Tony Stark hated it when people messed with his things. Quite a few people learned over the years to leave stuff alone when his name had been attached to it. As a result, every member of the Avengers came under his unique form of protection. He needled, teased, pushed, annoyed, and irritated them, but, when the chips were down, he had their backs. After all, they were his friends. And no one, no matter how powerful, would mess with his friends.
The Council's inquiry into the entire Loki Affair, as it had become known, infuriated Tony. He kept his fingers in everything, began doing his homework and learned all he could about the members of the Council. These secretive business and political figures thought their identities had been safeguarded, but they hadn't counted on the combined intellect of Tony Stark and JARVIS. For six weeks, Tony had watched their proceedings, their meetings with Fury and Barton, and their lives. He knew what they didn't want anyone else to know. And he planned to use it some day in the future. He just needed the right trigger to justify his actions.
Pepper thought him more than a little obsessed with the whole affair. As CEO of Stark Industries, she understood the need to look into what had happened and determine how it could be avoided next time. Tony admitted he could support that sort of inquiry, but this witch hunt had gone beyond that point a long time ago. Barton had told his story to them time and time again, admitting that he couldn't stop himself from doing what he'd done. He had been calm and collected on the surface, but Tony had seen the man's composure beginning to crumble. If the Council pushed much further, they'd wind up losing one of the best agents SHIELD had ever known.
Of course, Tony didn't tell anyone just what he thought of Agent Barton. He had an image to maintain after all. He needed to be the troublesome rich kid on the Avengers, though "kid" was pushing it a bit. He had nearly died during the events of the Chitauri invasion, and Tony had become more and more aware of his own mortality. With that awareness came an awareness of his fellow Avengers.
Agent Romanoff stayed with SHIELD and on the helicarrier to protect her identity. Her code name of "Black Widow" had already been leaked to the press, so she refused to have her face splashed across the cover of every magazine. Tony handled that well enough, but she didn't need to compromise her job and her life. Steve Rogers had stayed on the helicarrier for a short time before moving into Stark Tower. Why the man didn't go back to his apartment confused Tony, but he gladly welcomed the leader of their little band. Rogers's actions during the invasion had put Tony's doubts to rest, though he still enjoyed tweaking the "old man's" tail every now and then. Bruce Banner loved life in the research labs of Stark Tower. The Hulk had made a name for himself as well, which helped confirm Tony's statement that Banner "needed to strut" rather than tiptoe. Of course, Tony liked pushing buttons just to see how far he could nudge Banner in the Hulk's direction. But, all in all, he quite liked the skittish scientist.
Barton, however, surprised Tony. The man put in hours on the streets of Manhattan, doing back-breaking work to rebuild the city. He believed that he was responsible, and nothing any of them said could change that. Tony had watched in amazement as Barton left a Council session where they raked him over the coals, shored up his defenses, and donned his "street persona" just to return to the helicarrier covered in sweat, grime, and dust. Then, the man would get up the next morning and do it all over again. Tony's respect for the archer grew with every passing day, and he hadn't been sure whether to be complimented or frightened that Barton took up his offer of a place to stay in Stark Tower. Was Barton planning to kill himself slowly on the streets of Manhattan and just needed a closer crash pad? Or had he truly "come in from the cold," so to speak? Tony couldn't be certain, but he thankfully left the Commons to Barton late at night just so the guy could have his time to himself.
JARVIS, however, kept a close eye on the comings and goings around Stark Tower. Tony insisted on it and didn't feel one iota of shame for spying on his teammates. Well, maybe a smidge, he admitted to himself the morning after Barton's midnight chat with Banner. Stark hadn't even tried to listen in, preferring to let the two men work out their own issues. Barton and Banner could see eye to eye on a lot of things, and he believed both men could help one another. Banner's experiences with the Hulk gave him the ability to truly understand what Barton had endured under Loki's control, and Barton could infuse a bit more confidence into Banner. Or so Tony hoped.
