-SHIELD INTERROGATION ROOM-
Tony Stark is 23 years old. His eyes are much older. His dark brown skin is dry and ashy. His wrists are shockingly bare…no handcuffs. The door opens and the director of SHIELD in an all white SHIELD-issue jumpsuit. The director sits across from Stark and begins flipping through the pages of a file.
"Okay, Mr. Stark, we're already somewhat familiar with each other, so we can skip the small talk and get down to business, that sound good?" The director says.
"You've always been straight to the point with me, Ms. Frost, I don't see why we'd stop now." Stark responds.
"Perfect," SHIELD Director Emma Frost responds with a startling amount of pep. "Today, we will be releasing you from SHIELD custody. There will be a few differences between today's release and your last few releases. The most glaring difference is that this release is legal and no metahuman megalomaniacs will be behind it." That comment draws a chuckle from Tony.
"The second difference is that this release will be accompanied with information that will make the rest of your life very pleasant."
"The last two men who said that to me had very bad intentions. Do you have bad intentions, Ms. Frost?" Stark asks
"Yes, I do. Mr. Stark. I have bad intentions towards terrorists; domestic, foreign, human, metahuman, or extraterrestrial. But towards you, Mr. Stark, I have nothing but positive thoughts and good karma. Because you deserve it."
"We deserve what God gives us." Stark coldly responds. Director Frost seems to be at a loss for words before simply ignoring the remark.
"….Do you know what the Julia Carter act of 1983 is?" Stark shakes his head.
"In 1977, a young woman named Julia Carter went to her doctor complaining about a cough. Turns out she had a sinus infection. Relatively small deal, right? Well the doctor tells her "Hey, have this surgery on your chest and it'll help your immune system
Of course Julia doesn't know any better so she says lets do it. The doctor performs this ridiculous surgery and it's seemingly a success…until Julia's cough comes back..then her she gets fluid in her lungs…and her liver fails..so on and so forth. The family sues the doctor and investigations reveal that this weird surgery isn't performed anywhere else in the world. The doctor is a crackpot who invented his own surgery that eventually killed this young lady. Her family was awarded a large sum of money and the doctor was incarcerated. The United States Supreme Court swiftly introduced the Julia Carter act which states that every single medical procedure, from an MRI, to checking your reflexes with the tiny hammer, has to be legally registered with the Attorney General and the United States Patent and Trademark Office."
Stark slowly leans forward, stares at Director Frost and squints his eyes.
"Interesting," Stark says sarcastically. Emma responds with a sarcastically wide smile.
"When you were impaled by the metahuman criminal Deadpool, the late Henry Pym implanted that miniature arc reactor in your chest. That was illegal."
"Was he supposed to let me die?" Stark asks.
"No. Saving your life was definitely the right thing to do. It just happened to be illegal. SHIELD owns the patent for that particular surgery, but Professor Pym was never given the proper authorization to perform it."
"Soooo, saving me was a bad thing?"
"Let's not confuse bad and illegal. The American legal system is a complex beast."
"Ms. Frost…could you please get to the point? Is SHIELD repossessing my heart or something?"
"No, of course not, allow me to continue. Dr. Pym again broke the law by allowing you to commandeer an Ultron suit that wasn't supposed to exist. Your performance in the suit combined with the departures of agents Drake and Dillon led to former director Fury giving you a promotion into the Ultron program. A promotion which otherwise wouldn't have happened. Colonel James Rhodes had approved you for advanced field duty but denied your request for entry into the program. Do you understand what I'm saying here, Mr. Stark?"
"You're saying that I should've never worn the suit."
"Exactly! If you don't put that suit on, the unfortunate incident in Palestine never happens, you're never incarcerated in the Cube and maybe your interactions with the Phoenix or with Kang go very different. Maybe millions of deaths don't happen. Maybe we aren't having this conversation."
"That would be pleasant" Tony somberly responds.
"Indeed it would, Mr. Stark, but we have to take what God gives us, right?" Tony smirks.
"You're clever, Ms. Frost. Very clever. Although…you don't strike me as a believer in God."
"There's always someone above us. In the sky…in an office…around."
"What do you think God would say about me? The things I've done."
"I don't speak for God, Mr. Stark. I speak for SHIELD. And SHIELD would say that the last eighteen months of your life have been incredibly stressful and we want to take responsibility for that. And we're starting with this," Director Frost places an envelope on the table.
"That is a bank deposit slip for ten million dollars. Along with that ten million, the United States government will send you one hundred thousand dollars every month for the rest of your life." Tony opens the envelope and stares at the check.
"Also, SHIELD will be cleaning up your past. As far anyone outside of SHIELD knows, you lived with Ho Yinsen from the age of thirteen to eighteen. At eighteen, you were recruited into a branch of the military where you performed competently for six years before being honorably discharged due to a blood disorder. Shortly after your discharge, you inherited a large sum of money from a distant cousin. In return, SHIELD asks for two relatively small favors. One, keep that reactor in your chest well hidden. We'll have a package sent to you that should help with that. Two, take all of your knowledge of SHIELD, HYDRA, AIM, Phoenix, and Kang to the grave. Needless to say, that is incredibly classified information."
"Wouldn't it be easier to kill me?" Tony asks, still somewhat in awe of the check.
"Of course. But that'd be pretty shitty don't you think? America is rebuilding itself. I'm the new director of SHIELD. We have a clean slate. I'd rather start off by righting a wrong instead of a murder. Wouldn't you?"
Tony continues looking at the check and lightly wipes his eyes.
"So can I use this to get SHIELD off my back forever then?" Tony says with a smirk. Director Frost smirks.
"No, that money could be put to much better use. Start a business, donate it to charity, or just find a kind lady and relax on a beach. Besides, you'll never even see us. Just like you haven't noticed Agent Barton in the corner," Tony quickly turns around and sees Clint Barton leaning in a corner. The sly agent wiggles his fingers at Stark.
"Now what's going to happen is that you'll be taken to a room and sedated. When you wake up, you'll be in a very nice apartment in Detroit, Michigan. On the dresser to your right will be a folder containing a credit card, account information and various methods of contacting SHIELD. Congratulations, Tony Stark. You are a relatively free man." Director Frost says. The door opens and two armed SHIELD guards enter the room. "Your lovely escorts." Frost says. Tony stands up and begins to walk out of the room with them, but he stops. He stares at the ground for a moment, then looks back at Ms. Frost.
"The things that I've done –"
"Mr. Stark," Frost quickly interrupts him "The past is the past. This is a new day."
"A new day…" Stark repeats. He nods and exits the room. Agent Barton sits across from Director Frost.
"That was very inspiring," he says with his thick British accent.
"Shut up, Barton." Frost quickly responds.
"No, I'm serious. Past is the past. That's how I think y'know. Guy gets a shitload of money and a clean record. Hell of a way to start over."
"Hopefully" Frost says under her breath. Barton furrows his brow.
"You think our boy is gonna get in more trouble?" Barton asks. Frost sighs.
"Do you believe in God, Agent Barton?"
"Of course not"
"Me either. But I believe in my gut. My gut tells me that Tony Stark is a problem. My gut tells me Tony Stark will attract death. My gut tells me that I'll have him killed before that happens." Barton rests his chin in his hands and playfully looks at Frost
"Have I ever told you I'm in love with you?" Barton asks. Frost slowly moves towards Barton's face, seemingly for a kiss, but she bypasses his lips and puts her lips next to his ear.
"Your team is needed in Texas." She whispers, before quickly hopping up and walking out the room. "DUTY CALLS, AGENT BARTON!"
"UNFORTUNATELY" he yells back.