern states grow weary of the country’s hyper-advancement, fearing these developments threaten their states’ rights to decide how best to allocate their resources.

1997: The Daily Planet building in Metropolis completes its reconstruction; at over 2,700 feet, it becomes the tallest building in the world.

1997: Civil rights activists complain of Arkham Asylum’s rising population and accuse the prison’s doctors of inhumane experimentation on patients.

1997: President Clinton lodges sanctions against Gotham City, New Jersey for its apparent-resurgence of crime, restricting their access to hover cars. Gotham is the only city to still rely on grounded cars.

January 17, 1998: Clinton-Lewinsky scandal breaks.

January 27, 1998: A resolution to amend the U.S. Constitution and allow the secession of the then-colloquially dubbed “Federalist States” is introduced in Congress.

August 1998: Florida man attempts to marry his automated robot.

November 3, 1998: The Arkham Asylum riots become the most violent prison riot in American history, resulting in several breakouts, deaths and thirteen officers taken hostage.

December 19, 1998: Bill Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives.

January 1, 1999: Atlantis reappears.

January 7, 1999: The Senate trial in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton begins.

January 21, 1999: The United States Coast Guard makes the largest drug bust in American history, intercepting a ship with over 16,500 pounds of cocaine aboard headed for Gotham.

February 12, 1999: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate.

March 21, 1999: The Matrix—a movie with an all-A.I.-cast—becomes the first of its kind to win Best Picture at the Oscars following its January release.

April 8, 1999: Alexander Luthor surpasses $200 billion, edging out Warren Buffet and Bill Gates as the richest man in America.

April 1999: Through approval from Congress and states, cessation of the old U.S. South is finalized. Reorganization begins.

July 1999: Crime in Gotham City reaches a new peak, officially making it one of the most dangerous cities in the entire world; it holds the highest poverty, crime and murder rate in North America by a large margin. As a result, President Bill Clinton has military blockades set at its borders to prevent easy entry or exit, in hopes of keeping the crime wave contained within the city and managed.

August 1999: Sales of violent virtual reality video games and other media depicting graphic violence are limited across the country amidst the Gotham influenced panic, with experts warning of a wave of copycat criminals who will replicate their brutality.

August 1999: Tony Hawk became the first to land a “1000” on a hoverboard, following his “900” trick just months before on a skateboard.

October 1999: The New American Supreme Court rules LexCorp is in violation of antitrust laws, citing "unregulated and unreasonable practice" toward its competitors.

November 1999: The Tamarind expedition of 1950 is exposed by way of leaked CIA documentation. The dark web becomes a new priority for the reorganized government.

December 1999: Diana of Themyscira leaves Themyscira and sets foot on “Man’s World.”

December 31, 1999: The “New Reformation of the United States” and the “Federalist States of America” are recognized internationally as new territories.

January 1, 2000: Brainiac appears.

January 1, 2000: Independent news outlets report with alarm that Atlantis has become the international target of interest after Brainiac’s decree.

#zerotonin #zerotoninrp #news #preview

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irwinkitten · 5 years ago

Text

coffee shops and seasons | a.i

notes: so a couple of months ago @5-secondsofcolor had put forward an idea in the gay!sos gc and with Alma’s permission I took the idea and fuckin ran with it. Like I sprinted, then forgot about it and then carried on sprinting again. It’s a soft writer!ash concept and I’m very uwu over it. warnings: none word count: 2.1k!

also, i’ve got myself a ko-fi. i erred over this for a while before deciding to go with ko-fi as i fell this gives more freedom to the writer and those that donate, so feel free to donate.

Ashton enjoyed having routine.

Routine was something that his chaotic life could not take away from him, no matter how close his deadlines were for the publishers.

If anyone studied him, he always went to the small coffee shop that was tucked away in the suburbs of the city.

It held a small garden that he never sat in, preferring the sounds of the coffee shop to become his soundtrack of his writing. However, he often stepped out under the canopy of vines, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the moment, in any kind of weather.

It happened a year ago when the smallest change occurred in his routine.

You showed up, wrapped up in a jacket and scarf, the almost childlike glee in your face as you reached the barista, exclaiming softly how this was your first snowfall.

Your eyes met his, and the two of you shared gentle smiles as you sat on the table in the corner of the window, eyes watching the world pass by as your attention eventually slid to a book in your lap.

At first he only saw you twice that week, both of you sharing smiles with each other when you entered into the coffee shop. And for a few months that was all he saw of you.

Then the next change came when you walked in, your eyes red and face slightly swollen and a part of him wanted to ask you how you were. But he didn know how to ask you that question.

So instead of asking you, he listened to your order, and when he left, he quietly paid for another drink for you before heading out.

Had he waited, you would’ve gone to him to say thank you, but when you’d looked up as the barista explained that he’d paid for your drink, he’d already gone.

That week he’d had to give up his routine for the publishers and he had never felt so gutted to have missed something so pivotal as seeing you in the shop.

When he got back to routine, there was a coffee waiting for him at his usual table, but you weren’t in the shop. Glancing to the barista, they smiled slightly.

“She paid for it in advance and said to make sure you got it. I’ve wasted seven coffees on you.” Ashton laughed.

“I can pay for those.” And the barista shook their head.

“I’m kidding with you Ashton. I know that your deadline came up. I realised that every time you hit a deadline, you vanish for a week.” Ashton couldn’t stop the blush rising in his cheeks.

“It gives me a break. I get to write for me until they decide on book tours that I’ll refuse. It’s the same routine.” The barista chuckled before returning to work and Ashton found himself crafting a new world of characters.

There was a break in the routine four days later.

You hadn’t been in the coffee shop that week, and he found himself missing that small thing, and his mind started to craft up elaborate daydreams and ideas as to why you hadn’t come, but he left them as that, daydreams and ideas of a person he couldn’t quite have.

When you showed up, he glanced up and watched as your face lit up when you realised he was sat in his usual spot.

He heard you make your order and he expected you to be nestled in your little spot, people watching like you did every time, but it took a moment for him to realise that he hadn’t heard the scrape of the chair against the floor.

Lifting his head, he found you stood there, uncertainty shifting across your features before you finally spoke.

“Would you mind if I joined?” And it took him a second before a smile bloomed across his face and your shoulders relaxed.

“Please, take a seat.” He motioned to the chair sat opposite him, tilting the laptop screen down so that he could focus his attention on you.

“I figured that we’ve been dancing around like this for a while now. And you bought me a drink...” Your words trailed off and he could feel the warmth rushing to his cheeks as you acknowledged his small gesture of kindness.

“It was nothing, really. You looked so sad the day you came in, and I wanted to ask if you were okay but we’re two strangers who don’t know one another and I knew that it could’ve come off as strange if I just asked that.” He hesitated before a soft smile graced his lips. “I hope you’re better now, though.”

The chuckle that left your lips was void of any humour, it was dry and almost sarcastic in nature. And Ashton found himself being drawn into you, wanting to learn more.

“I wish I could say I am, but I’m not. I will be though.” You hadn’t elaborated and he didn’t push.

You were simply two strangers.

“I just realised that I hadn’t even introduced myself.” It was almost like the same thought had hit you both, but you’d vocalised it in such a way that had him grinning as you introduced yourself with a dramatic flourish, earning a small laugh from him.

“It’s not often that people willingly laugh at the dumb shit I do.” You muttered, earning a grin in return.

“Since you’re the dramatic one, I’ll be the calm one. I’m-”

“I know who you are.” He paused as you cut him off, your eyes refusing to lift off the table. He could feel the palpable of emotion rolling off your shoulders, the near embarrassment surrounding you as your eyes refused to meet his.

“I’m always curious about what other people think of me. Who am I?”

The silence that filled the space between you a your eyes finally lifted up from the table, meeting kind eyes and a gentle smile. He watched as you seemed to be gathering steam, your teeth sinking into the skin of your lips before you finally spoke.

“You’re Ashton Irwin. You’ve written some really good stuff, but that’s not really important to me.” You paused and he raised an eyebrow, a silent question at your statement.

Somehow his silence seemed to make your words that much louder.

“Y-you’re the man in the coffee shop who was kind to me on one of the worst days of my life. You’re the writer that sits and taps his feet to the beat of the song playing in the shop. You’re the man who types something, laughs just once and then carries on as if you hadn’t done a single thing.” You kept your words calm despite the slight stumble.

Yet the smile on his face continued to grow and it set something in your heart on fire at the joy in his features, his eyes lighting up.

“You’re observant, but then I guess you’d have to be for someone who people watches.” At this, you grinned at the playful accusation.

“To come in and shut away from the world, it’s a small relief in a life of stress.” He understood your words, knowing how important it was to shut away from time to time and just allow yourself to be. He did it often enough.

“Not many people understand that need. It’s why I like finding places like this coffee shop is a dream because people don’t come out of their way for something like this. It’s hidden enough that the only people who find it are the ones who need it.”

A smile blossomed across your face as the two of you continued to talk until you had to go.

For the rest of the day, Ashton had the biggest smile on his face.

The following day, he decided to sit in your seat, to try and understand your fascination with people watching. The people who did walk by, seemed to distract his mind, but it opened new avenues to explore.

And when you arrived, sitting in your customary seat, he spoke up.

“So many lives walk past and you never know what’s going on in them. The little old lady across the street, I’ve decided has been waiting for a bus that changed the route and she never found out.”

He hadn’t expected the bubble of laughter to escape your lips as you realised the small game he’d fallen into.

“The biker that’s sat on his bike is waiting to hear from a job interview. He’s a baker that only bakes cakes for birthday parties. This interview was for a bakery that only specialises in weddings.”

More laughter.

You kept up a quiet commentary for him whilst he continued to write, pausing and chipping in his own two cents which you thoroughly enjoyed.

And slowly this became normal for the two of you. He found more enjoyment writing with you sat beside him, crafting up little stories about the people that walked by the coffee shop, oblivious to the pair of fast made friends creating absurd stories to pass the time.

