- Complete
- NC-17
Relationship(s):
Warning(s):
- Death - Major Character
- Discussion - Murder
- Explicit Sex
- Canon Divergence
- Crime Drama
- Crossover
- Fix It
- Romance
Author's Note:
Due to various issues regarding international travel and national security around the actions of Eli David and Mossad, the events of Iron Man I shifted forward in the MCU timeline. I borrowed characters from several fandoms but knowledge of them is unnecessary for reading. These fandoms include: MCU, Cold Case, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Without a Trace, Blindspot, Stargate: Atlantis, & Numb3rs
Summary:
25 June 2010
Tony turned his face away from the sun spilling over the bed from the large window that dominated the room. He hated that window; it was the number one reason why he hadnβt wanted this room to be the master bedroom, but it was the only bedroom with an ensuite. His lover shifted against him as Tony turned fully onto his side.
βGood morning, Dr. Reid,β he murmured and pressed against Spencerβs neck.
βGood morning.β He wiggled closer. βYou were right. You made a terrible life choice. Letβs rearrange the whole house.β
Tony laughed. βMaybe some blackout curtains?β
Spencer turned on his back and met his gaze. βI have to testify in a case in New York tomorrow, so Iβll be flying out tonight with Rossi.β
βI remember,β Tony murmured. βWhat about the rest of your team?β
βCold case review unless something ugly rears its head, which is likely,β Spencer said. βIβll let you know if I have to divert elsewhere after the trial instead of coming home.β He cupped Tonyβs face. βYou look a little tired. Is the job getting to be too much?β
βNo,β Tony answered. βI made the best choice I could make for myselfβI trust Tom Morrow, and I needed that when I told him yes last year, and I need it even more now.β He moved closer and pressed his cock against Spencerβs thigh. βSince weβre awake with the sun, letβs start the day right.β
Spencer grinned and ran his hand through Tonyβs hair. βYou make me so happy. I donβt think I even understood what I was missing.β
Tony ignored the way his face heated; even five months into a relationship with Spencer Reid and he still didnβt have a good way to deal with the other manβs bluntness. He pushed aside the desire to make a joke to deflect. Being in a relationship with a criminal profiler came with some unique challenges, and early on Spencer had made it clear that Tony needed to be utterly authentic with him as much as possible because he didnβt want to have to work at home.
βI love you,β he murmured and watched Spencerβs eyes darken. βIβve never loved anyone like this, and Iβm trying really hard to keep this as real as possible for both of our sakes.β
He slid one hand down between Spencerβs legs and wrapped his hand around the other manβs cock. Reidβs breath hitched gently, and he spread his legs. βDid you wantβ¦β
βI want whatever you want,β Tony said against Spencerβs jaw as he stroked the other manβs cock. βTell me how you want it, Dr. Reid.β
Spencer huffed out a shocked little breath. βYou really cannot call me that while youβre jerking me off. Thatβs an inappropriate public erection waiting to happen.β
Tony laughed. βTell how you want to get off.β
βFuck me,β Spencer responded and started to push down the covers. βI want to see everything.β
Tony threw off the covers completely in response and reached over to grab condom and lube from the nightstand. The really awesome part about being in a relationship with a person who had zero interest in playing personal games was that he never had to worry about making a misstep out of confusion. It provided the kind of emotional and intellectual security that heβd always wanted but had never really understood until it had been given to him so freely.
He rolled on the condom and slicked it up as he watched Spencer spread out on the bed in front of him. Tony rubbed his fingers over his loverβs exposed hole and dipped in, spreading what was left of the lube. He knew Spencer didnβt want or like a lot of prep since it felt like a tease, which was off-putting to the genius in such a way that bordered on pathological. One day, Tony would delve into that topic and get to the bottom of it, but they had time, and he didnβt want to make the wrong moves with their relationship.
Tony pressed the head of his cock against Spencerβs asshole and hummed under his breath as the other man arched off the bed in response. He cupped Spencerβs ass and lifted as he sank in deep. βPerfect.β
βYeah,β Spencer agreed as he hooked one leg over Tonyβs arm. βIt always is.β He wrapped his hands around the bars of the headboard and lifted his body into Tonyβs next thrust.
He took his time, sliding in deep with each thrust, and Spencer responded with soft, breathy moans that told Tony he was getting exactly right. Putting romance and sex on the back burner while heβd straightened out himself and his future career had put everything in perspective, so when Spencer Reid had looked his way, Tony had hadnβt hesitated to accept a coffee date that had turned into more.
βHarder,β Spencer demanded and rocked in Tonyβs hands. βMake me come.β
Tony tightened his hold on his lover and increased his pace until their bodies were grinding hard and fast. He watched Spencer practically wallow in pleasure and groaned when he wrapped a hand around his own cock. Despite the eager pace, Spencer kept he strokes slow and casual like he wasnβt interested in coming at all, despite his words. Tony rolled his hips, and Spencer arched into the thrust with a soft, hot gasp then came all over his own hand.
Tony relaxed and let himself come.
* * *
He knotted his tie as he left the master bedroom and headed for the kitchen. Spencer was seated at the kitchen table with coffee and chocolate Pop-Tart. Tony eyed the pseudo-pastry, but Spencer just raised an eyebrow at him.
