Chapter 69 – Monaco
A/n – I'm typing this on the terribly slow computer downstairs as my laptop is still at the shop. I can't promise that I will manage to post again next week at this point but I will try my best. Hope everyone enjoys this.
Quill – I was in hospital with no way to update all of you most of the year and a half I spent not posting. The rest of the time it wasn't on my mind that much due to the thing that put me in the hospital. I'm not really comfortable saying anything else.
Ro781727 – That is still the plan and I'm hoping it comes across well when we get there. Hopefully my laptop will be back soon.
Mystic 777 – I'm glad you liked it because that's one of my favourite insights I've written for this story.
"Some day we are going to get some good stories about your spy days out of you," Toni sighed, "I'm sure there must be at least some interesting ones in there or perhaps some funny ones. After all you are leaving SHIELD soon and therefore you aren't going to have an excuse to keep your silence."
"Basically everyone just wants to know what happened in Budapest," Clint summarised, "although there are a couple of other stories that I would quite fancy telling."
"If you don't want everyone to wonder about Budapest then stop bringing it up so often," Bruce told them, "we're not stupid. We know you're doing it on purpose at this point."
"Also I really want to know the details of how you met if it was so spectacular," Toni commented, "I always have liked a good story. Even an obviously made up one. I'm almost hoping there's a movie about you Steve so I can compare the real events to the stories that Aunt Peggy used to tell me." She pointedly didn't mention the similar ones she had gotten via her father's fits of anger. No need to antagonise Steve at this time.
"Peggy told you stories about me," Steve said shocked. He knew that Toni had mentioned knowing Peggy and that one of her AI's was apparently named after her because Natasha had told him but he hadn't known she'd spent enough time with Toni to tell he bedtime stories.
"Peggy was basically my mother," Toni told him seriously, "she certainly spent far more time with me and put far more effort into encouraging me than my actual mother did. She's the primary reason why I give SHIELD agents the benefit of the doubt when I meet them rather than just assuming they're idiots with no common sense. After all with her as founder there had to be some decent people hanging around and it turns out there were. Although fewer of them than I had hoped."
"And most of use won't even be SHIELD agents for much longer," Phil commented, "including a few of us who aren't even here right now. I've got half a mind to recruit an old colleague or two myself to help us out. I know a couple who wouldn't mind leaving SHIELD if it was me talking them into it."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Toni mused, "Some extra people to run operations would be appreciated as all the people I have my eye on are scientists."
"We should probably get back to watching the movie," Natasha interrupted, "we can discuss this on our next break but I for one would really like to get the rest of this one out of the way. Especially since I'm fairly sure we're past most of the fun parts at this point."
"Considering that we left for Monaco pretty soon after you came into the picture and nothing interesting really happened between those two events, I'm going to assume that's accurate," Toni sighed, "I'm really going to hate the rest of this movie."
"I am certain that none of us are looking forward to you experiencing more trials in your life Lady Toni," Thor said gravely, "but we shall get through this and show Amora that her trickery cannot hurt us."
The screen changed to show an aerial view of Monaco as a news report in French played. On the streets below a security escort pulled up outside the Hotel de Paris. Toni emerged from the escorted car to cheers from the assembled crowd who she waved to before being followed into the building by Piper and Happy.
"Did you ever attract crowds in foreign countries before you became Iron Man or were the crowds restricted to America and places where there were soldiers serving?" Steve asked curiously.
"On occasion although not all that often and they were always a much smaller size," Toni told him, "even in America my popularity with the public took several leaps once I became Iron Man. Firstly, because of my being a superhero and secondly because I had become much more focused on consumer products at that point because of cancelling my weapons contracts so I was doing more for them in a way."
"At one point a crowd formed to try and get your autograph when you went to the dentist," Natasha recalled, "the police had to be called to control them enough to get you out of there I seem to remember."
"I have to admit that the amount of people who would gather to see me would sometimes be unsettling when it first started happening," Toni admitted, "I'd always been a celebrity and raised in the public eye so paparazzi I was used to even if I have always hated them. But ordinary people going out of their way to see me and get pictures or an autograph without motives directly related to my money was something new."
"Is it hard never knowing if someone getting close to you is doing it for the money or if they genuinely like you?" Clint queried.
"Sometimes," Toni told him, "although with the systems I have set up to catch people like that it very rarely gets far enough that I feel personally betrayed by someone. However, the idea that people only pretend to like me because of what I can do for them stings a little. Especially considering how many people get caught out by my safety measures. Although, it's ended well a couple of times with people discovering they genuinely like me and admitting they originally befriended me for my money or for a deal with my company. Honesty is something I appreciate even if I'm not very good at it myself."
