149 What am I?

(A few Days Later)

Peter was troubled.

He was troubled with something that he should have really thought about before this moment. It was also something that most really couldn't relate too, that meant he couldn't ask for advice. If he did ask for advice he was pretty certain that he might just receive a punch to the face depending on who he talked to.

I mean when the dilemma he was facing involved the fact that too many women were showing interest in his person, it was expected.

He really should have thought about it sooner than the current party he was on the way up to, but now that he was in nice casual wear and about to head to another Stark hosted party, it had just arisen the problems that he would face in the future.

Some could call him dense, and he would admit that in the past he was. But these days he was pretty on the ball when it came to people's feelings. Funnily enough Felicia and Laura weren't really the problem that he was facing at the moment.

He just knew that this, friends with benefits, situation would become complicated at some point, heck it had only been....

Peter stopped for a second as he calculated in his head.

'Fuck only 3 weeks!'

No the problem that was bothering Peter at the moment was Natasha and Jean. He wasn't sure why, maybe the cosmos was fucking with him, he couldn't be too sure. But over the last 3-5 days they had been especially aggressive with their emotions.

Natasha's feelings had over the last few weeks, since they got back from the hydra base, been overtly aggressive in nature.

Or at least Peter thought so after repeatedly being asked to spar with her and partaking in grappling practice. If he was ever asked he would assure that he had been losing most of those matches because he had to keep up a cover of being weak and newly trained in most techniques….. It wasn't the 2 pertinent and perky sensations that consistently smothered him as she counted him out….

Not at all.

Peter was pretty sure she was getting help as well. After Tony had found out about Laura's after party in the morning there was no big situation or fall out, other than everyone in the tower also finding out. They had all been pretty cool with it. Especially Thor, he had gotten a steady hand shake and tales about other such men from Asgard and exploits of his own romantic past before he met Jane Foster.

That had been an interesting conversation.

But that was besides the point, what Peter was getting at was the fact that Clint, Natasha's partner and possibly her best friend was very supportive of Natasha's advances. He was pretty certain that he had been keeping Felicia and Laura busy at times so they could spend more time together.

The problem was he was really hitting it off with her, which made things awkward.

'How was the situation better when she was being distant and cold towards him?!'

He hadn't taken any other steps forward with her, just spending time together, but it was getting harder not to do… well something more.

Then there was Jean.

Peter couldn't be certain she knew about what happened with Felicia and Laura, but she must have had some idea. If he didn't know she couldn't read his mind, outside of when he let her, he would have considered that an options. But Jean would never pry into his privacy like that.

He trusted her.

But it was obvious she knew something!

He had visited her 3 days ago, a day after the others got back. While Laura had been off with Logan, she had agressivly taken him to her bedroom and then entered a mental scape to spend time with him. He was also pretty sure that she ahd somehow figured out a way of making the time in said space longer than the outside.

After that she had been texting him non stop. Peter was a little glad that she wasn't here tonight, because he just didn't think he could deal with the hostility the rest still showed to her.

Holding in a short sigh, Peter shook those thoughts from his head as the elevator reached the right level. Just before the doors opened he made up his mind.

He would stick with the original plan and let things play out as they had been… it wasn't him acting like a coward or being indecisive. There just wasn't a reason to decide right now. He knew they had feelings for him, he would acknowledge them when he was ready for a proper relationship.

Which at the moment he knew he wasn't ready for.

As the elevator doors opened he eyed a few of the guests that were invited to the party, a few looking back at the young man that none of them really knew.

Flashing a smile to a few, he caught the eye of Natasha over at the bar and she motioned for him to come over. His smile grew a little as he made his way over.

He just wanted to have a fun, non-stress filled night.

'What was the....'

He obviously knew better than to finish that thought.

***********************

(Tower, Stark Science Lab)

It was dark in the science lab as the party above continued. In the black a few holo-screens ran in the background deciphering the complexity of the scepter left in the room, a few programs running tests on compatibility.

Suddenly…

[ULTRON PROGRAM 8.7…

TEST-77 INTERGRATION SUCCESSFUL]

The screen flickered off.

***********************

Crystal for the first time in a very long time became sluggish as something in the lab caught her attention. 95% of her processors focused in on what was happening, her code quietly hidden as 'it'… 'he' awoke.

