Reading Time: 76 Minutes

Title: The Unanticipated Burdens (of Vengeance)
Series: The Incredible Challenges (of Tony Stark)
Series Order: 3
Author: startabby
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Action Adventure, Drama, Established Relationship, Science Fiction, Thriller, Urban Fantasy
Relationship(s): Gen, background pairing of Tony Stark/Kaecilius
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Minor Character Death, Canon Typical Violence
Beta: Grammarly
Word Count: 99,700
Summary: The time has come. Having built up new, stronger alliances following his escape from undeserved captivity, Tony Stark is finally ready to carry out his carefully planned vengeance. But when one desires the utter and complete destruction of very powerful men, the potential for collateral damage can become a real issue. Will Tony manage to fulfill his vengeance properly or will his need for absolute victory cause him to fall, becoming the sort of villain that the Avengers are deployed to defeat?
Artist: kirlika

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Chapter 19: Before a Fall

“Hey Kae, you have to come see this,” Tony called, leaning out of his personal workshop and into the nearby den, where he knew his partner sat reading. “It looks like the Avengers are in trouble.”

“Oh?” Kaecilius replied, setting his book aside. It was one of the ones which Tony had managed to extract from Loki’s secret stash, a treatise on inter-dimensional philosophy that had his magic man thoroughly fascinated. Something about the metaphysical natures of the other realms that made up the branches of Yggdrasil.

Having scanned it a bit himself, Tony was sure that it made for an intriguing read under normal conditions. But right now, during the heart of his revenge, his mind was focused on other matters. Like the footage streaming across his screens.

“Has another alien threat made an appearance,” he asked.

“Not as far as I know,” Tony said, letting out a chuckle as he turned back to the monitors. “This looks to be an entirely human affair. At least, if you don’t count the involvement of the goddess Bast in the birth of the Black Panther, anyways.”

Kaecilius cocked his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, so Tony continued.

“They’re actually fighting each other more than anything.”

Each of the screens before him held a perspective from at least two camera angles, some of which showed the inside of the German airport terminal, while others covered the outside tarmac where, just as he had said, a battle was being waged. It seemed that Rogers had somehow managed to convince both the Ant-Man and the Scarlet Witch to help him remain on the loose with ‘Bucky’. The pair had teamed up and were in the process of keeping the Falcon and the Iron Soldier from getting inside the building.

As they watched, they saw the Ant-Man shoot up to a massive size, reaching out both hands to grab at the flying threats. Meanwhile, Wanda was sending out red blasts of kinetic energy, making wild shots that flashed out into the ether.

“I hope that none of those things make contact,” Tony said, forcing himself to maintain a grin. “I bet that they pack a huge wallop.” With everything that occurred, he still didn’t want to see either of the military Avengers permanently harmed. “My Rhodey Bear is an impressive flyer, but he is still an unEnhanced human.”

“But why are those two aiding Rogers? I was under the impression that the man had no allies.”

Tony let out a dry laugh.

“That is all Wanda’s doing,” he replied. “Per Barton, it sounds like she has some kind of control over the Ant-Man, presumably related to whatever she did to him back in Sokovia. I honestly am not sure why she has decided to back Rogers, it seems like an odd choice to me. But then, who could guess how that woman’s mind works…”

“So, it’s not on your recommendation, then?”

“Nah, not really. It’s a loose relationship if you recall. Exchange of favors, as it were.”

“Quite. Have we ascertained the good Captain’s plan?”

“Not entirely. We have some hints, given what our… guest… has revealed.”

In the aftermath of the incident in Berlin, they’d had a bit of unexpected fortune. Some weeks before, one of the Order’s contacts in Sokovia had reached out, putting them in contact with one Baron Helmut Zemo. A wealthy local businessman, Zemo was looking for information about Baron von Strucker and his branch of HYDRA. His interest came from the losses that he had suffered earlier that year, a family who had been on-site during the failed invasion.

At the time, they hadn’t thought much of it. There were a lot of people out there searching for answers, trying to make sense of their grief. The only thing that made him unique was the amount of money that he was willing to throw around to get them.

It was an understandable action, one that Tony himself would have done were he in Zemo’s shoes. And honestly, he kind of was. They both had experienced serious tragedies, though Tony’s involved the additional component of personal betrayal on top of that loss.

But then, when the incident in Vienna occurred, things changed. Between the sheer volume of civilian casualties and the fact that his allies, the Wakandans, nearly lost their leader in the bombing, Tony was not happy. Unlike the public, he knew that the Winter Soldier wasn’t the culprit. Instead, the whole affair was obviously intended to lure Barnes out of his hiding spot.

He had assumed that it was a ploy by SHIELD, one that Barton and his other allies in that organization had been left out of; a way for them to capture the hidden Asset. The mess that Rogers made in Bucharest said otherwise. Not that Fury would have any problem with collateral damage, but that man was religious in his attempts to keep the myth of Captain America’s goodness intact. And Steve Rogers running wild in public did the exact opposite.

So, when Zemo made his move there in Berlin, Tony and his allies were prepared. They were unable to prevent the disguised psychologist from gaining access to Barnes, triggering him, but they were in the right place to grab him on his way out of town.

“And where would they like to be headed?”

“Siberia.”

“Really now? That could cause a serious international incident.”

“Exactly.”

It presents me with an excellent opportunity. Captain America will violate Russian airspace. With everything else that had happened, it could be enough to incite another World War if things went far enough south. And that could make for the perfect lure for Stane, tapping into his unhinged greed.

Glancing over to the screens, Tony caught a glimpse of the Black Panther. The Wakandan royal was on the move, preparing to intercept the pair of moving super soldiers. Barnes still looked a bit out of it, moving on autopilot, but Rogers showed no hesitation in engaging. The pair exchanged blows, each one strong enough to take down an elephant, but neither man appeared to be phased. It was shaping up to be a show for the ages.

But then, as Tony had mentally predicted, the Black Widow turned her coat. As the fighters separated for a moment to catch their breath, a figure came out of the shadows. There was a blast of electricity, as the Widow’s Bites struck the Wakandan fighter in the back. As a group of furious Dora moved in, splitting between checking on their leader and grabbing ahold of his attacker, the woman herself gave a wave towards Rogers.

He nodded and took advantage of the situation to move himself and Barnes past his twitching opponent and into the waiting quinjet. Romanoff placed her hands in the air, making no move to defend herself from capture. From what he could see of the look on her face, Tony thought that she looked pleased with the outcome of her actions.

It will be interesting to see what her defense will be, he thought, as he switched his attention back to the screens showing the outside of the terminal.

In the minutes that he’d been distracted by what was happening inside, the volume of property damage done had grown exponentially. The Ant-Man, now larger than a 747, was batting away at the Falcon and the Iron Soldier as if they were pesky flies. Meanwhile, from her place down on the ground, the Scarlet Witch sent blasts of crimson energy flying in their direction with no care about where they would land. The closest runways were positively littered with debris and impact craters.

As the quinjet that Rogers had purloined went blasting out of the terminal where it had been parked, the quartet of fighters paused for a moment, distracted by the sight.

The Scarlet Witch was the first to recover. As a watching Tony screamed a helpless “No!” she sent a blast directly into the chest of the Iron Soldier, who was hovering nearby.

Not Rhodey! Tony thought.

Despite everything that had happened, he still cared deeply for the older man. And to lose him, so close to the end of things, before he had the chance to reveal himself, that would be the cruelest blow.

On the screen, he watched as both the Falcon and the Ant-Man reacted, the sight apparently enough to jar the latter from the witch’s control. While the Falcon came soaring in from above, trying to grab ahold of his arms or shoulders, the massive Ant-Man flung his hand out, offering his palm as a higher landing point for the pair to crash into.

Down on the ground, a group of Wakandan warriors had moved in, working together with their shielding technology to push the witch into a corner and box her in.

The quinjet went soaring through it all, flying past without any signs of hesitation.

“Bastard,” Tony said. “Just look at him go, leaving his supposed teammates behind…”

—–

Miraculously, despite taking a direct blast from the Scarlet Witch, the strength of the construction built into the Iron Soldier’s suit saved the military man’s life. The suit itself was pretty much totaled, from what Tony could see when he spied on the others. But between Wilson and Lang, they had managed to prevent a catastrophic fall. Rhodey had a dislocated shoulder, a consequence of the Falcon’s grab, and some nasty breaks in his legs, the parts of his body that hit Lang’s palm first, but nothing that his body couldn’t heal. It would take him out of commission for some time, forcing the Iron Soldier to stand down.

Between that fact and the situation with Rogers and his rogues, it seemed that the Avengers Initiative was on pause.

Speaking of the rogues, now that was an interesting situation.

Lang, of course, had been excused by the obvious signs of mental coercion that he had shown. That, plus the fact that he’d managed to avoid doing anything worse than a fair bit of property damage, made it relatively easy to get him off the hook. He’d been sent home, back into the hands of his mentor, with the promise to report any contact that he might receive from the missing Rogers.

Wanda Maximoff was being held in the custody of the US military. Her spoken excuse, of having followed the orders of her ‘commanding officer’ in Rogers, only went so far. It was unclear exactly what would become of her. Tony was certain that there were some interesting negotiations happening behind the scenes. Some of it would depend on what happened next. One thing was clear. Her poor behavior was seen as another black eye on the face of Nicholas J. Fury, the man who had allowed her to join the Avengers’ team.

Romanoff was another one who had claimed orders as her excuse. Only, in that case, she had deliberately thrown Fury under the bus as well as Rogers. Her apparent turncoat attack on T’Challa had been justified with a claim that Rogers was following his mission of taking down a dangerous resource that belonged to HYDRA. A resource, that, as it so happened, was in her former home country of Russia.

Familiar, wasn’t it?

—–

“Mister Stane,” Tony said, fully embedded in his role as Edward Loptsson. “This is an unexpected pleasure. What brings a man of your busy schedule to my doorstep?”

“I understand that you are a man of considerable wealth and ambition, and I hoped to interest you in a rather unique opportunity,” Stane replied. The smile on his face was a familiar one to Tony. Having grown up with the man as his pseudo-uncle, then mentor, he knew Stane’s tells better than anyone else alive. This one was the look that he always gave while making pitches to potential investors or ‘suckers’ as he used to call them.

But this time, Stane was the one who was the ‘sucker’.

With his insider knowledge, coming from his ‘wife’, Romanoff, as well as other SHIELD contacts, he believed that Captain America was about to re-ignite a time of armed tension between the East and the West. He’d already seen how the data dump had exposed secrets from both sides of the Cold War, ones which had ignited a certain level of stress amongst the power movers globally. And now, with the unexpected fall of General Ross, a man who many had believed would become the next US Secretary of State, tensions in America were at an all-time high.

If the Russians were to respond poorly to the eponymous American hero invading their space without authorization, Stane believed that would bring things to a head.

Given that political environment, Stane had determined that it was the perfect opportunity to make a fair amount of money. But with the losses that SI had suffered during the ULTRON incident, they lacked the resources required to take full advantage of the situation. So, here he was, looking for investors to get a rapid influx of cash.

“And what, precisely, are you offering?”