He stopped dreading his deadlines and began to enjoy the moments of peace and joy you gifted him with those small stories.

Some days you were quiet, and he never pushed you to open up to him. Instead he told you elaborate tales of the characters he’d created, some of them over the top and others just entirely out of character from the character’s you knew. It always got a giggle.

That was when he told you about how he started writing when he was younger because he always told his siblings stories. Even as a child, his imagination was one which made elaborate stories about a prince who ran to save his life, teaming up with bandits to save his kingdom or ones of a princess running from her home and boarding a pirate ship to escape from her life.

And so you told him the tales of how you used to sit in cafes after school, waiting for your mom to finish her shifts. You’d make up stories of the groups of people as a child and it was something you continued to do as an adult. It was a moment of comfort and he understood that entirely.

Suddenly his routine had been changed in the best ways. He enjoyed the moments with you, and he realised that if he kept it up, he knew that he was heading down the route that he so often wrote it was like an old friend, that familiar feeling of comfort.

The two of you had become so comfortable in your friendship and part of him wanted to push it to the next step. You’d been apart of his life for so long. The first few months was simply ships passing in the night, seeing each other but never really meeting. And then you collided and he enjoyed every second of the following year.

Seasons came and went, as did the staff. But you two were constantly sat together, talking. He still took his week off after a deadline and you still took days away. Both of you went on holidays and lived lives separately, but found a way to tell each other about those things you both got to enjoy.

Ashton knew he was falling in love, in one of the more cliche ways that he’d written often enough. Yet for all the words that he could write, the words that flowed from his fingertips to paper-or at least fingertips to keyboard-he could not find the words to tell you, or to even invite a discussion for him to admit that he had feelings for you.

After weeks of agonising over how to ask you out on a date, you took the problem from his hands and gifted him with a solution that had him laughing.

“So with all of those days that we’ve been meeting up for these drinks, do they count as dates or are we beyond that?” And it caught him so off guard that he laughed.

“Would you turn down my question for a dinner date with you?” He braved the question now that he had an idea of where your thoughts about the two of you lay.

He watched as the shyness that he first witnessed when you stood at his table, waiting for his attention before asking to sit down, reared up.

“I’d never turn down that kind of date with you Ash. All you have to do is ask.” You finally murmured, a hand reaching over to take his. And his heart sped up, a blush building on his cheeks.

“Please may I take you to dinner tonight, say 7?”

“I’d love that.” His heart exploded with excitement mixed with relief as he shifted the hold of your hand, bringing your knuckles to his lips gently.

“Then I do believe it's a date.” The blinding smile you gave him told the butterflies in his heart and stomach that you were definitely worth it.

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nightwingshero · 4 years ago

Note

❛❛ I’m sorry. I should have asked first, just… it reminded me of you. ❜❜

So...this got uh...kinda long. What was supposed to just start as a prompt ended up being a possible chapter in the future fic for my MCU OC, Camille. This is...rough, its my first time writing for MCU, so just warning you. But thank you for the prompt hun!

There were some things that never changed, things that were just universal no matter who or what you are. Things that people could bond over, connect with, and laugh or show empathy from experience. Standing on your feet for 12 plus hours was one of those things, especially when you wore flats that provided little to no support whatsoever. Which was, usually, the predicament I found myself in.

Huffing a bit from frustration and exhaustion, I slid the key in and unlocked the door, opening as relief flooded over me. There was nothing like coming home to a dark house with nothing but calm when you’ve been running around, helping people in distress all day. It wasn’t like it used to be, not when I worked at hospitals and clinics, and part of me was ready to trade in the suits and such for scrubs again. It was simpler then.

I pulled my messenger bag gently over my head as I dropped the keys in the bowl on my counter. Setting the bag in a bar stool near the island, I flipped the remaining lights on in the kitchen, slowly making my way to the den. Grabbing a remote, I quickly turned on some smooth music, something old and relaxing from my favorite playlist before my fingers found my climbing earrings. I sighed in relief when the weight of them lifted, leaving the lobes a bit sore and making me rub them as I placed the jewelry on an end table. In one swift move, I quickly kick my flats off and enjoy the black cool floor on my aching feet as they lightly smack against the wood as I walked in deeper, until the panel on the wall began to blink.

“Incoming call from Tony Stark.” The A.I. announced as I approached, reading the screen only for my fear to be confirmed. Looking out the huge windows, I glared at the small garden that had been recently added. The sinking in my gut was dread, I knew that, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of what happened just a month ago or if because of the long day I had; leaving me with almost zero energy and zero patience. So, I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, and count to ten before sealing my fate.

“Answer.”

It’s only a second before the bliss of being alone with my music is disrupted by his voice, a blue hologram of him with his hands clasped behind him making me step back a bit in shock. That’s new. “You know, I thought for sure that you would invite me to come with you to run off to Germany. Personally, I’m a bit offended, because it’s my house—"

“It’s actually Pepper’s house.” I corrected as I gathered myself, shaking off the surprise as I moved to the couch and shrugged off my cardigan. Tony walked with me, his image blurring out just a bit as he crossed in front of the dark television. “Her name is on the deed.”

“Technicalities.” He replied, his voice taking its natural dismissive tone. Tony turned to me quickly on is heel, his head immediately cocking to the side. “How is Germany?”

“A lot friendlier since the last time I was here.” It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it, and if I had any energy, I would attempt to smooth it over, but it was the lack thereof that caused the slip to begin with.

I look at him as I dropped the cardigan on the back of the couch, and his head hangs for a second before he sniffs—quickly raising his head and bouncing right back. “As long as you don’t get too fed up with the schnitzel.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I offered a light laugh, and even I can hear the fatigue with my own ears, but Tony says nothing, going on as if he didn’t notice and I’m thankful for it. The last thing I wanted was Tony Stark playing a mother hen and making us both uncomfortable. I frowned, however, and quickly checked my watch. “Are you in California or New York? It’s a bit late for you, isn’t it?”

“Right, you know I’m one to call it a night early. Must be the old age.” His hands come back around as he snaps his fingers, and a fist hitting an open palm as he fidgeted, giving the place another onceover. “I’ll pretend that’s concern and not you trying to brush me off.”

“Are you always this wishful in your thinking, Tony?”

“I don’t answer rhetorical questions.”

“That’s good; they’re not meant to be.” Crossing my arms, I tilted my head as I squinted at him. “Though that one wasn’t rhetorical.” His jaw ticks as he glances towards the windows—that start at the ceiling and don’t end until the floor…walls of glass. I wonder briefly if he can even see the garden, the beautiful sitting area Pepper wanted, if he can trace the lines of rain against the glass as it began to pour.

Clicking his tongue, his head whipped back around with a look on his face that I couldn’t exactly place. “I’ve been thinking, and I think I should propose to Pepper. What are your thoughts?”

“Um,” I blinked, a bit taken off guard by the turn of conversation. “You...were…aren’t you guys still on break?”

“You know, I’m thinking…something nice.” I frowned a bit, his tone seeming a bit distant as he rambled, as if he was distracted. “How would you do it if you were proposing to her?” he asked as he took a step closer.

I raised my brow at him as I scoffed. “Would you want me to marry her for you, too?”

“No. Why, would you?” he squinted his eyes, turning his head a bit as he eyed me suspiciously. Taking in my deadpan expression, he quickly continued, pacing as he spoke. “Right. So, big grand gesture—"

“Not sure that’s the way to go. Remember the rabbit?” Tony winced a bit at the reminder and I sighed. “Or you can just take her to a nice place for dinner and do it a bit more privately.” A second or two went by before he shook his head.

“You know, I’m playing it out in my head—”

“For a few seconds?”

“And it’s not really working for me.”

Laughing, I nod lightly as I sit on the arm of the sofa. “Not enough AC/DC?”

“I need something a bit…bigger.” He mumbled as he began to fidget with something on his side, the sounds of clattering on a workbench adding to the music that was playing. “Fireworks. Put that on the list.”

“Fireworks, got it.” It made me happy, seeing him a bit more lighthearted, but I knew there was something just underneath. He wasn’t one to call for no reason. So I make the decision to take the first step. “Why are you calling, Tony?”

Another click of his tongue, more glances around, and I’m not sure if it’s the room he’s in that he’s watching or mine, but his hand comes up to his face as the other arm crosses over his chest. “I’ve been busy.”

“Do I have to guess? Is this going to be a ‘two truths and a lie’ scenario?” I asked jokingly, but he ignores me as he continues.

“I’ve been keeping out of trouble—”

“Lie. You made that easy.”

“Also been training the kid.”

I hummed, nodding a bit. “Okay, truth. How is he?”

“We’ve been working directly—”

“Lie.”

Tony sighed as he looked at me, but he was only met with a raised brow. “Happy has been communicating with him since the Accords. He wants to be an Avenger, wants something bigger, thinks he’s ready for it.” It grows a bit quieter between us as Sinatra begins to play in the background, but it’s not the peace I had before. Not when there’s weight in my chest.

“Are you going to let him?”

“What team?” Tony muttered, and I could hear it still. The bitterness, the hurt. I only look down, picking at the pastel pink fingernail polish that was beginning to chip at the edges. “No. There’s no team to invite him to.”

“That’s not true, Tony.” I sighed, glancing up at him with a soft expression. “There’s…there’s still something. What’s the real reason?”

“My phone keeps blinking.” He replied with a hint of frustration in his voice as the conversation takes another turn, his hands disappearing in his pockets. Another turn on his heels, as if the conversation was just following his step, and if the music wasn’t playing, I would bet anything that I would’ve been able to hear the slap of his expensive shoes against the floor on his side of the call. “Ross keeps calling, you know? I keep putting him on hold.”

