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In the first few months of experiencing human life as it was presented before him, Vision hadn’t quite gotten the hang of things yet.
After everything that had happened with Ultron, he hadn’t exactly been outside of the HQ to observe life as he wanted to. The others said it was best not to, just in case. They said that he should concentrate on his training, on experimenting with what abilities he had, just in case.
If something happened in public that they could not control, there would be a scandal so he stayed inside, just in case. They didn’t know what he was capable of, and honestly neither did he, so he took their advice, just in case. The Synthezoid worked hard to figure out and comprehend what he could do, how he could be a value to the team...but he wanted to go out and see life as everyone else knew it. As far as he understood, the team lead very different lives to everyone else on the potentially beautiful planet. Half the time, Vision dared to think that they kept him inside, not just for his own good, but so that the people they were trying to protect didn’t become frightened of a being so...so inhuman. Even some of the team were still a little cautious when approaching him, he assumed that it was merely just human instinct to avoid the unknown, but that was another story. Most nights, when the others retired to their rooms, Vision usually found himself at the highest point of the building, watching over the city.
The colours were vibrant, and he could usually make out cars and various other things going about their business in the darkness amongst the skyscrapers and monumental structures.
He thought it beautiful, in a way.
He longed to go and see and touch and smell and process every last bit of information that there was to know. However, he understood the reasoning behind the team’s advice, whether they said the actual words or not, he knew why, and they were just trying to protect him. Or at least, he told himself that.
Another morning began, and more training was arranged, but that wasn’t what vision was interested in. According to the man who told the weather on the television transmitter device last night, it was supposed to be a very sunny day, and he was correct in his facts. As the Synthezoid sat and waited for the others to arrive, seen as he was always ten minutes early to everything, he thought about what the weather man had said while he looked out into the grounds of the HQ through the large panes of glass that surrounded the room. Surely there would be no harm if he just...just had a few moments outside. No one was around, so no one would know, would they? It would only be for a few moments...it was too tempting to resist. The Synthezoid couldn’t help himself, he had to do it while he had the chance.
Therefore, Vision stood, glancing around before phasing through the glass with ease and, so suddenly, he was surrounded with light. His synthetic senses were overwhelmed, flooded with what he could only describe as...warmth. Yes, it was only the grounds of the HQ, but he still comprehended it as beautiful.
It may have been sculpted by man, but it was natural. The grass, the trees, the birdsong. Even the smell was fresh and dewy and pleasant to his receptors. Everywhere he looked there was something to marvel over, something to explore, something to find out about. He’d taken a few steps out into the lawn, careful, calculated footsteps, before crouching down to inspect the small blades of plant that sprouted from the earth beneath his feet. As if it was sacred, Vision reached out to touch it, to observe, feeling the thin, fragile leaves. It was not as spiky as he’d expected initially, smiling a little to himself as he realised the softness of it, and the fact that it was everywhere.
It amazed him how such a small life force could operate like this, feed its self and grow and- oh! His thoughts of the grass were interrupted when a minute creature crawled into his hand, which he quickly identified as a ladybug, and scuttled along his fingers. Temporarily amused by the small bug, he turned his hand and held it up to the light as it crawled, feeling blessed that the red bug had chosen him as a landing spot. Vision watched in wonderment as he sat on the grass, a content and very curious expression resting on his face.
But the little bug spread its little wings soon enough and left him, causing his glance to follow, and say goodbye as he did so. Now, he looked up, turning his attention to the sun and the clear blue sky.
Vision felt the radiation of it on his skin, letting it surround him and take it all in. In the moment of contentment, he closed eyes eyes and entrusted the world to do no harm to him, to only enrich his body in power, to absorb the rays of pure solar energy, to allow himself to be vulnerable in the few minutes of bliss.
He was...enjoying himself.
He felt...happiness.
To be in his natural form, amongst a portion of pure nature, was more than he’d even dreamt of in the past few months. No, it wasn’t civilisation, but it was safe, and natural. Vision craned his neck with a quiet sigh, his eyes still closed to bask in the light, bathed in its glorious riches. He was in warmth, comfort, soaking up every bit of energy he could receive. He never wanted to leave, and that was clear to a few of the other Avengers who were now quietly watching the Synthezoid experience nature properly for the first time.
It would seem that time had escaped Vision, which was very out of character, but he didn’t care in the slightest.
The Captain has opened his mouth to say something, to call him back inside, but Ms Romanoff stopped him and whispered:
“it’s alright, leave him be.”