75 Avengers Tower

“Are you sure you want to do this today?” Harry asked, stepping out of the car and immediately moving to Tony’s side. He offered his hand to steady him, though Tony waved it off with a grin.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Tony teased. “Seriously, I’m good. We’ve got a lot coming up, and I don’t want to delay this more. Inauguration day waits for no man.”

Harry frowned, unconvinced. “You just got discharged from the hospital, Tony. You had major surgery less than a week ago. We can reschedule, no one’s going to mind.”

Pepper, stepping out of the car behind them, chimed in before Tony could retort. “You’re wasting your breath, Harry. This is the same man who finished calibrating the Mark ‘I don’t’ know what’ while hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed.”

Tony grinned. “And it flew perfectly on the first try.”

“No, it didn’t,” Pepper and Harry said in unison.

“It mostly flew perfectly,” Tony amended with a shrug.

Pepper continued. “He’s never been the type to sit still. If he were at home, he’d already be in the workshop tearing apart some perfectly functional tech for a ‘better idea.’ At least this way, he’s supervised.”

Harry crossed his arms disparagingly. “Fine, but if anything happens you let me know immediately. I want your doctors on speed dial, and Jarvis monitoring your vitals constantly.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “You don’t trust me to be honest about how I’m feeling?”

“No,” Harry said bluntly. Pepper stifled a laugh.

Tony placed a hand dramatically over his chest, wincing in mock offence. “Wow, Potter. That cuts deep.”

Harry didn’t budge. “I’m serious. You’ve already pushed yourself too hard.”

“Okay, okay.” Tony raised both hands in surrender. “Jarvis, you heard the man. Keep an eye on me like I’m some sort of fragile antique.”

“I have been doing so already, sir,” Jarvis’s voice chimed through the speakers of the car.

“See? Covered,” Tony said with a cheeky salute.

Pepper placed a reassuring hand on Harry’s arm as they began walking toward the building. “Don’t worry, Harry. Between you, me, and Jarvis, I think we’ve got him cornered.”

Tony shot her a sidelong glance. “You make it sound like I’m some kind of dangerous fugitive.”

Ignoring Tony’s complains, Pepper asked the two “You two ready?”

Both men nodded, though Tony added a wink for good measure. “Born ready.”

Pepper rolled her eyes but smiled as they stepped toward the grand double doors. Inside, the lobby was pristine, almost glowing under the soft, modern lighting. Standing in the centre of the otherwise empty space were Rhodey, Steve, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha, all waiting with various degrees of curiosity on their faces. The absence of bustling corporate staff made the scene feel intimate.

“Where is everybody?” Bruce asked glancing around the quiet lobby. “I know Stark Tower was undergoing renovations after the invasion, but it’s like a ghost town in here.”

“More than that,” Clint chimed in. “Why the hell did you drag all of us here? I had plans, you know.”

Harry chuckled, stepping forward. “It’s inauguration day. We don’t need anyone not involved showing up.”

“Inauguration of what?” Rhodey asked. “And what do you mean ‘not involved’? This building should be swarming with Stark Industries employees, especially today if we are inaugurating Stark Tower.”

Harry shrugged. “This is a private affair for the Avengers and I invited Phil too, but he said he’s busy with a new team. Some big top-secret mission or whatever. And besides,” Harry added, “it’s not Stark Tower anymore.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“What do you mean it’s not Stark Tower anymore?” Rhodey demanded, looking between Harry and Tony.

“If everyone would follow us,” Pepper suggested with a warm smile, gesturing toward the main doors.

Natasha was the first to join her, wrapping an arm around Pepper. The two began chatting animatedly as they walked. The others followed in a loose group, exchanging curious glances as they stepped out onto the deserted street.

“Strange,” Steve murmured, scanning the quiet surroundings. “It’s like the whole block has been cleared out.”

“Harry’s work,” Pepper explained casually, glancing back at him. “He cast a spell to ensure we wouldn’t be disturbed.”

“That tracks,” Clint said, smirking. “Guy values his privacy more than Tony values his ego.”

“Hey!” Tony protested, but his grin betrayed his amusement.

As they gathered on the street, Harry stepped forward, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. “Alright, everyone, I need you to look up,” he announced, pointing toward the familiar Stark Tower facade.

The group followed his gaze, their eyes landing on a massive red curtain draped over the area where the iconic “STARK” lettering once stood.

“Alright, J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony said, his voice brimming with pride. “Drop the curtain.”

With a faint hum of machinery, the red cloth began to descend.

