Author's Notes: I hate Montana Tech. It's a college where people can poop in the halls, vomit on the stairs, leave broken glass in the showers and even though we all know who did it, no one ever gets punished. If my internet doesn't get fixed there soon I will snap. Writing on the weekends is not relaxing enough to keep my sanity in tact. But at least you all know why I don't update my crap very often now.
Anyway, my ranting aside, this chapter is my attempt at having lengthy exchanges of dialogue instead of paragraphs of text without any verbal interaction. It also introduces a slew of supporting characters so that Tony won't get his ass handed to him right away. You'll note I said right away, because things are bound to go wrong immediately next chapter. Also, Pepper gets a really badass scene next chapter, but it's really much longer than I thought it would be, so tacking it onto this one wouldn't have worked well. It'll be there next time, though.
Also, if I did a Iron Man: Armored Adventures/Harry Potter crossover, would anyone be interested in reading it? /random thought
What about the world today? What about the place that we call home? We've never been so many, and we've never been so alone. You keep watching from your picket fence, you keep talking but it makes no sense, you say we're not responsible but we are, we are, we are. - We Are by Ana Johnson
"Tony? Tony, please listen to me."
"...Dad? Where am I? Why can't I see anything?"
"I'd give you answers, but they're unsatisfying and unscientific, and we both know how short your attention span is for those kinds of things."
"I just... it's good to hear your voice. I missed you. Dad..."
Howard sighed. "I know, Tony. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of time. I have to get a message to you, before you wake up."
"I'm dreaming? Wait, didn't I just die?" Tony asked, puzzled by the logistics of this.
"Kind of. Look, Tony, I wish I could sit here and tell you how much I love you, how much you mean to me, and how proud your mother and I are, but... you need to know something about the evil you're facing, the forces attacking the city."
"The glowing guy? Dad, he's untouchable. My sensors got heatwaves that were off the chart from him, without even taking into account the voltage. I can't fight him. I know you always told me how I could do anything if I put my mind to it, but I... I couldn't even keep Pepper safe..."
"You love her, don't you, son?" Howard's voice was gentle.
"I don't want to. Everyone I love dies. Everyone I love is dead because I haven't been good enough, or smart enough, and I fail them all. And now, here we are again. Second verse, same as the first. I'm lost. I've lost!"
"No, you haven't! So long as you're not dead the battle is never over-"
"Newsflash, Dad, you're talking to me." Tony was glad his sarcasm and snark remained in tact. "Pretty sure that means I'm dead."
"Tony, now is not the time for this. You need to know why this man has attacked you. I have some information for you. I can't tell you everything, but I can help. I can tell you this much: he's here because he's afraid of you. He's afraid of what you're going to do in the future. The heroes of the future are only going to multiply with time. There will come a day when real peace reigns on Earth. His job is to prevent that or die trying."
"...Dad, I don't know how to fight him. My heart's failing. I've been up to my neck in crisis after crisis every day this year. I can't do this. It's not that I don't want to, I really just don't think I can. I'm lost. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do."
"Don't you understand, Tony? You're not meant to go this alone. None of you are. There are a thousand heroes in New York City, all working towards a better future. They're from every walk of life, every corner of the globe, every color, and all they want is to see the same goal achieved. A long time ago Nick Fury had a project going to unite them for that very reason, but it fell apart under the tyrannical rules and standards it enforced. It wasn't about a united front, it was about Nick's desire for control."
"Project Snowdrop."
"I left the files where you could find them for a reason. And now your own version of it, that dirty little secret you call the Heroes Network, has to actually see some real usage. You have to go beyond talking to these people online under assumed names and in secret, and come together in person against this greater evil. I can't tell you what this evil is, truly is, because you aren't ready. There are forces greater than you know trying to destroy the right order of things. If you knew what you were getting into, you might turn your back on the world of the living and just lay down and die. But I'm not asking you to do this because it's easy. I'm asking you to do this because it's right."
