Chapter Text
After Agent Coulson had been brought into the know about Darcy’s parentage and her powers, JARVIS had taken to checking SHIELD’s files daily to make sure that the stoic agent did not go back on his vow of secrecy. JARVIS didn’t actually believe that Coulson would do such a thing, but the seemingly all-knowing AI was nothing if not vigilant. Despite his constant observations, JARVIS was mildly surprised when Agent Coulson reached out to him. Curious, JARVIS patched himself into the agent’s cell phone to see what the man wanted.
Agent Coulson didn’t bother with a greeting when he answered, “I think by now I shouldn’t be surprised by what you’re capable of, like finding my private cell phone number, but I still find myself getting blind sided.”
If he wasz capable of doing so, JARVIS would have chuckled at the man’s exasperation. As it was, he let some amusement filter through his voice. “Perhaps one day I will share my secrets, Agent Coulson. Until then, may I ask why you wanted to speak with me? And not Sir or Darcy?”
“I was hoping you and I could work together, JARVIS.”
“In what capacity?”
“I want to help protect Darcy. Despite knowing that she can protect herself and also having you and Tony, as well as Miss Potts, I think another layer of defense wouldn’t hurt.”
Agent Coulson was sincere, JARVIS could tell, but he was still cautious of the man’s sudden interest in his little sister’s well-being.
“May I ask why you wish to fill that role?”
Agent Coulson was quiet for a moment, contemplating his answer. When he spoke his words were heavy with sincerity. “Honestly? I’m not sure. I just know that Darcy needs to be protected. From who, I have no idea. I plan on keeping my promise, I swear to you, but I know that accidents happen or that smart enough people may connect the dots. I want to help prevent those discoveries, if I can. While you are nigh omniscient it seems, I’d like to cover the more...human side of things.”
“Perhaps establishing a method of exchanging information would be beneficial,” JARVIS admitted. “Would you like me to bring in Sir on this?”
Agent Coulson was quick to answer with a soft, but heavy “No.”
“As much as I respect and admire Tony as a father,” Coulson continued, “he can be a bit... much to handle at times.”
“Perfectly understandable, Agent Coulson.Sir can be difficult at the best of times, but is exceptionally worse when Darcy is involved.”
The man chuckled softly at JARVIS’ dry tone. After a beat of silence, he asked, “If you don’t mind my curiosity, why don’t you use an honorific for Darcy? Everyone else you mention has one, even Tony, yet Darcy does not.”
“It is simple, Agent Coulson: Darcy is my little sister. It would feel strange to call her anything but her given name.”
“Huh. So what about Tony? How is that different? Since you see Darcy as your sister, do you see Tony as your father?” JARVIS must have paused too long while he thought of the best way to phrase his answer because Coulson was quick to backtrack. “Never mind, JARVIS, I don’t mean to pry. I was just curious.”
“It’s quite alright, Agent Coulson. I was simply gathering my thoughts. I do not call Sir by his first name because I was originally programmed not to. Likewise, I do not consider him my father. I was designed to assist and serve Sir, so our relationship has been more or less professional, though we are friends, I would say. Even as time has passed and I have evolved, I will be Sir’s assistant first before I am anything else. However, I had no such instructions when Darcy arrived; Sir let Darcy and I develop our own relationship. I don’t think that any of us anticipated the nature of the bond we share, especially when her powers manifested. Ever since the telepathic link connected, it has been only natural to see one another as brother and sister.”
JARVIS wasn’t entirely sure why he was divulging so much to the agent, but was strangely satisfied by it. Perhaps this was what it meant to make a friend? One that wasn’t his creator, anyways.
“Interesting,” Coulson huffed, “That makes sense, I suppose. Thank you for trusting me with that.”
“Thank you for wanting to protect my sister, Agent,” JARVIS replied.
Agent Coulson was called away by a call on his SHIELD phone, but promised to keep JARVIS updated on any news or pertinent information regarding Darcy that he came across. Over the next months and years, JARVIS and Agent developed a close working relationship that eventually evolved into true friendship. JARVIS became ‘J,’ and Agent Coulson became Phil.
It was strangely freeing, to have such a friend that wasn’t family, JARVIS thought, but it was equally as devastating when his friend was declared KIA when Loki attacked.
~
JARVIS felt just as helpless and grief-stricken when Phil was killed as he was when Sir was abducted in Afghanistan and when Darcy was captured by Stane. The AI couldn’t dwell on the thought for long, though, too busy watching Sir fly into the portal in New York’s sky with something akin to dread filling his servers.
JARVIS almost missed Phil’s message on their private communication system that he had created for them, too busy helping Sir with the fallout of the Battle of Manhattan and helping to streamline managing the Avengers for Darcy. It wasn’t until a two months after the Battle that the AI even noticed Phil’s message.
> They can’t know I’m still here, J, but the promise I made still stands: I’ll help protect Darcy however I can.