The Avengers watched in stunned silence as the new sign was revealed: bold, gleaming letters spelling out ‘AVENGERS’ against the New York skyline.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The group stood in silence, still gazing up at the newly revealed ‘Avengers’ sign glinting proudly in the sunlight.

“It’s... wow,” Bruce said, breaking the quiet. “Tony, this is—”

Tony gestured toward Harry, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “This was his brainchild.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at the spotlight being shifted his way but said nothing.

“Might as well tell them,” Tony added, enjoying the suspense.

With a small sigh, Harry stepped forward. “The renovation, the funding—everything—it’s courtesy of Marauders Capital Investments,” Harry explained

“Marauders Capital Investments?” Steve echoed, confusion clear on his face.

Tony stepped in, clearly savoring the moment. “Yup. Don’t look at me, this was all Potter’s idea. Turns out, he’s been investing the dividends from his Stark Industries shares into creating an investment fund for all Avengers-related activities.”

The room fell silent again as the Avengers turned their eyes to Harry.

“You... did that?” Natasha finally asked, her voice quieter than usual.

Harry addressed the team with an earnest tone. “Look, if you’re all risking your lives to save the planet, the least I can do is make sure you’re compensated respectably for what you’re doing.” His gaze shifted across the group, pausing briefly on Steve, Clint, Bruce, and Rhodey. “Thor, Tony, Nat, and I don’t have to worry about finances. But I can at least ensure the rest of you earn a proper six to seven figure salary for your work. You deserve that much.”

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncertain. “I mean, isn’t that a bit much?”

Clint snorted, clapping Bruce on the shoulder. “Trust me, big guy, you don’t want to know how much money this guy makes.”

“Clint,” Harry started, rolling his eyes.

“No, no, they should know,” Clint interrupted with a grin. “Harry here has a secret weapon, his fortune-teller buddy, Yao. Thanks to her, Harry’s stock picks are practically cheat codes. Buy, hold, sell, this guy’s portfolio is a golden goose.”

“Seriously?” Rhodey raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Completely serious,” Clint replied. “The only reason Harry isn’t rolling in billions like Tony is that he keeps it under the radar. Doesn’t want attention from the feds or to get caught up in any legal tangles. Give it a decade, and this guy will be a bona fide billionaire, no problem.”

Harry shook his head with a faint smirk. “Thanks for the glowing endorsement, Clint.”

Steve crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “It’s a generous gesture, Harry. But you really don’t have to do this. None of us joined this team for the money.”

“I know that,” Harry replied. “But just because you didn’t ask for it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it. You’ve given up so much for the world, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay your bills on top of everything else.”

Tony chimed in, grinning. “And don’t let the modesty fool you, Potter here loves playing the big philanthropist. He just doesn’t want a building named after him.”

“True,” Harry admitted with a chuckle. “But if I ever do, it’ll be called Marauder’s Den. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Pepper led the team inside “Welcome to your new home or should I say, headquarters,” she began with a smile.

She gestured around the sleek and modern lobby. “Stark Tower is now officially the property of Marauders Capital Investments, and they’ve generously designated it as the Avengers’ new base of operations.”

“Now,” Pepper continued, “let’s start the tour. First up, the top levels have been redesigned into living quarters for each of you. Spacious, private, and fully customizable to suit your tastes.”

“Does that mean I get to keep my punching bag in the middle of the room?” Steve asked, only half-joking.

“Absolutely,” Pepper replied with a grin. “We’ve also included extra capacity to accommodate any future members. So, Cap, if you ever need a roommate, we’ve got you covered.”

She guided them toward an elevator. “Moving on, we have a state-of-the-art command center with advanced monitoring and communication systems. It’s like Mission Control at NASA, but cooler. You can keep tabs on global threats, coordinate missions, and look really heroic doing it.”

Clint leaned in toward Natasha. “Translation: giant screens with lots of buttons we’ll never use.”

“Probably,” Natasha replied with a smirk.

Pepper pressed a button, and the elevator whooshed them upward. “Next stop: the high-tech gymnasium and combat training rooms. These are equipped with simulators and holographic tech so you can stay in peak condition and maybe settle some friendly rivalries.”

They exited the elevator into a medical facility. “Here, we’ve got an advanced med bay that can handle anything from basic injuries to well, Hulk-level incidents. It’s complete with cutting-edge healing technology and recovery pods.”

Tony added, “I made sure it’s gamma-resistant, just in case.”

Bruce sighed. “Comforting.”

Pepper waved them forward. “Now, this way leads to the hangar. It’s got dedicated space for the Quinjet and other vehicles, with systems for rapid deployment.”

