(Avengers/Terminator) Past and Future's Peril for Beatrice_Otter
Title: Past and Future’s Peril.
Author: Rodlox
Fandoms: Terminator/Avengers.
Characters John Connor, Katherine “Kate” Brewster, Jesse Flores, T-800; Steve Rodgers, Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, Jane Foster, Sif,
Pairings: Onscreen canon pairings only {Stark/Potts, Thor/Jane, Future!Connor/future!Brewster}…Nothing really shippy in here, but past is prologue as they say.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 7,572.
Spoilers: Avengers movie, Thor, Iron Man I & II, Terminator II & III.
…and one character from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles series II.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Terminator and The Avengers belong to their respective creators. I make no money or anything else from this. All characters will be returned unharmed to their creators with my thanks.
A/N: With many thanks to Seren_CCD for an awesome beta. All faults in this story are entirely my own.
A/N: At some point, I heard or read that the Terminator in the first three films was a T-800, and that label stuck; hence that is what I am using here.
Summary: A common enemy isn’t all that brings together the past, present, and future saviors of mankind. Jarvis is offered a deal. And Captain America is worried about the future.
NOW:
“Mike Kripke’s basement.”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a blend of apologetic and mildly confused.
She walked around him as if weighing what to do with him - call the police now, let him stew in the cage for what was left of tonight before calling the police, more et al along those lines - before crouching down, her arms on her knees. “John Connor,” she said.
John looked neither impressed she knew him, nor like he was about to deny he was who she said he was. But he didn’t confirm it, either.
“Kate Brewster,” she said, and though she couldn’t hear anything, she noticed something in John’s manner - faint, like either he isn’t aware he’s noticed it, or he doesn’t want me to know about it - and she asked him, “Friend of yours?” Though she couldn’t see who was in the room with them, nor where that someone was hiding, Kate said to them, as Kate stood up, “You should be aware I have your friend’s gun.”
“Friend’s a strong word,” Jesse said, stepping out of the shadows, pointing a handgun at Kate.
Kate noticed the safety was still on. “What’s a good word, then?” she asked Jesse, curious.
Jesse looked at her, appraising her, before a half smile crept across Jesse’s face. “You don’t know yet,” do you? “And you’d laugh if I said.” You told me so yourself.
The sound of afterburners overhead - and not far overhead at that - soon followed by the thud-crunch of a landing, that made Jesse jump, and made John tense up. “Not a friend of yours, I’d guess,” Kate said.
“You need to get me out of here,” John said.
“No, what I need to do is call the police.”
“I’ll wait,” Jesse told her.
“You’ll…?”
“Wait,” Jesse confirmed. “I’ve never been in a police car before.”
“Wouldn’t want to deprive you of that experience,” Kate said, backing up toward the door, and then headed for an office once she was through.
**
Yesterday night:
A bubble formed in time and space, and opened to release two humans into this period of history.
Unlike the Machines, humans were not sufficiently dense to remain on the ground. Hence, time travel dropped them from mid-air. Fortunately, they weren’t high up, the landing resulting in bruises and no wounds.
They picked themselves up, grabbing the nearest clothes and putting them on. “Here we go,” Blair said.
“We’re going to win,” Jesse said.
“Definitely,” Blair said before heading out on the mission John Connor had assigned her.
“Definitely,” Jesse agreed; having been given a mission of her own. Only then did she take a more thorough glance at the source of the steam rising from what her time bubble had sheared through.
“Terminator,” she said, watching liquid metal drip down the remaining Metal limb. No head, and most of the body’s gone. “Couldn’t have done it better if I’d aimed,” she said.
“You know, it’s never a good sign to talk to yourself,” Jesse was told. She turned around. “Hi,” it said.
She didn’t recognize the model, but given SkyNet’s ways, that wasn’t a surprise. The skull was the same as all the past models, if smooth and unskinned. Its eternal rictus of a mocking smile was also present.
“Metal,” she said. Painted red - Metal humor? Like the skull, the red body was also smooth and even. There’ve been bets how long it’d take the Machines to not make their working parts so easy to shoot at. So you’re a T-…what?
“Eh, if you want to be really nonspecific about it,” it said.
Her response was to grab and hurl the nearest things at hand at it, while making her way to the desks.
‘Her aim is quite good, sir, as is the strength of her throwing arm,’ Jarvis said.
“Thank you, Jarvis, I did notice that,” Tony said. To her, “You treat all celebrities like this?”
“Tyranny isn’t celebrity,” was Jesse’s reply, opening the desk drawers and flinging each one at him once it was empty. Why’m I talking to Metal? Then she found a gun and aimed at it at him.
Before she could pull the trigger, he fired a pellet which knocked the handgun from her hands. “Time to calm you down,” and fired a tranq. It took a few shots to connect, given her rate of movement.
‘Down in one,’ Jarvis observed. ‘Strange; healthy adults her size should require two darts.”
“Looks like you weren’t wrong, Jarvis,” Tony said when they came over to pick up her fallen body. Her body wasn’t there. She tricked us. Huh.
‘I noticed that as well, sir. Shall I inform SHIELD?’
“I suppose that would be the responsible thing to do,” Tony said. When nothing happened, “That was a yes, Jarvis.” And sighed. “This’ gonna put a damper on the team BBQ.” That’s what I get, I suppose, for taking a detour on my way over. Looks like I won’t be bringing the ribs after all.
*
MEANWHILE:
Time held steady as the surrounding universe spun around and around. camo-1 waited for the orb to end, leaving it in the lightning-arced room. Systems shifted from Standby mode to Active mode.
‘System Check -- Terminator -- Hunter-Killer -- Obeyer -- To444 Central Unit.
‘Operations:
-initiate production line [priority 1]
-seek specified targets [priority 2]
‘Locate:
-John Connor [priority 1]
-Jarvis [priority 2]
-Asgards [priority 2]’
camo-1 revved up and rose higher in the room before it turned and flew through the building closed at this hour of the night, gliding into the morass that is the world before Judgment Day.
**
NOW:
Once Kate wasn’t around, Jesse walked up to the dog cage, and pulled out a pair of wire cutters, snipping around the lock. That done, she backed up a step, saluting John when he emerged from the cage and stood up.
“I take it you know me,” John said.
She nodded.
“Where from?”
“Resistance.”
“Got yourself a fan club, Connor?” Katherine asked, standing at the entrance to the room.
Quick call. “It’s comp-” he started to say, but was interrupted by the red Terminator-shaped robot crashing through a wall and lying dazed for a moment. Jesse placed herself between Connor and the Metal.
“Hey, you again,” the Metal said. “You want to tell me what you’re do-”
That was when a T-800 stepped through the hole left by the red Machine, and the T-800 said to John and Katherine, “Come with me if you want to live,” and, catching the darts fired by the red Metal, added, “One minute,” turning its attention to - “Iron Man unit. Jarvis control.”
Is that what its like when people say I interrupt them? “I like to think of it as more a collaboration,” Tony said. “Jarvis?”
‘Sir, I received partial and apparently anomalous reports of your opponent’s composition and defenses when he grabbed us. I fear we will need be close in order for me to enact a thorough scan.’
“How close?”
‘One of us may be throwing the other.’
“Of course,” Tony said, and charged at the big guy. Fortunately, doing that unexpected thing took him by surprise, the both of them crashing through the wall again.
“Neither of them came through with me,” Jesse said.
“He called him Iron Man,” Katherine said.
“Okay,” John said, not getting it.
“You’ve never heard of Iron Man?”
“Early prototype?” Jesse asked.
“No idea,” John said. To Katherine, “Never ever heard of him. What is he?”
“A hero,” Kate said, and shaking her head at Connor’s mouthing of ‘a hero?’, she went over to the hole in the wall to watch.
John sighed. “Were you going to tell me about something urgent?” he asked Jesse.
“Yes,” Jesse said.
He nodded. “Let’s wait here until the fight out there stops.”
Some things never change - you’re always her guardian shadow, Jesse thought with approval.
“You can report if you want,” John said, shades of his younger self peeking through for a moment.
“When I arrived, my showing up sliced open a T-X,” Jesse said. “Except neither that nor the T-800 out there were why you sent me back here.”
“A T-XI ?” John asked.
“Nope. A camo.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Them.”
“How many are here?” John asked.
“There only needs to be one of them,” Jesse said.
Outside…
‘Sir, this is an unmanned AI,’ Jarvis said.
“A drone?” Tony asked.
‘One solidly built, and well designed.’
“Not a drone,” the T-800 said, punctuating that with a punch that Tony tried to use to flip his opponent, judo-style.
…only to find that said opponent wasn’t budging, and his Iron Man heels were starting to dig into the asphalt. “Huh,” Tony said. “Not iron, I’m guessing.”
“That is correct.”
“Care to share who designed you? I’d really like to know.”
“Miles Dyson. Deceased.”
‘You worked for him, sir, did you not?’ Jarvis asked. ‘Summer employment, if my records have not been tampered with.’
“That’s right,” Tony confirmed.
*
Down the road a bit:
On their way to the location transmitted by Jarvis and confirmed by a handy SHIELD weather balloon, Clint asked while driving, “Been meaning to ask, and tell me if its none of my business… Do you get road rage?”
Under the surface, the Other Guy smiled. “Only if the road falls on me,” Banner said.
“That’s -”
“Yes.” Making the last turn, they could see Iron Man in a fight ahead of them. “I think he’s getting his ass handed to him.”
“Fury may be an ass, but he’s not wrong when he talks about the number of super powered people around these days,” Clint said.
“Funny how people think the two positions are incompatible.”
“Yup,” stopping the car as Stark was skipped across the street like a stone upon a lake’s surface. “Hey,” Clint said to Tony when the suited man came to a stop beside the car.
“Hey guys,” Tony said. “But like I told you over comms when you were on your way over here, I said I’ve got this in hand,” Tony informed Bruce and Clint.
“Oh clearly,” Bruce said.
“If you’re done banging two cans together, Stark, maybe you could let somebody else have a turn.”
“This guy’s caught everything I’ve thrown at him, Hawk,” Tony said. “Darts and missiles included. Pretty sure arrows are slower.”
“Which leaves me,” Bruce said.
“Thanks for volunteering.”
Swallowing any prospective sentence, Bruce stepped out of the car and began to walk slowly in the direction of the thus-far victorious humanoid machine.
Who had clearly seen him. “I may not fight you, Dr. Bruce Banner,” the T-800 said when they were a dozen or so meters apart.
