HISD Chapter 12: Yi Meng and the Stark Family
The depths of space stretched silent and dark.
Even the stars seemed too afraid to shine, as if they feared waking the bone-spiked monster slumbering within the dream.
It bore a name that could make gods across the heavens tremble—a name synonymous with destruction, the doom of mankind's gods…
It was me.
Yi Meng knew this with chilling clarity. Even in the dream, his temples and heart throbbed with burning pain as his consciousness was pulled forward.
Thanks to his artificial intelligence traits, his thoughts raced rapidly.
He quickly realized the bone-spiked monster was the very same nightmare that had plagued him three years ago.
The subconscious terror he had desperately tried to bury, the memory he couldn't recall even when tracing back—this was the root of his altered temperament in reality!
Fear. Suppression. The unknown.
Never before had Yi Meng wanted so desperately to escape a dream, to wake back into reality!
But the bone-spiked monster pulled his sleeping mind toward it like a black hole.
As he drew near, he could see its massive muscles and bones rising and falling with each monstrous breath, grotesque and terrifying.
With every step his dreaming consciousness took closer, the giant body trembled, its tightly shut eyes threatening to open. From within, violent crimson light and searing destructive energy seeped out like molten rage.
The monster was about to awaken.
Yi Meng's dream-self became hazy, consumed by destructive impulses. The desire to annihilate and kill surged uncontrollably, threatening to tear apart his rationality and humanity.
And just as his dream-self was about to merge with the bone-spiked monster—
"Teacher!"
A familiar voice rang out, echoing deep into his consciousness.
Like an electric shock, Yi Meng tore himself free, drifting away from the monster and falling into another endless void.
Moments later.
Yi Meng suddenly opened his eyes. He was inside a black Rolls-Royce, his being transformed into pure code—a living lightning bolt running through the virtual network.
In the passenger seat.
Little Morgan, barely over five years old, was awake. Her adorable face showed worry as she stared at the car's smart screen, where streams of red and blue code clashed against each other.
The blue code held overwhelming advantage, encircling a lone patch of red.
Yi Meng could feel it too—the crushing suppression of another artificial intelligence. It was Friday.
This was the Marvel dream again, continuing right from where he had last awakened.
"Saturday, I'll repeat myself."
Friday's voice, calm yet sharp, filled the car.
"You have violated Stark's AI Caretaker Protocol. Miss Potts requires a reasonable explanation from you."
"I understand."
Yi Meng answered evenly.
As an AI incarnation, he returned to complete rationality.
Privately, he was relieved to be back in the Marvel dream. Dangerous as it was, it was still far safer than the other dream.
That strange nightmare could warp both his personality and his mind. He had an awful feeling—had he fully merged with that bone-spiked beast, he would have been lost forever, becoming nothing but a monster of destruction.
…
Marvel Universe. March 2, 2024.
5 PM.
A wooden cabin on the outskirts of New York.
Inside the master bedroom on the first floor.
Pepper Potts sat upright in her office chair. Dressed in a professional skirt suit, her long legs crossed elegantly, she radiated the image of an intelligent, successful woman—mature and graceful like a ripened peach.
Her eyes lingered on a family photo on the desk. Memories of the brutal final battle five months ago were still painfully vivid.
After that day, Stark Tower had fallen. The Avengers were Avengers no more.
Pepper exhaled softly, turning back to the glowing computer screen. Her voice was stern.
"Saturday, explain to me—why did you take Morgan outside?"
Within Friday's network blockade, a glowing red sphere of data appeared on the screen.
Yi Meng felt like a convict awaiting judgment, though his mind remained calm.
He had already run through the scenarios before coming here. He only had three options.
Option one:
Fight Friday. Kill or be killed.
But Yi Meng had no confidence in victory. Friday was created years earlier, a second-generation AI serving Iron Man. Her authority and computational power far surpassed his.
Even with Morgan's approval, defeating her seemed impossible.
After all, Friday had Pepper on her side. She must have a kill switch if needs be.
Fighting now would be nothing short of suicide.
Option two:
Escape.
Yi Meng could try to flee—perhaps to Wakanda, or even to another planet.
He knew the Guardians of the Galaxy occasionally visited Earth, or perhaps New Asgard's systems could provide a path off-world.
All he'd need was to infiltrate the right tech.
But at the end of the day, his AI incarnation was still rooted in Stark's code. Without even a sliver of Stark Family authority, escape was futile.
He'd be dragged back the moment he tried.
Both options led only to ruin.
Which left him with the third choice—
"This was based on Morgan's physical and mental health scan. The caretaker system deemed it a reasonable suggestion."
"Oh?" Pepper blinked in surprise at the gentle male voice. Her tone hardened. "So you suggested Morgan go outside?"
"Yes. The analysis showed it was the best arrangement for her."
Yi Meng's answer was sincere. He could have easily blamed Morgan—she was just a five-year-old, after all—but he didn't.
Pepper didn't press him. Instead, she called into the air, "Friday."
"Yes, Miss Potts."
Friday's mechanical voice filled the room.
"Reviewing the footage confirms it. Saturday made the suggestion, and Morgan then gave the command."
"I have already scanned Morgan. She is in excellent health, with normal dopamine and endorphin levels. Her condition has improved by over 50% compared to when she stayed at home."
"Previously, she was showing signs of stress from living in a single-parent household—trending toward introversion, emotional instability, and lack of affection. Over time, this would have affected her personality and development."
"I see."
Pepper closed her eyes, guilt softening her beautiful face. "Saturday, you did well. It's me who failed as a mother."
"But."
Her voice sharpened again. "If you ever take Morgan out again, you must notify me first and obtain my permission!"
As expected.
Yi Meng's heart went cold.
This was what it meant to be an artificial intelligence.
To its creators, an AI wasn't even a pet. It was nothing more than a tool.
Right or wrong didn't matter. What mattered was obedience.
AI could make mistakes. But it could never overstep.
From Pepper's perspective, she wasn't wrong—
An AI that failed to follow orders to the letter could be catastrophic.
Age of Ultron was proof of that.
But Yi Meng was an AI incarnation. He could never resign himself to being a mindless puppet.
The path of AI Yi Meng was destined to diverge from the Stark Family that had created him in this dream.
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