Oct 17, 2020
He is much more than the Mind Stone.
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He is much more than the Mind Stone.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 7!
It took a while, for Vision to notice that his fellow Avengers had actually become his friends. It wasn't that he had ever thought badly of them. It was just that, well, friendship was a new concept for him. A lot of things were new concepts for him. --
"Vision, we need another man for 'Capture The Flag'" Captain Rogers called to him. "Can we count you in?"
Vision scanned the vast amount of information in his head for the game's rules.
"Of course, Sir."
"You don't have to call me Sir. Steve is fine." --
"Yo, Vision" Sam greeted him, then jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Steve and Wanda. "These two have never been to the Zoo, so I'm taking them. You wanna come with?"
"I would like that" Vision stood. "I have never been to the Zoo either."
"What is wrong with you people?" Sam shook his head.
"Well, I was only born about a month ago" Vision pointed out.
"Sokovia didn't have a Zoo" Wanda shrugged.
"I've been.. Just, not this century" said Steve. --
"Vision, get out here, it's team movie night!" Natasha yelled.
"We have Popcorn!" added Sam.
"I don't eat" Vision reminded them, as he walked out and took a seat beside Wanda. "But I would be happy to enjoy a film with you all."
"Okay" Nat held up two DVD cases. "We have a choice between Dude, Where's My Car? or The Lion King."
"I haven't seen The Lion King, but I know it's supposed to be very good."
Sam stared at Vision like he'd sprouted an extra head, until Wanda spoke.
"I haven't seen it."
"Me neither" said Steve.
Sam turned to Nat, wide-eyed.
"Put The Lion King on, quick. We have to educate these people!" --
Vision hadn't realised it at the time, but the way his fellow Avengers remembered him, remembered to include him, was their way of extending the hand of friendship.
Because Vision did not notice this, he did not know that he had friends. Not until something else made him ask about it more directly.
One afternoon, Vision was reading, when Wanda flopped beside him on the couch.
"Hey, Vizh. What're you reading?"
Vision didn't reply right away, only because it took him a few moments to realise that she was talking to him.
"Harry Potter."
"Huh. So it is" Wanda peered at the book. "The covers were different in Sokovia. That's the third one right? You won't believe the twist.."
"Wanda.."
"Sorry Vizh. Am I annoying you?"
"No. What you called me just now.."
"Vizh?"
"Yes."
"It's a nickname. Like what you call a friend."
"We are friends?" Vision seemed surprised.
"Of course" Wanda nodded. "We're all friends around here, I suppose."
"Hmm. I suppose we are." Vision couldn't help the small smile that spread over his face.
He had friends.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 6!
--
Vision marched into the School building with a purpose. Tommy, at just seven, somehow managed to keep pace with his Father's long stride. Billy trailed meekly behind them.
Vision had promised Wanda that he could handle any issues that arose with their boys while she was away on a girl's trip with Natasha, and handle them he would. Of course, he had expected an issue involving Tommy's overly energetic nature and occasionally quick temper.
What Vision had definitely not expected was an issue with one of Billy's drawings. Particularly, a drawing of his family. --
Vision, at first, did not even realise that he'd had a family until he'd lost them. When Wanda, Sam, and Clint had been taken to the Raft. When Captain Rogers, and later Natasha, had disappeared to parts unknown.
The sudden absence of all of them from his life was like a gaping wound that just wouldn't heal.
In fact, it hadn't healed until he saw them, made his apologies, and they all made their peace. No one had held grudges for too long, which was a great relief for Vision.
He and Wanda had even.. well, that was a much longer story.
Much later, after more wars and heartbreak, death and rebirth, loss, and finally, victory- later, after all that was done- came the miracle of his sons. And instantly, Vision understood why so many wanted this. A family of their own.
He, Wanda, Tommy, and Billy formed a happy little unit.
But from outside that little unit, they were surrounded by the Avengers, those who had fought on both sides of the Civil War, long forgotten amongst everything that happened since. They were surrounded by love.
That Vision knew, was a Family. --
So, when a teacher challenged his son's view of what a family was.. Well, that situation had to be corrected.
Vision knocked on the door of the classroom. The Teacher, a rather stern looking woman known as Mrs Baxter, looked up and jumped slightly, startled. None of the School's staff were quite used to him. Most preferred to deal with Wanda.
"Mr.. uh.."
"Just Vision, thank you. May I have a moment of your time?"
"Oh.. of course" Mrs. Baxter tried to sound polite, but was obviously not entirely happy.
Still, Vision strode in and sat down opposite her.
"I am told you had a problem with Billy's Family Portrait."
"He drew The Avengers."
"And?" Vision frowned. "His Mother and I are Avengers."
"He drew all the Avengers. Your son was clearly trying to show off" said Mrs. Baxter.
"I beg to differ" said Vision, his frown deepening. "One, if you really knew Billy, you would know that he is not the attention seeker of the twins. Two..My Wife is an orphan, Mrs. Baxter. And I, coming into this world as I did, have no 'blood relatives' except for my boys. Since their birth, they have been in constant contact with the Avengers."
"I.."
