Forged in Fire
If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 344: Forged in Fire
17th May 2013, Baxter Building, New York
(Reed Richards POV)
"It seems a little extreme, teenagers are usually the ones who end up becoming mutants."
Ross visibly gritted his teeth, "Look, Richards, it's the best we could do. There's going to be amendments and modifications; the document is in its infancy. I'll be sending you a copy and you'll need to give me anything you don't like, but this is the UN not some corrupt government. If they put something in, it's probably there for a reason. But don't ask for too much, because trust me, compared to some suggestions, this is far better for the whole Enhanced population than what could have been chosen."
Reed spoke to protest, but was interrupted, "Look, read the draft, let me know what you think and tell me if you accept or not. But be very careful, if you refuse this, the consequences on the Enhanced population will be grave. It's not a threat, it's my prediction. You have 24 hours to give me an answer. Thank you for your time, Dr. Richards."
The former General turned around and left Reed's lab, leaving a pensive and nervous genius behind.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
20th May 2013, Avengers Tower, New York City
(Tony Stark POV)
Anthony Stark, commonly known as Iron Man, was nervous for the first time in a while. Reed Richards was on his way to meet with him, and he sounded ominous. Very few people can be considered equal to Tony Stark in a field of science, and even fewer can surpass him in any scientific field. Reed Richards was a genius that was absurdly intelligent, capable of inventing things that were so far beyond the Engineer that it wasn't even funny. Sure, Tony was a contemporary, an undeniable genius that changed the world, but the bullshit portal and external dimensions that Richards was working on was just not something the he had even imagined to be possible.
Tony would admit that Reed was probably the only man on the planet that was more intelligent than him, but it wasn't really that simple. Intelligence was more than just a number, it's many combined attributes put together, and while Reed might be overall smarter than him, Tony does surpass him in a few of these attributes individually. The only other people that come close are Bruce Banner and Victor Von Doom, although Tony admits that he doesn't know much about the self-styled Dr. Doom, at least in terms of scientific achievements.
Yet, Richards and Tony never really interacted all that much. There wasn't any animosity between them, but there was definitely some tension. Richards was just too stiff and righteous for Tony's taste, and Tony was probably too boisterous and distracted by the world around him. He never dedicated every waking moment to help improve the world's knowledge of science, which wasn't really a bad thing. Tony always thought that Reed stayed in his lab too much and forgot the world outside of it.
But something was wrong. There was always this professional rivalry between the two geniuses, one that stopped them from collaborating with each other, which meant that whatever Richards was coming for, it was going to be something different. The fact that he's coming at all instead of staying in his lab, meant that it was also important.
Tony really didn't like any of it, not one bit. He tried to do his best to calm himself down, until he heard Jarvis' voice, "Mr. Stark, Dr. Richards is on his way. He should arrive in twenty-seven seconds.
The billionaire nodded, "Thank you, Jarvis."
Tony took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and prepared himself for the impending meeting.
When Reed finally arrived, Tony greeted him cordially and invited him to sit down. "So, Reed, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Richards wasn't one to beat around the bush, so to speak. He was a direct man that dealt with facts. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the politicians Tony had to deal with far too often for his liking.
The man seemed to appreciate it, "The Secretary of State came to see me a few days ago."
"Thaddeus Ross came to see you?"
Now, that was a problematic way to start a conversation. Ross was someone that Tony kept tabs on, as he did most of the known enemies of his teammates. The former General qualified, considering his history with Bruce Banner. But the man was also shrewd, manipulative, and ruthless. It's the reason why someone like him had risen so high in the government after his many fuck ups, especially with the damage that the Abomination had caused when he almost destroyed Harlem.
Reed must have noticed the look of distaste on his face because he asked, "I assume that you are familiar with the man?"
Tony nodded, "Yes, horrible person. He was utterly obsessed with the Hulk and chased him down everywhere to study him, and to find a way to replicate Banner's accident to create a super soldier serum of sorts. The man attacked Bruce on sight, even on foreign soil, triggering his transformation into the Hulk, and well, you know what happens when the Hulk is backed into a corner. Honestly, that man is the reason why my friend wasn't able to have a moment of peace for years, and well, I personally think he's a giant dick."
Reed nodded, unaffected by Tony's little rant, "I do not like him that much either, but the General isn't the problem. It's what he had to say that was the problem."
Tony gestured Reed to go on, and he did, "He gave me this…"
The man let out a pile of paper in front of Tony. "What's this supposed to be exactly?" the billionaire asked.
