บท 1762: 38
Chapter 38: In The Wake of This Madness
Summary:
Strike while the iron's still hot.
What happens after Siberia.
Notes:
Chapter-specific warnings: the usual [unreliable narrator, comic book logic, author's attempt at legal jargon, some profanity bc too damn tired to self-filter, etc] with a focus on the aftermath of things.
It's not pretty, but it's my attempt at rationalizing how things would've gone, so.
This is also where we wave canon goodbye, since I first outlined this AU right around when Homecoming hit theaters and am so far from caught up it's not even funny anymore. [Haven't seen Infinity War yet. That enough of a clue as to how AU I'm going?]
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Vision frowned slightly as he looked towards Tony.
His emotional signature had been significantly altered after his return from Siberia; while he burned as brightly as ever, the exhaustion was far more prominent than ever before, and there'd been a very strong undercurrent of hurt-helpessness-rage that had nothing to do with the darkness that came with the Merchant of Death.
Something very drastic had happened in Siberia: more than one person had looked towards him in concern, after he'd returned carrying a new weight on his shoulders and a desolate grief and fury in his eyes.
But Tony hadn't breathed a word of what had happened to anyone.
He'd simply dragged the two supersoldiers back with an expression that could have been carved from granite, and, after his charges had been whisked off towards Medical for treatment [and hadn't that set off the rumor mill?] had proceeded to stalk off somewhere to cool down. Which would have been alarming in and of itself, but then he'd returned every inch the Merchant of Death— when Vision knew just how much Tony despised said mask— and showing absolutely no mercy whatsoever. At best, he was indifferent— Scott Lang and Sam Wilson in particular came out remarkably unscathed, with Tony only pressing the charges most immediately applicable to the situation and all the paperwork that came with it. At worst, however…
Nobody knew what exactly happened in Siberia. What went down, that resulted in the second-degree burns and lacerations and fractures that the supersoldiers had to be treated for, and the bruising on Tony's knuckles, as well as the dark look in his eyes. But it was very easy to make an educated guess, when Tony smiled and mentioned he'd be pressing charges against Steven Grant Rogers, and expressing a very pointed interest in the Winter Soldier's trial.
It was a very thinly-veiled request for his legal team to raise hell.
And raise hell they did, in the days that followed, with the very refined methodology that was quickly becoming Stark Industries' signature to those who weren't aware of it before.
Part of Vision pitied the Avengers. Rather hard not to, when he felt their anger and disbelief and desperation at the reality of the situation— especially since he'd been on good terms with them, as well. However, that paled in comparison with his worry for his family. Tony was very tight-lipped on the situation, but JARVIS had been a tightly-coiled bundle of pure wrath, and when Vision had asked, had immediately and shamelessly updated him on what he had missed when he'd stayed with Jim.
In that light, everything made a lot more sense.
It also meant he was even more concerned for Tony. The pressure he was under had been nearly tangible since before the UN attack, but now…
Vision tried to help however he could, but this added a bit of urgency to it. JARVIS and FRIDAY and Jim and Pepper were more than happy to "have him on board", and while part of him felt bad for talking about Tony behind his back, well...who else was he supposed to vent to, when the miasma of exhaustion and grief threatened to overwhelm the supernova of his presence? Who else would be able to pick up on the undercurrent of regret Tony occasionally had, or would be able to step in and help distract him from the dark path he was prone to treading when alone?
Though he tried not to act like it, Tony desperately needed support right now. Anyone else would've been able to be fooled by his mask, by his easy confidence and the way he seemingly got things done with his sheer force of presence— but Vision could feel the darkness that dogged his every step, and the way depression occasionally threatened to set in if he ever so much as slowed down.
Vision wouldn't let that happen. He wasn't nearly as obsessive as JARVIS was about it— but Tony was family. If he needed help, Vision would easily and gladly give it.
To: Jordan, A. Head Representative [Legal, New York branch]
From: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]
Subject: Update On The Ross Situation
A 'mysterious hacker'—whose identity is most definitely a mystery for the ages that we could not possibly know— has just released very sensitive material concerning our biggest headache to every major media outlet in the country. And probably quite a few outside of it. Current estimates have it competing with the 'civil war' for headlines.
Be prepared
—Lee
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To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]
From: Jordan, A. Head Representative [Legal, New York branch]
Subject: Thanks For The Heads Up
Also, get ready for this lawsuit to become international. Well, even more international: Brazil's entering the fray for sure, a few Central American countries are looking *very* interested in the proceedings, and we're cross-referencing other countries Dr. Banner was known to have spent time in to predict other interested parties.
