For Tony Stark

[advanced]

[He's been on the run for what feels like decades, but is really only a few months. He knows he's doing a good job at being hidden because ever since the helicarriers fell out of the air there hasn't been a single confirmed sighting of him, and he knows that Steve is looking. Not just Steve, either. He's just not ready to be found yet.

The easiest way to move between countries, he's found, is by stowing away on private chartered flights. They're usually less attended than commercial flights, and if he can get on board then it's fairly easy to avoid the one or two passengers and crew. He has no idea that the flight he's stowed away on is Tony Stark's private jet, and that it's only Tony himself on board.

At least not until he hears a disembodied voice speaking throughout the plane once they're in the air. It's JARVIS, not that he has any idea who that is.]

Sir, scans of the plane show that there's a man crouching in your cargo hold. I wasn't aware you were transporting any men today.

Comments

[advanced]

If it gets damaged, or you don't have time to get to it.

[He's not taking the only parachute on board, not when he's more than capable of getting down safely without one.]

[buildsomething]

I have contingencies for that, what do you take me for?

[The look he gives Barnes is all overdramatic offense, but there's something a little more curious under it.]

Seriously. We're like an hour out, and if something tries to take down the plane at this point, a parachute isn't going to help.

[advanced]

I'm not taking your only damn parachute, Stark.

[And that's final.

He gets up from his chair finally and shifts half towards the door, ready to go.]

For today-- thank you. But don't follow me, understand?

[buildsomething]

[Is there something in the serum that makes everybody a drama queen? Tony sighs, but waves him off.]

Yeah, yeah, scout's honor. You've got the Dubai address if you want it and you know how to reach me. Have fun storming the castle.

npc villain if that's okay

[advanced]

[The corner of his lips twitch upwards almost into a smile, but then he's gone before anything else can be said. He doesn't feel safe until long after he's touched down and put about twenty miles between him and the drop site, and only then because he's pretty sure nobody is following him.

--

Tony will be met at the airport, as he comes off his private jet, by a sleekly dressed woman with blonde hair and a red dress that could have been painted on. Despite their location, she also has an American accent.]

Mr. Stark? Over here, please.

ooh, intrigue!

[buildsomething]

[Tony pauses at the greeting, one eyebrow lifting from behind the sunglasses he's produced from somewhere before getting off the plane.]

I had no idea there was going to be a welcoming committee.

[It's mild, but Tony does take a moment to give her a very thorough once over.]

[advanced]

[She looks good and she knows she does, giving him a small smirk that doesn't quite reach her eyes as she's given a once over.]

You're a special case, I'm to brief you on the way to the convention centre. I have a car parked outside, if you'd follow me?

[buildsomething]

Uh huh.

[Well, if that doesn't set multiple alarm bells ringing.

Still, Tony can't help but be curious as to exactly what this is about. And the armor's nearby and within easy calling distance, so why not? He won't know what's going on until he pulls at this thread a bit.

So he pastes on his easiest tabloid grin and gestures.]

Lead on. What did you say your name was?

[advanced]

Helena, Helena Cooper.

[She sashays out towards the exit, looking over her shoulder at him as they walk towards the parking lot.]

I was honestly surprised when I heard you'd be attending, usually you're a pretty hard man to track down personally, you usually send an assistant.

[buildsomething]

Do I?

[It's fair enough that he tends to avoid the smaller things, but he's been trying to make himself more of a presence these days. Repping for the Avengers an all.]

Who did you say you worked for again?

[advanced]

I didn't.

[She gestures to where a long, sleek car is parked.]

I'm on retainer from SHIELD, just to make sure this goes smoothly.

[buildsomething]

Oh, SHIELD. I should have guessed.

[The organization that fell apart at the seams is worried about seeing him off to a meeting. Right.

Luckily, all it takes is a twitch of a finger to set off a security alert. He may be going along with this, but he's not completely stupid.]

Nice to see I still rate the VIP treatment.

[advanced]

[It's not been too long since that, three or four months at the most, and she's been focused on other things. She hasn't seen all the news, she doesn't realise that she's impersonating something that doesn't exist any more.]

Of course, Mr. Stark.

[She shoots him a winning smile and gestures to her car.]

If you'd get in, please?

[buildsomething]

[Tony gives her a bland smile in return, trying not to visibly tense as he slips into the back seat.]

So, do I need to debrief, or anything? Give you my schedule? Or do you already have that?

[He's just babbling now, running his mouth without thinking as his brain flies ahead on a completely different track.]

[advanced]

I already have it, please don't worry about a thing.

[She slides into the driver's seat and pulls out of the parking lot, the sound of the automatic locks clicking into place fairly loud.]

You know, you might have known my brother.

[buildsomething]

[Well that's always a good opener.]

Might I? I have to say, I think I'd remember someone looking like you.

[advanced]

He didn't look much like me.

[Her smile is sharper in the rearview mirror, edged like glass.]

He was really excited to meet you, you know?

[buildsomething]

Oh yeah? He an engineering fan?

[There's an edge of dryness to it that probably doesn't quite suit the game he's playing, but Tony's getting a little tired of how drawn out this is. Really, if people are going to threaten him, they should just get it over with. It's good manners.]

[advanced]

No, he was a soldier in the convoy that you had blown up.

[Not his fault, technically, he had been hurt pretty badly himself and taken prisoner. But she still blames him. Her smile is gone now, almost spitting her words out.]

You got a fancy suit, even more money and fame, and he got dead.

[She drags her composure back like a mask, making the next words so light and airy that she could have been discussing the weather rather than making a threat.]

I wouldn't call for that suit, by the way. Any incoming or outgoing transmissions will set off the bomb.

[buildsomething]

[There's a pause before Tony just slants a look at her out of the corners of his eyes. Out of all the things he could conceivably be blamed for, that seems just a little unfair, considering.]

Okay, your brother died and that sucks. But you realize he was a soldier, right? What were you gonna do if an IED got him?

[Possibly not the correct reaction to someone threatening him, but oh well.]

[advanced]

It didn't.

[Her hands are wound so tightly around the steering wheel that her knuckles are white.]

What happened was your fault, you and your need to arrogantly show off.

[buildsomething]

Or it was the fault of people actively trying to, you know, kill me.

[Stane's involvement is still heavily under wraps, more's the pity. He can have all the blame he wants.]

[advanced]

If you hadn't been showing off, taunting everyone with your weapons, they wouldn't have done that. And you came home a 'hero'.

[She spits out that word, she's not a fan of Iron Man.]

But you won't be a hero after today, you'll just be dead.

[buildsomething]

Uh huh.

[Tony does not sound particularly impressed. It's probably not the right tack to take with someone who clearly does not like him much, but he's having a hard time caring. She's got some sort of script in mind and Tony can't be bothered to follow it.]

And then what?

[advanced]

What do you mean 'and then what'?

[She's frowning, it's not going the way she thought it would. Why isn't he scared to die? She wanted to see him frightened, the way she imagined her brother must have been before he was killed.]