Chapter Text
"Tony, you can't just skip training, this is important!" Steve frowned disapprovingly at the billionaire.
"Well, so's my work at SI, Cap! Gotta keep the business running. This place doesn't pay for itself, you know." Tony shrugged and grabbed his travel mug of coffee, heading toward the exit. He might not like international conference-call board meetings (ok, any board {bored! ha!} meetings, really), but you do what you gotta do, right?
"Urgh, Money is all you think about, isn't it? You need to realize there are more important things!" Steve was trying to make sure the Avengers were at the top of their game, and of all of them Tony had the least training and experience! Why did Tony always have to make things difficult?!
Tony paused in front of the elevator. "... Let me get this straight. You think money is not important. At all. And I should just drop all my responsibilities at a moment's notice because you suddenly decide that running a new training sim takes precedence over literally everything else? I mean, if training is so important, the least you could do is plan ahead; this meeting has been on my calendar for weeks. But for some reason you keep springing this sort of stuff on me out of nowhere. Because... somehow people having other jobs and obligations does not compute for you?" He couldn't possibly have heard that right. Steve grew up in the Depression. He should have some clue that money was at least a little important, right? He'd seen first hand how much of a struggle it was for people without reliable paychecks.
"Don't be ridiculous, Tony! We need to train so we are ready for missions. Just like the invasion, we might not have much prep time when something happens, so we need to always be ready! Of course training is important." Steve was so tempted to grab the man's arm as he got into the elevator and shake some sense into him. Surely Tony could see this was more important than than filing papers or whatever excuse he was using to get out of training. That's what secretaries were for, for crying out loud!
Holy Snap! Steve really was saying that. Unbelievable. "More important than my company, its subsidiaries and all my employees?"
"This isn't about money! It's about saving the world!" Steve couldn't believe how hard it was for a supposed genius to grasp such a simple concept. Really!
Tony just stared. "You really believe that, don't you? You have absolutely no concept how much it costs to run everything in this 'saving the world' operation of yours. Ok. Fine. If money is so unimportant, fine. I'll see about making a few changes. Gotta go!" and JARVIS closed the elevator doors before Cap could stop him.
"Tony!" the Captain called after him, "We still have training!"
Tony ignored him. He had a business to run.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Cap!" Tony called as Steve was heading out the door a few days later. "Since you're heading that way anyway, could you please drop this off to Nicky-boy?"
Steve grimaced the thick manila envelope Tony held out, but took it. "Ok."
"Thanks! It's just some documentation he needs. Have a nice day!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nicholas Fury looked at the envelope Captain Rogers had just deposited on his desk. Tony Stark's distaste for paper files was well known, so this was... worrying. There were very few instances where even Stark would use paper. And none of them spelled good things for him.
With a sigh he bit the bullet, opened the envelope and pulled out the stack of papers and a USB. As he'd feared, the papers were legal documents. A letter was paperclipped to the front. On SI letterhead, no less. Stark was being serious about whatever this was.
- Hey, Nicky!
Since Rogers firmly believes that money is completely unimportant to running the Avengers, that I should ignore my duties to Stark Industries, that scheduling training and other non-time critical meetings so I can plan ahead to meet all my obligations is 'ridiculous', that I should be perpetually on call at his whim and refuses to listen to a word I say, I'm leaving it up to you to educate him. Apparently SHIELD showed him some 'footage' that convinced him I'm incompetent, stupid, greedy and petty. I resent the first three descriptors, but am definitely going for the last one.
Steven Grant Rogers is hereby evicted from his accommodations in my building. All items purchased with my money are now my property. All Avengers-related gear made, purchased or provided by me are considered to be on loan. Enclosed are rental agreements for the vibranium alloy shield (valued at 1.23 million USD) my father lent Steve Rogers, living accommodations and training facilities at the Tower for the rest of the Avengers, as well as their gear, uniforms, armor and weapons. You have one week to review them and call my secretary to set up a meeting for discussion and signing. I will have a notary available for our meeting.
Hopefully this will encourage SHIELD to correct their past mistakes. All their past mistakes.
If I see Rogers trying to enter the building again, if any SHIELD agent or affiliate tries to hack my personal or corporate systems - again - or if any threats are levied against myself, my friends, my company or any of it's subsidiaries, my employees or their families by SHIELD or any person affiliated thereunto, I will take appropriate action. Up to and including pulling all of that under-the-table funding Peggy talked Howard into ages ago that you all think I don't know about. If you can't or won't convince Rogers that money is important enough for him to respect the time I spend ensuring we have it, and if you can't or won't learn to show some respect for my private property, then you can all see how well you get on without any of it.
Have a nice day, Nicky.
And Good Luck. (you'll need it.)
T. Stark