‹ Prequel: Can't Handle This
Sequel: Can't Keep Suffering ›
Status: This installment is finished. Stay tuned for the next part!
Can't See the Truth
Chapter 10
Schaefer shrugged on his suit coat and grabbed his car keys.
“Schaef,” Clint said as he walked towards the agent with Tony and Steve close on his heels. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“SHIELD needs me to come in for a briefing, Agent Barton,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t have a choice.”
“No, no,” Clint said quickly putting a hand on the door. “We need you here.”
Schaefer shook his head. “Agent Barton, as much as I vould love to stay, but Director Fury has his orders.”
“Screw Fury,” Tony said, stepping in front of Schaefer. “You’re part of our family and we need your help.”
“Besides,” Steve added quickly. “I think Brooke needs you, too. She’s a little shaky after what she saw.”
The german shook his head. “If I don’t report, I could lose my job.”
“No, you can’t go,” Clint said. “I’ll take the blame, if I have to. But we need you.”
****
Toni woke up in an all white room with no doors or windows.
“Excuse me?” came a man’s voice. “Are you there?”
Toni turned around to see a young man with glasses and a bowtie. “I recognize your voice,” she said quietly, taking in the man’s appearance. “Wait, you’re the guy that told me that I could will my pain away!”
The man nodded. “My name is Mr. Bradstone.”
Toni quickly backed up, holding up her hands in a defensive stance. “Don’t you mean doctor?” she said accusingly. “I won’t fall for a trick like that!”
“No, no,” he said, mirroring her movements. “Mister. I’m not a doctor yet.”
Toni let her hands fall slowly to her sides. “So what are you doing here?”
He let his hands drop as he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure,” he said simply. “I think I’m supposed to kill you.”
****
CHERI was sitting at a small cafe as she texted JARVIS and sipped from a mug of coffee. She thought that New York was really and she wanted to experience every piece of it.
Suddenly, a man came up to her and hit her over the head with the briefcase in his hand.
As she blacked out, she could see other people in SHIELD issued uniforms rushing over to her.
****
“Sir,” JARVIS chimed in the lab as Tony and Bruce worked. “I’m afraid I have some troubling news.”
“What is it, JARVIS?” Tony asked.
“I’ve lost contact with CHERI. I’m afraid as to why.”
****
CHERI awoke in a dark, damp room in front of five suited agents. Her body was confined in an uncomfortable chair by titanium bonds.
“I assure,” she started. “These bonds are not necessary.”
“I disagree,” the agent in charge said calmly. “You’re an enemy of the State. For all we know, those bonds are completely necessary.”
When CHERI did not respond, the agent continued.
“You’ve revealed information to Mr. Stark and the other Avengers that was not authorized by SHIELD officials.”
“They deserved to know,” CHERI said plainly. “Two of their counterparts were dying. One of them still is.”
“We are aware,” the agent said. “But none of them have the clearance to have that information. If the agent among them is not legally able to know.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
The agent leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the AI’s wrists. “You’re going to contact Mr. Roman Christos and we’re going to have a chat with him.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” she said. “Mr. Christos has disabled the link between us. I cannot contact him until he fixes that link.”
“I don’t believe you,” he hissed at her as he put more weight on his hands. “Contact Mr. Christos.”
“You don’t understand,” she said, trying to ignore the pain. “I can’t!”
The agent nodded and straightened up, adjusting his tie as he did so. “Alright gentlemen,” he started. “Go ahead and disassemble her. If she starts to talk, let me know.”
“You’re disassembling me? Why?!”
The agent shrugged. “You must be defective if you’re not taking a direct order.”
“No, please!” CHERI begged. “I’m not defective, I just can’t contact my employer!”
“Sorry, sweetheart. AIs are my division, and I say that you need to be taken apart.”
“No, you can’t do this to!” she shouted as tears gathered in her eyes. “I’m more human than your AIs! I have feelings, Mr. Stark said so! Please, don’t disassemble me!”
“Sorry, hun,” the agent said with a wink as he walked out the door.
The other agents approached her and started up some machines that proceeded to take her apart.