“Well,” Stane said, “SI is looking to expand our public offerings, to build upon our close relationships with military organizations, both here in the United States and further afield. And if your investors are willing to put in a sufficient amount, it would even come with a seat on our board of directors.”

Perfect. Tony thought.

Between JARVIS and himself, they had managed to acquire a fair percentage of the company’s public offerings, spread across a multitude of what appeared to be disparate identities. And when you threw in the shares that they were preparing to claim from ‘Tony Stark’s estate, they were closing in on a majority. With this proposed buy-in, they would finally cross that threshold.

“I will have to speak to a few of my investors, but I believe that we could come to an agreement, Mister Stane.”

“That is excellent news, Edward,” Stane replied. “Just remember. This opportunity will not last for long. We will need to lock things into place by the close of business today to ensure that we meet our deadlines.”

“Of course,” Tony said. “Now, if you will excuse me, it would seem that I have a few phone calls to make.”

Stane’s smile widened. Clearly, he thought that he had hooked his mark.

“I understand,” he said. “I expect to hear from you soon.”

—–

At the same time, up in Siberia things were also coming to a head. It seemed that Barnes had, during the flight, managed to push further out of the Winter Soldier programming that had been triggered by Zemo. It was enough for him to send a clandestine message back to his true friends, the Wakandans. In it, he passed along the information that he had about the HYDRA base, including its coordinates and abandoned status, as well as the quinjet’s flight path.

With the Wakandans still holding a point position over the pursuit, they were able to negotiate an arrangement with the Russian authorities. In exchange for permission to enter in pursuit of the fugitives, along with their capture and removal from the country, they promised to pass along any information and/or material obtained from the HYDRA facility to the locals before they left.

At the same time, JARVIS informed Tony that King T’Chaka had placed a personal phone call to the US President, convincing him that it was in his country’s best interest to take a step back from Rogers and Fury. America could not afford the repeated hits to their reputation, not if they wanted to remain on top of the heap. With now deceased Ross’ well-publicized connection to SHIELD, it was apparently not that difficult a sell. Where once housing the Avengers and their partners had been a point of pride, it was turning into a political hot potato.

Fury’s reputation continued to sink with every move that Rogers made.

—–

“What’cha got for me, baby J?”

While Tony, himself, had no reason to head into the snow, he had no problem with digitally tracking those who did. In this case, it wasn’t even an illicit act for him to do so. Given his alliance with the Wakandans, he had their full permission to listen in. With JARVIS piggybacking off Madame Nakia’s transmission, maintaining a digital presence on the scene, he had all the information that he could possibly want.

Given the delicate nature of the political negotiations required to get them on-site, it made sense for Nakia to join the Black Panther’s party in their journey into the frosty wilderness. As had become his custom, JARVIS acted as the skilled infiltrator’s backup eyes and ears.

“Nothing much as yet, Sir,” JARVIS replied. “It appears as if the facility was abandoned some years ago, possibly even before the fall of the Soviet Union. It is difficult to ascertain an exact number, given the preservative qualities of the cold environment, but the most advanced technologies to be seen appear to be from the sixties or seventies at the latest.”

“Electricity and vacuum tubes, huh? Maybe a few electronics?”

“Precisely so. The SHIELD quinjet was left unattended outside. It has been secured and temporarily disabled. As such, it cannot be used by Rogers as a getaway vehicle. In the meantime, we have traced the fugitive’s footprints up to the bunker’s entrance. From the best our scans can penetrate, it appears to be a substantial installation, one which continues deep into the ground. Unless something changes, it may take some time to locate our missing Enhanced.”

“Sounds good. Keep me posted.”

“Of course, Sir.”

With JARVIS on top of things, Tony was able to minimize the video screen showing live footage of the search through the bunker. Instead, he turned his focus toward the business with SI. Having already ‘cut the check’, as it were, using a small fraction of the funds that they’d accumulated through Monte Cristo Investments to provide SI and Stane with the capital that he had requested, Tony was now in the process of consolidating his shares into a single block. Having this block in hand would allow him to oust Stane, once the timing was right.

The most difficult part was officially claiming ownership of the shares that he held based on his officially deceased identity. He was not yet prepared to go public as Tony Stark. Not until all his enemies had been dealt with. But he could start the process.

“Did you get the files that I sent over?” he asked, speaking into his phone.

“I did, yes,” replied the voice on the other line.

“And are you satisfied with them?”

“Enough to move forward with the filing,” the voice replied, “but you will have to appear before the court in person to make it official.”

“I know,” Tony said. “It will happen then, but not before. I expect your firm to maintain complete confidentiality until the time comes. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” The voice on the other end went from fully professional to warm. “And, if I may be so bold, it is a miracle that you have returned to us. None of us trusted Stane’s word, but after what happened to Ms. Potts and Mr. Hogan…” the voice trailed off, before continuing, “and when none of our discreet inquiries provided us with any insight as to your true location, we all feared the worst.”

“Your loyalty does you credit,” Tony replied. It was touching to know that, although he had suffered so much betrayal, there were those who maintained. Men and women who had worked with and for the Stark family for years or even decades. Some had chosen to show it openly, leaving Stark Industries when it became SI, while others had remained quiet. But, when given the chance, they all stepped up to prove themselves.

A few more pleasantries and his call came to an end. It was just in time. JARVIS had pulled the minimized footage from Siberia back into the foreground. The view before him was split into two parts. In one, the Wakandans were on the move, making their way through the facility with the precision and silence of an experienced special ops team. Led by the Black Panther, it was clear that they were following a trail of some kind.

On the other side, a grainier image looked down into a large room. Along two sides, a series of five closed tubes with large gauge wire cables running into them and lights blinking along their sides. If he had to guess, Tony would bet that they were cryostasis pods. In the center of the room, a pair of figures stood. It looked like Rogers and Barnes.

Unfortunately, the video feed that JARVIS had managed to access lacked any form of microphone. But, based on their body language, they were in the middle of a heated argument. It was a surprising sight.

Weren’t they supposed to be best friends? Tony thought.

At that moment, the sounds of the argument faded in. They came from the Kimoyo beads that the Wakandans had rolled ahead of their party. It seemed that the pursuers were about ready to make contact with their targets.

Given the super soldiers’ obvious distraction, now would seem like a good time to move. But instead of advancing, the Wakandans stopped and waited. Apparently, they wanted to listen in.

“We’ve got to try and wake them up,” Rogers was saying. “They don’t deserve to be left frozen; not like I was.”

“Nyet,” Barnes replied. “Have you heard nothing that I just said? These – ” Here, he dropped into a bit of Russian profanity, words which Tony didn’t know the exact meaning of, but could get the gist of, especially given the context. Something about rabid animals, he thought. “They were not good people. They were monsters, loyal to HYDRA’s corrupted aims. And the serum; it only made them worse. Turned them into little more than vicious animals, with no control. So lost to violence that even their masters…”

His voice trailed off.

The images that Tony’s mind conjured up were not pleasant. Soldiers who were too far gone for HYDRA, that corrupt and violent organization who thought nothing of mass human casualties…

“JARVIS,” he said.

“Do not worry, sir,” the AI responded. “There is no chance that the sleepers will be allowed to awaken, regardless of how this fight ends.”

“Good.”

“What they were before doesn’t matter,” Rogers was insisting, “and you must be confused. My Bucky always agrees with me.”

The Winter Soldier let out a nearly subsonic growl. On the video feed, Tony watched him run his hand through his hair in frustration.

But before they could resume their argument, one of the Wakandans shifted, bumping into the railing of the catwalk. The noise that it made was barely audible, even with the recorder’s advanced processing, but it was apparently enough for the Enhanced hearing that Rogers and Barnes both possessed to pick up. They froze, looking in the direction of the door behind which the Wakandans waited.

A moment later, they exploded into action.

Shield in hand, Rogers went charging forward, slamming into the Black Panther, who had burst through the door to meet him.

Barnes, on the other hand, moved in the opposite direction. As Tony watched, he moved straight down the line of cryostasis pods, firing at least two bullets into each one. The first one shattered the glass that sealed the pod, maintaining the subzero environment inside. The second and in some cases more punched through each frozen soldier’s forehead, ensuring that there was no way they would survive and wake from their icy slumber.

“Bucky,” Rogers screamed, distracted from his fight by the sounds behind him. He spun around, taking his eyes off his opponent for a moment. It was enough. Seizing the edge of the Vibranium shield, T’Challa pulled it off Rogers’ arm, tossing it away with ease. His unoccupied hand came up, slapping a shackle around Rogers’ wrist.

As Rogers spun, trying to break away, T’Challa moved with him, holding onto the empty cuff. He used it to take control of their momentum, forcing Rogers’ arm around behind him. With inertia on his side, he was able to knock Rogers off his feet and down onto the floor. He landed on his belly, with T’Challa perched on top of him. From that position, it was the work of a moment to hook Rogers’ other arm into the second cuff before he was knocked off the man’s back.

The Vibranium cuffs groaned as Rogers tried to break free, but it seemed that even a super soldier’s strength was not enough to overcome the Wakandan technology. They held firm against his straining efforts.

Unlike the raging Rogers, with his self-appointed task complete, Barnes had moved to surrender. Going to his knees, he set the now-empty gun down beside him before slowly raising his arms and placing them above his head in the universal sign of surrender.

Rogers’ squirming had turned his body such that he was facing Barnes’ position, and as Nakia and the rest of the Wakandan squad converged on the waiting Barnes he let out another scream.

“Bucky,” he said again, this time mournfully.

“Jeeze, is that the only word the man knows,” Tony said, a tad facetiously. Once again, Rogers was living down to his expectations.

On the screen, Nakia had stepped in front of Barnes.

“Yasha,” she said with a smile, offering her hand to help him stand up. “It is good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?”

One of the others patted him on the back with a smile.

T’Challa pulled Rogers up into a kneeling position, not giving him enough leverage to get to his feet. Instead, he held him firmly in place as the remainder of the Wakandan party made their way over to the still-steaming cryostasis pods. Despite the billowing gouts of evaporating frost, Tony could tell that the Winter Soldier’s aim had been true. There was no way that any of them remained alive.

Still, the Wakandans did their due diligence; tilting their heads enough to verify that the damage was complete.

“A neat and efficient job,” Nakia commented, watching the examination. “As expected, white wolf.”

“Bucky?” Rogers said, now sounding confused. He looked lost.

“Not your Bucky,” Barnes snarled, before turning back to Nakia. “Da. Spasibo, ma’am. The remnants of eksperiment zimniy soldat were a clear and present danger, and once the Asset was reminded of their existence, it knew they needed to be dealt with. The mission itself was not so well executed, but at least objectives were met.”

“Quite,” Nakia agreed. “Now, how are you really feeling?”

Barnes sighed. “Disoriented, but free of the worst of it. Without the Chair, HYDRA’s programming degrades much more quickly.”

“That is promising news,” Nakia said, as she turned back towards the rest of the group.

But before they could move, Rogers shouted out a Russian nonsense phrase.

As Barnes’ eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the ground in a dead faint, Rogers’ eyes gleamed in triumph.

Pulling Rogers to his feet, T’Challa began to drag him from the room.

“Bucky will be back now,” he said. “He’ll have my back.”

