r/USAgent

This fan-fiction uses characters from Marvel Comics.

Panel 1

*(We join Tony Stark and James “Rhodey” Rhodes, alias the armored heroes Iron Man and War Machine, as they are escorted into a private dining room at a steakhouse somewhere in Canada. It is shortly after the seeming death of Captain America Steve Rogers at the end of Civil War. Tony, wearing a hat and sunglasses, is haggard, but he along with Rhodey thanks the waitress for escorting them there.)

Panel 2

*(Another waitress enters.)

*Waitress: Would you gentlemen like to go ahead and place your drink orders?

*Tony: I’ll just have a cola- with crushed ice if you have it.

*Rhodey: Since I’m not driving tonight, I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks.

*Waitress: Okay, I’ll have those out shortly!

Panel 3

*(Tony and Rhodey make small talk, but it’s clear Tony is feeling anxious.)

Panel 4

*(Soon a waitress escorts John Walker alias Jack Daniels, formerly Captain America and currently U.S.Agent. He is currently operating out of Canada after being placed on the team Alpha Flight against his wishes. He looks like he doesn’t want to be there, but he likewise thanks the waitress for escorting him there.)

Panel 5

*(As John pulls out a chair, Tony extends his hand for a handshake.)

*Tony: I’m glad you could make it!

Panel 6

*(John ignores him, refusing even to look him in the face. Instead he looks over at Rhodey as he takes a seat.)

*John: Hey, Rhodey!

*Rhodey: Hey!

*John: Good to see you!

Panel 7

*(As John looks over a menu, Tony sadly retracts his arm.)

Panel 8

*(Soon the waitress is back with the drink orders. She sets them down and then turns her attention to John.)

*Waitress: Would you like to go ahead and place your drink order?

Panel 9

*Tony: Get whatever you want, it’s fine. (Letting John know he won’t have an issue if he gets an alcoholic drink) I’m sure they have some good drafts.

Panel 10

*(John looks down and doesn’t respond.)

Panel 11

*John: (to waitress) I’m not thirsty. Actually, I’ll have a ginger ale. When in Rome, right? (Joking that Canadians might be more likely to drink Canada Dry ginger ale)

*Waitress: All right!

Panel 12

*Tony: Remember, this is on me, so get whatever you want.

*John: …

Panel 13

*John: (to waitress) Be sure to put my order on a separate bill.

Panel 14

*Tony: It’s okay, I’d be happy to-

*John: (points to Rhodey) I can pay for his order too.

Panel 15

*(Rhodey whistles at the power play because John definitively put the kibosh on Tony paying for his order.)

Panel 16

*Rhodey: You can get me next time, okay?

*John: Okay.

*Rhodey: I’m holding you to that!

*John: (chuckling) Heh!

Panel 17

*John: (to waitress) I’m ready to order, miss.

*Waitress: Yes, sir!

*John: I’ll have the 12oz. New York striploin, medium well, with French fries and cole slaw.

*Waitress: Would you like to add some mushrooms, or some shrimp?

*John: Sure, go ahead and add both!

*Waitress: You got it!

Panel 18

*(The waitress takes everyone’s order and leaves, popping back in for just a few seconds to bring John his drink.)

Panel 19

*(Without the waitress, a tense silence hangs in the air as John’s resentment and sadness are palpable.)

Panel 20

*Tony: (concerned) How have you been holding up?

*John: (continuing to look down at table) …

Panel 21

*Tony: Alpha Flight isn’t too much trouble, is it?

*John: (looking to the side) …

Panel 22

*Rhodey: (lightheartedly) They’re not worse than those groups of misfits and slackers you used to run with, are they? (Referring to the West Coast Avengers and Force Works, which the three of them were on together)

*John: (amused despite himself) Hmph! Well, that’s a high bar to clear, isn’t it?

Panel 23

*John: They’re okay, I guess.

*Rhodey: You’re not driving them too crazy?

*John: I didn’t say that.

Panel 24

*Rhodey: You doing okay, man?

*John: I… Yeah, I’m…fine.

Panel 25

*(Tony and Rhodey are silent as John takes a drink.)

Panel 26

*(John sets glass back down, but remains silent.)

Panel 27

*Tony: I’m glad you’re okay.

*John: (glaring down at table while staying silent.)

Panel 28

*Tony: (thinking) I know what you’re thinking. “How dare you act like you care after everything you did! After you sent me here for your own petty reasons! After you hurt all those people and were buddy-buddy with known supervillains! After you…after you helped cause what happened to him!”

