Summary: Vision remembers a previous encounter with Beck.
Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20323687/chapters/56288515
Once back at the Hotel, after first explaining to Ned that MJ knew Peter was Spider-Man, and introducing him to Harley, the teens quickly formed a plan of action.
“Everyone knows what they’re supposed to do, right?” asked Peter, a little nervous, once he was fully suited up. He had really messed up big this time. “I go warn Mr. Fury and Agent Hill about Mysterio..”
“MJ and I will cover for you with Mr. Harrington and Mr. Dell” added Ned, while MJ nodded.
“And I’ll go find out what hospital Wanda got taken to and warn her and Vision” Harley finished.
“Huh?” MJ’s brow crinkled, confused. “I thought The Vision was dead..”
–
Due to her head wound, the Hospital chose to keep Wanda in overnight for observation. Vision, in his human disguise to avoid any unnecessary panic in a hospital already full of panicking people, waited by her bedside the entire time, trying, and failing, to make her relax.
“We have to get out of here, Vision!” Wanda argued. “We have to get back to Peter, and Harley! Who knows what rahat Beck could be.. ” She tried to get up, almost immediately feeling dizzy. “Whoa..”
“Careful..” Vision gently pushed her back down onto the bed, pressing a kiss to the bandage that now covered her wound. “I’m worried about them too. But you won’t be much good to them while you have a concussion. You need to rest, Wanda. Even if it’s just for a few hours.”
“I know..” Wanda huffed, relenting, albeit reluctantly so. “It’s just frustrating, not being able to do anything..”
“Peter and Harley are both smart boys. I’m sure they can handle themselves for a little while” Vision held Wanda’s hand, hoping to distract her from her frustrations. “Tell me about MJ. Peter definitely seems besotted with her..”
“Like I said, she seems like a nice girl.. Brave, too” Wanda managed a small smile. “She dragged me out of harm’s way when I was unconscious.”
“Then I think I already like her” Vision smiled back.
–
Harley was becoming frustrated. As it turned out, finding Wanda and Vision was a lot more difficult than he had anticipated when he’d agreed to the task. Throughout the night and into the next morning, he streets of Prague were packed with people, probably gossiping excitedly about the events of the previous evening. Well, Harley assumed that’s what they were talking about since it was the only street-packingly interesting thing to happen recently, but very few of them were speaking English and so he couldn’t be sure.
He also couldn’t ask them for directions to the nearest Hospital.
To make things even worse, his Iron Legion droids were out of power, so Harley couldn’t use them to track his new friends/mentors.
Peter was probably already in Berlin by now meeting with Fury, and Ned and MJ were on a plane headed for London, so he couldn’t turn to them for help either.
Just after Noon, right when Harley was beginning to feel completely and utterly useless, to believe he wasn’t worth being Tony’s Plan D let alone Plan B, he finally located the Hospital.. Conveniently, just as Vision and the recently discharged Wanda walked out through the exit.
“Oh Thank God!” Harley exclaimed the moment he saw them.
“Harley!” cried Vision, a bit puzzled, but relieved to see his little brother. “I thought You would still be at the Hotel.”
"It’s good that you’re here” Wanda began. “Listen..”
“You guys need to be really careful of..” Harley added.
“Beck!” All three finished in unison.
“Wait” Harley was puzzled. “How did you guys know what Beck was planning?”
“Noi nu” said Wanda, before remembering that Harley couldn’t understand Sokovian, and translating herself for his benefit. “We didn’t. We suspected he was up to something, and my ‘accident’ during the battle was clearly not actually an accident, but we don’t know any exact details.”
“However, it seems like you do” Vision looked at the boy. “Tell us what you know, Harley.”
“Right. Finding you guys took a bit longer than I thought, so we should probably keep moving while I explain..”
–
So, as the reunited Children Of Iron made their way through the crowded streets of Prague, Harley launched into the explanation of everything he had discovered with Peter and MJ the night before, and Peter’s mistake in handing control of E.D.I.T.H to Beck.
Wanda’s expression became increasingly grim throughout the story. Vision’s did as well, but for a slightly different reason. Something about all of this, the holograms Beck was using seems familiar. His brow furrowed, trying to grasp the memory fully as it hovered at the edge of his mind..
“Where’s Peter now?” Wanda asked Harley, too focused on the boy’s story to notice Vision’s struggle.
“He was going to Berlin to warn Mr. Fury and Agent Hill about..”
“B.A.R.F!” Vision suddenly shouted, causing a few passersby to give the trio quite a wide berth.
“No, Beck..” said Harley, confused.
“Are you feeling sick, Vizh?” Wanda frowned, equally puzzled by her fiance’s sudden outburst.
“No. I guess Tony never did come up with a better acronym..”
“For what?” asked Wanda.
“B.A.R.F” Vision repeated, causing another mass exodus of people from their general vicinity. “Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing. I remember now.. I met Beck once, briefly. He worked for Stark Industries, and he invented the framework for holographic illusions. Tony used it for therapeutic purposes, revisiting old memories.”
“I remember when he went to present that” Wanda realised. “You mentioned it to me, because you were coordinating his schedule at the time, while he and Pepper were on a break just before..” she trailed off awkwardly.
“Before the Accords” Vision finished sombrely. “Beck was upset because he thought Tony was wasting the potential of his program.. Tony fired him for being unstable.”
“We have to go help Peter, then” said Harley, suddenly determined. “If Beck is really as crazy as he sounds, he could be in big trouble.”
“You’re right” Wanda agreed. “We’ll head for Berlin as soon as we..”
They were interrupted when Vision’s cellphone rang. Vision jumped, forgetting he’d even had the thing, then checked the caller I.D and answered.
“Happy, hello..” He paused, listening. “No, we’re still in Prague why would we.. Peter is where?!..” Wanda and Harley shared concerned looks. “You’re going to get him? Good, we’ll meet you there..” Vision disconnected the call, and Wanda looked at him questioningly.
“What was that about?”
“Forget Berlin. We’re going to the Netherlands.”