He laughed and pressed a kiss to the crown of Spencerβs head. βYou eat too much garbage.β
βIβd take that complaint seriously if you hadnβt bought me a new box the last time you ordered groceries,β Spencer pointed out. βYour oatmeal is probably ready.β He motioned toward the stove. βI have to go soon. I need to pick up a few things from my apartment. Iβll research blackout curtains if I have time.β He raised an eyebrow. βIf youβre willing to admit defeat on the sunrise issue.β
βWell, there are benefits,β Tony pointed out with a grin. βTell Derek his feature window in the master suite is actually turning out to be an act of sadism, and youβre concerned about his mental health.β
Spencer grinned. βIβll think about it. He was actually really proud of the fact that you loved this property so much you bought it from him.β He pursed his lips. βI think Iβll save it for when heβs teased me one time too many for the day. There is a limit on that, and either he pushes it on purpose or heβs clueless.β
βI donβt see Derek Morgan being at all clueless,β Tony said as he added a bit of brown sugar to his oatmeal and put it in a bowl. βYour team goes through a lot, and he uses humor to lighten the mood. But if heβs taking it too far, too often for your comfort, then take him aside and talk to him in private about it.β
Spencer nodded. βIβll think about it. Youβre right; it does lighten the mood, and we need it more often than not.β
Tony noted that Spencerβs hand strayed to his knee. βStiff?β
βNo, itβs good.β Spencer lifted his hand away and stood. βJust an ugly memory of a mistake.β
βYou were trying to do your best by him, Spencer. Itβs no fault of your own that it wasnβt enough.β He sat down with his oatmeal and checked his watch. βWeller should be picking me up in thirty minutes.β
Spencer picked up his coffee and took a sip. βYour newest recruit. Howβs he working out? I think that youβre going to start getting hate mail if you steal any more FBI agents.β He paused. βMore hate mail.β
Tony laughed. βHeβs great. Vivienne is really pleased with his performance and how well heβs blending in with the rest of the team. Martin was a little leery at first, but theyβre doing well in the field together as needed, so I think itβll work out as a great partnership for him. As to the hate mail, I warned Don Eppes Iβm going to recruit his brother if he doesnβt stop being mean to me.β
Spencer laughed. βDr. Ramanujan wasnβt enough for you?β
βSheβs great. Honestly, I donβt know why Eppes is so bent. Charlie and Amita arenβt even together anymore. Itβs probably more about Megan Reeves, but she hadnβt been with Eppesβ team in over a year.β
βAnd now sheβll never come back to the fold,β Spencer pointed out. βDon Eppes isn’t known for his ability to share, actually. Youβve ruffled a lot of feathersβvaluable assets disappearing into a high-level intelligence unit at Homeland Security that practically no one has security clearance for can be disconcerting. If I didnβt know you and have clearance for the whole thing, due to my consultant status, Iβd probably be very concerned about someone I know disappearing into such a situation.β He refilled his travel mug and wrapped up the rest of his Pop-Tart in a paper towel. βI have to goβis it okay if I have Garcia text you an update on my travel?β
βSure, Spencer, of course.β Tony grinned. βBut a phone call tonight after you settle in your room would be nice.β
βOkay, yeah, that works.β Spencer grabbed his cellphone from the charger and hooked it onto his belt.
* * *
He shouldered his backpack as he set the security for his house and locked the door. A very brief text from Agent Kurt Weller had let him know that Tom Morrow was in the back seat of the SUV waiting on him. Tony wasnβt all that surprised not to get more of a warning as Tom Morrow didnβt like to make plans too far in advance due to the fluid nature of their mission at Homeland.
Tony opened the front passenger side first and dropped his backpack on the floorboard then joined Morrow in the back seat.
βGood morning, sir.β
βGood morning.β Morrow looked up from his tablet as Tony settled into the seat. βI have a few issues.β
βShould I conference Hera in?β Tony questioned. His second in command, former FBI agent Vivienne Johnson, operated as mission control so it was rare for her to be excluded from a briefing by Morrow.
βItβs not mission-related,β Morrow said as Weller pulled out into traffic. βAgent Weller, if you would raise the glass? I need to have a private conversation with SAC DiNozzo.β
Tony made himself relax as the privacy glass rose quickly and silently between the front and back seat. βHas something happened to Gibbs?β
βHeβs still bitterly drowning his sorrows in a bar in Mexico with Mike Franks as far as I know,β Morrow explained. βI have a few assets in the area that check on that situation as needed. He doesnβt have any reason to return to the States.
βYouβre a good man, Tony, so what Iβm about to tell you will be upsetting for you.β
Tony clenched his fist and wet his lips. βJust say it, then.β
βZiva David is dead.β
His gut twisted because all he felt was relief, and that made him feel like an asshole. βHow?β
βThree months ago, Israel negotiated her transfer back to them through the State Department. The DOJ wasnβt all that interested in being responsible for her long-term and gave in without much of a fight. Secretary McCord believed that it would help smooth over some of the remaining issues with Israel and Mossad.β
βDid it?β
βThings are calmer,β Morrow conceded. βBut we have a long way to go due to the actions of Eli David. Travel abroad for our assets remains an issue, and that situation has only been exacerbated by the kidnapping of Tony Stark. As to Ziva, the current intelligence tells us she was killed by Mossad. She isnβt the only former asset theyβve targeted in recent months. Eli David had a habit of promoting based on personal feelings rather than merit. So, they cleaned house, but some of their former operatives proved to be more dangerous after they were no longer employed by the agency.β
βDid Israel request her transfer back into their custody so they could kill her?β Tony questioned.
βIn my personal opinion, yes, but officially they are dismayed by her unsolved murder while in solitary confinement in Neve Tirtza Womenβs Prison.β
Tony took a deep breath and rubbed his face even as he turned to look out into traffic. βI donβt know how to feel, sir. Eli Davidβs children were doomed from birth.β
βI donβt disagree,β Morrow said. βAll of thisβnone of it was ever your fault. No matter how the Rivkin situation was approached that night, the end result remains the same. Ziva David was guilty of espionage.β
βWe canβt say how things wouldβve turned out if Iβd gone to Israel.β
βYou could be dead,β Morrow said evenly. βBut maybe youβd have survived it, and Vance and Gibbs would still be in positions of power in NCIS that they clearly abused regularly. The results of the agency-wide audit werenβt great, Tony. Between Vance and Shepard, I deeply regret leaving when I did.β
βItβs no more your fault than it is mine, sir,β Tony said. βAre charges possible against either of them?β
βNot without creating a mess that would damage a lot of innocent people,β Morrow said roughly. βI wonβt share the details on that because you canβt do anything about it and donβt deserve the burden.β
βAnd you do?β He focused on Morrow.
