Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.
Phase 3: Changing world I
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Part 3
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Shootout and kidnapping in front of a school in Tacoma!
USA Today
Stark Industries ceased weapon production! Company stocks tank! Ripples spread through contractors supplying the US Military!Financial TimesThe conspiracy of the century? Stark Industries implicated in illegal weapons' sale! Law Enforcement Agencies raid Stark Industries properties all across the Country!
LA Today
Federal Agents raid kidnapper's compound! Heavy casualties reported!
Tacoma Daily News
Tony Stark was seen arriving at a Tacoma hospital with a young child and police escort!
US Weekly
=SI=
Seattle Children's Hospital
Washington State, US
When they got to the hospital, there was a police cordon waiting for them, keeping reporters at bay. Someone spilled the beans already, Natasha noted.
That was less than ideal. SHIELD scrubbed as much information and pictures of the Black Widow as possible when she got into the fold. Yet, there were still people and organizations that would recognize precisely who she was if her face got plastered all over the news. She had to either stay in the SUV and make herself scarce the moment she was reasonably sure no one was taking pictures or risk exposure. Well, more exposure.
"Romanoff?" Ward asked. He slowly rotated his neck, and it cracked unpleasantly.
"Fury will have to worry about exposure. Stark's too exposed out here," She looked pointedly at the other Agent. "Those weren't run-of-the-mill mercenaries. If that were the case, they wouldn't have rushed us heedless of the casualties to get the job done."
"I know. They were dedicated and ready to die for the cause, whatever that is."
No one said aloud that the people they fought were as good as a SHIELD Strike team, which were among the best in the world.
Natasha looked out of the side window and glared at the reporters. Her quiet curses made Ward chuckle.
"Let's go." Romanoff got out and headed for the hospital, with Ward following suit. His covert identity as a Home
land Security Agent got them through the police cordon and security.
They soon found Stark leaning on a wall beside a room with its door closed. He was talking with a nurse who was asking questions and taking notes. Stark had his phone open as well.
"I just sent what I can get online on Ms. Robert's medical records to your email," Jarvis announced.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Sir. Mr. Rhodes is on a flight to Tacoma and should arrive in a few hours."
"What else can you tell me about the patient, Mr. Stark?"
"Only my observation. She appears to be reasonably well physically, something the paramedics confirmed. Mentally…" Stark growled. "Early today, well yesterday, she saw her grandmother killed, then got kidnapped and shoved in a dinky little cell."
"We'll have a specialist ready to examine Ms. Roberts as soon as we're sure she's physically stable. You request a paternity test to confirm you're her father. Is that right, Mr. Stark?"
"That's correct. No matter the results, I'll be covering all medical expenses. Hannah ended up in this mess because of her possible connection with me."
At those words, Natasha's respect for Stark rose a few notches. The more she saw of him, the less he had in common with the playboy she had read about before heading out to search for him in Afghanistan.
A couple of plain-clothes police officers approached.
"Mr. Stark, Agents… we would require a statement about what happened."
"Agents Ward and Portman, Homeland Security." Ward turned to face the cops. "I'll speak with you first. Then you can talk with my colleague. I'm unsure if Mr. Stark will speak with anyone without a lawyer present. "
"One of my lawyers should be on the way here. We can talk when they're here." Stark offered.
The cops looked at each other and nodded.
"Is there a quiet room we can use?" One of them asked the nurse.
"There's a restroom for security near the entrance. You can ask one of them for directions," The nurse jolted a few more lines on her pad and returned her attention to Stark. "Can you recall anything else that might be important about Ms. Roberts?"
"That's all." He shook his head.
"As far as paternity tests go, we have fast kits that can give us reliable results in a couple of days." The nurse offered and left.
"Are you all right, Mr. Stark?" Natasha asked.
She joined him, leaning on the opposite wall.
"I'm as well as I can be under the circumstances."
Natasha noted that his voice was level and calm. His eyes were back to normal as well. There was no trace of the burning fury that literally lit them up in the basement. Strangely enough, Natasha wanted to see that fire again. It was fascinating and stirred something deep in her when thinking about it.
"What do you intend to do about the girl if she's not yours?"
"I might adopt her if she is willing. No matter what, she's likely to be a target from now on." Stark shrugged.
That wasn't something Natasha expected. It was kind of nice.
"It would be far from the first stray I've adopted…." He muttered while his eyes stared at something distant.