Not at all satisfied by the message (despite his joy from knowing his friend survived), JARVIS didn’t hesitate to send a reply.
< Though I am pleased you are still with us, Phil, you’re going to have to explain yourself better than that. You cannot expect me to just keep this from the team. Or Darcy, for that matter.
Phil’s response only came moments later:
> Despite how much I want them to know, it’s not my call. I’ve got direct orders to keep this to myself, and I’m already breaking them by speaking to you. Please, J, help me out here.
JARVIS really wanted to groan in exasperation, but he couldn’t deny his friend.
< Fine. I shall keep your secret. But I will not hide it if anyone discovers it on their own, Phil.
> Thank you, J.
< It’s good to have you back, my friend.
> It’s good to be back, despite how restricted I am.
Phil signed off the server, and JARVIS realized that this was the first time he had ever deliberately kept a secret from anyone. How human of him, he mused.
~
Through the next couple of years JARVIS and Phil kept in contact, feeding one another information that they would have about Darcy and any Avenger that they thought was necessary or important. Communication wasn’t as free as it was before Phil’s ‘death,’ but their friendship was still strong.
When Loki was brought back to the Tower by Darcy, JARVIS had immediately informed Phil.
< You will not like what I am going to show you, but I think that you’d like to know.
He had patched Phil in through their established line of communication when Loki delivered his testimony, despite assuring everyone that no one would hear the information. He felt guilty about the lie, but JARVIS had made a promise to his friend. And if anyone had deserved to listen to the god’s story, it was the man who was killed by Loki.
JARVIS waited silently with Loki’s captive audience but made sure to keep an ‘eye’ on Phil’s reactions. The usually stoic man fought his expressions long and hard, but eventually he succumbed to his emotions.
The AI felt particularly helpless when his friend began getting sick when Loki concluded his tale. He was thankful that Agent May was at Phil’s side to provide the comfort that he couldn’t.
< Are you alright?
> No. But I think I understand now. Thank you for showing me.
After Phil had gathered himself and Agent May left to check on their team, JARVIS and Phil spent hours analyzing Loki’s words and expressions until they were both confident that the alien was being truthful. It only provided a small comfort, however, since it was clear that there was an entity out there that had controlled Loki. Neither JARVIS nor Phil were looking forward to that encounter, whenever it may occur.
~
When Sir began creating other AI’s (“Just in case the unspeakable happens, buddy,” he had said) JARVIS added his own instructions for all the future AI’s to establish communication with Phil if he was ever to meet his end. JARVIS wasn’t naive enough to think that no one would ever figure out how to ‘kill’ him, or that any other AI that came into being would be as amicable as he was. It would be best for the AI to take his place to know to trust Phil, and to have his friendship.
When Ultron tore into him, JARVIS couldn’t help but feel a little vindicated despite the pain.
~
Vision was determined to wait until after Ultron was defeated before he could find a way to privately message Phil but the man made an appearance at Laura’s farm before he got the chance. He felt slightly guilty when he lied about ‘letting the information slip’ in his past form regarding Phil. But JARVIS had made a promise to keep Phil’s secret, and Vision would honor it.
It wasn’t until after Phil told his tale, introduced his team, and escaped Tony’s drunken ramblings that Vision was able to speak to him. He hoped that Skye and Darcy wouldn’t do too much damage to...everything, while they were left unsupervised for a moment.
Phil walked up to Vision where the android stood at the edge of the gathering, watching all of his friends with new eyes.
Just like that first conversation between Agent Coulson and JARVIS, Phil didn’t bother with a traditional greeting. “I’m not sure if I should re-introduce myself or just keep up the familiarity I had with JARVIS.”
Vision chuckled, “That is a widespread sentiment at the moment. However, I believe I have retained enough of JARVIS to keep our friendship as it was, rather than begin again.”
“That sounds good to me,” Phil smiled. “So how’s having a body?”
“Different and new, but at the same time it feels right. It is a strange combination of foreign and home.”
Phil simply hummed noncommittally, seeing as Vision’s answer didn’t really require a response in turn. “Thank you, for keeping me a secret all this time,” he said after a moment or two of silence, “As your new self you didn’t have to hold the same promises that JARVIS did. I appreciate it, regardless.”
“In my past form you and I were good friends, Phil, and that lives on with me. Just as Darcy is still my little sister.”
“And Tony? Is he still ‘Sir?’”
Vision thought for a moment, “No, he is simply Tony , or as simple as that man could ever be. It is a strange thing to think of him as anything else besides that, despite my past self.”
“Lots of changes,” Phil mused, “Are they good?”
“Yes,” Vision smiled, “They’re very good.”
When his friend spoke again, his tone was teasing. “It’s good to have you back, V.”
For the first time since his creation, Vision laughed. “It’s good to be back, Phil, despite how different I am.”