Chapter 39: C39 Avengers Initiative
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While staring at the powerless Iron Monger suit, which may or may not contain a living Obadiah Stane, black unmarked government-type vehicles pulled into the parking lot.
As they parked, agents in black suits unloaded from the cars and began to secure the area. They had good timing, as the streets outside Stark Industries were filling with witnesses. Most of them were recording on their phones and had been recording since the fight was taken to the parking lot.
News vans were pulling up as well, with reporters and cameramen stepping out, ready to give live updates to their respective News Channels.
"You made quite the mess." Coulson calls out as he walks over with Natasha following closely behind him.
"Well, that's why we have you, the Shield maid service." Peter jokes as he leans his arm on Tony's shoulder.
"Hello, Spidey." Natasha greets him for the first time since Peter met Tony.
"Hello." Peter responds curtly.
"Eww, I feel the drama in the air..." Tony comments with a smirk. "Are you sure she isn't your girlfriend?"
"No, she just broke my trust and has yet to apologize." Peter says, looking at Natasha.
"Maybe you two should have this conversation at a later date." Coulson interrupts as he points over at the downed Iron Monger suit. "Is Mr. Stane in that?"
"Yes, we took the power source out as well." Peter holds up the glowing arc reactor in his hand. "We're just not sure if he's alive or not..."
"Well, let's not check here with all of the cameras nearby." Natasha says as she gestures to the huge hole in the side of the building. "Drag him inside and crack it open. If he's alive, we'll take him into custody."
"What if he's dead?" Tony asks sadly as the man was very close to him and his deceased family.
No matter what happened, those feelings don't just go away in a single night.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
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"You've all received the official statement of what occurred at Stark Industries last night. There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the building. Fortunately, a member of Tony Stark's personal security staff..." James Rhodes, Tony's military friend, spoke at a press conference in Stark Industries, where Tony held his upon his return to LA after his kidnapping.
In the very same building, Tony sat in his office, reading a newspaper with the front-page headline titled: WHO IS THE IRON MAN?
"Iron Man." Tony reads the front page as he turns to Peter, who's in his Spider suit, seated at Tony's desk with his feet up. "That's kind of catchy. You were right, Web-Head. The media did come up with a good name. It's got a nice ring to it. I mean, it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy, but it's kind of evocative, you know?"
While Tony was reading the paper, Pepper was applying some minor makeup. Tony would be addressing the press after James Rhodes, so he wanted to look his best. Especially since he needed to cover up some bruises from last night's fight.
"Yeah, it's their job to pick compelling titles and names. Not everyone can be like me and choose their own name." Peter says jokingly.
"Here's your alibi, Mr. Stark." Coulson walks into the room and hands Tony a written speech for the press conference.
"Okay?" Tony mutters as he puts down the newspaper and looks over what Shield wrote for him.
"You were on your yacht." Coulson explains, getting a nod from Tony. "We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night, and sworn statements from 50 of your guests."
"See, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just Pepper and me alone on an island." Tony says suggestively as he gives Pepper a heated look.
"That's what happened." Coulson, points at the paper, not having any of Tony's bullsh*t. "Just read it, word for word. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"There's nothing about Stane here." Tony asks, sadness flashing on his face for only a moment.
After getting the Iron Monger suit inside Stark Industries, Peter and Tony pried the thing open and found Stane dead inside. The impact from his icy fall caused the suit to cave in onto his chest, crushing his lungs.
Stane pretty much died from internal bleeding and suffocation, which probably wasn't a quick and painless death.
"That's being handled. He's on vacation. Small aircrafts have such a poor safety record." Coulson says insinuatingly, which causes Tony to ask more questions. "This isn't my first rodeo, Mr. Stark. Just stick to the official statement, and soon enough, this will all be behind you."
As Pepper finishes Tony's makeup, the two start flirting with one another. While they were off in their own world, Natasha walks in and strolls right up to Peter.
"I'm sorry." She says immediately. "I technically didn't lie to you, since I was told the satellite was out of range, but I knew that didn't sound right. It may be my job to do these sorts of things, but we're... friends. I should've said something and I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted." Peter says, shocking Natasha who thought he wouldn't forgive her so easily. "Surprised? I knew the whole satellite thing was fishy the second I heard it. Besides, Shield knowing about my portal-making ability isn't that big of a deal."
"Thank you, It won't happen again." Natasha says genuinely but Peter holds up his hand, stopping her.
"That's the second time I've heard those words from you." Peter says, pertaining to their first meeting. "Make it the last, please."
Peter's words rang out in Natasha's mind as she swore to herself to not ruin this friendship. She doesn't have many friends and the feeling of betraying them is much worse compared to your average Oligarch or enemy spy.
Peter wouldn't trust her just yet, as she would have to prove herself, but hopefully, she can become someone he can rely on and trust more in the future.
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When the time finally arrived, Tony went up on stage, taking the podium in front of countless reporters and news cameras, which were covering this whole thing live on every news channel.
Peter was hidden off stage with Coulson, Rhodes, Pepper, and Natasha, watching from the sidelines.
"It has been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the script this time. There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred at Stark Industries..." Tony starts reading the pre-written speech, but a reporter interrupts him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that last nights incident was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, even though your friend, Spider-Man, was fighting alongside..." The reporter voices everyone's doubts but was interrupted as well.
"I know that it's confusing. It's one thing to question the official story, and another entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero." Tony says with a smirk as he says superhero.
"I never said you were a superhero." The reporter replies.
"You didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly, with this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."
"Just stick to the cards." Coulson mutters with a sigh.
"I don't think that's Tony's style." Peter comments as he waits for the moment to happen.
"The truth is... I am Iron Man." Tony throws the pre-written speech over his shoulder as the room fills with questions from the reporters.
Peter walks out on stage and puts his arm around Tony's shoulder.
"I am Spider-Man too." Peter says as he throws up a peace sign at the many cameras.
"Did you have to ruin my moment, Web-Head?" Tony mutters, but there's a microphone in front of them so everyone watching heard him.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Peter laughs awkwardly.
This moment was one of the coolest in the first iron man movie. Instead of hiding his identity like Peter, Tony just outs himself on live television.
As Peter and Tony left the stage, the world welcomed the entrance of its second superhero. Well, the second living superhero. Although Captain America is technically alive, he's still frozen in ice somewhere.
"Do you understand the massive sh*t storm you just brought to your front door?" Coulson asks, annoyed that the speech and alibi he spent hours sleeplessly crafting were disregarded.
"Sorry, it just wasn't my style." Tony says as he walks past Coulson.
"I told you so." Peter says with a laugh as he follows after Tony.
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"Jarvis!" Tony calls out as he and Peter walk through a portal and into his mansion.
"Welcome home..." Jarvis speaks in a distorted voice which soon cuts out.
"I am Iron Man." A familiar voice fills the room. "Do you two idiots really think that you're the only superheroes in the world?"
"Who the hell are you?" Tony asks with his guard up.
"Is that you, Angry Boss Man?" Peter asks, knowing that it's Fury.
"Nick Fury, Director of Shield." The voice says as Fury steps out of a dark corner, revealing himself and sending a nod in greeting towards Peter. "Spider-Man."
"Ah." Tony grunts nonchalantly.
"I'm here to talk to you two about the Avengers Initiative." Fury reveals as he holds up a folder.
A/N: 1592 words
[DONT FORGET MY STONES! And I'll do nothing because I'm lazy. Though I'm still king, so bow before me. 🙇♀️ 🙇 ]
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