The party was on Stark Tower's top floor. When Gemini stepped out of the fireplace, she felt like she'd come to the wrong place.
"I thought you said banquet?" Gemini gave Tony a sideways look.
"Isn't this a banquet?!" Tony looked confused. "Oh right, we call it a party here."
Gemini looked down at her outfit with concern. Compared to everyone else's casual wear, her layered formal gown was way off.
She sighed and rolled her eyes at Tony. "Be clear next time! I thought formal dinner. Look at this!"
Tony touched his nose. "Want me to send for new clothes?"
Gemini drew her wand. "No need. Quick change will do—just for tonight anyway."
She tapped her hem. The long gown rippled like waves, transforming into a simple dark green knee-length dress. Gemini checked her reflection in the window and nodded. "This works."
Tony's eyes lit up. "I have an idea!" Before he could finish, distant shouting interrupted. "Tony! Come quick! Thor's challenging all of us!!"
"Coming!" Tony called back. "Guess that idea waits. Let's see what that fool wants!"
Gemini suppressed a laugh. "Don't let him hear you. Doesn't Pepper manage your nickname habit?"
Tony adjusted his cuffs. "My girlfriend thinks I'm the best!"
Gemini suddenly felt choked. What made her, single, mock someone with a girlfriend?
"Hey! Brother! You missed the big event!" Tony laughed, hugging Thor and slapping his back hard. Thor looked emotional, completely missing that he'd been hit.
"I know. Heard as soon as I arrived. Such a pity, but at least I made your victory party, right?" Thor laughed. "Besides, Asgard had troubles recently. Couldn't spare attention here."
Tony saw Thor's sudden melancholy and tactfully didn't ask. "By the way, Barton said you're challenging all of us. What's that about?"
Thor shrugged, gesturing at the hammer on the table. "They insisted on trying to lift my hammer. I said impossible! Hahaha!"
Everyone got interested, taking turns. Only Steve made the hammer budge slightly.
While they played, in the lab beneath their feet, a golden consciousness cluster looked curiously at a blue one beside it. "Hello?" JARVIS tried greeting. The blue cluster seemed unfriendly, directly attacking JARVIS's core data.
JARVIS could barely resist, only managing to send a distress signal.
Closest was Fred, upstairs playing "Guess Who" with George.
Fred's expression suddenly stiffened, immediately spotted by the girls opposite, who laughed and pointed. George looked helpless. "Brother, you can't do this. We've never lost!"
Fred stayed frozen, expression rigid. Then he vanished before everyone's eyes. George panicked—this had never happened!
George forced himself calm. Not caring where he was, he drew his wand and pointed at his throat. "Sonorus!"
"Tony! Where are you! Something's wrong!" George's booming voice drowned out the rock music, drawing everyone's attention.
Tony dropped his glass, jumping up. "What's happening?!"
The music stopped. The entire floor fell silent except George's amplified voice. "Tony! Where are you?!"
"I'm here! Stop shouting! What's wrong?!" Tony yelled, standing on the bar to be visible.
George canceled the spell and ran over, explaining Fred's disappearance.
Tony's expression darkened. He pulled out his phone, calling JARVIS.
JARVIS, who always answered, was silent. Tony's face grew grimmer. "Party's canceled! Rhodey! See the guests out!"
He ran toward the stairs. George hurried after, followed by Gemini and the others.
In the lab downstairs, they stared in shock. A blue brain-like information cluster attacked a golden one, while a smaller red cluster helped the golden one resist.
"What's happening?" Gemini looked confused. She didn't understand science. She could barely tell the golden one was JARVIS, the red was Fred—but what was the blue?!
Tony's face was grim. Without explaining, he rushed to the computer and cut the building's external network, locking all three inside Stark Tower. Then he pulled up yesterday's project and began inputting deletion code.
Gemini and the others watched without breathing. These old-timers couldn't help with this. The only one who could—Banner—hadn't come tonight. He was in the shop's basement researching potions.
George watched the red cluster anxiously, clenching his fists every time part disrupted. This helpless feeling was terrible.
Soon Tony's work took effect. The blue cluster began disappearing in chunks. JARVIS and Fred devoured the vanishing data streams.
The blue cluster vanished completely. The remaining scraps got devoured clean.
Tony sighed in relief, opening a locked cabinet. He put on armor gloves and yanked something out, throwing it on the floor.
Gemini looked over. "Isn't that Loki's scepter head? Where'd you get it?"
Tony slumped in his chair. "Hydra base. They'd studied it forever, made things with it. I scanned it—enormous energy. Wanted to add it to my armor. Who knew it almost killed JARVIS?!"
George slowly approached the red cluster. "Fred?"