Half of the Wakandans followed their leader and his captive, while the rest remained, hovering around helplessly as their medic begins a preliminary examination.

Tony found that he must turn away from the monitors.

While he was happy about Rogers’ obvious breakdown, the fact that his obsession may have harmed the very person who he claimed to care most about was startling. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers that came from that level of single-minded focus.

What was that trigger supposed to do? He thought, and for that matter, where did Rogers get it? It’s not like the programming sequences were logged anywhere in the SHIELD database. We looked.

—–

As Tony went digging through the records that he’d collected, searching for any information that he could find, back in Siberia, the mission came to an end.

Given their agreement with the Russian government, the Wakandans did not bother to collect anything from the bunker beyond the pair of soldiers. JARVIS did corrupt any of the video footage in the ancient cameras which might show the Winter Soldier’s destruction of ‘Russian property’ but left everything else inside intact. They knew that with the damage done to the cryostasis pods and the current state of the facility, there would be little chance that the locals would be able to gather enough useful data to restart the program, even if they wanted to do so. Instead, all that they would find would be further evidence of HYDRA’s crimes, an easy win.

What was less happy was the fate of the two former fugitives.

With Barnes in a comatose state following Rogers’ use of the trigger words, the Wakandans successfully lobbied for his official custody. Between the reputation that they had already begun to build in the post-HYDRA world and their adroit handling of the recent retrieval mission, their star was on the rise. When you added in the public awareness of their advanced technology and their well-publicized hostility towards HYDRA, it was an easy sell. All that they had to do was to promise the UN, and especially the committee that had been given oversight with the release of the Sokovian Accords, regular reports on the status of the former Winter Soldier.

Meanwhile, Rogers was delivered to the authorities in Berlin raving about how he had saved Bucky. It was the final nail in the coffin of his international reputation and role as an Avenger. Instead, the public was convinced that the serum which had transformed Rogers into Captain America contained a fatal flaw. Namely, that it brought any potential mental instability to the forefront. Between the Red Skull’s infamous transformation to the admitted dissociative identity disorder of Bruce Banner and the Hulk, Rogers’ breakdown was viewed as a part of the same pattern.

Ironic really, Tony thought, that what SHIELD used to consign me to hell has now been turned against their beloved figurehead.

The idea was pleasing to his bruised soul.

And with Rogers’ fall came Fury’s. During the discussion surrounding Rogers and his future, the European authorities interrogated the SHIELD director, asking him why he had failed to recognize his team leader’s degrading mental state. Despite his best efforts, Fury’s answers failed to impress. It got to the point where people in authority were questioning why the organization was allowed to continue.

It was here that Tony’s allies stepped in.

—–

“Coulson?” Tony said as he answered the phone. “I wasn’t expecting a call from you today. Has something happened?”

“You could say that,” Coulson replied. “I take it that you haven’t heard the news.”

What news?

He must have made a sound, as the other man continued speaking.

“You are aware, I’m sure, of what has been happening with Rogers.”

“Yes…”

“It took a fair amount of negotiation, but a compromise has been reached.”

“And you know about this because of Barton?”

“Not exactly….” In contrast to his usual stoic demeanor, Tony could practically hear the man’s beaming smile. “You are speaking to one of SHIELD’s new Directors.”

Tony found his own smile beginning to grow.

“One of?”

“Yes,” Coulson said, “Myself and the former Deputy Director, Maria Hill, have been brought back into the organization. We have been asked to clean up the mess that the previous director has managed to make of our internal organization and public reputation.”

“And by previous, you mean…?”

“Fury. He’s out.”

Tony threw up a hand in celebration, pointing his fist to the sky like Judd Nelson’s character at the end of The Breakfast Club.

“That is spectacular news,” he said. “I take it that Fury was hoisted on his own petard?”

“Quite,” Coulson agreed. “His culpability in the affair was deemed the final straw by the World Security Council. As such, he has received a permanent demotion. He is no longer allowed to lead anyone. Instead, he has been given the task of nursemaid, his sole responsibility is now his beloved Captain America.”

“That’s it?” Tony frowned. It didn’t seem like enough.

“The assignment is worse than it seems. You haven’t seen Rogers since his return, correct?”

“No?”

“He has truly broken. His mind… has cracked. He firmly believes that he is back in his original time. He is demanding access to Peggy and the Howling Commandos, but especially Bucky. Fury has been tasked with escorting Rogers across the ocean and into the care of our psychiatric facility. There, he will be held completely accountable for anything that Rogers might do while not in his right mind. Given the situation, especially the strength of a superhero, that will not be an easy job.”

“Agreed,” Tony said. While it wasn’t the same as Fury landing himself in custody, it was close enough. He would be satisfied with that. “And I am sorry, Coulson. I know that you were once a believer in both of their capabilities. Watching one’s former heroes fall is not a pleasant thing.”

“No, it is not,” Coulson agreed. “But, somehow, I believe that something good will come out of it. Perhaps, with the corruption stripped away, SHIELD can truly return to what it was originally intended to be. An organization dedicated to the protection of all those who call our globe home.”

“Maybe.”

Tony was skeptical, but he would not quash his ally’s dream. The Order had stood for millennia, dedicated to the same mission. Perhaps with the right leadership, SHIELD could become its mundane counterpart.

Chapter 20: Last Man Standing

Point-of-View Character: CEO Obadiah Stane

Dum, dum, dum… Another one bites the dust… dum, dum, dum…

The lyrics of the song made Obadiah chuckle. It was an appropriate tune, given the occasion.

Reaching out, he took a sip from the glass of expensive scotch.

“How true that tune has proven to be,” he said, speaking to himself. At home in his private study, he was free to express his opinion without fear of eavesdroppers.

“I always knew that the good Captain, with the promise of superhuman powers, was a boat anchor. But somehow, even otherwise savvy operators have fallen victim to his dubious charms. First Howard and his irritating ‘partner’, Carter. Then, Pierce and the previously undercover HYDRA. And now, even poor old Ted and our good friend Nicky. All of them have crashed and burned.”

He shook his head.

“But not this guy. No-sir-ee. This business with the ‘Enhanced’,” here Obadiah put his hands up, waving the first two fingers of each hand in the universal symbol for quotation marks, “it brings nothing but trouble. Far better to use good, old-fashioned technology.”

“Still, it is a shame, that Rogers didn’t manage to further destabilize global infrastructure with his fall. We made a killing out of the turmoil that came from his little data dump. Everyone was stockpiling arms, and SI was in the perfect position to supply them.”

Rogers venturing into the heart of Russia should have been a slam dunk. That country was far too sensitive about its sovereign territory. Having the literal symbol of their most hated competitor blast his way across their border, digging up their dirty little secrets, should have had them up in arms.

“Damn the Wakandans,” he said. Those arrogant sons of bitches, with their fancy Vibranium technology, had been a thorn in his side since the days when he had to sneak around behind Howard’s back doing a profitable business. For a while there, he’d had hope….

But tragically, the smug bastards had managed to recover from the beating that they had taken due to the data dump. Now, they were public and more powerful than ever.

“It just isn’t fair.”

“At least I have some fresh meat on the hook,” he mused.

Edward Loptsson and his Monte Cristo Investments may think that they’re being clever, buying up shares of HIS business in the hopes of conducting a hostile takeover, but the joke’s on them. Between the shares that he held publicly as the CEO of SI and the ones that he’d ‘inherited’ as the primary beneficiary of Tony Stark’s estate, Obadiah held on to his majority stake in the company.

That little masterpiece had been a collaborative effort, borne out of the ashes of HYDRA’s fall. While the contents had been laid out by Obadiah himself, with large enough monetary bequests to Tony’s friends and, well, parasites, to ensure that no one had reason to protest the document. Meanwhile, the bulk of younger Stark’s assets associated with the company were bequeathed to Obadiah, locking him into place as the majority stakeholder despite future public offerings. With a bit of help from SHIELD, providing provenance, he was able to get the will through the courts without a long, drawn-out battle.

He kept the inherited shares under a holding company, a reserve that he used via proxy.

Having full control and ownership of a company like SI had been the goal toward which Obadiah had been working for most of his adult life. From helping parlay Howard Stark’s never-ending spirit of innovation into a massively successful business, taking leadership of said business in the name of his deceased partner’s young son, and then using the younger Stark’s still more dazzling intellect to springboard the company into global domination.

Then came the low time, when he was forced to publicly play second fiddle to the rising star that was Anthony Edward Stark. A time when his patience was sorely tested. It was only the fact that Stark’s genius, when properly applied, was unparalleled in its ability to generate new ideas for the company’s research and development department that had allowed him to endure the younger man’s shenanigans for over a decade.

When he’d finally pulled the trigger, sending in the Ten Rings to do away with his beloved ‘nephew’, Obadiah had been a bit worried. Was he killing the goose that laid the golden eggs?

But, as it turned out, Tony Stark had one more gift to give.

The Iron Soldier.

With that suit in hand, Obadiah had been poised to be one of the leaders in the next phase of global domination, the time of superheroes. And with Stark tucked out of the way, secured in the bowels of SHIELD’s detention facilities, a place that no one had managed to escape, the path to control of the corporate empire behind one of the world’s leading superheroes was clear.

Obadiah had come out on top. And so, he remained. Even through the fall of his allies, nothing had managed to take him down.

Going in for another sip of scotch, he was surprised to find that his glass had gone dry.

“Time for another pour,” he said, tapping the end of a delightful Cuban cigar into the nearby ashtray.

Life was good.

—–

Life was NOT good.

Only a few days had passed since the afternoon Obadiah had spent reminiscing. In that brief period, things had taken a rather dramatic turn for the worse.

It had started with the scandal surrounding Captain America’s ‘retirement’, an event that Obadiah had thought that he’d managed to skate through. What he had failed to realize was that with Fury no longer holding the reins at SHIELD the pact of mutually assured destruction which had kept certain devastating secrets under wraps had been rendered null and void.

The first sign that things had gone wrong was a visit from one Colonel James Rhodes, along with a few companions.

—–

“Begging your pardon, sir,” his secretary’s sounded nervous as it came through the intercom, “I know that you said not to disturb you during your prep time. It’s just, well, there are some people here who are insisting that they need to meet with you.”

“Oh?”

“Someone named… James R…”

“Rhodes?”

That was a surprise. Obadiah hadn’t spoken to the primary pilot of the armored suit for some time. Surely, he was not complaining about his equipment?

“Let him in,” he said.

To his surprise, though it shouldn’t have been, given that the secretary had said they, Rhodes was not the only one who came through the door.

Instead, he was joined by several other men, all of them dressed in either military dress uniforms or suits that screamed ‘Agent’. Combined, they made for an intimidating phalanx, and Obadiah found himself feeling unexpectedly sympathetic toward his young secretary. This kind of group was more than she was accustomed to handling.

But Obadiah was an old hand at this.

The military and the government were SI’s biggest customers. This sort of visit usually occurred at the start of a very profitable enterprise. Perhaps international diplomacy over in Europe wasn’t going as well as the news claimed? Or maybe, the tensions were enough to make the United States government nervous? Either way, Obadiah and SI had the potential to gain some serious revenue.

So, he pasted on his best business smile.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “what can SI do for you?”

