June 19, 2009 – Hayes Residence, New York
The living room hummed with quiet anticipation.
Arthur and Eileen sat together on the sofa, their attention fixed on the television. The press conference was minutes away from starting, and the whole household had gathered for the occasion.
On the floor, Elena was locked in a fierce aerial battle with invisible enemies.
"Zoom! Pew pew pew!"
She zoomed around the coffee table, clutching a miniature replica of the Iron Man suit. It wasn't some cheap plastic toy—it was metallic, perfectly articulated, every detail immaculate. Arthur had conjured it for her only minutes ago.
Tristan followed his sister, his own Iron Man figure clutched in his small fist, mimicking her sound effects with enthusiastic gibberish.
"I want one too," Pietro complained from the armchair, watching the children with undisguised envy. "Why do only they get the cool robots?"
"If you want one," Wanda replied without looking up from her book, "just ask nicely."
Pietro's eyes lit up. He turned toward Arthur, mouth opening—
A larger Iron Man figurine materialized in front of him before he could speak.
Pietro let out a whoop of delight and snatched it from the air, immediately inspecting every joint and repulsor.
One appeared in front of Wanda too. She just put it below her book acting uninterested but Arthur caught the smile she couldn't quite suppress.
On the television, the feed cut to the press room at Stark Industries.
Arthur could have been there in person. Nothing would have stopped him from attending.
But there was something special about watching it this way - surrounded by his family.
Some events were meant to be witnessed from a distance. This one deserved to be experienced the way the rest of the world would experience it.
On a screen. Through a broadcast.
The way legends were born.
The camera panned across the crowded room. Agent Coulson stood near the podium, his expression professionally neutral. Pepper hovered at the edge of the frame, caught somewhere between anxiety and pride.
Then Tony Stark walked out.
He looked better than he had in the hospital—the bruises faded to faint shadows, his movements only slightly stiff. Sharp suit. Trademark sunglasses. That particular swagger that announced to the world: I know something you don't, and you're about to find out.
Tony stepped up to the podium. The room fell silent.
"Been a while since I was in front of you," he began, his voice carrying easily. "I figure I'll stick to the cards this time."
He glanced down at the index cards in his hand—the prepared statement.
"There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop—"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," a reporter interrupted, "but do you honestly expect us to believe that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared—"
"I know that it's confusing," Tony said smoothly. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."
"I never said you were a superhero."
"Didn't?" Tony's expression flickered—something shifting behind his eyes.
Arthur leaned forward slightly.
Tony looked at the cards again. Then he looked at the crowd. At the cameras. At the world watching.
He set the cards down.
"The truth is..." Tony paused, and in that pause, Arthur could feel history holding its breath. "I am Iron Man."
The room exploded.
Reporters surged forward, shouting over each other. Cameras strobed in a blinding frenzy. Questions overlapped into meaningless noise. At the edge of the frame, Agent Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose in visible exasperation.
But Tony just stood there at the center of the storm, basking in the chaos, that infuriating smirk firmly in place.
Arthur sat back, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"He said it!" Elena cheered, thrusting her toy skyward. "I am Iron Man!"
"He actually admitted it," Pietro laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "The ego on that man."
"It suits him," Wanda said quietly, a faint smile touching her lips.
Eileen leaned back, stunned. "Well. There goes the secret identity."
Arthur watched the pandemonium unfold on screen, satisfaction warming his chest.
It was, he had to admit, a masterful performance.
And it was exactly what Tony needed. After weeks of operating in shadows, of being the mysterious vigilante no one could identify—this was Tony Stark stepping into the light. Claiming his place.
I am Iron Man.
"Secrets weigh you down," Arthur said softly. "Tony was never built for carrying weight."
He watched his friend field questions with charm and deflection, playing the press like a maestro conducting an orchestra.
"He's built to fly."
—
Malibu, California – Stark Residence
The house was quiet when Tony returned.
He loosened his tie as he walked through the front door, still riding the high of the press conference. The questions. The cameras. The electric thrill of finally saying what he'd been dying to say for weeks.
I am Iron Man.
God, that felt good.
"JARVIS," Tony called out. "Keep the lights down. And put on some—"
He stopped.
There was a silhouette standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the Pacific. A man in a long leather coat, perfectly still, as if he'd been waiting there for hours.
"I am Iron Man," the figure said, his voice deep and unhurried. "You think you're the only superhero in the world?" He turned slowly. "Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet."
Tony didn't flinch. He walked to the bar and poured himself a drink with deliberate casualness.
"Who are you?"
The figure stepped into the moonlight. The eyepatch was the first thing to catch the light.
"Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Ah." Tony took a sip. "The spy chief. I think you're confused about how this works. You need to schedule an appointment to talk to me." He swirled his glass. "Right now, the waiting list is about three months long."
"I don't make appointments," Fury said, walking closer. "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."
"Avengers?" Tony scoffed. "Sounds like a boy band. Or a circus act." He shook his head. "I'm not interested. I don't play well with others."
"The world is changing, Stark. There are forces out there - threats - that your suit, impressive as it is, can't handle alone."