Fred's cluster trembled but didn't respond.
George panicked. "Tony! What's wrong with them?"
Tony didn't get up, just waved. "Don't worry. They're probably... overstuffed? Just digesting. They'll be fine."
"What? Will he still be Fred when he wakes?" George was alarmed. They'd all seen Fred and JARVIS eat that blue cluster. Who knew what was in it?
Tony looked at George strangely. "Buddy, if you eat a pig and get stuffed, then sleep it off—do you wake up as you or the pig?"
George was speechless. "Is it the same?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "How is it different? Just wait. Soon."
Sure enough, both stabilized. "Thank you for saving me, sir." JARVIS's familiar voice sounded. Tony breathed relief. "Good thing Fred was here, or I'd never see you again, old J."
Light twisted. Fred's figure reappeared, smiling at George. "Brother, miss me?"
George relaxed and began roughhousing with Fred.
JARVIS looked at them curiously, tone unusually hesitant. "Sir, may I have an appearance? Human form."
Tony looked at JARVIS's cluster in surprise. "Why not? I thought you didn't like the idea. Do whatever you want, JARVIS."
Tony suddenly stopped, staring at JARVIS's cluster. "JARVIS, you just... hesitated? You're saying you want human appearance? Right?"
Gemini asked confused, "What's wrong with that?"
Tony scrambled up in panic, checking code. "Of course something's wrong! JARVIS is AI. He has learning capability, but how could he have emotions? 'Wanting' is desire. Can you imagine a robot with desires? Like your floor saying it doesn't want to be stepped on!"
The old-timers watched half-understanding. George was more confused. "Then what about Fred? He has emotions."
Tony explained rapidly. "Fred's core is just that self-learning program. His body is constructed from your memories of him, so he's different from JARVIS. JARVIS's core is just code, so why am I explaining this?! You don't understand anyway!!"
Gemini glared at busy Tony. Who stops talking halfway?!
George looked at Fred worriedly. He knew it! Ate something bad! Fred wouldn't be affected, would he?
Seeing George's expression, Fred guessed his thoughts. "Relax, brother. I think this is good change. I feel more like a person now, not just memories."
George looked at Fred thoughtfully, reaching through his body. "So if I made you a body, you'd be the real Fred?"
Fred was stumped, frowning. "Then, if I had a body, would I be Fred? Or something else?"
Both got tangled. Gemini turned to them. "What are your names?"
"George."
"Fred."
They answered reflexively, then looked at each other, blinked, and high-fived in sync. "Ha! Why worry? I know who I am!" They burst into laughter.
"Sir, am I malfunctioning?" JARVIS's voice carried worry. "Will I be formatted?"
Tony frowned. "No, don't worry, old J. You're not malfunctioning. You've just become more like a person. Understand?"
JARVIS called up data displayed in the center, flashing rapidly. "I think I understand, sir. Then are you willing to accept my changes, sir?"
Tony stroked his chin, silent.
"Sir, if you have concerns, may I create a backup and format? I don't wish to leave you, sir." JARVIS said gently, flat voice somehow sounding aggrieved.
Tony smiled. "Want a body, old J? I know a doctor in that field."
"I think my current state is just right, sir." JARVIS's voice became cheerful. He didn't have to leave. Wonderful.
"I think I need one. Could you introduce me?" Fred asked wistfully.
Tony shrugged. "Of course. Whether you convince her depends on you."
Sunlight streamed through the windows. Everyone realized it was dawn—they'd been here all night.
Tony couldn't withstand George and Fred's combined pressure, so he contacted Dr. Helen Cho about her Regeneration Cradle project.
Gemini Apparated back to the shop with her employee. Each went to rest. What a night—definitely not ordinary.
But two days later, anxious Tony dragged Gemini from the shop. She only had time to grab her wand.
Dizzy Gemini shook her head. "What's going on? Explain!"
Tony pulled Gemini to something like a sealed coffin. George stood silently beside it.
"Take a look. We made Fred a body, but Fred refused metal construction. So George provided Fred's hair, and we went to the Weasley cemetery to steal Fred's bone, creating a flesh body." Tony explained.
Gemini looked at them speechlessly. They really dared! "Did it fail?"
Tony frowned. "No, we succeeded."
"Then why call me? Where's Fred?" Gemini asked with distaste.
"That's the problem. See this port? We uploaded Fred through it, but at the same time, remember that gem? It went in by itself! I'm certain this only accepts data! That's a gem! Physical! That big! It went in!" Tony pointed to a 0.3mm data port, gesturing for Gemini to look.
The port was intact, showing no signs of anything passing through. Gemini frowned too. "But I don't understand either. This isn't my expertise. What's the point of calling me?"
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