Fic: There is no 'I'... 8/11
Chapter 8
The charity auction was uneventful. Tony smiled, sipped soda water, avoided questions about his facial art and bought Jarvis a pretty little eighteenth century end table that he’d seen the man looking at online. The real fun began a week later in Ecuador when he conducted a surprise visit of a Stark Industries factory to answer some nasty questions about working conditions.
The factory had passed international standards…just. Tony wasn’t in the business of skimming a pass mark, his corporation had some of the best trade practices in the world and the conditions would be superlative by the end of the month. Or else. Turning away from a somewhat heated discussion with his South American head of operations, Tony called Pepper to tell her he’d handled it and was then shot four times in the back.
In the chaos the shots caused, Tony genuinely thought someone else had been the target. He’d located Delven through the HUD as his bodyguard tackled the gunwoman to the floor; his other guards took up flanking positions around Tony, while his executives made for cover under the table or sat stunned in their chairs. It wasn’t until he got a clear view of the woman, a board member, and the HUD gave him her name and employment history that Tony became aware he was wearing Iron Man.
“Genuinely under threat.” He observed, looking at the repulsor gauntlets. They seemed the same as always, no indication that the elements had been stored in his bones for the last nine days. “Very cool.”
“Mr. Stark?” Delven was only vaguely flustered by the attempted murder of his charge. Considering the bullets would likely have killed him, placed centre mass like all the military in the world are taught, Tony figured the man might be happy his client was a superhero after all.
“I’m fine,” Tony assured him, because Delven without his stoic expression was beginning to freak him out. “Did that look sci-fi enough for you?”
“Strange as all hell, Mr. Stark. Like you were sweating metal,” Delven replaced the sunglasses that had been knocked asquew buy his exertions. “But I work for SHEILD, I’ve seen crazier than that.”
“Can’t wait.” Tony said.
*****
When nearly fifty individuals with personal body armor and guns enough to rival War Machine attacked the United Nations complex, the Avengers weren’t the first call that was made. Apparently, domestic terrorism was still under the purview of the U.S. Government and thus not part of their superhero responsibilities.
“So, we’re just going to watch people die on CNN?” Clint demanded harshly. His staring match with Coulson had gone from brief to uncomfortably long several seconds ago. Bruce simply sat watching the mansion’s massive LCD screen, hands still, expression calculating.
“The local authorities are managing the situation.” Coulson replied, not even remotely phased by Clint’s passion.
Tony had just returned from an engineering consult in Egypt and wasn’t in the mood to fuck around.
“I’m going.” He slipped off his jacket because, even for Tony, it was hard to lose a $17,000 suit every time he pulled out the armor.
“No, you’re not.” Coulson didn’t break eye-contact with Hawkeye.
Tony laughed. “You know you can’t stop me.” Tie and shoes hit the Versace sofa. “This is the sort of bullshit I was all over long before Fury gave me the recruitment speech.”
“You’re an Avenger now,” Coulson obviously deemed Tony’s striptease a more worrisome thing than getting one over on Clint. “SHEILD’s mandate is to intervene only in situations…”
“So, I quit.” Because six months was a good run for Tony. He’d never committed to any club for that long before.
“Declined.” Cap said as he and Natasha came into the room, a StarkTech tablet in the other agent’s hands.
“They’re using non-standard electromagnetic weapons, likely sourced from China.” Natasha passed the device to Coulson. “The LEOs won’t be able to stop that kind of firepower. People will die.”
Natasha’s face gave no inclination of care one way or another. Coulson scanned the tablet while Cap slowly raised an eyebrow at Tony’s half-dressed state.
“Very well. You are cleared to go.” The senior agent allowed.
“Still quitting.” Tony declared as he surrounded himself with Iron Man.
“No you’re not.” Captain America put on his game face and led the Avengers into the field.
*****
The United Nations was a sprawling complex currently being evacuated by super-efficient security staff. They were a little distracted by the armed gunmen and women currently taking over several of their buildings, but no one was panicking yet.
“I don’t like this.” Rhodey always sounded different via War Machine’s comm. channel. Calm and measured like they weren’t trudging the Secretariat room by room looking for terrorists and civilians, hopefully not in the same place. Tony knew Col. Rhodes’ eerie Zen was like Cap’s command voice, but it still sounded weird. He had to stop making friends with all these military types.
“That’s because search and rescue isn’t part of your ‘badass’ persona right?” Tony was five floors down from the roof, looking through offices while the other Avengers were scattered in various hot spots. Rhodey had been ordered in after a fierce shouting match between the military and the UN security force.
“I mean, this seems like we’re dealing with clone troopers or something. Where did they get all those armaments?” He heard the background noise as War Machine slammed open a door, petrifying a few cowering diplomats before shepherding them to an exit.
“You know as well as I do…” Tony stopped as Hawkeye and Thor’s line went live with gunfire and swearing.
“Where are they Jarvis?” Tony called up schematics of every building, every room.
“Second floor General Assembly, Sir.” Tony moved across to a window.
“We’ve found a bomb.” Captain America reported. “Eighth floor Secretariat stairwell.”
“It’s enough to destroy most of the block.” Widow concurred, accent slipping faintly into Russian with her tension. “Iron Man?”
“I’m coming,” Tony said, backtracking towards the stairwell.
“It’s Stark Industries.” There wasn’t even a trace of emotion in Natasha’s voice now.
Tony swallowed. “Just don’t touch it.”
The Iron Man blasted through the stairwell door.
*****
His gauntlets and helmet on the floor, Tony used Natasha’s multi-tool to strip wires and turn minute screws.
“Widow, get to Hawkeye’s position to help with those gunmen.” Cap ordered lifting away the last of the cement wall he’d just smashed into pieces to give Tony full access to the monster in the air duct.
“Yessir.” Natasha took the steps three at a time.
“Nimble little minx isn’t she?” Tony carefully dismantled the casing around the mini-bomb that was supposed to kill him while he defused the device that was supposed to kill thousands.
Cap carefully took hold of the plastic explosive Tony passed him. “I know she’d cause extensive bruises if you say that in range of her hearing.”
“They have hostages.” Thor reported voice heavy with disgust at such cowardly tactics.
Tony looked into worried azure eyes. “Go. I’ve got this.”
Steve’s fingers curled on his shield. “Are you sure?”
“That I can defuse one of my own fucking bombs? Yes Captain, I am.” Steve didn’t deserve the sharp edge of Tony’s tongue, but stressed didn’t even begin to cover what he was feeling at that moment.
“Don’t blow yourself up.” With that Cap was gone, sprinting down stairs with inhuman speed. Tony looked back at the mass murder in his hands.
“Alright bitch, let’s do this.