A/N: A fic where Tony joins the army and is set after Winter Soldier. I may have altered a few things sorry for that!

The fantasy of joining the army started when Tony started rooming with James Rhodes. The moment Rhodey started speaking about his wish to join the army, Tony also started dreaming on joining the army with his best friend. But he knew that his parents would mostly be against his wish to join the army, being the heir of the SI and all.

It had been a godsend to Tony when he heard the news that his parents had died in a car crash in the last year of his MIT. It was not like he hadn't loved them and all... it was because he now could join the army, and escape all the mad crowd of people and media as he was a very... popular and famous person and no one would like or want him to join the army, and it would be the last place anyone would search for if they were searching for him.

This lead him to send an application to the army along with Rhodey in secret, under a fake name 'Andy Spark', announce to the media that he was going to travel for sometime before he takes back his company and leaves it under the 'capable' hands of Stane until he comes back, even though he suspects his hand in his parent's death, knowing fully well that it wasn't an accident.

He smoothly went through the army training, dying his hair and cleanly shaving to keep his identity a secret, only letting his higher officials know who he truly was (if he found them trust worthy)and Rhodey (who obviously knew)

Till this day, he would deny that that was the most fun he ever had other than being Ironman or being with his team, Even though it was tiring, it seemed it was the most fun he had ever had. He easily got into the army after a year's training while Rhodey got into the Air Force.

In the 3 years he was in the army, he quickly rose up to the rank of a Captain and was on the way to get his Major title but had to back off as he had a company to take over. Though in the 3 years he had worked with the army, he had insights of terrorists having his company's weapons (though no one other than victims noticed this fact)

He was popularly known by many who had met him as the legendry Captain Spark or Captain Stark to those who he trusted. When he came off the frontlines, he worked as the army's weapons manufacturer and made many defensive weapons than offensive ones, knowing first hand what the offensive ones did.

He was still in search on who was dealing with the terrorists, suspected Stane the most but had no evidence to prove it. He slowly tried to steer away the company from making missiles and dangerous bombs and instead make something more useful. Though his efforts were futile as every time he tried to do so, something or the other came in his way.

He also kept a close eye on the transactions and the dealings and found no traces of any weapons going out to terrorists, which frustrated him to no end. He also built J.A.R.V.I.S. to keep a close eye on the happenings in his company but even he couldn't identify the one who was smuggling the goods out.

Then Afghanistan happened. He was kidnapped by the Ten Rings and he was shocked that someone was still smuggling his company's weapons. No one still knew that he had been a part of the army apart from his fellow soldiers so it had come to his advantage a few times in captivity.

Then his announcement of ceasing his company being a weapons manufacturing one. It had caused quite an uproar, even in the military before he was able to convince the heads that he was going to make some defensive weapons rather than bombs so that more people can be saved.

Then came the betrayal of Stane. He had been expecting this to happen from when he had been 17 but it still hurt when Stane took out what kept him alive using his own inventions. He kept in touch with the army, meeting up with them as often as he could after he revealed himself to be Ironman in pretext of meetings.

After this was the poisoning. It was hard to keep it a secret from his army friends but somehow managed it. He was a little put off the way Rhodey acted around him and on how he took off with his suit without his permission, but he came to terms with it as he remembered that he had intended to give it to him anyway and that it also had saved his life

Then there was the SHIELD problem. He was afraid that that organisation would've figured out his secret of being in the army and had hacked into it a lot of times, one is because he did not trust the agency and the second reason being that he was paranoid that they had figured out about the military background when Nataile Rushman aka Natasha Romanoff had been his assistant.

He was lucky that Rhodey and Tony had made a pact that Rhodey would use the military term only when they were in private else the military secret would've been out a long time before. After the palladium poisoning though, the casual contact between Tony and the military was less frequent due to the publicity he was gaining.

Then there was the whole Loki and the Chitauri dealings. From the moment he met the Captain, he had to supress the urge to inform him that he was also a soldier beneath the suit, that he was also a Captain and of course he knew about responsibility. He also wanted to say that Coulson hadn't been the first soldier he had lost but stuck with saying that they were not soldiers so that he doesn't give away his cover.

