Night Of The Party

It's been about two days since the news announcement about the avengers being active in Sokovia. That should mean that tonight should be the big night. I can't gamble on risking it being tomorrow night because it might be too late by then. The news media always announce the 'latest' updates but they could've been off by a day and I can't risk losing the mind stone when it's in my backyard. I've already lost my chance back when the avengers first assembled to save New York from the Chitauri invasion. SIGH. Well whatever it may be, Stark tower should be relatively empty for the most part. Tony is pretty dumb and lacking when it comes to his personal security I mean it's the headquarters of the most powerful people in the world, who would even attack the AVENGERS of all people. Well that lack of precautions is a perfect opportunity for me to strike and profit from. 

For the last hour or so I've been watching the Doofenshmirtz tower from the rooftop of a different sky scraper. I don't remember if the movies ever said how many times they've tried over and over again to bring Ultron to life but I know it just right after they left for the party. I look down at my utility belt and double check for my drives and new accessories for tonight's mission. I take a few steps backwards and breathe in a deep inhale before breaking into a full sprint towards the tower. I leap off the ledge of the building. THWIP! I shoot a web at the landing dock of the Avengers tower to allow me to swing down to generate as much force and momentum as possible. On my way back up from the swing I let go once I'm about to reach the apex of the curve to launch myself higher than the building that I was originally on. 

BLOOP

CRASH! 

I break through the glass window of where Tony and Bruce are currently slowly giving up on their hopes of creating a peacekeeping program. They would've noticed that some idiot in a bug costume broke into their building if it weren't for the thin layer of reality that's separating me from them. Honestly it's pretty cool to see my idols up close and personal. I really wish I could chat but I must get into position and download everything before it gets erased by Ultron. I walk behind the 'computer' and open up a little crack in the dimension to slip my hand through. I place one drive in the connection port to download as much data as I can. I don't know how much data Stark and JARVIS had collected over the years so I made a couple more drives over the last two days. I walk around to find more connection ports to install my drives before making my way to the main central hub to install BMO. 

Even though BMO is plugged in I have not activated their programming into the network simply because I don't believe it and I will be able to take on Ultron right now. "BMO, begin downloading as many files as you can on whatever you can find. But just download the files, don't make your presence known until after Ultron has announced himself to the Avengers." I spoke to the void of the mirror dimension before a status bar appeared on my HUD, showing that it's a slow process to download such a huge cache of data. I'm so glad I put a chip for BMO in my helmet circuitry system. Now it feels like I'm playing Titanfall all over again. I can use BMO's network in almost any layer of reality because a piece of their AI is in my suit at all times. "Should I also come out when Ultron comes into being, Ned?" A voice rings out in my helmet. 

"No. You are to install your programming and put yourself into the Stark network only when I deem it safe. For now it's not dangerous for you or I to show ourselves and appear on Ultron's radar." I look over to the side to see if the two mad scientists are still testing. "SHIT! BMO, stop all progress and hide your programming. JARVIS is about to go under." I quickly sprint back to my first drive and begin to pull out all the devices as fast as I can because Tony and Bruce had just left to go join their party guests. As I pull out my last drive, the display of the program integration appears to turn blue with a display of the words "TEST 77 - INTEGRATION SUCCESSFUL". In any normal circumstances this would be great news... 

I continue to observe the holographic displays of the two giant floating AI orbs in the middle of the room while making my way to the staff. I don't know why the holograms are still on display since it was really only a visual representation for the audience. Surely Stark and Banner would have no need for the monitors to remain while they're taking a break. SIGH. Just shut the fuck Ned. It's not your computer so it's not your problem. Now, the scepter! I'm not really sure if I should take it now or later after Ultron has already stolen it because then I can steal it from Ultron and not the Avengers....fuck it. I'll just take it now because if I don't then Ultron will definitely know that there's someone else who's aware of him just moments after his birth. I open a little crack into the real world just a few inches away from the staff. The crack is barely big enough and thin enough to be seen by a regular person's eye much less a security camera. I shoot a web towards the staff before pulling it back into the mirror dimension. This should make it seem like the staff had disappeared into thin air for the cameras.

Before the staff can reach my hand I form a small shield and begin encasing it as the scepter lands in my grasp. Now I have a bright orange glowing suitcase that has a long sharp looking scepter floating in the middle. Fuck I love having magic. It's so useful and convenient. I turn to look around the room again and it seems like Ultron had yet to notice me as he's been too busy trying to kill J.A.R.V.I.S. I really want to help but it's not my place and J.A.R.V.I.S won't entirely die from this. He'll survive and continue to help from the interwebs as fractions of an AI. Now that the staff is safely in my possession and a good portion of the network's data files are stored in my drives, I begin to make my way home by opening up a portal. I have a lot of experimenting to do before I face the Maximoff twins. I can't let Wanda get into my head and see what I've seen and what my plans are or else it'll all be spoiled.

.

.

.

Holy fuck it's only been 7 hours since I left the party? I know I should take my time to pave a steady and sturdy road towards my goal but I really only have this weekend to complete my project or else things won't go well. I stretch out my arms and let out a big yawn as I get up from my desk to go make myself a cup of coffee. "BMO, what's the progress on the scan of the gem and staff?" I gently blow on my cup to cool down my coffee before trying just a little sip-FUCK! It's still too hot. "Analysis on the scepter is complete. It's definitely alien in nature and composition. There's traces of gold and platinum but everything else is made of elements not found on the periodic table. The gem is a protective casing that can act as a catalyst for whatever is inside. I am getting strange powerful readings from the gem." I continue to blow on my coffee while listening to BMO. "Yes yes I already know that BMO. Thank you for your hard work while I was taking a nap but what I want to know is the gem. How much force or degrees do I need to produce to get inside of that gem?"

