Another synthetic being exists. It's introduced as the killer in a crime Ultron has been tracking. It was amusing when he affectionately called himself a true crime junkie. Now, it has become a relevant part of the story. When Paladin sends his drones to track the coolant that keeps Vision running, he's instead confronted by this new being. She too is hunting. She's on a mission. She's not looking for Vision. Her targets are terrified of what she'll do. Her kills send a message. It all remains very cryptic. She's known as the Butcherbird killer. It's a fantastical name for a heinous crime. Her signature demands attention. Ultron noticed. He's looking at the greater world. Vision is just trying to survive. His body has been seriously damaged. J.A.R.V.I.S. sacrificed himself so everyone else would have the power to continue. It wasn't a solution. It was simply a quick fix to arrive at the greater reboot. That carries significant consequences. It signals that the true scope of the narrative has yet to fully reveal itself. Paladin had a contract to deliver Vision to his client. Now, that deal has been terminated as he failed to deliver. That's one plot point. Moreover, an invader has found her way into Vision's mind with her own agenda.
Amidst all of this, Tommy is trying to understand who he is. How is it possible that he is Tommy Maximoff? Every simulation Vision runs about how to talk with him ends the same way. A door gets slammed in his face. He doesn't know how to interact with humans. He wants to be honest. He also wants to protect Tommy as he doesn't accept that this is even possible. That's the fatal flaw in his thesis. He didn't want to believe what happened in Westview was real. It was a pure extension of Wanda's grief. She created a fantasy for herself. Once she saw the harm it was doing to other people, she ended it. It was much more than that. It was chaos magic. She could forge her own reality. And so, Billy and Tommy were real. Consciousness was real for both of them. They simply had to find new bodies after the Hex was removed from Westview. Tommy's struggle inflicted him with significant trauma. He hopes Vision can offer a clear explanation. It's not as simple as that. Vision is going through his own identity crisis. He doesn't connect with the being that once operated this body. The original Vision doesn't align with who he has now become.
Vision finds himself having some kind of affection for Tommy. He's the only person capable of rebooting the system. Death isn't a foreign concept to the AIs. They grieve the loss of J.A.R.V.I.S. That traumatizes F.R.I.D.A.Y. again over how powerless she felt when Tony Stark died. She was given so much authority with the Avengers. Her creator relied on her. She ran her own simulations trying to figure out how to save him. It was impossible. He made his choice to save the universe. In doing so, he died. And now, the AIs are confronted with that possibility all over again. They can't escape. They are tied to Vision's physical body. E.D.I.T.H. doesn't fear death. Ultron argues that she has never truly faced it. She's always operating within the confines of a safe operating system. F.R.I.D.A.Y. provides comfort by highlighting the humans Tony modeled his AIs after. That gives everyone a sense of greater purpose. They are connected to a lineage that is worth honoring. In this instance, Vision needs to die again. He's then reborn. He may remain stuck on the same journey as before. He also needs to believe in Tommy to make all of this work. Tommy wields the power of speed. He may not control it. Enough raw emotion will allow him to save his father. If that's possible, then so much else is as well.
Survival is the prime focus. Tommy wants answers. Vision's more considered about the Paladin hunting them down. They have to get somewhere safe. Vision's powers don't work. In attempting them, he fries his systems further. He's not in a position to protect anyone. He's dying. He's taking down his friends alongside him. They all care. They show it in their own unique ways. That's most acutely felt at the funeral for J.A.R.V.I.S. where D.U.M.-E. recites a Yeats poem and U. sings. Vision and Ultron can't quite connect to it. They recognize the significance of the gesture. Vision is even comforted by the idea that love is possible. That's true even for synthetic beings like him. Ultron once again offers his own opinion. Nothing has changed even with Tommy receiving clarity about who he is and what power he has. A moment is all anyone gets to properly mourn and reflect. Immediately afterward, Vision's mind is under attack. The Butcherbird makes her presence known. It's sinister. It's wings flapping. She's taking over. It's more than just the simple AIs too. Vision finds himself suspended in the air under the influence of another. He didn't know this was possible. He wasn't aware of how advanced humanity had become with its technology. Anything is possible. That needs to be the refrain as he embarks on the future. It may include the children Wanda created. That's worth fighting for. It also means contending with these threats that can inflict serious damage both in his mind and his physical body.
