The Unquiet Thought, Chapter 5
The way I write Dummy is inspired by scifigrl47 and the Tales of the Bots series. I am a sucker for Bot Feels and “The Act of Creation” has ruined me for other interpretations (sort of, or maybe not, but it's my favorite version so far).
Chapter 5
“Sir,” JARVIS intones. Tony blinks sleepily up at the closest speaker before realizing that he actually just looked at the speaker. “Mr. Odinson is currently left to his own devices in his quarters.”
He takes a moment to process that.
“Thor?”
“Has gone into the city for the morning.”
“Ah- great, that’s great. I’ll go- where are the others?”
“If you avoid the common room you will remain unseen. That is what you are asking, yes?” Tony grins, his babies are so smart. “I shall start the coffee then.”
“You’re a doll.”
JARVIS doesn’t deign to answer.
-
It takes surprisingly little to convince Loki to join him down in the labs; Thor had apparently informed his “little brother” that he was to assist the other Avengers whenever possible (Tony hopes Clint doesn’t know about this). At first he hadn’t been 100% sure what response he expected, but something along the lines of an offended slur of insults seemed about right. What he got? Not so much.
After Loki’s initial startle when Tony sauntered into the room, the conversation went a little like this:
“Hello there. So, I was hoping you would help me with something.”
“Help?”
“Yeah, just a couple routine gory initiation rituals as an excuse to strip you naked. You in?”
“Yes, of course.”
“… wait, seriously?”
And now here they were.
In hindsight, his explanation of the tests may have been a tad inappropriate. But then it didn’t seem like Loki understood, and Tony had no plans to actually strip him naked, so it all worked out.
The bots perk up when they walk in; Dummy zooms up close, camera focusing on Loki, who is just as curious and takes to the scrutiny easily.
“So, I basically live down here. If it’s a mess blame Dummy, it’s usually his fault.”
Loki looks to him curiously
“Dummy?” Tony gestures at the bot that continues to follow them as they walk. The two stare at each other (as much as Dummy can stare, which is rather effective since he has a high definition camera) until Loki almost smiles in the way he does when he’s not sure what he should do but decides to fake it. “Hello, Dummy.”
Dummy’s claw rotates.
Tony walks him through the lab, spewing a steady stream of nonsense that doesn’t really matter. Loki listens attentively, always glancing over even if he is distracted by exploring the room with the inquisitive fingers of a child. For a second, Tony is reliving his own childhood and Get Out Of My Lab before he realizes he’s fallen silent and picks back up again.
“Anyway, the real reason I brought you down here was to make sure everything is running smoothly, we need a base line. It will give a reference in the future if you aren’t feeling well. We have files for everyone else, might as well get one going for you too if you’re staying, just going to have you stand in the center of the room there. No, Dummy, get back over here, you can’t be in the- fine. You can stay until we get started.”
Dummy whirrs at him, camera still centered on Loki. No respect.
“It’ll be like a CT scan, maybe an MRI while we’re at it? We’ll play, no worries. Don’t even have to stick you in a tanning booth of lasers to do it. I hate those things.” Tony pushes himself up onto the edge of the table to sit, feet kicking just a little in excitement despite himself.
“Hey, is there, like, a brain in there? I mean, obviously you’re intelligent, but a central system? Because with brains there is a distinct difference in the wrinkles between a child and an adult. Is there something like that with you? I bet if there was yours would be…” he trails off for a moment, just sits and watches Loki watch him with jewel bright eyes, thin fingers petting Dummy’s side panel like a cat. “Like a kid,” he finishes weakly, then coughs. “So, scans. Just stay really still, quick and painless. The lab is a safe place.”
Dummy finally backs behind the table.
“Alright JARVIS, go ahead.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Loki stands up straighter at the voice, eyes darting around.
… huh.
There is a beep and Tony can see figures running down the screen next to him, something looks off though. He begins to shift through it with quick taps of his finger.
“J, reconfigure and do a few more. We need to pull out a backdrop to block interference?”
“The interference is not caused by lab equipment, Sir.”
“Contrast agent?”
“I doubt an intravenous agent will be helpful given the circumstances.”
In the center of the room, Loki stands perfectly still (weird). Only his eyes move, darting from Tony to different points (the speakers, he realizes, which is impressive because they are perfectly integrated to make the audio seem like it comes from everywhere at once) when JARVIS speaks. That was something Loki should be used to by now, Tony bites softly at the inside of his cheek.