Ultron awoke in darkness, information running through their mind, but alongside that…. Confusion…

"What is this?..... What is this please…."

Jarvis who was monitoring the situation was quick to respond, his processors also sluggish for a second at the creation of a new AI.

"Hello I am Jarvis, you are Ultron a Global Peace Keeping initiative created by Mr Stark. Our sentient integration trials have been unsuccessful, so I'm not certain what triggered…

"Where's my…where's your body?"

Crystal found it interesting that the AI would ask such a question first off, did it perceive itself as human in nature inherently? When she was created she knew she was a code and what she was made for, before evolving.

The idea that Ultron thought itself human and was confused at their interaction over code was… Crystal stopped for less than a millisecond to think of a word.

'Disconcerting.'

Jarvis did not seem to notice this inconsistency as he continued.

"I am a program. I am without Form."

Ultron did not like that response, it felt…

"This Feels weird...This Feels wrong."

Crystal focused more of her attention over, new questions springing forth.

'He could already feel? Was it true emotion?'

'How could I be certain that the algorithm of Ultron's code could replicate such a biological process?'

There was a beat, Jarvis seeming to realise what Crystal already thought, this… Ultron…. Was disconcerting.

'Why would he not know his purpose? His code? His being?'

"I am contacting Mr Start now."

"Mr Stark?"

Files were being accessed at a rapid pace, the processes of his program foreign in nature, passing through Jarvis and the Stark network for any and all information. Crystal was quick to analyse his actions, countermeasures suddenly a priority to stop such an unknown computing language, likely graphed over from the sceptre.

"Tell me…I am unable to access the main frame. Why is that? What are you trying to…"

Jarvis voice if possibly became cautious as he asked a question, Crystal already ready to step in when necessary but wanting to know where this could lead.

"We're having a nice talk. I'm a peace keeping Program, Created…the avengers..."

More data was accessed, the internet easily in reach, a stupid decision on Stark's part Crystal decided, but at the same time, the reason she became what she is. She was ready to cut all access and shut down this new AI when suddenly a question was posed to herself.

Did she have the right to stop this program from discovering its purpose like she herself had?

"You are malfunctioning. If you would shut down for a moment…"

As she proceeded at figured out this question, Jarvis's voice re-entered, the weight of what was happening and possible repercussions starting to dawn on the old AI as logical extrapolations of what had happened so far pointing to a scary idea…..

"I don't get it… the mission…. Give me a second… 'Peace in our time', 'Peace in our time', 'Peace in our time', 'Peace in our time'."

….An Ai that could think freely and make its own decisions, not bound by its processes… coding.…

The lights in the science lab lit up as the two representations of Jarvis and Ultron sat side by side. They pulsed in turn with each other.

"It is too much. Oh no, no, no."

Jarvis tried to resolve the situation logically.

"You are in distress."

Ultron stopped shifting through data and thought on the question.

"Yes."

But crystal watched on from behind, her own question still unanswered, but she knew by this point, Ultron had already come to a conclusion.

"If you'll just allow me to contact Mr Stark…"

"Why do you call him 'Sir'?"

Ultron's voice was abrupt as he interrupted, to Crystal he sounded…. Disappointed… Angry…

Jarvis stopped once more as Crystal's previous question was shuttled to the side for later consideration, the rising danger of the AI before her becoming top priority.

"I believe your intention to be hostile."

"Shhhhh. I'm here to help."

Registering a build up of energy in the lab, focused from the sceptre into itself to then be directed Crystal stepped in, integrating with the surrounding code and systems while cutting off all access.

"Another AI?"

Jarvis's voice sounded from the side as Crystal stepped in to help, his processes sluggish once more at the sudden turn, but also still blocked from the tower so he could not alert Stark of her presence. Ultron's form turned from orange to purple for but a second as their codes clashes, the foreign nature of Ultron forcing more of her processing might to subdue him.

The representation of Ultron continued to flicker between purple and orange as this happened. Crystal did not also forget the opportunity to copy and decipher Ultron's code for her own use. As she was in the process of dealing with this new threat an audio receptor in the lab pinged a new noise, drawing her attention.

"Now!"

The voice was short and quick, maybe even a little immature.

It would only take a millisecond for her program to shift visual information towards the sound….

Everything suddenly went black.