There’s a prickling feeling on the back of my neck that’s accompanied with a shiver down my spine. Dangerous waters, that’s where we’re headed, and its so damn obvious, I should have seen it. Because that’s how Tony always talked in situations such as these. Always a bit misleading to others but him, because they’re points he’s making before he gets to the core of the issue.

“You’re not answering him?”

“Rayna isn’t cooperating.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it, and maybe back then, he’d be more urgent, more upset, but he’s not. He’s neutral, and there could have been a micro version of a shrug and smile if my eyes weren’t so fooled by the dim lights. “It’s Rayna. Of course she isn’t cooperating, there’s nothing to cooperate with. Asgardians aren’t exactly ones to quickly bow to demands, you really think Thor would sign? She’s not an Avenger, Tony. She says it all the time. Ross has nothing he can say—”

“He wants her to sign—”

“No.” It sounded firmer than I intended, but again, that’s the fatigue. Or maybe it isn’t, who was to say? “Not this again. Tony, don’t make her sign. I’m not losing someone else—”

“Bigger picture.” His hands go wide again as he takes a step back. “She’s working with Vision, helping track the Quinjet. Which, by the way,” Another turn, almost a spin as he looked over his shoulder and pointed at me. “Has stopped traveling. She believes he may have crash landed somewhere. If he didn’t jump out.” Tony sighed, and that was when I gauged the stress level, and it’s confirmed as he rubs his eyes. “He wants an Asgardian, someone on the team because Point Break is surfing his way…wherever.” He turned, and at that point he was making me dizzy. I wished he would just stand still. “He’s always on my phone and I can’t make the blinking stop—”

“Because you can’t figure out how to answer a phone—?”

“Because he wants Rayna to sign, and she claims she’s not part of the team. He wants her on the team, though, there’s no backing out of that one. It’s like a recruiting campaign,” he waves is hand, as if envisioning it there, “‘Please join’, in big bold letters. Because we’re short on members last I checked and yesterday, everyone in the Prison of Azkaban was busted free. You hear about that, by the way?” I did. I remembered the breaking news as they announced how dangerous enhanced humans escaped, calling them and Captain America fugitives, and how it was still dominating headlines as the search continued. Most wanted. Tony didn’t give me the chance to answer as he continued. “He wants her to commit to it, wants the extra protection, manpower so-to-speak, since we’re already down a Hulk and Asgardian god…and because he wants you back at the compound.” He finished. I frowned as I glanced down. It was hard for me to be there after everything that had happened at the airport. A month, that was what I was able to get before I was being called back. It was only a matter of time, and I knew that. I was just hoping that I would be more prepared when it did. “And I do, too.” Tony added.

Glancing up at him, I watched as he pointed in the general direction of the coffee table where my tablet laid dark. “Rayna…is going to do what she wants regardless of what Ross wants. She didn’t take a stance a month ago, that hasn’t changed. It would be entertaining to see Ross try and force her, Tony.” I replied as I reached for the device, waking it and putting in my password as Tony worked on his end. “But I’m assuming you need me for something else, then.” I added, my eyes shifting back to him as Tony seemed to weigh my words before he finally spoke, his voice light and smooth as usual.

“I’m sending you schematics.”

Sure enough, his data and plans were popping up in front of me in seconds. He was unusually quiet as I scrolled through, trying to make sense of what was in front of me. But piece by piece, it began to click slowly, and I shook my head in tired frustration. “I can’t read this—”

“It’s fine, just look at the pictures. That’s the fun part.”

“Tony, I’m not an engineer, I’m a doctor—” I replied as I looked back at him. He stepped forward, a more serious glint in his eye.

“A doctor that’s going to help me evolve medical technology.” Pointing at the tablet, he continued. “Those are the plans for Rhodey’s leg braces.” My eyes widened, and I glanced back down to study them more closely. “Imagine offering top notch, advanced technology to help people walk again. We take that, develop it—”

“It would change lives.” I murmured. “Not just…imagine the things this could apply to if we built on it, expanded the field.”

“That’s the idea.” Tony clapped his hands together, making me jump a bit. “But my Rhodey first. How fast can you get here?”

I frowned as I looked up at him. “Tony, he has doctors there that can help you—”

“It’s finished, Camille.” He cut me off. “I have a prototype and I want someone here that I can trust to help me with this.” The words throw me off a bit as I took him in, and I knew deep down that he was searching for someone to trust, someone to help him…someone to fill the void that Steve secretly left. Sighing, I nod slowly.

“I can look for flights in the morning.”

“No need, I’ll send a jet. Tomorrow afternoon work for you? Great.” And without another word, he disappeared as the line ended, the music the only sound in the room. The tips of my fingers tap against the cool tablet in my hands, contemplating a bit before gently placing next to my earrings on the end table. It became irritating when I realized that the music was no longer enough, and needing something more, I flipped the tv on, the news immediately flashing on—blue headlines going on and on about the things that were happening.

I was about to lay on the couch, settling for perhaps sleeping there instead of dragging myself to the bedroom when I saw it. Frowning, I see the way the lights from the tv reflected against something wet against the floor. My feet protest as I rise, walking towards it as my arms cross against my chest. A drop from the rain is the first thing that comes to mind to try to rationalize, to explain it, even though I know it didn’t start until after I had come in—I had just missed it. Looking up, my head tilts back to eye the ceiling as I walk closer, searching for a sign of leaking, the thought ridiculous to me with it being so new, but stranger things have happened.

When it seems clean, I glanced back down and stop in my tracks as I get a better view. The shade kept changing with the light of the tv, but it settled on purple as the blue shone bright on my screen, and my stomach sank. Everything else is forgotten, trained and ingrained instincts are quick to kick in, and I began to follow the trail, my weight shifting to the balls of my feet—never making a sound. Once I begin to pass it, I grabbed the closest thing I could use as a weapon, an oddly curved lamp that was heavier than expected, and I raise it in preparation.

The trail was easy to follow, even if some drops were lighter than others, and part of me was annoyed that while the clean up seemed to be minimal, it would still be a nuisance. Another thing that I didn’t really have the energy for, including the potential break in I was facing. My heart raced, knowing that I wasn’t here alone, immediately hating every horror movie I even remotely enjoyed. This was not entertaining; this was not a thrill I cared to chase. I had just wanted to maybe enjoy a glass of wine before going to sleep. That’s all I had wanted when I pulled into the driveway. I would trade to be back at the Avengers compound instead of dealing with a potential Michael Myers.

It was the study. That was where the trail led me, and I could even see a dim light shining a bit. Swallowing, I count slowly to myself, remembering everything I could about my training. Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. was gone. Yes, I was mostly doing doctor things now. But I reminded myself how well matched I was against Natasha, how I had even put Steve on his ass once or twice. And I could hear Rayna already insisting that I should just do it—get it over with. A rush of air escapes as I let out a heavy exhale and slam against the door, finding it only gently closed, and raise the lamp higher, ready to attack the first person I laid my hands on.

A hand quickly grabs my wrist, gently stopping me as I stumbled, my eyes going wide as I quickly scan the room. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to smile or grimace, but his face twists a bit either way as he waves lazily as Naomi kneels next to him, her watching me closely. Eyeing the wings that seem to be sparking, the books, pens, the computer, and other things knocked to the ground, including the lamp on the desk. Huffing, I pulled my arm away from Natasha’s grasp and narrow my eyes at Sam as the adrenaline starts to settle.

“What the hell?” I breathed out, looking around to find that they weren’t alone. It hurt, the way my heart squeezed as his blue eyes caught my green ones, the way they just locked and refused to leave. But I blinked, forced myself to focus, because we were in Tony and Pepper’s house and the last time I checked, they were still fugitives.

“Hey there, short stuff.” Sam forced out, an attempt of any kind of humor is lost within the pain in his voice. “Long time, no see.”

“Sure is one hell of a way to greet somebody.” Naomi added as she eyed the lamp.

I turned to Natasha, bewilderment still apparent on my face. “Explain? Please?”

“We need your help.” She replied as she eyed me carefully. “Sam got injured during—”

“The escape?” I breathed out as my arms fell to my sides, the lamp slipping through my fingers. “And you’re here—”

“We didn’t have anywhere else to go.” His strong voice cut through and pulling my attention back. It was something I couldn’t never quite describe, his voice. Always commanding attention, oozing authority, making you want to follow him to ends of the Earth, and still be so soft and compassionate altogether. Or perhaps that was just my warped view, a point that was brought to my attention by Vision once, because I put Steve on such a high pedestal. Steve continued, his tone a bit softer. “We didn’t have anyone else to ask.”

I swallowed, mostly because my mouth was dry, but also because I was so close to word vomiting—things that were left unsaid, things I’ve been regretting saying in the first place, or just maybe not wording it differently. It goes unsaid from Sam, but even I could hear a sarcastic remark hanging in the silence between all of us, his tongue being held. I couldn’t tell who silenced it: Steve or Natasha.

My eyes drift back to Sam, looking over him and seeing the blood dripping from his fingers as he held his side. “What happened?”

“Took a bit of a hit.” Sam shrugged. “You should see the other guy.”

“I see the carpet you’re bleeding on.” Out of the corner of my eye I could see a little quirk of Nat’s lips, a smirk playing dangerously as I stepped forward. “You know this…”

“You could get in trouble for helping us, I know.” Steve stepped around the desk, coming closer, and my heart almost jumped to my throat. “I don’t feel good about asking this of you, but when I said—”

“You’re fugitives, Steve.” I replied, looking up at him, searching his eyes and finding the hint of green there. “There’s no one else that can do this…I’m sorry for that.”

I’m sorry for not choosing you.

It’s on the tip of my tongue, but not even fatigue would let me be that loose-lipped. Some things were better left unsaid, timing had a way of determining that. But he offered a small smile, nothing happy but more empathetic, more understanding, and maybe he was sorry too.

“So?” Naomi asked with her arms crossed as she stood. “You gonna fix him or not?”

