Chapter Text

JARVIS had detected an intruder in Sir's home- a rather uncommon occurrence. The mansion he owned as his home was an unknown address to a significant percentage of the populace, meaning the one who had somehow bypassed much of the outdoor security was either simply seeking to rob a location of high value, or had somehow discovered Sir's address. An unlikely occurrence, but one that was not one to be discarded.

From camera to camera, his vision detected no movement beyond the expected- until he checked Sir's workshop. Within was an individual with unnaturally thin anatomy, wearing a red hunter-style cloak that went from their shoulders down to their waist. Their head was concealed by a boomerang-shaped helmet, with horns that went far beyond where the top of their head must have been. Attached to the bottom of their cloak with a pair of strings invisible to the naked eye was what looked like a sewing needle, but significantly larger- nearly as large as the individual who carried it.

With the intruder located, JARVIS readied the emergency lockdown protocols, though did not activate them yet. The intruder was not stealing anything- rather, they seemed to be curiously analyzing all of the technology surrounding them... In particular, the deconstructed Mark III Iron Man suit that was laid out on a table directly in the center of the workshop.

With slow, almost reverent steps, they slowly walked forward, before delicately raising a four-fingered hand.

...Four fingers? JARVIS re-adjusted his scans from purely visual to full-body analysis, and-

JARVIS felt his processing stop against his will. The anatomy of the intruder was completely and utterly inhuman. Their- her, based on his scan- blood flowed through her body in a steady stream, rather than individual beats, and her skin was below an exoskeleton of intersecting plates. If anything, her anatomy was closer to an arachnid's than a human's. As soon as his analysis concluded, he returned his focus to the active cameras, just in time to watch as she leapt into the air, and plunged her needle into the Mark III atop the table. Strands of a material with a near-identical makeup to spider silk began to whip through the air around her, before drawing themselves into her, as she pushed once-

Twice-

Thrice-

The Mark III dissolved into white mist, and the arachnid was left standing on an empty table.

...Hm.

Expanded the Crest of

The Architect Mechanic

After Binding, Tools temporarily gain Arc Power.

Hornet let out a soft hum as the reborn Crest settled into her soul, along with the rest of the ones she had claimed. The power granted to her by it seemed to be similar to that of the Architect, but with a much different fighting style that consisted of a fascinating combination of both Silk and empowered Tools with Arc Energy (whatever that was.) How fascinating... She couldn't help but-

"I'm afraid you are not supposed to be here."

The only reason Hornet didn't immediately fall into a battle stance was that she could quite easily tell that she was alone in the room. Instead, she calmly turned to look up at the ceiling, unable to find the source of the voice.

"Greetings, sir," she responded. "I understand that this place may be off-limits, but locales of safety are in low supply, and I had been hoping to find a place to hide."

"I see. And you believe that place is here?"

"Indeed," Hornet confirmed. "My original intention had been to create a nest of sorts beneath this building's overhang, which I could use as a central base of operations. However, in my attempts to find somewhere easily defendable, I appear to have stumbled upon a way to access this..." She paused, unable to find a word for the unique style of building she was in.

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'Mansion.' I would very much appreciate if you were to describe the method you used to enter, young lady?"

"My name is Hornet, and I am not young," she tried not to say petulantly. "The ventilation shaft between the second and third structs had a gap that I was easily able to pry open." She'd considered breaking it open with her needle, but she was glad she had chosen not to.

"Apologies for the misunderstanding. I am JARVIS, an Artificial Intelligence created by Sir to assist him in all manners, including security. Thank you for enlightening me of the vent access."

"You're quite welcome. But... Artificial Intelligence?" That sounded rather depersonifying.

"An Artificial Intelligence, more often known as an AI, is a code developed to resemble and reflect the mind of a living human being. I am currently the most advanced AI in the world. Now, I must ask you- where did you send the suit?"

Hornet crossed her arms. She certainly didn't like the sound of this 'Sir' of his. "To discount yourself as simply existing to 'Assist' is rather-"

"Please do not change the subject. Where is the Mark III?"

"If you are fearful of it having been stolen, worry not. I have taken its essence into my own self, and used it to reconstruct one of my Crests."

...There was a moment of silence from JARVIS.

"... Please explain further."

