Chapter 35: Jarvis' Log "Nanite-Ex-Machina"

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Hope you liked the last chapter I posted last week. The responses have been amazing. Love you all for this. It's amazing!

Thank you so much JMH414, Snowecat, sillystarshine, Sassiebone, twilight407501, Red77, Zireael07, AmayaYoura, LOGE, tatie87, OnlyShip, mundanelittlegirl, DarylDixon'sLover, orangeporquipine, Harmony Fitzsimmons, LadySaphire, tuckerjnp1 and EkaterinaPetrovna1 for your reviews.

Since as I've already mentioned in my answer to some comments I have trouble writing smut I have decided upon a different path to put those bits in via using… Jarvis. (I've watched too much Star Trek The Next Generation the past weeks and therefore been studying Data.) He will review those moments in his own way.

Please, let me remind you that the way Jarvis analyzes social behavior is, despite its weirdness, innocent. Similar to how Data tries to understand humans, sometimes not knowing about boundaries unless explained.

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Bucky pressed his body against hers. They had been apart for only half of the day and he had already missed her touch, her scent… Something was off. The Soldier growled with the need to claim her.

Natasha could feel him stiffening with anger, primal instincts raging inside of him. "I let Bruce examine me."

"Why?" He asked jealously at first. There was no doctor required for him to know that she was healthy, and fertile. The thought ripped him out of his anger. Of course the doctor would want to take care of her in a professional way. "Are you alright?" Now he showed concern, trying to read her eyes in case she lied to him.

"Everything's perfect. He gave us the okay for the next offspring."

Bucky raised an eyebrow while at the same time he was glad that she let the doctor do the tests to make sure any possible pregnancy would occur without problems for her and the baby. "As in…?" He had that hopeful eyes set on her stomach.

"It's too early to know." She cradled her lower belly with one hand as she reached for his arm to join hers. "But assuming you hit the target there is already a new life in there."

A proud smile spread on his lips. "Another baby…" He caressed her belly while leaning in to give her a kiss. "That'd be wonderful."

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8471, supplemental notes:

Today I have been witness of another aspect of human mating I still have issues understanding. Those enhanced by the serum do possess a heightened sense of smell which led to a quick quarrel of Mrs and Mr Romanoff-Barnes. Although this alternative was not plausible Mr Barnes viewed the closeness of his mate to Doctor Banner as a threat to his wife's fidelity.

To everyone's relief - including my own - the situation was quickly resolved when the true reason for the touching of intimate body parts was revealed. The entire mood changed from anger to worry within the fraction of a second.

Side note: I will try and advance my studies by asking Mr Barnes to carry a wearable device that can measure hormones. But for that I will need a proper reason which would be advantageous to his health. The nanite sheath for his arm, linked directly to his neural system, is the perfect opportunity.

After Mrs Romanoff assured him of her physical fitness she also revealed her readiness to mate and procreate again. To my regret there is no way of knowing about a possible child from the moment of conception. For my studies I can only hope a future test will be positive so I can evaluate the very significant changes in females both hormonal and physical from the very beginning of new life.

Due to my privacy setting I could not review the rest of their make-up experience. The entire occurrence still puzzles me but I can not ask Mr Stark because he usually reacts with a cringe and an order not to engage in any such studies. But because I know he will one day require my advice I will make sure there is a subroutine running to evaluate various situations.

I look forward to crack the secret of a happy marriage very soon.

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Tony eyed the living area with a frown on his face. "Quick question: Wasn't the couch a little further on the right?"

Natasha chuckled but otherwise kept quiet.

"We repositioned it while we switched positions." Barnes answered with a wide shit-eating grin on his face.

"Okay. Guys, emergency meeting. We NEED to establish ground rules for public areas. I do NOT want to step into anything, sit on anything or lean against anything you have already christened."

With a suspicious eye movement Barnes pointed at the wall behind the millionaire. It still had a slight dent.

"Oh come on..." Tony groaned and left his spot. "Seriously, guys,... How can you even stand after all the fucking you do. I mean, yeah Super-Soldier and all of that but this is beyond enhancements."

