#human ultron

There was a rhyme and reason to his chaos; The man had mapped out years ahead of his original scheme down to the finest details and intricacies, and you had no doubt that if the Avengers hadn’t been there to stop him the first time, he would have seen his entire plan come to fruition. 

“New topic,” Ultron drawled from behind the glass, snapping your attention back to him abruptly, “Celestial bodies. I’m rather fond of Saturn, myself. No, wait… Jupiter. Named after the Roman king of the gods, and all… fitting how it has a constant storm brewing on its surface, no? That single storm is three times bigger than our entire planet.”

“I like Pluto,” you commented, earning a glance from the dark-haired man across from you. 

He lifted a hand to his face, pressing his index finger to his cheek so he could chew the inside with his teeth thoughtfully. “Pluto, god of the underworld… Some like to say he’s the god of death, but they’re mistaken; Pluto may reside over the domain of death, but he has no say in it. That honor, I believe, is given to Morta.”

In the few hours you’d been able to speak with Ultron, you’d learned how much of a desire he had to flex his knowledge and intelligence about any given topic. You found it best to offer a new topic and let him ramble to his heart’s content until he wore himself out and was ready for another topic. 

All in all, you didn’t mind too much. He did the hard work for you; All you had to do was sip your coffee and listen to whatever interesting facts he was able to spout off at you. A few times, a guard had interrupted your day with him to ensure everything was going smoothly and you felt safe, and a few times they’d even bring you a new cup of coffee. 

If this was to be your work day from now on, you sure as hell didn’t mind.

You found it almost amusing how Ultron’s theatrics seemed to seep into every aspect of his life. Dramatic hand gestures, staring into the middle-distance to deliver some philosophical message, or some large critique of organized religion… it was always something with him. 

It felt similar to the elaborate displays of exotic birds, constantly preening themselves and showing off their impressive feathers in hopes of attracting a mate. You were fairly sure he wasn’t trying to seduce you with his boundless knowledge, but a charming smile from him now and again further solidified the idea in your mind.

As Ultron continued his rambling on about the various moons found within the solar system, the door swung open. A friendly-looking security guard gently placed a hand on your shoulder, “Miss (l/n), it’s time for your lunch break.”

By now, Ultron had stopped speaking and was glancing between you and the guard, looking a bit irritated at the interruption---he didn’t voice any of his thoughts, however. You gave a grateful nod to the guard and quietly got to your feet. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Ultron. I’ll be back shortly.”

You and the guard swapped places and you reached for the door, pushing it open and making your way out. The entire time, you swore you could feel Ultron’s gaze boring a hole into the back of your head.

As you headed to the break room, you had to admit you weren’t feeling entirely hungry--you had far too much on your mind for a full meal. Instead, you settled on a pack of crackers from the vending machine and a bottle of water. You took a seat at a nearby table, mulling over the events of the morning, but before you could get too lost in your thoughts, someone placed their lunch bag down on the table across from you. You lifted your gaze and broke into a smile--it was Lee. 

Lee was fixing you with a curious smile, and you could tell he was straining hard to not immediately burst into asking a million questions.

“Yes, Lee, go on--”

He sat immediately and folded his elbows against the table. “What the hell’s goin’ on, (y/n)? You got promoted and you didn’t even tell us? Me and Joanne thought you went missing when you didn’t show up at the desk this morning!”

“I’m sorry. Everything just happened so suddenly… Yes, I got promoted. I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to tell you just yet though, okay?”

Lee lowered his voice and leaned in a bit closer. “Are you working for Mr. Stark now…?”

“I mean… I guess?” you responded, voice equally as quiet.

“Aha! I knew it. I knew there was something shady about the way you disappeared with him during the day yesterday. You didn’t seem like yourself afterward!”

“Shh, Lee, please---like I said, I don’t know how much I’m allowed to talk about,” you said, biting into one of your crackers, “But I promise once I do know, you and Jo will be the first I tell.”

“We better be. Remember us when you’re a big shot!” he said dramatically, casting a hand over his forehead, “Little (y/n)’s all grown up!”

You rolled your eyes and crumpled up the empty cracker bag. “Big shot, my ass. The closest I’ll get to that is being Stark’s coffee runner.”

“You’re running Mr. Stark’s coffee?” Lee said, eyes wide.

“No, Lee.”

“Well if he’s looking for someone to, y’know, fill that part, please recommend me!”