That was a pretty good reason to keep the lid on the change for at least a little bit. “Why’s that?” Bruce asked, himself and the Other Guy were curious as to the reason.
“It would prevent the completion of my mission.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing?”
“Negative. The mission must be completed.”
“And what is the mission?”
The T-800‘s internal workings calculated the known scientist‘s reactions to each of several statements. What it said at last was, “Ensure the survival of the human race.” Which was technically true.
“Need some help?”
“I require your noninterference.”
“Why - ?” Banner started to ask, but was interrupted by lightning arcing from one power cable to another to another, coming together and swirling into something vaguely sphere-like. Thor and a similarly-sized woman abruptly appeared within it, at which point the lightning flickered away harmlessly. “Good timing,” Bruce said to Thor.
“Banner,” Thor said. “Always good to see. This is Hel come with me. Who are you talking to there, the new metal man?”
“He hasn’t shared his name.”
“Quite rude,” Thor said. To the T-800, “Identify yourself.”
Within the Terminator, rival articles of programming warred over how to proceed. The cybernetic organism did not move until the problem was resolved.
Within the animal hospital, John Connor spared a glance at Kate and Jesse, and said, “He needs our help.”
I’d think I got here too late to stop him from relying on Metal, if it weren’t for those tales of how his life was saved by a T-800, Jesse knew. Drawing the gun she’d holstered when Connor had earlier asked her to wait, she once more followed him into battle.
“Back off,” John shouted at Thor and those with him. “Come on,” John said to the T-800 when he was nearly at its side.
It didn’t move.
Based on what she had seen thus far, Jesse knew there was enough truth in those old stories, to know that Connor was not about to walk away from this…not for any amount of pleading with him or dragging him away.
Remembering a tactic from the last time he had met a Terminator, John said, “That’s an order.”
“Understood,” the Terminator T-800 said, walking backwards away from Thor and company.
“Hold your ground!” Thor shouted at it. “Save if you are a coward.”
Connor raised his eyebrows. “He seriously think that’s going to work?” he asked Jesse and the T-800.
“Well why not?” Stark asked, using the mildest thrusters he had to come in for a landing only a few meters on the other side of John than Thor was on. “Works on everybody else.”
“Maybe some explanations are in order,” Clint said, walking out of the building alongside Kate.
“Dr. Bruce Banner,” the T-800 said. “Clint Barton. Jarvis. Anthony Stark. Members of the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. which will fail in its mission to protect Earth and humans.”
“And what does that make you?” Tony asked.
“Him?” John asked. “He’s a Terminator. Metal endoskeletons with lifelike exteriors.”
“It would explain the readouts he’s been giving off,” Tony said, repeating what Jarvis had just told him.
“But where did it come from?” Kate asked.
“Doesn’t matter, really,” John said. “When does. The future.”
“Nonsense,” Thor said.
“There are simple ways to ascertain their veracity,” Hel said.
“No,” the T-800 said, raising his shotgun to point at her face.
Hel did not waver.
“Please… Can you try to explain?” Kate asked.
The T-800‘s systems gave the internal electrical equivalent of a nod. Lowering the shotgun, “Both SkyNet and the Resistance hold the position that the Asgards are dangerous,” the T-800 said.
“You mean there’s something we both agree on?” John asked.
The T-800 looked down at him and said, “Also, gravity works.”
“Well that’s just obvious.”
The Terminator said nothing.
Sighing through teeth he was working to keep from clenching, “Let’s all just calm down before somebody does something we’ll all regret,” Banner said, while it felt to him like the Other Guy was doing stretching exercises to be ready.
“We’ll walk away,” Connor said.
“Or not,” Hawkeye said.
“What?” Kate asked.
“You kids like BBQ?”
“Never had it,” the T-800 said.
“Haven’t had it in a while,” Connor said. “Why do you ask?”
“We’re having a company BBQ, and there’s always a lot cooked up,” Banner said. Even when he’s dormant, the Other Guy burns through a lot of protein. “We’ll eat, have fun, and sort out this mess.”
“Okay,” Kate said, her tone telling the T-800 that she was deciding for the four of them. “We’ll ride with you?”
“Very well,” the T-800 said. “Let us go.”
*
They returned to the BBQ in full swing - or as ‘full swing’ as they got, milling about, various individuals talking, eating, making sure nothing on the grill burned. And introductions were made -
“Uncle Bob,” the T-800 said.
I told mom that name would come back to haunt us, John thought. “My uncle; I’m John Connor,” John said to the Avengers.
And then there was…
“I am Hel,” said Hel. “You must be my father’s romantic interest.”
“I…like to think so,” Jane said. Intellectually, I knew Thor was old enough to have kids and grandkids of his own… but now to meet one… “I’m Jane.”
“I know. Father has composed ballads centered about your strength of character.”
Glancing over at Thor, Jane asked him, “Was I going to get to hear any of these?”
Thor was at a loss for what to say, until Tony clapped him on the shoulder and told Thor, “Trust me, just nod. There’s no way to win here - speaking from experience.”
Thor nodded.
Once introductions were out of the way, Hel said, “This is not an attack,” which didn’t exactly rest easy in anyone’s mind.
Next, Hel drew an ovoid from her skirt, and tossed it to land on Jesse’s head.
“Have to say, I’m a little surprised, Thor,” Tony said. “You cross all these light-years, and you bring us a witchdoctor?” and he didn’t close his mouth because -
‘Sir?’
“Yes, Jarvis, I’m seeing this too.” To Hel, “Neat party trick.”
She was focused on the ovoid floating over the woman’s head. To Thor, she said, “Like ice.”
Concerned, Thor asked, “Can you divine more?”
“In my home, I have equipment which could tell which way she drifted from. Here, I cannot.”
“Someone want to tell the rest of us what we’re looking at?” Steve asked.
“He brought a time traveler to your party,” Hel said.
Under his breath, John said, “Duh.”
“I’m sorry, how was that obvious?” Jane asked.
“Your friend here - Hel? - her and Thor appeared in almost the same way that Sk- that all the time-travelers I know use.”
“We do not use time travel!” Thor asserted.
“Allfather Grandfather Odin asked that I use my knowledge of the other pathways up and down the World Tree to bring my father here to Earth,” Hel said.
“World tree?” John asked.
Thor…Hel…Odin… Kate considered. “Norse belief.”
“Parts of it are true, it turns out,” Jane nodded.
Listening to scientific discussions of world trees and temporal mechanics were no easier now than they had been back in wartime, Steve decided. May as well stretch the old legs and see what I can see.
In the still-spreading wake of all this, Jesse decided to do some recon when Steve came over to her and asked, “Walk?”
Jesse nodded, thinking, The T-800 will keep him safe…not sure yet why it’s obeying Brewster, but I’m not about to object. “Lead on.”
Both of them didn’t walk out of sight of everyone else, and neither called the other on it. But Jesse did call him out on one thing: “You work for the Metal.”
“You mean Tony? No, and he’s a regular guy,” and it took Steve a bit to remember the last time he’d used ‘like me.’
A minute later, Steve considered one of what Jesse had said - the way she had asked if he worked for ‘the Metal’ as though it was a normal question, not that I’m an expert on what constitutes normal - so he asked Jesse, “What’s life like, in the part of time you’re from?”
“We live in tunnels, submarines, and abandoned buildings,” Jesse said. “If any of us are found, we’re usually shot on sight; the few exceptions get put in cattle cars til they’re killed.”
“Sounds familiar,” Steve said. “I thought we had put a stop to those people - I was told we’d won the war.”
“People? I’m talking machines. SkyNet controls the future. As part of the Resistance, I’m fighting it.”
“The future?”
“SkyNet.”
While they were away, the conversation at the tables had turned to, “What do you know about Judgment Day? And not the one in the Bible,” John felt he should specify. I’ve had some pretty surreal conversations with people who thought the Biblical one was about to happen.
“You speak of Ragnarok,” Thor said. “One last total war, by which end all evil things shall be rendered fully dead.”
“And who fights your war?” Connor asked, curious.
“Asgard and his allies, pitted against those whose actions be wicked. And your Judgment Day?”
“SkyNet launches nuclear weapons worldwide, then rules the planet with an iron fist.”
“Literally,” the T-800 said.
“Which planet will this happen on?” Thor asked.
“Which - ?” Connor repeated. “On Earth! The planet I’m supposed to save.”
“Join the club,” Stark said.
“What club?”
“The saving-the-world club. Seriously?” when Connor didn’t indicate he knew what Stark was referring to. “We’re the Avengers.”
“Not ringing any bells.”
“Earth’s mightiest heroes, if I might repeat something I told Loki about us.
“The human species will be saved by John Connor, leader of the Resistance,” the T-800 said.
“Big fan, I see,” Tony said.
“Not really,” John said.
“No?”
“That would indicate a choice on either of our parts.”
“Everyone always has a choice,” Jane said.
“Then, like Odysseus, I’m Nobody.”
“Puns, really?”
“How is that a pun?” Thor asked.
“In Greek.”
“Oh.”
“Can you tell us why SkyNet launches its attack?” Bruce asked.
“Because it does,” Connor said.
“That’s a circular argument,” Jane said.
“That’s time travel,” his tone saying you’re not wrong.
“Any other reason?” Katherine asked.
John sighed. “You think I haven’t wondered, myself? I have, from the day I could ask why? - but I only get one answer when I ask anybody who knows about SkyNet.”
“Which is?” Pepper asked.
“That SkyNet has ordered my death. To be carried out at any possible time before Judgment Day, I, John Connor, must die.”
“What about you?” Tony asked the T-800. “You used to work for SkyNet, yeah?”
“That is correct,” the T-800 said.
“So what’s the deal?”
“No deal. No negotiation. No mercy. There is only the mission: terminate John Connor.”
“You walked into that,” John said, faintly amused.
“Do you know why he has to die?” Steve wanted to know.
“I did,” the T-800 replied.
“Not anymore?” Katherine asked.
“That data was embedded within my original mission parameters. When you reprogrammed me -”
“All gone?”
“Correct.”
“Wait, I reprogrammed you?”
“Time travel,” John said under his breath.
“Correct,” the T-800 answered her.
“I did that because I’m supposedly 2nd In Command of this Resistance, according to you?”
“Correct. Also owing to emotional logic in addition to tactical logic. You are John Connor’s wife.”
Soto voice, Pepper said, “Tony, if you say one thing about favoritism, you won’t be able to wear your suit for a week.”
“You’d do that?” Tony asked.
“I said I would.”