"You know its Europe, whatever happens in the next 20 minutes just go with it," Toni told Piper clearly preparing him for something she had done.
"Go with it, go with what?" Piper said in a slightly panicked tone of voice.
"I'm pretty sure he's convinced you're about to blow something up," Clint snorted.
"Don't be ridiculous," Toni scoffed, "that was the next time I was in Europe. And it was not my fault. I'd like to see him find a better way of dealing with a cave in and no cell service to let anyone know where you are."
"I'm fairly certain he would be relying on you to find him," Natasha commented.
"And when I did I would have used a controlled explosion to get him out," Toni said decisively, "so he wouldn't have done anything differently except taking much longer to get out of it. So all he can accuse me of being is efficient."
"Miss Stark?" Natasha said approaching the pair through the crowd.
"Hey," Toni greeted warmly.
"We appear to have missed many interactions between you and Lady Natasha," Thor commented.
"Yeah, it's a shame we missed those getting to know you sessions. I made some great jokes and there was the incident with the kite," Toni sighed reminiscing.
"That was funny, I must admit Annie," Natasha snorted, "I don't think I've ever heard JARVIS panic before or since."
"I was not panicking Miss Romanoff," JARVIS chimed in, "I was simply reacting with concern to a potentially dangerous situation."
"Panicking," Toni and Natasha chorused.
"Hello. How was your flight?" Natasha asked pleasantly.
"It was excellent," Toni told her, "Boy, it's nice to see you."
"It really was, the plane ride was nice but Piper would not shut up about responsibility in the car," Toni sighed, "he knows it's the one place I can't escape. Not that I haven't tried a couple of times."
"We have one photographer from the ACM, if you don't mind," Natasha told her as Toni took a drink from a tray offered by one of the waiters.
"Okay," Toni told her putting on a smile as the photographer approached and Piper turned to try and have a conversation with her.
"Honestly, it must have been terrible for the poor photographer taking photos of you talking," Phil sighed.
"They turned out fairly well but I'm pretty sure that's because the photographer was talented and not because we were posing particularly well," Toni told them, "he does do it then and there for a reason though. I'm very talented at dodging things and I get better at it the longer I have to prepare."
"When did this happen?" he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"What? You made me do it," Toni insisted.
"I made you do what?" Pipe asked.
"You quit," Toni said simply directing his attention to the photographer, "Smile. Look right there. Stop acting constipated. Don't flare your nostrils."
"You are so predictable," Piper said exasperatedly, "that's the amazing thing."
"That's the first time I've ever heard someone accuse you of that," Steve laughed, "mostly they're complaining about the opposite."
"It helps me out if I make myself seem predictable," Toni said with a shrug, "not only does it fool people into thinking they've got one over on me when I'm really about to ruin their lives, it can help stop villains when I make a move they wouldn't expect me to pull in a million years. There are real world applications for how much I bullshit people. I don't just do it because it happens to be loads of fun."
"Right this way," Natasha told them leading the way. Toni promptly walked away from Piper who had been drawn in a conversation with someone else there and complimented Natasha, "You look fantastic."
"Why, thank you very much," Natasha said with a slight smile.
"But that's unprofessional," Toni admitted, "what's on the docket?"
"I really don't see why people really think you spend most of your time hitting on people," Natasha said, "You'll probably compliment someone if you think they look nice and then you'll move on. More than a few people have to have experienced this so I don't see why even they have that opinion of you."
"The most negative suppositions are always the ones that stand out," Toni theorised, "everyone remembers the sexual harassment lawsuits. Nobody remembers that not one of them has been proven accurate. The press likes to paint me in a certain way because making people look bad makes them more money. Most people seem to get more pleasure out of feeling justified in their irrational hatred than out of the fact that there are flawed yet ultimately decent people in the world who are not what the majority of people who have never personally interacted with them say they are."
"You have a 9:30 dinner," Natasha told her as Toni played with her sunglasses.
"Perfect. I'll be there at 11:00," Toni sighed.
"Absolutely," Natasha said quickly.
"To be fair considering the people Annie was supposed to be having dinner with I would be avoiding them for as long as humanly possible too," Natasha sighed, "especially considering by the looks of the guest list she would have been the only woman there."
"Hence the reason I'm always telling women in high up positions that we need more of them," Toni sighed, "the overabundance of men in the business world is depressing. Especially since a fair amount of the male executives are sexist pigs. To be fair it's not all of them but certainly most of them."
"Is this us?" Toni said indicating a table she liked in the corner.
"It can be," Natasha said simply.
"Great, make it us," Toni told her.
"That's the table I would pick. Good views outside the window both for aesthetic reasons and just in case something goes wrong," Clint acknowledged, "plus if you sit in the corner and don't have your back to the room you can see everything."