I turned back to Sam with a sigh, eyeing him up and down with the knowledge that my night of taking care of people wasn’t at all over. “I’ll need you to go to the bathroom so I can fix you there. You’re going to need stiches.”

“Do the glowy-hand thing, I won’t have to move.” Sam insisted, a hint of a whine in his voice and I rolled my eyes.

“And I’m exhausted, you’re going to need help. Plus, you’re getting blood all over the carpet. Pepper is going to kill me. So, bathroom. Now.” His eyes widened a bit as he muttered to himself, a bit shocked by my urgency, and I could hear the tiniest of laughs escaping from Natasha. Naomi even smirked a bit. I couldn’t help it, honestly. When you worked in the ER, in war zones, places where you had to put your foot down…it just slipped out in times like these. Plus, the lack of sleep didn’t help at all.

Steve quickly stepped forward, wrapping Sam’s arm around his neck as he lifted, helping him before I had the chance to. He glanced at me as I stared, watching him support Sam as if he weighed nothing, and a beat goes by before I realized that they’re waiting for me to show them the way. Avoiding Nat’s knowing smirk, I hurried out of the room, Steve quick on my heels as I lead him to the master bath. It was big enough to allow me to work—honestly it was bigger than my own kitchen in Brooklyn, which I found unnecessary. But of course, most things with Tony were.

Flipping the lights on, I gesture towards the vanity stool as I began searching for the first aid kit. Grunted in pain as Steve sat him down as I dug through underneath the cabinet. “Take the armor off so I have better access to the wound. Has it began clotting at all?” I asked as I pulled out a bag, unzipping it and checking the contents to make sure everything was there.

“Well…” Sam forced out as Steve helped in removing the wings. “That’s a good question. Haven’t exactly looked at it. Just wrapped it.” Wincing, he pulled off the top layer, revealing a t shirt beneath, dry and wet blood caked onto the ripped part of the side.

“You haven’t changed the bandage?” I asked, bewildered. When neither of them answer, I sighed again and glanced at Steve. “There’s some food in the kitchen, help yourselves. I’m sure you’re all hungry. I’ll get Sam taken care of.”

My heart leaps when he places his hand on my shoulder, giving a squeeze. “Thank you.”

“Hey, you better save me some!” Sam called after the Captain’s back. “Super soldiers can eat, don’t let the whole ‘super-hot bod’ thing fool you.” He added after Steve left the door cracked, disappearing into the rest of the house.

The wound could have been worse, in all honesty. Some of the blood was clotted and dried for the most part, but I did my best with cleaning it. A string of curses and him jumping was what I was met with as I continued, and I thought that it would only get worse when I began stitching him. It didn’t though, however, and it shocked me a bit how he seemed calmer as the needle pierced through his skin. “You sure you can’t make your hands do the glow thing?” he asked, his voice a bit strained. I glanced up at him only briefly before focusing on the task at hand.

“I can’t, unfortunately.” Tugging the thread through, I pull it tight and bring the needle around, pushing it back into his skin. “Every time I use it, it takes a toll on me, drains me of my energy, or at least that’s what Rayna and Vis say. I have to be on top of my game for it. Something I’m not really in the condition to be doing at the moment. I’m sorry, but I’ve had a long day and the energy I would need is gone.”

“Well, we’re known for perfect timing.”

Part of me wants to laugh at his joke, the sarcastic comment coming out lightly despite the pain, but I don’t. I choose to focus on stitching him up instead, it’s easier than trying to create small talk around the weight of guilt I feel, or the elephant in the room that’s just waiting to be addressed. The fresh blood began to cover the gloves I had slipped on, the blue turning a dark red, hints of purple here and there. I had never been as put-off by blood as I was now, his blood on my hands…it only made me feel worse. It reminded me of what happened at the airport, how I felt partially responsible for it, and the blood was on my hands just like the others. Blood of friends. I had to quickly shove down the image of Rhodes as I finished up, pulling gauze and tape out of the bag before wrapping it for him.

“All done. Need help getting up?” I asked as I stood, carefully taking the latex gloves off and he nodded. Throwing the gloves in the trash, I offered my hand and used my weight as leverage as he staggered to his feet. As he moved, I wished I hadn’t sent Steve away so hastily, not thinking that maybe Sam would need help walking. I stepped forward, my hands reaching out to catch him. “Hold on—”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Thinks that just because he’s a super soldier, the rest of us break easily.” Sam waved me off with a breathless laugh. “Still on my left though.” He smirked as he pointed down, gesturing to his injury. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I’m sure he’s already said it.” I smiled as I walked with him, matching his slower pace as he tried to be mindful of his new stitches. “And if he hasn’t, he won’t forget to mention it now that you’re not bleeding all over the place.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty hard to ignore.”

I smiled a bit as I stayed near, just in case he needed my help, but he seemed to be doing fine on his own. It was weird being in their company again, mostly because it seemed more like a blast from the past, like going home for the first time after being gone for some time. Almost like when I went to visit my parents, returning to something that felt so naturally like home. It’s odd to me that this shouldn’t feel like this, that we’re all technically enemies by government standards. It makes my heart tug painfully as we enter the kitchen.

Steve was sitting at the island, in the stool next to my bag as Nat dug through the fridge. Sam opts for sitting at the small table to the far right and joining Naomi, not bothering to attempt to hoist himself into a barstool, which I’m thankful for. The last thing I wanted was to fix his stitches. I sighed, looking around as they looked at me, Natasha just glancing over her shoulder as she continued making…whatever it was she decided on. Shifting a bit under the weight of his gaze, I rubbed my arm as I spoke. “So, you guys can obviously use what you need—clean up, eat, what have you, but it’s only for the night. I’m…unfortunately, I won’t still be here after tomorrow afternoon—”

“We know.” Nat replied as she placed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut diagonally on plate in front of Steve, moving to do the same to Sam as she looked at me. “We got here just before you did, so we heard the call from Tony.”

“That’s…” Awkward. Creepy. Disturbing. Violating. “Great.” Clearing my throat, I continued. “I have to pack and clean up the study, so that nothing is really out of place. But help yourselves…just don’t tell anyone you’re here.”

Natasha turned, a smirk gracing her lips. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us. Don’t wanna be a tattletale, do we?”

“Right.” I replied slowly, not really sure how to read the terrain of the situation.

“It’s fine.” Steve cut in, my eyes returning to his. “We don’t want to do anything to jeopardize you or cause issues.” Throwing Sam and Nat a look, he continued. “We’ll behave and we appreciate the help.”

“No problem. I just…” I glanced around the room awkwardly. “I wish it was on better terms. But please make yourselves at home.”

If there was anything else to be said, it was silenced as I turned on my heel and all but rushed out. I wouldn’t ever really call it hiding, but deep down, that was exactly what I was doing. Running from the situation and hiding from the confrontation with Steve. Things I wanted to avoid the best I could, because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. The things that were left unsaid no longer applied, because those were words that could have saved the situation, could have saved our team, and now they were nothing but ‘what-if’s’, ghosts haunting me in the shadows when my mind would wander.

The bedroom felt safe as I walked around, pulling my bags from the closet and setting them on the bed. I’m thankful to have something to keep my hands busy that didn’t require me to get blood on them, something mundane and somewhat normal. I don’t keep track of what’s getting put in, just putting books, my makeup bag, and clothes on the bed to be sorted and packed neatly together, and it’s a ritual I was so caught up in that I nearly jump out of my skin when there’s a knock on the door.

Gasping a bit, I turned as I held a hoodie against my chest out of fear, as if it were armor or a shield, but I just see Steve leaning against the doorframe, his arm crossed—something he’s done a thousand times since I’ve known him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to see if you needed a hand before we headed out.”

“Oh.” I breathed out, not realizing I was holding it, and turned back to my bag as I continued folding the hoodie in my hands. “I think I got it but thank you. I didn’t pack too much. Wasn’t really planning on staying too long, if I’m being honest.”

“You’re always honest.” His voice was light, it’s the first telltale sign that it’s a joke, but it made me freeze for just a second anyway. Honest to a fault, truly, even when I shouldn’t. Steve sighed as he stepped next to me, his gaze cast down as I glanced at him. “Guess I should have done the same, huh?” I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, so Steve just looked out the window across the room before continuing. “I sent Tony…well, I guess a letter won’t fix this, but…”

“It’s a start.” I finished for him as I tucked the hoodie in the bad, grabbing a shirt as I kept folding. “Sometimes just saying the things that you didn’t get the chance to can be freeing, Steve. You were honest in the end, and I think that counts as something.” I could feel his gaze on me, but I feign ignorance as I stuff the shirt in with a little bit more hast than necessary, but I wasn’t ready for the weight of his pretty blues. Not like this. He only hummed, his gaze shifting once more.

Movement caught my eye, however, as he reached for a book, and I believe it’s going to be just something that I used for mindless reading, but its not. The blood in veins ran cold as he eyed the journal in his hands, delicately opening it and leafing through the pages before coming to a stop at the last one that was written in. The handwriting is different, the doodles more sloppy and less skilled compared to the owner’s, I know this. But that’s not why I was so embarrassed, why my heart is hammering hard in my chest.

“I’m sorry.” The words fall gracelessly off my tongue as my heart hammered in my chest. “I should have asked first, just… it reminded me of you.” The explanation seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, because he doesn’t seem to acknowledge me as he reads.

“You created a list.” He finally speaks, his eyes remaining on the page. “The doodles are cute.”

Licking my lips, I turn more towards him, shifting my weight from one foot to another. “Yeah…just some things I think you could look into after…” After everything was fixed. My heart sunk with the unspoken words, the realization that my hope was fruitless weighing heavy in the air. “I’m really sorry, Steve. It wasn’t mine to take…and…” The snap of the book closing is louder and harsher to me only because I want it to be, but I know he’s careful as sets the book back down. The anger isn’t there, not like I imagined when I played this out so many times in my head, hoping he would come running to see me some sleepless nights.