“Mr. Stane,” Rhodes said, “I believe that you are already aware of the Avengers’ new liaison with the American military, Mr. Everett Ross?”

“Of course,” Obadiah said. He was familiar with this new Ross, the ironically named replacement for his old friend Ted. The man had already been in contact with SI, re-negotiating the contracts for the equipment that the military Avengers utilized in their roles as superheroes. While the armored suit that encompassed the Iron Soldier and the wing-pack worn by the Falcon were the property of SI, it was the US government who funded much of their routine maintenance and even contributed to the upgrades.

This gave the American government the right of first access to the technological advances that were made during that process. And, in turn, many of these advances were passed along to the mundane troops, to be used in their arms and equipment. It was a profitable business for both parties involved.

“Mr. Ross.”

As Rhodes didn’t bother to introduce the remainder of his party, Obadiah had to assume that they were relatively unimportant, subordinates or flunkies. So, he turned back to the main man.

“What can SI do for you today?”

Ross gave a thin smile.

“What can SI do?” he said. “That is the question at hand. Tell me, Mr. Stane, where did the Iron Soldier suit originally come from?”

Was this a trick question, Obadiah wondered. He knew that Ross was aware of the armor’s history.

“It is based on a design which a previous CEO and head of Research and Development, Tony Stark, put together,” he said.

Ross nodded. “And where did Stark create this design?” he asked. “In a research lab?”

Obadiah’s confusion remained. Still, he continued.

“No,” he said. “It was a creation built out of desperation, one which he used to break free from his kidnappers.”

“And did Stark ever sign over the rights to his creation?”

Ah, Obadiah thought, I think that I know where this is going.

“He did not,” he said. “His tragic breakdown occurred before he had the chance to convert the crude design into a viable product. And as was his practice, any prototypes which he might have been working on since his return was locked away in his private home. The home that has remained in mothballs since that time.”

He’s hoping to justify opening the Malibu house.

Ross nodded. “So then, where did you get the designs?”

Oh, shit.

If he had not had serious control of his facial expressions, Obadiah would have flinched.

What do they know?

He didn’t think that anyone was aware of his earlier misbehavior with the Ten Rings, but with all the recent turmoil, anything was possible. Time to throw someone under the bus.

Glancing over at Rhodes, he answered.

“The good Colonel would be more aware of the details, as he was the one on the ground in the Middle East when poor Tony was found.”

Rhodes’ face grew tight at the reminder of his deceased friend.

“Between the material recovered from the destroyed camp and the pieces of the armor which were found in the desert, we were able to put together a pretty good facsimile of the prototype. From there, we were able to take the concept and convert it into a viable fighting suit.”

Ross hummed but didn’t disagree with Obadiah’s claim.

Whew, he thought.

It looked like he had gotten away with it.

“So, the inspiration came from outside, but you own the patents for the completed design?”

“That is correct.”

“Excellent,” Ross said. “I know that this line of questioning may have felt invasive, and perhaps even a bit unexpected. But with the scandal that has sprouted around an American icon, it is important to ensure that none of our other national heroes come with the same kind of hidden baggage.”

“Understandable,” Obadiah said, willing his racing heart to calm. “Will there be further investigations?”

“That is yet to be determined,” Ross replied. “The fall of Steve Rogers has sent shockwaves through our community, especially given his place in America’s history. When you add in the revelation of former Secretary Pierce’s unsavory connections and the disaster that was Thaddeus Ross’ Senate hearing, our country’s reputation is at an all-time low. We cannot afford to take another hit.”

“I quite agree,” Obadiah said. Anything to turn the attention away from him. “Let me assure you that this company’s partnership with the Avengers and the US government will not cause you any grief.”

“I hope so.”

—–

Obadiah’s confident assurances were soon to be broken. Less than twenty-four hours later, an upset occurred at the quarterly stakeholder’s meeting of SI, the business entity formerly known as Stark Industries.

The event had started out on a high note. Obadiah had been pleased to report that the company’s profits were on the upswing following the damage done to their resources and, to a lesser extent, reputation, during the ULTRON incident. When he added in the influx of capital that came from Loptsson and his investment firm, everything was coming up Obie.

But then, one of the newer representatives, a woman who Obadiah knew served as a proxy for some of the shares that Loptsson and his business partners had claimed through a sequence of shell companies, got up to speak.

“Mr. Stane,” she said, “What do you have to say about the recent court filing?”

Initially, Obadiah assumed that she was referring to the situation in Europe. But before he could answer based on that assumption, his secretary came rushing over with a tablet in her arms. As she handed it to him, he caught a glimpse of one of his long-standing rivals from the SI board, a man who had been in direct competition with him over control of the younger Stark’s affairs following his father’s death. The man was grinning like a cat who just ate a canary.

This can’t be good, he thought as he looked down.

It took him a minute to understand what he was reading.

Inquest into the death of Anthony Edward Stark.

At that moment, all that he could feel was a hit of horrified shock.

What had been found?

There were so many possibilities. With his former allies, Ross, Pierce, and now Fury, having fallen, the innumerable secrets which they once protected were now left vulnerable.

Would it be the gambit that they had played with the will? Or maybe SHIELD’s illegal incarceration of the younger Stark, a fact that Obadiah himself had encouraged? Or perhaps, even, his original unsavory contract with the Ten Rings, the event which had started this whole affair?

“Mr. Stane!?”

The voice of the woman who had first brought this matter up interrupted Obadiah’s racing thoughts.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling himself together. With a great deal of effort, he managed to slow his racing thoughts enough to focus on the situation at hand.

“Can you repeat the question?”

Speaking slowly, as if talking to a child, the woman replied.

“I said, ‘Do you have any comment about the recent filing’?”

“Right. Well, as this is the first time that I have heard about it, I am afraid that it is impossible for me to comment. But let me reassure you all that there is no need for concern. Our company is well equipped to handle anything that our adversaries may throw at us.”

“We will just have to see about that, Mister Stane.” This time, it was Loptsson himself who spoke. “I have read through the briefs, and I find myself quite concerned. My investors and I were promised a sure thing, a company with an impeccable reputation and uncompromised leadership. If the allegations that have been laid at your feet are true, then you are the exact opposite.”

“If this matter is not resolved properly, then I can guarantee that my investors and I will be pushing for new leadership to be appointed.”

With that, the room erupted into whispers of conversation.

As Obadiah collapsed back into his seat, flipping rapidly through the documents that had been loaded onto the tablet in his hands, he allowed the sounds to wash over him. One of his patsies on the board called for a motion to table any further discussion until additional information could be obtained.

The motion passed, with the caveat that a follow-up meeting would be held within the next month.

“And if the findings are unsatisfactory, then we all expect some changes to be made,” Loptsson said. The room filled with nods.

Obadiah sighed but verbally acknowledged the demand. The matter would be decided by then, one way or another. Either he would find the leverage needed to make this go away, or else he would be getting out of dodge.

—–

With everything else that was going on, the cherry on top of the crap sundae that was this day came right before the close of business hours. As Obadiah and his innermost staff were hard at work digging into the details of the inquest, a search that grew more and more distressing the further that they excavated, a sharply dressed man in a business suit came out of the elevator that opened onto the executive office.

Walking over to the desk where the secretary sat with her eyes the size of saucers, frantically making travel arrangements for her boss’ immediate departure from the country, he laid a manila envelope on its wooden service. Looking past her into the bustling office beyond, he announced, “I am not here to see anyone.”

The room went silent.

“I merely have one thing to say. Obadiah Stane, you have been served.”

Turning on his heel, he walked back to the still-open elevator doors. As they swung shut with a distinct ding, Obadiah strode over to where the secretary sat, unmoving. Picking up the envelope, he slit it open with a grunt. Pulling out the documents inside, he read:

“Filing for the dissolution of a marital relationship.”

“Well, isn’t that a surprise,” he said, a feeling of incredulous humor flashing across his brain.

Of course, SHIELD is cutting ties with me. That was the only reason for our little farce of a marriage, the sign of a mutual aid pact. And with Fury out of the picture, there is no reason for his beloved Black Widow to remain at my side.

“Don’t worry about making arrangements for my wife to accompany me on my little getaway,” he told the bewildered secretary. “It seems that she has her own agenda to pursue.”

Chapter 21: Revelations

“I have to admit,” Clint Barton whispered to Tony, their neighboring seats in the SI shareholders meeting making it easy for them to maintain a semi-private conversation in the crowded room. The SHIELD handler was ostensibly in attendance as the organization’s representative with one of their closest business allies, but the truth was a bit different. Barton was here for an ally, just not the one that most people assumed. “When Coulson sent me over, I assumed that you would be the leading voice in today’s little scene.”

“I thought about it,” Tony admitted. “But then I realized. If I let someone else do most of the talking, then I can sit back and enjoy watching the show.”

“Fair enough.”

Putting actions to words, Tony, in his disguise as Edward Loptsson, leaned back in his chair and settled in. In front of him, Stane was just wrapping up his presentation on the state of the business.

Sparing a glance to the left, he gave a discrete nod toward his chosen representative. Without further ado, she stood up and spoke.

Watching ‘Uncle Obie’s face as he realized how bad things were about to go was just as enjoyable as Tony had hoped. There was a distinct shade of puce that tinged his complexion, along with a paleness that had had nothing to do with exposure to the sun or lack thereof. A look that had once triggered Tony to act, moving forward with new ideas and actions to solve the issues which had put such a look on his pseudo-parent’s face.

Now, though, Tony reveled in it. For Obie to look like that, meant that he recognized, at least somewhat, just how screwed he was about to become. With so many of his allies out of play, either temporarily or permanently, and an entire phalanx of enemies ready to attack, it was just a matter of time. All that Tony had to do was manage things to maximize Obadiah’s suffering along the way.

As the meeting wrapped up, and Obadiah fled the scene, Barton took a moment to shake Tony, as Loptsson’s, hand.

“Good to see you again, Edward,” he said, speaking loud enough for their neighbors to hear. Then, he leaned in and added, for Tony’s ears only, “And I look forward to your next move.”

—–

Somewhat ironically, Tony’s next move was to wait.

Wait for the results of the inquest, the initiation of which he had arranged through intermediaries.

Wait for Obie to show his guilt by fleeing the country.

And finally, wait for the final nail in the coffin that was the end of Nicholas Fury’s career in the intelligence industry.

As it happened, the last item was the one that came first. Stane was still flapping about, trying to find a way to resolve the inquest in his favor while actively laying plans for evacuation from the US should things go further awry.

Meanwhile, those who had taken custody of Maximoff had begun digging into the woman’s back story, or lack thereof. Before long, the news came out that the ‘Scarlet Witch’ was a possible HYDRA plant, an infiltrator recruited to the ranks of the Avengers. To make matters worse for Fury, Coulson and Hill had publicly announced that the former director had allowed her to join the team despite knowing, or at least suspecting that fact. Once again, Fury’s judgment was shown to be problematic, at best.

And when her ‘hosts’ confronted Wanda about her ties to the terrorist organization, that was when chaos erupted.

—–

“What do you think, darling? Should we be sending someone from the Order in to help?” Tony asked Kaecilius, as they both stared at the live broadcast streaming in and displaying on the monitor.

