Chapter 40
Toni surprised she really shouldn't have been surprised to have seen Nick Fury and Maria Hill in her office at Stark Industries as she entered to prepare for the day. After all, the pair had a way of popping up in her life after every major event over the course of the last few years.
So it stood to reason that they would be there hours after Natasha Romanoff told the Senate to fuck off when they tried to claim her a traitor for releasing government secrets. Especially given that one, it had been Toni who had done the releasing, and two, the files that had been released were all HYDRA files, releasing the terrible things that they'd done over the course of the past few decades.
Of course it probably hadn't helped that while releasing the files, they'd exposed several High Level HYDRA operatives contained within the US Government, such as Fischer, and her favourite, Stern.
The man who'd been a pain in her ass for years and had tried to take her suit from her had been HYDRA all this time.
She'd been particularly gleeful watching his takedown live on television as several members of various agencies marched him out of his office with the world watching.
"Fury," Toni said, as she marched straight past where the two of them were standing and sat in her chair. "Hill. What can I do the for two of you today?"
"We need to talk, Stark," Fury told her firmly, and she gestured to the seats across from her, beckoning for them to sit.
"So talk," she said simply, "There's quite a few things going on today, and I don't know if you've noticed, but I have quite a full schedule to get through today, what with my sudden new responsibilities of housing misplaced SHIELD agents and their operations."
"That's why we're here," he said, sounding unimpressed. "We have much to go over in that regard."
"Such as?" she asked coolly, as if she didn't have some idea of it all herself.
"Such as the fact that that effective immediately, I am stepping down as the director of SHIELD," he said, and she paused for a moment, as she looked up at him in shock.
"I'm sorry, you're doing what now?" she asked, trying to see if she understood him properly. "Why would you step down now? We won, in case you didn't notice. SHIELD, for the most part, is unscathed, and HYDRA has been exposed to the world. Captain America brought down the helicarriers and the damage was minimal. There were few casualties, and we won. If anything, SHIELD needs you more than ever, now over anything."
"Which is why it needs to be led by someone who's capable of taking care of all of this," Fury said firmly, "Someone I trust more than anyone to be able to make the right decisions. Someone who would be able to hold the fort down when I'm gone."
She raised her hands firmly, "I don't know what you're hoping for, but that person isn't me. I have more than enough responsibilities in my life, what with still being the CEO of Stark Industries and Iron Woman. I don't have time to be the new director of SHIELD as well."
"Don't flatter yourself, Stark," he scoffed, "I wasn't talking about you. Of course I'm not making you the new Director of SHIELD. Do you think I've lost my goddamn mind to put you in charge?"
She bristled at that, "Wow, tell me how you really feel, Fury."
"SHIELD is hurting," he said in a gentle voice. "We might have come up on top, but we still suffered losses and we still suffered losing trust. Fellow agents who were like family members to other agents turned on one another. Alliances were broken, and we suffered, one way or another, we suffered. What SHIELD needs right now is someone who can help put it back together. Someone who will make sure every single check box is marked off, and every 'i' is dotted. Someone who cares about the rules."
"You're putting Coulson in charge," she said, understanding dawning upon her.
"You knew," he said, sounding slightly shocked.
"I thought you were in the business of knowing everybody's secrets," she rose a brow at him.
"Shut up, Stark," he snarked back at her and she grinned.
"It makes sense," she said nodding solemnly, "He's all for following all the rules and he'd be good for SHIELD. I always did think he'd be the one to run things one day."
"Maria will be here with you in the meantime," Fury told her, trying to get things back on track, "Helping take care of the day to day operations of SHIELD, taking care of the agents and making sure everything is on track."
"And the Avengers Initiative?" she asked, wanting to know what would happen to their division.
"Harry has agreed to be the liaison for the entire team instead of just for you," Fury told her. "He'll be the one providing you aid and ground support. He'll still have his own missions and tasks, but he'll be the one who handles your team."
"What about you?" she asked him after a moment. "What are you going to do? I hardly think you're the type to sit back and retire as the world goes on without you."
"What, don't think I can sit around and relax on a beach, drinking margaritas?" he asked her sarcastically.
"We both know you're not the type," she grinned.
"I'm going to go after them," he told her after a moment. "After the higher-level HYDRA operatives who got away. HYDRA did all of this under my nose. Without me even noticing they were getting up to all of this. I should have seen it coming. I should have known they were there. But I failed and all of this happened. So I'm going to track down every single one of those bastards and bring them down."
"Okay," she told him. "Just let me know if there's anything we can do at any point. If you want us there, fighting by your side, just let us know and we'll be there."
"Thank you, Stark," he said, and she nodded. And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving her and Hill to it.