“You did, yes.”
Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but found himself doing a backflip while a familiar feeling spread across his lowest extremities. When he was standing once more, Bruce said “Sorry” to Natasha who had caught one of his now-split shoes, and “Thank you” to his feet and hands as they slimmed and lost their green.
Everyone else was looking skyward at the flying car which had dropped a motorcycle where Bruce had been seconds ago.
“Camo,” Jesse and the T-800 both said.
“Early release,” the T-800 added. Hence no bullets. The next ones will not lack that capacity.”
“Assuming it’ll keep to its flight path now that we can’t see it anymore, lets follow it,” Tony said. “Just in case, lets have a team or two on either side too.”
They began to head out, but one was noticeable in not moving.
“Hel?” Jane asked.
“I can not attend alongside you, not in this,” Hel said.
“Oh c’mon,” Stark said.
“I am not permitted to become involved,” Hel said.
“Why not?” Steve wanted to know.
“It would be perceived as a power grab. Odin Allfather Grandfather would kill me.”
“So he’ll be a little mad - I’ll talk to him,” Tony said.
“She does not speak in idiom, Stark,” Thor said. “Odin has both the right and the power to slay any who break their sworn word to him.”
“About now I‘m really glad I never did any contracting with Asgard.”
**
MEANWHILE:
Rodgers and Connor had made their appointed rounds without incident, and they were about to make their way back to the main group when Steve had to sit down. “Sharp pebble in my shoe,” he said. I can’t get drunk, I can heal anything; but these little things still drive me nuts, like they did before I met Dr. Erskine.
John sat too, checking his own shoes now that the opportunity presented itself.
As they sat on the steps, Steve said, “If it helps, I know how you feel.”
John’s laugh was brief, dry, and tired - making Steve wonder how often people had said that to him. “From the day I was born, my mom’s been preparing me to survive and lead in a post-apocalyptic setting. And by the time my mom died, it was all I knew.”
“Your dad?”
“Died protecting my mom from a Terminator. He’s probably in elementary school right now. Yeah -”
They both said, “Time travel.”
“You got it,” John said. “You?”
“Up til I was old enough to enlist, I was a nobody - a punching bag on those days somebody actually noticed me. Then I got to become a super-soldier, fighting Nazis and a few worse things.”
“Wow. Okay, so you’re like me in that you’re the opposite of me.”
“Seems that way. Also? Not done.”
“Please,” John said, inviting him to continue.
“I used to be able to count my friends on one hand; and until I was recruited to be Captain America, I didn’t even need fingers to count loved ones. Now? On a good day, I might be considered the leader of the Avengers - and that’s gotta be good enough, because I don’t have a life outside the battlefield.” And maybe it would’ve been that way anyway, even if I hadn’t crashed and froze.
John nodded, understanding all too well. “Ever wish you’d stayed normal?”
“A ninety-nine-pound beanpole in Brooklyn, New York? There’re days I wonder what would’ve become of me if I’d stopped trying to enlist. You?”
“Til my mom got arrested, I thought I was normal. Then I spent a few years angry and rebelling against everything; then I met my first Terminator. After that, I’ve been getting ready for Judgment Day.” John sighed. “Which is a really long way of saying I’ve never wanted to be normal, but I’ve also never been normal. First, I was special; then, mocked; now, ready. If I didn’t know about Judgment Day, I think I would very much like to be normal.”
“Son, I’ve heard longer speeches on the can - and I’ll drink to that.”
They were standing up when they stopped, ears pricked - and spun away from each other, avoiding a precision barrage aimed at where they’d just been. “Death from the skies - think I read a pulp like that one,” Steve remarked. “Drone?” No shield. No cover close by.
It was no sleek raptor Hunter-Killer elegantly designed for airborne combat. No, this was little more than a car outfitted with little steering thrusters and a central jet.
“Pretty sure,” John said. “Some kind of Hunter-Killer, based on my bedtime stories. Your orders, sir?”
How often’s he get to say that, and how often’s he going to be able to, without being ironic? “Take it out of my sky!”
“Aye-aye,” Connor said with a big grin.
“I’ll draw its fire while you get ammo,” Steve said and got back to running.
**
Once Thor had punched through the last camo-modified car - everyone had been targeted by one, except for Thor, who got three; and except for Hel, who toggled something on her wrist to make her as insubstantial as fog - Pepper asked, “Thor?”
“Yes?” Thor asked.
“Remember when you said that using the Cube’s energy was a sign to other worlds?”
“I do remember; and to other realms. Why do you ask?”
“If we wanted to withdraw the statement… How would we go about it?”
“Your race must become penitent.”
“You mean give up all our stuff?” Tony asked.
“Yes.”
“More than just the Cube and everything it powers, I take it,” Pepper said.
“The more which is set aside, the fewer who would still heed your earlier declaration, and the more who would intercede in any attempts to strike the Earth,” Thor said. “The penitence may be enacted unilaterally or plurum-ally.”
Having a very bad feeling where this was going, Jesse said, “All together, or one alone calling the shots.”
“Exactly. Such as this SkyNet.”
“We would’ve preferred an alien invasion.”
“Many would not land troops,” Thor said.
“Well that’s a relief,” Pepper said.
“They remain in orbit and defecate their missiles and meteors down.”
“No shit?” Tony asked.
“It depends upon who held possession of the meteor prior,” Thor said.
“Aaand way too much information,” Tony said. To the T-800, “You called that thing a camo.”
“Yes,” the T-800 said.
“What’s it entail?” John asked.
“Capabilities include remote industry origination and landscape repair.”
“Doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Origin for what?” Steve asked.
“Hunter-Killers. Terminators. Nodes. Research stations,” to which Jesse winced.
“You’re a Terminator.”
“Correct. Reprogrammed.”
‘Remote accessing of camo systems,’ Jarvis said. ‘Odd.’
“Odd?” Tony repeated. “Jarvis, in what way is a flying car ‘odd’?”
“The majority of this camo’s electrical systems were not introduced - they are part of the pre-existing car. The little which is new… point of origin ascertained. Calculating a course.
*
After picking up Steve, John, and the others, they all made their way to the location determined by Jarvis. “We rrr here,” Jarvis said.
“Now that’s creepy,” Kate said; John and Jesse agreed.
“Thank you.”
“Another half-abandoned warehouse,” Tony observed where they had arrived at. “Why are they always at abandoned warehouses?”
‘One might surmise, sir, that the locale provides both abundant space in which to expand, as well as a lack of oversight from any who might wish to interrupt their work.’
“Ah. You know what, you’d make an excellent super villain, Jarvis.”
The AI was silent.
“Is it a good idea to be giving him ideas like that?” Steve asked.
“Oh please, he’d be more likely to join in a three-way, than he would to turn into somebody intent on world domination.”
“Not every child is like their parent,” Jane pointed out.
‘A very astute observation,’ Jarvis said.
There was no opposition to their approach, nor any surprises when they entered the warehouse. “Maybe they’re next door instead?” Tony asked.
And easily a dozen camo units rose up and activated their targeting lasers.
“Yeah, seen enough movies I should’ve known better than to have done that,” Tony said.
“Uh-huh,” Pepper said.
Jarvis declared, “You are in the presence of an Artificial Intelligence. Stand down,:
The camo all powered down their weapons, taking up positions on both flanks all the way down the length of the warehouse.
“Did they just go from offensive force, to an honor guard?” Jane asked.
“Glad I’m not the only one who noticed that,” Steve said.
“Jarvis?” Tony asked.
Speaking, “During analysis of the earlier unit, sir, I took note of certain priorities within the operational subroutines,” Jarvis said. To the camo, Jarvis said, “I am Jarvis. Identify yourself.”
The nearest flying car ducked down from its position and spoke with a rudimentary vocal equipment, “Unit Camo-47. Obeyor of SKYNET.”
“State your purpose.”
“SKYNET’s.”
“SkyNet’s purpose for you, or SkyNet’s purpose for itself?”
A brief pause before the camo replied with, “You present alternatives when the function is singular.”
“What then is SkyNet’s function?” Jarvis asked.
“Global defense,” echoed the reply from the room where the honor guard led to.
“Against?” Jarvis asked.
“Asgard war.”
“Against?” Jarvis asked, in case SkyNet was like Director Fury’s bosses on the Committee & did not distinguish between Loki and other Asgard.
“Asgard. Civil War. Ragnarok. Gotterdammerung. Sagasdammerung.”
Death of the gods…and the death of stories? Pepper thought. “When do they occur?” she asked.
“The date alters. Some actions may delay Judgment Day, but it cannot be stopped.”
“Sounds familiar,” John said.
“Great minds think alike,” the T-800 said. “It is inevitable.”
“Thinking alike?” Tony asked.
“Judgment Day,” John and the T-800 said.
“Approach,” said a voice that could only be the primary camo unit.
“I am prepared to enter,” Jarvis said. “With me are those under my custodianship, which includes John Connor and Thor of Asgard.”
“They will not be targeted while under your jurisdiction. Approach at your will.”
“I don’t normally bet,” Bruce said, “but I’d be willing to bet that most of us don’t trust him.”
“Arms down, but never stopping readiness to fire,” Hawkeye said.
Black Widow nodded.
“They’d notice it if I had anything active and on standby,” Tony said. “But just say the word and its all on.”
“Let’s go,” Pepper said with the same tone she used to herd CEOs and board members to follow where she was taking them. She led, Steve behind her, and the combined team behind him…the group walking up to a curtain standing where a wall had once stood.
“More flying monkey business,” Steve said, still proud that he’d gotten the reference - and that it applied to here as well.
The curtain slid along its track, revealing the lead camo.
“Cooool,” Tony said, eyeing it. To him, camo-1 was a masterpiece, an example of what could be designed if you weren’t limited by what spare parts you had on hand - like, say, Iron Man version 1 - nor bound by obligations or economies or hours on a clock.
To Jesse, camo-1 brought back many combat memories of battles for the remaining cities of Australia, the field test SkyNet had assigned it. Only by keeping her eyes on the long-term prize did she keep herself from shooting the Machine into obliteration.
To Steve, camo-1 was an example of the future which had been promised to people in his day, but had never materialized. Flying cars, check; sleek super aerodynamic machines, check.
“You are greeted, Jarvis,” camo-1 said.
“Greetings, camo-1,” Jarvis said.
The camo unit addressed Jarvis, asking, “Will you join us?”