“I do not believe so,” Kaecilius replied. “It appears that between the knowledge shared with our allies at SHIELD and the Wakandans’ experience with extra-dimensional powers, they are more than capable of handling an out-of-control mage.”

Sure enough, the fight on the screen had taken a turn against the powerful woman. Initially, she had controlled the battlefield through a combination of kinetic strikes, her red energy, and suborning the minds of her adversaries, forcing them to turn on each other.

It was a disturbing sight, watching the men and women of the US military turning their weapons on each other. The only saving grace, such that it was, came from the fact that the soldiers were lightly armed, as Tony would have expected given the location of the facility. So instead of inflicting massive casualties, the firefight remained localized.

Of course, that wouldn’t make the losses and the psychological toll on the survivors any less painful to endure. Tony took a mental note to make sure that those who suffered due to this incident were given support where possible. Revenge was all well and good, but that didn’t mean that the costs to those who hadn’t been involved in his betrayal were justified.

The stream that they were watching had started right in the middle of this fight, as the locals struggled to maintain a perimeter around the hostile witch. They were rapidly losing ground as increasing numbers of their colleagues were suborned by her powers.

Thankfully, it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes of watching before reinforcements came pouring in. At first, the new arrivals were unable to do much more than help maintain the existing perimeter, limited by the use of non-lethal weaponry. It was a protective measure, designed to minimize loss of life, and one which Tony appreciated.

“More restrained than I’ve seen in the past,” he said, as he watched. “I guess that with old Thunderbolt gone, the new leadership is more committed to protecting their people. Good for them.”

“I quite agree,” Kaecilius replied. “Your military does have good men and women within its ranks, and with their experience acting as support troops for the Avengers they have been well educated in dealing with extra-human adversaries.”

“Exactly!” Tony said. “You took the words right out of my mouth, babe.”

Just then, the next wave of defenders arrived. This time, it was a batch of heavy hitters. With the Iron Soldier still recovering from his injuries during the fight in Germany, Captain America out of business, and the Ant-Man’s known vulnerability to the witch’s power, it was a reduced roster of Avengers who had come to play.

The Falcon, who bore Captain America’s infamous shield, used it to deflect the witch’s kinetic blasts back toward her. That act forced her to pull her controlled troops back, shrinking the attacker’s perimeter. Meanwhile, the newly re-joined team member, Hulk, tapped into the strength of his ‘roar’. The concussive strength manifested by the sound was enough to send the closest hostiles tumbling head-over-heels, taking them out of commission for the remainder of the fight. They’d even managed to recruit a group of Wakandans.

Not the Black Panther himself, as the prince remained overseas in Europe, but a team made up of Dora Milaje and War Dogs. They were led by the prince’s close companion, W’Kabi, a man with an excellent international reputation. An advanced shield wall protected them from attack as they moved forward in a phalanx, while those mentally compromised individuals who remained within reach were seized and rendered unconscious.

Before long, the Witch was left without any allies, surrounded by those who sought to subdue her.

“Why do you allow these Western fools such control,” she yelled, doing her best to claim control over some of the attackers. “They turned on you once. They’ll do it again.”

“Perhaps,” W’Kabi replied. “But that is a matter for the future. Right now, the more immediate problem is you. You and your desire to destroy…”

“It is my right,” she said. “My revenge. For what they did to my people, my family.”

“Revenge,” Sam said, coming in to land beside the Wakandans. “That is your argument. Unfettered vengeance is no better than the tantrums of a child. And that is exactly what you have shown yourself to be.”

“Red stupid,” Hulk agreed, smacking his hands together. “Fighting not a good fix. Justice is right path.”

“Precisely,” Sam said. “And if someone like the Hulk, who was abused to such an extreme degree by members of the US military, can recognize that, then you should be able to do so as well.”

“No!” she screamed, raising her hands in preparation for another attack.

With a burst of momentum, one of the Dora Milaje launched herself across the gap. Reaching out, she slapped a pair of cuffs onto the witch’s wrists.

In her hands, the crimson haze of the kinetic energy build-up faded away.

“You see,” Kae said, “It has been handled.”

On the screen, they watched the Scarlet Witch continue to yell and scream as she was taken away. Turning their backs on her, those still standing began the process of triage on their fallen companions.

Tony shut off the footage. Turning to his lover, he asked.

“This is why you and the others have been so careful, isn’t it? Making sure that my actions are more than uncontrolled vengeance?”

“Quite,” Kae agreed. “And you have done so, my love. Despite the depth of your rage, you have managed to maintain control. You have grieved for those who were lost despite your best efforts to control the fallout. Even with the temptations that have arisen, you have remained a good man.”

“That means a lot, babe,” Tony said. “Witnessing others, like Killian and his lack of concern for collateral damage or Maximoff and how she has been used by the not-so-good Baron as his attack dog, have been excellent reminders of what not to do.”

—–

Unlike Tony, who had been condemned to the Oubliette in SHIELD custody without any kind of outside authority or trial, Wanda Maximoff would not simply be condemned and locked away. Instead, she was being remanded to the World Criminal Court, where an extensive investigation would be conducted prior to any kind of sentencing. With help from Wakandan technology and SHIELD’s decades of experience in handling Enhanced criminals, a space had been arranged that was guaranteed to keep her comfortable but secure. Without further access to the Infinity Stones, which had kick-started her transformation, her powers would stagnate and cease expanding.

—–

Meanwhile, the inquest in New York was going quite well. Tony had taken advantage of a certain ‘old friend’ to get things kicked off. When he’d used his Kitty persona to glean information from good old Hammer time, he had assumed that would be the end of his dealings with the little idiot. But, as it turned out, the man did make for a perfect patsy. He was already aware of Stane’s misconduct, and he was easily convinced that opening an inquest might lead to further wealth coming his way.

Justin had already managed to gain, and then use up, a windfall from the notes that Tony had left him as a distraction during his investigation into the depth of his betrayal. Though no longer incarcerated, as he was at the time, Hammer was now once again on the brink of ruin. So, when Tony had his attorneys reach out to the struggling businessman, Hammer was more than happy to act as the face of their challenge.

In this case, Stane’s little shenanigans with the ‘Will’ made him look incredibly guilty. So, even though the inquest was unable to prove Stane’s involvement in Tony’s death, unsurprising given that he was not actually deceased, it was enough to bring his claim of the business assets into question. Not only that, but investigators had begun digging further back, looking into the events which had landed Tony in illegal SHIELD captivity.

Without Obadiah Stane’s friends there to ensure that the cover story that they had arranged remained intact, the construction that they had maintained for so many years was about to come tumbling down. Tony couldn’t be happier about that fact.

“It’s time,” he said. “Time for the truth to be revealed.”

Since he wasn’t yet ready to go public with his survival, instead of attending the public inquest he had gathered with some of his allies to watch the footage from the comfort of the MCI offices. The first few arrivals were already fully in the loop.

“Good to actually see your real face, Stark,” Coulson said, as he stepped into the room. Accompanied by a smirking Barton, he was there to represent the new version of SHIELD. His co-director, Maria Hill, was across the city in attendance at the actual location for the inquest.

Maria, while not directly involved with Tony’s alliance, had been made aware of what the former weapons manufacturer had experienced at the hands of her predecessor. With her passion for justice, she was more than willing to help expose SHIELD’s actions as something beyond the HYDRA infestation. She would be presenting the truth about Tony’s supposed breakdown, and SHIELD’s role in keeping him out of commission.

“Thanks, Mister Director, Sir,” Tony replied. “I appreciate your organization’s cooperation in this matter.”

“It is our duty,” Barton said. “To guard the world from threats, both within and without. That is what good old Nicky forgot. We are here to defend, not control.”

“I quite agree with the sentiment,” Nakia said as she stepped into the room. “SHIELD has long overstepped its role, and I am thrilled to hear that they have learned their lesson. And as for you, Anthony Stark, Wakanda owes you a great deal of gratitude. To see you again, whole and hearty, is a true delight.”

Though this was the first time that she’d officially seen him, the Wakandan spymaster had already figured him out some weeks before. Not that Tony minded her knowing. It just made things easier, especially when it came to JARVIS. The electronic intelligence had struggled at times, keeping his creator’s secrets from his second family. Now, though, he was free to spill the beans, as it were.

Tony was looking forward to his next visit down to D.C., to see the pint-sized princess that was his son’s best friend. To be able to exchange ideas with her without the need to maintain an alternate identity would be a lot of fun.

“Tony Stark!?”

“I thought you were dead!”

The mixed exclamation announced the arrival of the next group. Men who had been unknowing participants in the execution of Tony’s grand plan. After everything, it felt right to bring Sam Wilson and his friend Finn Riley into the loop. Both had shown their character through the chaos of the past few months and as such had proven themselves to Tony.

“Rumors of my demise were, well, not entirely accurate,” he said with a smirk, before adding. “I was never crazy, that was Stane’s way of usurping my company. The former General Ross and Director Fury were his willing accomplices, locking me away in a SHIELD prison.”

“You escaped during the HYDRA chaos,” Riley guessed, correctly.

“Exactly. With a bit of help from Barton, here, I convinced SHIELD that I had died during the attempt. And after that… well…”

“You – you’re Loptsson, aren’t you?” Wilson said more than asked. “It’s an impressive disguise, Stark, but not an entirely successful one.”

“Oh?”

Now Tony was curious.

“Not me,” Wilson said, backpedaling slightly. “I had absolutely no idea that my new friend was in any way connected to a supposedly deceased billionaire. Whatever you used to create the physical disguise is magnificent, by the way.”

“No, it was someone who knew Tony Stark far better than I ever could. Too many of your subtle mannerisms carried over, including some old turn of phrase…”

Tony sighed.

“Rhodey,” he said, his lips quirking up in a smile.

“Yeah, man,” Wilson – Sam – agreed. “Let me just say that I had to talk Jim down off a ledge after that banquet. He wanted to go storming over to Loptsson’s hotel that same night, but I convinced him that it was better to wait and be sure before he made a fool of himself. Then, when everything went down with Ross and the implosion of the Avengers’ roster, it fell to the back burner.”

“And he’s not here right now because he’s been summoned as a witness.”

“You got it,” Sam agreed. “Please don’t make me keep this a secret from him.”

Tony shook his head.

“I already asked Director Hill to invite him back here once they are done in the courtroom,” he said. “My platypus has the right to know the full truth, especially after all of the lies that he’s been told.”

“Good,” Sam said, and Riley nodded.

Instead of using the front door, the next arrivals came in via portal.

“Magic man,” Hulk said, pulling Tony into a big hug. “Hulk and Betty are happy to see you. Stupid Ross is gone, and now it is time for Evil Stane to go bye-bye, too.”

From her place at the Hulk’s side, Elizabeth Ross let out a delighted laugh.

“Simple but well put, my dear,” she said. “But in all seriousness, Tony, you have done so much for us, having taken care of our tormentor. Now it is your turn to get your well-earned justice.”

“Thank you, most beauteous Betty,” Tony said, giving her a little bow after the Hulk put him down. “And may I say that happiness suits your face.”

“You old charmer,” she replied. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were flirting with me. But I do know better. Where is your other half?”