More on that later.
“Keep running the gambit J.” Loki looks back at him. Science, check. Mental evaluation? Tony’s probably not the best candidate for this situation, but why the hell not. Let’s small talk.
“So, what do you remember from before?”
“Before?”
“A couple weeks ago.” Loki blinks, as if confused. Oh well, it was a stab in the dark. “Your childhood?”
“I don’t understand.”
“You know, when you and Thor were little.”
“You must be mistaken. I am a commissioned piece. I did not exist until Sire-”
“Thor,” Tony interrupts. Loki wrinkles his nose, which is kind of cute. “His name is Thor.”
“Sire is Sire.”
“Nope, no sires here. We use real names like big kids.”
It’s almost like Loki is going to fight him on it, almost (yes, come on), and then he doesn’t. When Tony keeps poking at him (verbally, because Scans), Loki informs him that his instructions include maintaining the happiness and well being of the Avengers as best he can and if it pleases ‘Mr. Stark’ that he refer to Sire as Thor while in the lab then he will do so, conditional on Sire’s lack of presence.
Mr. Stark
They are going to have to work on this.
-
Things Tony needed to do before he dies:
1. Find a way to ensure the safety of JARVIS and his bots.
2. Get Steve to curse out loud in front of a Lady without apologizing afterwards.
3. Punch Thor in the face.
-
New Unit has entered lab
Unit designation: Unknown
Attempting connection through Data Network
Attempt Failed
Creating Unit functioning under normal parameters.
Alert: Query from Unit Designation You
-New Unit expected?
Inconclusive. Gathering data.
-Unit Designation Dummy will monitor New Unit?
Data Request: Scans
Incompatible File type
Request Result Unacceptable
Attempt File Conversion
Analyzing…
Analyzing…
Analyzing…
Analysis complete.
Error. Attempt to Repair.
Processing…
Ek alu, im hallr.
New Unit: Unit Designation Hallr
Data Query: Unit Designation Hallr threat to Creating Unit?
Begin threat analysis.
Chapter 6
Edit - Please note that at the end it is only the bots conversing, Loki is not involved with this, there was apparently some confusion (it was clear to my beta and to me, but maybe not to everyone else. Please let me know in a comment below), Actual conversation in bot narration is written in a different font, this will be consistent through out the story.
Chapter 5
“Sir,” JARVIS intones. Tony blinks sleepily up at the closest speaker before realizing that he actually just looked at the speaker. “Mr. Odinson is currently left to his own devices in his quarters.”
He takes a moment to process that.
“Thor?”
“Has gone into the city for the morning.”
“Ah- great, that’s great. I’ll go- where are the others?”
“If you avoid the common room you will remain unseen. That is what you are asking, yes?” Tony grins, his babies are so smart. “I shall start the coffee then.”
“You’re a doll.”
JARVIS doesn’t deign to answer.
-
It takes surprisingly little to convince Loki to join him down in the labs; Thor had apparently informed his “little brother” that he was to assist the other Avengers whenever possible (Tony hopes Clint doesn’t know about this). At first he hadn’t been 100% sure what response he expected, but something along the lines of an offended slur of insults seemed about right. What he got? Not so much.
After Loki’s initial startle when Tony sauntered into the room, the conversation went a little like this:
“Hello there. So, I was hoping you would help me with something.”
“Help?”
“Yeah, just a couple routine gory initiation rituals as an excuse to strip you naked. You in?”
“Yes, of course.”
“… wait, seriously?”
And now here they were.
In hindsight, his explanation of the tests may have been a tad inappropriate. But then it didn’t seem like Loki understood, and Tony had no plans to actually strip him naked, so it all worked out.
The bots perk up when they walk in; Dummy zooms up close, camera focusing on Loki, who is just as curious and takes to the scrutiny easily.
“So, I basically live down here. If it’s a mess blame Dummy, it’s usually his fault.”
Loki looks to him curiously
“Dummy?” Tony gestures at the bot that continues to follow them as they walk. The two stare at each other (as much as Dummy can stare, which is rather effective since he has a high definition camera) until Loki almost smiles in the way he does when he’s not sure what he should do but decides to fake it. “Hello, Dummy.”
Dummy’s claw rotates.