Panel 29

*Tony: (thinking) It’s not an act! You have to know that! I really do care about how you’re holding up during all this, both as a teammate and as a friend!

Panel 30

*Tony: (out loud) You know if you need anything, you can let us know.

*John: …

Panel 31

*Rhodey: (thinking) Jack is always the guy to spout off the second he can, whether anyone likes it or not! It’s eerie for him to be so quiet!

Panel 32

*(Tony & Rhodey make small talk while waiting for their food. Occasionally John will engage with something Rhodey says, but otherwise he stays as quiet as the Great Sphinx)

Panel 33

*(Finally the food arrives. Everything looks great.)

*Rhodey: Now that’s what I’m talking about!

*John: Awesome!

*Tony: Everything looks perfect!

*Waitress: Great! Let me know if you need anything!

*Tony: Thank you, ma’am!

Panel 34

*(John bows his head to say grace before eating.)

Panel 35

*(The others bow their heads in respect.)

Panel 36

*(After a while, however, they look over in curiosity because it seems to be taking an unusually long time.)

Panel 37

*(They see that John has stopped saying grace and is instead trying to keep ahold of himself.)

Panel 38

*Tony: (thinking) Jack, you don’t have to keep things bottled up! You’re with friends here! Go ahead and vent if you need to!

Panel 39

*(John finally sighs, opens his eyes, and prepares to cut into his steak.)

Panel 40

*Tony: I hear you’re doing some good work up here.

*(John’s hands start to quiver with anger.)

Panel 41

*Tony: We appreciate everything you’re doing.

*(John’s hands continue to tremble.)

Panel 42

*Tony: We just wanted to see how things were going with you.

*(John’s hands are shaking with quiet rage.)

*Tony: We just wanted to see that you’re-

Panel 43

*(John tosses down his cutlery, frustrated that he can’t even cut his dang steak due to his hands shaking so much. There’s a breaking sound when he does so.)

Panel 44

*(There’s an awkward pause as they all realize what the sound meant.)

Panel 45

*(John checks the plate to confirm it was broken by the cutlery’s impact.)

Panel 46

*Tony- I’m sorry I-

*(John brusquely scoots his chair back.)

Panel 47

*(John opens the door, spots their waitress, and motions for her to come over.)

Panel 48

*Waitress: Is there a problem, sir?

*John: (unnerved) Yeah, I…I’m afraid I broke a plate.

Panel 49

*(The waitress, not knowing John is a veteran super-soldier and not knowing the situation, mistakenly assumes he’s shaking because he’s afraid he’ll get in trouble.)

*Waitress: (reassuringly) Don’t worry, you’re not in any trouble! These things happen.

*John: (humbly) Yeah. Thanks. Um…add the plate to my bill, okay?

Panel 50

*Tony: It’s my fault it got broken. I’ll pay for it.

*John: (to waitress) Like I said, put the plate on my bill.

*Waitress: Yes, sir.

Panel 51

*John: I’ll need a box for my steak, but in the meantime I want a bacon cheeseburger- and I don’t mean one the size of a hockey puck!

*Waitress: (smiling) You want one more the size of a curling stone?

Panel 52

*Waitress: You know, from the sport with the brooms!

*John: (managing a smile) Yes, I want one like that! Bring me one and add it to my bill with the rest.

*Waitress: Okay, sir, I’ll tell the kitchen!

*John: Thank you, ma’am!

Panel 53

*(The waitress leaves. Tony observes John as he somberly waits by the door.)

*Tony: (thinking) Jack…I know this whole thing is hurting you because it’s absolutely killing me!

Panel 54

*Rhodey: (joking with John to try to lighten the mood) We were talking about where to eat, and we agreed, “Jack would prefer someplace that wasn’t hawking poutine or maple doughnuts or something.”

*John: Oh. Yeah.

Panel 55

*Tony: (thinking) Rhodey…once again you’re in the position of trying to help fix something I messed up. What else is new?!

Panel 56

*Tony: (out loud) Rhodey…Jack…

Panel 57

*Tony: (pushing away Rhodey’s bourbon glass to show he’s not interested in it and there would no danger to his sobriety if they left) You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.

*Rhodey: Tony…

Panel 58

*Tony: Both of you can leave. I can have your food boxed & delivered to you.

*John: …

Panel 59

*(John leaves the room without a word.)

Panel 60

*(Rhodey remains seated. Tony stares at his plate.)

Panel 61

*Tony: Are you okay?

*Rhodey: Yeah.

*Tony: Good. Still, I shouldn’t have brought you here.

