Chapter 5: The Concrete Jungle (I)

For years, Tony was used to doing whatever he wanted at home without a second thought. He enjoyed bringing beautiful women back to his bedroom on a nightly basis. Or working on vintage cars down in the garage for hours. Maybe find some party to crash and bring some life to it. That used to be his life for so long until the events surrounding Afghanistan and the Ten Rings holding him hostage. Honestly, Tony wondered if everything he's experienced was nothing more than a delusion. Questioning if he was just dying from blood loss on foreign soil, thousands of miles away from the few people who care for him.

'But would I still be the same person if I never was captured?' Tony thought about the question on a regular basis, and he didn't exactly like the answer. 'Too late to take anything back. I'm Iron Man now, and I'm hopefully making a turnaround for the better.'

His reputation wasn't going to be fixed in a few weeks. The last few months have been a good start for the wealthy hero. Helping people across the world in a number of ways. The next step, however, was making sure to leave behind a legacy worthy of making up for his mistakes. People like Pepper were less than open to the idea of resurrecting the Stark Expo. Some within the company claimed the expo was putting his ego on display for everyone across the country–no, the entire world to see.

What most of them didn't know – including his beautiful assistant – about his condition being the main form of motivation to get the Stark Expo up and running.

Dying from palladium inside his chest was unbelievably painful, and a solution needed to be found in a very short amount of time. The unfortunate roadblock standing in Tony's path was being unable to find an alternative element to replace the one being used inside his arc reactor. A troubling thought began to surface in recent weeks. What if the element he needed didn't exist? In his entire life, Tony never failed to find the answer to any question.

It made him wonder if karma was a real thing…

Whatever doubts he had about being unable to find a solution were buried beneath his thoughts, Tony would rather take his mind off the painful end coming for him. It's why he's been struggling to get any sleep in the last few weeks. His sleep schedule was basically non-existent these days, and he was sure it wasn't going to get any better. The only way he's been able to keep his mind busy was to use his hands and do other things.

A personal favorite in recent weeks was working on the '67 Ford Mustang fastback sitting in the garage after he bought it from a guy in Japan.

The billionaire cared little for his appearance and put on whatever clothes were within reach. He doubts anyone in the house was awake at such an early hour. Both teenagers never woke up early. In fact, Tony doesn't remember if they've ever woken up before ten o'clock in the morning. It made him remember a small detail from their conversations.

'Their Japan was going through some rough times. Makes me wonder what went down before arriving here,' Tony was naturally curious. He recalled the other details about the heroes sent from America had been for nothing. Whatever happened in the far east nation, it must have been pretty bad. 'Maybe it was a good thing for Pepper to stop me from asking.'

Curiosity can sometimes be a bad thing, especially when dealing with sensitive topics.

There was a major difference between dealing with board members being stubborn assholes or some of the god-awful executives from other companies, but squeezing information from teenagers who clearly went through a tough time was a line he refused to cross. 'I doubt Fury would hesitate to ask the tough questions,' Tony didn't have the highest opinion of the director. Their brief interactions in the past seem to always leave a bitter taste in the billionaire's mouth. 'But I think the rest of the SHIELD would be so much worse compared to him.'

Intelligence organizations always compartmentalize their secrets. The chance Fury knew about every single aspect of the SHIELD would be a hilarious joke. However, Tony still had his doubts about if the man's moral compass applied to teenagers.

He lightly scoffed at the idea, 'Let me worry about the spymaster later. He's bound to find out in the future about them, especially if these kids try anything.'

Instead, the billionaire decided to worry about restoring the once beautiful Mustang to its full glory. He continued walking down the stairs until reaching the ground floor. That's where he noticed an odd sight. The light in the kitchen was still on, and Tony forgot about the lights after hearing two familiar voices inside the nearby room. Curiosity guided the billionaire towards the sound.

He soon heard what sounded like a conversation between the teenagers living at his house. 'For a few more hours anyway,' Tony was somewhat thankful to be living alone again. Not that they caused him any trouble or anything. Over the past week, they've been remarkably quiet for a pair of teenagers in a relationship. He's been able to appreciate their restraint. After living alone for such a long time, Tony wanted to be able to work on the palladium problem without anyone around to find out. Kids like them didn't need to worry about someone like him.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not really," He heard Midoriya reply in a tired voice. "Just...realizing today is actually happening. It's almost hard to believe we're going through with this. Guess my nerves are starting to get to me."

