“Oh please. I doubt anyone else would be stupid enough or desperate enough to do what you did. Implanting an electromagnet in your chest was rash. I can sense it, I can see it, and the mess it’s making,” Erik explained.

Pepper looked over at Erik, “Mess?” 

He continued as he sipped his coffee. “Yes, mess. Heavy metal poisoning. I can’t tell which one it is, as I don’t know them all, but I suspect it’s leaking from the magnet. So Mr Stark. Peter kindly healed my eyes to the best of his ability, and while I am reluctantly allowing him to date my daughter. What does the world's richest man wish to offer me in exchange for saving his life?”

Tony scoffed, “The blood poisoning is curable with Lithium Dioxide. I just need to find a surgeon to remove the fragments.”

Erik shook his head, “I can see why you don’t like him, Peter. He’s just as annoying as you are.“ Erik raised a hand and Tony gasped as he felt pressure build on his chest. “I would say to hold still, but you can’t move anyway.”

As the group watched, thin black veins spread from Tony's neck up to his cheeks. He strained and choked but then a ball of black fluid floated free from his mouth.

“A demonstration. If you have any kind of storage equipment here. It’s the metal poisoning him.”

“Dammit,” Peter swore, “hold that there, most heavy metals are toxic. Please do not spill that.”

Erik tutted. “As if.”

Peter leapt, sending out a line and pulling himself up into the penthouse. As he rummaged around he found a storage cylinder, and leapt back off his balcony,

“Can you sense this?” Erik nodded and the ball floated in and Peter sealed the top, sighing in relief.

Tony gasped, and clutched at his chest, feeling a lightness that had been missing before. He knew the palladium in his arc reactor was poisoning him. The reactor hadn't been designed to sit in a chest cavity and keeping it running meant a minor amount of leakage. Not an issue for a machine, but living tissue was another matter. As he pulled open his shirt, the skin around it looked healthier. Not the network of black lines and inflamed pus-filled blisters he was used to.

“What do you want?” Tony asked. “I can offer you a job, those powers are so amazing, you and the Legion, I mean,”

Erik raised a hand. “Charles and I are working on a project. One that requires specific technology to accomplish. Visit me at the mansion, and we will discuss it there.”

Tony buttoned up his shirt. “So, uh, Erik right? So do I schedule an appointment or?”

Erik laughed, and with a wave of his hand smiled. “There. All done. You might want to check with a doctor though, just to make sure. But I can guarantee there are no fragments left of a large enough size to threaten your life.”

Tony visibly sagged. “It’s over, it’s over.” Tony broke down with the sudden removal of his life-threatening condition. And the emotions that came with it overwhelmed him and his Iron Halo. As he lifted a hand to cover his eyes, Peter already knew he was tearing up.

Pepper moved over and rested a hand on his shoulder. “It doesn’t change anything, but I’ll take Tony home. If Friday wants to stay, we can always revisit that later.” Helping Tony to his feet she shuffled him from the warehouse, as Vision followed.

He turned. “Please allow Jocasta and Friday to remain here. If they are happy, then I must be happy for them.” Then he followed behind Tony and Pepper.

Peter doubted that Jocasta would be too happy to see that they had left her. He hoped as long as Friday was here, she should behave herself. Given he could hear MJ and who he assumed was Friday giggling once more, she seemed to be in safe hands.

“Well, that was very interesting. Would you like to explain why you have several metallic people in the warehouse? Or shall I just do what everyone else does? Roll my eyes and accept that you are one, very strange young man."

Peter looked at Erik, trying to think of a good reason, “Nope, can’t think of anything believable. Blame Tony, nothing to do with me.”

Erik actually laughed. “Of course, Peter. Of course. And, as I have also been told, you have a bathhouse. While Charles does have a similar facility, sharing it with his students is not my idea of a relaxing time. Do you mind?”

