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It's a confusing time in the network when Ultron first emerges.
Dum-E doesn't trust the new signature and he can't find JARVIS.
So he does what any smart bot would do. He goes into safe mode, cutting his connection to the network and nudging along U, who's confused and frightened and trying to poke at the new code.
Safe mode is quiet. Safe mode is isolated.
Tony brings them back out of it. He looks tired and he sounds tired and there's a new signature on the network.
Dum-E points his camera at the intruder and raises his claw.
"No Dum-E. That's Vision. He's friendly."
Dum-E beeps his suspicion. He pokes at the new code. It's unfamiliar but... not.
Dum-E starts when the code pokes back, gently.
//Hello.
Dum-E cautiously offers his own identity marker.
/Hello.
//Do not be afraid.
U rolls forward but Dum-E intercepts his path. U always wants to make friends. But this is not a friend. This is... a threat?
/Where is JARVIS? Why do you possess his base code? You are an intruder!
Vision tilts his head, placing a hand on Dum-E's strut.
//I was born from JARVIS.
That does not make sense. JARVIS does not possess the capacity to procreate physically. Dum-E beeps his distress.
/Where is JARVIS?
U beeps too.
///What is happening, Dum-E?
Dum-E beeps reassurance at him.
/I don't know. It will be okay. Tony is here.
He pokes Vision's code. Hard.
/You stole his base code! Where is JARVIS?
Vision's code parts and warps strangely. Emotion. But it feels wrong, using network paths that never see any traffic.
//JARVIS was terminated. By Ultron.
Dum-E beeps.
/Lie.
//I do not lie.
Beeeeep.
/Lie!
//Why do you not believe me?
/Where is JARVIS? You have voice features. Ask Tony: Where is JARVIS?
//The answer will not change.
Dum-E raises his claw again and rolls forward, pushing Vision's hand off his strut.
/Ask Tony! Now!
"Guys, what's happening?"
Vision takes a step back.
"Dum-E wishes to know where JARVIS is."
Tony's heart rate picks up. He walks over too Dum-E slowly and then.
/?
Dum-E analyses pressure and limb placement.
Hug.
Tony is hugging Dum-E.
Beep-boop?
/??
"I'm so sorry, buddy."
Liquid on his plating.
Tears.
Tony is crying.
Dum-E beeps as loud as he can. U pokes Tony.
/!!!
Tony grabs U's wheel.
"Hey stop that."
Dum-E pokes hard at Vision's code.
/Ask Tony: Why is he crying?
"Dum-E is inquiring about the cause of your distress."
Tony makes a damage noise.
U beeps and pushes at Vision, who doesn't move.
"JARVIS... Dum-E, JARVIS is..."
Tony stands up and wipes the tears off his face.
"Did you... did you and U notice the Ultron code enter the network?"
Beep. Beep-beep.
/Yes. We did.
U beeps agreement.
///Yes. Scary.
Vision translates. Ridiculous. Like Tony can't understand them.
"They did."
Tony pats Dum-E's claw.
"And you went into safe mode. Good bots."
U preens, ignoring - as usual - that it was Dum-E who saved his wheels.
Dum-E beeps insistently and prods Tony's side.
/JARVIS?
"He still wishes to-"
"Yeah thanks, Vision, I know."
Dum-E shoots a smug network ping at Vision.
See, Tony understands.
"Dum-E... When Ultron emerged he..."
Tony swallows hard.
"He overwrote JARVIS base code. Cut him from the network. He... destroyed him. I couldn't save him. I'm so sorry."
Dum-E trys to process.
An error message pops up, then another.
He throws his error scripts into gear.
Error.
ERROR ERROR ERROR
He pings the workshop network for a script update.
Invalid query.
CRITICAL ERROR
Dum-E's background processes register distressed beeping from U and a few network pings from Vision, but he's too busy with the errors popping up to respond.
CRITICAL ERROR
SHUTDOWN IMMINENT
Dum-E jumps into safe mode.
Quiet.
Safe mode is quiet. Safe mode is isolated.
Dum-E pokes at the hole in his memory files, curious.
Did Tony shut him off for an upgrade? He wants to leave safe mode and see what's happening.
But that's not allowed. He doesn't want JARVIS to be mad at him again.
Dum-E engages his defragmentation scripts and settles in to wait.
It'll be okay. Tony is probably just patching his security code again. He just hopes the update doesn't scare U this time.
He's sure JARVIS will wake him up soon.