That morning, however, the newscast caught his attention. He sat back and lost all interest in watching his friends as he glared at the holographic television in his private quarters. The too-perfect woman smiled at the camera and launched into her spiel. "And, in other news today, more information on the members of the Avengers has come to light. More specifically, one of the mysterious members of the group. Sources have identified Hawkeye as Clint Barton, a member of SHIELD." The screen changed, showing what was obviously a security camera's view of Hawkeye on the roof of the building during the attack. "Our sources have gone on to say that Agent Barton is currently under investigation for his part in the recent invasion. No one has given specifics of his activities, but it has become clear that he worked for the leader of the invasion for a short time."
The newscast went on to rehash the whole Chitauri invasion, but Tony stopped listening. This was so not good, and he didn't want to be around when Barton heard of it. Forgetting about shaving, eating breakfast, or doing any of the things he normally did first thing in the morning, he left his rooms and charged into his personal lab. "JARVIS?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"I need you to bring up every feed we have of the Council and their meeting areas." Tony stood in front of his computers, his face resolute. "And I want another screen that shows what we've learned about them. Transfer it all to a secure file and lock it in The Vault."
"As you wish, Sir." JARVIS's British voice never changed, but Tony smiled anyway. The Vault was an isolated server no one knew about, and he'd done everything to make it unhackable. Since he still hadn't found anyone on the face of the planet capable of hacking his normal computer—and he'd paid quite a few people to try just to shore up his defenses—he was fairly certain the contents of The Vault wouldn't be compromised.
He spent the next twenty minutes making certain everything was in place before he returned to his room to dress for his meeting. On his way through the Commons, he found Barton sitting at the bar, a cup of coffee cradled in his hands and a bleary look to his eyes. Knowing the man hadn't had more than one beer the night before—and knowing that Barton could hold his liquor quite well—Tony realized the bleariness must have been from a lack of sleep. Barton confirmed it a moment later when he simply muttered, "Hey."
Tony frowned. "What's got you up this early?"
Barton shrugged. "Call from Fury. Gotta go in later today."
Tony nodded and poured himself a cup of Barton's overly strong coffee. He preferred his with a bit of cream and sugar, but Barton liked it black. Really black. Turning toward the door so he could hide his grimace of distaste, he said, "Good luck."
"Hey, Stark?" Barton grinned at him when he turned. "You didn't have to drink the coffee. I've got another pot over there that's more what you like." The archer stood and plodded out of the room, scratching his head and causing his hair to stand on end as he blinked owlishly.
Tony watched the man go, surprised at how human Barton appeared. Then, he quickly dumped the black coffee and poured another cup, adding cream and sugar. Now realizing he was late, he rushed to his room, pulled out his favorite business suit, and dressed for the day. Then, he climbed into his Iron Man gear and left the tower without telling anyone where he planned to go. His arrival at the helicarrier was unexpected but not unwelcome—or so he hoped. Agent Hill didn't order him shot on sight, and he was called "Sir" by almost everyone who crossed his path. He walked through the ship's corridors after shedding the red and gold outfit and acted as if he was supposed to be doing what he did.
Outside the door to a room he'd never been in before, Tony stopped and adjusted his tie. He had no problem with barging in, even if Nick Fury was in a Council meeting. No, he simply wanted to appear as dashing and powerful as possible. He had no need to sell the part, however. The entire Council knew him as unpredictable and selfish. Time to change that, he thought.
Inside the room, he fired up the console that would summon the Council to their screens. Then, he waited. True to form, the twelve screens lit up one by one, and he smiled when he sensed the discomfort coming across them. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen."
"Mr. Stark, this is highly inappropriate," the spokesman said, sounding vaguely French.
"Hmm, I suppose it is." Tony shrugged off their accusation. He didn't care about "inappropriate." "Actually, what I'm here to talk to you about is. . .inappropriate."
"And what would that be?"
"Your treatment of Agent Barton."
"Mr. Stark, the Council's inquiry into Agent Barton's involvement in the Chitauri invasion is confidential."