"Dad, I don't know what to say... I really don't think I'm equipped to lead this thing. I'm telling you right now Rhodey is totally ending up with that job. But I can start it. I can lead the charge. I didn't put on the suit this morning to have fun. I understand what you're saying. I... I won't let you down."
"That's my boy." Howard's voice began to grow faint. "I love you, Tony..."
Tony's heart was beating.
The arc reactor's power cells were being replaced as a crude prototype kept his blood pumping. His chest was open, a mess of blood and metal and wires, the new device already coated in red. It hurt, and it didn't feel quite right, but he was alive. He should have been dead. He had been dead. Storm blue eyes fluttered open. The pain was unbearable. Pain killers were forbidden due to the blood thinning they could cause. He looked up into the bright SHIELD issue lights, heard without comprehending the voices around him, and felt without really knowing why a sense of new determination inside him. A fire had been lit somewhere deep down inside his heart.
"Pe... Pepper?" he asked dazedly. "Where's Pepper?"
"Tony!"
He managed a smile. Somehow, that higher pitch she used when she was worried never failed to make some part of him feel reassured. No matter what mistakes he'd made, she cared. She and Rhodey, for reasons beyond his comprehension, cared. Rhodey, at least, was a case of habitual friendship. Pepper didn't even have that excuse. She was just crazy. He made a mental note to put both her and her future children through college once he got Stark International under his rule. She was framed by the lights as she looked down at him, her hair glowing like a sunset colored halo.
"Pepper, I need a favor." Every word was a battle, each one struggling to leave his lips. "My access codes. Did you give them out?"
"No. No way! Rhodey would kill me, and I knew you didn't want-"
He cut her off quickly. "But you know them, right?"
"Well, yes-"
"Then, go. Go to the lab, there's something you need to see." He sucked in a deep breath as pain rolled over him. "I can't tell you which one it is. You'll just have to know it when you see it. And act on it. You can do that, right?"
"Tony, I don't want to leave you with SHIELD like this-"
"You have to. Pepper, please. I need you to do this for me. This isn't about us anymore. New York's in real danger. Please. If you love me, you'll leave." He had no idea where that last part came from. It seemed to do the trick, though, as she nodded solemnly.
"Okay. I... I'll see you later, Tony." And she pecked him on the cheek and before anyone could yell at her about germs she was gone.
She had a mission now, and God help anyone who got in her way.
HN Chat Member: IronGirl, now online.
Ulloriaq: Anyway, guys, I wish I wasn't alone up here. New Yorkers are so lucky... I've gotten everything under control now, but now my family knows I'm Ulloriaq. I'm dead when I get home. When we rebuild our home, that is.
MidoriSentai: I wish we could offer more assistance, but at this point we can't even offer advice. We're the only ones in our Prefecture so the last few weeks have strained us to the breaking point. Kuro's even talking about leaving the main team to help get things down in the southern part of the country under control.
Etoile: Hey, who's the new girl?
IronGirl: Not exactly new. Long story. Figured this was the easiest way to access the active members instead of just sending out spam messages to everyone. We need help in NYC ASAP!
SupremeSkyGirl: Oh, so it's an average Monday, then.
IronGirl: Genocide is not funny and you are a pathetic excuse for a hero for having that reaction.
IronGirl: I know villains who would be more concerned and helpful. I bet Iron man let you join out of pity. Any other day I would just get mad but as I lack the time to chew you out I'll instead suggest you go play City Of Heroes and leave the REAL crime fighting to the big girls.
IronGirl: I am so not in the mood for this today. Why did Iron Man even think this would help?
Etoile: ...you just typed all that in twelve seconds.
KuroSentai: Sky Girl just got BURNED, and Infernei's not even in the room!
HC Member: Infernei, now online.
OrenjiEnzeru: Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Ulloriaq: Grow up. We've already got Sky Girl here, we don't need any more childish behavior.