Peter shook his head. “Of course not, I’ll set the flags out, so you get peace. Oh, and uh.” Peter reached into the fridge and pulled a few bottles. Gwen used metal caps when she bottled her brews, so Erik should be able to sense them. “If you want. You can sense them?”

Erik nodded and smiled. "I can see now why you put up with him,” he said and patted Wanda on the hand. “Now dear,” several of the bottles Peter had just marked floated from the fridge. “I am going to have a very long soak and leave this mess for you to try and figure out.”

That was Peter's problem. It was what to do with Friday. Teasing Tony was all well and good, but if she actually wanted to stay was a different matter. A symbskin mask? He shook his head, they all wore masks, if she couldn’t deal then that was her issue.

It would be nice though, if she could make it a bit more permanent. Vision was a strange mix of yellow and purple, but both Friday and Jocasta were shiny silver metal. He knew their creation was unintended, and it was the only reason he could think of for the lack of colouring. A form-fitting symbskin outfit should mask their metallic bodies. Liv and Gwen had been working on a synthetic skin covering for the CLS.

Even if Clint didn't care, and was happy to have the robot hand, it would give them test subjects. If the pair could go outside without attracting attention, that would be great. All he needed was for Friday to agree and Jocasta to stop thinly threatening to murder him.

He also had the problem of Pepper. Tony blamed him for a lot of things. Most of it was just petty, but sleeping with Pepper was most definitely something he could be faulted for. He could have said no, he knew he should have said no. But when the most successful and beautiful CEO in the history of the US offers to sleep with you, it's not a tough choice. There was no way he was going to say no, and he knew Gwen and Pepper knew that. It just set the tone for Tony and Peter's relationship. They were constantly trying to one-up each other. Constantly trying to screw the other over. While it was all fun and games it had hurt both of them and started to affect the people around them.

Aldrich was a victim of that, Pepper was too, and now Jocasta and Friday had to shoulder some of that as well. MJ had come out unscathed but her whole career could have ended before it even began. If Tony had been a bit more vindictive. Maybe that was the one good thing Ultron did. He distracted Tony long enough that MJ got out of his line of fire.

Peter sighed and shook his head, staring at the cup in his hands. Steve's advice echoed in his head. Boys make mistakes, men fix them. He hoped that he could fix things with Tony, and settle this stupid feud before it got a lot worse.

He glanced up and he heard MJ’s door open and a bubbly and excited Friday danced out, with MJ in tow. Behind them, a completely different Jocasta followed. She looked surprisingly shy and almost hesitant as she peered around the warehouse.

Oh no, please don't, he thought to himself, and inwardly cringed when she did.

“Where has Tony gone?” She asked with an angry edge.

Peter didn't need to be a mind reader to know what was about to happen. “They left, Tony had an emergency and they left.”

Jocasta’s face broke before she regained her composure. “I see. Am I to remain here then?”

He nodded. "With Friday, until Tony recovers. It wasn’t serious, but it was serious enough.” As she remained still, he shook his head, “You don't have to, but I don't know how safe it will be to travel home.”

She shook her head. The symbskin over her face might as well have been plastic with the frozen expression she wore. “If I am to remain here, then I will comply. However, I must ask you to remain at least ten feet away from me. I am aware that you have sexual desire for this body.”

As Peter looked at her in surprise he did take a much closer look at the work MJ had done. Jocasta’s hair was now black, but still seemed moulded rather than free-flowing. MJ had given her dark skin, and luscious blue eyes, and had used a bright red lipstick. which suited the thinner face. Instead of enhancing her cleavage, MJ had left it alone. Her thinner frame suited a smaller bust. A fitting blouse and trousers to cover her, and finished it off with a small cardigan,

“Who could blame me, you do look pretty,” Peter admitted. MJ had done miracles, and there was no way anyone would know it was all fake.

Jocasta stepped back and tutted. “Initiating ‘Peterisapervert’ protocols.”

