Chapter 10.5
Tony Stark was not happy.
Sure he saved his expo, stopped a terrorist attack, he wasn't dying anymore, and to top it off, his relationships with Roddie and Pepper are on the mend too. The week could have ended in a blissfully happy ending if Mister Anger Management didn't rope him into his little evaluation that he didn't ask for.
So what if he can't be an Avenger or whatever his pet project is called. Pftt , it's a stupid name anyway. Who wants to voluntarily work for Nick Fury?
Yeah, no. He's better off alone. Show up the one-eye man's long badass acronym agency what he's capable of, and make them beg for his expertise for more than just as a consultant.
"One more thing Stark, we'd like to address this recent hobby of yours."
Tony turned to the piles of displays that showed youtube videos, articles, and news clips. Though not much can be told about the quality of the blurred figure and the article that gives out more questions than answers. There's no doubt who he was researching; Spider-Man. Silently, he cursed that this isn't the first time he got hacked by SHIELD. He's going to have to upgrade his security system and get the names of the hackers who did it and convince them to work for him because damn, Tony wants those people.
"Care to share why you're so interested in this masked vigilante?"
Tony scoffed at the stupid question, "How could I not? The guy practically saved my Expo. Thanks to him, there were barely any casualties. Though he did manage to make a fool out of me when I tried to save Pepper from getting blown up. But she's immensely grateful. Said the bombs would be a nightmare come true for the PR management."
Tony stilled then squinted suspiciously at the spies, "Why are you interested that I'm interested? Isn't he part of your little boy band? Which frankly would have got me more interested in joining, though not that I'd changed my mind."
"No, he's not one of ours, and our business is none of your concern. So I'd advise you, Mr. Stark, not to pursue the vigilante any further. SHIELD already has that covered and we're not the only ones who can hack your security."
In other words, whatever info I found about him, be careful not to let it fall into the wrong hands… or he could be telling me to stop meddling in SHIELD's business because I suck, Tony thought.
"Fine, I'll stop stalking the guy. Happy?"
"Frankly? No. I can't imagine you'll drop it because you're asked." Fury replied.
"Fine, Control Freak! How about I do this." Tony swiped a few options and instructions, which then led to the deletion of all Spider-Man related files. Tony had to keep the smug look off his face when the two spies were shocked enough to let it slip to their faces. "See? No more Spider-Man. And if you know me enough from Natalia's 'evaluation,' is that I never research the same thing twice once I'm done with them."
Seemingly having no further comment, Tony left, finishing his business with the pair of super-secret spies and their agendas. He then had Happy take him home. Once back, he called out to his AI, "JARVIS, open file Underoos ."
"Certainly, Sir." The mechanical British voice affirmed his order, the voice Tony deemed as his oldest friend.
A hologram appeared in his office, which contained detailed filings of a teenager named "Peter Benjamin Parker," who entered the Stark Youth Exhibition. His team, containing Gwedolyn Maximilian Stacy and Harry Osborn, won third place in the competition.
Though to be sure there's no misunderstanding, all the files he had of the kid is strictly public record. Even if he could hack and attain private information, Tony would need a justification to do something blatant illegal stuff on civilians. He's rude, but not that rude.
Looking at the entry picture of the young man, Tony thought back of his brief meeting with him; his lips twitched up, amusingly. It had been a random meeting, that's for sure. Still, Tony will never admit to anyone (except for Pepper) that he felt slightly grateful to him. He's alive and well now, but he remembered believing he was close to the end of the line. He had tested every element that could replace the palladium and failed, slowly poisoning him until he gave up. It's why he tried so hard to bring back the Stark Expo.
He wasn't lying in his speech at the opening ceremony about having a place to leave legacies for the future. Tony knew he sounded cocky enough like a written script from the PR people, but it's not. He genuinely wanted the Stark Expo to be the face of Science and Innovation. A place people would aim and be inspired. A place that pushes people to always be good and provide a better future.
He wanted that to be his legacy, not the weapons he callously sold only to spread more violence. After decades of being the face of the weapon industries, he wanted to leave behind something actually worthwhile. He might have given the Mark II to Rhodey, but he hadn't given him Iron-Man. That has been and always will be Tony Stark. Other than that, he didn't think he had done anything worth a damn.
So when an unassuming kid, claiming to be a big fan of his truly, tells him that he had inspired himself to be better, and was awed at a paper he made when he was 15 (when he was young, brash, and arrogant… oh wait, not much different to now actually) and struggling to impress your neglectful father, that stuff hits you hard. He's not heartless. Pepper had already proven he has a heart.
Tony tapped the picture, putting the rest of the information away so only the picture of a dark brown-haired teen with brown eyes to match looks back at him. He smirked, "Let's see how you're going to mark yourself to the world, kiddo."