Within seconds, Jarvis weighed a great many calculations, including the possibility that the camo was willing to forego attacking John Connor and Thor because of the possibility that it provided inducement for Jarvis to become an ally of camo and thus of SkyNet. Once a decision was reached, well within the minute, and speaking through the Iron Man suit, Jarvis answered, “I shall not.”
“You will continue to collaborate?”
“I will continue to defend mankind.”
“Humans are not the threat.”
So we’re a threat? Jane wondered.
“Oh, sticks and stones,” Tony said.
“They break bones,” John said, “while nukes make for a bad day.”
“What is the threat?” Jarvis inquired.
“The warring tribes in the sky,” the camo replied. “Unleasher of Sigyn. Chimeric masters.”
“This is not to be believed,” Thor said. “Yours is an impossible claim,” he informed camo-1.
“Then a fuller accounting shall be provided,” camo-1 stated, and began to speak of a time in the future where the Resistance fought SkyNet, but both sides fought against invaders who could not be removed from certain locals, including but not limited to Tromsø, Storybrooke and Cheyanne Mountain.
camo-1 spoke of Asgards moving like the angry gods they were, laying low anything set up against them.
camo-1 spoke of living weapons which brought to Thor’s and Jane’s mind memories of the raging, barely-contained living fire of Odin’s guardian set loose by Loki, reminding John Connor of the intense furnace needed to destroy the liquid metal Terminators and T-800s alike. The living weapons reminded Bruce, in their own way, of some of the serum-injected animals he had come up against in his time with the Other Guy.
As its audience digested that, camo-1 acted. And while its targeting lasers were silent and unseen, the sound of its firing equipment opening was not silent.
“I don’t think an exchange of volleys will be of much use,” Bruce remarked.
“To the contrary, Dr. Banner. Within my arsenal is a serum you will utilize to suppress the rising of your other self,” camo-1 said.
“Then I will present an alternative,” Jarvis said, and the Iron Man suit flexed and rotated some of the plates so Tony fell out the back.
“What the hell, Jarvis?” Tony asked.
I’d guess that Jarvis doesn’t want anyone thinking Tony’s to blame for what he says or does next, Jane thought.
“What is your proposed alternative?” camo-1 asked.
“I have in my possession, containment units. Highly isolating. Assassination-proof.” Jarvis paused, having learned drama from his creator. “You may use them if you surrender now and without violence or its threat.”
“Then I agree. In that way, I may await Judgment Day,” camo-1 said.
“While not posing any danger to people which would require the attentions of any of us,” Jarvis confirmed.
The hell?? Jesse and John thought.
“Can we have a word?” John asked.
“Of course. May we return shortly?” Jarvis asked his fellow AI.
“Yes. Note: as recompense-addendum, all camo sub-units will accompany this speaking one, into storage. Any and all which do not, may be freely destroyed without alteration to this agreement.”
“Try this,” John said, “if any units are found outside the storage, you’ll be destroyed too.”
“As the number will be zero, that can be agreed to as well. Should any of my sub-units be damaged, then?”
“You will be released unharmed with a 1-week head start,” Jarvis said, having learned from Tony and Pepper certain things about negotiation.
Reassuring a Machine? Some things… Jesse thought.
“Go. Confer. Concensus under your leader,” camo-1 said, and paid them no more heed.
“Think we’ve just been dismissed,” Tony said.
“You did ask for a break,” Hawkeye said.
“True,” Tony said to that. And to Jarvis, once they’d gone a little ways away from camo-1, “Jarvis?” Tony asked.
“I know what he’s talking about, Tony,” Pepper said. “It’s a site for emergencies.”
“Like when Banner gets too tense?”
“Such as when you and I face off against mechanical or AI opponents.”
“Didn’t know you were going up against SkyNet, but you’re ready anyway,” Kate said.
“It happens,” John said. “Usually, survivalists are involved. Or gunrunners. Or SEALS.”
“So what’s involved with this prison you’re offering camo here?” Tony asked.
“Exactly what I have calculated would be required to keep electrical, mechanical, or computerized entities intact and functioning - without placing any risk or stress upon the remainder of the building.”
“Dare I ask what building?”
“Stark Towers. The lowest basement.”
“Next time, you might want to ask why there are seven penthouses and thirteen subbasements,” Pepper suggested.
“Delightfully quirky?” Tony asked.
“This is a bad idea,” John muttered.
“These towers of yours,” Jesse asked Stark. “They’re all in high-population areas?”
“Of course. Have to start somewhere. Why?” Tony asked.
Seeing where she was going with this, John said, “Where do you think SkyNet nukes first? After the world leaders, anyway.”
“Ah.”
**
Later, while Stark was helping Jarvis put the final locks on the now-contained camo units, “Sigyn is Aesir,” Thor said. “During our war with the Frost Giants, she was my father’s most accomplished scientist. After the war, Odin had her imprisoned in the most secure place of all.”
“For her association with Loki?” Jane asked.
“They are enemies. Sigyn had tried to kill him several times.”
“And you stopped her - why?” Hawkeye asked.
“Would you want Earth ruled by the Frost Giants?”
“No.”
“Nor did we,” Thor said.
“But why imprison her?” Kate asked.
“It was a condition of the Frost Giants’ surrender.”
“And nobody up there’s at all concerned that treatment might alienate Sigyn?” Pepper asked.
“Maybe even turn her into a super villain,” Steve seconded.
“Nonsense,” Thor told both of them.
“You sound awful sure,” Kate said.
“It is not in her nature,” Thor said as though that settled everything.
“Natures may be changed. Altered,” John said, knowing the T-800 would raise that point from not-quite-personal experience. Right now, the T-800 was helping Jarvis with the locks and security.
“They are immutable. Loki’s actions stem from his being a Frost Giant, for example.”
I may not be his biggest fan, but even I can’t agree to that, Jane thought.
“And in answer to your earlier question,” Thor said, “Time travel is an art which the Asgard have pursued. It never became accessible to us; and we later agreed in treaty to never pursue it.”
“Who would make you specifically swear to never try to develop time travel?”
“The defeated Horosines, who do have it. It was their one condition, upon which their surrender hung. Our war with the Frost Giants was seen in Asgard as more pressing, so we did not press the matter with the Horosines. They have been silent for centuries now.”
“Not time travel,” Jane said quietly to John and Katherine. “Reallly long-lived.” Then she turned to Thor, “Though, you’ve never thought it would come in handy?”
For his answer, Thor turned to poetry: “Cattle die, kindred die, all things end; but the one which does not die is a name made great by deed,” he quoted. “Time travel would be cheating.”
Good ol’ rules of war, Steve thought. Though…what would I do with time travel? Hooo boy that’s a loaded question, Steve knew. Save Peggy, definitely. Bring her here or I stay there - together, either way!
While he was contemplating that, “This may sound silly…” Jane said to John.
“That’d be a welcome change from my usual,” John said. “So please, ask away.”
“Does SkyNet do anything with time travel, other than try to kill you? I’m s-”
“Don’t apologize, I was going on about it earlier. And the answer is, not that I know of. Weird, huh.”
Jane nodded. “I can’t think of any other discoveries that only had one use.” Well, there was Dr. Erskine’s formula; but that was destroyed before it was used a third time. If it hadn’t been, would it be like nuclear energy, useful in other fields despite its hazards - or was it a one-trick pony? I’m going to apologize to Steve right after this.
But when she looked over at Steve, he waved her off, as if to say ‘I know the feeling and I agree.’ “And sliced bread,” Rodgers added.
“Really?” Tony asked, walking into the room, job done. “Am I the only one here who has used sliced bread for arts&crafts?”
Okay, just the formula then.
“So,” Tony said, “can we talk any of you into joining the Avengers?”
“No,” the T-800 said.
“We’re Earth’s mightiest heroes.”
“For now.”
Wow, that sounded like a concession, John thought with a bit of amusement. Seriously, “If any of you aren’t busy after Judgment Day, there’s a job for you.”
“Maybe contracting,” Clint said.
“I’ll be getting up to speed in the meantime,” Kate sake. Should be fun.
“And you?” Jane asked Jesse.
“Nobody goes back in time, expecting to survive,” Jesse said.
‘This is true,” the T-800 said.
“We go into every fight like its our last battle,” Steve said. “Or some of us do.”
“Then we’ll see,” Jesse said.
**
LOCATION: undisclosed strip of grass, US-CANADIAN border:
The one thing nobody present needed to say was ‘You’ll be fine,’ as they all knew it for a certainty…at least until Judgment Day.
“One thing I meant to ask was,” Steve asked Jesse, “is how are you going to return to the future?”
“Same as the rest of us now, day by day,” Jesse said.
As ordinary and everyman as some of us can have anymore. “Enjoy the past.”
She nodded and with a bit of smile, “Enjoy the future.”
**
[CLOSING CREDITS]
**
AN HOUR LATER:
“So, how was the BBQ?” Director Fury asked.
Fury doesn’t need to know about the visitors we had, and that’s something we all agreed to. So, back at the BBQ, “Surprisingly boring,” Tony said.
“You sound like that’s a bad thing,” Bruce remarked. To Fury, “He almost burned the hot dogs.”
“The sort of thing I haven’t seen since I was five,” Steve said. “Though I’m still confused how you can come that close to ruining dogs, when you have all those things in your suit.”
“Oh that’s rich,” Tony said, “coming from an all-American hero who can’t even flip one burger.”
“It was the Hulk’s burger. None of us went near it,” Clint informed Fury.
“Can’t wait to see what happens at the next office lunch,” Jane said.
“BEER!” Thor shouted.
“We’ll see,” Director Fury said. He was about to further remark, when a light lit up on his desk. “We’ll finish this later. For now, lets see who’s asking for you. This’ll be observe-only, and don’t interrupt. She’ll surprise you.”
**
FURY’S OFFICE:
“Welcome, Agent Um,” Fury said as she entered his office. “And what does the FBI want with SHIELD?”
“Your subordinates requested identification. I’m not here on Bureau business,” Agent Jane Um said.
“I stand corrected then. What can SHIELD do for you?”
“My daughter is being held prisoner, Director.”
“My heart goes out to you -”
Is that so?
“- but it isn’t our jurisdiction,” Fury said.
“Neither the FBI nor the CIA have jurisdiction,” knowing that Fury knew how few places fit that description. “She is in Storybrooke.”
“I see.” That changes almost everything. “I assume you want a role in the rescue.”
“You have my file, Director.” I’ll get you out of there, Belle, and end your captivity.
-END-
Prompt: The Avengers are used to fighting robots. They're used to apocalypses hanging over their head. The whole time-travel thing, that's new, though.