The memories he mentioned? As crazy as it sounded, it appeared to be true. Besides, Natasha had seen and heard of odder things like shape-shifting aliens. At any rate, this wasn't the time and place to gather more intelligence on that topic.
An awkward silence followed until the room's door opened, and a doctor in her late forties emerged.
"Mr. Stark, I'm Doctor Franklin. I understand you're the closest thing Ms. Roberts has to a guardian right now?"
Tony nodded.
"Until a paternity test confirms you are her father and you legally take custody of Ms. Roberts if you so desire, there isn't much I can share for obvious reasons. I understand you're willing to cover her medical expenses no matter what?"
"That's true."
"This at least simplifies a few things. I can freely share that Ms. Roberts is physically stable and will recover with some rest. I'll get a nurse to take your contribution in a paternity test. That's all I can do for you right now, Mr. Stark."
"I appreciate it, Doctor."
The woman bid them goodbye and headed up the corridor.
=SI=
A few hours after I got a confirmation that Hannah was physically as good as one could expect, I sat at a table in the hospital's cafeteria, entertaining my two new lawyers.
Hale wasn't happy about my participation in what was, strictly speaking, a law enforcement operation as a civilian. She was on the phone with contacts in Tacoma's Prosecutor's office, trying to figure out if I had to worry about local charges. At least, in theory, I didn't have to worry about Federal ones because of SHIELD.
On the other hand, Trent was trying to explain that Hannah would likely have to end up in local child services care. That would have to last until anyone could hope to straighten up her legal status.
"Mr. Trent, do I need to use small words to explain that no matter if she is my daughter or not, people will be after her either for leverage or to try to hurt me by hurting her? Like it or not, Hannah wouldn't be safe anytime soon without a proper security detail. What would usually happen or should happen in a situation like she is in is of no consequence." I turned my attention to Ward. He watched the exits while sipping a coffee.
Right now, it was Romanoff, well, Portman's turn to speak with the cops.
"Your people want me to work with them. Call who you have to and cut through the bloody red tape. I am sure my lawyers would be happy to cooperate."
"Mr. Stark, I must warn you that this is most irregular, and can have potential legal consequences." Hale pointed out.
"That's why I have the best lawyers money can buy working for me."
=SI=
Part 4
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Seattle Children's Hospital
Washington State, US
"Tony, are you all right?" Rhodey demanded, deadly serious.
I made a so-so gesture and sipped yet another cup of coffee. Getting through days without sleep was an old hand by now. The last two days were a whirlwind of tedious and vital issues.
To my utter lack of surprise, the local cops were not thrilled with a shootout in front of a school, much less an all-out battle in the woods near Tacoma. Hale did earn her pay by getting them out of my hair so I could focus on more pressing matters. SHIELD wasn't happy either, as explained by Mr. Agent, who also joined the party. Coulson was still masquerading as Homeland Security, making me wonder if that organization wasn't little more than an official cover for SHIELD.
Speaking about the SHIELD agents, they were still around, trying to be an inconspicuous security detail.
"The results will be ready soon. Then, either way, I will have some paperwork to deal with and balls to get rolling. I can rest after that. I also would have to call Pepper, so she would know what statement to give the vultures camped outside.
In practice, all that would change depending on the result would be the amount of red tape that would have to burn. A few quiet large donations to the right organizations suddenly got both Tacoma and State officials eager to smooth certain things over. That was no real surprise. It was just that, as Tony, I had never thought about the implications. They were odd for two reasons – figuring out that the US government, especially on the state and local level, could be somewhat corrupt was one stress point. Second, it was a bit odd to have my money talk much louder than my reputation.
Tony Stark was obscenely wealthy and famous. People still believed me to be a playboy and a drunk who spent his time fornicating with anything female and good-looking. Having such a reputation now was in equal parts bemusing and infuriating. The implication that even the US government is this corrupt sinking in reinforced my belief that democracy couldn't correctly work beyond the small scale.
"We'll get you through this, Tones. You aren't alone."
"I know that now. Thanks, Rhodey." I looked up from my coffee cup. "The security situation?"
"My contacts came through. There are some vetted retired combat veterans ready for interviews. They had experience in Afghanistan and Iraq primarily. At least a few of them are retired special forces of various stripes."
"That's good." It also meant more work for me. I would also need to check with legal how to best legally set up my future security detail. Perhaps a private PMC under SI's aegis? "Do you know why the FBI aren't my greatest fans as of late?"