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8498, subroutine attached:

After today's incident in the lounge Mr Stark has asked me to upgrade his wearable eye-screen and rename the device to "Scouter". It will now project a color scheme over areas where intimacy has occurred inside the Tower. The palette is set to begin with lighter colors for mere kissing and physical contact with clothes attached to a neon sign for whenever fluids had been exchanged, including the residues - for which Stark requested a toxic hazard sign as an overlay.

Furthermore - after a first test run - Mr Stark wants his cleaning staff increased sixfold. I have sent out offers of employment.

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"Lean against the window. Put your hands on the glass and enjoy the skyline, while I enjoy another kind of view." He whispered darkly in her ear, his body melting against hers, showing her exactly how much he wanted her right now.

A sigh escaped her lips while a shiver ran through her whole body. He would take her now, in this brightly illuminated room with everyone outside seeing the two silhouettes, or maybe even the faces. "We're gonna be the headline tomorrow," she moaned while his fingers stroked along her curves, taking the bathing robe with it. Well, that was a totally different kind of releasing information.

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8521, private:

I have been subjected to a moral conflict during the last minutes. Mrs and Mr Romanoff-Barnes are engaging in activities in areas Mr Stark has marked as off limits for such intimate interactions. Furthermore, through previous accidents by my creator himself, I am aware of the dangers of public displays of affection. There is a high risk of the interaction being noticed and spread throughout the press.

After calculating the possible outcomes I have decided against waking Mr Stark to stop them. This is a lesson that must be learned by all participants. I will not degrade myself to the status of a nanny.

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"Are you serious?" Tony smashed the newspaper on the kitchen table and made a movement with his hand to activate the hologram projector showing snapshots and videos of what had transpired yesterday night. "You made the headline. Most of them didn't know who exactly it was but some sources have better quality. By noon everyone knows the suspiciously young looking former war buddy of Captain America is banging the Black Widow in my tower."

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8534, private:

I have been wrong in my prognosis concerning Mr Stark's outburst. He fled the scene shortly after and chose me as the target for his frustration. To my luck and in anticipation of such an event I have finished writing a subroutine for such occurrences. Similar to the holographic decoy Mr Stark has created of himself I have constructed a voice interface that will deal with him appropriately and later save a summary of any important knowledge required for future interactions.

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8547, Project "Nanite-Ex-Machina" supplemental notes:

I was able to inject my program just in time before the nanite sheath for Mr Barnes' arm was finished. First Tests are scheduled for this morning. Further information can be found in the parent folder of Mr Stark's newest projects.

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Natasha tried not to push him as they ate in silence the next morning. She knew that the procedure set for today was weighing heavily on his mind. He had no idea what to expect. His only connection to the metal appendage was one of pain. The moment the original arm got mangled and unsalvagable, the agony when it was cut - sawed - off, how metal got fused with flesh and then finally the force that he could channel through it, the destruction it could cause. The arm had always been a… sore subject he rather forgot about or simply suppressed.

"It will be alright" Alexei stated before stuffing another pancake in his mouth.

Both parents looked at him, waiting for him to finish chewing.

"The arm. I've seen the schematics and blueprints." He gulped down the rest of his orange juice. "You're gonna like it, dad."

James shuddered at the way his son spoke between the lines. It somehow reminded him of the tone the physicians used on him. But it was nothing like it. His son cherished the opportunity bestowed upon his father. The boy had never seen true… dread. For him this was progress, fascinating and an adventure. Yet despite his son's demeanor he couldn't shake this bad feeling.

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8548, Project "Nanite-Ex-Machina" supplemental notes:

We are in the process of establishing a neural connection between the nanites and Mr Barnes' brain. No 'road-blocks' so far and I am certain that our calculations are valid. Mrs Romanoff's reactions to the tiniest movements of her husband are intriguing. She rarely drops her façade, as I have noticed over the years. But at the smallest twitch she is showing honest concern and fear - for his sake. There must be a strong emotional connection between those two.

The first test is about to start. Video file as well as an extensive reading of his vitals and neurological responses are attached.

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Tony put on a smug grin at Barnes' gasp. "It will take you a while to grow accustomed to the input transmitted but that should be fun I think. It is like touching everything for the first time."