“I am here,” Kaecilius replied, stepping around the massive blockage that was the Hulk’s green figure. “As I should be.”

“Hey, Boss, where do you need me to put…?” As he stepped into the room, catching sight of Tony’s unshielded form Pietro Maximoff’s voice trailed off.

“Uh, Boss?” he asked, looking between Tony and Kaecilius with his face a mask of confusion.

Tony gave the Enhanced Speedster a cheeky wave.

“Over here, Maximoff,” he said. “Sorry about our little deception, but we weren’t sure exactly how you would react to a man who you have supposedly hated since childhood. I hope that you aren’t too put out by the reveal.”

Pietro’s eyes blinked rapidly, and Tony knew that he had to be utilizing his Enhancements to help in processing the surprise. After a moment, he shook himself.

“I guess not,” he said. “After everything else, what is a little resurrection? I take it that you didn’t die at HYDRA’s hands, then?”

“Yup,” Tony said. “You’re not the only one who got a bit of a power-up.” Releasing a bit of the tight control that he maintained on his Sorcerous abilities, he made his body glow. It was an easy way to show off his powers, one that didn’t give away any further secrets.

“So cool,” he heard Sam whisper from his position somewhere behind him. Tony couldn’t help but smile.

“Thanks,” he said. “So, Maximoff, we good?”

Maximoff nodded.

“Then, in that case, I believe that the SHIELD Director over there would love a chance to chat with you.”

“Hey, man!” Erik said, looking over the place in the corner that he had claimed when he followed the Wakandan spymaster into the room, “I hope that you don’t mind that I tagged along with Nakia.”

“Not at all,” Tony replied. “How are things going with you?”

“Eh… not too shabby, I guess,” Erik said, his eyes gleaming. “I wanted to give Edward the good news, thank him for his help.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Help in making sure that we got custody of the White Wolf. He has finally woken up from the beauty sleep that Rogers’ words dropped him into. It seems that the command sequence wasn’t exactly what that bastard thought. It is a reset, of sorts, but not one that wipes away all of the Winter Soldier’s programming. Instead, it took him back to ‘factory reset’, to the head-space that he was when he was finally broken. Without the immediate application of something, either the chair or a second sequence of command words, it looks like the programming has already begun to wear off.”

“Then, with the pardon that we managed to arrange…”

“Exactly, Barnes is free to find a new path in life.”

Despite his reservations regarding Barnes, Tony managed to act happy about the news.

“Oh, and what does Barnes intend to do with this new start?”

Erik’s smile took a bit of a filthy tone.

“Right now, well, let’s just say that he’s thoroughly enjoying having full control over his body again.”

Okay, that is a pretty picture, Tony thought, imagining the two men together. Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes had been his first male crush, back when he was still in school. Despite his misgivings about the former Winter Soldier, he couldn’t deny the fact that the man was fit. And if being with Barnes made Erik happy, then Tony guessed that he would try not to mind too much.

“Good for you, man,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad that things all worked out.”

With all of the excitement happening at Monte Cristo Investments, the live inquest footage was a bit of a side note. There were no surprises to be seen, as most of what was revealed had already been discussed amongst the group. Still, it was satisfying to see Stane’s claim to the Stark family inheritance being overturned, and his culpability in their deaths exposed. When a follow-up was ordered, with the prosecutor instructed to file criminal charges against the disgraced businessman, the room cheered.

“Do we know where the man of the day is at present?” someone asked. Tony wasn’t sure who. “I mean, he’s obviously not in attendance at the inquest. Probably not even here in the City at all. Did he manage to escape?”

Tony’s smile grew sharp. “He certainly thinks so,” the former prisoner replied, “but let’s just say that there’s a surprise awaiting him at his destination.”

Chapter 22: Value of a Dollar

Point-of-View Character: Extremis Enhanced Aldrich Killian

When he looked through the long-range scope, Aldrich felt his lips quirk up into a smile. Had anyone not part of his team been present, they probably would have called it sinister. As it was, the relative inaccessibility of their current location meant that he had free reign to express himself.

That very moment, the source of Aldrich’s pleasure was transferring from the overwhelmingly hot and humid space in front of Nassau’s airport and climbing into the back of a black luxury hire car while one of his bodyguards slid into the passenger seat in the front. Down below, Obadiah Stane was likely breathing a sigh of relief, convinced that his successful transfer into Bahamian territory placed him safely inside of a country where he could ride out the storm that had come crashing down upon him.

When Edward Loptsson had come to Aldrich, some weeks before, informing him of the plan for Stane and requesting his assistance in carrying out the final stage of the businessman’s utter ruin, Aldrich had been more than happy to accept the invitation. Despite the help of Loptsson and his researchers providing both him and his people with a viable means for managing the explosive side effects of Extremis, the mental consequences of his rash decision to make himself one of the drug’s beta testers remained intact.

His temper, already prone to flaring up, had developed a hair-trigger. At the same time, his capacity for hatred and holding grudges had deepened. His mind’s enhanced recall had encouraged him to dwell on the things which had engaged his wrath. Stane’s past actions had remained the worst sort of trigger, and nothing that the man had done since then had eased Aldrich’s feelings of rage.

So, the chance to finally see his nemesis break, and to play a part in that fall, was a fantasy that he was thrilled to fulfill.

—–

“Killian,” Aldrich said as he answered the phone.

“Aldrich,” Edward Loptsson’s voice, with its ambiguous European accent, was rich and powerful, even when heard through the tinny speakers. “Good. I was hoping that I might manage to reach you. Do you have a minute to spare?”

Did he have a minute? For the man who had literally saved my company, and my life!

Aldrich fought the urge to audibly scoff. Instead, he said, “For you, Mister Loptsson, I have all of the minutes.”

“Good, good,” Loptsson said. “I am pleased to hear you say those words. I come bearing excellent news.”

“Oh?”

“The time that we have been planning for is fast approaching,” Loptsson continued. “Ross has fallen, and Fury is soon to follow. With his powerful allies out of commission, Stane will be uniquely vulnerable. That is when we will strike.”

Loptsson went on to outline his plan, to utilize certain hidden truths; namely Stane’s betrayal of his former ward and protégé, Anthony Stark, to take control of the businessman’s most prized possession. His company.

“We all know that Stane is a coward,” Loptsson finished. “When he sees a likely loss, he will take the opportunity to flee the country. As it so happens, I have made certain arrangements to ensure that he will head to a specific location.”

Interesting, Aldrich thought. “Where might that be?”

Loptsson’s grin could be heard through the microphone. “A non-extradition country, of course. One where Stane already owns substantial real estate or believes that he does anyways. The Bahamas.”

—–

Now, it would seem that Loptsson’s arrangements had been extremely successful. Not only had his plans for invalidating the fraudulent will which had ensured Stane’s control of SI been an unmitigated success, but here Stane was, right where Loptsson had predicted. Dropped right into Aldrich’s waiting hands.

He knew that Stane was on his way to the docks, where he would board a luxurious charter craft that he expected would deliver him to a property that had once belonged to the Stark family. Even though Stark Junior’s Will that had granted him the space was currently in question, Stane was convinced that his presence at the site would overcome any concerns about the legality.

What he didn’t know was that Aldrich had made other plans for his visit to the Bahamas.

His contact in the charter business had arranged for Stane’s reservation to be placed with a vessel whose captain was easy to suborn. Stane may think that he was safe, sitting back and enjoying the impeccable service and little luxuries that come standard with that sort of reservation, but in reality, that was far from the truth. Not only would the ship’s captain not take the most expedient route to the site, but he was also in frequent communication with the captain of Aldrich’s current vessel.

Unlike the luxury accommodations found in the charter craft, their ship carried none of the finer things. Instead, it was intended as a raider, fast and maneuverable. Similarly, its crew was willing to do serious damage, if paid the right price. And Aldrich was happy to meet it.

Though in this case, the high cost was not based on the level of violence that was expected. If that had been what was needed, then his personal forces would have been happy to provide. Instead, Aldrich was paying for discretion. As far as anyone not involved in the scheme was concerned, Stane would be delivered to his island destination without any issues or delays.

Looking out across the ocean, Aldrich spotted the form of the luxury craft where Stane was relaxing. Behind him, a glorious sunset painted the sky with hues of red and orange, the perfect backdrop to the moment. The white vessel slowed as they approached, allowing them to come alongside without demur.

Reaching up, Aldrich and his crew pulled down the black balaclavas perched upon their heads. Between the headgear and the tactical suits, they were perfectly anonymous hostiles. Moving swiftly, they stepped across the gap between the newly tethered ships and onto the luxury craft.

It was clear that the charter’s crew had been warned of their arrival by their captain. Though their eyes were wide at the sight of the invaders, they stepped aside without demur, allowing them easy passage through the corridors.

Approaching the room where Stane was encamped, Aldrich and his people faced their first point of opposition. The man’s bodyguard stood outside the door, keeping watch for any potential threats. Using the element of surprise, they were able to subdue him, rendering him unconscious without disturbing anyone on the other side of the hatch.

Following the common protocol for bodyguards of this type, one of Aldrich’s people reached out and rapped sharply with two knocks on the door.

“What is it?” Stane’s voice came through, sounding peevish. “I hope that it’s important, or your contract will be up the moment we reach land.”

“Pardon me, Sir,” they responded. “But the captain asked that you be informed that we will shortly be arriving at your destination.”

“Excellent,” Stane said, his voice noticeably more cheerful. “You might as well open the door, then. There’s no point in waiting down here, not when far more comfortable accommodations await me.”

The speaker glanced over at Aldrich, who nodded. Behind the uncomfortable mask, his lips curved up in a sharp grin. Pulling the handle into the open position, they pushed the door open. Going forward, following along with the swing, half of the squad moved into the room.

Aldrich was not surprised to find that Stane had company in the private space. One of the female stewardesses, scantily dressed and looking a bit mussed, was with him. She was in the process of straightening up when they burst through and shrieked at the sight of the figures in black.

Meanwhile, the man himself had been looking down, buttoning his shirt back up. When the woman shrieked, his eyes shot up. But before he could do anything else, they were upon him. Moving swiftly, they had Stane secured with his hands bound behind his back, a cloth gag in place to muffle his shouts, and a large bag shoved over his head to block his vision.

Nodding to the stewardess, who offered a shaky nod in return, they dragged the protesting businessman out of the room. In the corridor beyond, the remainder of Aldrich’s people had already secured the unconscious guard and were in the process of lugging him back to their vessel. When they reached the deck, forcing their prisoner to walk with them, they found the crew in the process of shifting anything and everything that Stane had brought with him when he came onboard across to the other vessel.

With Stane and all his belongings gone, it would be easy for the crew to claim that they had completed their charter, dropping their erstwhile guest at his destination before returning to their home anchorage. Given the situation abroad, it would be expected that Stane would not be making any public appearances, even over a remote link. That meant that they now had free reign to do to him as they willed.

And what they willed, for now anyways, was to bring him to shore. Ironically, they were still heading to the Stark property that had been Stane’s planned destination. However, instead of being welcomed at the main dock, the vessel that he rode made for the site’s service entrance.