They passed by a lounge area, its warm tones and plush seating inviting. “And here we have the recreational spaces lounges, kitchens, and yes, a coffee bar with the best espresso machine money can buy.”

“Finally, some priorities I can get behind,” Clint said.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Natasha quipped. “You’ll still burn it off in the training rooms.”

Pepper led them to a secure armory. “This is where your specialized weapons and equipment are stored, along with any prototypes. It’s Fort Knox-level secure, Jarvis has it under control.”

“And speaking of Jarvis,” Pepper concluded, “he’s fully integrated throughout the building. He’ll handle operations, security, and even mundane daily functions. You’ll never have to worry about leaving the lights on or forgetting to lock the door.”

“Or ordering pizza,” Tony chimed in. “He’s great at that.”

Steve looked around, impressed. “This... this is incredible, Pepper. Thank you.”

“It’s not just me,” Pepper replied warmly. “This was a team effort. Welcome to the Avengers Tower, everyone.”

“This is amazing,” Clint said, taking a slow turn to absorb the sheer scale of the facility. “You really spared no expense,?”

“Would you expect anything less?” Natasha teased, elbowing Clint lightly.

The group chuckled before naturally beginning to disperse. Clint headed toward the lounge, muttering something about testing out the espresso machine. Steve and Natasha decided to explore the combat training areas, while Rhodey headed off to inspect the hangar with a muttered comment about “kick-the-tires-and-light-the-fires.”

Tony clapped his hands together, turning to Harry and Bruce. “Alright, you two, science bros and magic bro, let’s roll. I’ve got something to show you in the lab that’s going to blow your minds.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Fancy gadgets, cutting-edge tech, or something completely unnecessary but incredibly cool?”

Tony smirked. “Why not all three?”

Bruce sighed with a small smile as he followed Tony. “This better not involve anything that shocks.”

“No promises,” Tony said with a wink.

The doors to the lab slid open, revealing a sprawling, high-tech workspace filled with holographic interfaces, robotic arms, and shelves lined with advanced equipment.

Bruce stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping slightly. “Okay, I’ll admit it—this is impressive.”

“Impressive?” Tony repeated, feigning offense. “It’s a masterpiece! Welcome to the nerve center of our future innovations, gentlemen.”

Tony led Bruce around the lab, pointing out various stations and explaining the tech. Bruce listened intently, occasionally asking questions about the equipment. Harry, however, leaned against one of the lab tables, arms crossed, watching the exchange.

Finally, Harry cleared his throat. “Tony, as fascinating as all this is can we stop dancing around the topic and get to the real reason you brought us here?”

Tony paused mid-sentence, glancing at Harry. He let out a long breath, gesturing for Bruce and Harry to gather around the central workstation. “Alright, no more stalling.”

He activated a holographic interface, and the air above the table lit up with various data points, images, and schematics, most of them related to the Chitauri invasion and Loki’s scepter. Tony folded his arms. “When we were dealing with Loki, you mentioned something that’s been sticking with me. You said you suspected Loki might’ve been under some kind of mind control. Same as Barton and the others he got to with the scepter.”

Harry’s expression darkened slightly, but he nodded. “That’s right.”

Bruce looked thoughtful. “And you think his ‘benefactor’ might be the one who controlled Loki?”

“That is what I am assuming, yes,” Harry replied. “Once the Bifrost is repaired, I plan to visit Asgard and speak with Loki directly. He may not be forthcoming, but he knows more than he’s let on.”

Tony let out a deep breath. “Yeah, well, one of the reasons I’ve been having these anxiety attacks is because of this benefactor.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “What exactly are you thinking, Tony?”

Tony hesitated for a moment, running a hand through his hair before speaking. “This benefactor had his eyes set on Earth. He sent an army here to take over anddidn’t care what happened to us, didn’t care what happened to humanity. What if he decides to send another one? What if he’s not finished yet?”

Bruce shifted, his brow furrowing as he processed Tony’s words. “Wasn’t he here for the Tesseract, though? Now that it’s in Asgard, I don’t see anything on Earth he’d want anymore.”

Tony gave a dry chuckle. “That’s where you’re wrong, Bruce. We still have their scepter.” He looked at Bruce meaningfully, as if the point hadn’t hit home yet. he might want it back.”

Bruce stared at Tony with a deadpan look.

“What Tony is trying to say is that Loki’s invasion might just be the first of many intergalactic threats Earth could face,” Harry suggested thoughtfully.