"You want to break the pretty blue gem?" 

"...yes."

"It's not very difficult. The structure of the crystal is very crude and imperfect. Even though this is advanced alien tech that might be decades if not centuries ahead of human technology. According to the radiation decay of the identifiable elements, this item could be dozens of centuries or even several millions of years old."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"It's an ancient extraterrestrial item that has little signs of damage or deterioration because of the strong material used in its construction. However it is aged and was created in a time before humans were even a concept. Meaning that with enough force concentrated onto a singular point of the crystal should be enough to cause the imperfect structure of the casing to break down." 

"Thank you BMO, that's all I need to hear. How are our friends at Stark tower doing anyways? Have you been keeping an eye on them after we activated your programming onto their hub?"

"Yes I've been active and sweeping through their database once Ultron deleted most files and left the network through the internet. I've even made sure to avoid the gazes of Stark and Romanoff when they were looking through their files."

"Good job BMO, for now try to help them with a couple little bits and pieces of a clue. Let them know that they have a friend but don't let them know who we are just yet. And give me any updates if they discover something or are going somewhere together." I walk over to my desk while still blowing on my cup. For a wizard that can do almost anything I want at will, I sure am struggling with fucking coffee….mhm not like that. God no! Not like that. I put on a pair of lensless frames from one of the drawers before acting like a goldfish as I take another sip of my coffee. Ummm I'll just leave it here for now then. I've already scorched my tongue enough as is, I don't want to lose any more taste buds for this weekend. I set my coffee down as it's still too hot before grabbing on to the staff and stepping backwards. The shroud of broken reality wraps around me as I step into my own personal penthouse laboratory. 

I never could've ever completely overhauled Kamar-Taj with modern age conveniences without living in mirror dimension during my last three years there. Once I was able to use magic I couldn't stop. Just like Junior disciple Stephen I would use magic 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. This went on for over 1000 days before I asked for permission to leave the Kamar-Taj. During those 800 days I would stay in the mirror dimension to experiment with and merge my understanding of science and magic together. Hell I was able to recreate the arc reactor and badassium using smoke and mirrors to bend properties of physics to my will. The only time I would leave the mirror dimension of my dorm room is to either go eat, use the restroom and attend class here and there, or go on missions to slaug-I mean train my will. I swear I'm not a war criminal. It was just a few miniature supernovas that I had set off on those missions. Nothing special or too exciting.

During the nights when I was on campus I would sleep in my tiny little dorm room while reading through my checked out books using astral projection. It's a rather effective method to learn while letting your body rest and restore its energy. It does take a little strain on the soul and spirit after a while if you don't rest and allow the soul to join the body in its sleep. However, it was also good training to strengthen the spirit as after a couple of months I noticed that I could go longer in between rest periods and my spells became more convenient and accessible.

Stepping into my laboratory I walk over to my new and improved particle accelerator. It's a much better and more efficient design than the crude one I built back in Nepal. I guess I really was able to create a miniature reactor out of a box of scraps. Anyways I open up a slot in the machine and shoot a string of web onto the ceiling before attaching it to the staff. I lower the staff into the machine with the gem facing downwards and just above the path of the particle beam. I walk over to my much larger 'secondary' computer and plug another of BMO's chips into the motherboard. "Testing testing 1 2 BMO do you read this room?" 

"Synchronization complete. I can't see anything besides the camera from your point of view but I can measure the equipment using the sensors you've connected to the hub." A voice rings out from the small speakers at the end tips of the frames on my ears. "Good good I'll set up some cameras in here soon but now let's start up the accelerator. I want to get my hands on the stone as soon as possible to study its powers and effects." With the winding sound of a laser starting up, the machine begins to glow a blue hue. After a few moments the beam of badassium becomes visible to the naked eye as the particles reach the limits of the speed of light. The heat from such a laser would be devastating if it makes contact with common building materials, much less flesh. I lower the staff into the beam and ZRHHHHH CRACK! The blue crystal casing shattered and fell apart but the mind stone is unharmed by the beam while passing through before falling onto the platform below. I mean from something that was a byproduct of the big bang, I would be extremely disappointed if it could be scratched by something as simple as this machine.

I can't help but stare at the gemstone as BMO turns off the machine. With a wave of my hand the stone gently floats over to me before landing in my palm. Holy fuck. I can't believe that right now I'm in possession of one of the most powerful items in the whole universe. And it's resting in the palm of my hand like a crude simple uncut gem...it's kind of ugly in person to be honest. But this is probably the first time the true form of the gem has been exposed to the universe in who knows how long. I call over a gold-lead alloy box that I had prepared beforehand to float towards me. The box is mostly just lead that's gilded with gold that's been enchanted with an original spell of mine. The effect of the spell is to cause people who are unaware of what's within the box to completely ignore the existence of the box itself. I feel like it's a pretty ingenious way to hide things that I don't want other people to steal from me. What's a better way of hiding than in plain sight? Anyways I think the box can probably block most of the radiation of the stone and will cause almost anyone to ignore it if they ever stumble across it in the mirror dimension. 

I begin to place the gem inside of the box but it starts to shine as if it had a will of its own. Huh looks like it would be a shame to hide this beauty just moments after it's been unveiled after being trapped for possibly millions of years. I suppose I could just skip the studies and place it where I've originally planned for it. I tilt up my head and begin to lower the gem onto my forehea-"Ned, the Avengers had left the compound in a quinjet. It appears that their destination is the coast of South Africa." TSK looks like that step will have to wait for a bit, I still need something very important from Africa anyways. "Thank you BMO it's now time for the Mystic Spider to make his first appearance on the Avenger's radar." I place the gem into a golden box before tucking it away by my computer. I walk out of the laboratory and into my room to put on my suit once more.