More information as the situation develops
—Jordan
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To: Jordan, A. Head Representative [Legal, New York branch]
From: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]
Subject: The Game Plan
We're going full-out scorched earth on Ross, only question is how drawn out it's going to be. However, no matter what we do, be aware we're going to be showing our hand. I know your guys are always on point, but the world's going to be watching as a private company takes down a Secretary of State and my department's good, but we're not at Phase 3 yet so tread lightly.
Right now we're trying to keep the focus on the 'civil war', but that won't fly for long: current estimates have it eclipsing it within the week.
—Lee
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To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]
From: Jordan, A. Head Representative [Legal, New York branch]
Subject: Update On The Situation
5 countries and counting. There's a push for an investigation into his career apart from the situation with Dr. Banner, rumors of his being suspended from office, and we're nearing the second round of lawsuits now. At this rate it's going to be more of a show trial than anything else.
—Jordan
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To: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]
From: Lopez, K. Secretary [R&D, Security, Los Angeles branch]
Subject: Achieving The Objective
How many favors do we need to call in to get this guy fired? He's been a pain in the ass for far too long and I'm pretty sure that if Dr. Stark has to meet with him one more time there will be blood.
—Lopez
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To: Lopez, K. Secretary [R&D, Security, Los Angeles branch]
From: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]
Subject: Project Estimates
Give it a week and public opinion alone is going to be enough pressure to get President Ellis to do something about it.
The real question is, how tf are we going to keep it all under wraps? The man's reputation is in tatters and most of it can be traced back to us. While it couldn't happen to a nicer guy,the implications alone are...something.
Also the paperwork is a nightmare
—Romero
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To: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]
From: Lopez, K. Secretary [R&D, Security, Los Angeles branch]
Subject: Point
I'm thinking we can just lay the blame at his feet, tho. Normally I'd be more worried but you said it, couldn't happen to a nicer guy. We didn't even need to get a smear campaign going, this shit writes itself. If you can, try to keep the focus on the 'civil war' thing, and good going on the memes.
...though I have a question: who had the idea of leaking footage for one of them? That was risky to say the least, if you don't mind my saying so
—Lopez
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To: Lopez, K. Secretary [R&D, Security, Los Angeles branch]
From: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]
Subject: Umm…
Fun fact: that wasn't us. Some of the tourists SWORD evacuated had cameras.
—Romero
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To: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]
From: Lopez, K. Secretary [R&D, Security, Los Angeles branch]
Subject: Well Then
And here I was worried we had a security breach somewhere.
—Lopez
Tony Stark scrubbed a hand down his face, and tried to focus on the matter at hand instead of the way it felt like everything was getting to him.
Just— there was just too much that had to be done. They didn't mention it, but he knew JARVIS and FRIDAY and Legal and PR were all working hard to keep the workload manageable, but dear Thor he was tired.
Tired of all the face-to-face meetings he was needed for, tired of everything he'd needed to sign off on for the 'Civil War' thing the press was still having a field day about, tired of all the favors he'd had to use and make to get everything to run as smoothly as possible, tired of the feeling of crippling dread that had been dogging him ever since it'd hit him that oh shit, he was literally the only one on Earth aware that something big was coming and actually doing something about it.
Not to mention the emotional-slash-mental-health-related minefield that Siberia had unleashed. Of most immediate concern had been Extremis' stability, especially since he'd personally created all the safeguards meant to water his and Pepper's dose down and keep it in check [keep them from becoming living weapons, from becoming time bombs— too late]. In the heat of the moment [ha], it hadn't really been something he'd bothered worrying about: it was only after the fact, after he'd hauled Rogers and Barnes onto the plane and glared at Prince T'Challa's attempt at making off with the asshole who was apparently behind the entire mess, that the last of the shock had worn off and the realization hit.
Suffice it is to say, he'd crashed, on a number of levels.
The exhaustion wasn't actually the worst thing, even: JARVIS was a lifesaver, both in piloting the ship and alerting him to his now-dangerously low blood sugar. But it was the dawning realization of just how badly he'd fucked up that proved to be the hardest thing to contend with.
He'd still been reeling on the plane, when it'd started to set in. Still processing and trying to wrap his head around everything, having JARVIS going over the veracity of it all [and apparently no the video hadn't been altered, which just made it all the worse—] and he's still pushing back the kernel of rage when the realization hits, that he blew up at the wrong guy.
Well, no, not exactly. He had absolutely no regrets whatsoever over snapping at Rogers [he knew he knew he had no right—] but...Tony could've handled it better, when it came to Barnes.
The guy was the victim in all this, had apparently been framed for the UN thing and all the baggage that came with the Winter Soldier [JARVIS' recap was both succinct and so, very horrifying], and, worst of all, had made an actual, genuine effort to work with him prior to shit hitting the fan.
Suffice it is to say, Tony felt all of two inches tall when it came to the way he'd treated Barnes.