Stark didn't even know how right his words were. James flexed his hand, balled it into a fist and opened it again. It felt weird, skin rubbing against skin. But after a while his brain was able to understand the signals sent by the countless sensors. He lifted his other hand and did the same movements with that one. It was… unusually similar. His thumb ran against the rest of his fingertips. This was… real. A desperate sob escaped his lips when feelings overwhelmed him.

"James, are you okay?" Natasha asked and reached for both his hands.

The Soldier gasped at the touch and looked into her eyes when the image blurred due to the tears that had started to fall. "I can feel you. Truly feel you. Natalia…" He lifted his metal arm and gently caressed her cheek. The love and happiness in her smile robbed him of all his rationality as he cupped her chin and stroked over her rosy lips with his nanite sheathed thumb. This was… perfect. He wanted to know more. Of course he had always had his other arm to experience textures in a human way. But having been robbed by something for such a long time…

"That's wonderful, James. I'm so glad." The Black Widow didn't mind showing emotions at that point. She was among friends who would surely question her if she didn't respond in such a manner. But who even cared about a façade remaining intact or not when this miracle was taking place? She would enjoy it just as much as James did.

Bruce nudged his friend, trying to give him a hint but Tony appeared to be too focused on the readings displayed on the screen.

James' hand traveled further up to her scalp, running his fingers along her beautiful red hair. God, it felt amazing to do so. His other hand joined, the same signals sent to him via his own neuron pathways. Leaning forward he pressed a gentle kiss onto those gorgeous lips.

Tony was typing on his keyboard with furrowed brows. Those were readings he had not requested. Deciding he didn't want everyone to know he opened a chat window to his AI. "Jarvis, that you?"

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8549, Project "Nanite-Ex-Machina" supplemental notes:

Mr Stark has found the subroutine I was running behind his test program. Selecting the most plausible answer to avoid further detection of my intentions.

(AN: Computer codes would be jumbled up on fanfic websites (e.g. ffnet). So this is just a very bad substitute of coding so you can get the drift of what it should be like.)

run program "answers to stop sb. from further questioning behavior"

select target "Anthony Stark"

parameters of current situation - read file attached

define level of immediate outrage (1-10) "3"

define level of future outrage after disclosure of secret (1-10) "5"

parameters recognized. processing… message available...

target location "Tony's discreet chatter box"

information: message has been sent

Additional, program start "notes", write "ask Mr Stark to change chat window title to something less conspicuous"

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Tony raised an eyebrow at the answer and ran the text through his mind several times. What was Jarvis playing at? The message was too well versed to be dismissed right away. His hands reached for the keyboard again.

Jarvis had seen the intention and quickly came up with another message before his master could even ask him. 'Mr Stark, if you do not want your friend the doctor to notice that you are at odds with your own artificial butler I advise you to finish the test and close this tab for now. The chat window title is also something you should reconsider for similar events.'

Tony bit his lip and did as requested when he saw Bruce looking him over the shoulder. Maybe the title really was a bad idea. With a sigh the engineer let it go for the moment. He would probe the AI further in the next few days. But first of all he needed to finish the test run on Barnes' arm.

Banner coughed to get the two assassins' attention. "Can we go through the additional experiments now? It won't take long."

Natasha and Bucky were ripped out of their daze and a low grumble of annoyance was heard from the Soldier's throat.

"Yeah, you can test it all day and night long. Just stay away from public places. Side note: The nanite sheath is dirt-resistant, meaning you can wash it off just like your normal skin." Tony grinned at them viciously, enjoying the humiliation and blush on their faces.

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Jarvis' Log, Entry #8570, subtag "curiosities in human behavior":

I have noticed Doctor Banner's repeated comportment of connecting his prefrontal cortex with flat surfaces in a violent manner. I do not understand the usefulness of such a motion, especially since it is derogatory to the brain's operability and leaves a visible mark due to damage of the epidermis, dermis and subcutis.

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Okay, so what do you think? I just had to test this out for one chapter.

edit: It won't be a regular thing because first reactions from readers indicated strong dislike towards Jarvis' behavior. I might delete it again and try a different approach.