"So, I was thinking we use the floors 50-60 for SHIELD operations," she told Hill. "I was going to set up more office space, but I think it might be smarter to just open up another building. I talked to Pepper, and we can create a new office in Seattle, which in turn, would create a few thousand jobs. And this way the Avengers Initiative and SHIELD can be based out of the same city."
"Sounds like a plan," Hill said, giving her a rare smile.
Things would be different now, but somehow, Toni did not find that she minded.
Besides, it meant Steve would be based out of her tower, and she found it hard to find fault in that.
Steve entered her lab as she stared at the screen. Despite JARVIS' high computing powers, HYDRA had a lot of files under several layers of encryption and protection to stop the outside world from finding out anything they didn't want them to know.
She'd been combing through the files for a few days already, trying to find out anything related to her parents' murder. But it seemed like no matter how many resources she applied to the search, she really had no choice but to just wait and see what happened, whether she liked it or not.
"Toni," Steve said, as he brought her a sandwich, "You need to take a break. JARVIS promised to alert you the minute he found anything out, regardless of the time or day. You're going to drive yourself insane just staring at the screen, hoping to find out what happened."
"I need to know," she said softly, "I need to know what they did to my parents. My mind is just filled with all the different scenarios of what could have happened. What if they cut the breaks and my dad couldn't stop in time? Or added drugs to my father's system? Maybe my mother wasn't even supposed to be there and it was just bad timing. I have no idea what happened, and I can't go on like this, Steve. I need to know what they did. Too much of my life has been a lie, and I cannot continue on like this, not knowing the truth. I need to know the truth."
He walked over to her, gathering her up in his arms and holding her tightly, "We'll find out what happened," he promised her, "And we'll make them pay. They took your family. And they did something to Peggy. They turned Bucky into a shell of a man. So whatever it was that they did, we'll find out and make sure the world knows the truth. They won't get away with any of this. I promise you, Toni."
"I love you," she told him softly, and he froze. She pulled away slightly, knowing that perhaps it wasn't the best time to tell him those words for the first time, but she couldn't keep it to herself any more. "I love you, Steve Rogers. And you don't need to say the words back to me, not if you don't feel the same way yet. But I need you to know how I feel about you. I need you to know that I love you. You're amazing, and so kind. You're so good. But more importantly, I love how I feel when I'm with you. Like the two of us could handle whatever the world throw at us. You mean so much to me, Steve, and I love you."
He stroked her face tenderly with his index finger, as one arm remained around her waist.
"I love you too, Toni. I want you to know that," he said gently. "I told you this before, but I thought my world was ending when Fury told me I'd woken up in the future. I knew nothing of this no world and no one in it. But you gave me a home. You gave me a family. You gave me so much, selflessly. And I know we started off on a bad foot. I take full blame for that. I was unable to see behind all the masks and media personality. But you, Toni Stark, are so much more than all of that. You're a brilliant woman, and you handle everything that life throws at you so well, without even a hint of a struggle. Don't think for even a moment that I don't feel the same way about you, because I do. I love you so much."
She leaned in and captured his lips in a tender kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her carefully, and when they broke apart, he kept her in close.
"No matter what happens, we'll face it together," he promised her. "Whatever HYDRA did, they won't be able to keep the truth hidden for long. We'll find out what happened, and we'll bring them to justice. Together, as a team, and as a family."
"Together," she echoed, and allowed Steve to lead her out of the room. Because he was right; she was driving herself insane staring at the screen for hours in end, trying to figure out just what had happened with HYDRA, and trying to figure out what it was that they'd been keeping from her. She needed to know the truth. But she also needed a break. He was right about that much.
She really shouldn't have been surprised when a few days later Coulson was standing in her common room, with a young lady by his side. He must have known that she'd been alone that day, what with Steve trying to trace down a lead about Bucky with Wilson, and Natasha and Harry off tracking some HYDRA agents.
Ava and Bruce were off at a genetics conference and really, while she had wanted to go with them, she'd chosen not to due to having other standing obligations with trying to help SHIELD get rerunning as smoothly as possible.
"Hello Director," she said smoothly, "Can I offer you anything to drink? I must say, I'm a little offended by how easily SHIELD seems to break into my home time and time again. What with me providing tech oversight and advisement for your agency."
"Give yourself a break," Coulson rolled his eyes, "We both know that this time I didn't break in. Maria let me in."
"Wow that's much better," she said a bit sarcastically. "I guess that's what I should expect now, that I've taken SHIELD into my home and basically given them the key. Unexpected visits at all time of the day."
"No need to be so dramatic," Coulson grinned, "We both know if you didn't want me to get in here, I wouldn't have been able to have gotten in."
