In accordance
“Jesus Christ Tony, I knew the kid was young, but not still going through puberty.”
Tony Stark was literally up to his elbows in old software. Scattered remains of bots past their date, and suits destroyed by whatever war they were in at the time were thrown about haphazardly like some AI graveyard. He was trying to reboot an old system, but when the wiring stopped obeying his commands he’d found it pretty cathartic to just damn it all to hell. He was even pretty destressed before Agent In Your Business showed up.
He didn’t look up as he answered. “Who, the receptionist? I’m pretty sure that dude is like 25, just a late bloomer.” If she was talking about who he thinks shes talking about, he’s gonna have his vocal cords surgically removed. Or maybe have the kid’s ears taken off. He won’t listen to him, so what’s the goddamn difference?
“You know who.” She responded. She’d come to the table, and fiddled with one of his old canon blasters. It was fried around the edges, and if memory serves him well then it was when he first met Thor that killed that. A simpler time.
“Yeah? What else did he tell you?” He tried to seem as uninterested as possible as he tightened one of the bolts on an old crane.
“His name’s Peter.”
Tony couldn’t help his reaction. He dropped the drill bit onto the table with a clash and muttered “this fucking kid.” Two rules. He had two rules if Peter was going to stay at the compound. One: Don’t talk to any Avengers. Especially ones he met in Germany who could recognize his voice. And two: Don’t tell anybody your name. Lie, if you have to. Say you’re the goddamn delivery kid if it comes to it, but a name is the most powerful thing you can hide. A face can be forgotten, but making an impression sticks.
“Did he give you his street address too? Mother’s maiden name? First pet? Or is he saving that for when he undoubtedly invites you to his B-day bash?”
Natasha tsk’ed at that. “Don’t be so hard on him, he’s a good kid.”
“With a big mouth.”
“Remember when you didn’t play by the rules? Back when you weren’t so…”
He gave her a look that said ‘tread carefully’.
“---tightly wound?” She finished with a smirk.
“Well maybe I’d unwind if everything----“ he pulled at a cord that was stuck inside one of the old prototypes for his thrusters, “stopped-----trying----to-----kill-----me.” With the ‘me’ he got it out, breathing like mad and having broken a light sweat but holding the frayed cord like a trophy. “See what happens when things go my way?”
Something sparked in the background and Tony heard the whoosh of a light fire. Knowing his bots were all fully equipped with a fire extinguisher he didn’t even bother looking back.
“So what’s the recent thing that’s tried to kill you?” She found the one seat not over run by wiring and prototypes and sat comfortably.
“You just met him.”
Natasha actually laughed at that. He’d have to save that in his memories for the next time she tries to kill or incapacitate him. Maybe it’s like a get out of jail free card.
He took a moment to change his answer. “The summit is tomorrow. Ross and his back up dancers won’t quit on the vigilante act. He’ll offer up something good, he always does.” And this time he’s not so sure about the outcome. Last time he was playing with fire, he knew all that happened was he would get burned. This time he’s playing with an A-bomb.
“You know you weren’t on the popular side last time. I think they’ll back you up.” Natasha argued.
Tony’s not so sure. Everybody betrays him eventually. Obadiah, Steve, his dad. Even Natasha, who was sitting here as if Germany never happened, saw the chance to change teams and took it. Eventually there’s something too good to pass up. Eventually the benefit outweighs the cost.
Last time the accords were about Barnes. Last time it was personal for everybody, but especially Steve and his crew. Clint had a family, Wanda had a grudge, Sam had an allegiance, last time everybody was fighting for someone. This time, Tony was asking them to fight because he said so. Sure Scott was a factor, but he wasn’t exactly the motivator.
“And if they don’t? Do I put on the mask and tell everyone I’m the Spider-Kid? Do I start a war that will inevitably come back to bite him in the ass? Do I lock the kid in the tallest tower, highest room?”
“Couldn’t he just---“ Natasha made a horizontal ‘rock on’ motion with her hand, “fly out?” She let that sit for a second and then shook her head as if physically reminding herself to stay on topic. “Anyway, Have a little faith, Stark. We’ve got your back.”
“Yeah well, I’m a lot of things, but an optimist is not one.”
“Then play narcissist, I don’t care. But you’re really going to sit here and tell me that whatever the outcome is, you’ll take it sitting down? We always find an out, this is no different.”
Tony gave her a polite smile as if he agreed and nodded a goodbye as she left. Maybe if Tony was new to the game he’d believe her. Maybe if they were the Avengers who beat Ultron, he’d believe her. Hell, maybe even a year ago he could believe her. But right now, he seemed to lack the faith.
He’d have to do damage control on his own.
X
“I was halfway to New York when my pilot disappeared. Mid intercom notice about the rough skies, his skin started disintegrating and the co-pilot followed soon after. One by one, ten of the best men and women in service just… died. Right in front of me. Couldn’t explain it if I tried. Luckily on a plane filled with marines, army, and air force the half of us that were still left could control the plane enough to land. The world changed that day. And it hasn’t been back since.”