The older man shrugged. βI supported the placement of Jenny Shepard in my place, and Vance was her handpicked successor. She set all of that up before she went out in what she probably thought was a blaze of glory. The truth is that Owen Granger was more qualified and better prepared to be the next director, but Shepard owed Eli David, and David wanted Vance for obvious reasons.β
βDo you think that Shepard knew that Zivaβs main mission in the US was to spy on us?β
βCertainly, and she didnβt care since Eli David was helping her track La Grenouille.β
The vehicle turned in a way that caught Tonyβs attention, so he activated the intercom. βKurt?β
βDr. Ramanujan let me know that if I came into the office without chocolate ganache donuts that my life wonβt be worth living, sir,β Weller reported.
Tony laughed. βUnderstood.β He turned off the intercom and focused on Morrow. βAnything else about my old team? McGeeβs in Oregon trying not to get killed by robot cats as far as I know.β
βHe appears to have settled in at Global Dynamics, and the DOD is keeping a weather-eye on that entire situation as always. McGeeβs father made a few waves about his sonβs career at NCIS, but he backed off when he realized we werenβt going to bend on the issue.β Morrow turned on the intercom. βHave you ordered yet, Weller?β
βNo, sir, weβre next in line.β
βGet me a cinnamon roll and large black coffee,β Morrow ordered and closed the connection without confirmation. βMs. Sciuto has gone to work for a private forensics lab, though she did make a bid to join the Jeffersonian.β
βNot wise considering Dr. Brennanβs connection with the FBI,β Tony said. βAlso, Brennan wouldnβt put up with Abbyβs histrionics for even a minute. Sheβs pretty intolerant of that sort of thing.β
βAgreed,β Morrow said. βSciuto was once one of the hottest properties in her career field, but her abandonment issues and odd obsession with Gibbs put her on a very self-destructive path.β
βGibbs enjoyed it,β Tony said. βThe attention from womenβAbby, Shepard, and even Ziva. Hell, even the hostility from his ex-wives looked more amusing to him than irritating a lot of the time. Perhaps they all were all some variety of replacement for his wife and child, but maybe it runs deeper than that. I never really tried to dig too deep into his motives when it came to his dysfunctional habits regarding interpersonal relationships.β He huffed. βAnd we both know I was just as enthralled with the man at one time to my own detriment.β
βBut you broke free.β
βI had to almost be murdered to accomplish it,β Tony said. βIβve come to realize that I went to talk to Ziva that night because I was trying to mitigate the fall-out for Gibbβs sake. I tried to tell myself it was about her being my partner but, in the end, it was about Gibbs. Honestly, it wasnβt even the first time Iβd almost died trying to make things easier for him.β
The SUV started moving again, and Tony hoped they reached work soon because he was really done with the conversation. He didnβt like to think about Gibbs, NCIS, or the implosion of his former team often, and he certainly didnβt want his head full of that mess at work. His team deserved better.
βThe Director of the FBI would like to know if youβre finished poaching his agents,β Morrow said.
Tony looked over and found Morrow on his phone. βI donβt poachβI merely offered sanctuary to some exceptional and underappreciated people.β
Morrow snorted and fired off a text with a few quick movements of his thumb. βWhat about the cop from Philadelphia? When is she due to report?β
βLilly Rush,β Tony supplied. βAnd sheβll be in this afternoon. She finished FLETC a week ago and did very well.β
βI heard,β Morrow said. βYou can expect her to get offers, but if she proves to be of the same mind as the rest of your acquisitions, thereβs going to be some very disappointed people on that subject. The new director of NCIS is actively recruiting from various agencies and reviewed every single asset coming out of the last FLETC class. I imagine that tradition to continue. He has a lot of rebuilding to do.β
βRush rounds out my roster,β Tony said. βI wonβt need another recruitment period unless someone leaves or gets a long-term injury.β
βWhy did you pick the cop for your final slot?β Morrow questioned.
βI needed a different eyeβan experienced oneβand Rush has been a cold case detective for a decade. She brings skills to the table that really canβt be taught, and theyβre often undervalued. Cold case work isnβt glamorous or exciting, so her talent has been overlooked for a long time by those outside her division. Her compassion and drive caught my attention first, but her solve rate is frankly amazing.β
βShe thinks like you,β Morrow said. βYou have a long history with cold case work. The cold case unit at Norfolk wanted you when I was the director, but I pushed it aside, to my shame, because you were doing a great job of managing Gibbs. Iβm sorry for that.β
βI wouldnβt have been interested at the time,β Tony admitted. βI was far too invested in making Gibbs happy.β
βCan I ask a personal question?β Morrow asked.
Tony nodded as the vehicle dipped in a way that told him they were entering the parking garage. βSure.β
βWas it ever romantic between you and Gibbs?β
βNo, thank god,β Tony admitted with a shudder. βShepard burned him for that kind of thing with co-workers, which is just as well because I canβt imagine how that wouldβve been gone. Why do you ask?β
βHeβs put out a few feelers in the community trying to get your contact details,β Morrow said. βAnd apparently was pretty pissed to be told that your phone number and address are classified. He burned a lot of bridges scrambling to cover his own ass over the Rivkin mess. I donβt know what he wants with you at this point, but I thought it might be personal.β
βMaybe he heard about Ziva.β
βI doubt it,β Morrow said. βHer circumstances are classified at the highest levels here, and no one in Israel is going to talk to Gibbs about her either.β
βThen he might want me to give him information on her,β Tony said. βDid you want me to call him and assess the situation?β
Morrow sighed. βIt would be good to know, but I donβt want to make things difficult for you personally. I doubt heβd tell me whatβs on his mind. He expected me to help him, and when I didnβt, I became an enemy.β
βGibbs isnβt a personal issue for me, sir,β Tony said as the SUV came to a full stop and the engine was cut. βIβll take care of it today and file an official report on the results for his file.β
βTry to avoid giving that asshole a target,β Morrow muttered. βWe donβt need him trying to get revenge again.β
βIβll do my best, sir,β Tony said and glanced over to find Morrow smirking at phone. βSir?β
Morrow snorted and tucked his phone into a suit pocket. βHow long are you going to let Standish continue to send the FBI condolence flowers on your behalf?β
Tony shrugged and did a mental review of his last Amex bill. βIβm pretty sure he hasnβt sent any since I offered Weller sanctuary from the immense pain the FBI was causing him.β
Morrow lifted an eyebrow.
