Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
The private hospital room smelled faintly of antiseptic, overlaid with the expensive floral arrangement dominating a side table. The steady beep of the heart monitor provided a relentless rhythm. Tony Stark, propped against a mountain of pillows, looked less like a billionaire industrialist and more like a crash test dummy – bruised, pale, but undeniably alert, his eyes sharp and assessing. The new Arc Reactor beneath a clean dressing emitted a soft, steady glow, a stark contrast to the sputtering relic Arthur had jammed in his chest less than twenty-four hours ago. Pepper sat in a chair beside the bed, managing a flurry of calls and messages on a StarkPad with quiet efficiency. Rhodey stood by the window, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the L.A. sprawl below, the rigid lines of his military bearing finally softening.
Arthur entered quietly, the soft click of the door barely registering. He nodded a silent greeting to Pepper and Rhodey. "Progress?" he asked softly, his eyes scanning the monitors before settling on Tony.
Rhodey turned, rubbing his tired eyes. "Docs are calling it a miracle. Couple of cracked ribs, grade-three concussion, some pretty gnarly energy burns where the old junker was. Says he's lucky he didn't cook himself from the inside out."
"Luck's got nothing on genius," Tony rasped, the familiar smirk fighting its way onto his bruised face. "Plus, you know, having a lawyer who apparently doubles as a field medic helps. Where'd you learn that trick, Steele? Night school?"
"My skill set is diverse," Arthur replied dryly, stepping closer. He held up his own StarkPad, displaying stark images of the devastated Stark Tower rooftop – twisted metal, shattered glass, the gaping maw where the reactor dome had been.
"Good to see your humility remains unscathed. Though the preliminary structural integrity report might induce palpitations in your insurance adjuster. Early estimates are... substantial."
"Collateral," Tony waved off, wincing as the movement pulled at his ribs. "Cost of doing business. What's the narrative?"
"Contained," Arthur reported, his tone clinical. "Official story: catastrophic malfunction during a routine, albeit unauthorized, test of the main Arc Reactor." He met Tony's gaze. "Obadiah Stane is being lauded for his heroic, tragically unsuccessful, attempt to prevent further damage. And all his illegal assets and funds are being redirected in the rebuilding effort as his last charitable act "
"Unauthorized R&D," Tony echoed, a faint, dark grin touching his lips. "Perfect. Keeps the heat on me, but off... other activities. Obie the Hero. He'd hate that."
"Precisely," Arthur confirmed. "As for Stane's less heroic, considerably more treasonous activities, the evidence Ms. Potts secured..." he gave Pepper a brief, acknowledging nod, "...is being quietly disseminated through appropriate federal channels via intermediaries. Section 16 is already being carefully dismantled. Publicly, however, he remains the martyr CEO. It maintains market stability, prevents shareholder panic during the transition."
Tony nodded slowly, the grim necessity sinking in. "Gotta protect the brand," he murmured, the words flat.
Pepper reached over and gently squeezed his hand. "Rest, Tony. We'll handle the company."
Arthur lingered a moment, noting the slight tremor still present in Tony's hands, the exhaustion shadowing his eyes despite the bravado. The physical recovery was underway; the psychological, a longer battle. He excused himself, stepping back into the quiet hospital corridor. His phone vibrated – an encrypted update from Ben Carter: Aegis teams provided secondary support at SI perimeter. Liaising with community center re: displaced residents. Medical supply drops confirmed St. Jude's. Quietly, efficiently, the initiative was mitigating the human cost. Arthur acknowledged the message and headed for the elevators, already strategizing the corporate reconstruction.
Edwards Air Force Base - Secure Debriefing Room
Colonel James Rhodes stood at parade rest, the starched collar of his uniform feeling unusually tight. Before him sat General Bridgeport and two other senior officers, their faces unreadable masks. The large screen behind them cycled through blurry radar tracks and stills from the F-22's damaged targeting pod.
"So let me be clear, Colonel," General Bridgeport stated, his voice like gravel scraping concrete. "Your official report, corroborated by Stark Industries' preliminary findings, states that an experimental Stark Industries drone," the word dripped sarcasm, "suffered a catastrophic malfunction, performed erratic, high-speed maneuvers inconsistent with its known flight profile, tragically collided with Raptor Two-One, resulting in the loss of the aircraft, and that this same drone was subsequently vaporized in the energy event at Stark Tower?"
"That is the assessment based on available, corroborated data, General," Rhodey replied, his voice betraying none of the internal conflict. Steele's legalese felt like sand in his mouth.
"A 'drone' capable of outmaneuvering an F-22?" Colonel Davies from Intelligence interjected skeptically. "A 'drone' whose unfortunate demise coincided with a remarkably generous multi-million dollar anonymous 'donation' from Stark Industries to cover the Raptor's replacement cost?"