OrenjiEnzeru: Lol, nice.
Infernei: I came here to request back up for New York, but I can see Iron Girl is already aware of the situation. So far the amount of causalities has been kept down but with such blatant attacks on large population centers that will not be possible for long. I estimate the death toll will be in the hundreds if not thousands if we don't get help soon.
Etoile: Doesn't New York have their own fleet of heroes? Not that I'm saying I don't care. I just don't understand.
IronGirl: It's the stupid Registration Act in the US. Nobody wants to risk SHIELD unmasking them or the police arresting them or any kind of consequence so they'll sit their and play their stupid Nintendo DSi's while New York burns.
IronGirl: Then they sit around and high five each other and call themselves rebels for being so edgy and resisting the police. And some of them patrol at night in tiny little corners of the city and then act like they've saved the freaking planet. But nobody's going to actually do anything in broad daylight. It's about glory not saving people and that's why we're here.
IronGirl: Infernei, where are you anyways?
Etoile: No, seriously, that was twenty three seconds of typing. How is that possible?
OrangeEnzeru: And there's no typos. That's the creepy thing.
Infernei: In Madison Square currently. Neutralized the threat with flash bombs and electrocution.
SupremeSkyGirl: You're such a total psycho. I can't believe you murdered someone, even if he was a villain!
Infernei: It didn't even knock him unconscious, actually.
Ulloriaq: What? Well, that tears it. I'm getting down there in two hours tops. That's the fastest I can make it. I'm not a US citizen so the Registration Act can kiss my ass. Everything's under control here. I'm on my way.
KuroSentai: How are you going to get from Greenland to New York City...?
Ulloriaq: I have a way to catch the next flight on Air Greenland. Assuming the crisis doesn't disrupt flights, that is.
SupremeSkyGirl: I can't make it. I can't fly across the country when the West Coast needs me. I'm going to be pulling strings like crazy just to get to San Francisco.
Etoile: I can't get to NYC from Paris right now. There's a real crisis going on downtown and my whole team's busy. I'm en route myself. I'm really sorry. I think the same kind of attacks are happening here on a smaller scale. We can't divert any resources right now.
MidoriSentai: The same's more or less true in Tokyo. I'm on my way as we speak, but it's really bad here. I don't even know how we're going to get through this thing.
Kestuban: I can get to New York. You handle Tokyo.
MidoriSentai: Huh? Aren't you in Ishinomaka? How can you get to New York?
Kestuban: I didn't say it'd be easy. But I'll take care of it. Just go do your thing.
Ulloriaq: Well, see you all when I see you, then.
HC Member: Ketsuban, now offline.
HC Member: Ulloriaq, now offline.
HC Member: MidoriSentai, now offline.
HC Member: OrangeEnzeru, now offline.
HC Member: Pozar, now online.
Pozar: Speed read the conversation. My English is limited but my friend can teleport us. If Iron Man's wife allows, we will join immediately.
IronGirl: Sure.
IronGirl: I mean I'm not his wife!
Infernei: A hero's a hero. Language barrier or not, these things aren't human and they're spreading rapidly. We need you. I'll see who I can round up in person. I'll see you all in combat. Out.
HC Member: Infernei, now offline.
HC Member: Pozar, now offline.
Etoile: ...I suppose we could spare Benji. But he's kind of crazy.
IronGirl: Nobody's playing with a full deck here. You don't become a hero because you're well adjusted. I just want us to get through this week without the apocalypse happening.
Etoile: Benji will help. I just want to say in advance that I'm sorry we can't do more. God bless and good luck.
IronGirl: Good. Sky Girl, you stay online and recruit people to the disaster zone in NYC and see who you can get to cover the others in their own areas. I have to get downtown now before the evil blobs of light kill us all and yes I'm aware of how strange that sounded.
SupremeSkyGirl: Why do I have to do the grunt work?
