####
"So, you got yourself a free bionic leg?"
Captain Steve Rogers sat amidst a group of veterans, going through a therapy session to deal with their traumas. It ranged from mental to physical. He'd volunteered to be there, hoping it'd help the men.
But to his surprise, things were going amazingly well even without him. Initially, when he'd woken up from the ice, he'd heard too many complaints about the VA. But now it was just praises.
"I did. Free of cost, Sir. God bless Mr. Stark. I used to think his words would be no different from the rest of those politicians, but I was wrong."
Nodding, Steve looked at a few other men in the room, sitting in a circle. Some had a robotic arm, some had robotic legs, some had a robotic finger, and some wore hearing aids. From what he'd heard, it was all free treatment. Not only that, every single man there had a day job.
With the military budget almost halved due to technological advancements, more money could now be spent on soldiers and veterans.
Even Fury is considering retirement. Steve remembered.
Tony's control and oversight had made things so efficient that even the Director of SHIELD felt bored on odd days. Enough to consider retirement.
At that point, even Steve had to consider the fact that Tony might just be the best US President to ever serve.
"I'd agree on that," he replied. "He helped me receive my dues. Without them, I'd be on the streets."
"Hah! Captain America, homeless? Now that would've been a headline. But you're a little late, Cap—homeless folks are a dying breed these days. Just wrapped up a three-year diploma from EMMA University. I was skeptical at first, but hell, not anymore. The second I had that diploma in hand, they lined me up with a job out in Arizona. Packing up and heading there next week."
That reminded Steve of the AI-powered online university that Tony had set up. Right now, the first batch of graduates would be rolling out.
"If you can't find a job even now, it's not the economy that's the problem, it's you." Another veteran grumbled, arms crossed. "I knew a guy like that when I was living on the streets for a bit. Fella made enough begging to eat every day, and that was good enough for him. Never saw the point in getting up and finding real work. Just sat there, waiting for the world to hand him something."
Steve sighed, wondering if it'd become a gossip center now instead of a trauma recovery center. But he didn't mind listening to them. A little bit of positivity in the bleakness that was Earth as a whole was welcome.
####
Quentin Beck was an employee of Stark Industries. He'd worked there for a while, and after years of research, he'd finally built a product that caught the eyes of the higher-ups. He honestly wanted some recognition and a promotion.
But to his surprise, he found something more. His holographic tech was instantly put to use in the real world. For therapeutic use, for military training, for immersive classrooms, for movies, for live shows, and so much more.
In the span of a few months, he found himself drowning in a bank account full of dollars. He just wanted a promotion and recognition initially. But this… this was something else.
The Stark Industries' IRL Implementation team was responsible for finding ways to deploy newly developed tech into the world. He didn't have high hopes, but now there he was with more money than he had dreamt of. With a top innovator award on its way, to be directly handed over by the Tony Stark.
Working at Stark Industries was the best decision of my life.
He woke up every day telling himself that.
It filled his heart with joy to see his name in the news. To see his invention used in the real world. Of course, whenever he gave an interview, he never forgot to thank Stark Industries and Tony Stark himself.
But he also knew that he wasn't the only one.
Stark Industries was running on steroids. There were many more like him, blessed by the company's efficient management and investment.
####
Stark Tower, Manhattan.
"So, you finally decided to take the grand tour." Tony tossed a can of Coke to his former nemesis, now a cautiously optimistic ally. He was most interested in her powers that seriously bordered on magic. That was Wanda Maximoff to him.
Though, if he was being honest, his gaze did occasionally wander to those spotless, pale legs of hers as she sat on the couch in that short black skirt.
Wanda shook her head, crossing her legs, which seemed to do the opposite and reveal a little more of her underthighs. "I wanted to thank you for helping my brother get into college. I do not know this place or where to start... but your help means a lot."
"The least I can do." Tony shrugged and eased back on the couch. He sized her up, wondering what to do with her. "Avengers training starts soon. Perks include keeping the world safe, minor property damage immunity, and, oh yeah, a paycheck. Not a salary, though—think of it as a 'keep-you-fed-and-housed' fund. Superheroing isn't exactly a nine-to-five, but we try to keep you from eating instant ramen every night."
Wanda nodded, constantly glancing at the lavish top-floor mansion. The ceiling was so high she wondered how many floors it occupied. Previously, all she'd seen was destruction and Hydra's base, concrete everywhere.
"Once you survive Avengers training, you get a cozy little apartment in Stark Tower," Tony said, glancing at his watch. A quick tap, and the mansion door slid open. "Your brother can crash too—his college is basically a subway stop away."
Soon enough, the sound of footsteps echoed, and a certain Agent Daisy Louise Johnson walked in, wearing a professional work suit with pants and a tablet in her hands. It seemed she'd done her hair recently, her brown locks slightly wavy and untied. Her face and eye makeup reflected her Chinese heritage.
Currently, she worked as Tony's cyber warfare expert and part-time personal secretary, which she willingly offered to become. It appeared Darcy wasn't the only overzealous fan of Tony Stark.
"Mr. President, the French President just landed. He'll be at the White House soon," Daisy reported, shooting a quick glance at Tony.
Quickly, Tony stood up and grabbed his suit jacket. "Alright then, Wanda, I'm off. If you need anything, just hit up the number Jarvis sent you. Or, you can drop by the White House if you want a tour."
After that, Tony gestured at Daisy to follow him. He took her to the exposed platform of the tower and summoned his Iron Man suit. Another suit covered Daisy as she needed to reach the White House with him.
Honestly, this was likely the biggest reason she wanted to be his secretary. Getting to experience wearing the Iron Man suit was a reserved privilege.
Moments later, the two jetted off into the sky. Left behind, Wanda didn't linger for long and left the mansion. She knew Jarvis was always watching.
####
The air inside the Oval Office was tense. It was just Tony Stark and the French President seated on the sofas in his office, facing each other, the elaborate snacks and drinks on the coffee table left untouched.
"You can't be serious, President Stark."
"Dead serious," Tony said, not a hint of a smirk this time. "And yeah, I know—this might sound like my usual brand of ego, but honestly? I don't care. I'm out of this office next year, and after that, my sights are set on South America, Africa, and Asia. I want to bring them up to speed with the rest of the developed world. So, do me a favor—back off and keep your hands off French West Africa."
The French President frowned, a little taken aback by Tony's brashness. "Y-You bring me to Amérique for make ze insult? L'Afrique, she is free! We 'ave, 'ow you say... rien to do wiz ze—"
"Adorable. Might even fool the locals. But let's cut the crap, pal—you know it, I know it. That much mineral wealth? No one walks away from that kind of payday. Pennies in, dollars out—I'd have signed that deal too, back when I was less… enlightened. But now, my only goal is what's above."
"You cannot excuse this action with the name of the aliens, no! Without our dear African amis, France, she will have the big problem, économiquement speaking. And of course, they also, they need us, it is the balance."
Tony exhaled sharply, shooting a glance at the window. The sun was clocking out, and so was his patience. "Wow. So generous. So democratic. You're basically handing out party favors to dictators and warlords. And before you hit me with the 'but America' speech—yeah, I know the history lesson. The difference is, we're actually walking the talk now. The old dinosaurs? Extinct. Politics? Less shady."
The French President kept shaking his head.
Finally, Tony ran out of patience and slid a few photographs on the table, followed by a tablet with a video running. It was nothing perverted, just some shady deals and recordings.
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