βSeriously.β
βItβs been ten months, to the day, since you accepted my offer,β Morrow said. βAnd Director Nelson just received two dozen yellow carnations from you.β
Tony laughed. βIβ¦Iβll tell him to stop.β He sighed. βI mean Nelson wasnβt even the director over there when I made my decision.β
βYellow carnations?β Morrow questioned as the door opened on his side under Wellerβs hand.
βDisdain and rejection,β Tony supplied and shrugged when Morrow sighed.
* * *
Lilly Rush was perched on a chair in the stingy little room that provided a buffer between the hallway and the unit HQ. She stood as Weller closed the door.
βSir.β
βAgent Rush,β Tony said with some amusement. βYouβre very early.β
Her pale cheeks darkened, and her eyes widened a little. βI couldnβt wait, sir.β
Weller snorted and moved around him. βIβll let Vivienne know.β
βIβve already been to HR,β Rush said and tucked her hands behind her back. βBut I can occupy myself until the afternoon if needed.β She rocked a little on her feet, clearly eager.
βYou can stay,β Tony said and shook his head as he put his palm flat on the door security panel. βYour desk is ready but empty, so you can work on that after the introductions. You have a lot of catching up to do, Agent Rush, and my expectations are high.β
βI wonβt be a disappointment,β Rush assured.
βYour scores coming out of FLETC have caught some notice. Iβll work to divert that attention over the next few weeks as you settle into the unit. I need all field assets to be as unencumbered professionally as possible which means we donβt get noticed, we donβt do favors, and we keep to ourselves as much as possible even within Homeland itself. There are several other ghost unitsβacross various agenciesβbut it is unlikely that weβll work with them outside of extreme circumstances.β Tony motioned her in ahead of him. βIntelligence is gathered, assessed, and assigned to various teams by Cassandra.β
βWho is Cassandra?β Rush asked and pressed her lips together with a wince.
βItβs okayβquestions are welcome and expected. Cassandra is an artificial superintelligence housed here at Homeland. Cassandra was commissioned by the department in response to 9/11. The system was initially designed to find and assess imminent terrorist threats. In practice, she saw a much broader spectrum of criminal behavior. Over the last year, weβve started to work with that data in ways that best serve the mission of the Department of Homeland Security.
βCassandra is a classified asset, and all information she gathers for distribution is done so in such a way that precious few people are aware theyβre actually dealing with a machine. You are to never to discuss the existence of Cassandra outside this room. Clear?β
βClear,β Rush said and exhaled sharply. βI didnβt know that was even possibleβa genuine artificial intelligence?β
βThree months after I established my unit here at Homeland, Cassandra took a special interest in me. The higher-ups were concerned, to say the least, as sheβd demonstrated no preference for agents before that point. I have a good idea as to why but I donβt discuss it. Donβt ask and donβt speculate. Up until that point, she was merely called The Machine as her maker didnβt give her a name. She asked me for a name and to be included officially as a member of my unit. I agreed.β
Tony put his backpack down on a table near the back of the room. βEveryoneβour newest member has arrived bright and early. This is Lilly Rush from Philadelphia. She worked as a cop, specializing in unsolved homicides for most of her career. Her code name is Artemis.
βWe use code names in the field exclusively and in mission reports. All of our cases are classified at the highest level. Do you have any outstanding court appearances in Philadelphia?β
βNo, sir, I closed up the last loose end shortly before I went to FLETC.β Lilly looked around the room as the rest of the team gathered. βIβm ready to get started.β
βFrom your left thenβSSA Vivienne Johnson, formerly of the FBI where she specialized in finding missing persons, code name Hera. Dr. Amita Ramanujan, applied mathematician, code name Athena. Amita consulted with the NSA, FBI, and CIA before joining Homeland at my invitation. Kurt Weller, also from the FBI where he worked in domestic terrorism, code name Ares. Dr. Megan Reeves, formerly of the FBI and our profiler, code name Hestia.
βMartin Fitzgerald, the second best-dressed man in this room on any given day, also from the FBI where he worked with Vivienne in missing persons. His code name is Hermes. Dean Bates comes to us from the United States Marines where he worked in the most classified project in the history of the planet and, honestly, his resume is going to blow your mind. In the field, Dean goes by the code name Apollo. And finally, we have Mick Rawson, field investigator and sniper formerly with the FBI where he hunted serial killers. His code name is Hades.β Tony leaned on his desk. βQuestions?β
Her eyes lit with amusement. βWhatβs your code name?β
βIβm Poseidon, Agent Rush, and welcome to Olympus.β
* * *
Tony settled down in his chair and checked the placement of his team through the large window that made up one wall of his office. He honestly didnβt spend all that much time in the space as he worked better and thought faster in the midst of the energy of the team space. He had a second desk in the operations theater which he preferred most of the time.
Since he had a series of phone calls to make, Tony decided to tackle the worst of them first to get it out of the way. He slid a headset into his ear, activated the phone line, and dialed the number from memory. It said a lot of arrogant shit that Gibbs hadnβt bothered to change the phone number on his personal cell since everything went down.
βGibbs.β
βI heard you wanted to talk to me,β Tony said as he stood from the desk and walked over to the single stingy window in his office. It was darkened for privacy, and the tinting film was curling a little in the corner. He had to lecture himself regularly not to pick at it.
βDiNozzo. No one seems to know what happened to you,β Gibbs said roughly.