For just an average dick head, Thaddeus Ross was pretty good at monologue-ing like a super villain. Tony suspects he thinks anecdotes make him seem more personable. Agreeable, in the right light even. What he doesn’t realize is that Tony comes closer and closer to developing a human mute button with every syllable.
“The world thanks you for your sacrifice.”
If you look closely, you can almost see where Ross has to swallow his own venom with those words.
No one believes them either. Tony sits at the seat to the right of the head, with a clear view of all those in attendance. For a roll call, he’s actually pretty impressed with the line up. Everybody but Thor and Scott showed up, and that was to be expected. Thor was somewhere creating a new empire and Scott had asked Tony to tell Ross that Ant-Man had ‘run off to the microscope in the sky.’
They had all showed up, even Rogers and his fraternity. And whether that was a good sign, or the nail in the inevitable coffin, had yet to be determined.
“Was that all this meeting was about? Because that could’ve been a phone call.” Captain America----- or just Captain now questioned. Obviously he was in no mood for another Ross tangent.
Thaddeus matched the enthusiasm. “Captain.” He started patronizingly. “I am offering you the chance to operate on the side of the law again. You and your outlaws will no longer be on our most wanted lists if you cooperate.”
“And if we don’t?” Wanda spoke up. She definitely wasn’t using her magic but there was something haunting dancing in her eyes.
“How about we focus on cooperating first?”
Tony was unaware, but unsurprised that Ross’ use of ‘cooperation’ was loosely translated to ‘throwing everyone else under the bus.’ He had previous intel.
“The accords no longer suit the world. The revision however, is extremely pertinent. This contract would simply state a level of accountability. Say if one were to destroy greater New York while test driving an unlicensed invention.” Ross leveled his eyes with Tony. Any other day, Tony probably would’ve been too exhausted to care, but with all this pent up rage inside him, he was all too happy to release it.
“And who was accountable for that nuke that fired at New York when the Chitari invaded?” The government seemed to have selective memory when it came to accountability. Funny how that works. Tony distinctly remembers saving their asses.
“Those commanders were fired and reprimanded to the full extent of the law. And only because we knew who they were. These others, these vigilantes, they operate with absolutely no oversight, no restrictions, and no blame. We are not asking you to imprison them, we are asking for your help in cooperation. Do the crime, pay the time---- no one is above that. The list of enhanced beings will remain confidential, only myself and a handful of others will even have access to it. We are offering you limitless freedom, but at some point the debt has to be repayed.”
Repayed? Repayed like when Tony died disposing of that nuke? Or repayed like when the Avengers literally brought half the population back to life? As much as he’d like to offer, there was legitimately nothing left to give. Nothing more he could sacrifice. Ross’ ‘limitless freedom’ was the burden of fighting a war at every turn.
Clint responded before Tony could blow up. “And you can promise that those files will stay confidential? How?”
“The U.S. government is better at keeping secrets than you give us credit for.”
“And yet you want us to expose ours?” Natasha retorted.
Realizing he was losing the crowd, Ross nodded towards one of the guards by the light switch and as the room dimmed a large projected screen drew the eyes attention. “I did not throw the first stone, Agent Romanov.”
The first thing to appear was a news article. “Fan of Daredevil falls to his death attempting to stop a robbery.” It reads. The picture was… explicit. Even for Tony who spent a good week with the contents of his chest on a tray next to him, his stomach churned uncomfortably. Ross clicks a button and the headline fades into another. “Bystander hit in Jessica Jones fight.” This time a video with no audio plays, and someone with superhero strength picks up an empty car and throws it at Jones. Instinctually, she ducks, and the one woman who had gone outside to record the scene could not run fast enough from collision. Nearly everyone looks away or closes their eyes before impact. Ross clicks again and another clip plays, this one of Deadpool shamelessly, in broad daylight & execution style, killing a man outside of some mutant school. It was later reported that the man he killed had a plethora of child abuse cases against him but still. There was no judge or jury. There were however, witnesses. And its easy to place the blame on the one holding the bloody knife.
Ross takes the moment to intervene. “Our police and military officers go through intense training. For petty thefts, all the way up to homeland security threats. They have the credentials to justify intervening. These ‘vigilantes’ don’t know how to properly subdue a crowd, or to talk someone down from the ledge. They have no training, and no accountability. That’s where you come in. The Avengers can play the role of big brother, police yourselves--- I don’t care. But someone needs to answer for the things these masks have done.” Ross let that simmer, leaning over the table to watch each Avenger individually.
This is what Tony had feared. He was making sense. He was speaking to all the Avengers natural instinct to play god---to help the little guy. He was giving them the false choice between saving people or damning them, and if Tony didn’t have a high stakes card in this game maybe he would’ve even baited too. Natasha and Rhodey shared a look, and from his peripheral he could see them both staring intently at Tony as if asking what their next move was. Wanda and Sam had shared some whisper, and even infamous assassin Bucky Barnes looked conflicted. They couldn’t fight amongst themselves, not again. Tony wouldn’t survive it.