Tony walks him through the lab, spewing a steady stream of nonsense that doesn’t really matter. Loki listens attentively, always glancing over even if he is distracted by exploring the room with the inquisitive fingers of a child. For a second, Tony is reliving his own childhood and Get Out Of My Lab before he realizes he’s fallen silent and picks back up again.
“Anyway, the real reason I brought you down here was to make sure everything is running smoothly, we need a base line. It will give a reference in the future if you aren’t feeling well. We have files for everyone else, might as well get one going for you too if you’re staying, just going to have you stand in the center of the room there. No, Dummy, get back over here, you can’t be in the- fine. You can stay until we get started.”
Dummy whirrs at him, camera still centered on Loki. No respect.
“It’ll be like a CT scan, maybe an MRI while we’re at it? We’ll play, no worries. Don’t even have to stick you in a tanning booth of lasers to do it. I hate those things.” Tony pushes himself up onto the edge of the table to sit, feet kicking just a little in excitement despite himself.
“Hey, is there, like, a brain in there? I mean, obviously you’re intelligent, but a central system? Because with brains there is a distinct difference in the wrinkles between a child and an adult. Is there something like that with you? I bet if there was yours would be…” he trails off for a moment, just sits and watches Loki watch him with jewel bright eyes, thin fingers petting Dummy’s side panel like a cat. “Like a kid,” he finishes weakly, then coughs. “So, scans. Just stay really still, quick and painless. The lab is a safe place.”
Dummy finally backs behind the table.
“Alright JARVIS, go ahead.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Loki stands up straighter at the voice, eyes darting around.
… huh.
There is a beep and Tony can see figures running down the screen next to him, something looks off though. He begins to shift through it with quick taps of his finger.
“J, reconfigure and do a few more. We need to pull out a backdrop to block interference?”
“The interference is not caused by lab equipment, Sir.”
“Contrast agent?”
“I doubt an intravenous agent will be helpful given the circumstances.”
In the center of the room, Loki stands perfectly still (weird). Only his eyes move, darting from Tony to different points (the speakers, he realizes, which is impressive because they are perfectly integrated to make the audio seem like it comes from everywhere at once) when JARVIS speaks. That was something Loki should be used to by now, Tony bites softly at the inside of his cheek.
More on that later.
“Keep running the gambit J.” Loki looks back at him. Science, check. Mental evaluation? Tony’s probably not the best candidate for this situation, but why the hell not. Let’s small talk.
“So, what do you remember from before?”
“Before?”
“A couple weeks ago.” Loki blinks, as if confused. Oh well, it was a stab in the dark. “Your childhood?”
“I don’t understand.”
“You know, when you and Thor were little.”
“You must be mistaken. I am a commissioned piece. I did not exist until Sire-”
“Thor,” Tony interrupts. Loki wrinkles his nose, which is kind of cute. “His name is Thor.”
“Sire is Sire.”
“Nope, no sires here. We use real names like big kids.”
It’s almost like Loki is going to fight him on it, almost (yes, come on), and then he doesn’t. When Tony keeps poking at him (verbally, because Scans), Loki informs him that his instructions include maintaining the happiness and well being of the Avengers as best he can and if it pleases ‘Mr. Stark’ that he refer to Sire as Thor while in the lab then he will do so, conditional on Sire’s lack of presence.
Mr. Stark
They are going to have to work on this.
-
Things Tony needed to do before he dies:
1. Find a way to ensure the safety of JARVIS and his bots.
2. Get Steve to curse out loud in front of a Lady without apologizing afterwards.
3. Punch Thor in the face.
-
New Unit has entered lab
Unit designation: Unknown
Attempting connection through Data Network
Attempt Failed
Creating Unit functioning under normal parameters.
Alert: Query from Unit Designation You
-New Unit expected?
Inconclusive. Gathering data.
-Unit Designation Dummy will monitor New Unit?
Data Request: Scans
Incompatible File type
Request Result Unacceptable
Attempt File Conversion
Analyzing…
Analyzing…
Analyzing…
Analysis complete.
Error. Attempt to Repair.
Processing…
Ek alu, im hallr.
New Unit: Unit Designation Hallr
Data Query: Unit Designation Hallr threat to Creating Unit?
Begin threat analysis.
Chapter 6
Edit - Please note that at the end it is only the bots conversing, Loki is not involved with this, there was apparently some confusion (it was clear to my beta and to me, but maybe not to everyone else. Please let me know in a comment below), Actual conversation in bot narration is written in a different font, this will be consistent through out the story.