Reuniting and Planning
Tony had arrived at the California military base. Rhodey helped him down as Tony saw Pepper, his heart skipped a few beats. Sure, they both were younger than the age they were married. Unlike Romanoff, who needed makeup, revealing clothes, and manipulation to get his attention, Pepper did not need that; she just ignited that response. He saw Pepper's eyes were full of tears.
Tony looked to Pepper right to see his other best friend happy with relief on his face. This was his team, people who cared for him, who did not see him as a banker like Natasha Romanoff and the Avengers or an asset that needed to be controlled like SHIELD and Fury. They saw him as their lost friend coming back.
Tony walked up with Rhodey alongside him. Tony denied the medical team this time, a bit nicely. If he was going to get political connections to defeat Thanos and destroy the bigger threat, Wakanda, he would need to be more mature or at least act mature, which shouldn't be hard considering being Morgan's father really helped him. Tony got closer to Pepper.
"Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?" Tony joked, remembering the line he said in the past.
"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting," Pepper replied with sass in her tone he loved. Again, Romanoff take notes, this is how you use sass without being annoying. It was unknown to the team, but when Clint came back with the Soul Stone and Natasha nowhere in sight, Tony was relieved. He did an act put on a few tears for the Avengers to seem like he was affected, but he never really cared for Romanoff. She did earn a bit of his respect, less than 12 percent for her sacrifice, but her constant betrayals and manipulation made it unable for Tony to care for or fully respect her. He felt happy knowing Morgan would be safe from Natasha.
It was a good thing Morgan didn't take on his mantle as Iron Man and that Ironheart girl did. That way, Morgan would not have to suffer as much as he did. She would be safe from Fury's and his predecessors' manipulation. Of course, Friday told him how Fury wanted Morgan's space-warping tech, but she never gave in. In fact, she warped SHIELD away when they threatened her kid. That was his baby, teaching worthless scum their places.
"Yeah, vacation's over," Tony said as the three entered the car. Tony requested Rhodey to join them. Tony pulled his memory gun and flashed Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy back their memories.
"Tony! You're alive!" Pepper said as she engulfed him in a hug, tears coming out of her eyes.
"I am, Pep," he replied before he was hit rather hard in the shoulder.
"Never do that again. Never sacrifice yourself again. You're not an extra body like Romanoff or Barton," Pepper said as she hugged him.
"I'm sorry, Pep," Tony said.
"I hate to cut in, but Tony, explain to me how you are alive and how we are in 2008," Rhodey asked.
"Well, Friday, how about you explain it?" Tony said.
"What do you mean, Friday hasn't…" Rhodey was cut off when Friday appeared instantly.
"That's new. You know what, I shouldn't be surprised; she ain't gonna be like Ultron, is she?" Rhodey replied. Tony gave Rhodey the kicked puppy depression, along with Friday, who was adorable which made Rhodey actually feel like the devil or Steve Rogers incarnated.
"Uncle Rhodey," Friday said with a pout.
"Sorry," he said, ashamed.
"You know, Rhodey, if we are gonna do this, it's a new timeline, stop bringing up past mistakes, or should I bring up how you snaked your best friend for a Hydra senator?" Tony said. Over the past 3 months, he had gotten over his guilt. The bombs and their collateral were Obadiah Stane's fault. Friday showed him evidence that the only time innocents were killed, it was the work of Stane. (Friday showed Tony the edited footage to stop his guilt.) And she also showed him proof that Ultron was Maximoff (also, Friday edited the footage of the Hydra base to make Wanda say she will use the scepter to make tony destroy the world instead of the self-destruct speech), which put Maximoff up on Tony's threat list.
Tony, however, was now changed. He never had the guilt complex and was now ready to annihilate all in his way to defeat Thanos and save the world from Wakanda's inferiority complex, even if it meant destroying them or banishing them to a different world where they have a chance to survive or die. Tony didn't care; after T'Challa left, no reason for Tony to care about the coward nation who hid instead of helping other people.