βIβm fine. Working. Living.β He leaned against the wall and stared at the sky. βDid you need something specific? The last time we talked, you werenβt all that interested in my personal welfare.β
βYour number showed up unknown on my phone.β
βItβs classified,β Tony said. βAnd no, I didnβt say that for drama or whatever you might be thinking.β
βYou settled on a job then? Last I heard there were a lot of offers on the table.β
βI did,β Tony said. βSeriously, Gibbs, itβs been a long time since you wanted to know a single damn thing about me. Stop bullshitting me and tell me what you want.β
Gibbs sighed. βI heard through a friend that Ziva was sent back to Israel. Do you know her location and circumstances?β
βIβm not privy to that sort of information, Gibbs. Itβs beyond my mandate and none of my business,β Tony said. βBut for the record, Iβm not a source for you now or in the future. It took me a stupidly long time, but I finally learned that I canβt afford to trust you. Moreover, I wouldnβt commit treason to save your life much less to assuage your need for control.β
βYou didnβt trust me to begin with. If you had, youβd have done what I said and gone to Israel. You fucked up, DiNozzo, and everyone else had to pay for it.β
Tony laughed. βCome off it, Gibbs, donβt blame me for your mistakes. You and Vance were always going to go down. Iβm just glad I didnβt get taken down with you as collateral damage. Abby and Tim lost their careers and their pensions. They were both talented enough to find work in the private sector, but thanks to your corruptive influence, all of their potential has been rendered useless to organizations and missions that couldβve used them to defend our country. That should keep you up at night, but I know it doesnβt.β
βAnd Ziva? Is Israel going to keep her in jail?β
Tony sighed. βI donβt know, and I donβt care what happens to your current daughter replacement, Gibbs.β
βDonβt you dare bring up my kid,β Gibbs snapped.
βWell, women only ever served two purposes in your life, Gibbs, a replacement for the daughter you lost or someone you could fuck and fuck over when you were finished with her.β
βYou bastard.β
βI canβt even decide who taught me the finer art of that, you or Senior but, in the end, it doesnβt matter,β Tony said and turned so he could look at his team.
Amita and Mick were standing near Lillyβs desk. Mick was shifting stuff around on the desk to suit himself while Amita was trying to pull a stapler out of its plastic packaging. All three of them looked more amused than they shouldβve been by new office supplies.
βThe thing is that Iβm seriously not interested in catering to your pathological need to be right even in the face of a mountain of evidence to prove otherwise.β
βWeβre done,β Gibbs said tersely.
βHell, Gibbs, weβve been done since you decided that saving Zivaβs ass was more important than my life,β Tony said and ended the phone call with a press of his fingers. He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.
A sharp knock caught his attention, and he looked up to find Vivienne staring at him through the window. He motioned her in.
She opened the door and leaned on the frame. βYou have the face of someone who just talked to an asshole.β
Tony snorted. βHe even had the gall to call me a bastard.β
She made a face. βI know youβre aware that you can say no when it comes to him. Heβs a problem, yes, but he should be someone elseβs problem. In fact, Iβd wager that heβs 100 percent someone elseβs problem.β
βHe said we were done, so I doubt heβll try to contact me again,β Tony said. βHe wanted some information on the Israel situation.β
Vivienne frowned. βHasnβt he ruined the careers of enough people? The fact that he thinks heβs entitled to info doesnβt bother him at all. Which doesnβt really make sense to me.β
βThere came a point where treason stopped being a deal-breaker for him,β Tony said quietly. βI donβt know how he got there.β
βGrief, revenge, and traumatic brain injury,β Vivienne offered dryly and raised an eyebrow when Tony focused on her. βI think you made a good choice for the team. Mickβs already rearranging Agent Rushβs stuff, which says a lot.β
Tony nodded. βI have a few more calls. Do we have anything critical on the agenda?β
βCassandra located the general area where Tony Stark is being held hostage and passed that information to SHIELD. Oddly, SHIELD did not make any effort to mobilize their assets in that area or pass the information to Colonel Rhodes, who is leading the search for Stark, so we did.β
Tony frowned. βThoughts on that?β
βNothing solid but I have Cassandra making inquiries and analyzing data regarding Stark Industries and their weapons contracts. She encountered a few roadblocks and has already requested one warrant in regards to the financial records of Obadiah Stane.β
βKeep an eye on that and get the DOJ on board with investigating SI,β Tony said.
Vivienne nodded and pulled the door shut.
His cell phone vibrated on his hip, and he pulled it free from his belt and checked it. There were a couple of text messages, the newest of which was the notification of a bank deposit from Global Dynamics. With a few flicks, he logged into his banking app and transferred the money into the account he used for charity donations and put the phone away.
Tony returned to his desk, dropped down in the chair, and tossed his feet up on the corner before dialing the second number on his mental list. It had been a little over five months since heβd worked in Ezraβs place for the ATF and he knew their team was back from a mission as of late last night which meant they should be in their office.
βDominic.β
βWeirdo,β Tony said. βI know my number isnβt showing up on your phone.β
βIβm newly returned from my first assignment of note post-convalescence, so, of course, I anticipated your need to inquire after my welfare,β Ezra said smoothly. βThe mission was free of physical complications.β
Tony hummed under his breath and picked up a tangle of paperclips. He separated them and placed them in a little pyramid on the magnetic holder that held a bigger knot of the little time-wasters. He honestly couldnβt even remember the last time heβd actually used a paperclip for its actual purpose.
βAnd the team?β
βOne can almost smell the ennui permeating the air,β Ezra said. βThey all wish to wed you and bear your progeny so that you can be together in amorous bliss for all your days.β
Tony laughed. βIβm glad youβre back to your version of normal.β He paused and considered mentioning the flowers but, honestly, it was amusing as hell, and Ezra deserved some sort of stress relief.
Out in the theater, he noted that Vivienne had activated the media wall. Lilly Rush was at her left, and Megan Reeves was standing with them studiously eating one of Amitaβs donuts as she watched a demonstration sheβd seen several times already. He didnβt think it would take long for the rest of the team to meander over and join in so they could show the newbie their favorite parts.