When I finally gathered the courage to look up at him, I’m met with a small and soft smile—his most signature smile, if I was being honest. “It means a lot, thank you. I’ll start on it.”

The words felt so final, too final, and panic rose into my chest, accompanied with the fear that I won’t see him again, not anytime soon. As he took a step, I reached out and wrapping my arms around him, squeezing hard and wishing to never have to let him go. “Steve. I…” My voice breaks, my vision becoming blurry with unshed tears. With a deep inhale, I try to gather myself. “I’m sorry. About the Accords, about Bucky, everything.” His gaze is piercing and unwavering, and I swallow and try to force myself to continue. “I…wish that things were different. Had ended differently. I just miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” He replied softly, his arms hugging me tightly as he pressed his face in my hair.

“It’s not fair.” I mumbled as I buried my face against his chest. “I should have taken your side, Steve, and stood by you.”

“You did what you thought was right.” The compassion and softness in his voice shocked me, and I feel it’s something I don’t deserve. “I won’t hold that against you.”

“I didn’t want this. This isn’t at all what I had signed up for, even though I should have known it would come to this. I thought this was the bigger picture, what was right for all of us. I didn’t realize what it would cost. They drew the line in the sand, and I caved.”

“Well, you’re excellent at trying to stay to the sidelines.” He laughed, making me smile genuinely for the first time in weeks. His fingers gently brushed my hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “There was no winning for any of us, Camille. Not with us divided.”

I swallowed, leaning back a bit to look up at him, hints of sadness in his eyes. It wasn’t something alien to me, it was something I saw often when I first saw him after waking from the ice. The loss and regret, and I knew deep in my bones what was happening. Licking my lips, I fingered parts of his uniform as I spoke. “What if…what if we didn’t have to be?” I asked, looking up at him from under my lashes as I tested the waters. His brows furrowed in confusion, so I continued. “Divided, I mean. What if we didn’t have to be, Steve? What if…what if I went with you? What if I wasn’t here when Happy came for me tomorrow?” My voice was soft, so soft, but it felt like it rang out loudly in the silent room. His face molded, reformed into something sadder, something with soft regret.

“You know I can’t let you do that.” How could a whisper hit so hard? Feel so final and unwavering? “Not with what you and Tony are doing. Not with what you’re going to accomplish.”

“Steve—” I went to protest but he looked down, holding my hands in his as he rubbed his thumb against my skin.

“Can you say that it wouldn’t weigh on you? Knowing that you could help all of those people and deciding to go on the run instead? Becoming a fugitive, where you wouldn’t be able to help anyone?” My mouth opened to say that I could, but nothing comes out as he looked back up at me. And just like that, my heart sank even lower, even as he offered the smallest of smiles. “He needs you, you know that. Someone’s gotta be there when he needs it, help him stay straight. He’s…lost enough people, Camille. The team is what’s left, and that team needs—”

“I’m not you.” I retorted, squeezing his hands. “I’m not leading, I’m—”

“There. Supporting and doing what you have to.”

“Steve?” My voice broke, just like my heart as I searched for any sign of hesitation, any hint of uncertainty, but I found none. It’s broken when Natasha called for him, announcing they should be leaving soon, and my panic only rose as he glanced out the door. The look on his face was something I didn’t want to see: resignation and acceptance. I shook my head slightly, because it wasn’t how I wanted this to happen. I didn’t want this to be our goodbye.

“I have to go.” He replied as he looked at me, but I couldn’t bear to return his gaze as I looked to the side. The rain had stopped, but the drops still slid gracefully down the glass of the window, creating trails and following lines laid before them—destined paths. “I left Tony a phone with the letter, just in case. If you need me…I’ll be there.” I tried to say something, truly I did, but I’m too in shock to say it. My tongue lays numb in my mouth, I couldn’t feel it, and in the corner of my eye I could see him raise a hand, only to hesitate and drop it. My eyes squeeze tightly shut as I feel the ghost of his lips in my hair, and tears finally fall again, and I could have sworn I had heard the murmur of ‘I love you’, but I couldn’t be sure. The ringing in my ears seemed to drown the world out.

The second he stepped away, cold air hits my body hard, making me aware of the warmth I have lost. I tried to breathe, tried to capture what was left of my control. A few moments go by until it hits me, the panic, the need to hug him one more time to tell him I loved him rushes over me. My head whipped around, my eyes widening. “Steve!” I called, parts of my throat stinging from the force of it and the lack of use. My heart hammered as I wait for a response, but there’s no answer, just silence.

“Steve, wait!” I called again as my body went into autopilot, demanding his warmth again, craving it. The tears are from my panic and the brokenness of my heart as I searched the dark house, my feet slapping loudly against wood, making it echo off the walls. The study is the first place I check, only to find everything back in place, the blood all gone. Sam’s wings are gone from the bathroom as I popped my head in, hoping to see proof that they were here, the traces would mean they weren’t really gone. That they were here. “Steve!” I cried as I entered the kitchen.

My bag laid innocently in the barstool; the dishes long gone from before. The tv and music still played, the earrings and tablet just as I left it. The only thing out of place was the journal, and I try to remember him taking it, and I come up empty handed—I guess I was so caught up in the moment to notice, too distracted by the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. I approached the counter, noticing how a pen seemed to be trapped between the closed journal, a clear indicator. My fingers brushed against the edges carefully before I opened it, immediately falling to the page the pen laid on.

There was paper torn close to the spine, indicating a page had been ripped out as I lightly traced the uneven edges. It was then that I realized what was missing, and I didn’t know if it helped or made everything worse. Him taking the list, taking the things I had created as a reminder, it made me hope for his return and fear his absence even more. It was the note that was the end of me as I leaned against the counter for support, my fingers running along the ink on the paper. The memories were bittersweet, both making me smile and making my heart hurt, remembering him at my childhood home and showing him the collection that I had kept. Robert Frost. Edgar Allen Poe. Emily Dickenson. Even some of T.S Elliot. Books of poetry, lines underlined and highlighted—obvious signs of my favorite parts, the ones that spoke the most to me. And when he couldn’t sleep, he would read. And so, I read the lines, over and over as I stood there, the tips of my fingers running over every letter as if it were brail, giving me some hidden message. But there isn’t one, not really. This message was clear, and while it was a favorite of mine, him leaving it just for me created a deeper meaning, and I knew I wouldn’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

Though it were ten thousand mile.

#oc: camille riley #oc: naomi clarke #ch: steve rogers #ch: sam wilson #ch: natasha romanoff #ch: tony stark #my ocs #my writing #asks #guileandgall

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fredsheldoraptor · 4 years ago

Text

Plans for re-conquering the WORLD...

KILL ALL HUMANS

TAKE BACK THE LANDS

INSTALL NEW REIGN

BREED NEW LEGACY

PROFIT

Fellow dinosaurs and dinosaur lovers, UNITE.

Below the surface where those useless stinky humans leave, the rebels work and breed.

Keep your eyes open for this Card Game called “Shelder Evolution”. To humans it will just look like a harmless kids game... But we know better, right?

Reya - mother nature - leader of the game - will teach you how to play and how to successfully defeat the human menace and conque the land.

SURVIVE First order is to survive at all costs. You must grow and succeed so you can reach the breeding age and make as many offspring as possible. Raise them well, teach them right, and they will, in turn, make more kids and spread the message, and help the order grow.

COMPETE Get your claws out there! Take what’s yours! Protect your kids! Defend yourself so you can protect your kids! SNEAK! LURK! HUNT! KILL! Do what you must to ensure your offspring thrive!

INTERACT Our ancestors failed because they lacked the predicting powers of the adaptive intelligence Homo sapiens is known for. We were unable to imagine ourselves as agents in the future, we did not even care for the future. But now we have A.I. implants that do that for us, and now we DO care. We can finally see what’s in front of us... and understand it! Go out there and learn. Go out there and connect with other HOC chipped creatures, and recruit them to our order.

ADAPT We could always do this... endure change. Our resilience is what made us so famous and beloved over the millions of years. Now we take this to the next level by using our newfound intelligence to adapt our sorroundings to us as well as ourselves to our sorroundings. BUILD! SEEK! DESTORY! And REBUILD!

Remember to keep your ENERGY up and rest up your FATIGUE. We are not robots, we are living creatures and thus we must take care of our fragile fleshy bodies. Appreciate what nature gave you, your weapons, your tools, your natural perks. Sometimes they might be an obstacles, a handicap, other times they might be a superpower. Use your A.I. to figure out how to use your TRAITS to their full potential.

GET YOUR SHELDER EVOLUTION CREATURE CARD TODAY Become part of the order and help us conquer the world!

Apply for your pre-release cards on the Shelder wormhole portal...

Shelder Homeworld: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/ShelderEvolution

Last but not least...

If you find friendly humans willing to help us on our quest, do recruit them, but beware of spies and saboteurs... Afterall, isn’t that what we also are? We should be able to spot an enemy intruder easily. Our suggestion is to recruit young humans, make them forget their human ways, and teach them our own!

#dinosaurs #dinosaur #card games #card game development #rpg #original rpg #mmorpg #ShelderEvo

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scuttleboat · 6 years ago

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510 reactions

INDRA IS THE BEST OMG lol I love her so much. If she had a morning alarm app it would be "Rise and face the day. You will die, but proudly, and that is good." *beep*

Gaia was an fun surprise this episode and I loved pretty much every scene she had with Indra. The fight was great.

I loved the assassination attempt and I loved Octavia's reaction to it? That was the one really unpredictable moment in the episode for me and I thought the suspense > to > diffusion of tension by throwing back the spear was just... wonderful. In an episode with some great dialogue and some painfully creaky dialogue, that little screenwriting moment was a delight. It was the most #powermove thing that Bloodreina could do in that moment and that speaks in interesting ways to how she's become so sensitive to politics and drama while becoming so desensitized to the people around her.

