[IC] Hooked on a Feeling

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Guin smiled at the reporters, giving them charming waves just like Tony taught her as they headed into the event. Luckily, the reporters were really just acting as photographers, taking pictures of Guin and Lance. A few of them whistled at Guin to turn and look at them, and she obliged, knowing that she likely needed the good press. She didn't really care what they said about her in the papers, but Pepper had been quite clear about it - she needed the press to write about how she was clean and recovered. It'd help Stark Industries' image or something like that.

Once they got inside, Guin dropped the fake smile and stopped waving. "My mother? She'll probably grab us for a photo op the moment someone tells her that we're here...As for the computers, hopefully less time than whatever that ends up being," she whispered back to Lance. She spotted Hammer in the back with a man she didn't recognize and for whatever reason, he sent a chill down her spine. It was as if she could just sense something dangerous about him - like a predator in the midst of an oblivious flock. "That guy next to Hammer...Does he give you the creeps too?" Guin whispered to Lance, as she found their assigned table and sat down.

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

He followed Guin's lead as they smiled for reporters. This sort of attention was still crazy for him, but he couldn't do anything about it if they wanted to find out something about Hammer and what he was up to. The idea of her mom dragging them over for a photo session scared him slightly, but he could not do anything about that either. If it happened it happened. "You probably know where to find the computers better than I do Guin, it might be better if you were the one who went to them or something." he whispered to her.

Lance looked over at Killgrave and Hammer. The guy did seem a little creepy to him, and Hammer still gave him a weird vibe, but he couldn't quite place what was off about them. "Yeah, he does seem a little weird to me... Kind of gives off the same sort of vibe I got from Hammer when I first met him..." he said, looking at them for a second longer, before looking at her.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

As they sat down, there was a round of applause as Hammer was introduced and made his way up to the stage. There wouldn't be a chance to go and find a computer to use until after the speech and other formalities were over. Guin drummed her fingers on the table, shaking her head slightly at Lance. The man who she saw with Hammer - he wasn't Hammer's douche-y eventually revealed as a child predator type of unsettling. No, there was something else about him that Guin didn't quite understand. It was as if he made every hair on her arms stand up straight.

"Nah, it's not your average type of creepy...It's more of like you met the Joker creepy, whereas Hammer is just your standard corrupt CEO..." Guin whispered to Lance. She then reached into her purse and grabbed a pen, before taking the cloth napkin and drawing a hangman board on it. "To pass the time during this boring stuff where we can't do anything," she explained to him with a grin. She spotted her mother a few tables away, with Maddie chatting Hank Pym's ear off. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. At least Maddie hadn't noticed Guin and Lance yet.

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

He said nothing when he saw Hammer take the stage. The guy was definitely a creeper of some sort, and if he was giving off vibes like the Joker of all fictional characters, then it made him wonder why he was with Hammer, and potentially working with him. Why would Justin Hammer feel the need to work with the guy, and Lance couldn't help but keep staring at the guy, unsure of what to think or say about him. Lance was wondering what it was that made this guy want to work with Hammer, or the other way around.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it really is creepy on a whole other level. What is up with him though? And why would Hammer work with him or something?" he whispered to her, not even turning to look at the game of hangman that she had started. His mind was still trying to figure out what Killgrave was doing there, and what exactly Hammer was planning still.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Guin sighed a bit as Lance didn't respond to her hangman game and she poked his hand a bit to prompt him to do so. There wasn't much they could do until the formalities ended anyways and her mind needed something to crunch on other than their mission. She couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought of that - they were like Aunt Nat and Uncle Clint, off to stop some douchebags (i.e. Hammer and the Doctor Who Lookalike) from doing something nefarious. Maybe one day they'd be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents together - she could see Lance doing it. She had problems with taking orders and probably wouldn't pass the psychological profile requirements. Or maybe they'd eventually take their parents' place on the Avengers - Guin using tech and Lance lighting up.

"I have no idea who he is," Guin muttered, putting her hand on her watch and waking up P.H.I.L., muting him so that way he wouldn't make a bunch of noise. She typed in manual instructions for P.H.I.L. to search for the mysterious man in the database, brushing a bit of her hair back in order to flash her watch in the stranger's direction. P.H.I.L. managed to catch an image. "Hopefully P.H.I.L. will though..."

