Of Choices and Tribulations

Chapter 3

Tony Stark

"Enough," said Tony, tired of Quinn Sharpe's games. What the man had done to Peter was more than enough for Tony to see the man wasn't bluffing. Not that he had any doubts about it to begin with. Now Quinn had attempted to kill Helen Cho as a warning shot. Though, warning shot might have been what everyone else saw, but Tony knew better, especially from his angle; the bullet should have struck Helen. Somehow Peter had sensed it ahead of time, and pulled her forward just enough for the bullet to pass her. The kid had told him once something about his senses were enhanced, dialed up to 11. Was this what he was referring to? Then you should have learned to dodge that bullet the first time, thought Tony. But he knew that if Peter could have dodged it, he would have. God, he hoped the kid was okay. He had to be. Yes, aren't you feeling hopeful today? Because getting shot in the abdomen is nothing. Anyone can just shake that off. Damn it. Focus. Focus. Trying all that he could, Tony with gritted teeth, pushed himself to refocus his attention to Quinn. The man wanted it, and Tony was going to give it to him as long as it meant keeping the trigger happy man from firing his gun again.

"What. Is. It. You. Want. From. Me!" He enunciated each word out to the man. "You're not making any sense. You want to make me suffer, yay, you're doing it now. This," he gestured towards the others in the room, " this makes no sense. You shoot a kid. You try to shoot your lab partner you worked with for several years. Now what.. you want to shoot another person? Keep him as hostage? Quinn, work with me, I'm trying to understand what you want. I'm an open target, if you're looking for someone to pay for what happened in Sokovia, I'm here. Shoot me, shoot me goddamn it!"

"Death, Tony, I think is too good for you," said Quinn with a slight shake of his head. "But you know what is funny, Tony, is that you still think you're in control here, thinking that if you just offered up yourself, everything will be fine. You think you can just wipe away all the sins like that. Playing the hero, stepping up and confronting a scientist gone mad. To die in trying to save everyone. No, Tony, today, you will definitely live, you will just keep on living, and remembering that you failed. No, not only that you failed, but you created me. You who created Ultron, destroyed a country, countless families, ended up creating me, creating Helmut."

Tony swallowed thickly hearing the name of Helmut Zemo. Quinn knew a lot of classified information. The question was, just how much did he know? And did he leak any of it out? Tony would have to thoroughly go through this with FRIDAY.

"I wonder how this story will spin, how will you justify to yourself after today, play the hero, save the masses and forsake just one little person."

"Tony's a hero, you assh*le," said Harley sharply making everyone in the room focus on him.

Ah shit, kid. Really? This is not the time, thought Tony, afraid that the boy's words would bring the unwanted attention of Quinn Sharpe.

It did as Tony feared, though it seemed to bemuse the scientist. "Really. A hero. I'm pretty sure I just stated how much damage Tony Stark has done by simply breathing. Do they not teach kids to listen in highschool?"

"I think I listen a lot better than you. He's not the best guy in personality, but he always puts his priority on protecting people. That is more than you, a petty small minded jackass will ever manage in your lifetime. And I'm not a little person, assh*le, I've got a name," was the kids' reply without a hint of fear in his voice.

If there had ever been a moment where Quinn didn't have an instant reply, this was it. Tony would have laughed aloud if the situation wasn't so dire. And he would have also been rather insulted by Harley's stab at his personality - Tony had a great one, he just wasn't really good with kids.