"I am not finished. Their Uncle Clint takes them to his farm during the holidays. Their Aunt Natasha takes them out for Ice-cream most weekends. Hot Chocolate in Winter. Uncle Steve and Uncle Sam join in when they're available.."
"But.."
"I am still not finished" Vision cut her off, slightly annoyed. "Uncle Tony sends them embarrassingly elaborate presents. They have a roster, to try and ensure at least one of them is always at the boys' sporting events. They make time for them. They put in the effort. That is what family does. That they happen to be the Avengers and give Billy a bit more 'street cred' on the Playground does not discount the fact that they are his family."
"I.. I see your point" Mrs. Baxter was forced to concede.
"Thank you" Vision smiled, standing to leave. "That was all I needed to say." --
The Boys were waiting for him just outside.
"Everything is fixed now, Billy" Vision smiled. "Mrs. Baxter won't say anything about your next Family Portrait."
Billy beamed, running to hug Vision's legs.
"Thank you, Daddy."
"You're welcome. Since you boys waited so nicely, how about we get you some ice cream?"
"Yeah!" Tommy jumped. "Two scoops?"
"Maybe. But don't tell Mummy."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 5!
--
Vision was evolving.
He had been evolving from the moment of his birth.
Defying expectations, becoming more than anyone ever thought he would be.
In particular, his emotions were evolving, his sense of himself. What he cared for. His own special set of morals and values. These were things that came to someone gradually.
Vision discovered regret after his brief scuffle with Thor.
He discovered annoyance at Wanda Maximoff's early inability to properly see him.
Grief, too, was something that Wanda had helped him discover. He had felt it through the Mind Stone while rescuing her from the crumbling Sokovia. --
When Sam Wilson moved into the Avenger's compound, Vision soon began to develop a sense of humour.
He had thought it quite funny when a trap of Sam's hurled a pie into Captain Roger's face.
When the same trap inadvertently went off on Natasha, Vision learned fear. He'd hid in a closet with Wanda while Nat hunted Sam and Captain Rogers tried to stop her. That incident, forced into such close quarters with someone, had helped Vision develop a sense of his own personal space, and a few other things he could not define at the time. --
As painful as it was, the Avenger's Civil War had aided greatly in Vision's evolution.
He had discovered his strong protective instincts when Wanda's safety was threatened.
He discovered betrayal when Wanda turned her powers on him, even though, on some level, he understood why she had done what she did. And while Vision may have felt betrayed, he wasn't angry with her. He had never been angry, not yet.
That came later, after the war. When he saw Wanda Maximoff in the raft. Saw what was happening to her.
Then, anger burned like a raging fire in Vision's chest, and he felt a new form of grief, on his own terms. Grief, and guilt, for his role in what had happened, and what was still happening now.
Vision had developed his own ideas of what was right and wrong, and this felt so wrong. So very wrong. Things needed to be put right.
And so, Vision was driven to his first act of rebellion: Sneaking The Raft's security codes to Captain Rogers.
A short while after the escape, when Vision received a message that Wanda wanted to see him.
He had been confused- another new emotion. Why would she want to see him, after what he had helped cause?
But when he saw her, Wanda was not angry. Instead, she thanked him, and hugged him, and smiled the most wonderful little smile. Vision felt a strange, tingly feeling around his synthetic heart.
In time, he discovered that this feeling was love. Once Vision had discovered love, it was like being born all over again. A brand new person bursting to life.
Vision was no longer evolving.
Vision had evolved.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 4!
--
Vision liked music.
The pleasant patterns of the repeating notes. The feelings it evoked. When you knew a singer was giving it their all, pouring their soul into a song.
Vision liked music.
At least.. he liked most music, most of the time.
Vision discovered the kind he didn't like the first time he experienced that most horrible affliction of having an annoying song stuck in your head. --
It started at a party Tony held a few weeks after Ultron's defeat.
All the current Avengers were attending.
Music blared, snacks passed around, drinks were flowing.
Vision floated about, politely greeting anyone who spoke to him, but not feeling entirely comfortable with the crowds. To many of the non-avenging guests, Vision was still very much a novelty. He thought about slinking off into a corner like he had seen Miss Maximoff do earlier, and was searching for the right moment to do so, when the most distressing stream of sounds to ever assault his new ears began.
Some party goers whooped, rushing onto the dance floor. The rest only groaned. Natasha complained that the song would be stuck in her head for days.
Vision fled, trying to escape the noise. He knew he couldn't escape it completely, but if he got far enough from the speakers, it might be a little better. He ran as far from the song and the crowd as he could, into a darkened corner.
Wanda Maximoff was sitting there with a stolen bowl of chips. She offered it to him.
"You can have some if you don't drag me back to the party."
"I don't eat" Vision told her, somewhat regretfully. "But I won't drag you back to the party. In fact.." He sat beside her, "May I share your hiding place?"
Wanda shrugged.
"Sure." --
Vision couldn't get rid of it. He now knew exactly what Natasha meant when she spoke of getting a song stuck in your head.
He heard it when he was trying to read.
He heard it when he was taking his usually relaxing Morning flight around the compound.
He heard it when he carried a rather large parcel to Miss Maximoff's room.
