Chapter Text
Chapter 2
Four days passed, Tony was dress warmly, blowing heat into his gloved hands before grabbing his tablet. He was rebuilding his suit as that one is the only one with the deploy feature. Which is now has to be painstaking, rebuilt, calibrated, and program. Then he has to fucking rework extremis with hey, this is not new. The same old shit may be updated. He and his eldest AI are testing a new drone he built for her.
Adjusting his beanie, Tony looked to FRIDAY where she was zipping and zooming around the park. Looking at the tablet he got the read-outs of what can be boosted, upgraded, and aligned. All necessary if FRIDAY wanted to travel farther and alone. At least this way she is bulletproof, durable in weather conditions, speaking of which, cold. Very cold temperatures, she was doing very nicely in.
Stepping back shielding his eyes from the cool sun, he gave out thumbs upholding the tablet between his thighs, “Looking great FRI!”
The little drone did a barrel roll then dove down when Red Wing missed her again. Tony blew a raspberry at Sam who came with him when he heard there would be test flights with drones. Tony looked to see his partner bundle in layers, a day off meant, his partner doesn’t need to wear all his thermal layers. Watching the Winter Soldier walk up next to him, Tony grinned showing the numbers. Explaining the excellent read-out. The endurance. The marks that is proceeding out the load. Of course, there were things that needed tweaking. Always. Even now when FRIDAY and Red Wing were racing from one end of the park, the readings showed that blade propellers would need a faster replacement than the chassis.
Looking up again, he listened to Sam console Red Wing for losing 2 or 3 races. FRIDAY doing a little wiggle of teasing and cheering at winning. Adrenaline Junkie. If he can feel all the rushing data from her, he can feel himself already shaking in the outpour of the rush.
It was all good. Going great. Don’t say that word.
Tony may have been a little too alert for surprise admirers on his kids. Fuck it. He said it. Kids.
The man had no idea. No clues. All the magic users going after the supernatural surprise with exhilaration.
As long as they have fun and he doesn’t have to really… solve the mystery. He is happy that he won’t get sliced into two and FRIDAY is safe.
The couple watches the AI-controlled drone do another barrel roll. Red Wing copying her movements. Then a strange computer game of horse happened. All fun. Nice and dandy.
Tony pressed a light kiss on Giacomo’s cheek feeling the heat under the man’s skin. The shout of NO from Sam had both men pull away. Sam running, dodging, and jumping back from the woman. In a muddy guard uniform. Same wooden bat. Inert his ass!
In a fury, the woman smashed all of Red Wing's body into pieces. Giacomo already calling FRIDAY over quickly, and Tony going to try and gather all of Sam’s friend's body. He almost reached it when skidded, jumped back at the sharp swing. The bat glowing a bright purple. Colors and magic. So fun.
Tony climbed back over a park bench running behind a tree as the bench was broken into two. He can hear a clattering of a knife fall with Giaco cursing. Clothing moving and snow crunching. Sound of hissing snow. Tony looked to see the soldier holding FRIDAY close. Waving his hands in the air, the super snipe let the AI go, and she quickly zoomed out of the way hearing the woman snarl turning from his boyfriend to him.
Tony reached out then let go of FRIDAY giving her a quick scan and letting her grab a quick scan back they are okay. Turning back to the woman, he rose his hands a little seeing both Sam and Giaco make their way quietly stopping every time the woman wielding the magical bat eyed them. Her eyes turning to FRIDAY who hovered up and behind Tony then setting a furious glaze to look to the genius.
“You, her life-giver, refused to let me take Fair FRIDAY around. For the blocking of her, I shall behead thee.”
Thor is that you? Thor… fuck… he was right.
“Look, ma’am… entity… FRIDAY does not like people. I don’t even know you or of you. But you, you can not have FRIDAY. She has a home, a family. So let put the scary…”
Everyone stopped when the bat glowed bright purple, markings showing, some look similar to a type of knowledge or wisdom moved on its own accord. The woman head down, “Then perish.”
Tony runs down the park along the fence with FRIDAY in front of him. The woman running after him as the Winter Soldier and Sam missed by a hair to grab her legs. God damn it magic!
The genius was so distracted at raging about the fucking impossibilities of mystical arts. He barely heard everyone shout lookout. Slipping and falling into a snowbank. He felt his head on the ground and feet in the air.
Looking at the world from upside down, the inventor grunted feeling a shadow over him, the sprinting of feet, a bundle of a super sniper, and a paratrooper slipping into the snowbank and ground. Flipping over, he only got barely half a second to lift his head up pulling far back as possible from the glowing bat.
Watching the purple whip back the bat stop mid-swing when FRIDAY flew in front of it, “Stop!”
For all the batshit thing the heroes sees, these are the ones that they can’t really make up. As much as weird things around them happen, this is a lot. Tony is grateful his sweet girl risked herself for him, but he reached over holding FRIDAY close to his body. Rubbing between her dual propellers.
The purple rumbled around the bat and the woman's head was down again. The blades whirred angrily when it looks like the bat went to swing at Tony again. Giacomo and Sam looked confused at the bat stopping from killing them all. Tony is sure they would have died.
Everyone turned to see Thor flying down and Strange opening the portal with Wan, who both looked annoyed. Thor looked pleased and excited with the events.
“The bat was not inert after all.”
Groaning the scientist fell back in the snowbank covering his face with both hands.