He would be showing no mercy whatsoever when it came to everyone else responsible for his current migraine, [it'd serve those assholes right, death via paperwork—] but Barnes was...something else.
That wasn't to say that Tony wanted to ever see him again, not now [possibly not ever]. But...he'd do what he could to help. Granted, he was going to have to do it anyway, simply because of the paperwork involved—because some asshole's idea of revenge had killed a small forest and Tony sorely wanted to smack everyone upside the head with it— but being able to even tangentially help did something for his conscience after his meltdown [ha, accidental pun].
So...yeah, that was probably going to be a thing, working to get revenge on Rogers and justice for Barnes. SI would be spearheading the Winter Soldier investigation, and Tony may or may not be designing a new arm to replace the one JARVIS blasted off. Sure, it'd make for an even bigger headache, but at this point it was a drop in the bucket that was his workload so who cared. Besides, it was a hell of a lot more satisfying than what he had to do for Ross, or the entirety of what the press had taken to calling the 'civil war'.
...though there were some moments that made it worth it.
For instance, Hank Pym's face when he thanked him. Tony didn't buy into the rivalry the man and his father had, not the way he'd sometimes glimpsed his company had, but...well, sometimes it grated at him, the way Pym sniped at him even now, as if he were Howard 2.0. Tony was self-aware enough to know he wasn't a good man, but Hank Pym of all people had absolutely no room to talk— which just made the moment all the better, when the man went on camera and stonily made his announcement during the press conference.
However, even that paled in comparison to the vindication that came with having a front-row seat to the fall of Thaddeus Ross.
Sure, it was also a pain in the ass, since he got cc'd with all the updates and it was murder on his inbox even with FRIDAY's help. But man was it worth it, seeing the monster of a lawsuit as it emerged from the bowels of SI and the way it all snowballed into the perfect storm.
Ross put up a good fight, of course— but.
The man had made very few friends while in office, and Stark Industries was not a company to be trifled with, when push came to shove.
The showdown wasn't pretty, to say the least. The spectacle it made was entertainment enough for Tony to have a good laugh between meetings, as the headlines constantly rolled in and Ross' reputation was meticulously eviscerated in front of the entire world. As dirty laundry was aired and favors doubtlessly got called in and lawsuit after lawsuit was filed, and it was worth all the paperwork and politicking he had ever done over the years, just to see the announcement that Ross had been suspended from office and the President was looking for a candidate to hold the office in the interim.
...well, mostly, anyway. It got a lot less funny when Tony heard rumors about being considered for the job, short-lived though they were.
Those two moments were just about the only times he actively enjoyed his work, though, because other than that it was just... draining.
Tony didn't want to have anything to do with the Avengers, which just made dealing with their respective cases that much more awkward. Apparently the international community saw the 'civil war' as him dragging them back to the US by the ear, which [was far too close to accurate for comfort, for some of them] just made everything even worse because like hell was Tony the responsible adult in this situation, no way no how.
The paperwork was going to bury him alive, he just knew it.
...if the stress didn't beat it to the punch.
The former ate up huge chunks of time, even after having made it clear to all parties involved that this entire fiasco could be laid squarely at the feet of one (1) vindictive bastard with way too much time on his hands. Prince T'Challa had been the one to bring him in alive, which made things slightly easier because the man readily admitted to everything.
Unfortunately, however, that didn't cut down on the paperwork Tony had to deal with.
Which would have been irritating in and of itself, but...he'd trusted SHIELD and the Avengers to help with safeguarding the planet, as he worked on something more long-term.
So much for that plan.
Now he was the only one who knew what was coming, was capable of and willing to do something about it, and the clock was ticking.
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
Fun.
Stark Industries' Legal department was a hive of dangerously well-ordered chaos at all times, but recent events really showed the world just how tight of a ship was being run. There were multiple teams with specific areas of focus, all working in concert and somehow managing to avoid getting in each others' way.
[JARVIS and FRIDAY truly were invaluable.]
Helmut Zemo and Thaddeus Ross may have started this fight, but they were going to end it and crush whoever got in their way. If there was a personal element to some of it, well, that was just bonus. [They'd had plans for those Accords, dammit!]
That the Avengers we're caught in the crossfire was merely unfortunate, really.
Or...well, that was the official on-the-record stance, anyway.
Because for the most part? The legal team responsible for their cases took no small amount of pleasure in doing their jobs.
