“Sorry if that’s a bit blunt, but I am having a bit of an existential crisis at the moment. Um, I mean at the moment.” There is silence between us for a few moments as I lean my head back and close my eyes for a few seconds, revelling in the moment as the thumping from the engines sends subtle vibrations through the whole plane.

Rhodey started to talk, but I interrupted them and said, “Rhodey, I was simply spit-balling. You are my friend, and I trust you with my life. I just have some issues at the moment.” In response, Rhodey looked at his watch and said, “We’ll be landing soon; get some rest and relax.”

I just nodded and said, “Apparently the best way to help prevent PTSD is to do positive things afterward with people close to you. So we are going to a restaurant as soon as we land.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t go to the hospital? I mean, the medic said you were fine, but still, you have a glowing chest. What is that anyway?” He said this while gesturing to my chest. I looked down at the iconic symbol of Tony Stark and said, "Oh, that. It's a micro-sized fusion-arc-powered zero-point reactor, powering an electromagnet, which is keeping several pieces of shrapnel from entering my heart, or, in other words, my so-called 9th symphony.”

While Rhodey had gone to Mit, he barely got what I had said but decided to ask more later. He then lent back in his seat and prepared for landing as I felt the plane descend. 

I stepped off the plane, and I limped straight towards Pepper and Happy when I saw them. Rhodey was pushing a cart carrying the random bits of junk that were the Mark I under a tarp. Two guys then began to load it onto a pickup truck that had the Stark Industries logo on it.

As I approached Pepper, I noticed a tear running down her face. “Is that a tear I see?” I said it with a cheeky smirk. She just smiled and wiped the tear off her cheek and said, “No, I was just happy not having to look for a new job.”

I just laughed and then walked over and hugged Happy, with him eagerly returning the embrace. After that, we all got into the car, and Pepper said, “Hospital.”

“Burger!” I said over her voice as the car drove off.

“No, you’re going to the hospital!" said Pepper in a firm voice. I just smiled and said, “Pepper, I will go to the hospital, not today. I have been kept a prisoner for weeks and have almost died multiple times. I want a fucking burger." After my words, she seemed to give up, realising I had made up my mind.

I just laid my head back on the car seat as the car continued to glide down the roads of L.A. We entered the Burger King, and I ended up eating several whoppers. I knew I could go into shock since my stomach had been starved, but I couldn’t care less. Also, British ones are better; in fact, if my memory serves me right, most food was of better quality across the pond in Europe than here, for the most part anyway. 

I ended up signing several autographs as people recognised me, and I was half way through another burger when a FOX news van pulled up. I struggled not to lose my eyes as they attempted to roll out of my head and got up and left the restaurant.

I bit the burger as a huge camera was pushed in my face, and a flurry of questions was asked by a thirty-ish man, whom I ignored until I got to the car. I then looked at the reporter and said, “There will be a press conference in a few weeks, and you can get the first question. Have a nice day.”

Once we had arrived at Stark Industries Headquarters, I asked to be left alone and then headed to my office there. “Hey Jarvis.” I called out, and a glass screen popped up as I heard the AI respond, “Good afternoon, Tony. It is good to see you again.”

“You didn’t miss me.” I said in a pouty voice as I slumped into my chair, which caused me to let out an audible wince as it pinched the nerve in my dislocated shoulder. In response, he just said, “Unfortunately, I am unable to experience emotions.”

I just smiled at his statement, knowing that wasn’t true. “Okay,” I said as I clapped my hands together and then began rubbing them. “I have a bunch of work for you to do. I need it all done by next week, but make sure to do it as quietly as possible, please.”

“First, I want an in-depth review of all exports made by Stark Industries and their shells and find out where they actually went, not what the forms say. Here is a list of serial numbers that ended up in the hands of my captors. Get this done first, then work your way down the rest of the list.” I said this while uploading a list I had made of all the weapons that I had come into contact with in the cave.

“Next, I want all the activity of Obidiah Stane monitored from now on, and I mean everything, and I also want you to investigate who he is working with in the company, the military, and the government, and I want this and the exports to be compiled into a legal document, so make sure all of this is admissible in court along with a second that can be released to the press at a later date.

"Next, I want you to purchase a secure server farm, or even more if you need to, and begin to move your core programming from my servers in the villa, and once that is done, I want you to cease using that or any stark industry servers for processing.”

I then took a second to think. “Will that be all, sir?” I heard Jarvis say, but I continued. “Uhhh, no. Next, I want you to schedule a board meeting for two weeks and a press conference for the afternoon that day. Oh, and draft a speech for me to announce the temporary suspension of weapons manufacturing at stark industries due to said investigations.

And finally, I want a full portfolio of every person on a list we are about to create. I don’t care if you have to hack into the pentagon; I want everything.”