"Really?" Tony paced a few steps away. "Then why do I—and every news outlet in the city—know all about it? Why are you calling in every member of the Avengers save for me to question us about what happened? You forget something: I'm connected. And I like to stay that way."
One of the women leaned forward. "What is it you want, Stark?"
"Actually, it's not what I want that brings me here." Tony faced the screens again. "I know. I'm here for some other reason than myself, but that's beside the point. What is the point, however, is your plan for Agent Barton."
Another member of the Council responded to his statement. "As we've already said. . . ."
"I know what you've said, and I don't care," Tony interrupted. "What I do care about is the man you're about to crucify just to cover yourselves."
The leader, the French guy, sat back. "What are you insinuating, Mr. Stark?"
"Not insinuating. Stating." Tony held up a finger. "I've been following your inquiry into Agent Barton, and I've been happy to keep my distance. Out of everyone here, I do understand the need to shore up your defenses and make certain you—and this planet—are safe from what happened. But throwing a man like Agent Barton to the wolves isn't the way to do that.
"We've done no such thing!" the woman protested.
"Maybe you haven't," Tony replied. "But you haven't stopped it. Just this morning, Agent Barton's identity was leaked to the press. Thankfully, they don't have a good picture of him, or his work as a covert SHIELD operative would be irreparably endangered. Not to mention the threat to his life.
"But that doesn't concern you," he continued. "What concerns you is how you will look as the truth continues to come out. You're more worried about covering yourselves than the good man who was simply doing his job and got caught in the middle."
The French guy tipped his head to one side. "You would excuse what Agent Barton did while under the control of Loki?"
"Ah." Tony grinned, having them right where he wanted them. "You just used the right phrase. 'Under the control of Loki.' Agent Barton had no more say in what he was doing than my computer has when I use it. That's all he was to Loki: a tool, a piece of equipment to further his cause. Once he was freed from Loki's control, Agent Barton fully supported this Council, this organization, and this world. He put his life on the line to defend New York and to stop Loki. He's still putting his life on the line, just in a different way, as he works to undo what he's done."
Another member of the Council, this one British, chimed into the discussion. "Then you are asking us to look the other way?"
"Not at all." Tony shrugged. "I'm simply telling you what you're planning to do and what I'll do in response. It's called give and take." He started pacing again, preferring to move about in an attempt to keep his audience off balance. "You're planning to crucify Agent Barton, to pin all the blame squarely on his shoulders and make him the scapegoat. In reality, he bears about as much responsibility for Loki's actions as does this Council: none.
"So, you go ahead and crucify a good man if you want to. But, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to reveal every dirty little secret you have. And don't think I can't do it because I already know everything." Tony stopped and stared directly at the Frenchman. "You have a Swiss bank account worth millions. No one knows about it, and you'd like to keep it that way. Through funneling money into it, you've managed to avoid paying taxes. Now, I know a thing or two about this as I once considered it. But, in the end, what I stood to lose just wasn't worth it."
He turned to the woman who had been the most vocal. "You have been married for twenty years. However, in that time, you've carried on an affair with your husband's financial adviser and have managed to embezzle millions from your husband. I can't be certain, but I think your plans are to run off with your much younger lover and disappear to a tropical island somewhere. At least, that's what I'd do if I were in your shoes."
A quick glance of his head allowed Tony to stare into the darkened face of the British man. "You accepted bribes from various lowlifes, the names of which will remain confidential for now, to keep them out of prison and on the streets. You also profited from their crimes, moving money around to make certain you came out on top."
For the next ten minutes, Tony bounced from person to person, airing their dirty laundry and all the scandals he'd uncovered in the first two weeks of this entire six-week inquiry. He'd stunned them based on the absolute silence in the room, but he liked it that way. It gave him power and showed that he was in complete control of the situation. Recalling all these misdeeds from memory only solidified his standing as a genius and formidable opponent.
Finally, silence reigned in the room while the Council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats. For Tony to have known those things meant he knew their identities. After a long moment, the Frenchman sighed. "What is it you want, Mr. Stark?"