Yaoyorozu caught the billionaire off-guard with her following question, "Oh? Is my loving boyfriend all of a sudden nervous to share a place with me? What happened to the confidence you showed me at the pier?"

"I-I mean, it's easier to said than done..."

The conversation seemed to be heading in a more intimate direction, and Tony knew it was time to step away after hearing someone stand up from their chair. 'Eavesdropping on teenagers? Yeah, I'm not that big of a dirtbag anymore,' Tony moved as quietly as possible to move away from them. 'Let's just get a bit of work done on the car before Pepper shows up.'

It made the billionaire think about Yaoyorozu mentioning the phrase; sharing a place. While he was still unsure about their decision to move across the country, Tony kept his personal opinion to himself. They weren't his children. The look in their eyes prevented anyone from thinking otherwise. Living together alone in New York City might seem like an enormous step, but Tony remembered he did the same back during his college days as he graduated from MIT at seventeen. There was, however, a giant dark cloud hanging over his shoulders about the trip to the east coast.

'My meeting with her is going to be so awkward,' Tony was less than thrilled by the prospects of seeing a woman he slept with in the past. The effort he's made to curve the behavior was admirable. It actually seems to make Pepper notice him in a better light, and the billionaire was quite happy his assistant/crush was appreciating that. 'But I did say I would help them out in any way possible.'

Finding an apartment for Mr. Midoriya and Ms. Yaoyorozu wasn't hard. In fact, Tony already owned a building in Manhattan. The man had some ideas for what it could be used for down the road, but Tony had bigger problems. Other than housing, the next step was meeting the principal for the high school in the area.

Tony was beyond embarrassed to learn the principal was someone he slept with in the past. Thankfully, the woman seemed to be professional enough to skip over their past and hear him out.

At first, the woman hesitated to accept them into the school. Reasons such as being far too late into the school year and being from another nation weren't totally far-fetched. It took some of his famous, or infamous, Stark stubbornness to wear her down. Eventually, the principal caved in and said she'll let them in. The final step was heading down and settling the paperwork.

'These next few days are going to suck.'

(X)

(A Few Hours Later)

Flying across the continental United States in a private jet was nothing new for the former heiress. The years spent as a member of the Yaoyorozu family meant traveling around in Mr. Stark's multi-million dollar aircraft was probably the most normal experience she's had in the past two weeks. The chance to see clouds from high above always managed to put a smile on the girl's face. Although, Momo tried to keep her movement limited as she remembered her green-haired boyfriend was using her shoulder to sleep on.

"I can see Midoriya didn't get any sleep last night."

The one downside to letting Izuku get some rest was being forced to interact with their benefactor, and Momo was not too keen on speaking with Mr. Stark. Instead, the dark-haired girl remained quiet.

While she didn't hate the man, Momo did her research on the billionaire, his company, and everything they were going to need to know in the long run. It sufficed to say, her opinion of the man dropped to rock bottom at various points. Womanizer, alcoholic, and reckless moron came to mind immediately after reading a dozen articles talking about the man's behavior. His company, on the other hand, Stark Industries has been around for a long time. Successful didn't even begin to describe the astronomical heights achieved by this corporation.

Among the information about the company, Momo stumbled onto the tragedy surrounding Howard and Maria Stark. The deadly car accident claimed Mr. Stark's parents, and it made the former heiress take a look at his actions since their deaths.

'Everyone has a different way of coping with loss. Looks like Mr. Stark was trying to drink himself into an early grave,' Momo was no expert on the human mind. Books – as useful as they are – can't replace experience. It's why she also trusted her boyfriend's thoughts on the matter. Compared to her, Izuku seemed more open to looking past the man's actions. 'But he appears to be changing for the better. It's not like he's Endeavor…'

Momo nearly scowled at the deplorable actions from one of the top heroes in the country, and she was actually relieved by the billionaire suddenly asking her a question.

"So you guys ready for this big move?"

She took a moment to think before answering his question. "Frankly, I don't know if we are ready. All I know is we...might never be going back home. Faced with such a harsh reality, we thought it would be best to move somewhere completely new and get a fresh start," Momo answered calmly. She looked at Izuku's sleeping face and gently smiled at him, "But I am thankful to know Izuku is with me."

