Coulson gave a faint, knowing smile. "You'll have plenty of time for that later, sir. Right now, Director Fury needs your attention. It's about the team he's putting together."
Tony leaned back in his chair, tilting his head slightly. "Team, huh? Don't tell me Fury's little science club finally got approval."
"It's not a club," Coulson replied, unamused. "It's the Avengers Initiative. And we could use your cooperation."
Pepper crossed her arms. "Oh no, you're not dragging him back into government projects, are you?"
Tony swiveled toward her with a grin. "Relax, Pep. Fury doesn't drag me anywhere. He just asks nicely until I say yes."
Coulson raised a brow. "You didn't sound this cooperative last time."
"Yeah, well, last time you weren't standing in my penthouse," Tony quipped. "So, what's the crisis this time? Some guy stole a nuclear code?"
Coulson hesitated a fraction before answering, "Something like that. The Tesseract's been taken. We believe it's in the hands of someone… dangerous."
Tony's grin faded slightly. "So, not just another lab accident."
"No," Coulson said evenly. "This is bigger. We're assembling a team—Banner, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton. You're on that list too."
Coulson also gave him a tablet with all those agenst names and some backgroud on them, he took it as he skimmed through it.
Tony glanced at Pepper, then back at Coulson. "And you think throwing me in a room with a super-soldier, a giant green rage monster, and two assassins is a good idea?"
"It's not about good ideas, Tony," Coulson replied dryly. "It's about necessity. We need your mind. Fury needs you to help track the cube's energy readings. The tech you built from Stark Tower's arc reactor could stabilize our readings and locate it faster."
Tony leaned forward, tapping the edge of his desk. "So basically, you want me to babysit your power problem again."
Coulson's tone didn't waver. "You could look at it that way. Or you could look at it as saving the world—again."
Pepper shot Tony a pointed look. "You know you're going to say yes."
Tony sighed dramatically, pretending to think it over. "Yeah, yeah, fine. But only because I hate it when the world ends before I finish a new suit."
"Of course," Coulson said with a small smile. "Fury will be expecting you aboard the Helicarrier within the hour. I'll have the transport ready."
As Coulson turned to leave, Tony called out, "Hey, tell Fury to have coffee waiting this time. Last mission, I had to hack a vending machine just to get an espresso."
Coulson paused at the doorway. "We'll see what we can do."
Once he was gone, Pepper looked at Tony, her arms folded. "You love this, don't you?"
Tony smirked. "What can I say? Saving the world gives me something to do between upgrades."
Pepper shook her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Just… try not to blow up any more of your suits."
"No promises," Tony said, standing and letting the armor pieces begin assembling around him. "Jarvis, prep flight mode. Let's go make some new friends."
"Understood, sir," Jarvis replied, as the Iron Man faceplate sealed shut with a metallic hiss.
The windows opened automatically, and with a powerful roar of the repulsors, Tony shot into the sky, leaving a streak of gold and red light in his wake—headed straight for the Helicarrier.
The roar of the repulsors faded into the clouds as Iron Man sliced through the upper atmosphere, Stark Tower shrinking behind him until it was nothing more than a glint against the New York skyline. The wind screamed past the armor, and inside, Tony's HUD lit up with a dozen data feeds—air traffic control, S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite trajectories, and a beacon pulsing faintly on the horizon.
"Jarvis, patch into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s frequency," Tony said. "Let's make sure they actually know I'm coming this time."
"Already done, sir," Jarvis replied. "Director Fury's channel is open. Would you like me to announce you dramatically, or keep it subtle for once?"
Tony smirked. "Let's surprise him. You know I live for his reactions."
A few seconds later, the massive shadow of the Helicarrier loomed in the clouds—its turbines rotating with the slow, thunderous hum of restrained power. Dozens of aircraft circled the floating fortress, and as Tony approached, two S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjets flanked him, weapons armed but not locked.
"This is Quinjets Alpha and Beta," a pilot's voice crackled through the comms. "Iron Man, maintain course and prepare for docking. Director Fury is expecting you."
"Yeah, yeah," Tony replied lazily. "Tell him to warm up the coffee machine. I'm running on pure genius fumes."
As he neared the Helicarrier's upper deck, a landing pad extended outward. The magnetic locks activated with a faint hum, guiding him down in a controlled descent. The armor landed with a solid metallic thud, steam hissing as the repulsors powered down.
The moment the faceplate lifted, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Welcomr Mr. Stark" Hills was there to recieve him.
Tony grinned. "You know, you should smile sometime or that pretty face is wasted on you."
Hills on the other hand didn't respond she just looked at him with her same stoic face.
Behind her, a man in a dark blue uniform—his posture upright, his presence unmistakably military—turned toward Tony. Captain America. Even without the shield strapped to his back, he looked every inch the legend.
"Stark," Steve said with a polite nod. "Heard a lot about you."
"Likewise, Capsicle," Tony replied. "You still thawing out or are we good to skip the awkward introductions?"
Steve's brow furrowed faintly, but before he could respond, another voice cut in.
"That'll be enough," said Nick Fury, emerging from the elevator with his usual commanding calm. His one good eye fixed on Tony like a scalpel. "Glad you could join us, Stark."
Tony turned, flashing a grin. "Wouldn't miss it. So, what's the end of the world look like this time?"
Fury handed him a data drive. "You'll find out soon enough. Loki's on the move, and the Tesseract's in play. We need your tech synced with Banner's to locate it."
"Banner?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "You mean the guy who turns into a green rage blender? Yeah, I read the file. That'll be fun."
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