Tony pointed at Harry, nodding emphatically. “Exactly. Bingo. Right there. What happens the next time we get an intergalactic welcome wagon? What if it’s worse than Loki’s?”

“We have the Avengers,” Harry replied. “We fight together. That’s the whole point of this team.”

Tony’s lips thinned. “And what if we’re not here?”

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Tony held up a hand, cutting him off. “Hear me out. The last time you went to Asgard, you were gone for almost a year, Harry. A year. What happens if we get hit with another invasion, and you’re not here? Or Thor’s not here? Face it: you’re two of our heavy hitters, and Thor’s got responsibilities on Asgard. He’s the crown prince, not Earth’s emergency hotline. We can’t just expect him to drop everything for us every time.”

Bruce, who had been quietly observing, chimed in. “You’re not just worried about what’s out there, are you? You’re worried that the Avengers, as we are now, might not be enough to handle it.”

Tony gestured toward Bruce. “Thank you! Someone gets it. Look, I’m not saying we’re not a great team—we are—but we’re also not infallible. We’re a handful of people. A handful. We need contingencies. Plans. Backup for the backup.”

Bruce nodded slowly, piecing things together. “You already have a solution, don’t you?”

“Something like that,” Tony agreed.

Harry arched an eyebrow. “Alright, Tony. What’s your big idea?”

Tony leaned against a nearby console, crossing his arms. “It’s not exactly groundbreaking. Actually, I’m borrowing a page from your playbook from the Battle of New York.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. “The Battle of New York? What part?”

“The golems,” Tony said simply, his eyes lighting up. “Those magical constructs you created to fight the Chitauri. Efficient, tireless, and disposable. I think we can do something similar but with tech.”

Harry tilted his head intrigued. “You’re saying you want to build magical golems with tech?”

“Not exactly. I’m talking about drones. Fully autonomous drones built with Iron Man technology.” Tony’s voice picked up momentum as he spoke. “We design them to be modular and efficient, sort of like what Vanko did for Hammer Industries, but, you know not terrible. And we don’t let humans pilot them. Instead, we give control of the entire fleet to JARVIS.”

Bruce raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re suggesting giving an advanced AI control over an army of weaponized drones? You do know how every sci-fi cautionary tale starts, right?”

Tony held up a hand defensively. “Relax, Banner. JARVIS isn’t Skynet. He’s programmed with strict protocols—ethics, safeguards, the whole nine yards. Besides, the idea isn’t to replace us or humans entirely. It’s about backup. Reducing risk. Keeping more people out of harm’s way.”

Harry folded his arms, deep in thought. “So, you’re envisioning this Legion of Iron Man drones as an automated first line of defense? Something to buy time for us to mobilize?”

“Exactly,” Tony confirmed. “They’d be like the cavalry that shows up before the cavalry.”

The room fell into a thoughtful silence as Harry and Bruce considered the idea.

Harry exchanged a glance with Bruce before turning back to Tony. “Alright, Stark. We’ll bring it up with the rest of the team. If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it together.”

“I mean, it’s not a bad idea,” Bruce began, leaning back against the workstation. “But does JARVIS have the capacity to handle something like that? We’re talking about managing an entire fleet of autonomous drones simultaneously.”

Tony nodded, acknowledging the skepticism. “Not in his current state, no. But JARVIS is modular, and I’ve already designed him to scale with upgrades. If I dedicate some time to enhancing his neural networks and processing power, I think we could make it work.”

Bruce folded his arms, his tone thoughtful. “I’ve been integrating JARVIS into Stark Industries’ systems for months now. I know his architecture inside and out. He’s incredibly advanced, but this kind of load, it’s unprecedented. It’s not just about hardware, it’s about programming safeguards. We’d have to be meticulous. Any oversight could be catastrophic.”

Tony smirked, his confidence unshaken. “Good thing we’ve got you and me to work on this.”

Harry chuckled lightly but raised a hand to redirect the conversation. “Alright, before you get ahead of yourself, let’s pump the brakes. I can see the merit in your idea. The potential is there. But we’re not doing this on a whim.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “So... it’s not a no?”

Harry fixed him with a firm look. “It’s not a no. But it’s not a yes, either. Not until we discuss it with the team. This isn’t something we can decide in a vacuum. If we’re going to move forward, it has to be with everyone’s input and agreement. We need to make sure we do this right.”

Tony’s smirk returned, tempered but still present. “Fair enough. We’ll bring it up at the next team meeting. But I’ll start sketching out the upgrades for JARVIS. Just, you know, to be prepared.”

Bruce shot Tony a knowing look. “Of course, you will.”