βWhilst I would appreciate a lengthy discourse, Mr. Larabee has summoned us to a briefing about a new situation that requires our attention,β Ezra said. βStay safe, Dominic.β
βYou do the same,β Tony said and ended the phone call. He frowned and took a deep breath.
His cell vibrated, so he pulled it free of his belt once more.
Cassandra has started calling me Father. Your doing? -HF
Tony laughed.
Iβm rarely successful in getting a woman to do what I want. Did things with your new asset work out? β TD
Yes, he is an excellent addition to our mission. Thank you for the referral. Stop corrupting my program. -HF
Tony manfully refrained from sending Finch a silly gif in response and put his phone away. Eliot Spencer had spent a few months out of the country before he showed back up and asked Tony out. It had been tempting because the man was gorgeous, but Tony had already gone on a date with Spencer Reid, and it had felt like a done deal from the very beginning. Sending Eliot Harold Finchβs way in New York had made a lot of sense, so he was glad it was working out for all of them.
He left his office. βViv, let our favorite UNCLE know that something is really out of place at SHIELD and, also, start prepping any friendly contacts we have in Afghanistan to help Tony Stark if he makes his location known.β
βYou think he will?β Mick questioned.
βHeβs one of the smartest men on this planet,β Tony said. βIf heβs not already half-rescued himself at this point, itβs because heβs dead. Letβs work under the assumption that heβs very much alive.β He turned to Bates. βDean, contact Agent Yates in Colorado and let her know that somethingβs up with SHIELD. Sheβll want to start a review in the Mountain to make sure that problem isnβt contagious.
βAmita, set Agent Rush up with a laptop so we can start her briefing before lunch.β He focused on the media wall and frowned as images shifted around the various screens. βCassandra, refocus your analysis entirely on SHIELD. Find out whatβs wrong there and figure out what we can do about it.β
The AI didnβt respond verbally, but the screens started to shift more rapidly before settling down as the machine streamlined the data she was organizing and reviewing.
βSomething on your mind?β Martin Fitzgerald questioned as he came to stand with Tony.
Tony hummed under his breath. βWhy would an organization like SHIELD ignore information that could lead to the rescue of a very valuable DOD asset like Tony Stark? How did he end up kidnapped by a terrorist organization? His kidnappers had to have inside information on his movements the day he was lost.β
βStands to reason that someone at Stark Industries wanted Tony Stark to disappear and there are those in SHIELD who arenβt all that mad about it.β
βAnd who would gain from killing the golden goose?β Megan asked as she joined them. βItβs no secret that Tony Stark is the single most successful R&D asset SI has. The companyβs stock price took a massive hit just over the kidnapping. His actual death would cost the company a lot of money, not to mention how much SI would lose in future technological development. His death would serve an immediate greed but, in the end, it would be an immense loss.β
βStart at the top,β Tony advised. βGather all public information you can on top-tier executives at SI. Figure out who benefits the most and the least in the short term regarding Starkβs removal from the company, Megan. Contact his assistant, let her know about the lead. I donβt know what kind of power she has in his absence, but she certainly has access to Starkβs AI. Letβs get Jarvis in the know as well; his reach into SI will far outstrip everyone elseβs. The more information Stark has about his circumstances when he returns, the better it is for everyone else.β
βAnd if heβs dead?β Mick questioned.
βThe DOD is going to feel it for decades,β Tony said. βAnd theyβll want someone to pay for it. Having a list of targets to give them will make our budget look like a good deal.β
Vivienne snorted from her place across the room and sent him a look. Tony just grinned at her.
* * *
Tony emptied out his pockets and dropped everything in the basket heβd placed on the narrow table in the foyer. Β He checked the security panel to ensure everything was it should be. His threat profile wasnβt as high as it had been while Eli David was alive, but Tony didnβt think heβd ever truly be able to let his guard down. The only member of his team entirely in the know about his circumstances was Vivienne, and she was the one that assigned Weller the handling of his transportation during the workweek when his schedule was the most predictable.
After changing his clothes, he went into the kitchen to start dinner since Harmon Rabb was coming over. It had been a few months since theyβd connected in person, so Tony had invited him for a meal. He was putting the finishing touches on one of Harmβs favorite foods, chicken piccata, when the doorbell rang. He checked the camera feed on the monitor in the kitchen and went to let Harm in.
The Navy man was still in uniform but shed his jacket and tie in the foyer.
βLong day?β Tony questioned as he motioned Harm toward the kitchen.
βLonger than normal for a variety of reasons,β Harm admitted. βWhereβs your prettier half? Out of town for a case?β
βCourt appearance in New York.β Tony pulled two beers from the fridge and opened them. βIΒ made your favorite.β
Harm grinned and sat down at the table. βWhat did I do to deserve that?β
Tony put a plate down in front of the man and took a deep breath. βHonestly? You saved my life in more ways than one. You opened my eyes to the fucked-up reality I was living, and I donβt just mean that whole aborted Israel trip. I was letting Gibbs ruin my lifeβone abusive head slap at a timeβand I was so deep in it that I couldnβt see it.β
Tony brought his own food and the beers to the table before sitting. βI talked to that asshole today.β
βHe called me trying to find you a week ago,β Harm admitted. βI told him to go fuck himself and hung up. Who told him how to get ahold of you? Weβll figure out how to ruin their life.β
Tony laughed and picked up his fork. βI got word he was looking for me, so I called him to head off anything more aggressive on his part. He really didnβt want information on me for any personal reason. He was looking for Ziva. I made it clear that I was not and never would be a source for him. Things to got a little heated, and maybe I jabbed hard an old wound I shouldβve left alone, but the end result is that I doubt Gibbs will ever want anything to do with me again.β
Harm frowned and took a sip of his beer. βI heard State sent her back to Israel.β
βI heard the same,β Tony agreed and left it at that. βI picked up a cheesecake for dessert.β
Harm grinned. βIβve rarely enjoyed saving someoneβs life more.β
Tony laughed and sat back in his seat. βLife is shortβso we should take every minute of joy we can, right?β
Harm saluted him with his beer. βRight.β He cleared his throat. βSpeaking of joyβwhen are you going to ask Reid to move in with you?β
Tony flushed and sat back a little in his chair. βHe spends a lot of time here already so Iβm letting that develop naturally. Iβd rather not run Spencer off, and I could if I get too pushy.β He shrugged. βI figured Iβd turn the second bedroom on the first floor into a library/office space and see how long it takes for him to migrate all of his books into it.β
Harm grinned. βGreat plan.β
* * *
Tony rolled over and picked up his cellphone as it continued to buzz away. It vibrated repeatedly while he input the passcode to gain access. Text message after text message rolled in from his team, confirming that they were mobilizing. He slipped out of the bed as he selected Vivienneβs name.
