IRON RESOLVE

"Coulson!"

Turning at the sound of his name, Agent Phil Coulson smiled slightly as he saw two familiar faces approaching down the hallway. Nodding in greeting, he addressed them both in turn.

"Agent Barton. Agent Romanoff."

Natasha Romanoff—known in the intelligence community as the Black Widow—responded with a brief nod, her demeanor impeccably professional.

"Agent Coulson, sir."

Unlike his partner, Clint Barton was all grins as he reached out and clapped Phil on the shoulder.

"Just got back from a slam dunk. How about you? How are things going on your end?"

Phil wasn't surprised to hear that Barton and Romanoff had wrapped up another mission, likely with their usual efficiency. Clint Barton—Hawkeye—was one of SHIELD's top agents, having proven himself countless times in the last decade. Meanwhile, despite being recruited just six months ago, Natasha Romanoff was anything but green. Hers had been a hostile recruitment, with Barton making the call to flip her rather than eliminate her.

So far, that decision seemed to be paying off. Which was fortunate—because if it hadn't, or if Natasha's loyalty had been anything less than genuine, it wouldn't just have been a black mark on Barton's record. It would have meant neutralizing the deadly redhead before she could become a liability.

Frankly, they probably couldn't afford to have a Level Seven agent like Barton babysitting Romanoff much longer. She had climbed the ranks quickly since her recruitment at the start of 2008, rising to Level Four in record time. But she still wasn't trusted with the kind of sensitive missions Barton excelled at.

By the end of the year, they would likely be split up again, leaving Natasha to sink or swim on her own. Based on everything Phil knew about her history, she would be just fine.

Of course, Barton's question put a not-quite frown on Phil's face, something Natasha picked up on immediately.

"Still on the Stark assignment, sir?"

Even Barton winced at that, prompting Phil to offer them both a weary smile.

"That I am, Agent Romanoff. That I am."

One would think that assessing Tony Stark would be a simple task. It should have been an easy assignment. But things weren't adding up. If anything, SHIELD's investigation into Stark had only raised more questions than answers.

"Damn, he's still giving you trouble?" Clint shook his head. "Sheesh, how much could a billionaire as public as Stark really be hiding? Shouldn't it be easy to find out just how much his shit actually stinks?"

Beside him, Natasha looked equally unimpressed—whether because she was mirroring Barton's reaction or because she genuinely sympathized, Phil couldn't say. He hadn't known her long enough to be sure.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Stark is proving to be quite the stone wall. I can't say more than that, however. The investigation has been classified at higher levels."

Phil didn't like pulling rank, but he hadn't gotten this far by being loose-lipped. Barton and Romanoff understood immediately—information security was part of the job.

Clint, who did have the clearance to be read in on Stark's case, sighed and gave Phil's shoulder one last pat.

"Well, let us know if the Director decides to give you some extra discretion, yeah? You know we'd love to help."

Phil's answering smile was genuine—small, but real. Mostly because, in the privacy of his own mind, he was imagining what Barton and Romanoff could do to persuade Stark to start talking. Of course, fantasizing about giving the impossible billionaire a well-deserved beatdown was unbecoming of him. But hey, no one would ever know.

"Not to worry. If Director Fury decides to bring agents of your caliber onboard, you'll be the first to know."

That got smiles from both of them—Clint's broad and toothy, Natasha's much more reserved. With that, they continued on their way, and Phil resumed his own path, eventually reaching the Director's office.

After knocking, he was allowed inside a few moments later to find Nick Fury deep in conversation with Maria Hill. The SHIELD commander nodded at whatever Fury had just said before moving toward the door, giving Phil a brief nod as she passed him.

"Agent Coulson."

"Commander Hill."

With that brief exchange, Maria departed, leaving Phil alone with Fury. The one-eyed director leaned back in his chair, regarding Coulson for a long moment before raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Stepping forward to stand before the desk, Phil clasped his hands behind his back, posture straight.

"No, sir. I don't think you are."

Fury sighed.

"Alright, get on with it. Report, Agent Coulson."

And so Phil did. He detailed their continued failures to breach Stark Industries' systems. He went over Stark's latest movements—both his public actions and the ones SHIELD believed he was responsible for.

"… Unfortunately, we've made no further progress in linking Stark to the deaths of Obadiah Stane or Aldrich Killian, sir."

Fury scowled, then gestured to his computer. The monitor turned toward them, and with a few keystrokes, two video files began playing side by side.

One showed Obadiah Stane at a gala, clutching his chest as he collapsed, suffering a massive heart attack. The other depicted Aldrich Killian teetering at the edge of a rooftop before finally taking a step forward and plummeting to his death.

By all appearances, both incidents were exactly what they seemed—an old man meeting a predictable end after a lifetime of indulgence and a disabled man losing hope.

But neither Fury nor Phil believed that for a second.

"We know Stane was dealing with the Ten Rings," Fury said, voice edged with frustration. "We know he sold out Stark. I don't believe for a second that his heart attack, just weeks after Stark's return, was a coincidence."

Phil nodded.

"No, sir."

"And Killian's suicide might be more believable if Stark hadn't swooped in days later to buy out AIM." Fury's gaze sharpened. "Do we know anything about what Advanced Idea Mechanics was working on?"

Phil frowned.

"Unfortunately, they weren't on our radar before this. AIM has been a small operation since Killian founded it in the late nineties. What we do know is that Killian and Maya Hansen were developing some kind of experimental medical treatment. Stark has confirmed as much in a joint press release with Dr. Hansen. Supposedly, acquiring AIM is part of his stated goal of expanding Stark Industries into new markets—just like his new partnership with U-GIN in South Korea."

Fury nodded, though his frustration remained. This was all information they already had. If Phil had learned anything new, he would have led with it.

After a long silence, Fury leaned forward.

"What was it Stark told you at the funeral? About how he escaped the Ten Rings?"

Phil hummed.

"He claimed he blew them up, sir. That he only survived because of a doctor named Ho Yinsen. We've confirmed Yinsen's existence, and it's highly likely he was a captive at the same time as Stark. So at least that part checks out."

Fury's expression darkened.

"And the other thing? The joke he made?"

Phil hesitated for a moment, then recited it from memory.

"He said he built a magical suit of armor and flew away, sir."

Fury snorted.

"Biblical, wouldn't you say? Almost as biblical as what happened to the Ten Rings after Stark's rescue. Their entire operation in Afghanistan, wiped out in a matter of days. Like it was the work of God Himself."

Phil raised an eyebrow.

"Sir… are you suggesting Stark is being protected by divine intervention?"

Fury scoffed.

"Divine? No. But something—or someone—is protecting him. And I don't like it."

Leaning back, he fixed Coulson with a hard stare.

"Stay on Stark, Agent Coulson. Because the longer we let him get away with this, the more screwed we'll be in the long run."

Phil straightened.

"Yes, sir."

As he left Fury's office, Phil couldn't shake the feeling that SHIELD was already too late.