"That, Stark, is the Enhanced Registration Act that's currently being debated by the UN. One that will require every Enhanced human being to register themselves to their government, submit for power testing once a year, and have a tracking chip inserted into them. This would allow the government to handle Enhanced matters accordingly, and cause less casualties, civilian or otherwise. I have also sent you a digital version for you to look at," The man monologed.
Tony was flabbergasted by this, and asked Jarvis to analyze the document Reed sent, and to compile a list of possible issues that came with it. The results weren't just bad, they were so fucking disgusting that the billionaire had to calm himself so as to not end up yelling at Reed.
"You're joking right? This has to be the stupidest thing I have read in a long time. This has to be the biggest human rights violation since slavery, Reed. For fuck's sake, this document states that the government has the authority to arrest any Enhanced without cause and hold them indefinitely. And how on Earth can using powers in public without government permission be worth life in prison. Even the permission is only valid for a day. This will cripple any superhero team in the world. And there isn't even a clause for minors. Reed, you have to see that this is bad. This is oppression written on a piece of paper."
Reed grimaced, "I will agree with you on that. It's bad, but it can be amended slowly. This has been a long time coming. New York, Greenwich, they're events that terrify the people. They need to know that they're safe."
"That's not grounds to do something like this, and you know it," Tony protested.
"It's the only way they're willing to work with us. Look, this document is going to get signed anyway, and it was time something like this would happen."
"Subjugating every person with superpowers and imprisoning them just because of what they are, that's what you're talking about. Most of the mutants are kids, Reed. You're trying to arrest kids."
It was too much for Tony to accept. Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, was one of the few things Tony treasured. The boy was funny, smart, sassy, and was very efficient in his night job as a vigilante too. The idea that this pure kid could be arrested at any moment because of these accords was just disgusting. The kid was entirely heroic; he saved so many lives without severely hurting a single person, and Tony was proud of him. These accords threatened his little protege, and he wasn't going to have any of it.
The most frustrating thing was the fact that Reed Richards, the smartest man on the planet, was going along with it. "Reed how can you justify supporting something like this? They can arrest you too without any reason if you sign this thing."
"Because it's the only thing we can do. I was able to create a simulation to see how something like this would end. If we do nothing for the next five years, if the accords are scrapped for any reason and don't go through, there will be war. Be it between Enhanced factions, or between them and humanity. The answer is simple. There will be countless fatalities in this conflict no matter who the victor is. I support the accords because it's the only way for humanity to avoid a third World War, and slowly if we all support it, we can make amendments to make the lives of the Enhanced better. That's why I'm with them. It's the only way."
Tony wasn't having any of it, "They want control, Reed, and you know it. The moment they notice you taking it away from them, they will get rid of you too."
"What else am I supposed to do?" Reed exclaimed, "At least even if they are oppressed, they will be at peace. With the way the mutant population have risen since their appearance, and then practically disappeared, the UN will either have to change the Accords to compensate for a rise of mutants and relax the restriction, or the Accords will simply become moot as the number of mutants becomes insignificant, making the X gene a random genetic effect that was quick to rise and then fade away. Either way, win or lose, humanity prevails."
"What you're talking about isn't humanity. This is glorified slavery, Reed, and you can put it in pretty words all you like, the effect is the same," Tony responded with an icy tone.
Reed just sighed in exasperation, "I came here looking for a peer, a person that would have the capacity to see how delicate the situation is. I will have to leave disappointed, but still hopeful. Next week, the Accords will be announced and the Fantastic Four will be making a point of signing it. The Avengers can either join us and sign it as well, or they will disband. The choice is yours, and you have until then to discuss it with your team and make your final decision. Goodbye Tony."
The man simply turned away and left the building. This was bad, this was really, really, bad. With that thought, Tony remembered a conversation he had with the Morrigan. She still scared the shit out of him, but she had warned him about the governments of the world seeking to take control over the Enhanced population. He had dismissed it as a conspiracy theory. He was regretting that now.
She was right and now Tony had to deal with it. The woman had told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going to intervene anymore in the matter, but he had to ask for her help. Reed Richards as part of the beloved superhero team, the Fantastic Four, would be supporting them, giving the Accords legitimacy, and making young fools that idolize him and have powers support the Accords as well, unknowingly chaining themselves for the government to take care of.
He needed help, he needed advice, and he needed it as soon as possible. There was only one person who had foreseen this, "Jarvis, please call Jasmine Sayre. Tell her that it's urgent."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.