Stark recovered by Rhodes. SHIELD compromised. UNCLE en route. Threat level HIGH. Ares will pick you up in fifteen minutes. β Hera
Tony dropped his phone on the bed and went to dress. His world was new, his mission broader than heβd ever imagined possible, but he had a team he could trust and depend on at his back, and that would make all the difference in the months and years to come. At his dresser, he stopped to pull on a T-shirt and gently thumped the glass of Kateβs tank. The goldfish responded by rushing to the surface for food, so he fed her quickly.
βI didnβt do it personally, Kate, but in the end, that bitch paid for what she did to you. I hope youβre resting easier now.β
The End
That was UNBELIEVABLE! OMG – I couldn’t stop reading it! Now to go back and read it again. Thank you all so much!
Omg. Seriously everyone of you is evil. But I love you. No jack ryan though, but then that would be cia.
Awesome story. Must read again
Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg
Brilliant ending!! I love Tony staying with Morrow at Homeland, and I gotta admit, I adore Bates from SGA,s o that was a delightful blast from the past!
Dear Thor! I so loved ALL of this! And Spencer! I loved how you took down Gibbs as well! Tomorrow I will reread all of it, because I am sure I missed stuff! Wonderful!
Damn … that was an awesome way to spend my night. Much better then sleeping. I really appreciate all the different fandoms being woven together. It was breathtaking and I love Tony and Spencer being together.
Thanks to all the participants of this awesome project. <3
Thanks for such a great story. Also loved the chapter titles. Ding dong the witch is dead – I love it when Keller Dies! And everyone tells Gibbs he’s wrong.
This series was wonderful! I stayed up way later than I should have to read all of it and it was totally worth it! Thank you to everyone how participated. This was amazing!
So good. This was SO GOOD. All my favorites from Missing Persons to really cap things off – I love it. This was epic and amazing. Thank you for sharing and for all the effort this marathon took!
thank you for this amazing serie! i loved it great work!!!
What a fun ride! I don’t even know at least half the fandoms crossed over here, and yet enjoyed every chapter enormously. Well, done, authors; thanks for sharing, and I’m looking forward to a reread in the not-too-distant future!
I stayed up way too late reading and finished this morning. Thank you all for this fantastic whirlwind!
Fantastic – love it -Thank you
Abso-bloody-lutely wild – weird – wonderful!
First. Thank you! This was so amazing and flowed wonderfully! Especially given there were so many different authors! Uh! Now I want to go and do a reread just to see what I missed! You all did a phenomenal job and I just love this ending! Yay Spencer! Also Hydra being found out and brought down by Tony! Ugh! I love it. Again. Thank You!
Amazing end to an incredible ride. Bates, Cassandra and Lilly are my favorites.
Fantastic. Thank you for sharing
what an amazing rollercoaster ride you all took me on!
That was righteous!!!!!
Great ending esp liked the way I brought together elements of different chapters in the finale like setting Elliot up with Harold Finch and bringing the Machine into a wider sphere at Olympus. The idea for agent code names was borrowed from Kingsman very effectively.
I’ve never watched Kingsman so that relay was the least familiar to me of any in the Feeding Frenzy. I like Colin Firth but honestly, I’ve never had any interest in watching either movie. I guess I prefer him in a white shirt dripping from a pond with his posh accent being all prideful and shit.
Agent code names are a very old premise that dates back much further than the Kingsman franchise, which stems from reality actually. Code names were used effectively for agents doing spy work since around World War I, if not even before that though I never looked it up.
One of the more famous code names in pop culture is Deep Throat — not the porn star — due to his role in the Watergate Scandal. Humans apparently adore giving themselves alternate names.
I used code names in Unspeakable Plot years ago, but really when I was considering Tony’s team, my mind went to the MCU and how the existence of SHIELD in this canon divergence would impact various agencies.
To be honest, I only know the Kingsman movie through fanfic. I’ve seen some snippets on Youtube. Never bothered with the 2nd one. π
This was great. Please pass on my appreciation to the other writers as well. I plan to go back and comment on each of them but I only just got home to a place with a keyboard.
All of y’all are amazing. This was fantastic. I know I’m in good company when I say I will re-read this several times, like many others. Thank you for sharing your passion with this quiet reader.
Awesome ending. I admit my hope (bias) was that Tony would end up at Stargate, but your ending actually gave him everything he needed – a team he could trust, a mission he could embrace, exciting, evolving work, a family, and honest, no bullshit love with Spencer. And the way you took all the different fandom tendrils and wove them into a big beautiful bow was perfect. Cassandra & HF, MCU, Bates & SGA, McGee at GD, Ezra & the flowers & the Am Ex card … loved it all.
Thanks to all of you for creating and sharing this fun read.
That was lovely. I know it’s tied up, but damn. So interesting & *fun*
Very good story update. It really tied the series together
Amazing, just amazing
You are all rock stars, totally awesome. Thank you so much for sharing your words and worlds with us.
This entire series was excellent. I loved the ending… now I’m totally curious about how so many things might change thanks to Tony’s new job!
Fantastic story! Thank you all for the wonderful read while waiting for Rough Trade. π
What a fantastic series, I stayed up all night and will pay for it but it was worth it! I love that Tony didn’t settle for something totally familiar, and he’s making a difference on so many levels. Love Cassandra and that she and Tony essentially chat. Lol.