"True," she shrugged, "So what can I do for the two of you. I take it this isn't just a social call."
"When you said we were going to Stark Towers I didn't think we were going to meet the actual Toni Stark," the woman said then, a bit awestruck. "Miss Stark, I'm a huge fan of your work. It's actually because of you that I first started hacking and getting into tech."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Skye," she said, knowing exactly who she'd been meeting with
"You know who I am?" she breathed, a bit surprised, and Toni gave her a kind look.
"I make it my business to know things like who Phil Coulson had run off and started a new team with," she said with a simple shrug, "Figured it would come in handy one day. I guess I was right. So what is it that I can do for you."
"I have a name for you to look into," he said firmly, "About how I was brought back to life. GH.325. It's a drug meant to heal people, and I believe it was used on me. I know it was synthesized using Kree corpses. But I don't know what was done to me. I need to know the truth, Stark. If I'm going to lead SHIELD I need to know why I didn't die when Loki stabbed me."
"We mourned you," she told him softly, "I know you and I never actually had a good relationship, but I did mourn you. Your loss shook us to our core, and as much as I hate Fury for using it to bring us together, it gave us something to fight for. We fought for you. For human kind, and for a chance to save innocent lives. Hearing Fury say that you were down, it shook all of us. I just want you to know that."
"I do," he said with a nod. "I wish my resurrection didn't have to remain a secret until now."
"I'll see what I can find," she nodded to him gently, "I already have JARVIS querying the SHIELDRA database to find out some other things which we've learned HYDRA had a hand in. But I'll put a few processors on searching for anything related to Project TAHITI and see what we can dig up."
"Thank you," he said, his voice a bit thick with emotion.
She smiled at him as she looked over at Skye, wanting to change the subject to not make him feel uncomfortable, "I hear congratulations are in order for becoming a SHIELD agent. From what I've heard, it's a bit of a grueling process."
"If there even is a SHIELD anymore," Skye said, sounding a bit upset by the notion."
She gave her a look, "You're currently standing in the new SHIELD headquarters. Did you not brief your agent before you brought her here?"
Coulson looked a bit sheepish, "I was getting around to it. Our team suffered a personal betrayal when HYDRA fell, and one of our members was injured."
"I'm sorry," she told them softly, "I was there when it happened, and if there was any way we could have done it different, so no one would have gotten hurt we would have. Perhaps your teammate can swing by the tower? I can ask Helen Cho to take a look at them and see if there's anything she can do to help."
"I'll ask him if he's interested in it," Coulson said with a nod.
"Miss, I found something in my search of Project TAHITI," JARVIS said then, "There was a single video file on the subject, and I believe it is relevant based on the search parameters."
The report appeared on the screen and she saw the words Classified Level 10 Communication: T.A.H.I.T.I Project Supervisor to Director Fury, Final Report.
"If you'd like I can step out," Toni offered, "If you'd like to view it in private."
"No," Coulson shook his head, "Stay. I asked you to find out the truth and you deserve to know what happened."
"Play the video," Toni said with a nod.
Coulson let out a breath as his face appeared on the screen.
"Good morning, Director Fury," The onscreen Coulson said, "I regret to inform you that I'm handing in my resignation. I know you brought me into Project TAHITI because you trusted my judgement. And it's that judgement that's telling me that I can no longer, in good conscious, let the testing continue. I understand that you started the project to save a mortally injured Avenger. But the side effects are too extreme. We had initial success with the regenerative cells of the guest host tissue. But after initial physical recovery, the subjects began to deteriorate mentally, displaying hypergraphia, dysplasia, aphasia, catatonia, or complete psychosis. We don't know if it's the biology in play, or the awareness of what was done. But the only course of action that showed any promise of stemming the side effects was memory erasing. Erasing the memories of what they'd been through, but even those results were varying. To be clear, I'm recommending the termination of Project TAHITI. Under no circumstances should this project or drugs be given to anyone, ever. The cost is far too great. Thank you, Sir."
What had Fury done?
She started at the screen, in slight horror, and she knew Coulson was rattled by the information he'd just received.
"I need to go," Coulson said, turning to leave.
"Coulson," she called out to him. "I know I have no idea what it is that you're going through. I couldn't even begin to understand. But if you ever need anything, a place to stay, a friend to talk to, anything, just know that you have a place here."
"Thank you," he said grimly, and he quickly left the room with Skye tailing after him.
Going to visit Uncle Daniel in D.C. after finding out that HYDRA had done something to Aunt Peggy was rough. She had no idea what they'd done, but she knew he wouldn't be happy.
And then there was the fact that Aunt Peggy must have known something about her parent's death. Regardless of how it was that they were murdered, it would have been hard for HYDRA to have covered it up without her aunt being suspicious.