"Mr Musk. How are you?" Piper said as he approached someone.
"Hi, Piper," Mr Musk said, "Congratulations on the promotion."
"You weren't kidding when you said your nickname for him caught on I see," Bruce commented.
"Mostly because he actually liked it and started going by it himself," Toni mentioned, "he liked the name Virgil about as much as I did but it didn't have an easy nickname until I came along and metaphorically saved the day. It was only a matter of time until I took to doing it literally as well I guess."
"Thank you very much," Piper responded.
"Elon, how's it going?" Toni interjected as she spotted them and moved over, "Those Merlin engines are fantastic."
"Thank you, yeah," he said appreciatively, "I've got an idea for an electric jet."
"You do?" Toni asked.
"Yeah," Elon told her.
"He seems quite nice Lady Toni," Thor commented.
"Yeah, I quite like him," Toni said, "he doesn't really posture and he isn't offended immediately by the fact that I'm a woman in a normally male driven industry."
"Then we'll make it work," Toni told him moving away as Piper sighed causing Toni to ask, "you want a massage?"
"Oh god," Piper sighed, "no I don't want a massage."
"I can have Natalie call someone…" Toni started, "don't want you tense."
"I don't want Natalie to do anything," Piper insisted.
"It's strange hearing you referred to as Natalie," Phil commented, "I know you go undercover all the time and I should be used to it but by the time I show up in this movie your cover was gone intentionally so I never got to hear Toni call you that. I guess maybe it's a little too close to your regular name to feel natural."
"I had to physically stop myself from calling her Natasha from time to time," Toni said, "it was slightly weird because I knew it would blow my cover but sometimes I wondered if it wouldn't be worth it to see the look on Tasha's face. Although I got a muted version earlier when you found out that I knew about you all along Tasha so that'll have to do."
"By the way," Toni said, "I didn't mean to spring this on you but green is not your best colour."
Piper laughed and adjusted the green tie she was referring to, "well thank you very much."
"That's another one of the things you're very good at," Bruce mentioned, "breaking the tension without making a comment that is in poor taste. I guess that's part of the skillset of anyone working in business."
"Antoinette!" Justin Hammer said from further down the bar, "Is that you?"
There was a collective groan in the room at the thought of having to deal with Hammer again. "Yeah. That is exactly what I was trying to stop myself doing at the time," Toni sighed, "he's such an idiot. And not even in the nice way of being slightly dim but still being a decent person. He also happens to be a complete asshole with a deluded sense of how smart and important he is. That's almost all of the worst traits are person can have all wrapped up in a single man."
"My least favourite person on Earth. Justin Hammer," Toni sighed to Piper as Hammer tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Hey, pal!"
"I think everyone should admire my restraint in never decking him while mid conversation," Toni brought up, "because people accuse me of never having restraint and they have clearly never seen me with Hammer or the board of directors. There is a reason I do not want to talk to these people."
"How you doing?" Hammer asked, "You're not the only rich person here with a fancy car."
"Now that's some serious overcompensating," Clint snorted, "he's been in a conversation with you for less than a minute and already he's having to assure himself that he's rich and has expensive stuff. It's not even to someone who doesn't know about that stuff."
"Believe it or not this gets even worse in like two seconds," Toni sighed, "this was literally the worst conversation of my life. And I'm ranking it above conversations with people who were trying to kill me because I was not only subjected to something terrible but I was also bored at the same time. Worst combination of things ever. I will say it again, I am really really impressed with myself for not causing a scene."
"No, you did wait on that count," Natasha laughed.
"You know Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair," Hammer said turning around to beckon the journalist over, "you guys know each other?"
"Like I said," Toni said at the disbelieving looks from some of the people in the room, "it got worse. Look, it's the person who thinks I'm so terrible for literally everything I do no matter the reason and yet she still slept with me the first time she met me. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with having a one night stand but if she's going to be so self-righteous then one of these days – after that libel law suit has been filed and won probably – I am going to throw that fact in her face."
"Hi," Christine said with a perfect fake smile on her face as Toni glared at Piper who seemed to be finding this slightly funny.
"Yes," Piper said, "yes we do."
"BTW," Hammer said pointing at Piper, "big story. The new CEO of Stark Industries. Congratulations."
"Any journalist worth her salt would already know about that," Natasha snorted, "seriously practically everyone already knew about that. So either Christine is extremely bad at her job or Hammer is a douchebag. On second thoughts I don't see why I was confused. It's obviously both. Even if Christine knew about it."
"I know. I know," Christine said, "my editor will kill me if I don't grab a quote for our next issue. Can I?"
"Oh, sure," Piper said reluctantly clearly remembering how Christine had treated him when he had still just been Toni's PA.