“yeah, You might wanna check the expiration date on that, Lieutenant. All of those headlines are from B.T.: before Thanos. In case you haven’t noticed, the B-listers have been laying low.” Tony broke the silence with fake confidence executed fearlessly. He’d known about the Deadpool and Jessica Jones thing, he’d read about them last year. The Daredevil thing, based on context clues was also outdated as Tony Stark had personally paid visits to the vigilantes to explain what was going to go down. Tony was going to play diplomat, get the government off their asses, and then they could go back to spandex and superiority complexes. Give him a month, maybe less, but most importantly lay low.
Every now and then Tony’s known to have a good idea.
“Excellent point, Mr. Stark. You want relevant? This was live just an hour ago.” He pointed at the screen again, where a mid-thirties man was speaking diligently into the microphone. The feed started midsentence.
“-------where just moments ago Reginald Dioux was shot, and later killed. The gunman was seen by several witnesses, although has yet to have been identified. Shot from the back, it is assumed that Dioux was preoccupied not by something, but rather someone, resulting in his untimely death. Another person on the scene was Queen’s very own Spider-Man, who is now a possible suspect, and accessory to this murder. Danny Gomez, Channel 8.”
It’s the right arm that goes numb in a heart attack. Or maybe it’s the left. Hell, maybe it’s both, because right now Tony’s entire form is frozen in shock. No other sound exists but the pounding in his chest and while his vision works, it’s not focused. Peter. It’s all he can think. Not what he can do to fix it, or to help, or even to remain calm, it’s just the one word over and over: peter.
“Accessory to the murder.” The reporter had accused. Peter already has an incredible guilt complex, and by the time Tony reaches New York--- or even his cell phone, surely it will have wholly consumed him.
He had planned for this. He re-wired Karen to turn off the scanners, he told Ned to go crazy on the movie marathons, he’d told Peter to have free reign in the labs. He’d planned to keep Peter off the damn streets, and the week he’s gone is the one Spider-Man decides to return. Tony’s not home, and May works nights Thursday’s and somewhere in Queens there’s a teenage kid wondering how he became such a ‘monster.’ Tony knows from personal experience that’s not a thought you ever come back from.
“Shall I continue?” Ross asked rhetorically.
Regardless, seeing the reaction on Tony’s face Rhodes all but shouted “no.”
He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew it was Banner silently asking if he was alright. Bruce didn’t know--- couldn’t know about Peter, he wasn’t even in Germany. But Bruce does know the signs of anxiety, especially in a Molotov cocktail of repression like Tony, and the gesture is meant well.
Tony brushed it off when he sat forward. Peter’s only chance now was Tony’s ability to keep his cool so he mentally reserved a time slot to melt down later----- but right now, he needed to win.
“We don’t know who Spider-Man is. We don’t know who any of the vigilantes are, there’s no match.com for us. We can’t give you want you want.”
Ross looked at Tony with a dead stare. He then moved his eyes across the table to where Steve sat, addressing him directly. “We? Does that speak for you as well, Rogers?” Steve’s jaw set.
“I can offer you immunity. Barnes will be free to go where he wants, without fear for detainment or worse. When was the last time you could say that?” He turned to Bucky now, whose stoic face gave nothing to the reader besides a slightly pursued lip. He was thinking about it.
“Colonel Rhodes, you are no longer in active duty, but I can give you so much more. Your own squadron, or task force or whatever grouping of soldiers you need to ‘make the world a better place’. Barton, your family can move from whatever back country farm they’re hiding in and into a house where you come home to the comfort of them every night. I am offering you all the best chance you’ll have at being free. Don’t follow a blind man.”
“Offensive.” Tony quipped. His heart was beating faster and faster with every passing second. This wasn’t going to work. Spider-Man had caused too many problems for Cap & co. for his safety to be a bargaining chip, they would take the deal and go. Spider-Man would become the newest ‘WANTED’ poster and Peter Parker would blame himself for years to come, falling down the rabbit hole of insecurity.
Yet again, Tony would lose. Only this time he was losing everything.
“We politely decline your offer, sir.” Tony did a childish double take of Captain Righteous. Bucky’s life was no longer the accords bargain, and yet still… Steve was standing with him? What was even more flooring was that no one corrected Cap’s claim.
“Captain the media needs a pawn. I’d think very carefully about who you choose to play it.” Ross’ mustache twitched with anger.
“Is that a threat?”
“It can be.”
Steve stood then, causing all the guards that manned the doors to jump in surprise. He gave one spare look at Ross before storming out through the double doors. Bucky and Sam followed his lead, shortly continued by Wanda, Clint, Banner, Rhodey, and Natasha.
Ross watched them file out with a face remarkably stoic. There was something to be said about a man who can hide his crazy so well.
“You have a week Mr. Stark. I won’t ask again.”
“Great.” He said simply, not sparring a glance before exiting. The Quin-jet was probably ten minutes out from their location, and the Avengers likely waiting for him, but something vitally more important was hours away in Queens.
Tony double tapped his reactor, engaged the thrusters and tried to break the sound barrier as he set out to find Peter Parker.