The Avengers: The Romantic Initiative
Chapter 2
Steve Rogers was a man forlorn. Out of time in a number of ways. Rogers began polishing his boots with a cotton ball. Fury had offered him a real brush, but using the cheap cotton ball brought him back to his youth in Brooklyn, shining shoes for pennies.
Simpler time, maybe. But that kid was not who he was now. He was mad at Iron Man, but not as mad as he wanted to be.
Tony Stark spent last night at a local Buffalo Wings restaurant. He paid them to clear out as he down the wings and swallowed them with rum. He sunk far as he laid sprawled out on the restaurant floor in his Iron Man armor, sans helmet.
"I don't need Captain white bread... I don't need... " Stark burped up some rum and buffalo sauce. He couldn't bear to say Steve's name. Because deep down he knew.
He cried. His body leaned against the counter as he kicked the floor with his armored legs. The floor tiles cracked.
... 2 months later…..
"Goddam you Pepper, you know I don't and never will marry you!" Stark bellowed in his own tower. He had just finished dispatching a rogue army of corporate assassins. Stark was dressed in his usual black suit but was wearing his armor glove, having just incinerated away said assassins.
"You ungrateful drunk! You don't know what you want. I know what pleases you and it's not that tea party poster boy!"
"Don't you talk about him like that!" Tony had just smashed his bottle of whiskey against the wall.
"He's used goods now, you don't have the attention span to love him! And do you think he wants you? A screw up. A booze bound. A walking embarrassment. You know he's measuring you up with your dad!"
"Watch your words she-bitch! You will never have me."
"Oh, you think he wants you after you testified against him in the trial of his life?" Pepper scolded him, "no one is running back to some attention whore drunk. No one but me..."
"No... I-I can't..."
"It's easy come back... come lay with me..."
"No I won't you devil woman!" Stark began to sob uncontrollably. Pepper almost got through to him, as she continues to sink her claws into his mind.
"We need to maintain our image, Tony. Think about the legacy you want to leave behind. Don't destroy your father's company that he built from nothing just because you wanna run away with some 80 year old war veteran. You need me. A woman."
Thunder and Lightening suddenly crashed into the New York skyline. Tony knew who this storm signaled. He was relieved. Saved by the bell, so to speak.
"Tony, we have a situation," said Thor as he flew into the Tower's open deck. Tony could smell the mead off Thor's beard. Probably a wild night in Asgard, a Frost Giant killing after party, Stark speculated.
"Busy killing the offspring of Smurfs and orcs?" chimed a slightly drunk, Tony Stark.
"No friend, its bad news about Captain America."
… 5 Days Later….
Captain was sweating hard into his mask. These Doom-bots were tough opponents, as he faced two in the back of a moving plane. One held him down as a bruised and bloody Captain broke loose and threw one Doom-bot into another. Captain's shield was embedded in the wall of the plane he struggled to pry it out as the Doom-bots assault kept him from concentrating.
He got it to break loose and with the momentum he decapitated the first Doom-bot as its head flew out of the open hangar. Sparks and flames flew out of the broken Doom-bot, but Captain America was too busy focusing on the last Doom-bot.
"For Latvia!"
"Buddy, you might as well fight for France… because this is a lost cause."
Captain's bare fist rammed itself through the Doom-bot's head. He pulled it out along with wires and broken pieces of metal. Time was short and he grabbed the last parachute. He made plenty of jumps and prayed his current coordinated would land him in the destination of his choice.
Agent Coulson was in a tuxedo with a grin on his face. This wasn't some secret mission, it was his wedding. He waited at the First Presbyterian Church in Harlem as he waited for his groom. It was star studded event. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men were all there and Daredevil was officiating. Coulson stood next to Murdock with his best man: Nick Fury. However, Tony Stark was no were to be seen.
THUD! Captain America parachuted down the roofless church. The other Groom arrived.
"Do you, Steven Rogers take Phillip Coulson to be your lawfully wedded husband?" asked Murdock.
"I Do."
"Do you, Phillip Coulson take Steven Rogers to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I Do."
"Now does anyone here object to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
The room was silent. No one said a thing. Black Widow looked around, sure that Tony would say something. But he was not there.
"Now, I pronounce y-"
The room exploded in sound. Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight" blared throughout the church. The extra-sensitive, Wolverine was on the floor writhing in pain. Ben Grimm was not amused.
Tony Stark flew into the Church in his white Iron Man outfit. It was studded with diamonds and gold trim.
"This union is a sham!" yelled Stark. The crowd gasped in horror. "Because I love Steve Rogers."
"Tony… this is my wedding, you can't-"
"-win you over? I think you know I have a lot of problems. Egomania and alcohol aside, I'd give it all up for you. Oh god, is Luke Cage here? Nevermind. Look. I don't want to just lead my life in your example. I want to lead my life … with you."
Rogers began to tear up. Stark took his helmet off, "You complete me."
"You're always so late…. Oh god, Phil! I'm so sorry…"
"No. You two belong together." Phil stepped back. His plan worked once again. There was no limit to his ability to band people together.
Tony turned to Fury, "What about the REAL Avengers Initiative?"
Fury begrudgingly responded, "Aw…. screw it."
Stark carried Rogers out of the church as the mass of superheroes all cheered.
And Eddie Money played on.
To be continued.