I thought he would become a self employed consultant going to where he was needed but this is so much better, Tony seeing the gap in the intelligence arena and the jurisdiction headaches all the alphabet soup get themselves into and bulldozing right through it all.
The Tony/Spencer pairing is very hot too and great for them both to have a wonderful job and home life.
Epic story, great chapters, wonderful writing thank you to everybody involved
Thank for this great story you did good
OK, first things first – Tony is COMPLETELY right about windows and early morning light! Pure evil. Every time someone on a property show witters on about light bedrooms I think “Why?!” π
The story is marvellous. Everyone has done really brilliantly. I was delighted by the final solution though, which doesn’t just give Tony a great place to land, but settles several other people too.
Many thanks for a terrific fun read.
Amazing story, loved Tony’s team and his relationship with Spencer. Even had the mini reunion I have fantasized about writing (if I had even a drop of your talent) of Eric Close (Martin Fitzgerald/Vin – Mag7) and Kathryn Morris (Lily Rush/Charlotte Mag7)
very satisfying read. so many fandoms. i adore epic crossovers.
Love it.
Cassandra…OMG I love that…This whole series is made of awesome and wonderfulness and laughs….You guys are all freaking amazing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful time and talents and brightening my little corner of the world.
Yes, I’m sorry it’s over. No, I’m not unhappy about it π It’s a perfect way to wrap things up. Everybody that matters is in a good place.
Tony and Ezra made me laugh. So did Tony corrupting Cassandra. I think that Harm & Tony bookending everything *may* be one of my favorite touches, start to finish.
You have the enviable ability to leave a reader completely satisfied, while Not tying every loose end up in a bow. Life always has loose ends. That’s not a bad thing.
Squeeeeee!
I devoured this entire series! I loved every bit of it!
A brilliant ending, bringing in so many of the elements of the series.
Tony had so many options, but this covers an overarching need that will impact on lots of the places he visited. More importantly, it gives him the close team, the sense of doing good and the chance to use the whole range of his skills to give him fulfilment. And a relationship with someone who respects him and which looks to be developing well.
Awesome story! Thank you for sharing your amazing talent. π
Hokay – RL was a real bitch this past week so I didn’t manage to read this with the rapid speed I usually devote to your works! My Bad! This was good-great-superb! I loved the overall arc and so many of the little moments in the various pieces that made me love it all the more! So Brava! Brava! Bravissimo! So much gratitude and genuflection sent your way! Thank you~
Yes yes yes, Love them all and could see our Tony working for almost any of them. But I also like how he got to make his own team.
Extremely well fed.
Great series of stories. Thanks.
The series was very impressive. I am happy Tony could get out of the bad situation he was in and see other places he could go. The writing was good and I loved the collection.
I just re-read the entire series today. There are some amazing and creative writers involved. I loved how Tony was so sought after and all the genres that were involved.
Truly an inspiring series..
Epic. So incredibly epic! Just amazing! Love and hugs!
Wow. What an interesting premise. I’m always in favor of Tony-centric stories, especially those which recognize his competency. But to get a chance to see him interact with some of my favorite other series as well as those new to me is pure gold. Loved this!! Thank you for sharing. I’m bookmarking this on my computer since, sadly (although with understanding as to why), I cannot download/copy to my Kindle for future rereads.
We’re actually going to make an ebook for the Feeding Frenzy.
This whole series as a wonderful read that I have read like 4 times!! Love it!!
Fantastic ending for a fantastic series! So glad that I came across it! Thanks for sharing your hard work with us all!
This is such a wonderful ending, I really think that this pairing is just the right one for where Tony is in his life after all of this, thank you so much for writing it!
Awesome story with great writhing. I love stories with a competent Tony who gets a better life than canon.
Thanks for for sharing!
Whoooo, Tony’s running the team that gets reports from the Machine β pardon me, Cassandra!!! β€π The PoI guys must have been pleased and somewhat relieved by that non-corrupt choice, too. I love a number of his team inclusions.
Tony and Spencer are cute and happy. π I was worried at first about the tags, and the battle of New York maybe intersecting Spence’s court date, before realizing: IM1, not The Avengers, and nobody (beside Stark) got hurt this time who hadn’t earned it. And getting Hydra and Stane exposed early FTW!
Overall, a very satisfying conclusion. It’s an interesting choice to have jumped ahead to when Tony’s already established in his new life, but it works. Not too info-dump-y, but everything is clear.
BTW, boy, I really wish now that I’d posted it back when Tony was considering Eliot’s situation, but the thought actually had occurred to me (for the first time) that Eliot could be great backup for Reese, bada$$ and not too concerned about the legalities, as long as he knows the mission’s motivation isn’t more “red in his ledger” (to use what I believe is a MCU phrase). Harold keeps secrets, but he wants to do good.
I love this. I have such love for the Tony and Spencer pairing so I’m glad that’s where he ended up (romance wise).
Competent Tony who other people appreciate is one of my favorite things.
Oh, and it’s well written too!
This is one of my top five go-to stories when I need something to bring me out of my doldrums, when I need to read a story by people who get that Gibbs became increasingly unhinged, that Ziva was never the good guy much less the love interest too many wanted her to be.
Feeding Frenzy will always have a spot in my list of bookmarks, even if it will never be lucky enough to have a home on my Kindle. You don’t waste good.
I still think Tony made the right choice in jobs, although the idea of him with the SGC? Priceless.
Thank you authors for this story. While I have not seen many of the shows included here, I still loved the story.
The whole “let’s lead Tony to the slaughter” thing never made sense to me. Neither did Ziva being put on a premier team.
I love stories where Tony is competent. The show writers really wrote his character into a corner.
I have reread this for the 3rd time and still love every story and the ending is fabulous still. All of my favorite characters were included. I honestly am amazed even after all this time at the way all of the authors interwove their individual stories into such an epic work. Kudos to all.
Series was amazing. Thank you all so much