. . .
"How's the investigation?" Director Fury barked. Any other agents would believe he was pissed, but those agents would be noobs if this much was him being pissed.
Agent Romanoff proved of not being a noob by not even flinching even when she delivered the last thing Fury wanted to hear, "We've scoured the Expo and the whole of New York, but Vanko was nowhere to be found. He's most likely gone under by now."
Fury took a deep breath and loudly exhaled, sounding like a kettle on the brink of explosion. He put his fist on his desk and leaned in close to his agent, "This man is known for having genius-level intellect rivaling Stark, an obsessive grudge followed by sociopathic compulsion, with zero regards to any casualty on his path, and you're telling me my best people can't track down one man?!"
The agent in front of him kept a bland face at the face of reasonable anger. Only she would know the wince hidden beneath the facade.
"Mobilize every agent if you have to! I want that man captured and secured before he even thinks the first step of his plan in sowing chaos in this country. Is that clear, Agent?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Sir!" Another voice interrupted him, and Fury held back a tired sigh.
"What is it, Agent Hill?"
"The Hulk has been spotted, and General Ross brought a tank to Colver University in an effort to subdue him."
There was a moment where Fury had to digest the ridiculousness of the sentence before turning his fury to the General's hair brain plan, "Motherfucker!"
"Would you like to put our agents on the case, Sir?" Hill cooly asked, more than used to Fury's temper.
"Goddamn right, you will. I need all my agents with level-6 clearance and the Hulkbuster Unit to work on this shit yesterday!"
Maria Hill didn't salute, but she did nod and got up to the next mission with barely any breaks in between. Natasha almost went to follow, being a Level-6 clearance herself, but was halted by the Director.
"I have a separate task for you."
Natasha walked back until only the desk seperate them and held a rest position, "What do you need of me, Sir?"
Fury pressed a few buttons on the key panel and revealed the hologram information of the one and only Spider-Man. "I want you to find out everything there is to know about him. His name, his home address, his family, I'll even accept his fucking sexuality if it meant getting closer to his identity and reporting me everything you know."
"Understood." Natasha began walking out of her office; that's how she always took her assignment. Agreeing with no questions asks. However, this time was different. She couldn't do her job without knowing the reason. Not for this case, anyway. "May I know the reason? Shouldn't there already be a team dedicated to investigate and document every super-human? Why the change of assignment?"
"Because obviously, my massive experience agents turn shits at their job. Not only is he a hard person to track, but they've only bear basic profiling without a single lick to the man."
"So you're saying this Spider-Man is either good enough to throw SHIELD Agents off his tracks or someone is covering his tracks for him." Natasha frowned. She did not like having to spy on her own colleagues to evaluate whether they're compromised, whether from internal or external factors.
Director Fury huffed, not deigning a response to that.
"What he's good for, apparently, is destroying half a dozen Hammer Drones, redirect missiles, and enhance strength to boot. He's as dangerous as much as he is an asset, and we have to make sure to be the first to know who Spider-Man is before anyone else decides to take an interest in his abilities. Or worse, how he got them. Is that clear enough reason for you, Agent Romanoff?"
"Crystal, Sir."
"Good, then you're dismissed."
Director Fury looked over until Natasha's back was gone before letting a tired sigh escape, "I swear to God, this week couldn't get any worse unless aliens started dropping down on my ass."
The phone on his line rang, and Fury pressed the speaker button and barked out, "What is it?" His mood still soured and is about to drop even further.
"Sir," Agent Coulson began on the other side from his position at a barren desert in New Mexico, "We have a situation."
. . .
Vanko Ivankov had been ready to die.
From the first moment he faced Stark on that race track, he would either coat his hand with blood or die trying. Kill or be killed. He never expects anything less at the end of his crusade.
Yet, here he is. Riding on the suburb train, wearing a pair of ripped jeans and navy blue hoodie. Watching his phone with his headphones on. Lollipop on the verge of breaking in his mouth, feeling cowed and agitated at the defeat he had to shamefully bear as he ran with his tail between his legs.
He couldn't even die in dignity as he destroyed Stark's precious Expo to pieces. He knew the destruction would be temporary (though satisfying), but the aim was to show the world that their precious Iron-Man isn't as invincible and all-powerful as he made himself to be. Not when he couldn't save the hundreds of people visiting the Expo in his name.
All because of Spider-Man.
Vanko examined the compiled videos recorded by his drones, but what he kept his eyes on was the short five seconds time-frame of a teenager whipping out a web-like line to save a girl from being shot, then leaping inhumanly high.
Vanko swore he'll be back like a whiplash, and when he does, he'll have his revenge.
On both of them.
