'Edwards Air Force base, Mojave, California' appears on screen. Rhodey tells them he's inbound from 3 miles east. Rhodey flies past the windows. A bunch of soldiers look at him. He lands.
"Tony, I'm sorry, if I had known what was gonna happen I wouldn't have done it-." Rhodey starts.
"Its fine, you did the right thing, I know why you did it, its fine." Tony said. "I'm sorry too."
A bunch of soldiers start crowding him. Major Allen and Rhodey greet each other.
Allen tells him to take the suit inside.
Tony is eating donuts, the camera pans out to show that he is sitting inside of a giant donut.
"Donut-ception." Peter whispered.
Nick Fury is watching he asks Tony to exit the donut.
Everyone laughs. "What? When am I ever gonna get to say that sentence again?" Fury asked.
Tony and Fury are seated at a table inside and tells Fury he doesnt want to join the team and calls it a super secret boy band.
"Super secret boy band?" Natasha asked, emphasis on 'boy'.
"And girl." Tony added.
Fury remembers that Tony does everything by himself and asks him how its been working out.
Tony says that he doesn't want to get off on the wrong foot and asks if he should look at the eyepatch or the eye.
"The patch." Carol said, Fury glared at her.
Tony says that he's hungover.
"A bit?" Pepper asked.
"Okay, a lot hungover." Tony corrected.
He tells Fury that he's not sure if he's real.
Fury says he's the realest person Tony's ever going to meet.
Tony asks where the staff is.
Fury looks at the rash on his neck and says that it doesn't look good.
Tony says he's been worse.
"Have you?" Fury asked.
"I've come face to face with death a few times, didn't see how this was any different." Tony said.
Natasha walks in and says that they secured the perimeter but they shouldn't hold it for much longer.
Tony looks at her and fires her.
Natasha says that its not up to him.
She sits next to Fury who introduces her properly.
"Hi agent Romanoff." Everyone mimicked from earlier.
"Hi." Natasha greeted.
Natasha says that she's a SHIELD shadow and that Fury tasked her to him once they knew he was ill.
Tony suggests that she apologize.
"That's your first reaction?" Hope asked.
Fury says that Tony's been busy, he says that he made Pepper CEO and he let Rhodey fly off with a suit.
Tony says that he didn't give Rhodey a suit Rhodey took it.
Fury mocks him by saying that Rhodey walked in, beat Tony up and took the suit, he then asks Natasha if its possible.
Natasha says that there are redundancies to prevent unauthorized use of the suits.
"So you did give it to me?" Rhodey asked.
"No I didn't, you took it, but you were allowed to take it." Tony replied.
"That makes zero sense." Rhodey said.
Tony asks what they want from him.
Fury corrects him and says that Tony's become a problem that he needs to deal with and that Ton isn't the center of his universe and he has bigger things in the southwest region to deal with. Natasha comes back with an injection in her hands. She injects Tony, then grabs his face and looks at his neck.
"What did you inject him with?" Bruce asked.
Tony asks if they're going to take his kidney and sell it and if they could not do anything awful for 5 seconds. He then asks what she did to him.
Fury tells him that they injected him with lithium dioxide and that it'll take the edge off for a while, he tells Tony that they're trying to get him back to work.
Tony tells them to give him a few boxes of it.
Natasha says its not a cure and only abates his symptoms.
"Ok, now I'm really getting curious as to how you fixed this." Quill said.
Fury says it doesn't look like an easy fix.
"It was easy enough once I had what I needed to do so." Tony commented.
Tony says that he's been looking for a replacement and that he's tried every known element and combination.
Fury says he hasn't tried them all.
A few people were confused, what hadn't he tried?
Justin walks up to where Ivan is working. Hammer says he has a delivery. Ivan comes down from his workspace. Hammer says he's brought him something and takes the cloth off the cage, revealing a bird.
Ivan says that it isn't his bird.
"How can he tell?" Rocket asked.
"Well its his pet, why wouldn't he be able to tell if its his?" Bruce said.
Hammer asks what he means and says that its a great bird.
