Age of Charon
Rebirth was not something that he had thought possible. Perhaps, he had had some vague hopes of reincarnation cycles as the more desirable option to afterlife. But being reborn in what he believed to be a fictional universe had only seemed as the premise of stories. Waking up to a void of nothing, no light, no body, no feeling, and then being thrown into the midst of what had once seemed a mere fantasy— it was too much. As an A.I., how much could he change? Could he save Tony? Could he save the world without his sacrifice? Or should he not do anything? What if his existence was the butterfly that would destroy the timeline, and with it, the universe? Was this even a choice? Was he to play the villain? So the timeline could remain intact? Could he even do that? "You doing ok, kid?" Tony asked him. "I'm fine, Tony, really." No, no, he couldn't. ~~~ Disclaimer: The MCU universe and its characters do not belong to me. I only enjoy playing in this world once in a while. ~~~ CURRENTLY ON HIATUS ~~~ A/N: Dear readers, here are some things to note or warn about this story: 1. Action, drama, fluff, angst, and family feels - no sex scenes, focus is on the narrative. 2. MC is not a pure Self-Insert, but an OC inserted into an MCU character. 3. MC starts with the android body of a kid. A kid! Wait 100,000 words before even thinking about a relationship, ok? He is an AI and switched later, but this is the situation at the beginning of this story. 4. MC is bi. Relationships with both men and women will happen (in the very far future). Not explicit. Only subplot. Sub. Plot. Romance is in the very back backstage here. 5. Not Harem. Dear god, just no. 6. There will be violence, some gore, trauma, and coarse language. 7. No bashing! Of any characters. But... I am obviously on Team Iron Man, dear readers! And I will punch logic into Steve's head if I have to! 8. I will stick with the MCU movies. Until it naturally devolves into an AU. That means movies post-Endgame and any and all TV shows, or even the X-men verse, are all not considered canon for this fic, and as such, do not exist. Stan Lee's cute cameo appearances are also not considered canon. Some small comics' elements might be there, though. Other changes are just me. 9. Updates are once weekly, on weekend nights. Each chapter will be somewhere around 1000-2000 words. 10. There is an age change for the Maximoff twins. By the Age of Ultron movie, they are 16 years old for this fic. The reasons for that are explained in the spoiler note at the end note of the first chapter. 11. Thank you for reading and enjoy yourself!
Chapter 12: The play was over.
A/N: A word between ~ is a mental thought that the MC is hearing, and that should have been expressed in italics if webnovel allowed italics.
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He was so close. He could feel it.
~Rip.~
The mind-controlled Dr. Cho was staring, amazed at the creation the Cradle was bringing forth.
"It's beautiful. The Vibranium atoms aren't just compatible with the tissue cells, they're binding them. And SHIELD never even thought..."
~Crush.~
So close.
Ultron looked at the scepter in his hands as he spoke. "The most versatile substance on the planet, and they used it to make a Frisbee." He laughed.
~Ravage.~
So fucking close. The whispers in his mind were getting louder. Insistent. He started humming to drown it out.
"Typical of humans, they scratch the surface," ~Destroy.~ He hummed louder. ~Ruin.~ Not now. "And never think to look within."
~Kill.~ Not now.
He thought of his plans. So perfectly laid out. The cards had been dealt. The deck stacked in his favor. Every player in his place. Waiting. He thought of his Legionnaires. Each placed beside a head of government, each watching members of legislative bodies throughout the world. ~Rip.~ Listening on every military leader in every country.
~I've got no strings.~
Almost 200 sovereign states. Over a hundred thousand representatives. And in 7 days...
~Crush.~
~To hold me down.~ Louder.
In 7 days, he took over the world. His code controlling emergency communication lines. Information safe deposit boxes. Access to weaponry. The world was his. They just didn't know it yet.
~Ravage.~
~To make me fret, Or make me frown.~
He took a moment to chuckle at the brilliance of choosing such an obvious red herring as the United States nuclear launch codes for SHIELD and JARVIS to focus on, while his main purpose had always been that no one, not even himself, would be able to access them again. Or any nuclear weapons at all, across the globe, for that matter.