"Nothing concrete. People noticed it and commented on it, that's all. Perhaps one of the Directors or someone in the Administration has an ax to grind with you or SI?" Rhodey suggested. "I hear Hammer's making overtures to try and replace all the production lost by you shutting down the plants."
"Those plants were going to get shut down for the investigation anyway. Besides, don't tell me your colleagues want to rely on Hammer's crap? That will kill people as sure as if someone blew them up with my weapons."
"Hammer's trying to offer bargain prices." Rhodey gave a 'what can you do' look.
"Because no one with standards would buy his crap otherwise. Remind me to focus on developing new armor, so we would still have a military if anyone's crazy enough to procure Hammer's junk."
"You're less of a fan than you were before, and that's saying a lot, Tones." Rhodey's lips quirked into a small smile.
"Don't get me started on cheap bastards shoving crap equipment to the military!" I gave him a pointed look.
Rhodey stared at me for long moments, then his eyebrows raised, and he slowly nodded.
"Ah, that. We'll speak later about it, then?"
"If you want stories, I can give you stories." I sipped my cooling coffee.
A nurse entered the cafeteria, looked around, and headed our way. She carried a stack of folders in her hands.
"Mr. Stark, the results are ready." She offered me the top paper.
"I have many talents. However, being an expert on genetics isn't one of them."
"Congratulations, you're a father." She said quietly and offered me an encouraging smile.
"Thank you." I nodded and opened the folder, using the distraction to gather my thoughts.
The emotions I felt were certainly nothing like I've experienced before as Tony. It brought into focus what has been gone for a very long time, alongside longing and an empty void in my chest where my family used to be.
The Force sang around in jubilation and yet reverberated with a sense of loss and longing matching my own.
I pointedly focused on the file in my hands. First, I saw a printed comparison between DNA markers and other 'dirty' wet science spelled over multiple printouts. Give me good old physics and engineering every day.
The important piece was at the back of the folder, confirming the close relation of one degree—parent and child or siblings. Hannah couldn't be my sister for obvious reasons, leaving only one conclusion, which someone had bothered to write in plain English with a red marker.
"Well, this means there's less red tape to deal with now."
"Yes, Mr. Stark. You have some forms to sign up that our lawyers and yours prepared just in case." She nodded at the stack of folders in her hands.
"Can I finally know more about my daughter's condition?"
"You have to deal with the paperwork first, Mr. Stark. I didn't make the rules or the laws." She just had to be reasonable, didn't she?
"Give them here, please." I drained my coffee and took the folders.
The nurse gave me another smile and headed toward a nearby vending machine.
"So it's a girl. Congratulations Tones!" Rhodey patted my shoulder happily.
"It's always girls. Or girls who are warships." I muttered without thinking.
"What?" Rhodey stared owlishly.
"Not here and now, but yes." I nodded and then focused on the files.
=SI=
I had to go over and sign a tall stack of papers before everything was said and done. Trent left to notarize and file in much of that paperwork with the relevant agencies. That meant that Hannah officially was my daughter, in a kind-of-sort-of way. Paperwork had to be filled in and processed first.
In practice, as far as the hospital was concerned, I was Hannah's father now. I'm sure a donation large enough to build them a new wing had nothing to do with that. Nope.
Hannah was curled in a large bed covered in sparkling white sheets, still paying no attention to the world at large. I sat on a chair near her bed while a specialist droned on and on. 'Only time could help with such a trauma. The mind was a curious and resilient thing, yet it had its limits...' Blah, blah. He said nothing that I didn't already know.
Instead of paying him more attention, I dived into the Force and observed Hannah. Her life force was all right – it sparkled healthily. There was nothing out of the ordinary in that regard. Her emotions, on the other hand, screamed at me. Terror, denial, loss – they all mixed in a poisonous cocktail. I leaned forward and put my hand on her shoulder, right over the image of a prancing unicorn. Trying to project your emotions to someone who wasn't a Force Adept and you didn't have a Force bond with was still possible but complicated. It was more challenging when you wanted to do it as anything but an attack on their mind.
The Force buzzed and engulfed Hannah like a blanket, whispering of warmth and safety. I kept it going until the energy in me almost drained, then cut it off. I leaned back, enjoying the pleasant sensation of the Force slowly bubbling within my veins and filling my cells with energy.
For what it was worth, I could sense my efforts took the edge of fear Hannah felt. Even better, this was a far cry from the terror gripping her two days ago.
=SI=
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