"It's no surprise that no one wants to talk to her or give her a big story to report on," Clint snorted, "she's clearly doing her best to alienate everyone but the morons if she's being forced to hang around with idiots like Hammer."
"She's really scraping the bottom of the barrel there," Phil concurred.
"She's actually doing a big spread on me for Vanity Fair," Hammer bragged clearly chuffed at being relevant for once, "I thought I'd throw her a bone, you know."
"Right," Christine agreed.
"Well, she did quite a spread on Toni last year," Piper quipped as Toni rolled her eyes.
"And she wrote a story as well," Toni finished clearly thinking that if Piper was going to set that up then she wasn't going to let opportunity pass her by.
"Piper can't even be mad about that one considering the fact that he's the one who brought it up in the first place," Steve commented.
"I'm sure he was kicking himself for it but he really doesn't like Everhart either so I suppose the dig was too good to pass up even knowing that I would run with it and I wouldn't be subtle like him," Toni snorted, "I can do subtle. I just don't see the point most of the time and I see you scoffing people. I am capable of subtlety which I think should be applauded considering the fact that I'm a public figure. Like I said, I prefer not to."
"It was very impressive," Piper continued.
"That was good," Toni said leaving it up to interpretation whether she was referring to the article or the sex.
"I meant the article," Toni noted, "the sex wasn't all that great. Which is why it really sucks that I haven't slept with anyone since but that comes with so many issues I just can't be bothered most of the time. There are more important things to worry about."
"Very well done," Piper said.
"Thank you," said a clearly disconcerted Christine as Hammer eyed her as if wondering why he hadn't already known about all this.
"I'm gonna go wash," Piper said making an excuse Toni's muttered, "Don't leave me," not reaching sympathetic ears as he extricated himself from the situation.
"I can't really blame him," Toni sighed, "if I'd been able to remove myself from the situation without taking him with me I would have gone for it and left him behind. Nobody wants to talk to people like that for long."
"Hey buddy how you doing?" Hammer asked again putting his arm around Toni, "Looking gorgeous."
"That man should not talk to the Lady Toni like that," Thor snarled.
"I'm alright," Toni lied, "Please, this is tough."
"Can I ask you…" Christine started as Hammer leaned in closer to Toni for a photo with Toni slipping her sunglasses on and looking supremely uncomfortable, "Is this the first time…"
"Fromage," Hammer interjected to the camera.
"Seriously, he needs to get off you," Clint said angrily.
"I could see it from across the room but couldn't do anything without breaking my cover," Natasha mentioned, "it was not a fun situation to be in."
"…that you guys have seen each other?" Christine continued.
"God, that's so awful," Toni said laughing fakely and shoving Hammer's arm off her as he gave a genuine laugh.
"Listen," Christine said, "is it the first time you've seen each other since the Senate?"
"That's a better phrasing of the question," Bruce said, "at first I was genuinely wondering if she was idiotic enough to believe that this was their first meeting. Why'd she leave that last bit off the first time?"
"Since he got his contract revoked…" Toni started obviously happy to be able to bring that up.
"Actually, it's on hold," Hammer insisted.
"…when you were attempting to…" Toni said ignoring him, "That's not what I heard. What's the difference between 'hold' and 'cancelled'? The truth?"
"Yes, what is?" Christine said holding her Dictaphone up to Hammer as she realised this was a good question to ask.
"She's literally using your material to do her job now," Clint snorted, "although good work on shaming him so badly that the clearly already desperate DOD has to disavow him."
"No. The truth is…" Hammer paused here clearly knowing he didn't have an answer, "why don't we put that away? The truth is, I'm actually hoping to present something at you Expo."
"Well, that is inevitably going to go terribly," Steve said, "I don't know how but it is."
"Well," Toni said taking a seat, "if you invent something that works, I'll make sure I get you a slot."
"He's definitely going to need some ice for that burn," Clint cheered, "I do love it when you indirectly insult people. Especially people like Hammer. It honestly makes my day."
"Glad to be of assistance," Toni said standing up to give an exaggerated bow.
"Miss Stark, you corner table is ready," Natasha interrupted and Toni happily walked off with her.
"I actually have a slot this year," Hammer assured himself.
"Hammer needs a slot, Christine," Toni teased them on her way to her table.
"We kid, yeah," Hammer said with an awkward laugh, "We kid. We're kidders."
"Well that night clearly didn't go as he'd hoped," Bruce said with a smirk.
"Thank you once again for rescuing me Tasha," Toni sighed, "I was really about to let loose on the guy soon."
A/n – See you all next Thursday. Hopefully, fingers crossed. That video that I owe you will be up once I get my laptop (and hence my best way to film) back.