"Adorable...now stop before you give me diabetes," Tony couldn't resist the chance for a joke. The two teenagers made it far too easy for them. He cleared his throat before continuing, "Anyway, I'm glad to see you guys are taking this seriously. Moving across the country isn't the easiest thing in the world for most kids, especially ones your age."

The airplane became silent once more as neither of them knew what to say. Momo was hoping Pepper would remain awake with them during the flight. Unfortunately, the redhead assistant took a page from Izuku's book and was sleeping on the sofa behind them. Making conversation with other wealthy folks was never the hardest thing for Momo to do. The problem is Tony Stark behaved the complete opposite of what she was used to.

Luckily, Tony had a question bouncing around in his head. It's been the one gnawing at him since they found these two on the road two weeks ago, "By the way, Ms. Yaoyorozu, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Depends on your question, sir."

"Okay, that's not very helpful," Tony muttered while thinking about how best to ask the question. "It's got to do with something your boyfriend there said. About how strong he is?"

Momo knew the answer, and she was unsure if the billionaire superhero would listen to her. "That's not easy to answer," She said, finding the best way to explain how Izuku possessed the strength to level an entire building. "Izuku...he's powerful. There is no denying that. Just know your armor – impressive as they are – would struggle to protect you from the blows Izuku can deal out."

The answer from the dark-haired girl made Tony look over at the green-haired teen with caution and a hint of amazement in there. 'Fury would already have this kid under a lock and key. No doubt the rest of the council would want Midoriya thrown in a prison...if there even is one strong enough to keep him down,' Tony was tempted to see how the director would react to this information.

"...And I'm assuming he's only going to get stronger as he gets older," Tony recalled the kid saying his power was something about stockpiling.

"Yes."

The billionaire was caught off-guard by the girl confirming his suspicions without hesitation. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Jesus, I can't imagine what's it like to handle that kind of strength at such a young age."

Momo couldn't help but frown. All she needed to do was look down at their hands intertwined and see the numerous scars covering his hands.

"It...It wasn't easy for him. Izuku struggled to handle the enormous power at his disposal," The start of their first year at U.A High felt like an eternity ago, and Momo remembered how much Izuku struggled to control One for All. "In recent months, I can say Izuku could fight some of the higher-ranked heroes in our nation and, confidently, come out on top."

People would think she's boasting about her boyfriend's power. Tony, meanwhile, frowned at what she was implying. 'A kid at his age...possessing all that power. Like a nuclear deterrent, it forces everyone else to play catch up,' The billionaire hated his brain for picking out the truth. 'Makes sense why Japan in their world is a shit show. Guess someone came along and manage to create some serious chaos.'

Everyone possessing superpowers sounds like an enormous headache for a government to handle, and it made the billionaire think about his world. No one had special powers. Publicly, no one seems to be going out of their way to announce their deeds on the internet or news networks. Maybe people wanted to stay in the limelight or keep it a secret altogether. For a moment, Tony was reminded about Fury's little pet project to put together a group of 'remarkable individuals' to fight the battles no one else can.

The arrival of two teenagers coming from a world filled with heroes, while possessing powers of their own, made the billionaire wonder how they handle things.

"Downsides to everything, aren't there?"

Momo held back a snarky comment about this world being lucky to never deal with someone like All for One. Instead, she went with a more respectful comment, "There are always downsides. Someone in your line of work should know this already."

"Eh, doing superhero work isn't...quite like dealing with a pile of paperwork."

The man's casual attitude towards being a hero would've never been allowed in Japan. 'In the past, it might've gotten him into trouble. I think these days Japan is desperate for anyone to come and help us out of our predicament,' Bitterness didn't come close to describing how everyone was feeling after the brief but violent war against the Paranormal Liberation Front. The problem was...the war only kicked off the next phase of All for One's plans.

Disaster was far from the aptest description of what went down. Maybe calamity could do better to describe the horrors to follow, and the harsh decisions being made by everyone to combat the threat posed by the villain and those who joined his side. She didn't need long to think about Izuku's choice. The helplessness she felt for those weeks was almost incomprehensible. It wasn't until she received word from her former mentor; Mirko, who kicked her into action.

'Literally, that woman has no common sense sometimes.'

In the end, she was grateful for the rabbit-themed hero giving her that needed boost to keep going. The more shocking part was Mirko lending some help to find Izuku.

