CHAPTER 08

A few days had passed since the team relocated to where Tony had smartly dubbed 'Boot camp' before leaving Steve to take care of and run everything. Funny how a billionaire like him was bad with administration, so he had said.

Unlike the original timeline, Natasha would not be a permanent resident of the Compound as she decided to leave with Bruce. Due to Vision's interference, the Hulk didn't get on the Quinjet that would have probably yeeted him off to Sakaar through unexplained means. Though if that decision was final remained yet to be seen as Bruce was still hanging around  the Compound, completely out of his element. 

The second duo who were also completely out of their element were no doubt the Maximoff twins, Pietro and Wanda. Their life had changed way too fast and too drastic that it took them some time to start acclimating to the change. 

They were enjoying every moment of it so there was that.

For the moment they were only doing some basic training under Steve and Natasha's guidance since some fights just couldn't be fought from a distance. 

Despite the oddity of it, only one of them was needed to put the twins in their place during their spars. As for Vision, while he did join in the spars, it was very clear that he was a clear cut above the others, even when taking Steve and Natasha into the equation. 

All he'd needed to do was download and synchronize the fighting styles of the various martial arts, while also streaming thousands of fighting videos of said arts, on earth and he was already a seasoned fighter. 

The three of them weren't the only addition to the Compound though. Sam Wilson, Falcon, and Colonel James Rhodes joined them, though the latter was more of a military advisor and liaison between the Avengers and the government. 

°°°°

'Will there be any changes to me if I assimilate the Ultron code?'

[Negative]

[The Ultron code is a series of binary computations that was the accumulation of the subjective consciousness known as Ultron. While there will be a change upon assimilation of the code, it can be easily suppressed, override or deleted] 

[Assimilation is advised] 

I breathed out in relief upon hearing that. It wouldn't be nice if I had a mini-devil Ultron sitting on my shoulders at all times due to this change. 

I brought up the notifications I've gone through the past few days and looked at them again. 

[Mind Stone 

Purpose -… Calculating] 

[Task generated 

> Investigate the bond between your sentience and the entity known as the Mind Stone 

Status: Pending]

[Due to large influx of magnetic and electrical properties and its effects on your Vibranium body, you can now slightly alter the effects they have on you]

The Mind Stone could very well be the heart of my being due to the way Vision was conceived which made my growth dependent on it. It wasn't bad per se, but it also wasn't the best. 

Despite being biological, I was essentially designed to be a machine, which meant I needed a core like every other machine. Something as simple as an arc reactor would heavily handicap me and render most of my abilities unusable. Trust me, I ran the numbers. 

So while having most of my existential growth hinging on the Mind Stone wasn't all good, it was also the best solution I had at the moment. 

'Start the assimilation.'

[Assimilating of the Ultron code 

Status: Ongoing 

Estimated time: 13hr 41min]

Since I had nothing to do other than wait, I decided to stretch my legs a little, which was obviously a human expression but I decided not to think too much about it. 

Existential crisis meant nothing when you had a super computer for a brain. 

Different from everybody else, the moment I scanned the entire Compound was the moment I grew bored of it. It was unavoidable when I knew every nook and cranny of it and it was forever imprinted on my mind in 16K. 

At least I still had taste buds… just don't ask me where the food went. 

"Vision."

I turned around to look at Wanda who called me. She was dressed in leather pants and a beige colored shirt, covering her hair with a beanie. 

"Wanda." I nodded at her, silently asking why she called me. My relationship with Wanda was as normal as it could be as it was with everyone here. She just felt some curiosity towards me, still does, but she was polite enough not to make it known. 

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked. 

"Yes. I was thinking of stretching my legs a bit." I said and made to leave but paused a bit. "Do you want to tag along?" At least some conversation should help pass the time before I decide to just shut myself down and be done with it. 

"Sure."

We walked for a bit before Wanda decided to break the silence while I was mentally bopping to some tunes only I could hear. 

"I don't think I've thanked you yet."

"What for?" I asked in genuine confusion." I don't think we've been acquainted to the point that you'd owe me thanks."

"In Sokovia.. Your words really did help me. I believe that's reason enough for me to thank you."

Oh that. 

"It's nothing. I believe you would have found your strength yourself even in that scenario. I don't think I honestly did anything. I don't think my words have as equal a value as your thanks."

She looked at me for a while before her eyes lit up in realization as she smiled faintly. I didn't need to be the super smart AI that I was to know she'd most likely arrived at a particularly wrong conclusion.

"Things like thanks and gratitude don't have corresponding value for anything, Vision. As long as you perceive someone's action to you as beneficial, there are ways to express your gratitude, in this case my thanks."

"I see." No, I don't see at all.