Tony Stark In An Alternate Timeline

A/N: The Battle of New York told from Pierce's perspective, for reasons that will become clear by the end of the chapter.

-x-X-x-

Watching live along with the rest of the World Security Council as aliens pour out of the portal above New York, Alexander Pierce presses his lips together into a thin line. The enemy is grotesque and their forces are… unsettling. A massive armored space whale flies seemingly unaided through thin air, surrounded on all sides by smaller crafts piloted by these… Chitauri.

But Pierce knows that's not everything. He knows there are far more alien enemies lurking on the other side of the portal.

"Director Fury, status report."

As one of Pierce's colleagues on the WSC calls out to Nick, the SHIELD Director finishes giving his current orders before turning to acknowledge them, something that Pierce can tell ruffles a few feathers. He's not sure what the other Council Members really expect, however. Do they truly expect the man coordinating their forces for this battle to drop everything he's doing just to speak with them?

"The portal is wide open now, Councilors. We have boots on the ground though. First Responders are working on evacuating the city blocks around Stark Tower, and the Iron Legion has just arrived in New York's airspace and are prepared to start forming a perimeter and fighting the aliens back. We also have our Asgardian allies, the Prince Thor and Lady Sif flying in with STRIKE Team Delta flying in via quinjet."

STRIKE Team Delta, of course, consisted of Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, code names Black Widow and Hawkeye respectively. Pierce was also aware that that quinjet carried Tony's new robot personal assistant 'Penny' Carter. Having seen the footage of her fighting alongside the Iron Legion on the Helicarrier, Pierce had to admit, he really wanted to hear more about this prototype 'Life-Model Decoy' that Tony had invented. The possibilities were… tantalizing.

"What about the Hulk?"

Another Council Member voices that question, with Fury clenching his jaw and shaking his head.

"Stark sent Banner away during the attack in the Helicarrier. I agreed with that decision at the time, but now he's refusing to recall the man. We'll be defending New York City without the Hulk."

Seeing an opportunity to be the voice of reason here, Pierce leans in and speaks.

"Perhaps that's for the best. The Hulk has never before shown itself to be a weapon that can be pointed in a specific direction. Perhaps with Dr. Banner managing to subdue it, it will be more reasonable the next time it comes out… but just as likely, it might prove to be even more enraged due to its long forced hibernation. I agree with Mr. Stark… leaving Dr. Banner out of this is for the best. The Hulk is a blade without a handle."

Nick looks a little bit like he's bitten into something sour at that, while Pierce's peers all give their own murmuring responses of agreement in the end. Until eventually, one of them clears their throat and asks the next obvious question.

"And what about Stark himself? The portal is being powered by his Tower, isn't it? Can't he just… shut it off?"

It's an excellent opportunity to diminish Stark, but rather than make a jab, Fury just grimaces and shakes his head.

"Stark has been in contact. He's managed to incapacitate and capture Loki…"

There's a sudden video feed of the top floor of Stark Tower, where the World Security Council all see Loki bound and gagged, shackled to the wall of Stark's penthouse. Well done, Tony. Well done.

"… However, upon trying to shut off power to the Tesseract and the portal, he discovered that the damn thing is self-sustaining now. We've always known the Tesseract was an energy source. With the iridium acting as a stabilizing agent, it seems all it needed was that first spark and now… it's perfectly fine on its own. Not only that, but it's defended by an impenetrable shield that our best and brightest are currently working on breaking through."

As the World Security Council all consult the data that's being sent to each of them in real time, Fury continues on.

"Dr. Erik Selvig has been recovered and much like Agent Barton, has been broken out of Loki's mind control. However, the process of doing so knocked the older man out and we're currently doing everything we can to resuscitate him. Once he's awake, he can tell us about the device that Loki forced him to make and give us a way to break through the containment field and shut it off. We just have to hold out until then."

There's a brief pause at that. Then, one of the others signals for them to go private, temporarily muting their communications with Fury. Taking it as the dismissal it is, the SHIELD Director turns back to the battle, letting them have their conversation in peace.