"Where we come from…"

Momo wasn't sure about revealing information regarding the current state of Japan, but it's not like she or anyone was in any position to do anything. "Heroes couldn't have such a lackadaisical approach to their work like you do. They're supposed to be the best our society can offer, or that's what I and many others grew up believing for so long. A belief nearly shattered into oblivion."

"If there's one thing I've learned throughout my life, people aren't always the most rational creatures in the world. No two people ever think the same way. So when adversity hits...you truly get a glimpse into who they really are...for better or for worse," Tony frowned as he said those words, still trying to accept how someone as young as Ms. Yaoyorozu could sound so despondent. He leaned back in his seat and tried to think about how to encourage the girl. The problem is he wasn't sure what to say.

Near-death experience? He had that covered.

A former asshole trying to do better? Duh, he was living proof it could be done.

Sympathizing with someone from another universe as well as finding out their nation was on the verge of collapse from some major threat? Tony was going to have to ask Fury for someone with that level of experience.

"You truly get a glimpse into why they really are…"

Momo parroted those words from the billionaire as she remembered the incident involving the traitor. A revelation no one was expecting. For a moment, they had faith in the person to do the right thing. That turned out to be a major mistake and the outcome, unfortunately, devastated their class. Worst of all, it's not hard to figure out the person most affected was Izuku.

"Betrayal?"

The billionaire saw the look on her face and, immediately, recognized it.

"What? What makes you believe that?"

"I have some experience in that department," Tony smiled bitterly. He saw the confusion on her face before realizing the media never found out about Obadiah being the person inside the other suit. "My father's partner for years, Obadiah, did a lot of stuff behind my back. Hired the terrorist group to kill me. Tried locking me out of my own company. Hell, the guy tried to kill me and Pepper in that big old suit you see in videos."

"That's…"

Tony saw the stunned look on her face. The billionaire shrugged his shoulders, "I've gotten over it. He died in the end. Whether it was the right decision or not, I quite frankly don't care."

"Why are you telling me this?" Momo asked. A seed of doubt – planted during the events surrounding the traitor – made her question everyone's motives. "Izuku and I don't know you all that well. You can go as far as to say you don't know us. Beyond telling me this...why help us at all?"

They definitely experienced betrayal, Tony thought, before showing up here. It led to him letting out a brief sigh before explaining himself, "You're not wrong. I remember even saying I thought you guys were crazy. The difference between now versus two weeks ago is simple; you guys are teenagers who are carrying a lot of baggage. Some of it isn't too far from my own experience. As for the rest, I can't really imagine whatever it is you guys went through."

"...And I hope you never experience that kind of dread in your lifetime, Mr. Stark."

It's unnerving to hear someone so young as these two giving him advice, and Midoriya couldn't add his own thoughts to the conversation. The mood for the rest of the flight was somber. Luckily, Yaoyorozu was able to fall asleep and get some rest. It left Tony with a lot to think about as he glanced down at the glowing arc reactor in his chest.

'Sorry, Ms. Yaoyorozu, there's a decent chance I won't live long enough to know what's it like,' The man couldn't help but grimace at the painful future awaiting him. 'Wonder if I should get started on my will or something.'

The morbid joke faltered upon catching Pepper sleeping on the sofa behind the teenagers. For years, the beautiful redhead stood by his side. Why did she never quit on him? Tony would never know. As leaned his head against the seat, he began to wonder if she got his message about the favor.

(X)

(Few Hours Later)

Their arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport was met with silence. No one in the media seems to have realized the billionaire left his home state for the Big Apple, and the two teenagers were glad to have avoided the paparazzi and media outlets across the country. The last thing they needed was for the country to wonder who they are and why they're traveling with someone like Tony Stark. Attention was the last thing either of them wanted.

When the private jet came to a stop, the two teenagers noticed a black SUV parked some distance away from them. However, what stood out the most was the person leaning against the front of the car. It was a woman around the same age as Pepper and Tony. One eye-catching feature was the woman's red hair tied up into a ponytail, which contrasted heavily against the black suit she wore.

Izuku and Momo looked at each other, silently wondering if Mr. Stark asked for someone to meet with them at the airport.

Well, they were about to find out. If they turned out to be a threat, it's not like the teenagers were short on advantages compared to the rest of this world. As they followed the two adults off the plane, the first thing they heard was Mr. Stark's boisterous greeting towards the woman leaning against the vehicle.

"Bethany! My friend, how are we doing on this lovely afternoon in the Big Apple?"