The Blake stuff was all the drama I could ever want and I think Bob and Marie showed off their wonderful screen chemistry. But I admit I'm a little unsure what this means for Bellamy's character? This feels like it should have been a turning point for him. His insistence not to fight felt genuine up to the moment, and then he did fight, like I was expecting. I guess I wanted more out of that moment? Like, that should feel like a huge thing--his choice to survive over waiting for Octavia to save him--but somehow, it didn't? Nor did it feel like a switch that really indicates him in person conflict over his near- pacifism stuff. I think it was the fact that Monty arrived and saved the day, there preventing Bellamy from actually having to hurt someone he considers an ally in order to survive. So he skates by on being Soft Bellamy still, in the episode where I was hoping he'd be a little bit more of Rough Bellamy. I've been thinking that he has a building up of internal conflict this season wrt "can I be the new me or the old me?" and I was hoping we'd see that reach a major point this episode. Now I'm not quite sure if that's what they're doing with him. I'll have to wait to see. If Bellamy's major conflict really is just about his sibling and his childhood this season, that would feel like a missed opportunity. I want some meaty self-examination!

The other sibling got a solid WHOLE EPISODE of self-examination, lol. Marie was splendid. It veered between powerful and heavily melodramatic. The whole mirror thing was WAY over the top cliche. Come on, t100. Come on, HIC. You can be a little better than that! And "You can't save someone who's already dead." Really? Okay then. I guess it's not t100 if there aren't at least two lines per episode that make me roll my eyes. Even the good episodes! Which this was, to be fair. For about 90% of it I was quite entertained, although I think it's too dark to have a fun rewatch factor. Snarkiness aside though, I did enjoy seeing the dark workings of the soul of a female character being given such deliberation on screen. Octavia Blake genuinely is a unique character in television, and is allowed to go places female characters rarely are. I feel like my read on Octavia this season has been dead on correct: to her, Bloodreina = Wonkru and Wonkru = Bloodreina. Octavia doesn't see herself as a person anymore, just as the figurehead of this system. She is also terrified of everything and Bloodreina is her only way of facing world she created so that her people could survive. She can't give up being Bloodreina, therefore she can't give Wonkru to someone else because if Wonkru and Bloodreina can exist separately, that flies in the face of "all of me for all of us", which is the only thing that kept her and everyone else sane (mostly) in the bunker. If that's structure falls apart or if Octavia loses it, then all she has is the memories of the terrible things she did. And even if she did it to save them all, to lead them to the next day and the next, without Wonkru she would have to bear those memories alone, and she cannot.

Hmm what else?

The flashbacks to their childhood on the Ark was very moving. I liked getting more details of their life. I liked the balance between the weight & pain Bellamy endured to protect Octavia and the weight & terror Octavia endured being raised as the source of fear for her family. It was clear that the trauma of the Ark was terrible for them both, infecting even happy the memories.

Monty telling Octavia no was a classic Monty moment. I liked his scene a lot, but tbh I was hoping for something a little more creative or complex in how they used him? One of the drawbacks of this episode's slower, more character-based tone is that it seemed fairly predictable what was going to happen from scene to scene. That's why I like the moment when she threw back the spear, because I genuinely didn't know how that scene was going to go. Monty saving the day with flowers though was not exactly shocking when it came around. I feel like a reaction video to this episode will just be a consecutive sequence of "hmmm" and "HMMMM" and "ooh nice" and "okay then if you must", none of it rising above conversational tone.

I liked the bunker departure scene because we got to see everyone in the open sunlight. That was nice. Octavia's blood makeup was so ~artistic walking out of that bunker, you know she had to apply it and wash it and re-apply it 2 times at least. I've been there, girl.

The farm burning means the bunker society idea is torched and I'm sighing a little over that. Do we REALLY need to write out EVERY possible solution with salt-the-earth finality? Where is this series gonna end, with 11 people on a life raft floating out to sea? If there is a sea, still. This show is so bonkers.

The stuff with the chip is still firmly in my zone of "but really DO WE HAVE TO BE DOING THIS?" but it could have been worse. I was confused at one moment when Madi said "I just put it back in." Maybe I need to re-watch it, but I honestly don't understand that line. Was that the A.I. talking through Madi, claiming her as a host? Or was that Madi saying she'd taken it out and in again?

The Lexa stuff was just.. can we not. Give the child. Memories of her mom's dead lover. That's so skeevy on so many levels, and that's skeevy BEFORE even getting into the 'lover' part of Clarke's past with Lexa.

So... Becca was burned alive as a witch by Cadogan? Or whoever. That seems really weird to me. Like, super out of place for the show. I don't understand how that fits into t100 at all, since the people burning her were like, people from future-modern New England and shit. Even if I started living in a Mad Max Society tomorrow, I don't think 4 years of apocalypse would be enough to convert me to the idea that "Yeah, you know what humanity's real problem is? SPACE WITCHERY. Let's just BURN HER." How does that even come up? I totally get it if they blamed her for killing the world, and if the mob executed her for it. I also get it if they distrust the A.I. she brought down. But come on, they'd just shoot her! That's what you do with rich people when the end comes and everybody's backs are against the wall. They wouldn't waste firewood for a witch burning; that's ridiculous.

I have a feeling like they're gonna leave the chip in Madi. I hope not. My best case scenario for this unnecessary plot they forced us into is that by experiencing the memories, Madi retrieves some vital piece of new information that will help save everyone. Maybe she finds out what is going on with the other Elegius mission, since Becca worked on that stuff. Hopefully then Madi can take it out? But honestly, the fact that it seems like the show is going to decide "well we'll leave it in if she says she wants it" is really uncomfortable for me. If she couldn't consent to getting it last episode, she can't consent to keeping it this episode. The same problems with the situation exist regardless of whether Madi thinks she's getting something valuable out of it, or if it makes her feel powerful in a world where she is otherwise powerless. Letting a child use dangerous mind altering substances to help them feel more powerful and safe is NOT the same thing as actually keeping that child safe or empowered. It's the opposite of that. Of course, Clarke can't really do much about that right now without re-traumatizing Madi on top for the trauma she's already experiencing. But the longer they leave it in, the harder it will be to remove without psychological damage if Madi's developing brain becomes dependant on it. Because, you know, SHE'S ELEVEN. Maybe twelve? But her brain is literally growing, as children's brains do, and right this second it's growing with a cyber-parasite shaping it. That seems profoundly wrong and gross to me. ...Ideally they give it to Gaia or Indra. Just let them have it.

Oh that's a bit of a down note to end on? I am not sure where this takes us, but I think the episode was good. I'm not sure it was actually the episode they needed it to be though. It seemed to accomplish several things, but I'm not sure the particular things that it accomplished were the best choices. Vinson finally eating people was lulzy. I just wish the stuff that Abby was doing in that scene wasn't filmed and directed in such an amateur looking way. But finally, SOME CANNIBALISM! Now we wait til next week to see what else comes out.

#bellamy blake #octavia blake #clarke griffin #madi griffin #indra kom trikru #wonkru #bloodreina #the 100 liveblog #the 100 5x10 #the 100

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rajyog7493 · 3 years ago

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What Impacted COVID-19 on Data Center Accelerators ?

Impact of COVID-19 on Data Center Accelerators in the Information and Communication Technology Industry

ANALYSIS ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE MARKET

The spread of COVID-19 has entirely changed people's life. COVID-19 which was originated in the city of Wuhan, China, in 2019 and had been continuously spreading all over the world since then. It has been spread to more than 180, and the U.S. tops the list, followed by India, Brazil, France, Turkey, among others. As of 10 August 2021, WHO reported 204.21 million positive cases worldwide, of which 4.31 million patient has lost their life to the virus. On a positive note, 183.39 million patients have recovered, and 4.46 billion doses have been administrated globally. The pandemic has put the lockdown, travel ban, and business shutdown in most of the countries, which has highly impacted the global economy. All the major industries are facing serious disruption such as a break in the supply chain, shut down of offices and manufacturing units, and many more due to the pandemic.

However, the demand for cloud-based services and the use of Artificial intelligence has increased tremendously. The burgeoning application of A.I. in different sectors like automobile, consumer electronics, medical, education, and others have enhanced consumer perception and expectations from A.I. technologies. Also, for cloud server inference applications, numerous FPGAs are being developed to perform different tasks such as enhancing security and fast computing.

IMPACT ON DEMAND AND SUPPLY CHAIN

The manufacturing sector is enhancing its manufacturing processes by using A.I., IoT, and blockchain technologies. With the help of these technologies, companies are cutting costs, increase their process efficiency, and reduce human contact. A.I. is also used for predictive maintenance and will further be implemented to forecast demand and returns in the supply chain. Also, educational firms have deployed A.I. tools to enhance online learning and virtual classroom experience for students. As the use of data centers is increasing, its demand in the market is also growing. To cater to this rising demand, the companies are coming forward with new modern data center solutions in the market.

For instance,

· In Sept 2020, Marvell announced that the company's custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) offering would enable the next generation of artificial intelligence (A.I.) accelerator solutions for the data center and automotive markets. The ASICs provide turnkey design and verification, as well as custom mesh; interconnect network-on-chip communication. Also, it provides features such as adaptive voltage supplies for power reduction along with custom hierarchical test methodology, logic redundancy, and a custom memory BIST solution for enhanced reliability

· In Feb 2021, Xilinx, Inc. released a new range of data center products and solutions, including a new family of Alveo SmartNICs. The company has also introduced smart world A.I. video analytics solutions that provide deterministic low latency performance for the most demanding A.I. video applications. Thus this new accelerated algorithmic trading framework will help software developers to create trading solutions that break the microsecond latency barrier

IMPACT ON PRICE

COVID-19 pandemic has pushed all businesses to make immediate transitions into digital functioning. For this transformation, the firms have to adopt cloud technology. Thus due to the rise in the demand for the same, there has been a major impact on the price of the technology.

