A Different Tony Stark

Tony sat at his desk, casually flipping through a few documents. The press conference had shaken things up, but that was the plan. He wasn't worried. If anything, he was looking forward to what will come next. The company needed change, and he was going to make sure it happened his way.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. A second later, Pepper opened it, stepping inside with her usual composed expression. Behind her was a man in a suit, hands neatly clasped in front of him.

"Tony, this is Agent Phil Coulson," Pepper said. "He made an appointment to speak with you."

Tony leaned back in his chair, giving Coulson a once-over. "Agent, huh?"

Coulson stepped forward, pulling out a slim leather case and flipping it open to reveal a government badge. "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "That's a mouthful. You guys work on making the name shorter?"

"We're considering it," Coulson replied smoothly.

Pepper nodded to Tony before stepping out, closing the door behind her. Tony moved behind his desk, watching Coulson carefully. "So, what's this about?"

Coulson gave a small nod. "We try to be courteous. We're aware of the sudden shift in Stark Industries' business model. Our agency keeps an eye on global security risks. A weapons manufacturer shutting down overnight raises questions."

"So you are here about the press conference," Tony said, leaning back. "Look, I get it. The military's rattled, the stockholders are throwing a fit, and now some shadowy government agency wants to check in. But I don't answer to you. I don't answer to anyone." He gestured toward the door. "So unless you're here to buy some arc reactors, feel free to see yourself out."

Coulson didn't move. He was originally planning on debriefing him for the kidnapping but his boss changed his find because of Tony's controversial decision. This matter became a priority and seeing Tony's unfriendly response, he decided against the debriefing altogether. They already have reports from other government departments and they already sent agents to investigate and verify the facts. "This isn't an interrogation, Mr. Stark. We're not here to stop you. In fact, we're very interested in what you're building."

That gave Tony pause.

Coulson continued, "You've made enemies today. Powerful ones. You may not think of your company as a threat, but there are people who will see it that way. You've disrupted an entire ecosystem. And when that happens, things tend to... push back."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Is that a warning, Agent Coulson?"

"An observation." Coulson answered. "We'd like to keep an open line of communication. If you come across anything unusual, anything outside your area of expertise, we'd prefer you call us first."

Tony was amused. "Hoh... That sounds cool but before anything, do you know why the terrorists managed to get their hands on a ton of Stark weapons?"

"We're looking into it and as of the moment, there isn't much progress. But--"

"I know what you're thinking, that I should know more about this but I just arrived for a few days. And if someone from the inside is doing something, they didn't left any digital footprint." Tony lied through his teeth, he easily got all the evidence he needed against Obadiah. He just let JARVIS rummage through the network, as easy as that. Currently, Tony has no plan on throwing Obadiah into jail just yet. "So as things stands, there's nothing much your spy agency can help me with. Why do you think I should still consider your assistance?"

Coulson reached into his pocket and placed a small, unmarked card on the desk. "Because sooner or later, you're going to realize you're playing a much bigger game than you think. And when you do, you'll want to know who the other players are."

Tony almost rolled his eyes at me. 'Oh believe me, I do know who are the players. You guys don't even know you're being played.' He then glanced at the card, then back at Coulson. He wasn't sure if he was being offered help or subtly threatened. Either way, he wasn't about to let some government spook dictate his next move. 'Should I just read his mind? Nah... That would be boring.'

"Oh well, I'll keep it in mind," Uncharacteristically, Tony smiled amiably, standing up. "But for now, I've got a company to rebuild."

Coulson gave a small nod, as if he had expected that answer. "Of course. Have a good evening, Mr. Stark."

Without another word, he walked to the door and let himself out, leaving Tony staring at the plain white card on his desk. No name. No number. Just the words:

Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.

Tony exhaled slowly. "Yeah. Definitely need to work on that name."

He pocketed the card and turned back to his desk. He had bigger things to worry about.

---

Phil Coulson stepped into the dimly lit office, the door shutting quietly behind him. The air smelled faintly of coffee and old leather, a reminder of just how many late nights had been spent in this room. At the desk, Nick Fury sat with his hands folded, his single eye focused on the agent in front of him.

"Report," Fury said simply.

Coulson placed a small folder onto the desk, its contents sparse but significant. "I met with Stark. As expected, he's not interested in outside oversight, he could be planning something big. He's completely shifted focus away from weapons manufacturing. He didn't give specifics, but whatever he's working on, he's totally in control." After he said that, Coulson thought if his boss' paranoia has already rubbed off of him. Tony's actions can also be explained just by 'sudden enlightenment' because of a traumatic incident but his boss thinks otherwise.

Fury picked up the folder and flipped it open, scanning the brief notes. "Anything that sets off alarms? Maybe a diversion?"

Coulson shook his head. "Nothing concrete. At the very least, he wasn't blindsided by the fallout from his press conference. He knew exactly what he was doing. If anything, he's ahead of where we thought he'd be. But we already that know he's pretty smart. Isn't this sudden change just happened because of a traumatic experience?"

Fury exhaled through his nose, closing the folder. "Maybe, but my instinct tells me otherwise. By the fact that he's not showing any sign of being traumatized, at the very least, stressed, we need to monitor his moves. We don't really know what happened in Afghanistan and you've seen his body. Don't tell me that didn't remind you of something."

That made Coulson pause as realization sank in. "You mean..." There's someone that immediately popped in his head, someone he's a huge fan of, Captain America. "Stark has undergone a procedure?"

"Possibly. We don't know who has the capabilities, Stark or the terrorists. Regardless of who has it or whatever it is, we need that. It's been decades but no one has able to reproduce the procedure. This could be our chance."

"I see. This will greatly boost our personnel."

"Right. That's why I need you to be vigilant. Stark's unpredictable. If he decides to shut us out, we need to be ready."

Coulson nodded. "Should we increase surveillance?"

Fury leaned back, considering it. "Not yet. Keep it light—background monitoring, nothing intrusive. If we push too hard, he'll dig his heels in. But we need to be ready for whatever move he makes next."

Coulson hesitated before adding, "There's something else. He's made enemies. The shift in Stark Industries is going to leave a power vacuum. Someone will try to fill it."

Fury's expression darkened. "That's what I'm counting on. Let them make the first move. Then we'll see where Stark really stands and what he is hiding."

Coulson gave a sharp nod. "Understood."

Fury drummed his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. Then, with a decisive nod, he said, "Keep me updated. Dismissed."

Coulson turned on his heel and left the office, leaving Fury alone with his thoughts.

Whatever Tony Stark was planning, it was only the beginning. And S.H.I.E.L.D. would be watching.

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