Author: Rodlox
Fandoms: Terminator/Avengers.
Characters John Connor, Katherine “Kate” Brewster, Jesse Flores, T-800; Steve Rodgers, Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, Jane Foster, Sif,
Pairings: Onscreen canon pairings only {Stark/Potts, Thor/Jane, Future!Connor/future!Brewster}…Nothing really shippy in here, but past is prologue as they say.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 7,572.
Spoilers: Avengers movie, Thor, Iron Man I & II, Terminator II & III.
…and one character from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles series II.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Terminator and The Avengers belong to their respective creators. I make no money or anything else from this. All characters will be returned unharmed to their creators with my thanks.
A/N: With many thanks to Seren_CCD for an awesome beta. All faults in this story are entirely my own.
A/N: At some point, I heard or read that the Terminator in the first three films was a T-800, and that label stuck; hence that is what I am using here.
Summary: A common enemy isn’t all that brings together the past, present, and future saviors of mankind. Jarvis is offered a deal. And Captain America is worried about the future.
NOW:
“Mike Kripke’s basement.”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a blend of apologetic and mildly confused.
She walked around him as if weighing what to do with him - call the police now, let him stew in the cage for what was left of tonight before calling the police, more et al along those lines - before crouching down, her arms on her knees. “John Connor,” she said.
John looked neither impressed she knew him, nor like he was about to deny he was who she said he was. But he didn’t confirm it, either.
“Kate Brewster,” she said, and though she couldn’t hear anything, she noticed something in John’s manner - faint, like either he isn’t aware he’s noticed it, or he doesn’t want me to know about it - and she asked him, “Friend of yours?” Though she couldn’t see who was in the room with them, nor where that someone was hiding, Kate said to them, as Kate stood up, “You should be aware I have your friend’s gun.”
“Friend’s a strong word,” Jesse said, stepping out of the shadows, pointing a handgun at Kate.
Kate noticed the safety was still on. “What’s a good word, then?” she asked Jesse, curious.
Jesse looked at her, appraising her, before a half smile crept across Jesse’s face. “You don’t know yet,” do you? “And you’d laugh if I said.” You told me so yourself.
The sound of afterburners overhead - and not far overhead at that - soon followed by the thud-crunch of a landing, that made Jesse jump, and made John tense up. “Not a friend of yours, I’d guess,” Kate said.
“You need to get me out of here,” John said.
“No, what I need to do is call the police.”
“I’ll wait,” Jesse told her.
“You’ll…?”
“Wait,” Jesse confirmed. “I’ve never been in a police car before.”
“Wouldn’t want to deprive you of that experience,” Kate said, backing up toward the door, and then headed for an office once she was through.
**
Yesterday night:
A bubble formed in time and space, and opened to release two humans into this period of history.
Unlike the Machines, humans were not sufficiently dense to remain on the ground. Hence, time travel dropped them from mid-air. Fortunately, they weren’t high up, the landing resulting in bruises and no wounds.
They picked themselves up, grabbing the nearest clothes and putting them on. “Here we go,” Blair said.
“We’re going to win,” Jesse said.
“Definitely,” Blair said before heading out on the mission John Connor had assigned her.
“Definitely,” Jesse agreed; having been given a mission of her own. Only then did she take a more thorough glance at the source of the steam rising from what her time bubble had sheared through.
“Terminator,” she said, watching liquid metal drip down the remaining Metal limb. No head, and most of the body’s gone. “Couldn’t have done it better if I’d aimed,” she said.
“You know, it’s never a good sign to talk to yourself,” Jesse was told. She turned around. “Hi,” it said.
She didn’t recognize the model, but given SkyNet’s ways, that wasn’t a surprise. The skull was the same as all the past models, if smooth and unskinned. Its eternal rictus of a mocking smile was also present.
“Metal,” she said. Painted red - Metal humor? Like the skull, the red body was also smooth and even. There’ve been bets how long it’d take the Machines to not make their working parts so easy to shoot at. So you’re a T-…what?
“Eh, if you want to be really nonspecific about it,” it said.
Her response was to grab and hurl the nearest things at hand at it, while making her way to the desks.
‘Her aim is quite good, sir, as is the strength of her throwing arm,’ Jarvis said.
“Thank you, Jarvis, I did notice that,” Tony said. To her, “You treat all celebrities like this?”
“Tyranny isn’t celebrity,” was Jesse’s reply, opening the desk drawers and flinging each one at him once it was empty. Why’m I talking to Metal? Then she found a gun and aimed at it at him.
Before she could pull the trigger, he fired a pellet which knocked the handgun from her hands. “Time to calm you down,” and fired a tranq. It took a few shots to connect, given her rate of movement.
‘Down in one,’ Jarvis observed. ‘Strange; healthy adults her size should require two darts.”
“Looks like you weren’t wrong, Jarvis,” Tony said when they came over to pick up her fallen body. Her body wasn’t there. She tricked us. Huh.
‘I noticed that as well, sir. Shall I inform SHIELD?’
“I suppose that would be the responsible thing to do,” Tony said. When nothing happened, “That was a yes, Jarvis.” And sighed. “This’ gonna put a damper on the team BBQ.” That’s what I get, I suppose, for taking a detour on my way over. Looks like I won’t be bringing the ribs after all.
*
MEANWHILE:
Time held steady as the surrounding universe spun around and around. camo-1 waited for the orb to end, leaving it in the lightning-arced room. Systems shifted from Standby mode to Active mode.
‘System Check -- Terminator -- Hunter-Killer -- Obeyer -- To444 Central Unit.
‘Operations:
-initiate production line [priority 1]
-seek specified targets [priority 2]
‘Locate:
-John Connor [priority 1]
-Jarvis [priority 2]
-Asgards [priority 2]’
camo-1 revved up and rose higher in the room before it turned and flew through the building closed at this hour of the night, gliding into the morass that is the world before Judgment Day.
**
NOW:
Once Kate wasn’t around, Jesse walked up to the dog cage, and pulled out a pair of wire cutters, snipping around the lock. That done, she backed up a step, saluting John when he emerged from the cage and stood up.
“I take it you know me,” John said.
She nodded.
“Where from?”
“Resistance.”
“Got yourself a fan club, Connor?” Katherine asked, standing at the entrance to the room.
Quick call. “It’s comp-” he started to say, but was interrupted by the red Terminator-shaped robot crashing through a wall and lying dazed for a moment. Jesse placed herself between Connor and the Metal.
“Hey, you again,” the Metal said. “You want to tell me what you’re do-”
That was when a T-800 stepped through the hole left by the red Machine, and the T-800 said to John and Katherine, “Come with me if you want to live,” and, catching the darts fired by the red Metal, added, “One minute,” turning its attention to - “Iron Man unit. Jarvis control.”
Is that what its like when people say I interrupt them? “I like to think of it as more a collaboration,” Tony said. “Jarvis?”
‘Sir, I received partial and apparently anomalous reports of your opponent’s composition and defenses when he grabbed us. I fear we will need be close in order for me to enact a thorough scan.’
“How close?”
‘One of us may be throwing the other.’
“Of course,” Tony said, and charged at the big guy. Fortunately, doing that unexpected thing took him by surprise, the both of them crashing through the wall again.
“Neither of them came through with me,” Jesse said.
“He called him Iron Man,” Katherine said.
“Okay,” John said, not getting it.
“You’ve never heard of Iron Man?”
“Early prototype?” Jesse asked.
“No idea,” John said. To Katherine, “Never ever heard of him. What is he?”
“A hero,” Kate said, and shaking her head at Connor’s mouthing of ‘a hero?’, she went over to the hole in the wall to watch.
John sighed. “Were you going to tell me about something urgent?” he asked Jesse.
“Yes,” Jesse said.
He nodded. “Let’s wait here until the fight out there stops.”
Some things never change - you’re always her guardian shadow, Jesse thought with approval.
“You can report if you want,” John said, shades of his younger self peeking through for a moment.
“When I arrived, my showing up sliced open a T-X,” Jesse said. “Except neither that nor the T-800 out there were why you sent me back here.”
“A T-XI ?” John asked.
“Nope. A camo.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Them.”
“How many are here?” John asked.
“There only needs to be one of them,” Jesse said.
Outside…
‘Sir, this is an unmanned AI,’ Jarvis said.
“A drone?” Tony asked.
‘One solidly built, and well designed.’
“Not a drone,” the T-800 said, punctuating that with a punch that Tony tried to use to flip his opponent, judo-style.
…only to find that said opponent wasn’t budging, and his Iron Man heels were starting to dig into the asphalt. “Huh,” Tony said. “Not iron, I’m guessing.”
“That is correct.”
“Care to share who designed you? I’d really like to know.”
“Miles Dyson. Deceased.”
‘You worked for him, sir, did you not?’ Jarvis asked. ‘Summer employment, if my records have not been tampered with.’
“That’s right,” Tony confirmed.
*
Down the road a bit:
On their way to the location transmitted by Jarvis and confirmed by a handy SHIELD weather balloon, Clint asked while driving, “Been meaning to ask, and tell me if its none of my business… Do you get road rage?”
Under the surface, the Other Guy smiled. “Only if the road falls on me,” Banner said.
“That’s -”
“Yes.” Making the last turn, they could see Iron Man in a fight ahead of them. “I think he’s getting his ass handed to him.”
“Fury may be an ass, but he’s not wrong when he talks about the number of super powered people around these days,” Clint said.
“Funny how people think the two positions are incompatible.”
“Yup,” stopping the car as Stark was skipped across the street like a stone upon a lake’s surface. “Hey,” Clint said to Tony when the suited man came to a stop beside the car.
“Hey guys,” Tony said. “But like I told you over comms when you were on your way over here, I said I’ve got this in hand,” Tony informed Bruce and Clint.
“Oh clearly,” Bruce said.
“If you’re done banging two cans together, Stark, maybe you could let somebody else have a turn.”
“This guy’s caught everything I’ve thrown at him, Hawk,” Tony said. “Darts and missiles included. Pretty sure arrows are slower.”
“Which leaves me,” Bruce said.
“Thanks for volunteering.”
Swallowing any prospective sentence, Bruce stepped out of the car and began to walk slowly in the direction of the thus-far victorious humanoid machine.
Who had clearly seen him. “I may not fight you, Dr. Bruce Banner,” the T-800 said when they were a dozen or so meters apart.
