Chapter 2
JOINING THE PARTY
Back in the Helocarrier’s lab, the disguised Tony was still looking at the computer screen, which showed that the process of hacking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s computer system was now at forty-seven percent. Not at the level to take control of the ship, but as Vision pointed out, was nearly enough to free the desired prisoners, the Avengers, from their cells.
Tony felt that Fury should know this information, given is how it was decided to join the fight of taking back S.H.I.E.L.D. and his agents. Nevertheless, he moved in closer to the radio system in which Vision already hacked and fixed to Nick’s frequency. “Fury, just a heads up, we’re about to free the Avengers.”
Elsewhere, inside the ‘flight bridge’ of the small circular device that was now flying through the New York sky and heading towards the Helocarrier high above Madison Square Garden, the miniaturized Nick Fury heard Tony’s report from the built-in intercom system. The former S.H.I.E.L.D. director was not alone, for with him were Misty Knight, Sharon Carter and the newly recovered Steve Rogers, who at this time was just finishing suiting up and putting on his trademark winged mask, which completed his guise of Captain America, and it was Cap himself who decided to respond to Tony as he finally placed his shield over his right arm. “Copy that, Tony,” he said in a serious, battle ready tone.
Back in the Helocarrier, Tony was pleasantly surprised to hear the newly recovered Cap on the other end. “Steve, you’re awake!” he said elated. “Which is great! Couldn’t imagine having this party without you!”
On the other end, the ever no-nonsense Nick is the one who answered back. “Well, afraid it can’t be a party that you can attend, Stark,” he said sternly. “Not as long as you don’t have that armor of yours. So for the time being, it looks like you’ll have to just stay where you are until we take back the Helocarrier.”
This caused Tony to let out an annoyed grunt when he heard Nick’s order. For while he didn’t like it…he couldn’t say that the veteran agent was wrong, considering that if he was going to be of any help to his friends and teammates in taking down Zemo and the mind controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, having his armor would be the best bet. “Right,” said Tony begrudgingly, then turned to Vision’s digitized head on the screen. “And since we’re on that subject, where is my armor? I remember that they forced it off me when they brought me here, but they never say where they put it.”
“Well, Mr. Stark,” said Vision, trying to sound hopeful, a human trait he was still trying to master but still wanted to boost moral in billionaire. “Now that I have access to the Helocarrier’s surveillance cameras and schematics, I know the location of your armor.”
Naturally, both Vision’s formality and his news regarding his armored suit brought a small smile on Tony’s face. “Okay, first of all, call me Tony. And second, where?”
To answer this, Vision utilized what control he had of the Helocarrier’s systems to cause a circular chamber to come up from the floor of the lab. A split second later, the chamber opened its sliding doors and revealed Tony’s armor separated in pieces, as well as the black jumpsuit in the center.
A sight which turned Tony’s smile into a grin as he pressed a small holographic button on his watch to deactivate his disguise, showing his true self, but also his prison uniform. “Vision, you are amazing!”
“I am happy to be of service,” Vision replied, sounding pleased. “And I take it that you are going to ‘join the party?’”
“You know it,” Tony replied as he proceeded to unzip and get out of his prison clothes. “I just need to change into the proper attire.”