Panel 62

*Rhodey: (downplaying staying there) Hey, I get a good meal out of it!

*Tony: (chuckles) Hmph! Well, I’m glad.

Panel 63

*(Tony begins to feel lightheaded. He begins to stand.)

*Tony: I’m going to step out for some-

Panel 64

*(He begins to stagger from dizziness, knocking a couple pieces of silverware onto the floor.)

*Rhodey: ?!

Panel 65

*(Tony sits back down and holds his head. Rhodey is up and at his side in a flash.)

*Rhodey: What’s wrong, man?!

*(There’s the sound of a door being thrown open.)

Panel 66

*(In a flash John is there as well.)

*John: It’s not his heart, is it?!

*Rhodey: I think he just needs some air! I’m going to see if those windows open!

*John: You do that and I’ll check him out!

Panel 67

*John tends to Tony, and for the first time that night he actually looks at him.)

*John: (concerned) My gosh, you look like Hell…

Panel 68

*(Tony’s vision is blurred. All he can make out is a muscular, blonde white man.)

Panel 69

*Tony: (addled, yet sincere) Steve…I’m sorry…

*John: …

Panel 70

*Rhodey: That’s as far as they’ll open, but it should be enough to help!

*John: Good!

Panel 71

*(Thankfully a few minutes of rest & fresh air restore Tony to normal.)

*Tony: I’m okay! It was just some kind of dizzy spell, or maybe an anxiety attack. I’m fine now.

*Rhodey: That’s good.

*John: You had us worried there for a minute!

*Tony: I’ll get that checked out, but meanwhile, thank you. Both of you.

Panel 72

*Tony: (to John) I’m glad you hadn’t left yet.

*John: (looking aside) Yeah, well…

Panel 73

*John’s narration: …I had just stopped to think about how jealous the rest of Alpha Flight would be to see the steak I got.

*(The flashback shows he was actually leaning against the wall as he tried to process his emotions.)

Panel 74

*Tony: I…I started to say something earlier.

*John: Not to me.

*Tony: No, but it applies to you too. I’m sorry for the grief I’ve caused you.

Panel 75

*Tony: You have every right to hate me…to yell at me and curse me out and tell me if you never saw me again, it would be too soon.

*John: I didn’t need your permission to do any of that.

*Tony: I know.

Panel 76

*Tony: I also know that despite your rough start, you and Steve grew to care for each other as much as any brothers in arms, and now…you’re feeling all kinds of emotions.

*(John looks away, but his expression is sad rather than angry & defiant.)

Panel 77

*Tony: I wanted to see how you were doing- not as a liaison or even a teammate, but a friend. I…I don’t want you to be overwhelmed.

Panel 78

*Tony: If you want to vent and get things off your chest, I can take it.

*John: What if I wanted to vent to someone else?

*Tony: Uh…

Panel 79

*Tony: (embarrassed) You know, I hadn’t thought much about that.

*(Rhodey and John both give him “Are you serious?” looks.)

Panel 80

*Rhodey: My gosh…

*John: Mofo, you’re as much an arrogant jerk as you were during the senior Bush administration!

*Rhodey: He really is!

*Tony: I really am.

Panel 81

*Tony: (sincerely) Regardless, you’re free to vent to anyone as long as it helps you. We just want you to be okay.

*Rhodey: There are lots of resources, whether it’s us, other people, or online message boards. You’re not alone in whatever you’re feeling.

*(John is quiet as he weighs their words.)

Panel 82

*(Before he can respond, the waitress pops in with his burger and a take-home box.)

*Waitress: Here you are!

*John: Oh, that looks amazing!

Panel 83

*Tony: Before you go, miss, I appreciate you reassuring our friend about the plate.

*Waitress: It was no trouble at all, sir!

Panel 84

*(The waitress leaves.)

*John: (thoughtfully) Your friend, huh?

*Rhodey: Of course!

*Tony: I know it might not seem like much right now, but it’s the truth.

Panel 85

*Tony: I know nothing I say or do tonight will magically fix everything, but I really do want to help you in some way. You deserve it as much as anybody.

*John: …

Panel 86

*(John looks at his hands…)

Panel 87

*(…and heaves a sigh of relief that they’re no longer quivering).

Panel 88

*(He takes his silverware and, being careful not to shatter the broken plate further, begins cutting his steak into pieces)

Panel 89

*John: (sets down steak knife) Like you said, tonight isn’t going to magically fix everything, but…

Panel 90

*John: (holds up steak bite on fork to show his nerves have settled a little) …thanks.