"Stark Industries R&D pushes boundaries, sir," Rhodey recited, feeling the familiar burn of frustration. "Mr. Stark confirmed several advanced autonomous projects were underway. Given the tragic death of interim CEO Stane and the chaos... complete telemetry recovery has been impossible."
General Bridgeport sighed heavily, leaning back. "This smells worse than three-day-old fish, Rhodes. The plausible deniability wouldn't fool a recruit." He looked around the table, meeting the eyes of the other officers. "However, the check cleared. The press has swallowed the reactor story whole. And frankly, none of us relishes the thought of explaining this," he gestured to the blurry image, "to the Senate Armed Services Committee, especially without concrete proof."
Rhodey allowed himself a minuscule breath of relief, but kept his posture rigid. "General, if I may... I request this incident report, and all related sensor data, remain classified Top Secret/Codeword. Specifically... compartmentalized away from General Ross's current operational reviews."
Bridgeport raised an eyebrow, a flicker of understanding – and perhaps amusement – in his eyes. "Worried Thaddeus will get wind of Stark's new toy soldier and try to requisition it?" He gave a short, grim chuckle. "Don't sweat it, Colonel. Ross is neck-deep in his own mess down in Virginia. Some pet project chasing a scientist named Banner went sideways. Gamma radiation, apparently. Sounds like he's got bigger, greener problems to worry about than flying metal men right now." He leaned forward, his expression hardening. "Consider this buried, Rhodes. For now." He fixed Rhodey with a hard stare. "But you tell your friend Stark – keep his 'prototypes' grounded. Put him on notice: next time, there won't be a check big enough."
"Understood, General," Rhodey said, the relief real this time, though the mention of Banner and gamma radiation sparked a new unease. He was dismissed, walking out into the desert sun feeling compromised but intact.
Arthur's Temporary Office, Stark Industries West Coast HQ
Arthur commanded the recovery effort amidst a controlled whirlwind of activity. Legal teams managed insurance claims and liability waivers. Engineers assessed the structural damage to the tower. SI stock held steady, propped up by the quiet, persistent stabilizing efforts from the "Jack Davis" profile Arthur managed.
He reviewed incoming Aegis reports: structural assessments initiated for civilian properties, emergency grant applications processed, temporary housing secured for displaced families.
His secure line chimed – Anya Sharma. "Ghost," she reported, "Section 16 decryption advancing. Confirmed backchannel payments traced from Stane's slush funds to multiple mid-level Pentagon logistics officers, dates correlating precisely with diverted Jericho shipments. Also, undeniable financial links established between Hammer Industries' primary offshore accounts and Section 16 weapon transfers predating the Afghanistan incident. Appears Hammer wasn't just colluding; he may have been an early investor in Stane's side business."
"Excellent work, Anya," Arthur instructed calmly. "Prioritize building the prosecutable case against the Pentagon contacts. Irrefutable financial chains. Hammer is leverage; document everything, but hold action for now. Keep it clean."
"Understood," Anya replied.
"Keep me updated," Arthur said and disconnected. Hammer, always lurking in the shadows. He made a note, then approved the latest batch of Aegis grants before turning his attention to coordinating with the SI disaster recovery team.
Stark Industries Conference Room
Tony, looking sharp in a perfectly tailored suit despite favoring his ribs, sat at the table, flanked by Arthur and a weary but resolute Rhodey. Across from them sat Agent Coulson, his usual placid expression firmly in place, backed by several impassive SHIELD personnel.
"Okay, let's hit the highlights," Tony began, leaning back with deliberate casualness. "Big boom. My fault – experimental tech. Obie played hero, went out with a bang. Sad story. Next?"
Coulson smiled faintly, placing the file with battle photos on the table. "The public story serves its purpose, Mr. Stark," he said evenly. "However," he tapped the photos, "our analysis confirms two powered exoskeletons were operational. One matching Stane's known prototype..." He indicated the Monger wreckage. "...and another." He pointed to the red-and-gold armor.
Tony glanced at Arthur, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
Coulson leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping. "Several agents witnessed the... intervention, Mr. Stark. Frankly, they wouldn't be here without it." He slid a draft report across the table. "Officially," Coulson continued, his tone becoming subtly collaborative, "Stane activated his prototype during the crisis. The reactor surge caused unpredictable feedback, activating another experimental Stark Industries unit – perhaps an automated bodyguard prototype, or, given the sophistication..." he paused, letting the implication hang, "...perhaps one piloted by a highly trained, unnamed member of your personal security detail. This operative bravely engaged Stane before both units were disabled by the final reactor purge. Their current status," he added carefully, "remains unconfirmed due to the event's destructive nature."