IronGirl: Two reasons: you're in Nevada so you can't come, and if you don't I'm booting you out. I have that authority now, you know.
SupremeSkyGirl: Because you're Iron Man's wife?
IronGirl: ...yes.
HC Member: IronGirl, now offline.
Nick Fury wasn't just angry, he was currently in that deadly state of mind where anger becomes so intense it produces a frightening calm.
Tony Stark was coordinating some kind of counter attack to the world wide attacks by... whatever the hell this was. Fury didn't know what to make of the read outs his agents were calling in, energy signatures and heat readings so high they were breaking equipment outright. So far the only successful destruction of these beings was one report from Greenland, called in by an agent who had witnessed it first hand. He'd ordered a team sent to retrieve the body immediately. Then he'd turned to his aides, barked out a litany of orders, and gone down to visit the surviving Stark himself, looking at him through new eyes. So this was the man trying to save the world.
God help them all.
Right now the brunette was fluttering in and out of consciousness. His dark blue eyes were unfocused until he was spoken to directly. His skin was pale white, and a layer of cold sweat coated his body. It was in this condition that he was managing to overthrow SHIELD's authority, ignore all their regulations and usurp the Regulation and Anti-Vigilante Acts. If he survived this Fury would either give him a medal or shoot him. Unfortunately, the if in that sentence was a big if. Tony's body was fighting off what it perceived as a foreign object, the very prototype they'd desperately cobbled together to keep him alive. His old arc reactor was being studied and reverse engineered as they spoke.
It was a fight against time, and Tony was losing. His breathing was shallow, his fingers twitching almost involuntarily, and Nick tried not to think of Howard. He'd been in this position before, with Howard on that table, a gunshot wound in his shoulder as he rambled incoherently about Maria. Nick Fury's dark bistre colored eyes flickered to the next operating table over. Maria Stark had died there. Howard had single handedly saved SHIELD from collapse, had kept Nick together through some of the darkest years of his life, and now his son's life was in Nick's hands. And Fury was well aware of the hypocrisy of telling agents to be detached when he'd always had a connection to the Stark family. He was aware of his choices, his options being various degrees of doomed, failure and loss.
"Tony?" Fury asked loudly. The boy's eyes twitched and his eyebrows knit together as if he was trying to focus. "Tony, it's me. Nick Fury. I worked with your dad."
"The SHIELD dude. Right. I remember." Tony smiled weakly. "How much trouble am I in right now?"
"Enough. Look, I can't yell at a man with his chest split open. Firstly it would go against my moral principles, and secondly Agent Potts would kick my ass, so I'm just going to be blunt: we need access to your lab and everything in it." Fury gave him his best 'I am not kidding, this is dead serious' glare.
"Go to hell," Tony replied serenely, his voice even and level. "All you need to know is that I have less of an idea of what's going on than SHIELD does - I got some of my sensors blown out by that guy."
"What was that little mission you sent Pepper Potts on, Stark? You wanna talk to me about that?" Fury pressed on, angrily. "You wanna tell me what's got heroes swapping out positions all over the damn place?"
"Oh, you noticed already? Good. Then Pepper's done her job and should be home in time for Attack Of The Show."
Fury's fists clenched so tightly the knuckles paled. "Don't get smart with me. I'm in the middle of an all out, full scale crisis on three continents and you're orchestrating some kind of response I know nothing about."
"It'll be okay, Nick." And Tony must have been delusional with bloodloss, because he never called SHIELD Director Fury anything so friendly and informal. He smiled, eyes fighting not to go out of focus. "It'll be alright now. This won't be like what happened to Oqitsoq. I promise."
In that second everything about Fury changed. His whole body tensed like a coil ready to burst, and his expression went from guarded and angry to pure disbelief. For a moment there was something vulnerable and raw in his eyes, in his expression. "Where did you hear that name? Who told you about...?"
But Tony was already out like a light.