There was a round of applause as Hammer took the stage, waving at all of the guests in attendance. "Thank you all for coming to this charity dinner. Now, I know we're all here for a good cause but I'd like to take a moment to introduce the newest CFO of Hammer Industries, my personal friend - Zebediah Kilgrave," Hammer said with a grin. "He's going to help launch Hammer Industries into the future, making us more profitable and competitive than ever before. Zebediah, if you'd like to come and say a few words?"

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

Lance looked away from Killgrave when he noticed the man was staring right back at him. The guy was definitely creepy or something, and there wasn't much that he could do about it now. They were on a mission, and he started thinking how they were practically being spies or something right the, he wondered what Clint and Natasha would say if they knew what they were doing right then. He didn't want to even think of what his dad thought about the whole thing either, since he still kept trying to get him to learn how to fight.

He listened to Hammer drone on, and heard the name he called out. Lance guessed who he was talking about, and looked over to see Killgrave get up from where he was sitting, and walked up onstage, over to Hammer. "I am honored Justin, I really am. To be here with all of you, for such a great cause. I also noticed that we have a few promising young youths in the sciences here today as well. Mr. Calrissian, Ms. Stark, I would very much like to meet you two in person in a few moments," he said, giving them a smile. Lance felt the urge to listen to Killgrave, and to meet the guy. Killgrave gave a wave to the crowd, before walking offstage.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Guin felt a bit terrified by how much she suddenly wanted to do exactly what Kilgrave had said. The feeling reminded her of the moments of weakness right before she would give in and get high. The logical portion of her brain was telling her to not go meet with Kilgrave - that only horrible things could come from it. But the emotional side was saying the exact opposite and it was winning the fight. P.H.I.L. chimed as he found the records on Kilgrave and Guin couldn't bring herself to look at them. All she was focused on was going to meet with Kilgrave as soon as possible, ideally with Lance.

"Isn't he just something?" Hammer said with a grin, looking right at Guin and Lance as he took back the stage. "I couldn't have said it better myself. As we've come together to give back and help to support our communities, it's important to recognize the future of talent and achievement. Now, please enjoy the first of six courses that we've prepared tonight. The silent auction will end with the fifth course."

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

The instant they stopped talking, Lance knew he needed to get over and talk to Killgrave. He knew it was a bad idea, but there wasn't much else he could do. It was literally the only thing he felt like he could do at that moment. There was something about the way the man spoke that made him want to go over to where he was sitting, the same table as Hammer. When he looked over at them, he would see that he was looking right at them. He didn't care if Guin followed him, but he immediately got up from where he was sitting, and walked over to him. "Hello Mr. Killgrave."

"Ah... So you're Lance Calrissian, Justin's told me about you. I've been anxious to meet you and Ms. Stark, there is much that we need to discuss," Killgrave said, looking at him. Killgrave glanced past Lance, over at Guin, as if looking to see if she would join them. Lance didn't look away from Killgrave, almost as if he was glued in place where he was standing or something.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

P.H.I.L.'s protocol didn't activate as to the A.I., Guin willingly got up and walked over to Kilgrave without saying a word. Her mother tried to pull her in for a hug and photograph, but Guin just roughly brushed Maddie aside, causing the reality star to scream as if frightened. She kept eye contact with Kilgrave once he made it, eventually standing right next to Lance as she stared forward at him. She tried to open her mouth to curse at him or to tell P.H.I.L. to enact his primary protocol, but she couldn't even move her mouth. In some ways, it felt like an out of body experience - and in others, it wasn't like that at all.

Justin grinned widely at the two teenagers, giving Kilgrave a clap on the back. "You really are worth every penny, Zebediah," he praised. He then nodded at two of his security officers, who opened up a room in the back. "Everything you requested has been put in there," he then added to his partner in crime. "So glad to hear you'll be joining us for the internship, Mr. Calrissian."

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

"What do you mean? I turned down that offer weeks ago?" Lance asked, thoroughly confused now.

"Yes, that may be the case, but I think you've reconsidered that offer and are wanting to accept it," Killgrave responded, giving Hammer a smile.