He looked directly at Tony. "A neat narrative. Plausible. Ties up loose ends, including explaining away certain recent aerial activities over restricted airspace and the events of Gulmira. Wouldn't you agree?"
Tony stared at the report, then at Coulson's helpful, waiting expression. He had to physically suppress a grin. These guys played the game well.
Arthur picked up the report, scanning it with the air of impartial legal counsel. "Agent Coulson's hypothesis regarding the activation of a secondary security prototype under duress is... plausible," he conceded smoothly. "Stark Industries security protocols do involve advanced familiarization... an emergency intervention by a trained operative utilizing available assets falls within the realm of possibility." He placed the report back down. "A regrettable necessity, ending tragically."
Coulson gave a slight, satisfied nod, accepting the mutual agreement. "Our primary interest now is securing all technology related to Mr. Stane's unauthorized projects from Section 16." He looked back at Tony. "The capabilities demonstrated remain of significant interest. SHIELD requires assurance that such technology will be properly contained going forward, as I am sure you have no shortage of such diverse bodyguards."
"Absolutely, Agent," Tony said readily, playing his part perfectly. "Full cooperation. Open kimono. Anything you need, consider it yours." he lied with a straight face.
"We will," Coulson said, standing. He collected his file but left the sanitized report. "We'll be in touch to coordinate the asset transfer." He gave Arthur a nod that conveyed mutual understanding and appreciation . "Mr. Steele." He and his team filed out.
Tony chuckled, holding up the report. "'Status unconfirmed'? Phil's got layers. Resourceful." He looked at Arthur. "Think anyone actually buys that song and dance?"
"They buy the solution it provides," Arthur corrected pragmatically. "Coulson offered a mutually beneficial narrative that avoids public panic and bureaucratic headaches. It serves SHIELD's interests by acknowledging the event happened while classifying the key asset. It works. For now."
"Good enough for me," Tony declared. He turned to Rhodey. "So, Platypus, the big metal 'goose' officially extinct in the Air Force archives?"
Rhodey sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Your lawyer is unnervingly persuasive, Tony, and the check cleared. But seriously," he leaned in, his voice low and firm, "no more unscheduled test flights, or next time I might be the one giving sworn testimony about very large, aggressive idiotic but dead goose."
"Where's the fun in that?" Tony grinned, tapping his chest. "Besides, I've got talent... and apparently, a lawyer with deeper pockets than God." He jerked a thumb towards Arthur.
Yeah right...I just gave them their own laundered money back, better keep it to myself or I will be a very wanted and very dead lawyer. Arthur thought to himself.
Arthur's Office & Stark Industries
Executive Suite
Arthur reviewed the final Aegis Initiative relief summaries. Julian Thorne confirmed pro-bono engineering assessments were underway, successfully challenging lowball insurance offers. Marcus Cole confirmed final supply drops completed. Anya Sharma's team had processed nearly all initial emergency aid applications. The quiet, efficient cleanup was concluding.
He closed the file just as his secure line indicated an incoming call from Pepper.
"Arthur," Pepper's voice came through, steady, professional again. "I saw the news cycle post-debriefing. The 'bodyguard' alibi seems stable?"
"For the moment," Arthur confirmed.
"Coulson provided the framework. Our cultivated media contacts are reinforcing the 'tragic accident' narrative.
Speculation is minimal and contained."
"Good," Pepper sighed. "Tony's back at the mansion. Predictably, he's already redesigned half the workshop. Rhodey's running interference." There was a pause. "I wanted to thank you again, Arthur. Seriously. For… everything."
"Just fulfilling my duties, Pepper," Arthur replied, his tone softening fractionally. "Focus on the recovery. The company needs direction."
"I know," she said, determination returning. "Which is why I'm calling. I'm heading over. We need to finalize Phase Four, and establish real oversight this time. Properly."
"My thoughts exactly," Arthur agreed. "I have proposals ready. I'll see you shortly." He disconnected just as his office door opened.
Pepper Potts stood there, composed, the exhaustion masked by resolve.
"Arthur," she said, stepping inside.
"Pepper," he acknowledged, standing. "Please, sit. Let's get this ship sailing."
Their conversation shifted seamlessly into the future. The fallout was contained. The stage was set for a overhaul.
A/N.
I wanted to show the aftermath of such event as in the movie Tony was closely hit by the surge and and thrown around by Stane like a rag doll, yet was walking like a true plot armour baby within days.
The bullcrap of Stane going on a vacation and not returing conviniently around the supposed disaster in Stark Industries seemed very loose, so I changed it a bit, making him a hero but taking away all his money for "rebuilding effort", as Arthur has already uncovered all the details of his activities and funds here.
The military as well as the government seemed oddly silent about the entire event, so I wanted to show that side too and ofcourse set up our fluffy little green rage buddy.
Ciao...!!!