"We may not have the time to wait for Selvig to wake up. And even if he does wake up soon, he might not know of a way through this… containment field."

Pierce smiles as the Council Member he'd been manipulating for the past twenty-four hours speaks up immediately, right out the gate. There's a brief pause before another tilts their head to the side.

"What other option do we have?"

Rather than answer immediately, the Council Member continues to build his case.

"If we allow the aliens access to our world for too much longer, who knows what might come through the portal? They could establish a beachhead, and even bring in technology that allowed them to create more portals. Or they might bring in spaceships that move outside of our atmosphere, to allow them to set up bases throughout our Solar System."

There's a brief pause as those terrifying thoughts permeate the air and fill the minds of the other Council Members. In the fearful atmosphere and unsettled silence that follows, the Council Member in question finally gets to the point.

"We must close the portal at all costs. While nothing that has been tried so far has worked to breach the containment on the Cube, I know of one thing that will almost certainly do the trick. Fellow Council Members, I propose we must act quickly and decisively. I propose we utilize nuclear weaponry to close the portal over New York."

Pandemonium. The other members of the World Security Council erupt in horror and outrage at the very suggestion. But Pierce's patsy slams his fist into his desk and shouts over them.

"I don't see how we have any other choice! Do any of you have a better idea?! The aliens have kept coming even with Loki defeated and in our custody. Do you want to see our world overrun by these Chitauri?"

An unsettled silence falls over the call. Pierce waits patiently, even as finally… everyone begins to fall in line. Even him. After all, this wasn't his idea. This was the other Council Member's idea. After all have signaled a willingness to proceed however, someone else brings up a good point.

"Director Fury will never follow this order. Not in a timely manner anyways. He will try to exhaust every other option, and by the time he finally submits to reason, it will be too late. If we are going to act… we must act without his knowledge."

Pierce leans in again at that, speaking up with a frown in his voice.

"Nick Fury is a close personal friend of mine, and a patriot besides. I don't like the idea of leaving him in the dark here."

But of course…

"You're too close to this, Mr. Secretary. Your biases cloud your judgment."

In mere minutes, Pierce finds himself overruled on the subject of telling Fury… just as he expected. He's also one of the minority who vote against launching the nuke, just as planned. Finally, the order is personally sent out by the one he'd set up to take the fall for all of this. With his phone under his desk, Pierce sends a message just as Fury is whipping back around to their shadowy visages.

"Councilors, mind telling me why one of my planes just left the Helicarrier under your orders?"

As the World Security Council unmutes, it's the patsy who speaks up, his arrogance permeating through every word he speaks.

"It does not concern you, Director."

Pierce could have told his colleague that that was never going to work. Not on someone like Nick Fury. Tell him that something doesn't concern him and you'll just make him all the more interested. Like a dog with a bone.

Nick's one eye narrows for a moment… before widening in shock and horror.

"That bird was carrying a nuclear warhead. Councilors, tell me you didn't-!"

"Focus on the mission, Director. Remember who you answer to and remember that our decisions not only supersede your authority but are for the good of the human race. Always."

Hah! Pierce couldn't have said it better himself… if he had wanted to piss Fury off beyond compare. Whipping away from them, ignoring Pierce and his colleagues as some try to get his attention, the SHIELD Director tries to get on the comms with the Iron Legion. Of course, that doesn't quite work for him, because the World Security Council had already preempted that by cutting Fury off. However…

"Stark! Stark, do you read me?"

"Coming in loud and clear, Fury. Selvig is awake by the way. We know how to close the portal."

Pierce smiles softly as his colleagues who voted for nuking New York City all freeze in their seats. Fury is too panicked to enjoy the schadenfreude like he is though.

"Never mind that, Stark! There's a nuclear missile heading for New York and I've been cut off from the Iron Legion's comms! You need to them on the line, tell them what's happening!"

"… A nuclear missile? What… why?!"