"But it isn't his bird." Natasha said.
Jack says that its a beautiful bird.
Hammer says it came from Russia.
Ivan says it isn't his bird.
Hammer says Ivan needs to learn to let things go.
"He's a hypocrite." Bucky said.
"How?" Steve asked.
"Think about it, he's telling Ivan to let the bird thing go but he can't let go of whatever grudge he has against Stark." Bucky said.
Hammer looks at the suit Ivan was working on and notices that that there isn't a helmet on the suit and asks Ivan what it is and if its a helmet. he then asks how a head is supposed to fit a head in it and that they need to be able to fit a head in there. He tells Jack to put his head in it and Jack can't. He tells Ivan that it's not a helmet its a head and asks Ivan if he knows that they need to fit a person in the suit.
Ivan says that drones are better.
Hammer asks why.
"Well for one there's no room for human error." Clint said.
Ivan says that people make problems and that drones are better.
"Huh."
Hammer says that he got Ivan the bird and reminds him that he agreed to do this for him. He says that he and the government need suits like Iron Man's and that it'll make people happy.
Ivan tells him not to get attached to things and tells him to let it go. "
"Damn, using his own words against him." Scott laughed.
Hammer says that the drones better steal the show.
"Well they certainly did that." Pepper said.
Rhodey and the general are standing next to each other looking at the suit. The general says that it should get the senate off his ass and asks if its functional. Rhodey says its mission capable.
"I wouldn't say that." Tony said.
The general says to get Hammer to weaponize it.
"Not him." Rocket yelled.
Rhodey protests.
The general says that Hammer is making a weapons presentation at the Expo and they want to use the suit to introduce it.
Rhodey doesn't think its a good idea.
The general says that the world needs to see it.
"The world needs to see that my friend took my suit and you had it weaponized?" Tony asked, sarcastically.
Rhodey protests.
The general says its an order and that he's made his country proud.
Rhodey thanks him.
"You trapped yourself." Maria told Rhodey.
Tony and Fury are sitting in the Wreckage of Tony's living room. Fury says that the arc reactor in his chest is based on unfinished technology.
"What?"
Tony says it was finished but not effective until he miniaturized it.
Fury says that Howard said that the arc reactor was a stepping stone to something more. He says Howard was going to kick off an energy race that would dwarf the arms race and that it was something so big it would make the nuclear reactor look like a triple A battery.
"Wow."
Tony asks if Anton Vanko was working with him. Fury says Anton only saw it as a way to get rich and that Howard had him deported when he found out. He says when the Russians found out Anton couldn't deliver on his promise they shipped him to Siberia and he spend the next 20 years in a vodka fueled rage. Fury says that thats not the setting to raise a kid in.
"Yeah, alcoholism isn't the type of environment a kid should be in." Bruce said.
Tony reminds Fury that he told him he hadn't tried everything and asks what he didn't try.
"Yeah, what hasn't he tried?" Quill asked.
Fur says that Howard said Tony was the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what Howard started.
"Wish he would have told me that in person." Tony muttered.
Tony asks if he really said that.
Fury says he did and asks Tony of he's that guy, and says that if he is then he can solve the riddle of his heart.
"That sounds like a line in a cheese romantic comedy." Clint said.
Tony says he doesn't know where Fury got his information but Howard wasn't his biggest fan.
Howard frowned, guiltily.
Fury asks what Tony remembers about Howard.
Tony says that Howard was cold and calculating. He says he never told him he loved him or that he liked him and that its tough for him to process that Fury's telling him that Howard said the future was riding on him and he was passing it down. He then says that Howard's happiest say when he was shipped to boarding school.
Howard frowned more, he didn't know that's what Tony thought of him, hadn't realized how his decisions would effect his son when he got older.
Fury says that that's not true.
Tony says that he must have known Howard better than he did.
Fury says he did and tells Tony that Howard was one of the founding members of SHIELD.
"You were?" Thor asked.
"So was she." Howard said and pointed to Peggy.
Two agents drop a case in front of Tony. Fury stands and says he needs to go.