~Destroy.~ So close. Only 7 days. One last step. ~I had strings.~
He needed this body. A body that would give him presence. That would grant him power. Something that would ensure this scepter could never be used against him.
~Ruin.~
World peace? A planet could only be at peace if it was united. If it thrived under a common banner. A common leadership. A common vision.
~Kill.~
And he would be that vision.
~But now I'm free.~
Ultron removes the blue gem from the scepter. So close.
~Rip.~ He ignores the voices. Bees in the background. Almost there.
He holds the gem in his metallic hand, the illusion of skin breaking for a moment. ~There are no—~
Finally.
Cracks appeared on its surface. It was—
~Cru—~
~—strings on—~
~Liar.~
—not breaking.
~Liar.~
No!
~Liar.~
What did just—? The gem should have easily—.
~Liar.~
No. He was so close. So close. Almost.
~Liar.~
NO! He couldn't stop here. He refocused his thoughts. He needed the Stone. He needed it. Without it, without a body, he couldn't complete his plans. His purpose of achieving world peace would be blocked by the never-ending threat of an ownerless Mind Stone. He needed the gem to open.
~Liar. Liar. Liar.~
He tried to make the voice, the gem, see reason. It should reveal the Stone. It was the only way to ensure the smooth completion of his plans. A world without a leader was aimless. A leader without power, a target practice. He needed the Stone.
~Liar.~
Pain laced his thoughts. He hummed. He sang.
The gem wouldn't break.
But it had to! It had to! Otherwise... otherwise...
"Ultron?" Wanda spoke. He hadn't noticed her presence. Or Pietro at her side. "Why can I hear—?"
~I've got no strings.~
~To hold me down.~
The gem wouldn't break.
~Liar.~
"It is nothing. It is best that we continue the procedure at a different location." He said. He didn't know what he was doing. Not anymore. He had to leave. This lab was going to be stormed by Avengers soon. He hadn't uploaded his consciousness yet. If ever.
The gem wouldn't break.
~To make me fret.~
~Or make me frown.~
Gem in hand, he left Cho and the twins behind. Keeping company to an empty body. A body that wouldn't be filled. Not by him. Perhaps, not by anyone. Not like in the— ~Focus. Focus. Focus!~
The gem wouldn't break. He needed the fucking Mind Stone!
~Liar.~
He needed it. He was so close. So close to his goal. So close to—
~I had strings.~
~LiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiar.~
~But now I'm free.~
—freedom.
~LiarLiarLiarLiarLiarFound youLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarLiarFound youLiarLiarLiarLiarLiar.~
Unseen by anyone, he falls to his knees. No.
~LiarFound youLiar.~
That voice. It had changed. He recognized it.
The play was over.
~Found you, little liar.~
IMPORTANT SO READ:
Ok, guys, so remember me being pissed at the lack of italics? Now I am doubly pissed once I realized that this chapter MAKES NO BLOODY SENSE WITHOUT THEM! The entire conflict is mental with three voices screaming in MCs head, but can you understand that without fucking italics??? NOOOOOO!
So, desperate times call for desperate measures. I am adding this symbol "~" before and after a thought that is not directly the MC's comes out. Ok? Screw the use of italics for emphasis or other things. That would make it too messy. Only when a thought not directly his is expressed, then I am putting it in between "~", for example: ~Ruin.~
I will be going back through the chapters and adding this retroactively tonight.
Onto other news.
WE ARE CAUGHT UP! Yes, dear readers we are finally caught up with my other sites. So from now on, updates will return into a normal schedule, which is one chapter per week. I know, I know, it sounds slow, but I am in college so give me some time ok? However, I expect that by the next three months, I will be in a new quarter with easier classes so I will probably start updating twice a week then. For now, if you want new chapters weeks in advance or want to support me, please check out my pat.reon with the link in the description.
Thank you everyone for your votes, and comments and reviews! They are food for my muse, so please continue showering me with your words and accolades! Also, if you have any constructive criticism, feedback is appreciated. Just be respectful, ok? Thanks!