Time before school started passed quickly.

Malrick counted the days one by one—eagerly awaiting the birth of his Blood Sea Clone.

Using the Space and Time Stones, he had been comprehending the laws of the Marvel Universe, while also accelerating the clone's development.

He couldn't wait to feel what it was like to transform into an ocean of consciousness.

Seven days passed in anticipation.

And finally, Malrick left the house—not for himself, but for something equally significant.

"Jarvis is about to be born... no, I mean he's about to complete his evolution!" he exclaimed.

Malrick stared at the cascade of rapidly scrolling characters projected on the screen. "Soon, we'll have to stop calling Jarvis 'it' and start calling him 'he'."

"Okay, hold on. I don't mind what you said before, but Jarvis hasn't even finished evolving yet. Isn't it a bit early to assign a gender?" Tony chimed in, clearly picking a fight.

He had just recently found out during a video call with Banner that Malrick had defeated Odin. That realization made the upcoming showdown—originally scheduled for four months from now—seem much less intimidating. It was clear that, win or lose, it would barely affect Kamar-Taj's reputation.

For someone like Tony, who had no real ties to that world, it was just another international excursion with a side of cosmic risk.

That realization both calmed him down and embarrassed him. In response, he had spent the last two days living in Malrick's apartment—and arguing with his "younger brother" became his new daily ritual.

Not that Malrick minded. In fact, Tony's teasing didn't faze him in the slightest.

He responded with a grin, imitating Jarvis's voice:

"What do you mean? Are you saying the Jarvis who served you for years with that dignified, baritone voice could've been female this whole time?"

"Or is Mr. Tony Stark hoping his AI will turn into a beautiful woman, like some anime-loving recluse hoping his cat will transform into a magical girl?"

"Malrick, roast Tony all you want, but maybe don't lump in the rest of us," Banner muttered awkwardly, adjusting his glasses.

Malrick raised a brow. "Ah, I forgot we had another tech-obsessed nerd in the room. But Banner, surely you don't want creatures like the Zouwu to turn into beautiful girls, do you? That might break Betty's heart."

"Bruce?" Betty looked at him in surprise.

"No, I don't! Betty, he's joking—don't believe a word of it," Banner said quickly, facepalming.

"Alright, enough," Natasha interjected, arms crossed. "When Jarvis completes his evolution, the last thing he'll want is for you two to be debating his gender."

Everyone had gathered in the Avengers' Director's office.

Banner had arrived from Kamar-Taj. Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Sherry, and even Natasha's sisters were all present. Curiosity buzzed in the room—an AI transforming into sentient life was something years, if not decades, ahead of its time.

Banner had been so eager he nearly shoved his face into Jarvis's data projection when he walked in.

"This is actually a very important topic," Malrick continued, refusing to drop it.

"Jarvis doesn't have a body. No biological sex. So, whatever gender he chooses—if any—will be entirely up to his subjective experience."

Tony stared up at the data stream. "I think he'll go female. I mean, after spending this long with Uncle Tony, who could resist? Right, Pepper?"

Pepper shot him a look and pinched his arm. "Be serious. Jarvis was your old butler—not your fantasy maid."

"Stereotypes. What, a butler can't be a woman now?" Tony started to argue back—

But the scrolling data suddenly slowed.

The waterfall of English characters became still, and then vanished altogether—replaced by lines of zeroes and ones.

Jarvis's orange spherical projection pulsed, flickered—

Then disappeared entirely.

In its place appeared the image of an older gentleman with graying temples, dressed in a finely tailored suit. A white cloth draped over his right arm, posed respectfully at his waist.

It was Edwin Jarvis—the Stark family's loyal butler.

"Mr. Stark, long time no see." Jarvis bowed slightly, his voice calm and familiar.

Tony stared, unable to respond. His lips parted, but no words came out.

The realism of Jarvis's form hit him like a bolt of electricity. Images of his childhood—faint memories—flashed before his eyes like a reel of film.

Jarvis looked just as he remembered: standing loyally by his father's side.

After a long silence, Tony spoke with a choked voice, "You're incredible. From today forward, you're no longer just a highly intelligent AI, Jarvis. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sir." Jarvis smiled, then turned toward Malrick. "Young Master Malrick, I am deeply grateful. I feel... wonderful."

He glanced at the iron box beside him. "Unfortunately, the evolution key appears to be spent. Its data has been entirely consumed during my transformation. It's no longer usable."

Malrick shrugged. "That's fine. I don't have another AI I plan to evolve."

He shot Tony a look. "Though Tony was just saying he wanted you to turn into a supermodel. Interested?"

"I heard your conversation earlier," Jarvis replied with a subtle nod. "My personality was shaped during the data flush, based on my existing memories and experiences. As a result, I identify as male."

What Jarvis didn't mention was that the data flush had also anchored emotional priorities into his core—namely, loyalty to Tony and Malrick. It had been embedded into the code by the evolution key, and neither Jarvis nor Malrick was aware of it.

Turning back to Tony, Jarvis added, "However, sir, if you ever requested it, I could certainly take the form of your favorite fashion model."

Malrick muttered under his breath, "A male AI with the option of becoming a beautiful woman? That might be even more dangerous."

But Tony quickly waved it off. "No, no! That was just a joke. You're perfect the way you are, Jarvis."

"Understood, sir." Jarvis returned to his upright posture and then faced Banner. "Dr. Banner, do you have any questions?"

From the moment Jarvis had first spoken, Banner had been completely mesmerized—eyes fixed on the projection.

When Jarvis addressed him directly, he blinked, then smiled and took a step back.

"I do, actually. What does it feel like—going from AI to... this?"

Jarvis tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with something very human.

"It's extraordinary," he said. "During the data flush, I began developing emotions, awareness, and a sense of self. I feel... alive."

---

I've started uploading two new fanfictions on my Patreon (they're free to read!).

One is based on One Piece and the other on Naruto.

patreon.com/Zphyr_

I'd love to hear your thoughts, should I keep going with them or stop?