When Edward had told Aldrich that he could use the compound for his little theatrical engagement, Killian had been surprised. But once he arrived and began making arrangements on-site, things became clear. Most of the staff at the Bahamian retreat had been long-standing employees of the Stark family, men and women who had watched the younger Stark grow from the little genius that he’d been as a child into the millionaire playboy that he had become. Having been read into the truth about Stane’s actions against ‘their’ family, they were anxious to help.

With their willing support, the conversion of the smallest and most isolated outbuilding on the back side of the property into a sturdy cell had been completed in record time. It was there that Stane, still secured in the bonds that kept him from seeing what was going on around him, was brought following their arrival at the property.

It was only when he was inside the space, secured in a large cell that took up half of the small building, that the bonds were removed.

From his position inside of the cell, Stane would have no view of anything that would give away his current location. Not only that, but the isolation of the space meant that any cries that he might make would go unheard out in the larger property beyond.

While Aldrich and most of his people headed back up to the main house, to complete their business with the friendly raiders that they had hired to support the seizure and enjoy a nice supper, one member of their party remained behind, there to take the first guard shift watching over their prisoner.

They had been nice enough to remove the bonds which kept his arms secured behind him, so at least Stane was able to reach up and strip away the cloth that had kept him blind and quiet. But with the sun having already set some hours earlier, and the lack of artificial light illuminating the space, Stane would be unable to see anything around him.

Instead, he would be forced to wait there in the dark with no way of knowing where he was, who had taken him captive, or why.

This was all part of the plan. Aldrich knew that the questions would eat at him, keeping Stane awake and unable to rest as the night stretched on.

—–

After a pleasant night’s sleep in the luxurious accommodations found in the main house, Aldrich and his people sat down to enjoy a bountiful breakfast. The table groaned with all manner of delicacies; specialties prepared by the property’s chef. They all dug in and enjoyed the spread, even the man who had previously served as Stane’s bodyguard.

It turned out that the man was not a loyal member of the businessman’s staff. Instead, he was another plant, this one placed by the secret organization that was so closely linked to him. All that it took was a brief monitored call to SHIELD headquarters, and he was on their side. With the security that was in place to keep the truth about Stane’s situation from getting out into the wider world, they couldn’t just let him leave. Instead, he would remain and act as SHIELD’s witness to the final downfall of a man who thought himself untouchable.

The sun had long since risen, its rays penetrating across the property, creating a beautiful view of the island paradise.

In contrast, the daylight would have brought a far less palatable view for the imprisoned Obadiah Stane. Sure, the clerestory windows mounted high up in two of the walls of the cell provided him with enough indirect light to see the space where he found himself being held. But what the daylight would have revealed to Stane was not the pleasant sight of tropical landscapes and ocean breezes that the others currently enjoyed.

Rather, when the darkness eased, Stane would have found himself in a room built of concrete and cinderblocks, with a metal roof overhead and a barred wall separating the space into two. A section of the bars formed the door through which had passed the night before. And while the space on the other side of the bars included furniture, a table and chairs, the space where he was imprisoned had nothing inside of it.

The lack of light coming in from under the only door in the space, on the opposite side of his cell, would have told Stane that the room was not the only space in the building.

Between the balaclavas, the bag over Stane’s head, and the lack of conversation during the previous night’s adventure, the man had no idea who had taken him. All that he knew was that it was a kidnapping of some kind. With so many of his allies and resources out of reach, he had to be worried about how he was going to get out.

To keep from revealing his identity to Stane, Aldrich had borrowed a bit of tech from his friend Loptsson. A cuff integrating the same alien technology at the heart of the Extremis control pendants. But instead of holding power in, this one projected something out. An image, one that would allow Aldrich to confront Stane without revealing his identity.

Instead, he would be the local ‘pirate’ Luigi Vampa, a man who made his money by preying on the wealthy travelers who landed within his nets. A role that Aldrich was excited to play.

“Mister Obadiah Stane,” he said, as he walked into the room. “The notorious war profiteer, right here in my own little slice of paradise.”

He smiled, letting the gold tooth of the illusion glint in the fluorescent light that had been turned on, filling the room with a bright white light.

“When my informants let me know that you were coming into the area under the table, without your usual army of guardian troops, I thanked the Lord God Almighty. To have such a juicy prize up for grabs is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Despite what had to have been a miserable night and an uncomfortable wake-up call, Stane managed to hold onto his composure.

“I am afraid that you have the advantage of me,” he said, as he climbed to his feet. With his rumpled clothing and sleep-deprived eyes, he was far from the suave figure Aldrich had encountered in the past. Still, it was hard to deny the man’s sense of presence. It was something that Aldrich had always admired about Stane, despite his hatred for him.

“Not at all, good sir,” Aldrich replied, embracing the role that he was playing. “You have the distinct privilege of being in the presence of the great Luigi Vampa.”

Doffing the old-fashioned tricorn hat that he’d claimed as part of his costume, he offered an abbreviated bow with his leg extended. It was like something out of a period drama, a pirate who sailed the Caribbean sea, interacting with his high-born captive.

But, in this case, it wasn’t a corseted heroine that was being held prisoner. No. This time it was the villainous war profiteer.

Which, ironically enough, made Vampa the hero of the piece.

“Now then,” Aldrich said, “I will leave you to enjoy my hospitality. But soon, we will be discussing what it will take to secure your departure from our fair isle.”

With that, he stepped out, his people following in his footsteps. They would leave Stane there for the rest of the day, stewing in his rage and misery.

All that was provided to him was a single, sealed bottle of water left within arm’s reach of the cell’s bars. That bottle was enough to keep Stane from suffering heat stroke or severe dehydration, but not enough to manage any sort of comfort.

When evening arrived, they headed back into the room with the cell. It was time to lay out their demands. Edward’s people had provided them with the total value of Stane’s shares in SI, as well as his other material assets. With that in mind, Aldrich had set the initial amount at a point nearly double the end goal. Of course, he had no expectation that the first demand would be met.

Starting high would provide two benefits. First, it would make their target sound small in comparison. And second, it would ensure that Stane would not only refuse to deal but be insulted enough to want to fight back even harder. The longer that they could drag out the negotiations, the more miserable the experience would be. With any luck, Stane would end this experience as a broken man.

Negotiations went as poorly as expected. Stane was outraged and refused to deal.

So, they left him there, starving and in the dark, trying to sleep without the comfort of a mattress or a pillow to lay his head upon. The next few days were much the same. Aldrich paid a visit in the morning and in the evening. Each time, he reiterated his demands and each time Stane refused.

Without food and with nothing but water to drink, his energy levels plummeted. The lack of resources began to take its toll on his body. Stane was truly miserable.

It was at that point that they started the next phase of the plan.

Instead of leaving him in isolation during the day, guard shifts moved inside of the space. These guards naturally brought along with them the food and beverages which Stane had been denied. Luxuries that they refused to share. And with his body’s desperation ever increasing, the suffering businessman became increasingly desperate to remedy the situation.

On Vampa’s next visit, Stane asked what it would take for him to get a meal. Something to keep his devastating hunger pangs at bay. Aldrich offered him a shark-like smile, full of teeth.

“I am afraid, mister Stane, that our hospitality comes at a price. We provide you with the basics at no charge; a roof over your head and water to quench your thirst. Anything more, well. It comes at a high price.”

“What kind of price?” Stane asked. “I would be willing to pay for a meal, at least.”

“Ah, but to bring you a meal, that would be taking food from the mouths of my people,” Aldrich replied. “Supplies must be brought in from outside, and that can be an expensive proposition.”

“What about the ocean? I know that’s close, right? I would be happy with a plate of fish.”

“A fish. Hm… well, perhaps that can be arranged. For a fish dinner… Let us say $500.”

“Wha… five hundred…” Stane sputtered. “That is absurd. There is no way that I would pay that much for a single meal, not here in squalor. That kind of price would barely be acceptable at the highest of high-end locations, places with multiple courses and the drinks to match.”

“But that is what you must pay, nonetheless,” Aldrich said.

Stane refused.

After another day of torment via tantalizing scents, Stane’s willpower crumbled.

“Fine,” he said that night, “five hundred dollars for a meal. I accept the price.”

“Excellent,” Aldrich said. “I had hoped that you would be more agreeable.” Waving his hand, he had one of his people bring over a tablet with the payment already loaded and ready for the money transfer. All that was needed was Stane’s signature.

He signed, and a covered plate was brought in.

“One fish dinner,” Aldrich said, “bought and paid for.”

He lifted off the dome before sliding the plate through an appropriately sized opening on the wall of the cell. As Stane began to sputter over the measly helping of unseasoned protein, Aldrich turned and strode out of the room, chuckling deliberately as he went.

So, things went on.

Most mornings, after the ransom demand was rejected, Stane would ask for a meal, or some other item to make his imprisonment less miserable. Vampa would respond, naming an exponentially increasing price for that item. Stane would refuse, and Aldrich’s people would spend the day tormenting the man with the absence of his desired item.

By nightfall, Stane was usually desperate enough to pay the excessive bill for his request. There were a couple of times, when the jump in price hit especially hard, that it would take a couple of days before he relented. Still, every time he eventually gave way.

This situation continued for over three months, long enough for the courts back in America to rule against him. Stane had lost any hope of regaining control over SI, not that he knew it yet. All his public assets had been seized, held against the repayment of the massive amount that he’d stolen. His wealth had dwindled down to those assets that he had squirreled away in off-the-book accounts.

With the rising cost of his daily expenses, even those amounts were rapidly disappearing, transferred into Aldrich’s personal account.

It was then, as the money that remained in Stane’s accounts approached zero, that Edward Loptsson finally came down to the Bahamas.

—–

“Edward,” Aldrich said, “so good to see you.”

He stepped forward, offering his hand to the other man, who shook it briskly. Loptsson had just stepped off the high-end yacht that had brought him in and onto the property’s primary dock.

“Welcome to the Bahamas.”

“It is good to be here,” Loptsson replied. “I have been thoroughly enjoying the reports that you have sent, as well as the footage that has been captured. You have done a phenomenal job of stressing Stane’s mind to the breaking point. But now, now it is time for the big finish.”

They exchanged vicious grins at the thought.

“I understand that today’s transfer attempt will bounce, is that correct?”

“It is,” Aldrich said.

“Excellent. Then, in that case, I look forward to tonight’s show.”

Chapter 23: Begin Anew

“You look comfortable.”

A shadow came up to Tony’s side, blocking some of the sun’s rays from reaching him where he lay on the lounger beside the pool.

“I was,” Tony said, squinting up at the figure, “until you came over to bother me. Though…”

His eyes, having adjusted to the change in light, raked lustily over the figure of his lover. Like Tony himself, it looked like Kaecilius was taking full advantage of the delightful environment. Wearing nothing more than a brief pair of swim shorts and a loose, open-fronted, sleeveless robe, he made for a very pretty view. Nothing that Tony hadn’t seen before, of course, but he could still appreciate the chance to see that figure out and glistening in the sunlight.

“…if this is what bothering looks like, then I am not going to complain.”

Kae gave Tony a soft smile, before sitting down on the neighboring lounger.

“Flatterer,” he said, still smiling.

“I’m just speaking the truth here, babe. You make for a very pretty picture, you know.”