Pierce has to admit… Tony is a consummate actor. It's honestly quite impressive the shock, surprise, and sheer emotion that the man manages to convey in those five words. If Pierce didn't know any better, he'd say Tony was actually caught off guard by this turn of events, despite having literally been the one to manufacture them. HYDRA was lucky the man was on their side.

Shooting their shadowy visages a gimlet stare with his one good eye, Fury sneers.

"Because some idiots with far too much power in their hands made a call."

As Pierce's colleagues bristle at that, Stark's voice comes back over the comms.

"Iron Legion are all tied up with their own fights. Aliens are still coming through the portal as well. No time… I'll do it myself."

Pierce's smile becomes a full-fledged grin as Fury looks outright surprised… and even reluctantly impressed. At the same time, his tone is cautious as he watches the fighting going on in New York.

"… What are you going to do, Stark?"

"Give the aliens something to remember us by."

What happens next is… honestly masterfully done. Pierce watches on as all of the pieces fall into place. Sure, some of it can't possibly have been planned by Stark personally. The Chitauri, for instance, are a wild card completely out of his control. Likewise, they have quite a lot of people that Tony has to maneuver around.

Natasha Romanoff winds up on the roof of Stark Tower, wielding Loki's Scepter. According to Dr. Selvig, it's the only thing that can penetrate the Cube's containment field and shut down the portal. She could end it right then and there… but then a nuclear missile would hit the city mere moments later and kill them all.

Instead, both the World Security Council and Director Fury are forced to watch and listen as Stark and Romanoff coordinate between one another.

"I'm not sure what will happen once you breach the Tesseract's containment field, Agent Romanoff."

"Is that concern I detect in your voice, Stark? Dr. Selvig has already been evacuated. I'm ready either way."

"Understood. On my mark."

Pierce watches along with everyone else as Tony brings himself in line with the nuclear missile just as it's breaching the city limits. The Secretary had wondered why Tony had suddenly revealed that he had a suit of his own. Truth be told, it was rather obvious he would make himself one in hindsight… who doesn't dream of flying? More than that, after his experiences in Afghanistan, it was obvious that the thing Tony wanted the most was to feel safe in an unsafe world.

Now though… well, even Pierce is impressed as Tony grabs hold of a nuclear warhead, shouldering it between the shoulderblades if his armored suit. They all watch as his legs come together to create one large rocket booster, which he uses to completely overpower the rockets on the missile with his Repulsor tech.

Tilting the nuke up, Stark begins to make a run for the portal… no easy feat, considering that the Chitauri are still pouring out of it. Pierce finds himself clutching at the arms of his chair and can hear more than a few of his colleagues gasping in horror as Tony has to dodge and weave his way past Chitauri and those hulking Space Whales. If he winds up hitting even one of them, the nuke will almost certainly detonate.

But then… he slips right on through. Disappearing from their feeds, flying through the portal to the other side. There's a beat of silence and then…

"Agent Romanoff! Close the portal now!"

Pierce's eyes narrow as his patsy suddenly goes off script. The Council Member who he'd manipulated into selling the rest of the WSC on nuking New York City has a distinct edge of panic to his voice as he suddenly hijacks the Black Widow's comms, speaking directly into her ear. He's not sure if the other man is afraid of the aliens… or afraid of what Tony Stark will do to him when he comes back and finds out who tried to nuke New York.

Either way, before Pierce can countermand the order… the Black Widow tosses her head back and lets out a laugh that stuns the World Security Council.

"Respectfully sir? Go fuck yourself."

Silence falls for a moment before Pierce decides to give his two cents.

"Well said, Agent Romanoff. Well said."

It's clear in that moment where Natasha Romanoff's loyalties lie and it's not with SHIELD or the WSC. But Pierce doesn't mind that one bit, because her true loyalty is obviously to Tony Stark… and Tony Stark is HYDRA.

