Tony Stark was a sensible person, approaching a situation with a calculated mind. He also knew who he was, including his strengths and flaws. If he wanted to kill Rogers, he would need to face a pre-serum Steve, without the enhancements that had augmented his physical abilities. This wasn't about his ego anymore. It was about things needing to be done, about having to face the situation head-on with determination.
Beneath Rogers' muscles and rapid healing abilities, Tony saw the same stubborn man he had always known, the same little shit who was driven by a relentless need to be right, regardless of the circumstances. Rogers was already fighting people he considered being bullies in the forties. Or so the legend went.
That was also one of the reasons Tony did not want Steve to become Captain America. The world needed superheroes, those people who could inspire and unite people in times of crisis, who could shine a line in the darkness. These superheroes were more than just symbols but should stand up for justice and listen to the people they were meant to defend.
Tony understood that the world was unpredictable, and there would always be threats too big for regular people to handle, whether it be alien invaders, a rogue AI or beings with otherworldly powers. That person, larger than life, should not and could not be Steve Rogers.
Tony did not believe he should be that person either. He had made a lot of mistakes himself over the years. Even though he was incredibly powerful and influential in his own way, he understood that he wasn't always the perfect example of the hero the world needed. Tony was thinking of someone like Peter Parker, who had such pure intentions, wanting to make a positive difference in the world and never did those things for glory. Those were the qualities of a true hero.
The world needed more than just a saviour who would come to rescue them in times of extraordinary events. Peter was the kind to help an older woman to cross the street and be happy with a churros as a recompense. The people needed someone who would hold themselves and others accountable, who would listen to the voices of the little guys.
Steve had never read the Sokovia Accords. He still saw them as a restriction on personal freedom. He certainly would not have been able to spend Tony's money the way he wanted anymore. It also meant that Steve had ignored the voices of the world, people from 117 countries had not been heard. Bucky Barnes was all that mattered for Steve Rogers. If he had to burn the world to protect his best friend, putting Barnes in a harder place than he already was, then so be it.
"Friday, let's take a trip back to the forties," Tony said. "I hope those old comic books got it right."
"Brooklyn, New York?" Friday ventured.
"You got that right," Tony replied, smiling.
Brooklyn had long been a bustling area of the city, alive with the dreams and aspirations of the population, but things were hard for everybody during the 1940s, the shadow of the Great Depression still present. The war was now taking its toll on everyone, with countless young men receiving the dreaded letter ordering them to fight in a war far away. The mood in Brooklyn, like much of the world, was a strange mix of fear and hope, despair and determination. Despite everything, they knew they were fighting for the right cause. The cost was already too high. For all parties involved.
The Stark Expo was already the highlight of the year, a dazzling spectacle that drew crowds from far and wide. In the comics, Bucky Barnes had gone to the expo, a dame at each arm, trying to enjoy his final moments of freedom before heading off to the front lines. He had invited his best buddy, Steve Rogers, intending to have one final moment of happiness, even a fake one.
Steve couldn't even pretend to be happy during those last hours with his best friend. They spent a few moments together before Steve had gone to yet another recruitment centre, standing among countless other young men ready to fight. He had lied once more about who he was and where he came from. It was there that fate intervened in the form of Dr. Abraham Erskine, the mind behind the Super Soldier Serum. The scientist had offered him a chance to enlist, to become something greater than himself. The rest was history.