“Not more than you love,” Kae replied. “I have never seen you so relaxed before, not like this…”

Tony giggled, sounding more like an adolescent than he would like to admit.

Reaching out, he began to trace the motes of dust which hovered in the air around him, projecting out sparks of blue, green, gold, and red, the magic only visible to one blessed with an active Mage Sight.

“Are… are you… drunk?”

Glancing over at the mostly empty drink sitting on the little table beside his lounger, Tony resisted the urge to giggle once again.

“Not after a single daiquiri I’m not,” he said. “Or at least not drunk on alcohol anyways. Nah. This is just… happiness.”

Kaecilius nodded.

“Because it’s done.”

“Exactly,” Tony agreed. “Ross has been eliminated, shot down like the animal that he tried to claim others were. Fury, like Pierce before him, has been utterly ruined in the intelligence business. After everything with Rogers, he has lost any semblance of influence within the organization that he once controlled. He may still be around, but any significant power has been stripped from him. He has gone from being a queen on the chessboard down to just another pawn. And as for dear old Uncle Obie, well…”

Tony’s soft smile transformed into a shark-like grin as he thought back to the day before.

—–

“Are you ready for the show, Loptsson,” Killian asked, adjusting the bracelet on his wrist in preparation for activating the Vampa disguise.

“Quite,” Tony agreed, playing up Edward’s plummy tones. It was almost time for the big reveal, but until then it was important that nothing gave the game away. “I will remain pulled back, to watch from the shadows until the time is right.”

“I look forward to it,” Killian said. “Any chance that I might get a clue prior to the big reveal?”

His voice was hopeful.

“I am afraid that I am unable to acquiesce to your request,” Tony replied. “To have the maximum impact upon Stane’s psyche requires that the revelation be an absolute surprise. Were I to reveal myself, it is possible that you may inadvertently give away some clue early.”

“Fine,” Killian said, sounding a tad grumpy. “I’ll wait and see. But I hope it’s as good as you promised.”

“Oh, it shall be so.”

When Killian activated the light, allowing Tony to look through the one-way glass that lined the wall and into the cell beyond, the sight was a bit of a shock. He had seen the footage that Killian had sent over directly, as well as further frames downloaded by JARVIS, but in person, it was something else. The contrast between the suave, well-groomed, and healthy man of late middle age that Stane had been only a few months before and the decrepit shell that lay there in the cell was startling to see. He appeared to have aged over a decade in that brief span, his face covered in a messy beard that had gone from salt-and-pepper to pure white.

If he didn’t know better, Tony would have thought that this was a fake, a dupe brought in to fool him. But no, it was indeed Stane.

How had the mighty fallen, indeed?

For a brief second, Tony felt a flicker of guilt. At least he had been well fed down there in the Oubliette, with regular meals and an unexpected friend and mentor to distract him from his misery.

But then he thought back further, to the time that he had spent at the hands of the Ten Rings.

That hardened his heart. Stane deserved everything that had come to him, all that and more. So, it was with a sense of vindication that he watched Killian’s little sketch play out.

When Stane realized that the account that had been paying his keep had run dry, his shoulders sunk in upon themselves.

“There’s nothing,” he said. “Nothing left for you to take. Not without contacting SI and letting them know what you are holding. But I am still the CEO of the company, regardless of the cloud under which I fled the United States. It would be riskier, making an official ransom demand to a weapons manufacturer with close ties to militaries around the globe, but you may believe that the reward outweighs the risk.”

He’s given up, Tony thought. I guess that he assumes that nothing could be worse than his current situation. To be fair, he’s not entirely wrong. The type of minimum-security prison that the American government would be inclined to place a man like Obadiah Stane within would be a superior place to this one. At least there he would have a proper bed and regular meals.

But that assumes that he ends up in the hands of the Americans. Not likely.

Inside his head, Tony let out a mental scoff.

Good old Uncle Obie has built up far too many enemies over the course of his career. A fact that I have already taken full advantage of in my pursuit of revenge. If word got out that he was on the loose with no protection, it would soon be open season on him.

Oh, shit.

In his distraction, Tony had almost missed his cue. Reaching for the door, he opened it and stepped inside of the room.

“I am afraid, Mister Stane, that your assumption is incorrect. The company that you rebranded SI has formally disavowed your involvement following certain recent revelations. Its board” – many of whom are MY allies – “is in the process of restoring its former name, Stark Industries, honoring the family that was lost too soon. All three of them were betrayed and murdered by HYDRA and those affiliated with them, yourself included.”

He flashed Stane a sinister smile.

“But as of this moment, that is the LEAST of your worries. With nothing left to gain from you directly, Mister Vampa reached out seeking other forms of profit. Payment from those who would love to get their hands on the infamous Obadiah Stane.”

An already pale Stane blanched, his face nearing full white. He understands very well what Tony was hinting about. There were plenty of people who wanted him to die and die painfully at that.

“For some reason, however, he came to me first. Tell me, Mister Stane, what shall I offer him for you?”

Stepping forward, Tony leaned his forearms on the bars of the cell. Looking Stane right in the eyes, he willed the glamor to fall.

Behind him, he heard Killian gasp, but he didn’t bother to look. Instead, he simply maintained eye contact with the great betrayer.

“What would you pay for the life of your greatest enemy? The mentor who helped to raise you up, but then caused you to fall, stealing everything that you owned and killing the people that you loved. What value could you place on such a man?”

For once, Stane was speechless. It seemed that he had nothing to say, no hope that he could save himself from Tony’s righteous vengeance. His eyes dropped, as did the rest of his body. Crumpling in on himself, Stane visibly allowed his mind to fall into utter despair.

At that moment, staring down at the crumpled form of his former mentor, Tony knew. His vengeance had come to full fruition.

—–

It took the remainder of the evening for Tony to reaffirm his ‘friendship’ with Aldrich Killian. Unlike Loptsson, who Killian had no reason to feel anything other than admiration and appreciation for, his real identity carried with it the baggage of a tumultuous past. As a result, Tony had to make sure that the alliance that had grown out of a mutual hatred for Stane remained intact now that said driving factor was no longer a problem.

Fortunately, while Killian had been caught completely off guard by the man behind Edward Loptsson, his reluctant admiration for the brilliant mind of Tony Stark made the idea that he owed his life to someone who he had once hated easier to digest. That, plus the knowledge that Tony had suffered even worse than Killian himself before being reborn from the ashes, as it were, allowed him to set aside his instinctual rage.

Ironically, the fact that Tony was the one behind the cure for Extremis’ side effects made perfect sense to Killian. He’d always assumed that Tony Stark would be able to solve the impossible problem, and as it turned out, the genius inventor had done just that. And since Tony had no problem with Killian and his people keeping all the funds that they’d pried away from Stane’s accounts, they were more than willing to depart the islands, leaving the man himself behind for Tony to do with as he pleased.

The Bahamian staff were even more delighted to have the rightful owner of the property restored to them. Many of them had been employed by the Stark family for decades, some even for generations, so to see Tony on site was a thrill. Motherly Bahamian ladies engulfing him in hugs and telling him that he’s too thin and needs fattening up. Older gentlemen, their skin weathered by the sun, offered him a seat to join them in shooting the breeze, while the younger ones invited him out onto the water for a bit of fishing. And if he wasn’t obviously accompanied by friend and lover, he was sure that there would be more than one offer of a friendly bedmate for the night.

His need for vengeance finally appeased, Tony was even gracious enough to release Obadiah from his cell, settling him in one of the smaller guest rooms and assigning a couple of guards to keep an eye on him. Not that there was really a need. The broken man could do little more than weep as he bathed and dressed in clean clothing for the first time in over a month.

But enough about Stane, Tony thought, as he turned his attention back to his waiting lover.

“You were right, you know, about the importance of maintaining control. I almost let vengeance consume me. But now that my righteous cause is complete, I feel… free. Like anything is possible.”

Kae smiled. “It is a wondrous thing to hear, my Anthony. When the Ancient One asked me to help guide a new arrival to our hallowed halls I would have never dreamed that this would be the result. I know now that I was on the brink of heading down a darkened path, one that would likely have resulted in my destruction. Instead, you have helped me to reclaim my soul. With new avenues of discovery and an expanded place within the Order, I have found a way to go beyond the title of Master. I have truly become Kaecilius, Guardian of the New York Sanctum and expert practitioner in the Order of the Mystic Arts.”

“That’s my bae,” Tony teased, offering him a delighted smile.

For a moment, they just sat there, reveling in the feeling of overwhelming joy.

Life was good.

—–

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What’s going on?”

“The wind’s picking up.”

“What happened to the sun?”

The cries came from all sides. Guards and staff alike rushed in from their places outside, hurrying to get under the dubious shelter of the covered patio.

Looking out at the view overhead, the swirling vortex that had begun to form high above them sparkled and gleamed in Tony’s Mage Sight.

Glancing over at Kaecilius, he saw that his magic man had already armed himself, his sling rings, and staff in a fighting stance. Behind them, he could hear their allies in the Order portaling in from offsite. Flashes of gold came and went in his peripheral vision as they prepared for battle. Tony himself had already summoned his own gear from the dimensional storage where he normally kept it safe.

There was a flash of rainbow light, followed by the smell of ozone and melting sand. A moment later, the skies magically began to clear.

Looking out towards the beach, Tony was not surprised to see that it was now occupied by a set of visitors. And at the front was one familiar and distinctive presence.

“Son of Stark,” Thor said as he strode up the walk, his blonde hair gleaming in the rapidly returning sunlight. “I come bearing with me the congratulations of the Golden Realm. Heimdall has informed us of your great victories against those villains who did such harm to both you and my brother. You have proven yourself a warrior of great skill and renown and as such a more than worthy apprentice to my beloved brother.”

Reaching out, he pulled Tony into a forceful hug.

It was only because he’d gotten used to such things from the Hulk that Tony managed to maintain his composure through the fast-paced encounter. As such, he knew exactly how to respond.

“Thanks, your Majesty,” he said, giving Thor a light squeeze in return before deliberately pushing him away. “It’s good to see you too. But this is an unexpected visit. Is there something the matter up there in Asgard?”

Tony would have thought it impossible, but Thor’s beaming smile grew even broader.

“Not at all, my young friend. Rather, I come bearing glorious news.”

“Oh?” Tony said as Kaecilius stepped up beside him, wrapping his arm around the smaller man in a clear indication of possession. His Magic Man was taking care to ensure that his claim to Tony was visible and obvious to the visiting prince.

“Indeed. My brother, Prince Loki Silvertongue, has finally awoken from his healing slumber. He is asking for you.”

Tony’s heart sang at the news. It made a perfect day even better, to know that the man who had kept him sane during his great ordeal, the man who had introduced him to the broader universe beyond the mundane, was on the mend.

“Really?!” he exclaimed.

“But of course,” Thor replied. “You are his beloved apprentice, are you not? He was most gratified to hear of your recent accomplishments, and has asked that you, and your lover, of course,” here Thor looked intently at Kaecilius’ claiming arm, “be invited for a visit to the Golden Realm.”

Tony turned to look at his beloved, flashing him a mischievous smile.

“What do you say, Magic Man? What say we go off on a little extra-terrestrial vacation?”

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