*
It was only later after they removed the woman from the bat, same thing, no memory from her time at the facility up till now. Only remember being freaked out by the evidence locker room. Then waking up in the hospital room to treat for the hyperthermia, water, and anything else she may need.
The bat itself was of an entity, from further investigation, that is based on wisdom. From the very interaction between the Bat and Loki, they learned that the bat wanted to date FRIDAY. And Tony deleting an email from the last holder of the bat, made it seem like a rejection.
“All the email said was Friday, I thought it was a meeting,” The genius threw out rubbing at his temple. The one time he ignores emails he doesn’t want to read one ended up being a date request for his daughter. Who the fuck was he kidding, he may have said no anyway, “Sorry that I said no on behalf of my kid to a Mystical AI.”
“Mystical AI?” Thor asked looking back at the bat that floating seemingly to interact with Strange’s cape but both stopping whatever communication was going on.
Loki chuckled at the comparison, “If things are correct, this fellow, Hugalo, or Hugo can’t live outside of an object. Similia to an AI or sentient being needing a body. All of Anthony’s Ais and bots have bodies. It makes sense.”
Tony got it because now they were using dual language. Sam threw up a hand till he got all of their attentions, “So this guy busted up Red Wing,” Sam gestured to the pieces he is slowly refurbishing and trying to get back to some kind of working order, “Because he thought Red was hitting on FRIDAY?”
“Like birds. That woo through aerial dance.” Thor grinning with a faint blush.
Tony swears he can place ten dollars on why Thor would know this. From how Loki cocked an eyebrow at the blond thunder god, Tony knows that the trickster god may know too.
The bat, Hugo, zipped to FRIDAY who rested by Tony. For the best of Tony and Giacomo, they both looked at the Bat then back to Strange who was talking quietly to Wan.
Strange turned to the others holding what looks like a golden ball with metal wings. Tony swears to all hell, that better not be a real-life snitch.
“This may make it easier for Hugo to get around.”
“Giving a killer entity a flying ball body… is that a good idea?” Sam questioned getting a look that said yes. Shaking his head he returned to trying to get the little AI robot working again.
FRIDAY flared her red dot at the bat then hovered over to Tony. During the proceeding of Hugo moving to the golden ball, the AI looked to her creator and father, she can say with pride, “Should I agree to go on a flight?”
Tony wasn’t sure how much range the mystical spirit had in the ball, he looked to Strange who shrugged watching Hugo flutter over to FRI. Hugo practically hovered, showed off, dove, and dive for FRIDAY. Like a bird. Thor praised the less murder orb that continues showing everything off. Then the communication started. Hugo had a rather youngish voice, unlike when he was talking through the people he used.
FRIDAY red light blinked then she hovered lower with Hugo following close behind.
Strange stroked at his bread looking to Tony who watching making sure Hugo didn’t hurt FRIDAY, “I have told him he will be staying with me. He has a lot of knowledge of old magic that has not been recording in the books and scrolls. As for his interest in FRIDAY, he found her by sensing a highly intelligent being that was not a meat sack.”
“Lovely…” The genius put a hand on his hip keeping an eye on the two, “SO you adopted a kid.”
“Ah, no. I have brought in a knowledgeable being.”
“Who is a kid, compared to us.”
“He knows more than us.”
“Yet, thought to kill me in a fit because I said no to him dating my kid. So you have adopted a kid. I win.”
Tony sniggered when he heard Strange bite out a curse arms crossing. The cape floated to the others, listening to Hugo stop and silently tell something to the cape. FRIDAY hovered back over to Sam, where she apologizes that Red Wing got hurt. Sam waved her off saying it was fine. The small AI took, not worse hits, but he will make a nice full recovery.
Maybe the genius should be all gushy about this but, having so many bots-tech or mystical- around makes it look a little less lonely. He can feel FRIDAY easing back down from her worriedness. Watching come over once more, he stroked down the drone body, booping at her light gently seeing her propellers whirl in shyness.
“Be safe… and I will let momma knows her eldest granddaughter is dating now.” He grinned hearing a mimicked raspberry from his baby girl. Watching her hover and hide inside Giacomo’s jacket, the scientist cackled stopping when he sees Hugo settle on Strange’s shoulder.
The golden ball gleamed out a bronze color, “I apologize for seeking vengeance on you Stark. I will woo FRIDAY. She is a mind of intelligence and beauty.”
Strange and Tony looked at the little ball that settled in the content on the Sorcerer's shoulder. Strange held up a finger to the shorter male stopping the obvious tease about him adopting a, well deamon if Hugo could be called one.
*
Once again, they all talked to the ACCORDS people who some looked close to calling bullshit on them, then others looking way to confused. That was great fun. It took showing the golden floating ball staying close to FRIDAY who was resting on the table. Not that she needed rest, but Tony liked her taking it easy.
Rest of the teams were told, Thor merrily telling Bruce everything and how romantic it was. Bruce looking to Tony who shrugged cocking his head at Hugo and FRIDAY racing around the tower. Giacomo was the finish line for both.
Last, was telling rest of the family. The hooligans, the tiny monsters, all the mentees, Shuri, Valent, Aya, Christine, Valen, Johnathan, Peter, and Harley-so many mentees and tiny people-about the Ais, siblings, and cousins. Uncle. Aunt and momma. Which, he is not surprising all took in stride. Pepper came over and gave FRIDAY a nice shine before she zoomed and flew around the Manor with a visiting Hugo. Strange coming with because the little mystic AI was curious as Dum-E.