I then heard Jarvis say, “But sir, may I advise that doing as such is highly illegal?”

“Oh, Jarvis. I’m going to be breaking a lot more laws than that in the future.” I said it with a smile on my face. “Anyway, start the list.”

“Okay,” responded the AI with a hesitant tone. I do not feel emotions, my ass.

“Aldritch Killian

Quinten Beck

William Ginter Riva

Victoria Snow

Carol Danvers

Gutes Guterman

Janice Lincoln

Shanice Minsky

Doug Hules

Natalie Rushman

Natalya Romanoff

Nicholas J. Fury

Nicholas J. Jones

Phillip J. Coulson

Clint Barton

Marianne Hill

Alexander Pierce

Peter Parker

May Parker

Benjamin Parker

Franklin Percy Nelson

Matt Murdock

Luke Cage

Jessica Jones

Danny Rand

Frank Castle

Daisy Johnson

Leo Fitz

Jemma Simmons

Susan Storm

Johnathan Storm

Reed Richards 

Benjamin J. Grimm

Bruce Wayne

Sam Witwicky

Charles Francis Xavier

Max Eisenhardt

Bill Stryker

Bolivar Trask

Gwen Stacy

James Rhodes

Hank Pym

Hope Pym

Scott Lang

Bruce Banner

Pepper Potts

Maya Hansen

James Buchanan Barnes

Steve Rodgers

Peggy Carter

Steven Strange

Helen Cho

…”

I had spent about half an hour listing off names before I finished and heard Jarvis say. “Are you finished, sir?” in a sarcastic tone. I gave him a stern look before saying. Please also take a look to see if I might have any kids. The chances aren’t zero, and I would like to know. 

…

“Mr. Stark! It is a pleasure to meet you.” I then stood up and shook his hand as I said, “The same is true for me. Dr… Strange? I’m glad you came within a few days.” I then tilted my head to show I was surprised by the name.

“Shall we?” I said as I gestured for us both to sit down. He then said, “I heard you just came back from Afghanistan. So, I understand the reason for you to see a doctor, but why me? I’m a neurosurgeon.”

I just smirked and slid off the t-shirt I was wearing. Once my vision became unobstructed again, I could see the look of pure terror on his face as he saw the arc-reactor embedded in my chest. I just chuckled at him as he tried to speak, but he choked slightly before trying to speak again and managed to formulate words this time. “How?”

“Well, let’s just say one of my own weapons went off in my face, embedding my whole body with shrapnel. Now, thanks to the brilliant work of a surgeon, they managed to get most of them out, but a few are ready and rearing to pierce some holes into my brain or heart and are only being held in place by this nifty little electromagnet here.” I responded while gesturing to the arc reactor.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. But, even if I can get all the shrapnel out, I can guarantee that I will cause massive amounts of permanent, debilitating scarring, and even if it was just appendicitis, I wouldn’t operate on you because of the current state of your health.” He explained while gesturing at the multiple dark purple bruises all over my body. I had managed to get away with an unbroken arm, a hole in my calf, and my entire body bruised and battered.

I just nodded and said, “If I heal up a bit and can deal with the scarring issue, would you be willing to operate?” to which he nodded, and I smiled as we ended our brief meeting in which he had been paid a hefty consultation fee.

Just as we were walking out of the building, I saw a familiar face. I turned to Strange and said, “It was nice meeting you, Doctor. I hope to see you soon.” He raised an eyebrow but complied and decided to just go with the flow. I winced internally, realising some of my British accent had popped through. I just shook it off and began to walk to Coulson, who was sitting patiently in the lobby as Strange went to a car waiting just outside. When he noticed me, a light seemed to light up in his eye, which was likely relief since he had been trying to see me since yesterday.

Before he could say anything, though, I just started talking: “Look, whichever government agency you work for, I’ve already talked to the CIA, FBI, and DOD over the last few days. I’m sure you can ask them.”

He raised an eyebrow before saying, “How’d you?”

“Please. The Mid-Price Range Unfitted Suit, stance, everything about you screams government employee.” I said sarcastically as I sat on the sofa opposite him. “Who are you anyway?”

“I’m Agent Coulson. From the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I’d like to debrief you on your escape.” said Coulson with a hint of superiority in his voice. I would as well if I could say that mouthful fluently.

I just chuckled while looking him in the eyes and said, “Well, that is a mouthful. My father sure wanted that acronym.”

“I’m sorry.” Said Coulson as a slight, almost imperceptible bead of sweat ran down his face, which just made my grin go deeper. “I am aware of SHIELD’s existence, Agent Coulson. My dad was one of its founding members. Anyway, what do you guys want to do with me? You don’t think I’m an international terrorist or something, right?”