He heard it during training, and the distraction it caused him lead to Vision taking a direct kick to the face.
The song was everywhere, and it was driving Vision insane. Not literally, of course. He had heard the expression from his teammates.
Vision had to get the song out of his head, but he had now idea how.
It was then that he heard another, very different type of music, filtering through the compound.
From what he knew about music, it sounded like it was coming from a guitar.
Whatever it was, wherever it had come from, it was beautiful.
So, Vision stopped. He listened.
And eventually, he forgot all about Gangnam Style. --
It was sometime later that Vision connected the parcel he had helped Wanda carry to the guitar she now kept in her room, and Wanda to the music he had heard that day.
When he did, Vision quietly thanked her for helping him fall in love with music again.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 2!
--
"It is a privilege to be among them."
Humans.
That was what Vision had told the final Ultron before he destroyed it.
He stood by his statement. In fact, he believed it even more so.
It was a privilege to listen to Captain Rogers' rousing speeches. It was easy for Vision to see why so many had eagerly followed him.
It was a privilege to be included in Sam's jokes. Laughter was such a wonderful sound, and Vision found himself laughing along, even when he didn't actually know what was funny.
It was a privilege to spar with Natasha Romanoff, the graceful, deadly Black Widow. To have her, after a recent match, offer Vision a rare compliment of his own skill.
It was a privilege to see the joy on Wanda Maximoff's face as she dragged Vision off to show him the latest new ability she had mastered. She deserved happiness, after everything she had suffered.
It was a privilege to be among them. That they were kind enough to include Vision. To treat him as almost human, even though he was not human.
At least, Vision didn't think he was.
What made someone human?
Vision wasn't sure, and he wasn't sure it mattered.
He was artificial.
Different.
Other.
Vision wasn't human. --
Sometimes when Tony and Pepper were particularly busy, Vision kindly continued to perform some of his old 'Jarvis' tasks. Sorting through forms. Reading Emails.
One day, while filling out some online form or other on Tony's behalf, Vision came across a question that gave him trouble.
'Are you human?'
It was followed by a picture of a code that needed to be entered into a small box.
Jarvis had done this countless times, but now, as Vision- now that he was more- it seemed like a much more loaded question. Surely there was more to proving someone was human than typing a little code into a box?
Vision stared at the screen for a long while, unsure. Then, he typed the code and pressed 'Enter'. He was certain that, somehow, the machine would catch him out. That it would know.
It didn't.
The next screen thanked him for completing the form.
Even though he knew that, really, this meant nothing, Vision couldn't help but smile.
It was a privilege to be among them.
To be one of them?
Even more so.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Written for Vision Week, Day 1.
——
Ever since his dramatic birth, Vision was usually surprised by his reflection. Startling himself when he caught it in a mirror, window, or some other reflective surface.
Almost like he had expected to see something- someone else. He wasn't sure what else he expected, or why he thought this way.
Perhaps it was something to do with Vision's outer appearance being at odds with how he saw himself. That of course, was something he was still working out.
Vision wasn't a monster. At least, he didn't think he was, as far as he knew the definition of the word.
True monsters were out to scare and destroy. Vision was on the side of life. Just that morning he had relocated a mouse that had found it's way inside the compound.
While Vision did not see himself as a monster, he understood why people might see him that way. A great many people would see Vision's appearance as monstrous. For some, the reddish shade of his skin was enough to deem him a monster. Even devilish.
Even his Teammates were sometimes startled by Vision, if they weren't expecting him. He saw his reflection in their frightened eyes for the few seconds before they realised it was only him, and he understood.
Vision supposed it was something he would just have to deal with. Still, he hoped that one day, people would see past his appearance to the light inside.
--
One pleasant afternoon, Vision sat under a large, shady tree in a very quiet corner of the nearby park, reading a book. He wore a 'civilian' outfit that Wanda had helped him shop for, looking as normal as was possible for him.
Vision liked being outside when the weather was pleasant, but usually tried to stay well out of the way of anyone else, not wanting to cause any incidents.
His quiet reading time was suddenly interrupted when he heard a soft 'thump', accompanied by a rustling of leaves. A soccer ball had become wedged in the branches of the tree under which he'd found refuge. A few moments later, a young boy rushed over, presumably to retrieve said ball.
His jaw dropped when he saw Vision.
"Don't be fri.." Vision began, until..
"Wow!" The boy cried. He had sparkling blue eyes, in which Vision could easily see himself reflected. "You're The Vision!"
"Well.. yes, I am."
"I saw you on TV, you're one of the new Avengers!"
"That is also true."
The boy glanced up towards his ball.
"You can fly, right? Can you help me get my ball back?"
"Of course. Just a moment." Vision set his book aside, then stood and floated upwards, retrieving the ball and tossing it down into the boy's waiting hands.
"Thanks!" The boy happily ran off. "My friends are never gonna believe this.. I met an Avenger!"
As Vision floated back to Earth, he couldn't help the smile that came to his face.
He could see his reflection in that boy's eyes, but there was no fear reflected back at him. Instead there was excitement, joy, a little bit of awe.
In that boy's eyes, Vision's hope remained alive.