"My suit can handle anything." Tony set down his glass. "And this is just the beginning. Give me a few months, and I'll have a version that can take on whatever you're worried about."
Fury's expression didn't change. "How clueless are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Has Arthur not told you anything? About the world? About the dangers lurking out there?"
Tony went still. "Arthur?"
"Arthur Hayes. Your friend. The financial wizard. The man behind Phoenix Group."
"I know who Arthur Hayes is." Tony's voice cooled several degrees. "Why are you bringing him up?"
"So he hasn't told you." Fury tilted his head. "About hidden worlds. About the threats lurking in the dark."
Tony's jaw tightened. "I would like you to leave now. You have overstayed your welcome."
He saw exactly what Fury was doing. Trying to drive a wedge between him and Arthur. Trying to plant seeds of doubt about someone Tony trusted implicitly.
Tony wasn't an idiot. He knew Arthur had secrets. The man practically radiated mystery—the way he spoke in riddles, the way he seemed to know things he shouldn't, the way he'd tracked down Stane's workshop in Moscow without explaining how. Even his rescue from Afghanistan had gaps that didn't quite add up.
But Tony had never doubted Arthur. Not once.
Whatever secrets Arthur was keeping, he had his reasons. He would share them when the time was right. That was how trust worked.
Fury, however, showed no inclination to leave.
"You really don't know who Arthur Hayes is," Fury pressed. "What he can do. What he's capable of."
"So?" Tony replied, his tone bored.
"So," Fury stepped closer. "Once you join the Avenger Initiative, you get access. You can learn the truth about him. Open your eyes to the real world."
"I don't need to join your little club to learn anything." Tony turned to face Fury fully. "If there's something I don't know about this world, it's not because you've guarded it well. It's because I haven't been interested enough to look."
Fury smiled slightly. "Hasn't tonight taught you that you're not infallible? There are other geniuses out there. Some smarter than you."
"Let's not talk about tonight," Tony shot back. "Your 'great S.H.I.E.L.D.' never found out about Obie building the suit either, or you wouldn't be standing here trying to recruit me. You'd have copied the tech and made your own Iron Man army."
"When you have a ready-made one, why go to the lengths to make copies?" Fury countered smoothly. "So, what's your decision? I can assure you, our knowledge base can greatly benefit you."
"Why do I need to join you for that?"
Tony smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was the smile of a predator who'd spotted weakness.
"JARVIS. Hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers. Download everything."
"On it, sir." JARVIS's response was immediate. "Tracing signal origin from Director Fury's communication devices. Locating primary servers..."
Tony looked at Fury and waited.
Fury made no move to stop him. If anything, he looked amused.
"Server location confirmed," JARVIS reported. "Bypassing initial firewalls. Accessing primary database... Access granted. Beginning download of general files."
"See?" Tony spread his hands. "Who needs to join when I can just take what I want?"
"Try the Avenger Initiative files," Fury suggested mildly.
Tony's smile flickered.
"JARVIS. Access the Avenger Initiative folder."
"Attempting access..." A pause. "Sir, I'm encountering significant resistance. Level 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance required. Encryption protocols are... extensive."
"Crack it."
"Attempting..."
Tony moved to the computer terminal in the living room, pulling up the interface. His fingers flew across the keyboard, working in tandem with JARVIS. Code cascaded across the screens. Encryption barriers appeared and dissolved. Layer after layer of security, peeled back one by one.
Fury watched in silence, his expression unreadable.
"Access granted," JARVIS announced finally. "Avenger Initiative files now available."
Tony pulled up the folder. A list of names appeared on screen.
Short. Selective.
Carol Danvers.
Arthur Hayes.
Tony's fingers froze over the keyboard.
"Open Arthur's file," Tony said quietly.
"Accessing... Additional encryption detected. Attempting to bypass..."
More code. More barriers. Tony leaned forward, working alongside JARVIS, throwing everything he had at the defenses.
"Access granted," JARVIS said. "Opening file—"
The screen went black.
"Sir, the file has been deleted."
"What?"
"It appears the file was equipped with a kill switch. Upon unauthorized access, it wiped itself from existence."
Tony stared at the empty screen.
Fury was smiling now. A small, knowing smile that made Tony want to put a repulsor through his remaining eye.
"You're good, Stark," Fury said, moving toward the door. "But you can't always have your way." He paused at the threshold, glancing back. "Some secrets protect themselves."
His coat swirled behind him as he turned to leave.
"Let me know when you change your mind," he called over his shoulder. "I know you'll call me eventually."
Tony ignored him. He waited, motionless, until the front door clicked shut.
"JARVIS. Is he gone?"
"Director Fury has left the premises, sir."
Tony turned back to his computer, curiosity burning in his chest like a physical flame.
"JARVIS," he said slowly. "Search for any information on Arthur Hayes. S.H.I.E.L.D. servers. CIA. FBI. NSA. Everything you can access."
"Searching, sir."
Tony waited. Minutes crawled by.
"Search complete," JARVIS said finally. "Results are... sparse."