Lance just shook his head, confused for a moment, still forgetting that Guin was even by him. He knew it was a bad idea, and it was not something that he would have liked to have been apart of, no matter how much he wanted to yell out no. He more of wanted to scream it out at them, but his mouth wouldn't form the words, instead saying something else. "Of course I've reconsidered, and I'll be glad to come work for you," he found himself saying.

"Do you need my help anymore Justin? Since this has actually been fun and amusing in my eyes. Much more fun than just wandering around, and people just practically throwing themselves at me," Killgrave said, looking at Hammer, he figured that he had something he wanted him to have the Stark girl do.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Hammer nodded, taking a sip of his champagne. There were several ideas he had for what the Stark girl could do for him. There were rumors of a top secret server that Stark Industries had, where all of Tony Stark's plans were kept. It was supposedly unable to be hacked into by anyone other than a Stark themselves. Of course, there was a file he was interested in. He only had been able to get half of it - but he needed the other piece. It was supposedly going to be the keystone of Stark's presentation at the Stark Expo.

"I'll need at least Lance for a while - though she could be useful too," Hammer admitted. "Get her to bring me a working prototype for the Stark Industries project with the codename Ultron," Hammer finally asked Kilgrave. Guin's blood began to run cold as she heard the name - her father and Banner were working on the project. It explained why they wanted Lance initially, since he had access to it. In the wrong hands, it could be disastrous... Even in the right hands, it was a bit of a gamble. But she was powerless to do anything.

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

"Well, once a day I'll have to have a talk with Lance to make sure he does what you want him to, otherwise the control would wear off," Killgrave said, before turning to look at Guin. Lance had no idea what was going on, all he knew was that right now he had an internship with Hammer Industries, even though he knew deep down that he didn't want it, there was nothing he could do about it.

Killgrave just looked at Guin for a moment, before he spoke. "Bring to us a working prototype for the Ultron project, and do whatever it takes to ensure that you are not caught," he said, before turning to look at his partner again. "That should do it, now, how about we all enjoy the party," he said with a smile.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Guin nodded at Kilgrave's instructions, tapping at her watch and attempting to disable P.H.I.L.'s priority protocols. They were the ones that sent her father information about her each and every action. The override appeared to have been successful, but Tony was a better programmer than she was at the moment. Rather than actually disabling the protocols, P.H.I.L. sent a discrete message to Stark Tower alerting Tony that Guin had attempted to disable them. He included her current coordinates and location, as well as her vitals. "I'll have the prototype finished in the morning," Guin said numbly.

"This really is the beginning of a beautiful partnership, Zebediah," Hammer said with a grin. "And as promised, the first half of your requests," Hammer added, handing a flash drive to Kilgrave. Guin couldn't help but wonder what was on it, but her mind was already replaying everything she'd ever heard mentioned about Project Ultron before.

Peace in our time...Peace in our time...Peace in our time...

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

"Seems that way, this is going to be so much fun. Not just the party, but all of this, leading up to the Expo which I dare say seems like it is going to be quite the show isn't it?" Killgrave replied as he took the flash drive with a smile. He usually wasn't one to work with others like this, but the guy had an interesting plan, not to mention that he could help him out in the long run with what he was giving him.

Lance was worried about what these two were planning, but there wasn't much else that he could do. They had asked Guin to basically steal something from their parents, and no matter how much he hated his dad, he knew that it wasn't right. There was something seriously wrong with this, but he couldn't do anything about it. "So, are the children free to go, or would you prefer to keep an eye on them until the party is over?" Killgrave asked.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

"Oh, from what I know about Ms. Stark, she'd naturally run off at this point - except for she was on a date tonight, wasn't she?" Hammer said with a laugh. "Send the kids off together. Have them finish their date at Stark Tower, while Ms. Stark gets to work on my project. Mr. Calrissian...Have him try to steal files from Dr. Banner," Justin requested. He then smiled at them, taking another sip of his champagne before going over to speak with the head of Trask Industries.

Guin's heart was beating rapidly. Why had she promised them a prototype? And why was it she felt this need to do whatever Kilgrave said? There had to be some sort of scientific explanation behind it. She felt high, so maybe it was some sort of drug - but she hadn't taken or had anything since she got there. And it only seemed to matter when Kilgrave spoke directly to them. No one else seemed to be influenced. She regretted not paying more attention in her classes - but she had been making an effort in biology. Was Kilgrave a mutant? Was that how he was doing this? And it didn't seem to be like Loki's mind control - they hadn't been touched with a staff.

