"Morning." Tony spoke through a yawn to Bruce for the first time in a week. He'd left his room the previous day only to go to his lab without saying a word. He'd looked worse for wear which had concerned Bruce, but today he looked much better.
"Morning. The coffee is fresh."
"Thanks." Tony said pouring himself a cup before sitting down at the table across from the doctor. "Aren't you bored here?" He asks after a minute.
"Not so bad, it's like a vacation I could never afford. Fancy beds, food, and robots doing everything I need, it's nice."
Tony nods thinking. "Well, if you want, you can come out with me tonight to get some even fancier food. I'm going to a big science expo, it's no Stark Expo, but it's nice. I figured you might want to go. You can even present something if you want. My company has five slots, but I only have four projects to present."
"Sure." Banner says, but Tony can tell he's thinking about something. It's only when Tony has stood up from the table and is rinsing out his cup that Banner speaks again. "Is it true that Stark Industries is making weapons again?"
"Sort of." Tony says stiffening, he looks straight ahead out the window. "The company is reopening one plant here in the US. All production will be strictly supervised by myself, and the only one who can make deals to sell the weapons will be me. I've made it clear to my people that anyone else found sounding the weapons will be criminally prosecuted. And they aren't really weapons, they're defense tools. We aren't selling them, at least not most of them. They'll be given to towns where terrorists are a large threat so the towns can defend themselves."
"What if that defense doesn't work and the terrorists take them as war prizes."
"I've put assurances in to make sure that can't happen." Tony says his eyes slightly clouded.
"What have you been doing the last few days?" Bruce asks, hoping that Tony won't shut down at his prying.
"Paperwork, I'm working on a new deal between the company, myself and a non-profit based out of Hungary. I needed peace to work on it."
"Peace means not leaving your room for five days?"
"Yes, ask Pepper." He tries not to wince when saying her name unsuccessfully.
"What should I bring to this expo thing then?"
"I say the Jolly Green Giant, but since you probably don't agree, anything that does anything for the betterment of man kind."
"Alright then. I better go have a look over some things."
"You do that, Doctor."
"Tony, listen to me." His father's voice roared, he tries to focus his eyes but can't. Black spots keep filling his vision. "Tony… Tony." His dad's voice almost sounds desperate. "Tony, don't bother looking at Maria, she's dead." This time he's able to make his eyes move to his father's voice.
"Tony listen to me. Can you hear me?"
"Yes." He moans through the pain, he's never felt so much pain. His body feels like it's on fire.
"Don't trust anyone. Son, this is the most important thing I've ever said to you. No one, not flesh and blood, not the prettiest girl in the world, can be trusted do you understand. No matter what they'll all hurt you, you've got to understand Son."
"Yes." He moans again, remembering even through the pain that when Howard Stark speaks you answer.
"Now, listen very carefully. What I'm about to say you can't repeat to anyone. It won't make sense to you now, but one day after you've forgotten all about this day, and you've been left hung out to dry more then a few times, it'll all make sense. And then I'll be able to come back to you. Are you listening?"
"Yes." He moans again, this time he tries to move toward his father only to have Howard push him back into his seat.
"I need you to remember a company name; Polarniate. You got that, Tony, Polarniate."
"Yeah…dad are we going to die?"
"No, Tony you're not going to die." Howard snaps, impatient as ever. "Now focus, Polarniate is based out of Budapest, it's very important. Do you hear me? No matter what, Stark Industries will do everything in it's power to help that company, do you understand?"
"Sure, but why?"
"Remember what I said, this will all make sense to you some day. Now we don't have much time left." Tony could hear sirens wailing. "Listen again Tony, this part is perhaps the most crucial, one day call that company and ask to speak with Jarold. He'll refuse you five times, the sixth time he'll invite you to Budapest, and you must go. Now I'm sorry Son." Tony felt something sharp puncture his skin, saw his dad remove his hand. Then the world started to go fuzzy, he saw his dad walk away through the haze, the last thing he sees is his dad enter another car, then his vision goes black.
Tony wakes up on the couch drenched in a cold sweat. He hadn't been able to remember anything from the accident that had claimed his parent's lives since he'd woken up all those years ago, but he was certain that that dream he'd just had was a memory of his father's last words to him. Before he forgets, he scribbles key points down on a piece of paper. Then before Banner can come find him, he goes into the old mansion. A new sense of purpose fills him as he enters his childhood room. He goes to the cork board where a note from his father on his tenth birthday is still pinned.
"Sorry, I'm missing the party Tony. I had to fly to Budapest last minute, I promise I'll be there next year. When I get back we'll go anywhere in the world you want. —-Dad"
There it was again, Budapest. He'd always known that he should remember something that happened there and couldn't but maybe it wasn't something that has happened yet. The company, he knows it, it's a charity that he's helped out for years. He has the number on speed dial. He pulls out his phone, it rings twice then the familiar voice of Christina the secretary sounds through the phone.
"This is Christina from Polarinite, how may I help you today?"
"Christina, it's Tony."
"Good day, Mr. Stark. How may I help you today?"
"I need to speak with Jarold."
"Let me put you on hold, Tony." She says, he waits two minutes before she comes back on. "I'm sorry Mr. Stark, but the man you requested to speak to is busy currently. He requests you call back at a different time."
"That's fine Christina." He hangs up the phone and sighs. Whatever goose chase this is, he knows that somehow his father is at the bottom of it.
"What kind of company is Polarinite?" Natasha asks Clint. She'd just found a ghost drive in Tony's system where he's placed a number of files involving the company.
"Google says it's a charity out of Budapest. But that's a loose definition, it's more of a mercenary group that liberates villages and towns that are overtaken by terrorists in the middle east. How long has Tony been dealing with them."
"Records go back all the way to when he first took control of Stark Industries."
"What are their interactions?"
"Uh…" Natasha scrolled through the files only to be locked out a minute later. "Jarvis must have found me." She mumbles. "I'm locked out again."
"Keep working." Their handler orders. They've worked with the man before and neither Clint or Natasha particularly like him.
"We are." Clint hisses. "Steve come over here. You and Thor go to 95 Main Street. It's where Polarinite is based, see if you gain access inside. Take this." He hands the man a pen drive. "Plug it into a computer, the drive will do all the work, just make sure it has at least two minutes to work. Do you understand?"
Steve nods, relieved to finally be able to do something, he motions for Thor to follow him.