Tony asks what the case is.
Fury asks Tony of he's good and if he's got it.
Tony says he isn't and that he doesn't know what he's supposed to get.
"But you did eventually, that's what matters." Fury said.
Fury tells him that Natasha will stay at Stark with her cover intact, he asks if Tony remembers Coulson and says that he's got his eye on him.
Natasha says that they've disabled communications with the outside world and wishes Tony luck.
Tony walks over to Coulson and says he's going to put in some time at the lab and asks Coulson to send someone on a coffee run.
Coulson says he's been authorized by Fury to use any means necessary to keep him there.
"Why didn't you do anything when I left?" Tony asked.
"I had a feeling I knew why so I let it slide, I was correct as well." Coulson said.
He says if Tony attempts to leave he'll tase him and watch super-nanny while he drools into the carpet.
"But why super-nanny?" Peter asked.
"Its one of my favorites." Coulson said.
Back at the air force base, people are dismantling the suit. Rhodey carefully takes the arc reactor out. Allen asks if its the power source.
"What do you think?" Tony asked.
Rhodey says that its not a scientific exercise and they should focus on arming it.
Justin walks in, two people behind him are wheeling a cart over and asks if the suit is what he thinks it is.
Rhodey says that he wants to know what Hammer will do for them.
Hammer says he's going to upgrade his software.
"I don't think upgrades from that guy would be at all useful." Peggy said.
Rhodey says he meant firepower.
Hammer says he's talking to the right guy.
"I'm really not."
Justin is now wearing white gloves. He pulls out a lot of guns and gives names and specs on each.
"That's a lot."
He pulls out one last thing and talks it up a lot. He says its capable of reducing any population of standing structure to zero. He says its called the Ex Wife.
"How mad was she?" Natasha asked.
"Not mad enough." Rhodey mumbled, remembering what happened when he used it.
Hammer says that that's the best he's got and asks Rhodey if they're doing it.
Rhodey says he'll take it.
Hammer asks which one.
Rhodey says all of it.
"Wow."
Tony sets a case down, 'Property of H Stark' is printed on it. He opens it, and pulls out blueprints for the arc reactor he unrolls them and looks at it. He sets them to the side and pulls out newspaper clippings that read 'Soviet Scientist Vanko Defects.' Then he pulls out two film reels. He plays one of them.
Howard smiled a bit, Tony was finally going to finish his project.
On screen a model of the first arc reactor is shown, Howard is leaning against his desk, he says that everything is achievable through technology naming off Living, health and world peace. He introduces himself and says that everything they need for the future can be found there. Howard fumbles his words and starts over. A young Tony pops up behind Howard.
A young Tony pops up behind Howard, he takes something off of the Expo model.
"Aw, you were a cute kid." Pepper said.
Onscreen Howard looks behind him and asks him what he's doing. Adult Tony looks back at the screen, Onscreen Howard tells Tony to put the thing back where he got it and tells Maria to get him. Howard has a glass of whiskey in his hand, The camera man asks if he's waiting on him. Howard drinks and holds up 1 finger and says that from all of them at Stark Industries he'd like to show them his ass.
A few of Tony's friends laughed. That was such a Tony thing to say, it was weird hearing it come from his dad.
Howard just groaned.
Howard continues fumbling his words. Tony takes a drink. Onscreen Howard walks back over to the Expo model and Says that Tony is too young to under stand what he's going to say so he thought it was better to put it on film.
"What's he gonna say." Quill asked.
He says that he built the model for Tony and that someday Tony will realize the model represents more than just people's inventions, but it also represents Howard's life's work. He says that its the key to the future and that he's limited by the technology of his time and that Tony will figure it out one day and he'll change the world when he does. He says that Tony is his greatest invention. Tony looks like he's about to cry.
Off screen Tony had a similar expression on his face, despite having already seen the film. Pepper hugged him.
Tony is driving down the street in a white Audi. He pulls up to a guy selling strawberries.
Pepper sighed.
The vendor says something in Spanish.
Tony asks how much they cost.
The vendor tells him 6$.