Her father's words were still echoing in her head.

Peace in our time...Peace in our time...Peace in our time...

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

Killgrave nodded, "Alright, you two are going to go back to Stark Tower, Ms. Stark will get to work on the project. Mr. Calrissian, try and see about snatching some files and information from your father," he said to them. Lance nodded his head, before he took Guin's arm, and headed back out the door. He knew that this wasn't right, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. It made him wonder what would happen if their parents found out what they were doing.

The ride back to Stark Tower wasn't too long, and as soon as they got there, Lance knew that he had to do what Killgrave had told him to do. There was something about the way the guy spoke that made you want to listen to his words and follow his instructions. He went into the elevator, and hit the button for one of the lab floors, hoping to get to a computer where he could get files from his dad at.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Guin let Lance lead her out of the event, not exactly sure how she felt about the implication Kilgrave and Hammer gave that they were on a date. Sure, that had been the lie they more or less had given to their parents - but having this Derren Brown Asshole and Justin Douchebag talking about it like it was real made her feel a little more than uncomfortable. She would've taken her arm away from Lance if she could, but her body and her mind had other ideas.

Peace in our time...Peace in our time...Peace in our time...

It wouldn't stop echoing in her head. As she kept on thinking through Project Ultron the entire car ride back to Stark Towers, that same sentence was sticking with her. She hadn't even seen Tony say it - she just overheard it one day when she was walking down the hallway to the lab. P.H.I.L. was continuing to broadcast a distress signal to Tony that Guin was completely unaware of, having believed that she shut it down per Kilgrave's instructions. She got into the elevator with Lance quietly, needing to get to one of the labs as well to get to work.

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

The elevator reached the labs, but when the doors opened, instead of an empty hallway, Tony Stark was standing there, looking at them. "Hey there Penguin, did you two have fun at the party? Thought you would have stayed longer," he said. He knew that Guin had tried to disable the protocol on PHIL, and he was trying to figure out what was going on, and what had happened at that party. The pair hadn't stayed too long either, which was a little odd.

"It was kind of boring... There wasn't much to do and they kept talking a lot. We decided to head back early because of that," Lance said, and now Tony knew something was off. Lance was the kind of person who would sit and listen at those sort of things, since he tried to be polite and generally tried to sit through all sorts of talks. He tapped his watch to call Banner over to them, so he knew that they were back already.

[Morose]

---

---

Guinevere Stark

---

---

Peace in our time...Peace in our time...Peace in our time...

Guin saw double as she looked at Tony for a moment, before the world slid back into focus as she heard Lance explain why they had returned early. Kilgrave had been clear in his instructions - she was supposed to do whatever it took to not be caught. Part of her was glad that was the stipulation - it meant that she wouldn't hurt her father. That course of action, by definition, would mean that she'd be caught by the authorities or would have been caught by her father. "Yeah, it was kinda a lame place to have a date anyways," Guin lied.

Banner saw the alert from Tony and he put down his notepad. He had been sketching out a potential reaction mechanism for a peptide synthesis. Leaving the lab, he went a flight of stairs down to enter the hallway Tony, Guin, and Lance were in. He sighed a bit - Guin looked a bit high to him. Lance looked fine. "You guys are home early..." Banner said softly, walking over to stand next to Tony. "What'd she use?" he whispered to him.

[BlueSky44]

---

---

Lance Banner

---

---

Lance shoved his hands into his pocket, not looking at his dad. For once in his life, he wished he could shout at him, tell him what had happened, what was going on, but he couldn't form the words. His brain wasn't wanting to work right, and the rest of his body seemed to be disconnected or something. There was nothing he could do, and he kept hearing Killgrave's words circulating in his mind, and they were soon the only thought he really had.

"Funny, I thought something was up with Lance because he mentioned getting bored about something and that was why they left early... Last I checked he doesn't leave early or anything since he doesn't want to be rude. Guin would, Lance wouldn't, and now that you mention it, Guin does look like she's on drugs or something," Tony whispered back to Banner. Lance wasn't paying attention enough to notice their words.