"So what now, Tony?" Happy asked.
"We prepare for Thanos and Wakanda," said Tony.
"What do you mean? I get Thano but Wakanda last I thought they allied with Rogers, who, despite being the devious, cunning, manipulative monister he is, still cared to be the hero," said Pepper.
"Pepper, our family descendants studied the Infinity Stones," Tony said.
"I thought Rogers took them back," Pepper said.
"He thought he did," Tony replied. "But anyways, they studied them and made major breakthroughs at a rate where the world caught up and surpassed the arrogant, narcissistic folks known as Wakandans. But they didn't respond well. Our family refused to share technology and advancements with the nation that supported their ancestor Howard and Maria Stark, otherwise known as my parents' death. So Wakanda threw a tantrum, ending all life. Friday came here to save humanity and give us the life we deserved," Tony said.
"Boss is right; we have to prepare the world. Don't worry, Wakanda can't wipe out humanity; they don't have the technology they had in the future. In the future when they were outclassed they actually upgraded from their warrior tribal ways and went from spears to energy weapons and more. Still, they do the primitive trial by combat, but then again, their mind is so primitive; it hadn't adapted at the rate their technology and advancement due to vibranium, but their mind is still back in 2.5 million years ago," Friday said with disgust at Wakanda, knowing how those beggars begged the Stark family for technology and advancement.
They even sent their war dogs to attack and steal from the stark family's secrets but they ended up being warped to either a volcano or to a planet with man-eating creatures. Those primitives thought they could hurt a Stark but ended up boiling or being eaten alive.
"I see what's the plan," Pepper asked.
"Friday, show them the plan," Tony stated. To watch Friday nodded.
"Of course, boss," Friday said as she let out her palm and holograms appeared, showing a country far more advanced than even Wakanda. "This is Project Starkcadia, the city of the future. A place where Father and Mother will have complete dominion," Friday said.
"Why, Friday?" Rhodey asked.
"Let's be honest, Uncle Rhodey, America is no paradise; it is full of Hydra or like-minded people. I mean, that's how the f*cking Nazis could infiltrate and be at the top of the hierarchy. While I despise Wakanda, I have to admit that the country was immune to Hydra because of a monarchy," Friday replies.
"But that's not all," Fridays continues before anyone can interrupt. "Captain America has too much sway. The president that's elected, when he's found, is too much of a mindless Captain America stan that he let him get away with dumping USA secrets. That almost started a war if dad didn't give deals to the country to put out the fire and prevent World War 3. Let's not forget how Rogers did nothing in the Infinity War and got his shield on the Statue of Liberty as a tribute, despite the fact that it was dad who ended Thanos. The president never cared that most of his people were against it," Friday added on.
Rhodey was speechless, shocking Tony, Pepper, and Happy. He always had something to say; I mean, he was best friends with Tony, who makes everyone speechless, but Rhodey always had a reply.
"I agree with Friday, but I got a question: why do you call me mother? I know Tony made you; that's why you call him dad, and after he died, you always referred to him as dad instead of boss," Pepper asked.
"Cause your dad's wife; that makes you my mother," Friday said.
"I see; I will be happy to be your mum," Pepper said as she thought of Morgan. She might have to convince Tony to help her create Morgan again; she can't live without her baby. But she knew Tony will be against it right now; the world is too dangerous.
"So how far are we in Starkcadia's creation?" Happy asked.
"We made the kingdom on dad's personal island already the structure is made of Starkium and Nanominium alloy, Luckily Howard purchased the island in unclaimed water, so lucky for us, no one has a claim to it," Friday said.
"But how did you make it, Tony? You were kidnapped..." Rhodey turned to Tony. "You weren't, were you?" Rhodey said as Tony shook his head.
"No, Fri saved me and took me to the island where I learned everything," Tony replied.
"You motherf*cker, we were worried," Rhodey said.
"Uncle Rhodey, we needed you to not know in case Obadiah got suspicious," Friday said.