Tony – as per usual – acted like the red-haired woman was his best friend or something. In the distance, the woman looked down at the ground and appeared to have muttered something before walking over.

She closed the distance between herself and the group coming off the plane. The red-haired woman answered in a very irritated tone, "You really wanna know the answer to that question? Forget it. Just tell me why I am currently standing in the middle of JFK."

"Right, sorry about it being on such short notice."

The woman rolled her eyes, "I forgot you've learned how to apologize to people."

"Hey, the sarcasm isn't appreciated," Tony retorted back. "You should be actually glad about what I am asking you to do. It's probably the easiest job you're going to have for the next few months."

"Does it have anything to do with those two kids behind you?" Bethany gestured towards the unknown teenagers standing next to Pepper. She saw the guilty smile on her boss's face and let out a snort, "You want me to babysit them, don't you? Jesus, Tony, I thought you had more respect for my skills. I doubt this is what you meant about finding a good place in the company for me."

Tony placed a hand against his chest and gasped, "How could you think I, Tony Stark, would think so little of your skill? It's precisely because of your skills and lack of a giving a shit that made me believe you're the perfect candidate for the job."

Nearly everyone picked up on the over-dramatic response by the billionaire. Pepper sighed at her boss letting his childishness show. The former heiress had a similar thought as she's never met someone like Tony Stark. He could go from being so serious on the plane and, at the drop of a hat, start acting as if he was a little kid. She was starting to believe Eri was more mature than this grown man.

Meanwhile, Izuku stared at the interaction between Mr. Stark and the red-haired woman with his brows raised in surprise.

"Explain."

Bethany crossed her arms and glared at Tony.

The look from the red-haired woman prompted the billionaire to drop the playful act and explain. "No one seems to appreciate a good show anymore. But I'm not lying when I say your newest job is to keep an eye on these two kids behind me," He pointed towards the two teenagers, who've kept quiet. "As for a more detailed explanation, I would rather wait until we get to the apartment."

Despite the constant roar of jet engines in the background, the group remained silent as the red-haired woman seemingly agreed to his terms by letting out a sigh.

"Fine, but if this turns out to be bullshit...you're paying me double my normal rate, Stark."

Tony smiled at her, "Good to know I can still rely on you, Bethany."

The woman scoffed at him before turning away from them and began walking towards the SUV, "Whatever. I just want to get this over with."

Everything about the conversation between Tony and the red-haired woman named Bethany caught the two teenagers off-guard. Izuku thought she utterly despised the man's existence, or barely tolerated him by the sound of things. Next to him, Momo had similar thoughts about what she witnessed. Out of the three people, Pepper was used to the odd interactions between her boss and Bethany. It felt like she was watching a brother annoying their sister.

"W-Was that normal?" Izuku asked, unsure of what to think.

Pepper closed her eyes and sighed, "Unfortunately, Izuku, that was as normal as their interactions get."

Hopefully, they wouldn't judge Bethany for her attitude towards Tony. Few people can claim to know the billionaire on any personal level. Included in such a list were Bethany, Rhodey, Happy, and herself. Most other people wouldn't be bothered to deal with a man with so many character issues like Tony. In some ways, his decision in becoming a hero amplified the hate for him.

It still surprised Pepper to see the airport was relatively reporter-free.

"Hey! Come on, we got a big day ahead of us!" Tony called out to them, standing next to the passenger door with his usual smirk. "Lots of things are happening today," He directly looked at Izuku and Momo with a full-blown grin. "Can't wait to see what you guys think about your new place."

Alright, I manage to complete the fifth chapter of this story.

What's important to mention? The most valuable piece of information is knowing my Cowboys are currently in the NFL playoffs and about to take on the 49ers this weekend. I think we got a good chance against them. Also, I'm going to bring over one detail from a previous story of mine involving these two. Izuku will become a Dallas Cowboys fan as time progresses.

Sorry, but not sorry.

Although, in all seriousness, the story is moving along. Izuku and Momo are moving to a brand new city to start a brand new life. Is this rushing? Maybe, but I feel fine with it. As for those who are curious as to when these two are going to get involved in the MCU, no need to worry. We're are approaching Iron-Man 2.

I will say this much about that movie; there are some changes being made. You'll see them in due time.

That's about all I got to say. So please let me know what you think. Regardless of whether you love it, hate it, or don't care at all.

See ya guys later! :)