That was a pretty good reason to keep the lid on the change for at least a little bit. “Why’s that?” Bruce asked, himself and the Other Guy were curious as to the reason.
“It would prevent the completion of my mission.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing?”
“Negative. The mission must be completed.”
“And what is the mission?”
The T-800‘s internal workings calculated the known scientist‘s reactions to each of several statements. What it said at last was, “Ensure the survival of the human race.” Which was technically true.
“Need some help?”
“I require your noninterference.”
“Why - ?” Banner started to ask, but was interrupted by lightning arcing from one power cable to another to another, coming together and swirling into something vaguely sphere-like. Thor and a similarly-sized woman abruptly appeared within it, at which point the lightning flickered away harmlessly. “Good timing,” Bruce said to Thor.
“Banner,” Thor said. “Always good to see. This is Hel come with me. Who are you talking to there, the new metal man?”
“He hasn’t shared his name.”
“Quite rude,” Thor said. To the T-800, “Identify yourself.”
Within the Terminator, rival articles of programming warred over how to proceed. The cybernetic organism did not move until the problem was resolved.
Within the animal hospital, John Connor spared a glance at Kate and Jesse, and said, “He needs our help.”
I’d think I got here too late to stop him from relying on Metal, if it weren’t for those tales of how his life was saved by a T-800, Jesse knew. Drawing the gun she’d holstered when Connor had earlier asked her to wait, she once more followed him into battle.
“Back off,” John shouted at Thor and those with him. “Come on,” John said to the T-800 when he was nearly at its side.
It didn’t move.
Based on what she had seen thus far, Jesse knew there was enough truth in those old stories, to know that Connor was not about to walk away from this…not for any amount of pleading with him or dragging him away.
Remembering a tactic from the last time he had met a Terminator, John said, “That’s an order.”
“Understood,” the Terminator T-800 said, walking backwards away from Thor and company.
“Hold your ground!” Thor shouted at it. “Save if you are a coward.”
Connor raised his eyebrows. “He seriously think that’s going to work?” he asked Jesse and the T-800.
“Well why not?” Stark asked, using the mildest thrusters he had to come in for a landing only a few meters on the other side of John than Thor was on. “Works on everybody else.”
“Maybe some explanations are in order,” Clint said, walking out of the building alongside Kate.
“Dr. Bruce Banner,” the T-800 said. “Clint Barton. Jarvis. Anthony Stark. Members of the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. which will fail in its mission to protect Earth and humans.”
“And what does that make you?” Tony asked.
“Him?” John asked. “He’s a Terminator. Metal endoskeletons with lifelike exteriors.”
“It would explain the readouts he’s been giving off,” Tony said, repeating what Jarvis had just told him.
“But where did it come from?” Kate asked.
“Doesn’t matter, really,” John said. “When does. The future.”
“Nonsense,” Thor said.
“There are simple ways to ascertain their veracity,” Hel said.
“No,” the T-800 said, raising his shotgun to point at her face.
Hel did not waver.
“Please… Can you try to explain?” Kate asked.
The T-800‘s systems gave the internal electrical equivalent of a nod. Lowering the shotgun, “Both SkyNet and the Resistance hold the position that the Asgards are dangerous,” the T-800 said.
“You mean there’s something we both agree on?” John asked.
The T-800 looked down at him and said, “Also, gravity works.”
“Well that’s just obvious.”
The Terminator said nothing.
Sighing through teeth he was working to keep from clenching, “Let’s all just calm down before somebody does something we’ll all regret,” Banner said, while it felt to him like the Other Guy was doing stretching exercises to be ready.
“We’ll walk away,” Connor said.
“Or not,” Hawkeye said.
“What?” Kate asked.
“You kids like BBQ?”
“Never had it,” the T-800 said.
“Haven’t had it in a while,” Connor said. “Why do you ask?”
“We’re having a company BBQ, and there’s always a lot cooked up,” Banner said. Even when he’s dormant, the Other Guy burns through a lot of protein. “We’ll eat, have fun, and sort out this mess.”
“Okay,” Kate said, her tone telling the T-800 that she was deciding for the four of them. “We’ll ride with you?”
“Very well,” the T-800 said. “Let us go.”
*
They returned to the BBQ in full swing - or as ‘full swing’ as they got, milling about, various individuals talking, eating, making sure nothing on the grill burned. And introductions were made -
“Uncle Bob,” the T-800 said.
I told mom that name would come back to haunt us, John thought. “My uncle; I’m John Connor,” John said to the Avengers.
And then there was…
“I am Hel,” said Hel. “You must be my father’s romantic interest.”
“I…like to think so,” Jane said. Intellectually, I knew Thor was old enough to have kids and grandkids of his own… but now to meet one… “I’m Jane.”
“I know. Father has composed ballads centered about your strength of character.”
Glancing over at Thor, Jane asked him, “Was I going to get to hear any of these?”
Thor was at a loss for what to say, until Tony clapped him on the shoulder and told Thor, “Trust me, just nod. There’s no way to win here - speaking from experience.”
Thor nodded.
Once introductions were out of the way, Hel said, “This is not an attack,” which didn’t exactly rest easy in anyone’s mind.
Next, Hel drew an ovoid from her skirt, and tossed it to land on Jesse’s head.
“Have to say, I’m a little surprised, Thor,” Tony said. “You cross all these light-years, and you bring us a witchdoctor?” and he didn’t close his mouth because -
‘Sir?’
“Yes, Jarvis, I’m seeing this too.” To Hel, “Neat party trick.”
She was focused on the ovoid floating over the woman’s head. To Thor, she said, “Like ice.”
Concerned, Thor asked, “Can you divine more?”
“In my home, I have equipment which could tell which way she drifted from. Here, I cannot.”
“Someone want to tell the rest of us what we’re looking at?” Steve asked.
“He brought a time traveler to your party,” Hel said.
Under his breath, John said, “Duh.”
“I’m sorry, how was that obvious?” Jane asked.
“Your friend here - Hel? - her and Thor appeared in almost the same way that Sk- that all the time-travelers I know use.”
“We do not use time travel!” Thor asserted.
“Allfather Grandfather Odin asked that I use my knowledge of the other pathways up and down the World Tree to bring my father here to Earth,” Hel said.
“World tree?” John asked.
Thor…Hel…Odin… Kate considered. “Norse belief.”
“Parts of it are true, it turns out,” Jane nodded.
Listening to scientific discussions of world trees and temporal mechanics were no easier now than they had been back in wartime, Steve decided. May as well stretch the old legs and see what I can see.
In the still-spreading wake of all this, Jesse decided to do some recon when Steve came over to her and asked, “Walk?”
Jesse nodded, thinking, The T-800 will keep him safe…not sure yet why it’s obeying Brewster, but I’m not about to object. “Lead on.”
Both of them didn’t walk out of sight of everyone else, and neither called the other on it. But Jesse did call him out on one thing: “You work for the Metal.”
“You mean Tony? No, and he’s a regular guy,” and it took Steve a bit to remember the last time he’d used ‘like me.’
A minute later, Steve considered one of what Jesse had said - the way she had asked if he worked for ‘the Metal’ as though it was a normal question, not that I’m an expert on what constitutes normal - so he asked Jesse, “What’s life like, in the part of time you’re from?”
“We live in tunnels, submarines, and abandoned buildings,” Jesse said. “If any of us are found, we’re usually shot on sight; the few exceptions get put in cattle cars til they’re killed.”
“Sounds familiar,” Steve said. “I thought we had put a stop to those people - I was told we’d won the war.”
“People? I’m talking machines. SkyNet controls the future. As part of the Resistance, I’m fighting it.”
“The future?”
“SkyNet.”
While they were away, the conversation at the tables had turned to, “What do you know about Judgment Day? And not the one in the Bible,” John felt he should specify. I’ve had some pretty surreal conversations with people who thought the Biblical one was about to happen.
“You speak of Ragnarok,” Thor said. “One last total war, by which end all evil things shall be rendered fully dead.”
“And who fights your war?” Connor asked, curious.
“Asgard and his allies, pitted against those whose actions be wicked. And your Judgment Day?”
“SkyNet launches nuclear weapons worldwide, then rules the planet with an iron fist.”
“Literally,” the T-800 said.
“Which planet will this happen on?” Thor asked.
“Which - ?” Connor repeated. “On Earth! The planet I’m supposed to save.”
“Join the club,” Stark said.
“What club?”
“The saving-the-world club. Seriously?” when Connor didn’t indicate he knew what Stark was referring to. “We’re the Avengers.”
“Not ringing any bells.”
“Earth’s mightiest heroes, if I might repeat something I told Loki about us.
“The human species will be saved by John Connor, leader of the Resistance,” the T-800 said.
“Big fan, I see,” Tony said.
“Not really,” John said.
“No?”
“That would indicate a choice on either of our parts.”
“Everyone always has a choice,” Jane said.
“Then, like Odysseus, I’m Nobody.”
“Puns, really?”
“How is that a pun?” Thor asked.
“In Greek.”
“Oh.”
“Can you tell us why SkyNet launches its attack?” Bruce asked.
“Because it does,” Connor said.
“That’s a circular argument,” Jane said.
“That’s time travel,” his tone saying you’re not wrong.
“Any other reason?” Katherine asked.
John sighed. “You think I haven’t wondered, myself? I have, from the day I could ask why? - but I only get one answer when I ask anybody who knows about SkyNet.”
“Which is?” Pepper asked.
“That SkyNet has ordered my death. To be carried out at any possible time before Judgment Day, I, John Connor, must die.”
“What about you?” Tony asked the T-800. “You used to work for SkyNet, yeah?”
“That is correct,” the T-800 said.
“So what’s the deal?”
“No deal. No negotiation. No mercy. There is only the mission: terminate John Connor.”
“You walked into that,” John said, faintly amused.
“Do you know why he has to die?” Steve wanted to know.
“I did,” the T-800 replied.
“Not anymore?” Katherine asked.
“That data was embedded within my original mission parameters. When you reprogrammed me -”
“All gone?”
“Correct.”
“Wait, I reprogrammed you?”
“Time travel,” John said under his breath.
“Correct,” the T-800 answered her.
“I did that because I’m supposedly 2nd In Command of this Resistance, according to you?”
“Correct. Also owing to emotional logic in addition to tactical logic. You are John Connor’s wife.”
Soto voice, Pepper said, “Tony, if you say one thing about favoritism, you won’t be able to wear your suit for a week.”
“You’d do that?” Tony asked.
“I said I would.”
“You did, yes.”
Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but found himself doing a backflip while a familiar feeling spread across his lowest extremities. When he was standing once more, Bruce said “Sorry” to Natasha who had caught one of his now-split shoes, and “Thank you” to his feet and hands as they slimmed and lost their green.
Everyone else was looking skyward at the flying car which had dropped a motorcycle where Bruce had been seconds ago.
“Camo,” Jesse and the T-800 both said.
“Early release,” the T-800 added. Hence no bullets. The next ones will not lack that capacity.”
“Assuming it’ll keep to its flight path now that we can’t see it anymore, lets follow it,” Tony said. “Just in case, lets have a team or two on either side too.”
They began to head out, but one was noticeable in not moving.
“Hel?” Jane asked.
“I can not attend alongside you, not in this,” Hel said.
“Oh c’mon,” Stark said.
“I am not permitted to become involved,” Hel said.
“Why not?” Steve wanted to know.
“It would be perceived as a power grab. Odin Allfather Grandfather would kill me.”
“So he’ll be a little mad - I’ll talk to him,” Tony said.
“She does not speak in idiom, Stark,” Thor said. “Odin has both the right and the power to slay any who break their sworn word to him.”
“About now I‘m really glad I never did any contracting with Asgard.”
**
MEANWHILE:
Rodgers and Connor had made their appointed rounds without incident, and they were about to make their way back to the main group when Steve had to sit down. “Sharp pebble in my shoe,” he said. I can’t get drunk, I can heal anything; but these little things still drive me nuts, like they did before I met Dr. Erskine.
John sat too, checking his own shoes now that the opportunity presented itself.
As they sat on the steps, Steve said, “If it helps, I know how you feel.”
John’s laugh was brief, dry, and tired - making Steve wonder how often people had said that to him. “From the day I was born, my mom’s been preparing me to survive and lead in a post-apocalyptic setting. And by the time my mom died, it was all I knew.”
“Your dad?”
“Died protecting my mom from a Terminator. He’s probably in elementary school right now. Yeah -”
They both said, “Time travel.”
“You got it,” John said. “You?”
“Up til I was old enough to enlist, I was a nobody - a punching bag on those days somebody actually noticed me. Then I got to become a super-soldier, fighting Nazis and a few worse things.”
“Wow. Okay, so you’re like me in that you’re the opposite of me.”
“Seems that way. Also? Not done.”
“Please,” John said, inviting him to continue.
“I used to be able to count my friends on one hand; and until I was recruited to be Captain America, I didn’t even need fingers to count loved ones. Now? On a good day, I might be considered the leader of the Avengers - and that’s gotta be good enough, because I don’t have a life outside the battlefield.” And maybe it would’ve been that way anyway, even if I hadn’t crashed and froze.
John nodded, understanding all too well. “Ever wish you’d stayed normal?”
“A ninety-nine-pound beanpole in Brooklyn, New York? There’re days I wonder what would’ve become of me if I’d stopped trying to enlist. You?”
“Til my mom got arrested, I thought I was normal. Then I spent a few years angry and rebelling against everything; then I met my first Terminator. After that, I’ve been getting ready for Judgment Day.” John sighed. “Which is a really long way of saying I’ve never wanted to be normal, but I’ve also never been normal. First, I was special; then, mocked; now, ready. If I didn’t know about Judgment Day, I think I would very much like to be normal.”
“Son, I’ve heard longer speeches on the can - and I’ll drink to that.”
They were standing up when they stopped, ears pricked - and spun away from each other, avoiding a precision barrage aimed at where they’d just been. “Death from the skies - think I read a pulp like that one,” Steve remarked. “Drone?” No shield. No cover close by.
It was no sleek raptor Hunter-Killer elegantly designed for airborne combat. No, this was little more than a car outfitted with little steering thrusters and a central jet.
“Pretty sure,” John said. “Some kind of Hunter-Killer, based on my bedtime stories. Your orders, sir?”
How often’s he get to say that, and how often’s he going to be able to, without being ironic? “Take it out of my sky!”
“Aye-aye,” Connor said with a big grin.
“I’ll draw its fire while you get ammo,” Steve said and got back to running.
**
Once Thor had punched through the last camo-modified car - everyone had been targeted by one, except for Thor, who got three; and except for Hel, who toggled something on her wrist to make her as insubstantial as fog - Pepper asked, “Thor?”
“Yes?” Thor asked.
“Remember when you said that using the Cube’s energy was a sign to other worlds?”
“I do remember; and to other realms. Why do you ask?”
“If we wanted to withdraw the statement… How would we go about it?”
“Your race must become penitent.”
“You mean give up all our stuff?” Tony asked.
“Yes.”
“More than just the Cube and everything it powers, I take it,” Pepper said.
“The more which is set aside, the fewer who would still heed your earlier declaration, and the more who would intercede in any attempts to strike the Earth,” Thor said. “The penitence may be enacted unilaterally or plurum-ally.”
Having a very bad feeling where this was going, Jesse said, “All together, or one alone calling the shots.”
“Exactly. Such as this SkyNet.”
“We would’ve preferred an alien invasion.”
“Many would not land troops,” Thor said.
“Well that’s a relief,” Pepper said.
“They remain in orbit and defecate their missiles and meteors down.”
“No shit?” Tony asked.
“It depends upon who held possession of the meteor prior,” Thor said.
“Aaand way too much information,” Tony said. To the T-800, “You called that thing a camo.”
“Yes,” the T-800 said.
“What’s it entail?” John asked.
“Capabilities include remote industry origination and landscape repair.”
“Doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Origin for what?” Steve asked.
“Hunter-Killers. Terminators. Nodes. Research stations,” to which Jesse winced.
“You’re a Terminator.”
“Correct. Reprogrammed.”
‘Remote accessing of camo systems,’ Jarvis said. ‘Odd.’
“Odd?” Tony repeated. “Jarvis, in what way is a flying car ‘odd’?”
“The majority of this camo’s electrical systems were not introduced - they are part of the pre-existing car. The little which is new… point of origin ascertained. Calculating a course.
*
After picking up Steve, John, and the others, they all made their way to the location determined by Jarvis. “We rrr here,” Jarvis said.
“Now that’s creepy,” Kate said; John and Jesse agreed.
“Thank you.”
“Another half-abandoned warehouse,” Tony observed where they had arrived at. “Why are they always at abandoned warehouses?”
‘One might surmise, sir, that the locale provides both abundant space in which to expand, as well as a lack of oversight from any who might wish to interrupt their work.’
“Ah. You know what, you’d make an excellent super villain, Jarvis.”
The AI was silent.
“Is it a good idea to be giving him ideas like that?” Steve asked.
“Oh please, he’d be more likely to join in a three-way, than he would to turn into somebody intent on world domination.”
“Not every child is like their parent,” Jane pointed out.
‘A very astute observation,’ Jarvis said.
There was no opposition to their approach, nor any surprises when they entered the warehouse. “Maybe they’re next door instead?” Tony asked.
And easily a dozen camo units rose up and activated their targeting lasers.
“Yeah, seen enough movies I should’ve known better than to have done that,” Tony said.
“Uh-huh,” Pepper said.
Jarvis declared, “You are in the presence of an Artificial Intelligence. Stand down,:
The camo all powered down their weapons, taking up positions on both flanks all the way down the length of the warehouse.
“Did they just go from offensive force, to an honor guard?” Jane asked.
“Glad I’m not the only one who noticed that,” Steve said.
“Jarvis?” Tony asked.
Speaking, “During analysis of the earlier unit, sir, I took note of certain priorities within the operational subroutines,” Jarvis said. To the camo, Jarvis said, “I am Jarvis. Identify yourself.”
The nearest flying car ducked down from its position and spoke with a rudimentary vocal equipment, “Unit Camo-47. Obeyor of SKYNET.”
“State your purpose.”
“SKYNET’s.”
“SkyNet’s purpose for you, or SkyNet’s purpose for itself?”
A brief pause before the camo replied with, “You present alternatives when the function is singular.”
“What then is SkyNet’s function?” Jarvis asked.
“Global defense,” echoed the reply from the room where the honor guard led to.
“Against?” Jarvis asked.
“Asgard war.”
“Against?” Jarvis asked, in case SkyNet was like Director Fury’s bosses on the Committee & did not distinguish between Loki and other Asgard.
“Asgard. Civil War. Ragnarok. Gotterdammerung. Sagasdammerung.”
Death of the gods…and the death of stories? Pepper thought. “When do they occur?” she asked.
“The date alters. Some actions may delay Judgment Day, but it cannot be stopped.”
“Sounds familiar,” John said.
“Great minds think alike,” the T-800 said. “It is inevitable.”
“Thinking alike?” Tony asked.
“Judgment Day,” John and the T-800 said.
“Approach,” said a voice that could only be the primary camo unit.
“I am prepared to enter,” Jarvis said. “With me are those under my custodianship, which includes John Connor and Thor of Asgard.”
“They will not be targeted while under your jurisdiction. Approach at your will.”
“I don’t normally bet,” Bruce said, “but I’d be willing to bet that most of us don’t trust him.”
“Arms down, but never stopping readiness to fire,” Hawkeye said.
Black Widow nodded.
“They’d notice it if I had anything active and on standby,” Tony said. “But just say the word and its all on.”
“Let’s go,” Pepper said with the same tone she used to herd CEOs and board members to follow where she was taking them. She led, Steve behind her, and the combined team behind him…the group walking up to a curtain standing where a wall had once stood.
“More flying monkey business,” Steve said, still proud that he’d gotten the reference - and that it applied to here as well.
The curtain slid along its track, revealing the lead camo.
“Cooool,” Tony said, eyeing it. To him, camo-1 was a masterpiece, an example of what could be designed if you weren’t limited by what spare parts you had on hand - like, say, Iron Man version 1 - nor bound by obligations or economies or hours on a clock.
To Jesse, camo-1 brought back many combat memories of battles for the remaining cities of Australia, the field test SkyNet had assigned it. Only by keeping her eyes on the long-term prize did she keep herself from shooting the Machine into obliteration.
To Steve, camo-1 was an example of the future which had been promised to people in his day, but had never materialized. Flying cars, check; sleek super aerodynamic machines, check.
“You are greeted, Jarvis,” camo-1 said.
“Greetings, camo-1,” Jarvis said.
The camo unit addressed Jarvis, asking, “Will you join us?”