"A deal." Tony met the man's eyes. "You drop your indictment of Agent Barton, clear his name, and let the man go free. If he decides to stay with SHIELD, that's his business. If you don't, I go public with what I know. I will name names and unveil each of you, and there's not a single thing you can do to stop me. If you do drop charges, everything I know stays locked up in a secure vault where I will have access to it at any given time." He paused for effect. "If Agent Barton goes down, you go down. That's what I call 'give and take.' Who gives and who takes is up to you."
The woman leaned forward. "Why are you doing this, Mr. Stark?"
Tony grinned. "Because the man is my friend. And no one messes with my friends." In one swift move, he ended the call and left the Council to their decision. He startled Fury when he walked out of the room and shrugged. "They're thinking over some stuff. Might want to give them a few moments."
Fury glared at him. "Stark?"
"Can't stay." Tony waved, enjoying the frustration in Fury's scowl. "Got a party to plan." With that, returned to the compartment where he'd stowed his armor, climbed into his Iron Man suit, and returned to New York.
Later that evening, the entire group of the Avengers had gathered. Natasha and Banner sat at the bar, sharing a soda and quietly talking about events on the helicarrier. The friendship between the two didn't surprise Tony even though others seemed a little unnerved by it. Rogers held a can of beer and stood at the windows, staring into the rainy evening. As the afternoon progressed, the weather had changed and washed away signs of yet another day's work on the streets below. Barton had left for the helicarrier and his appointment with the Council just before Tony returned, so no one had seen him. But somehow—and Tony was completely mum on the how—news of the archer's meeting and that it was decision day had reached all of the Avengers save Thor. They now waited, along with Pepper, for the final word.
The elevator finally opened, and Barton wearily stepped out of it. The man wore his typical SHIELD uniform, the lines on his face relaxed for the first time in weeks. He glanced around and nodded. "It's over."
Next to the bar, Natasha straightened. "How'd it go?"
Barton shrugged with one shoulder and finally cracked a grin. "I'm a free man. They dropped all charges and closed the inquiry."
A collective sigh of relief flowed through the group as Natasha and then Pepper rushed to hug Barton. The archer willingly returned Natasha's hug and awkwardly patted Pepper's back. She didn't take offense, instead chattering away about a celebration and ordering a special meal for the group. Rogers walked over to shake Barton's hand, the unspoken messages passing between the two men so obvious that even Tony could read them. Banner quickly took Rogers's place in congratulating Barton, but Tony stayed in his seat. He didn't have the same connection to Barton that the others shared, but he still cared about what happened to him. After all, he considered the man a friend.
Suddenly, Barton turned and caught Tony's gaze. As Pepper asked what he wanted to eat for the evening, Barton nodded once in Tony's direction. And Tony raised his glass of champagne, not needing words for what he'd just been told.
Barton knew what he'd done and had just thanked him. That single nod and grateful expression was all Tony needed, and it was ironically more than what he wanted. Barton had a lot of healing left to do as he now worked through the emotional and psychological implications of Loki's mind control. But one big obstacle—the Council's inquiry—had just been lifted from his path. Whatever happened from this moment on, Barton could face the future knowing that, in the eyes of the people who mattered, he'd been forgiven.
What is it you want, Mr. Stark? The Council's question floated through his head as he watched Natasha draw Barton into the circle discussing what to eat for dinner. Tony laid back on the couch, pulled one knee up and draped his arm over his knee. This, he mentally answered as Barton cracked a smile and then actually chuckled at something Natasha said. This is everything I wanted.
oOo
Author's Note: Couple things...First of all, the World Security Council, as portrayed in the movie, had four to six members. Upon further research, I found that the Council was a twelve-member body in the comic books. So, I used that number for this chapter. Also, the scandals mentioned in this were inspired by actual scandals that took place in history. No offense or infringement was intended by using them, and I simply drew inspiration since writing scandals like that is not my forte. Also, this chapter apparently reads as if it's the end of the story (something that is entirely coincidental and not intentional). There are two more chapters to this story! It will go on! As always, hope you enjoyed! ~lg