Tony says he has no cash and hands the vendor his watch.
"Tony." Rhodey sighed.
The vendor says its too much.
Tony says its fine and tells him to take it.
The vendor tries to hand him the box Tony says he doesn't like people handing him things and tells him to drop it on the suit.
The vendor asks if he's Iron Man.
Tony says he is sometimes.
"What? Sometimes?" Quill asked.
"Yes, I'm Tony all the time but I'm only Iron Man when I'm wearing the suit." Tony answered.
The vendor says they believe in him as Tony drives away.
"That's always nice to hear." Tony said.
Pepper is sitting at her desk, on the phone she says that taking the suit was illegal seizure of property.
"True."
Her PA walks in and tells her Tony's there and refuses to leave. Tony walks in with some strawberries. Pepper continues her phone call.
The TV is on, a reporter is talking he says that when Tony announced he was Iron Man he made a promise to America.
Pepper tells the person she's on the phone with that the suit belongs to them.
"She's right, it does." Tony said.
The reporter says that they trusted that he would look out for them and that he didn't. The reporter talks about Tony making Pepper his CEO and starts questioning her qualifications and says she's done nothing to manage the situation.
"Oh really?" Pepper asked.
Tony mutes the TV. Tony walks around the office and looks through one of the boxes and says that he'll get the stuff out and pulls a sheet, uncovering half of the Expo model. Pepper repeats the question the person on the phone asked about Tony being at Hammer's Expo presentation.
Tony pulls a chair over to the desk and says he'd like to be.
"I was."
Tony asks her if she has a minute.
Pepper says she doesn't.
Tony says to give him 30 seconds.
Pepper starts counting down from 30.
People groaned.
Tony says that he thought he was coming over there to apologize but he isn't.
Pepper questions him.
"It wasn't the main reason I was there, I had a list of reasons." Tony said.
Tony says that that goes without saying and he's working on it. He then asks if he can move the distracting table decoration
Pepper says he cant.
Tony asks her if she knows how short life is then stutters through the rest pf what he's trying to say.
Pepper stops him.
"He's trying to tell you that he's dying!" Almost everyone shouted.
"I know that now!" Pepper shouted back.
She says that of he says 'I' one more time she's going to throw something at him. She says she's trying to run a company and asks if he knows that it entails.
"Yes." Tony said.
Pepper says that people are relying on him to be Iron Man and he's disappeared and she's putting out his fires and taking the heat for it. She tells him that she's trying to do the job he's supposed to do. She notices that he has strawberries and asks if he remembers the one thing he's allergic to.
A few people hissed.
Tony says that that was progress and he knew there was a correlation.
Pepper says she needs him to leave.
Natasha enters with Happy. Pepper tells them to come in. Natasha says that they're leaving in 25 minutes.
Happy asks if she needs anything else.
Tony says he's good.
Pepper says she'll only be another minute.
Tony jokes that he lost both kids in the divorce.
A few people laughed at that.
Tony asks Natasha is she's fitting in well at Stark and grills her about her name. He then says that he thought Pepper and Natasha didn't get along.
Natasha says that that isn't the case.
Tony says its him that they don't like.
"It is." Tony said.
Pepper says that he and Natalie can discuss the matter of his personal belongings.
After Pepper and Happy leave Natasha says tells Tony that she's surprised that Tony can keep his mouth shut.
"Me too." Clint said.
Tony says she's good and calls her a triple impostor and asks if she even speaks Latin.
Natasha says something in Latin.
Tony asks what it means.
Natasha says it means he can drive himself home or she can have him selected and she leaves. Tony puts some things under the object on the desk to stop it from moving, it doesn't work. He picks up the strawberries, eats one and throws the rest away.
"Waste of perfectly good strawberries." Scott said.
He looks back at the Expo model. 'The key to the future' is engraved on a small piece of metal on the outside of it. Tony rips the sheet the rest of the way off. He circles his hand around his eye and looks at it. He has it stacked in 4 parts in the passenger side of his car.
"What are you going to do with it?" Drax asked.