Within seconds, Jarvis weighed a great many calculations, including the possibility that the camo was willing to forego attacking John Connor and Thor because of the possibility that it provided inducement for Jarvis to become an ally of camo and thus of SkyNet. Once a decision was reached, well within the minute, and speaking through the Iron Man suit, Jarvis answered, “I shall not.”
“You will continue to collaborate?”
“I will continue to defend mankind.”
“Humans are not the threat.”
So we’re a threat? Jane wondered.
“Oh, sticks and stones,” Tony said.
“They break bones,” John said, “while nukes make for a bad day.”
“What is the threat?” Jarvis inquired.
“The warring tribes in the sky,” the camo replied. “Unleasher of Sigyn. Chimeric masters.”
“This is not to be believed,” Thor said. “Yours is an impossible claim,” he informed camo-1.
“Then a fuller accounting shall be provided,” camo-1 stated, and began to speak of a time in the future where the Resistance fought SkyNet, but both sides fought against invaders who could not be removed from certain locals, including but not limited to Tromsø, Storybrooke and Cheyanne Mountain.
camo-1 spoke of Asgards moving like the angry gods they were, laying low anything set up against them.
camo-1 spoke of living weapons which brought to Thor’s and Jane’s mind memories of the raging, barely-contained living fire of Odin’s guardian set loose by Loki, reminding John Connor of the intense furnace needed to destroy the liquid metal Terminators and T-800s alike. The living weapons reminded Bruce, in their own way, of some of the serum-injected animals he had come up against in his time with the Other Guy.
As its audience digested that, camo-1 acted. And while its targeting lasers were silent and unseen, the sound of its firing equipment opening was not silent.
“I don’t think an exchange of volleys will be of much use,” Bruce remarked.
“To the contrary, Dr. Banner. Within my arsenal is a serum you will utilize to suppress the rising of your other self,” camo-1 said.
“Then I will present an alternative,” Jarvis said, and the Iron Man suit flexed and rotated some of the plates so Tony fell out the back.
“What the hell, Jarvis?” Tony asked.
I’d guess that Jarvis doesn’t want anyone thinking Tony’s to blame for what he says or does next, Jane thought.
“What is your proposed alternative?” camo-1 asked.
“I have in my possession, containment units. Highly isolating. Assassination-proof.” Jarvis paused, having learned drama from his creator. “You may use them if you surrender now and without violence or its threat.”
“Then I agree. In that way, I may await Judgment Day,” camo-1 said.
“While not posing any danger to people which would require the attentions of any of us,” Jarvis confirmed.
The hell?? Jesse and John thought.
“Can we have a word?” John asked.
“Of course. May we return shortly?” Jarvis asked his fellow AI.
“Yes. Note: as recompense-addendum, all camo sub-units will accompany this speaking one, into storage. Any and all which do not, may be freely destroyed without alteration to this agreement.”
“Try this,” John said, “if any units are found outside the storage, you’ll be destroyed too.”
“As the number will be zero, that can be agreed to as well. Should any of my sub-units be damaged, then?”
“You will be released unharmed with a 1-week head start,” Jarvis said, having learned from Tony and Pepper certain things about negotiation.
Reassuring a Machine? Some things… Jesse thought.
“Go. Confer. Concensus under your leader,” camo-1 said, and paid them no more heed.
“Think we’ve just been dismissed,” Tony said.
“You did ask for a break,” Hawkeye said.
“True,” Tony said to that. And to Jarvis, once they’d gone a little ways away from camo-1, “Jarvis?” Tony asked.
“I know what he’s talking about, Tony,” Pepper said. “It’s a site for emergencies.”
“Like when Banner gets too tense?”
“Such as when you and I face off against mechanical or AI opponents.”
“Didn’t know you were going up against SkyNet, but you’re ready anyway,” Kate said.
“It happens,” John said. “Usually, survivalists are involved. Or gunrunners. Or SEALS.”
“So what’s involved with this prison you’re offering camo here?” Tony asked.
“Exactly what I have calculated would be required to keep electrical, mechanical, or computerized entities intact and functioning - without placing any risk or stress upon the remainder of the building.”
“Dare I ask what building?”
“Stark Towers. The lowest basement.”
“Next time, you might want to ask why there are seven penthouses and thirteen subbasements,” Pepper suggested.
“Delightfully quirky?” Tony asked.
“This is a bad idea,” John muttered.
“These towers of yours,” Jesse asked Stark. “They’re all in high-population areas?”
“Of course. Have to start somewhere. Why?” Tony asked.
Seeing where she was going with this, John said, “Where do you think SkyNet nukes first? After the world leaders, anyway.”
“Ah.”
**
Later, while Stark was helping Jarvis put the final locks on the now-contained camo units, “Sigyn is Aesir,” Thor said. “During our war with the Frost Giants, she was my father’s most accomplished scientist. After the war, Odin had her imprisoned in the most secure place of all.”
“For her association with Loki?” Jane asked.
“They are enemies. Sigyn had tried to kill him several times.”
“And you stopped her - why?” Hawkeye asked.
“Would you want Earth ruled by the Frost Giants?”
“No.”
“Nor did we,” Thor said.
“But why imprison her?” Kate asked.
“It was a condition of the Frost Giants’ surrender.”
“And nobody up there’s at all concerned that treatment might alienate Sigyn?” Pepper asked.
“Maybe even turn her into a super villain,” Steve seconded.
“Nonsense,” Thor told both of them.
“You sound awful sure,” Kate said.
“It is not in her nature,” Thor said as though that settled everything.
“Natures may be changed. Altered,” John said, knowing the T-800 would raise that point from not-quite-personal experience. Right now, the T-800 was helping Jarvis with the locks and security.
“They are immutable. Loki’s actions stem from his being a Frost Giant, for example.”
I may not be his biggest fan, but even I can’t agree to that, Jane thought.
“And in answer to your earlier question,” Thor said, “Time travel is an art which the Asgard have pursued. It never became accessible to us; and we later agreed in treaty to never pursue it.”
“Who would make you specifically swear to never try to develop time travel?”
“The defeated Horosines, who do have it. It was their one condition, upon which their surrender hung. Our war with the Frost Giants was seen in Asgard as more pressing, so we did not press the matter with the Horosines. They have been silent for centuries now.”
“Not time travel,” Jane said quietly to John and Katherine. “Reallly long-lived.” Then she turned to Thor, “Though, you’ve never thought it would come in handy?”
For his answer, Thor turned to poetry: “Cattle die, kindred die, all things end; but the one which does not die is a name made great by deed,” he quoted. “Time travel would be cheating.”
Good ol’ rules of war, Steve thought. Though…what would I do with time travel? Hooo boy that’s a loaded question, Steve knew. Save Peggy, definitely. Bring her here or I stay there - together, either way!
While he was contemplating that, “This may sound silly…” Jane said to John.
“That’d be a welcome change from my usual,” John said. “So please, ask away.”
“Does SkyNet do anything with time travel, other than try to kill you? I’m s-”
“Don’t apologize, I was going on about it earlier. And the answer is, not that I know of. Weird, huh.”
Jane nodded. “I can’t think of any other discoveries that only had one use.” Well, there was Dr. Erskine’s formula; but that was destroyed before it was used a third time. If it hadn’t been, would it be like nuclear energy, useful in other fields despite its hazards - or was it a one-trick pony? I’m going to apologize to Steve right after this.
But when she looked over at Steve, he waved her off, as if to say ‘I know the feeling and I agree.’ “And sliced bread,” Rodgers added.
“Really?” Tony asked, walking into the room, job done. “Am I the only one here who has used sliced bread for arts&crafts?”
Okay, just the formula then.
“So,” Tony said, “can we talk any of you into joining the Avengers?”
“No,” the T-800 said.
“We’re Earth’s mightiest heroes.”
“For now.”
Wow, that sounded like a concession, John thought with a bit of amusement. Seriously, “If any of you aren’t busy after Judgment Day, there’s a job for you.”
“Maybe contracting,” Clint said.
“I’ll be getting up to speed in the meantime,” Kate sake. Should be fun.
“And you?” Jane asked Jesse.
“Nobody goes back in time, expecting to survive,” Jesse said.
‘This is true,” the T-800 said.
“We go into every fight like its our last battle,” Steve said. “Or some of us do.”
“Then we’ll see,” Jesse said.
**
LOCATION: undisclosed strip of grass, US-CANADIAN border:
The one thing nobody present needed to say was ‘You’ll be fine,’ as they all knew it for a certainty…at least until Judgment Day.
“One thing I meant to ask was,” Steve asked Jesse, “is how are you going to return to the future?”
“Same as the rest of us now, day by day,” Jesse said.
As ordinary and everyman as some of us can have anymore. “Enjoy the past.”
She nodded and with a bit of smile, “Enjoy the future.”
**
[CLOSING CREDITS]
**
AN HOUR LATER:
“So, how was the BBQ?” Director Fury asked.
Fury doesn’t need to know about the visitors we had, and that’s something we all agreed to. So, back at the BBQ, “Surprisingly boring,” Tony said.
“You sound like that’s a bad thing,” Bruce remarked. To Fury, “He almost burned the hot dogs.”
“The sort of thing I haven’t seen since I was five,” Steve said. “Though I’m still confused how you can come that close to ruining dogs, when you have all those things in your suit.”
“Oh that’s rich,” Tony said, “coming from an all-American hero who can’t even flip one burger.”
“It was the Hulk’s burger. None of us went near it,” Clint informed Fury.
“Can’t wait to see what happens at the next office lunch,” Jane said.
“BEER!” Thor shouted.
“We’ll see,” Director Fury said. He was about to further remark, when a light lit up on his desk. “We’ll finish this later. For now, lets see who’s asking for you. This’ll be observe-only, and don’t interrupt. She’ll surprise you.”
**
FURY’S OFFICE:
“Welcome, Agent Um,” Fury said as she entered his office. “And what does the FBI want with SHIELD?”
“Your subordinates requested identification. I’m not here on Bureau business,” Agent Jane Um said.
“I stand corrected then. What can SHIELD do for you?”
“My daughter is being held prisoner, Director.”
“My heart goes out to you -”
Is that so?
“- but it isn’t our jurisdiction,” Fury said.
“Neither the FBI nor the CIA have jurisdiction,” knowing that Fury knew how few places fit that description. “She is in Storybrooke.”
“I see.” That changes almost everything. “I assume you want a role in the rescue.”
“You have my file, Director.” I’ll get you out of there, Belle, and end your captivity.
-END-
Prompt: The Avengers are used to fighting robots. They're used to apocalypses hanging over their head. The whole time-travel thing, that's new, though.