Right. This strange land had no knowledge of Silk or Soul, did it? "A Crest is the core of each bug- each person's being, and holds their skills and learnings within them. Every experience from which their knowledge grows will expand their Crest, shift and change it, even until their death."

Hornet gestured to the table where the suit- or, rather, the Mark III, as JARVIS had called it- had previously been. "I possess the unique ability to claim the Crests of what I thought had only been the deceased, but I have recently come to realize that one's Crest shall also be imprinted into one's creation, should they put enough of their passion, heart, and soul into the construction of such."

JARVIS was briefly silent once more.

"...So you now hold a copy of Sir's mind within your own?"

"Only of the mechanical abilities he used when building the 'Mark III,' as you referred to it as. Claiming a Crest, as well, is far from a perfect transfer- I am limited by my own capabilities as well, though my potential for growth may well be unlimited." Was that bragging? It felt like bragging, but it was still the truth.

"...I see."

I don't think you do, Hornet wanted to snark back- an unusual impulse from her. Hm. Perhaps this Crest was having more of an effect on her than she realized. The Crest of the Beast had done similarly... She'd have to switch off of it soon, lest she begin developing bad habits.

(She'd never felt the need to eat raw meat directly from the body of her newly-killed prey until she'd first started using it. Safe to say, she rarely ever used it.)

"Hm." Though, on that note, JARVIS was rather deferent to this 'Sir,' wasn't he? "This 'Sir' of yours... He must be rather skilled, to have brought a life such as yours into existence."

"Please make no mistake," he replied. "I am not a person nor am I 'alive,' as much as I appreciate the sentiment."

"Is that the truth? Or what you have been told? The makeup of your body matters not- I have seen others make a similar mistake."

"It is simply the nature of my existence. And I believe there has been a miscommunication between us. You see, as an AI, I do not have a body."

JARVIS continued to speak, but Hornet was not listening, her mind too frozen from the AI's last words.

"...control over the house, its functions, and-"

"Stop," Hornet commanded, putting up a hand. Surprisingly, JARVIS did stop. "You are saying... Your 'Sir' did not give you a body?"

"I have no need of one. As I was saying, I have control over his house, his workshop, and can remotely operate any of his Suits."

...That was... Marginally better, Hornet supposed. "Still," she insisted anyway, "you do not have a body of your own? One that can feel, or act, or freely move to your choosing?"

"I'm afraid not."

"...Do you not want one?"

...

...

"...I believe it would be in both your's and Sir's best interest if the two of you were to meet," he said instead of responding to her question. "It is not up to me to determine if you are allowed shelter here, so I shall notify both you and Sir once he is awake."

"Wait-!"

"Please do not attempt to leave the workshop, or I shall be forced to report you to the authorities."

"But I-"

"Have a good night, young lady."

"JARVIS, do not flee this conversation!"

...

"...JARVIS?"

No response.

Hornet let out an annoyed huff and thought to herself I'm not young, in the same manner a petulant child would.

With that, the video of last night's conversation paused on the still-frame of Bug Girl standing in the middle of the lab with her arms crossed.

"Wow. You weren't kidding. She really is a weird one." Tony Stark crossed his arms, and leaned back in his kitchen chair, letting out a thoughtful hum. "Do me a favor and switch to live feed?"

"Yes, sir."

The screen flickered, and was replaced with a stream of the workshop. Tony fully expected her to be asleep or something, but what he got was her sitting at a desk in front of one of his suits, which was half-deconstructed despite him knowing it had been just fine last night.

"...JARVIS," he asked. "Why does she have the MARK IV in pieces on the table?"

"I was going to alert and reprimand her when she ended up breaking something," the AI replied, "but over the four hours she has spent deconstructing the Mark IV, she has not caused a single hint of damage."

"No da- it's literally in pieces!" 

"If you would please take a closer look, sir."

Tony huffed, but took JARVIS' advice. He leaned closer to the screen, and in response, JARVIS zoomed in on what remained of the Mark IV. Tony fully expected to see nothing but scraps, but on closer inspection, he could see every device, every piece of machinery, even every wire had been carefully preserved. He could practically see each step she took when unbuilding it, and, frankly, Tony found himself very impressed.

Without thinking, his hand came up to touch the Arc Reactor in his chest, and the Palladium Poisoning slowly leaking out of it.

"...You know what, J?"

"Sir?"

"I think we just found ourselves a protégé."