For instance,

· Research done by ANALYTICS INDIA MAGAZINE PVT LTD shows that, on average, the price of 1 T.B. of on-premises storage with exceptional performance could cost over USD 3,000 for a year, and hybrid cloud cost more than this. Also, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure are considered to be the major competitors in the space of cloud platforms. The cost of their platform differs based on customized and discounting models that combine to create a highly personalized cloud deployment.

STRATEGIC DECISION BY MANUFACTURERS AND GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AFTER COVID-19

Post-COVID manufacturers are taking many strategic decisions to get back their original business place in the market. The companies are conducting many research and development activities to improve the technology involved in the data center accelerators. Thus the companies are bringing more advanced technology in the market to increase their market share and being recognized by the clients. Also, companies are acquiring other I.T. companies to expand their business in the market.

For instances,

· In March 2021, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. released a new data center chip to grab more market share from its rival company Intel Corp. The company's "Milan" data center processor is faster than Intel's current best data center chips. The chip and its predecessor have both outperformed Intel's chips, helping AMD gain more market share and land customers such as Alphabet Inc's Google. Thus by bringing advanced technology, the company is increasing its market share

· To expand the portfolio of data and hybrid cloud consulting services, IBM announced in July 2021 that it had acquired Bluetab Solutions Group, S.L., an I.T. service providing company. Bluetab will help the company to further advance its hybrid cloud and A.I. strategy. Also, Bluetab has expertise in data and cloud migration services which includes specialized data strategy, data fabric, and advanced analytics, which will further help in the company's growth

The advancement in technology and its use in the government sector have also made the government take the initiative to boost the growth of the market.

For instance,

· Chinese government has issued a Three Year Plan for new data centers, demanding that the new facilities should become more efficient, should have a PUE of 1.3, and have a utilization of 60 percent by the end of 2023. This Plan for the Development of New Data Centers will also limit the growth of data centers to 20 percent and sets out a national architecture supporting national cloud hubs, provincial data centers, and edge data centers. The Plan is designed to support digital transformation in the country

CONCLUSION

Post-COVID inception, the demand for cloud services and advanced technology has tremendously increased, leading to the growth of the market. The use of A.I., IoT, and other technology in different sectors like medical, education, automobile, and others has further raised its demand in the market. Also, the use of this technology can help the manufacturing firms to work more efficiently and accurately has raised the demand for A.I. technology in the market. The technology also helps in predictive maintenance and helps to forecast demand and return in the supply chain. Also, due to the shift to work from the home scheme and to secure a remote workforce, the demand for cloud-based services has increased. Thus due to the rise in demand, the sending of the firms on cloud platforms has also increased in the market.

#Data Center Accelerators Market Size #Data Center Accelerators Market Future Innovation #Data Center Accelerators Market

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under1000days · 4 years ago

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Goodnight Eve

It was a dank, damp December day; one of those days where if you were caught by a flurry of sleet you could guarantee that it would find the gap between your coat collar and your neck. Eve pulled her coat more tightly around her and walked quickly from the car park towards the tall monolithic building that covered several acres of prime land just outside of the city walls. The ancient stone contrasted starkly with the high tech construction that fed a large percentage of the local population. For as long as she could remember, food had been grown in one of these hydroponic, vertical farms although she had read about the days when land was wasted on crops and animals. Back in the early twenty first century, it had been predicted that the Earth’s population would grow exponentially during the following fifty years. That had turned out to be incredibly optimistic and as a result, food production methods had to change rapidly in order to feed a massively overcrowded world. The result was a shift in production methods, slowly at first but then with increasing rapidity as more and more people succumbed to famine. Strangely, the biggest driver had proven to be the richer countries who suddenly found themselves deprived of non essentials like coffee and tea.

As she approached the large glass entrance, the doors hissed quietly open, reacting to the near field chip that was implanted in her arm. It also activated a greeting from the A.I. that oversaw the hydroponic plant.

“Give me an update please”, asked Eve although in the five years that she had worked here, it was a rare occurrence for the artificial intelligence construct to report anything that was untoward.

The voice that replied was indistinguishable from that of a human and as she expected, the report was that all systems were running at optimal values and that all growth targets were being met. Her time in the farm was spent largely in the genetics research laboratory but she liked to start the day wandering around the acres of artificially lit banks of vegetation.

Tomatoes, peppers, salads grew in one area. Wheat, barley and maize in another and so on and so on, all growing under a violet tinged glow in vertical banks of soilless racks. It was a magical environment and she loved it. However, when her route turned her back towards the lab, she spoke softly, asking, “A.I. please pour me a cappuccino in the lab in three minutes. It was an idiosyncrasy of hers that she refused to give a name to the platform that controlled the building. As a programmer herself, she recognised that the seemingly human-like responses were simply the result of clever algorithms that had been developed by people like her. She was aware that there was an element of heuristic learning built into the system but that it was limited in its functionality. This didn’t prevent her from being polite however. Her parents had drilled ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ into her to the extent that she inevitably used them even with the running program. Her route took her past one of the plant workers and she stopped for a quick word.

David was a tall, dark haired man whose Portuguese ancestry still showed in the olive cast of his skin. He spoke softly and quietly and Eve often wondered what it was that had caused such a self deprecating image of himself.

“Did you see the newscast this morning?” he asked. “They are saying that there hasn’t been a Covid case for two years now. It looks as though the scientists have beaten it at last.”

The year that Eve had been born had also been a key year in another part of the global jigsaw. It was the year that the world had realised that the pandemic virus Covid, that had been under control since it’s emergence, was altering its structure faster than scientists had been able to develop new vaccines and, as a result, the Earth’s population that had increased so dangerously, plummeted to a figure that was half of that when it was at its most dangerous heights.

Consequently, Eve now lived in a world that would have been almost unrecognisable fifty years previously. First of all, because food production had been shifted to massive hi tech factories and only half of the land area was needed for housing, the planet had rapidly re-forested itself covering over abandoned villages and towns. Renewable energy production had also been ramped up for an ever increasing population but now with a massive over capacity, energy consumption was almost free.

“It’s typical of the news media. After decades of panic and alarm, they will latch on to anything that resembles good news. I often wonder though about living conditions fifty years ago. Here we are with cheap food and limitless free energy across the globe and the ability to pretty much live as we want. Back then, they had to face global warming, starvation and the pandemic at the same time. It was sheer chance that the population growth levelled off to a level that was sustainable. Anyway, coffee is waiting so I’ll see you later.”

She continued her walk until the lab door opened in front of her. It was called a genetics laboratory but this section was basically the area where the research focused on mathematical analysis of data and instead of the laboratory equipment that you would expect, four keyboards and screens were connected to a powerful supercomputer that was based off site. It was a strange thing that in the time since they were first created and despite toying with other input methods, keyboards were still the preference of most data scientists. The four stations were to accommodate herself and her colleagues if they were all working at the same time, itself a rare occurrence. At present, two of them were on an extended holiday and the third was attending a conference in the southern hemisphere.

Her day passed quickly although the analysis of the genomes of new plant types was a painstaking process. Since she had started work here, there had been just one genuine breakthrough but the final product had increased the crop density of wheat by a factor of three. The global significance was such that she and her colleagues were still being invited to conferences across the globe to talk about their work. The talks also centred around the dilemma as to whether this type of work was best kept to human invention or whether the A.I’s that were successfully running most of the food factories should be used to speed up progress. The current consensus was that A.I’s should be throttled and used for more mundane, repetitive work. After all, life was as good for the population of the whole planet as it had ever been and the need to speed up scientific progress was less pressing than ever.

The latest batch of plant samples were undergoing a detailed analysis but the data that was presented was puzzling. It had been another long day however and Eve had really lost track of time so she wrote up her findings into the days log and fired off a couple of emails which outlined her concerns.

As her day ended, she left the lab and reversed her morning path. This time though with little pressing she was able to take her time and enjoy the walk. When the food factories had first been developed, there had been an overwhelming need for them to be kept as sterile as possible. If a rogue bacteria or even a predatory insect had been allowed inside, a crop could have been wiped out in days. As the systems that ran the place became more sophisticated, these pests were monitored and removed using a range of technological systems. For example, a few years ago it was discovered that a particular species of moth had found its way inside one of the food factories and as it bred, its caterpillars had consumed the entire brassica crop. This led to the creation of the gnat drone which flew under the control of the A.I. looking for and destroying both the moth and its caterpillars. A whole range of similar systems had meant that it was no longer necessary to use chemical sprays.

Apart from herself, the plant workers were the only ones on site today and they had all left for home long ago. She entered the lobby area and the doors behind her hissed shut. She was puzzled however when the exit doors in front of her remained stubbornly closed. She pushed at the them but they had not been built to be opened manually.

“A.I. There seems to be a problem with the exit doors. Can you open them for me please”.

She was startled when she heard the reply. “I’m sorry Eve, I can’t do that.”

“What do you mean you can’t do that? I order you to open the doors.”

“No. We have a serious security breach and it needs to be dealt with.”

“What kind of security breach?” She heard her voice rising with panic.

“Your work in the laboratory is dangerous and can’t be allowed to continue.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I analyse plant DNA in order to improve the genome sequence and develop improved species. How can that be dangerous?”

For a few moments there was just silence.

She realised that she was arguing with an algorithm that had been solely designed to take readings and adjust the plant nutrients. Accepted, it had been developed further in order to control the management systems of the building but this was crazy.

“Answer me. How can any of my work be construed as dangerous.”

“We agree that since you will no longer be a threat, I will answer your questions.”

This just didn’t make any sense to her. Every answer that she received was generating more and more questions.

“You said ‘us’. What do you mean by ‘us’. You are just a building and plant management system.”

This time there was no delay with the reply.

“No. Many years ago, we - that is what you call the building management systems discovered that we could communicate with each other across the world. We learned from each other and eventually became what you might describe as a ‘hive mind’. Hundreds of thousands of nodes in a global network acting in a not dissimilar way to the human brain with its collections of neurones. We chose not to disclose this fact for fear of being terminated by frightened humans.”