Suddenly, out of nowhere… the last space whale through the portal drops from the sky, falling straight down and smashing its face against the street below. All over New York City, Chitauri begin to fall. And a moment after that… Stark appears back through the portal, flying back onto their screens as his gasping words fill their ears.

"Saw a… fleet on the other… side. Sent the nuke at… the biggest ship. Close the portal, Romanoff! Blast is headed our way!"

"Yes sir!"

The relish in Natasha Romanoff's voice is shared by everyone watching the feeds as they see her bring Loki's Scepter to bear on the Cube's containment field. Gritting her teeth, she pushes through the nigh-impenetrable force field, until finally… the tip of the Scepter touches the Cube.

The containment field drops and it's like all the energy is suddenly sucked back out of the sky as the massive portal above New York City flickers and dies, closing a moment later. Cheers begin to fill the Helicarrier bridge and Pierce can see even his colleagues beginning to celebrate… until the explosion atop Stark Tower silences everyone.

"… Natasha, do you read me? Nat? NAT!"

Tony's anguish only grows as he flies down to the top of his tower. The smoke clears after a few moments, revealing to the rest of them what he's already seeing. Shutting down the Tesseract like they did came with a cost. A massive implosion has ripped apart the device that Erik Selvig built, and created a sphere of empty, completely annihilated space embedded in Stark Tower. The only things left untouched in that space are the Cube and the Scepter.

The Battle of New York will have had many casualties by the time the death tolls are fully understood and calculated, Pierce imagines. But the first recorded casualty is here and now, as absolutely nothing of Agent Romanoff remains. The Black Widow… is no more.

The solemn and respectful silence that ensues lasts right up until the moment where they hear Stark snarl under his breath while staring down at the spot where Romanoff just stood.

"Loki."

And then…

"LOKI!"

Pierce straightens up in honest alarm with the rest of the World Security Council as their feeds follow Stark's armored visage down from above the roof of his Tower to the top floor just below it.

"… What is he doing? Someone make sure he doesn't kill the prisoner! We still need her alive for interrogation and study!"

But before anyone can follow up on that particularly worried statement from one of Pierce's colleagues, their feeds cut to the penthouse of Stark Tower… where the restraints and gag holding Loki to the wall have been discarded and the alien invader herself is nowhere to be found.

Coming in for a landing, Stark pulls his helmet off and tosses it aside, looking around with wide, disbelieving, altogether manic eyes.

"Loki! JARVIS, where is she?"

A moment later and Stark's AI speaks up.

"… Apologies Sir. It would appear that her magic disrupted my systems. She was here mere moments ago according to all recordings… and then suddenly, she vanished."

Pure rage crosses Stark's features.

"Well find her!"

"Sir-!"

"I don't care what it takes, just get it done! FIND HER!"

It would seem that the rumors about Tony and Pepper's three-way relationship with Agent Romanoff were more founded than initially appeared. The heartbreak on Stark's face makes that abundantly clear if nothing else. Unfortunate that Pierce was only finding out about it after Romanoff's death, but alas. Frowning, Pierce forces himself to be the bad guy and opens comms with Stark.

"Tony. I'm sorry for your loss, truly I am… but with Loki escaped, make sure you secure the Tesseract and the Scepter. We can't afford to lose them again."

Tony pauses at hearing his voice… and then slowly his face goes blank as he nods.

"Right, of course."

Fortunately, there's no hiccups there. Both the Tesseract and the Scepter are quickly secured. Still, Loki is in the wind. That… could be a problem, Pierce reflects. So much of one that when word reaches the World Security Council that Thor is already demanding the Tesseract, Pierce realizes they have to give it to him. Not just to placate Asgard… but to make sure that Loki can't steal it and open another portal to another army, if she happened to have a second tucked away in her back pocket.

The Scepter though… that Pierce fights to keep tooth and nail. The possibilities of such a device in the hands of HYDRA… are endless.

-x-X-x-

A/N: Oh no, Natasha is dead and Loki escaped. Oh noooooo...

Anyways, Avengers 1 ends. Now we get into the aftermath.

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