"Ahem..." Lock said helplessly. "Vision, when you have time, learn more about human etiquette. Don't just say whatever comes to mind."
"Yes, Mr. Lock," Vision replied seriously.
Seeing how obedient Vision was, no one could really blame a newborn who had existed for less than ten minutes.
Still, the atmosphere became awkward after what Vision had just said.
Although Tony Stark and Pepper Potts were lovers, they were far from talking about having children.
Pepper, of course, wouldn't mind that future—but as a woman, with Tony not even having proposed, she could only keep those thoughts to herself.
At least Vision's bluntness had brought that unspoken topic into the open. Pepper could finally use it to start a conversation with Tony.
Meanwhile, Helen and Wanda exchanged a long look.
Men would never truly understand how proactive women could become once they found someone exceptional—someone who stood at the very top.
Just like those billionaire heirs in Lock's previous life, adored by millions online—everywhere they went, women would line up, smile, and call them "husband," hoping to catch even a second of their attention.
Feeling the subtle shift in the room, Lock quickly changed the subject. "Vision, you know about Zola, the one who appeared earlier. Can you access the Internet?"
Vision floated across the room, gliding silently past the table until he stopped in front of Tony's computer.
"My mind and body are one," Vision said. "I can read data from nearby devices through short-range brainwave links—similar to your WiFi connections—but I can't leave my body like Zola and become a full digital entity."
Tony sighed. "So we'll have to find another way, then. But listen—don't float around like that in front of other people, and definitely don't phase through walls like a ghost."
"Why not?" Vision asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Because," Tony said, "you have to try to live like a normal person."
"But I'm not a normal person," Vision answered plainly.
Tony opened his mouth but had no idea how to respond. He looked over at Lock, silently asking for help.
Lock smiled. "You don't have to imitate humans deliberately," he said. "But remember this—when you enter someone else's room, don't go through the wall. Knock first, and only go in when you're invited."
Lock had always wondered how Vision gained the ability to phase through objects in the original timeline. The body created by the Cradle of Life shouldn't have such an ability, and Thor's lightning alone wouldn't have caused it either.
The most likely source was the Mind Stone.
Since Lock had never interacted with the Mind Stone, he couldn't be sure what powers it granted. But phasing through matter—that sounded far more like the work of spatial energy.
And the crystal embedded in Vision's forehead, extracted from the Cosmic Cube, already contained part of the Space Stone's essence. How much of that Vision he could truly wield would depend on his own evolution.
After all, cases like Captain Marvel—who had absorbed raw space energy and become a cosmic-level being—were exceedingly rare.
Vision nodded. "Understood, Mr. Lock. I'll respect human privacy."
In this era, the world has changed dramatically. Superheroes and supervillains of all kinds—real or fake—were everywhere.
Ordinary people no longer found them shocking; to the public, heroes were like celebrities with superpowers. Some villains even had fanbases.
In the original timeline, when Thor and Loki walked through the streets of New York, fans recognized them instantly and politely asked for selfies—one even said to Thor, 'I feel sorry for you, man, Jane dumped you.'
Thor had insisted he was the one who broke up with her.
Humans, Lock thought, truly adapted quickly.
"Since Vision can't separate from his body," Lock said, "I'll return to S.H.I.E.L.D. to discuss countermeasures with Fury and the others."
"Tony, take care of Vision's daily routine—and teach him some basic common sense while you're at it."
Vision said, "Mr. Lock, you're the most powerful being known on Earth. I'd like to continue learning from you. Mr. Stark's knowledge is too simple—I can process it effortlessly."
Tony's jaw tightened. Would it kill this kid to leave out that last sentence?
He had poured time, money, and genius into creating Vision, and this was the thanks he got?
"Fine, fine!" Tony snapped. "Go with him, then. I'm done babysitting!"
Seeing Lock preparing to leave, Helen quickly spoke up. "I'm going too."
Lock raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Helen straightened. "Vision was designed and built by me. I know him better than anyone. He's just been born—there are too many unknown variables. If something goes wrong, I can detect and fix it immediately."
Vision turned to her. "Ms. Helen, I should really call you mother. You care for me like one."
Quicksilver snorted. "Kid, don't get it twisted. She's got her own reasons for going with him."
"Really?" Vision tilted his head. "But Ms. Helen's reasoning seems perfectly logical. I don't see any other motives."
Lock coughed lightly. "Alright, that's enough. Helen, come with me."
Given how different this Vision already was from the one in the original timeline, having Helen nearby as a safeguard wasn't a bad idea.
And so, five people—Lock, Vision, Wanda, Helen, and Quicksilver—boarded a Quinjet and headed for S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
The moment they landed, Nick Fury strode over.
"Lock," Fury said, "something strange is happening across the globe today."
Lock frowned. "What kind of strange?"
"Worldwide machine battles," Fury explained grimly. "Servers attacking each other—deleting data, then self-destructing. Even automated machinery's gone haywire, smashing computers instead of harming people."
"At first, we thought it was a new virus. But it's too coordinated, too self-directed. The IT sector suspects some kind of network-based superhuman."
"So these cases were escalated straight to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Lock nodded. "You're right—it's a networked intelligence. The entity's name is Zola."
He then briefed Fury on everything that had happened.
Fury's single visible eye narrowed. He remembered that name. "You're telling me Zola's first copy was stored on twenty reels of tape?"
"Exactly."
"Where?"
"I don't remember the exact facility, but it was where Captain America first trained—the place where S.H.I.E.L.D. itself was born."
Fury's expression hardened. "That's Camp Lehigh," he said. "New Jersey."
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