It was genuinely unfortunate for some of the people now in custody of the JCTC; Dr. Stark's not pressing charges against PF Wilson didn't prevent the German and Romanian governments from doing the same, and Mr. Lang's Pym-appointed lawyers were...well, they clearly had very different [cough, lower, cough] standards, compared to Stark Industries. The prognosis was looking like they would both be banned from the aforementioned countries for a decade, get increased scrutiny if they ever try to go to Europe again, and sued for damages incurred. They apparently had plausible deniability on their side, which at least mitigated the worst of the charges. It helped that Pym Tech was footing the bill for Mr. Lang, as well as the notable lack of human injuries from both.
They were the lucky ones.
Clint Barton was currently facing down not only that, but several very hostile governments, a World Security Council very curious about how quickly he'd 'un-retired', and, from the sound of it, a very, very angry wife waiting for him back home.
The less said about Wanda Maximoff, the better.
...though her reaction to the astronomical bill she'd racked up from the airport incident was entertaining, to say the least.
Meanwhile, Natasha Romanov had somehow managed to piss off the Wakandan delegation before vanishing on everyone, which might have actually been for the best considering the mountain of paperwork that would've been dumped on her head otherwise. Legal's grudge was very hard to quantify, by now, and while she had ostensibly been an ally during the 'civil war' mess, the only one more despised by the department was Steve Rogers.
The team handling his case— one made just for him, due to his...special circumstances— was looked at with equal parts envy and pity. Envy, for being the ones to slam him with all the charges; pity, for the towering workload involved and the media scrutiny that came with suing a national icon.
Internationally, they were being applauded for their 'stellar handling' of the situation; more locally, however, some of less reputable media outlets were crying foul and making as big of a fuss of Iron Man arresting Captain America as possible. Trying to make snide remarks about how 'unamerican' it was— then promptly trying to scream about censorship when they got sued for libel because Legal was more than happy to enforce their CEO's new stance on people slandering the face of the company. [Nobody messed with Pepper Potts or Tony Stark. No one.]
If it also helped to distract the record-breaking lawsuit currently dominating the attention of the rest of the world, well, bonus. PR was happy, at least, and really it was exactly what Ross deserved, having his career go down in flames— and not even make the headlines for it in the newspapers he subscribed to.
Not to mention what some were thinking was shaping up to be the trial of the century, as the Winter Soldier's status was being reevaluated and old mysteries were finally put to rest.
...which, to be honest, had been a move that had caught quite a few people in Legal by surprise. Especially as more and more evidence was brought to the fore.
There wasn't an official team assembled for the curious case of James Buchanan Barnes, [that would've been a dreadful sort of conflict of interest at best,] but...a lot of legwork went into ensuring justice was served. Justice, and only justice, not vengeance— though, after Zemo's records showing evidence of the Winter Soldier's role in the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark, more than a few people in the department had a new understanding for the medical team's reports of burns the fugitives had been treated for.
Barnes' case wasn't easy— but Tony Stark had demonstrated a very strange sort of vested interest in it, so no small amount of effort was made to finally bring the truth to light.
Notes:
Unreliable narrator moments: ...not many this round, tbh.
—Tony's stress means he's missing things. Including stuff like 'basic self-care' and that he's drowning in paperwork means he doesn't really have the time to really think about the implications of what's gone down. This will be a recurring element, if you haven't noticed already. Also, in this AU, Extremis' safeguards include stuff like 'extreme distress' and 'burns a metric buttload of calories to help prevent from imploding', aka why it's neither Tony nor Pepper's go-to for things.
—Vision's concerned about Tony, which means he's not really focused on how JARVIS 'feels' with his way of reading things. Plus JARVIS is an AI, there's that, too. [aka how Vision missed JARVIS' march towards the Skynet end of the spectrum.] Also, yes, he joined Project Antigone, aka Team 'Get Tony To Eat And Take A Nap Sometime This Century'
—the entire thing with SI Legal/any other minions employees: their grudge against Natasha can no longer be concisely quantified in the English language, same goes for Steve. Tony's indifference is the main thing that kept said grudge from spreading to some of the others on Team Cap, but other than that...it was open season, with Legal leading the charge.
The whole situation with the Avengers is 100% me speculating how the fallout'd look like in a universe that uses the 'logic' side of comic book logic. Hopefully it makes sense, even if it's still very hand-wavey.
———————
Classes are over, I'm done with undergrad!!!
....and this chapter was 95% hammered out on my phone because things got hectic in a hurry [again] and I've traveled over 500 miles this past week and while that's the exception, I don't doubt there's another curveball coming up soon so cue more sprinting through this.
Also: if this chapter wasn't enough of a hint, we're waving goodbye to canon now since this is as far as I've been caught up. I wish I could throw in Captain Marvel the way I've glimpsed her in clips, or the GOTG, but this AU has been waiting to get finished since before Infinity War came out [which I have yet to watch, because time crunch. Fun times.] so if any new characters come across strangely, e.g. Hope van Dyne or Dr. Strange, you'll know why.
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