"Show me."
The screen populated with fragments. References. Notations buried in operational documents and threat assessment protocols.
No photographs beyond the public ones. No biographical details. No operational history.
Just warnings.
SUBJECT: ARTHUR HAYES
THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME
CLASSIFICATION: DO NOT ENGAGE.
NOTE: IF ENCOUNTERED, RETREAT IMMEDIATELY. PRAY HE IS IN A GOOD MOOD.
Tony read the words twice. Then a third time.
"Do not engage," he said aloud. "Pray he is in a good mood."
He sat back slowly, the blue glow of the interface reflecting in his eyes.
Arthur Hayes. The man who traded stocks, played with his kids, and drank tea.
Threat Level: Extreme.
Do not engage.
"Who are you really, Arthur?" Tony whispered to the empty room.
He could just ask. That would be the simple thing. Pick up the phone. Say, "Hey, Arthur, quick question—why is every intelligence agency on the planet terrified of you?"
And knowing Arthur, he would probably tell Tony the truth.
But where was the fun in that?
A slow smile spread across Tony's face.
No. He would figure this out on his own. Dig up every secret. Unravel every mystery. And then, when he finally had all the pieces—
He would see the look on Arthur's face.
It couldn't always be Tony getting blindsided. Arthur deserved to look gobsmacked for once.
"JARVIS," Tony said, "start a new project file. Call it... 'Who Is Arthur Hayes.'"
"File created, sir."
Tony cracked his knuckles and pulled up a fresh interface.
"Challenge accepted."
—
Moscow, Russia – Vanko Residence – Same Night
The apartment was small and cold and reeked of cheap vodka.
Ivan Vanko sat alone in the darkness, slumped in the only chair that still held together. An ancient television flickered in front of him, casting shifting shadows across the cramped space. A half-empty bottle dangled from his thick fingers.
He had buried his father that morning.
The funeral had been a bitter farce. No mourners except Ivan himself. No priest—Anton had abandoned any faith in God decades ago. Just a wooden coffin, a hole in the frozen earth, and the bitter wind slicing through Ivan's coat like a blade.
Afterward, he had returned here. His father's apartment. The place where Anton Vanko had wasted his final years, surrounded by yellowed blueprints and fermented resentment and dreams that would never come true.
Ivan had found the vodka.
He hadn't stopped drinking since.
On the television, some American news channel was replaying footage from earlier in the day. Another press conference. Another parade of wealth and privilege. Ivan hadn't been paying attention.
Then a face filled the screen.
Ivan's hand tightened on the bottle until his knuckles went white.
Tony Stark. Smiling that insufferable smile. Standing at a podium bathed in camera flashes while reporters hung on his every word.
Ivan reached for the remote and turned up the volume.
"—The truth is..." Stark paused, savoring the moment like fine wine. "I am Iron Man."
The press room exploded into chaos. But Ivan didn't see any of it.
He saw only Stark's face. That smug, self-satisfied face.
The son of the man who had stolen his father's legacy.
The son who had inherited everything—the company, the fortune, the fame, the glory—while Anton Vanko rotted in obscurity, drinking himself to death in a frozen apartment.
The son who had killed Obadiah Stane and destroyed the suit that Ivan's father had poured the last of his failing strength into building.
Ivan raised the bottle and drank deeply, his eyes never leaving the screen.
I am Iron Man.
Stark was fielding questions now. Basking in the adulation. Enjoying every second of his triumph while Ivan sat in the dark with nothing but cheap vodka and a fresh grave.
Ivan set the bottle down with a heavy thunk.
His father had spent forty years trying to reclaim what the Starks had stolen. Forty years of bitterness and poverty and impotent rage. He had died broken and forgotten, his brilliance unrecognized, his name erased from history.
But Anton Vanko had taught his son many things before he died.
Physics. Engineering. The fundamental principles of Arc Reactor technology.
He had also taught him patience.
And he had taught him how to hate.
Ivan pushed himself out of the chair and walked to the corner of the apartment. Boxes were stacked against the wall—his father's papers. Notebooks dense with equations. Diagrams scrawled on napkins and newspaper margins. Blueprints folded and refolded until they were soft as cloth.
And there, buried beneath decades of accumulated grievance, Ivan found what he was looking for.
His father's original Arc Reactor designs.
Not the crude version Anton had cobbled together for Stane. The real designs. The original calculations. The work that Howard Stark had stolen and claimed as his own invention.
Ivan held the yellowed pages up to the dim light, studying his father's familiar handwriting.
On the television behind him, Tony Stark was still talking. Still smiling. Still basking.
I am Iron Man.
Ivan looked at the designs in his hands. Then at the screen. Then back at the designs.
A slow smile spread across his weathered face.
"Iron Man," he murmured, his voice thick with accent and malice. "You lose."
He swept the vodka bottle off the table. It shattered against the wall, glass and liquor exploding across the floor.
Ivan didn't flinch. He was already reaching for his father's old soldering iron.
The world thought Tony Stark was untouchable. A genius. A hero.
Ivan would show them that even gods can bleed.