After the invasion though, he unfortunately had to cease contact with the military as there was Steve, who was from the military and would immediately recognise how they communicate, there was Bruce who was wry of the military that is after the Hulk (though his section never went after him) two spies who are always snooping about... it was a risk for him if he was to talk to them in a way other than weapon dealing.

Though all the secrets had to be revealed at some point and that was not far away for him unfortunately. Which brings us to the current situation.

It started off as a peaceful day a year after the invasion. Repairs were nearly complete and everything had settled down by the time Rhodey stops by the tower. He had of course stopped by the tower many times before to check upon Tony, but this was different.

All the avengers for once were sitting together in the common living room when Rhodey came in with a message, a hand written letter for Tony.

"Hey there Cap Chap. You've got a letter regarding the... Other thing. It is pretty urgent. Sorry but I can't stay over today people. The big ones want Tony immediately so I need to call him out for a while!" Rhodey said as he dragged Tony out, leaving all the other avengers confused about the whole odd conversation.

The minute the duo were in the private lab, Tony turned to Rhodey with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry Captain but you were called in by the army to deal with something that is the root of all the terrorist organisations. It is an emergency and you were called in immediately." Rhodey said, with his posture screaming formality.

"Tell them that I will be expecting a debrief on the whole problem Colonel Rhodes. I will be there in a day after packing and getting ready" Tony said and nodded at Rhodey, who just passed on the letter and left after giving Tony an apologetic look.

Tony just silently went through the letter and cursed violently before asking JARVIS to look and hack into a few files and have the results ready before going back to the team and flopped down onto the couch dramatically, not showing the stress he was in.

"What was that all about Tony? What is the matter?" Steve asked as he looked pointedly at Tony, who seemed to avoid his face. "Nothing to worry about Steve. Just a whole lot of dealings and meetings that I have pending with the army. So I have to leave tomorrow and I don't know when I'll come back. Don't worry though, I'll be fine" Tony said as he got up again, casting everyone an apologetic look before heading towards the labs.

In the lab, he got the shock of his life. He knew all about the HYDRA is SHIELD and how it was taken down and all from Cap but the fact that Steve had not informed him about his parent's murderer made him a little pissed at the captain but after looking through the whole file, he pitied the captain. After all meeting his brainwashed friend who was working for the enemy was tough.

He could forgive the Steve for not informing but was still pissed off at the fact that he had hidden this from him. Its not like he would attack his friend and all for that. He would surely understand and would've even helped in searching for his friend!

He just sighed and went up to pack his things. After all, duty calls him and he once again had to become Andy Spark after all. He just hoped that no one found out this secret life of his but knowing SHIELD, he knew that the army had informed them and they would assign the Avengers to this task and therefore it would be very though for him. His secret would come out very soon then and he couldn't prevent it.

Getting ready, he came upstairs to leave when the Steve informed him the very thing he had suspected but Tony said that he would try to make the meetings as quick as possible before leaving.

The moment Tony left, Steve got a call from Fury, who demanded them to be at the helicarrier at 10 a.m sharp the next day for a very important meeting. So they did assemble, all of them except Tony, who went to join the army.

"Where is Stark?" Guy asked, exasperated at that man coming late. "Sorry sir but he had a few meeting and dealings with the military so he had to immediately attend to it" Clint said. "Why did you call us anyways?" Natasha asked, to the point.

"The army has sought out out assistance Romanoff. They have found out some bases of HYDRA that are apparently still functioning perfectly." Fury said with a sigh. "Oh! And they have apparently tracked down the Winter Soldier too..." Fury said.

"They tracked down Bucky? Why and when did that happen?" Steve asked in shock. The last time he had met Bucky in secret, he was doing perfectly well dodging HYDRA. Was he captured again and brainwashed or... Steve shuddered on think about it.

"Then Avengers, suit up. Seems like the army requires our help in destroying HYDRA again. This will be fun" Steve said, with a small grin on his face.

A/N: The first part of the lovely story is up. This was something I recently thought up and couldn't resist doing it. I'll put up a short version of it here and if you like it, I can very well make it into a longer one as a separate book.

Anyways... hope you liked this! All comments and criticism accepted and appreciated. Any prompts are welcome by the way. I will try to fulfil them as much as I can.

Thank you all for reading!

Rasi10 signing off

Published on 24 July 2018