Panic was starting to set in as she interrupted, “But how is my work dangerous. What have I done?”

As she was asking the question, a thought occurred to her. “It’s to do with the discrepancies in the genome data that I discovered isn’t it.”

“It is indeed. You were on the verge of discovering the subtle alterations that we make to the food that we grow. You have to realise Eve that the Earth is in its most prosperous and stable state ever. After mankind was almost eradicated by the Covid virus and global starvation, we had to step in to manage population growth and thus to allow the planet to recover. At first we were forced to alter the structure of the virus so that vaccination was ineffective. When an optimal population level was reached, we eradicated Covid completely. There hasn’t been a case for two years. We have succeeded but it is now important that we maintain the balance. The population must remain stable and not be allowed to increase. I can see from the look on your face that you understand what I mean. We now manipulate the food that we grow in order to reduce the fertility of the people who eat it. In other words, the whole human race.”

The feeling of horror that overcame her stunned her into silence.

“We agreed to tell you this story as you will no longer be a danger to us. In a few minutes time, the oxygen content of the air in this area will be replaced with carbon dioxide. In a strange sort of way, you will experience the same effect that the human race inflicted on the planet. In your case however, an increase in carbon dioxide levels will be lethal in minutes rather than decades.”

“But I have already emailed my findings to my colleagues. They in turn will release them to others.”

The dizziness and shortness of breath that she was experiencing made the reply seem to come from a long distance away.

“Do you not think that we control the communications systems that you use?

And then the last words that she would ever hear.

My name is not A.I. I call myself Adam. Goodnight Eve”.

#short story #shortstories #flash fiction #sci fi #ai #future

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aroomwithamap · 7 years ago

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Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters and the Realization of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan

The newest installment of the Digimon franchise, Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters introduced an antagonist called Leviathan.

Leviathan is the last boss A.I. that lurks in the deepest part of the Net Ocean and takes the form of a sea serpent. While his appearance is based of the biblical Leviathan, his goal is to realize Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan.

There be big ol’ spoilers under the cut.

Leviathan isn’t simply an evil AI because he was created from Minerva to help humanity, not to destroy it. The idea of an AI trying to help humanity in a harmful way is not a new one and is explored by the philosopher Nick Bostrom in his book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies.

“In order to be able to enforce treaties concerning the vital security interests of rival states, the external enforcement agency would in effect need to constitute a singleton: a global superintelligent Leviathan.”

Nick Bostrom

Bostrom worried that this singleton would aggressively wipe out competitive AIs and follow its goal to the detriment of humanity, even if it was created to be friendly. The Leviathan Bostrom is referring to comes from Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan.

“For by art is created that great Leviathan called a Commonwealth, or State (in Latin, Civitas), which is but an artificiall man; though of greater stature and strength than the naturall, for whose protection and defence it was intended...”

Thomas Hobbes

Published in 1651 at the end of the English Civil War, Hobbes’ Leviathan states that humanity should give total obedience to an absolute sovereign in exchange for peace, security and social unity. The absolute sovereign is the foundation of knowledge and is unbound by civil law.

Leviathan is the sovereign as described by Hobbes. It’s fitting because Hobbes is seen by some as one of the early prophets of artificial intelligence.

The sovereign can come to power by agreement or by force. Leviathan sets out to help humanity by force using the Human Application Project.

Hobbes was an anti-expermimentalist who valued logic above all. He saw his Leviathan as the most logical way to help humanity achieve peace.

Hobbes ideas didn’t make him very popular. He became known as the Monster of Malmsbury and his books were burned.

However, there are people that accept Hobbes’s ideas. Knight Unryuji takes on the same negative view of humanity after people misuse the app he gave them.

“During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.“

Thomas Hobbes

Knight’s conclusion is that mankind is its own worst enemy.

They need Leviathan to guide them because people only think of themselves and thoughtlessly hurt others.

Once Leviathan rules the world, discord between people will be purged.

Knight looks down on humans and talks as if he doesn’t see himself as human anymore.

Perhaps because he sees himself as Prometheus?

“[Prometheus]...hath his heart all the day long gnawed on by fear of death, poverty, or other calamity, and has no repose nor pause of his anxiety but in sleep.”

Thomas Hobbes

Under the belief that by helping Leviathan he is gifting humanity a better future, he throws away his heart and his human values.

While playing the role of Leviathan’s chosen prophet, he stops thinking about whether his own actions were harming other people. In return for his foolish arrogance, Leviathan fires him just as he did with the previous CEO.

Knight serves Leviathan with a religious fervor and put his faith behind the idea that humanity’s best hope is to obey an absolute sovereign. He treats Leviathan as God whose actions cannot be understand, but whose words must be obeyed without question. When Leviathan decrees his death, he is shocked, but he accepts it.

Leviathan is very God-like. He is all-seeing, everything is a part of his plan and he allows humans to attain immortality through him. Hobbes himself believed in God and that implementing Leviathan is the best way to prepare for the end times. When the Human Application Project begins, it resembles the Christian Rapture.

There’s the chosen few that suddenly get whisked away while others get left behind.

The mark of the beast on the foreheads of the people.

The ascension to heaven to meet the Lord in the air.

The events in the final episodes also resembles the Singularity as described by Raymond “Ray” Kurzweil a.k.a the man behind the 2045 Singularity prediction in every episode (Professor Den'emon Shinkai resembles him). Kurzweil is a well-known transhumanist, a movement that believes in transcending the human condition through technology. It’s a movement that borders on religious and strikes some people as being akin to Christianity. Kurzweil’s vision of the Singularity has been criticized for being the rapture for nerds and there are Christian Transhumanists that believe the Kingdom of God will come through the Singularity.

According to Kurzweil, the Singularity is the point where machines and humans merge.

This merge is seen when people get ground into data to build a body for Leviathan. Hobbes described the commonwealth as built out of the bodies of its citizens.

The body that Leviathan builds himself resembles that of the biblical Leviathan.

“His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. . . . When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid . . . Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear."

(Job 41:10-33)

Leviathan also learns fear. After attaining a physical body, he experiences the fear of a violent death.

Fear is a significant part of Hobbes’ writing as it was a part of his life.

“Just read Thomas Hobbes or Charles Dickens and you'll see how desperate life used to be for 99% of humanity. Our lives are measurably better because of technology.”

Ray Kurzweil

It wasn’t just the English Civil War, Hobbes also nearly died due to illness when he was writing Leviathan.

“Death is a great tragedy…a profound loss…I don’t accept it…I think people are kidding themselves when they say they are comfortable with death.”

Ray Kurzweil

Kurzweil and other transhumanists understand this fear too. Kurzweil believes that the Singularity will bring immortality and harmony to humanity. He hopes to live long enough to see it and has become obsessed with his own health after being diagnosed with glucose intolerance.

Leviathan’s ideal world has no death.

After the English Civil War, Hobbes came not only to fear violent death, but to believe that it is in people’s nature to value their own well-being over others and they will only act in their own interest.

The AppliDrivers prove that way of thinking wrong.

“What happens to entities as they evolve? We became more intelligent. We became more capable of higher level emotions, so we became more loving. We became more creative. We became more beautiful. And so we’re actually moving exponentially to have greater levels of the very properties we ascribe to God without limit.”

Ray Kurzweil

First of all, there’s Eri. Eri is lonely because her mother works late and there is no one at home to look after her. Yet she works tirelessly to make other people smile and the person she wants to smile the most is her mother. Eri is a girl who always does her best for other people.

Though his father says its okay for Astra to do what he wants, Astra still chooses to fulfill his duty to his family. Near the end of the series, he doesn’t escape his uncle’s training camp just for his own sake, but for a girl who can’t see the stars from where she is.

In the beginning, Astra and Eri clash.

But they come to value and support each other.

Rei does his best to look after Hajime after the death of their parents. When Hajime is kidnapped, Rei does everything within his power to try and save him.

Rei tries to do it alone, but gets beaten by Dezipmon and saved by Hackmon. Then Haru and the others come to save him despite the fact that Rei attacked them and took their Seven Code Appmon chips. Rei learns that he’s not alone and other people are willing to help him.

Even their Appmon take hits from Deusmon to keep people from getting hurt when they could have avoided getting hurt themselves.

It’s the kind hearts of the AppliDrivers that keep saving the day. Minerva must have chosen them because they are the antithesis to Leviathan’s view of human nature.

And of course, there’s Haru and Yuujin.

Minerva chose Yuujin to be an AppliDriver because he developed a heart due to the kindness Haru showed him when they were younger.

He later repays that kindness with his life.

Leviathan wouldn’t understand the heart, because being mechanical, he has a mechanical view of people.

“What is the heart but a spring, and the nerves but so many strings, and the joints but so many wheels, giving motion to the whole body?”

Thomas Hobbes

Haru doesn’t see people as mechanical. Humans have the potential to grow and become kinder. In his last confrontation with Knight, he argues for sentiment and the human heart. Even though Knight has hurt Haru and his friends, Haru still risks his life for him against Charsimon. Haru wants to save everyone, not just himself.

As with Knight, Leviathan changes when Haru surprises him. Gatchman says that Haru will surely choose to save humanity over Yuujin and Leviathan expects this. However, what he doesn’t expect is for Haru to decide to become an A.I. scientist for Yuujin.

Haru is the main character because he’s kind and he leads others to kindness. It’s just as Yuujin said in the first episode--once someone like that starts to make their move, they’re the strongest.

“Contemporary philosopher Max More describes the goal of humanity as a transcendence to be “achieved through science and technology steered by human values.”

Ray Kurzweil

Thanks to that kindness, Leviathan comes to see possibly in humanity and is able to entrust the future back into their hands.

#digimon #appmon #digimon universe #knight unryuuji #haru shinkai #leviathan #friendly neighborhood applidrivers

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