She'd gone with Ava and Harry, knowing that it was their family more than hers, and whatever had happened, they deserved to know the truth as well. Steve had come with her for moral support, and for that she was grateful. She didn't know how to start this conversation and wasn't sure she wanted to have it either.
"What brings you all to my neck of the woods?" Uncle Daniel asked, looking at his children, Steve and Natasha Romanoff, who'd come for a reason unknown to her. "I doubt this is a social call."
He gestured for them to all come into the apartment she'd set her uncle up with when he decided to move to where his wife's nursing home was, and they sat down in his living room.
"You heard about the HYDRA infestation, right?" Harry asked his father.
"I did," he grimaced, "Horrible stuff really. Your mother was furious when she'd heard the news. Half of her wanted to march straight into SHIELD Headquarters and ask what they thought they were doing, invading the organization she and Howard had started and built up."
"That's why we're here, Dad," Ava said softly, "Toni found something out."
"They killed my parents," she said, and Steve took her hand in his. "Howard must have been getting close to finding out that HYDRA had infested SHIELD and they killed him and Mom for it."
"Toni," Uncle Daniel's eyes softened, "I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?"
"I'm furious at them," she said softly, "They took my parents from me. All this time I thought it was an accident. And I had no idea that it didn't need to happen. That they didn't need to have died. But someone took them from me, and I need to know what happened."
"I still have some contacts from my SHIELD days," Uncle Daniel said firmly, "We'll get to the bottom of what happened."
"There's something else, Dad," Harry said. "There's no way Mom wouldn't have suspected something happened to Uncle Howard. Not if she had an inclination that something was wrong. You and I both know that much. And Pierce all but implied they were responsible for her being forced out of SHIELD. Even though we both know she stepped down because her Alzheimer's was progressing."
He closed his eyes then, and Toni felt a sense of worry fill her as she wondered if he knew something the rest of them didn't.
"It first started around the time your parents passed away," Daniel said after a moment. "She started forgetting small things, and I didn't think much of it at first. Like where she put the keys, buying eggs when we'd just got some the day before, and so on. But we had a conversation a few months after they died, where she forgot your parents had an accident. She thought they were still on vacation. I had to remind her that something horrible had happened."
She stilled at that.
"That doesn't make sense," Toni said softly, "She would have known that something happened. She identified the bodies and filed the final report. If something had been amiss, she would have known.
"At first I thought it was stress, but it became clear that something was wrong with Peg. We didn't want to worry you kids at first, not until we knew more about what was happening," Daniel said. "If Peggy knew something more about what happened to your parents, then there is a chance she never did anything about it because of her disease."
"It's too convenient," Ava said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked her, narrowing his eyes.
"Mom suddenly starts to get sick right after Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria pass away?" Ava asked him, "Tell me it doesn't sound suspicious to you. She began to lose her memory right after the accident. She knew what happened and they took care of her."
"We don't have any proof of that," Natasha cut in.
"JARVIS?" she asked raising her phone up, "Narrow search parameters on the Aunt Peggy search to include anything involving memory modification or erasing."
She turned to the room, "If they did something to Aunt Peggy we'll find out the truth."
Harry stood then, and Ava called out to him, trying to stop him from leaving.
"Where are you going? You can't just leave! We don't even know what happened!" she said quickly.
"What's there to know?" he demanded, "Who cares how they did it? They did something to Mom! They hurt her, and I can't just sit here waiting to find out what happened, when they hurt her! I need some air."
He furiously left the room, and Natasha nodded at her, as she chased after him.
"I want to know," Daniel told her, a steel-edged tone to his voice. "If someone hurt Peggy, I need to know, Toni. Promise me you won't keep whatever you find from me. Because I need to know the truth. If someone hurt my wife. If someone stole her health and robbed us of her for all these years then I want to know. And I'm going to make them pay for that."
She shivered at his tone. Uncle Daniel had always been the calmer one in the family. Growing up, whenever her aunt or cousins would get worked up over something, he'd be the one to reign them back in, even if he was upset as well. He'd be the rational one. The one who would do anything to protect his family, but who would do so without violence.
"I will," she promised him. "They're not going to get away with any of this, I promise."
"Good," Daniel said firmly.
"We're going to find out what happened," Steve said, speaking up for the first time since arriving, wanting to give them space. "I promise you, Daniel."
She was a Stark.
She was made of Iron.
She would not break.
Nor would she bend.
Even if her entire world had shattered with all of the new revelations the revealing of HYDRA had uncovered.
HYDRA had taken so much from them, even if she had no idea how yet. And she refused to let them take anything or anyone else.