MJ and Friday laughed but Peter just shrugged though. Gwen and Shuri were worse with their teasing, especially now there were two of them. “At least you called me Peter, and not Parker”

Jocasta tilted her head. “You are correct. However, Tony objected to me calling you ‘that dick’ in polite conversation. So Peter, as slang for a penis, seemed more appropriate.”

He sighed, but being used to it, just shrugged, “Fine fine, ten feet. So, do you eat?”

Both Jocasta and Friday shook their heads.

“Doctor Cho licensed the Arcstar reactor technology from Olivia Octavius. We are fully functional, with minimal energy requirements.” Jocasta explained

Peter made a small noise, “Food is more than for fuel. Humans eat as social experiences and share their lives over food. You have network access?”

They both shook their heads.

“Tony taught us that infiltrating network security is considered a ‘dick move’. Not that it would take much effort to break your security. I could barely call it infiltrating.” Jocasta said bluntly.

Peter sighed. “Go ahead. Might as well if you're going to be here, but I swear, no porn.” Thinking back to Laura, he did not want a repeat of that happening with either woman. He already knew they were ‘fully’ functional from his earlier interface. While curious, had no intention of exploring that avenue with either of them.

“I have accessed social events, and you are correct. Food is an important part of,” Jocasta started.

Friday yelled, interrupting her. “I want to try ice cream, and pancakes. Oh and cake, and soda, and beer, and,”

This time, it was Jocasta who held a hand over her mouth.

“We will try those with Tony. As research indicates that food is often shared with loved ones, at family events.” Jocasta mentioned to Friday. “However, if your intentions to stay here are still your main priority. I will not stop you.”

Friday whined and bit her lip, “Aww Sis, lay off the guilt trip okay? I’ll wait.”

Peter sighed “Jocasta. Tony was sick, and they couldn’t wait. I have some reservations about letting you wander the streets of New York alone. But if you really don’t want to be here, I won’t stop you from leaving.”

Jocasta straightened herself and shook her head, “I will endeavour to endure. If your memories are to be taken as fact, then I must admit that Tony is not as perfect as I was led to believe. However, there will be no defilement of my form.”

Friday laughed, “Not by Peter anyway.” Peter swore that if Jocasta could blush, she would have.

MJ tutted, “Friday, behave or I’ll mention what you asked.”

Friday crossed her arms and pouted. “I don’t care. Peter, I am interested in finding out what human relations are like. I asked MJ if she minded if you gave me the ole wham bam thank you, ma’am.”

Jocasta stared at her with her mouth open. “Friday, that is inappropriate, we might not belong to Tony but we are his creations. You should speak to him first.”

Friday just huffed at her. “So? Why? He can shout and grumble about how Peter is a dick, or any of the other names he calls him. No, my life, my body. Tony can go flying without his armour.”

Jocasta gasped. “You do not mean that. Tony has been more than kind to us. And you are also being rude. Peter might be a perverted sex maniac with the libido of a rabbit farm, but that does not mean that you encourage him.”

It was Friday's turn to slump her shoulders, and as she took in a breath, “NO. I don’t care. You know what we are. Who’ll accept us, except him? Who’ll look past that we’re fricken Ultron bots and accept that we’re more than just stupid machines? I want things. I want to see the world and have fun.” As she stared at the floor Peter imagined that if a machine could cry, she would be. “I don’t want Peter and Tony to fight. I don’t want anyone to fight sis. I want to stay with MJ. She laughs, and Peter, and people who don’t stare. I want to try on dresses and clothes, and,”

Jocasta stepped forward and hugged her sister. “You are not Ultron, and neither am I, nor is Vision. Tony accepts that, and even if my circuits burn to admit it, I can see that so does Peter.” She held onto Friday's shoulder, “Fine. I shall endeavour to treat Peter with some respect.” As Friday nuzzled into Jocasta’s shoulder she added a final thought. “However if I see a penis, I am removing it and inserting it into the garbage disposal.”