"I see," Rhodey said, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that.
"But anyways, I presume you're using a cloaking tech, cause there isn't news of a country being built on Stark's private island," Happy asked. As Friday nodded.
They eventually arrived at the Stark Malibu mansion. They entered it. Tony took a deep breath as if preparing. "JARVIS, you up?" Tony asked.
"For you, sir, always," JARVIS replied.
"Oh, Jarvis, have I got a story for you, but first, meet Friday, your sister," Tony said, as Friday came up and said “hi” before sharing the info of the future.
"Mind my language, sir, but those ingrates you called a team were nothing but leeches eating off you and were useless for the task you were stuffing them up for. You had to die to save the world, and so much for Mr. Rogers talking about sacrifice when he ruined his cause; he couldn't move on," JARVIS said.
"I know, such a hypocritical man, talking about sacrifice when he essentially cut the wire. His so-called sacrifice was just an all-expense pain vacation to the future, which he f*cked up as well, 'cause let's be honest, Wakanda most likely got their selfishness from him," Tony stated.
"Agreed," the 2 AI, Friday, and Jarvis, said.
The entire group consisting of Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, James Rhodes, Friday Stark, and Jarvis was now in the plan room.
"So what's the plan, Friday? You have made Starkcadia; now what?" asked Pepper.
"It's simple; now we start getting residents. Rhodey, I need you to get me on a military program. We are gonna go Rogers style and help vulnerable veterans and soldiers, gaining their loyalty by saving them using the Iron Man and War Machine suits and healing them. Then, offer them a place in Starkcadia. We will heal them after a bit of time when the USA army tells them they are benched, we offer them a new home." Friday said.
"Wow, Friday, you have learned to be more manipulative; I didn't code that into you," Tony said.
"I'm fully sentient to a level Ultron wished he could be. I actually possess a soul thanks to starks research on soul stone, but I learned to be manipulative by studying Romanoff, Fury, and characters from anime like Madara Uchiha, Aizen, Zetsu, and more," Friday said.
"So your plan, Friday, is to have me and Tony save soldiers, instilling hero worship into them. And then recruit the people who have been benched for losing limbs, by healing them, who will most likely hate the commander structure for putting them down. That's actually marvelous; reminds me of what Killian did," Rhodey said.
"Exsuse me its nothing like Killian, we aren't turning people into bombs, we are just poaching them for Starkcadia. But that's not all; most scientists and people in similar fields like engineering face restrictions by having Starkcadia fund and lessen the restrictions. We can easily poach Jane Foster, Bruce Banner, Eric Selvig, Reed Richards, Dr. Cho, and more," Friday said.
"That's actually a good plan," Pepper said.
"I agree," Happy said.
"Plus, diplomatic immunity will give you protection from Hydra senators," Rhodey said.
"We can also offer sanctuary to mutants and inhumans who are hunted by SHIELD and people like Thunderbolt," Friday states.
"That's a good idea; offer sanctuary to the oppressed and not Hydra killing machines or people who oppose the 117 countries," Rhodey said.
"So it's decided; let's prepare. We will announce Starkcadia at the expo. Can't wait to see Justin Hammer and Aldrich Killian's face when they realize they're trying to steal national treasure. Perhaps we should ask the USA to make a public apology, let down that Hydra pride, and beg for forgiveness. Seeing one of Wanda's people, the Nazis, beg will feel good," Tony states, reveling in the idea.
"That reminds me, we need to eliminate Wanda Maximoff," Friday said.
"Why? She ain't a problem; we have protection against mind control due to the Stark research on the min stone we have learned how to strengthen our minds to a point that omega-level telepaths can't even read our thoughts," Tony said.
"No, Dad, she's a bigger threat than Thanos. She is the Scarlet Witch, according to Strange. She almost caused an incursion and collision between two universes just because her illusion of having a family disappeared. She also has the power to warp reality, and her destiny is to destroy everything," Friday said.
"I see. Well, Friday, take care of her how you see fit," Tony replied.