Prologue
"Excuse me, what?" Tony Stark stared disbelievingly at his fiancé/CEO of Stark Industries.
The echoes of the Avenger's voices followed her own as Pepper sighed. "Tony, please, I've repeated myself twice now."
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that not only did Ross make this a requirement, but that all of you," He gestured to the assembled Avengers, "agreed to it, I mean what the-"
"Language." Natasha interrupted, a slight smirk stealing over her face as Tony glared at her.
"I'd like to know when all of you became okay with 24/7 surveillance." The billionaire frowned, looking over the others, all of whom looked vaguely uncomfortable, except Natasha (that woman showed no emotion unless she felt like it).
Pepper gently tapped her papers against the conference table, straightening them up carefully as she answered. "Ross demands transparency with the Avengers, and keeping them in the public eye will not only allow for that, but it will also show the public how truly non-threatening they can be."
Natasha smirked. "Ross also threw it in as a requirement because he didn't believe we'd follow through."
Tony raised a brow. "That's why you agreed to it?"
She shrugged. "Among other reasons. I don't fully agree with it, but it has it's uses." She tossed her head, turning to look to the others.
Clint grinned. "I mean, I don't even live here half the time."
"Which means you get the good PR without any sacrifices, nice." Tony leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. "And the rest of you?"
Cap avoided the other man's gaze. "Tony, doing this will show the world what we really are, people. And if sacrificing a bit of our privacy is what it takes to be allowed to be free, than I'll take it." He winced. "It'll also help people see how Bucky isn't really the Winter Soldier he's known for, just a person who was hurt by the war."
Sam nodded to his friend. "What he said, man. I have a life though, so I don't really have to worry about it as much."
The other's all nodded, offering similar sympathies.
Tony sighed. "So what, we have to have cameras following us around all the time? I deal with that enough, Pep. Genius, Billionaire, Philanthropist over here?"
Pepper glared at him, but refrained from scolding. "Cameras won't be necessary. FRIDAY already runs full surveillance over the building, and with a few more camera's added to the system," She waved her hand towards the different walls of the conference room, but probably meant to indicate the whole penthouse, if not the tower itself. "FRIDAY could handle all the filming alone." She offered a slight smile. "With the added benefit of being able to screen footage of anything confidential, or otherwise unnecessary, without us having to employ people to do it instead."
Tony flinched just thinking about all the paperwork and NDA's that would require.
"All we would need to do would be to have the PR department organize the footage in a presentable way." Pepper continued, leaning closer to Tony. "This way Ross can't say you're too distant from society. If anything, he's paying for us to prove just how harmless you all really can be." She smiled for real this time.
"Also," Natasha smirked at Tony. "It'll be a family show, so Steve was pretty excited when he found out that everyone will be required to cut back on the swearing."
Tony's eyes widened. "I swear to-"
"Language!" The awkward expressions of the rogues seemed to apologize for the reflexive action, but Tony still glared at them.
"Yeah, no. Besides, Pep," He turned back to face her. "What about the kid?"
The curious glances exchanged by the other's didn't go unnoticed, but tony didn't deign to offer answers either. Peter and his spidery secrets would remain a secret from them if he had anything to say about it. Which of course, considering who all was gathered there, he didn't. But he would pretend he could, if only for the sake of his sanity (and his promise to the kid to try and stop drinking).
Pepper sighed, running a hand through her, ironically, strawberry-blonde hair. "Your intern should be fine. Due to security reasons, the lab won't be included in any of the filming, unless of course you or FRIDAY deems it necessary, and even then, heavy editing will be preformed. And if he doesn't want to be a part of it, then he doesn't." Pepper smiled. "If he does though," Tony grimaced. "Then you and I would sit down with him to discuss any questions either of you have regarding this."
Tony quirked a brow. "And Aunt Hottie?"
Pepper scowled. "His aunt as well, yes."
Tony smirked, before turning to the others, almost chuckling at their expectant faces. "Well, if the all-so-important Ross has decided the world hasn't had enough of me, who am I to deny the pleading of the masses?" He offered his Stark SmirkTM, watching with a grin as their faces all fell, several groan erupting from the others.
Spinning around in his seat, Tony added. "Say, Pep, what is it they're wanting to call this little TV show?"
Now it was Pepper's turn to smirk. "'The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'."
Natasha frowned. "Add a question mark in there." Clint grinned as the other shot her confused looks, only to be ignored as the red-head rose and headed towards the door. "You'll thank me later."
Pepper nodded. "Alright! It would appear we're done. Tony, you can contact Ross to tell him you've all accepted his terms," At Tony's groan she added. "Unless of course you want to talk to the PR team about handling organizing all of this?"
Tony frowned. "We both know I don't actually have a choice here," Pepper smirked. "And I honestly couldn't tell you which I would hate more."
"Cheer up, Tones." Rhodey rolled his eyes, braces whirring as he walked past the man, settling a hand on his shoulder for a moment as he passed. "You get to be the one to tell Ross his plan failed and that we're following through with his nonsense."
Tony rolled his eyes, but smirked. "Yeah, I'll give him-"
"LANGUAGE!"
Throwing his head back the genius groaned. "Never mind. Seems like this'll be more of a nightmare than anything else."
Any he was right, just maybe not in the way he was expecting.