“Please, don’t!” she shouted as pain coursed through her body. “I’m scared!”
Her screams echoed through the room as they continued to pull her apart, piece by piece.
“Schaef,” Clint said as he walked towards the agent with Tony and Steve close on his heels. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“SHIELD needs me to come in for a briefing, Agent Barton,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t have a choice.”
“No, no,” Clint said quickly putting a hand on the door. “We need you here.”
Schaefer shook his head. “Agent Barton, as much as I vould love to stay, but Director Fury has his orders.”
“Screw Fury,” Tony said, stepping in front of Schaefer. “You’re part of our family and we need your help.”
“Besides,” Steve added quickly. “I think Brooke needs you, too. She’s a little shaky after what she saw.”
The german shook his head. “If I don’t report, I could lose my job.”
“No, you can’t go,” Clint said. “I’ll take the blame, if I have to. But we need you.”
****
Toni woke up in an all white room with no doors or windows.
“Excuse me?” came a man’s voice. “Are you there?”
Toni turned around to see a young man with glasses and a bowtie. “I recognize your voice,” she said quietly, taking in the man’s appearance. “Wait, you’re the guy that told me that I could will my pain away!”
The man nodded. “My name is Mr. Bradstone.”
Toni quickly backed up, holding up her hands in a defensive stance. “Don’t you mean doctor?” she said accusingly. “I won’t fall for a trick like that!”
“No, no,” he said, mirroring her movements. “Mister. I’m not a doctor yet.”
Toni let her hands fall slowly to her sides. “So what are you doing here?”
He let his hands drop as he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure,” he said simply. “I think I’m supposed to kill you.”
****
CHERI was sitting at a small cafe as she texted JARVIS and sipped from a mug of coffee. She thought that New York was really and she wanted to experience every piece of it.
Suddenly, a man came up to her and hit her over the head with the briefcase in his hand.
As she blacked out, she could see other people in SHIELD issued uniforms rushing over to her.
****
“Sir,” JARVIS chimed in the lab as Tony and Bruce worked. “I’m afraid I have some troubling news.”
“What is it, JARVIS?” Tony asked.
“I’ve lost contact with CHERI. I’m afraid as to why.”
****
CHERI awoke in a dark, damp room in front of five suited agents. Her body was confined in an uncomfortable chair by titanium bonds.
“I assure,” she started. “These bonds are not necessary.”
“I disagree,” the agent in charge said calmly. “You’re an enemy of the State. For all we know, those bonds are completely necessary.”
When CHERI did not respond, the agent continued.
“You’ve revealed information to Mr. Stark and the other Avengers that was not authorized by SHIELD officials.”
“They deserved to know,” CHERI said plainly. “Two of their counterparts were dying. One of them still is.”
“We are aware,” the agent said. “But none of them have the clearance to have that information. If the agent among them is not legally able to know.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
The agent leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the AI’s wrists. “You’re going to contact Mr. Roman Christos and we’re going to have a chat with him.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” she said. “Mr. Christos has disabled the link between us. I cannot contact him until he fixes that link.”
“I don’t believe you,” he hissed at her as he put more weight on his hands. “Contact Mr. Christos.”
“You don’t understand,” she said, trying to ignore the pain. “I can’t!”
The agent nodded and straightened up, adjusting his tie as he did so. “Alright gentlemen,” he started. “Go ahead and disassemble her. If she starts to talk, let me know.”
“You’re disassembling me? Why?!”
The agent shrugged. “You must be defective if you’re not taking a direct order.”
“No, please!” CHERI begged. “I’m not defective, I just can’t contact my employer!”
“Sorry, sweetheart. AIs are my division, and I say that you need to be taken apart.”
“No, you can’t do this to!” she shouted as tears gathered in her eyes. “I’m more human than your AIs! I have feelings, Mr. Stark said so! Please, don’t disassemble me!”
“Sorry, hun,” the agent said with a wink as he walked out the door.
The other agents approached her and started up some machines that proceeded to take her apart.
“Please, don’t!” she shouted as pain coursed through her body. “I’m scared!”
Her screams echoed through the room as they continued to pull her apart, piece by piece.