Phil and Tony talk a few hours about the research, Coulson making trips various places over the next few days to parcel out more research. Including to Magneto and Essex. The old fools in the government would whine if they knew but they're slowly getting weeded out of power, either dying of the illness, being removed from office, or getting their asses handed to them by others and being told to go sit in a corner until they grow up.

The news that China is gone and Russia only has a few scattered pockets of people really made people realize how bad this illness hit. The list of gone countries could be ignored as being smaller or not having adequate medical resources. But when China and Russia made the list it was an eyeopener for the ones poo-pooing the reports as 'oh, you're just over-reacting'.

A week later Reed and Tony get in the ship, returning several days later for the rest of the world but several years later for them. Clint is teasing Pepper when he comes out of the elevator and he pulls him away. "Leave off Barton, if the business goes to hell because Pepper's annoyed, I'm giving you to Loki for a pet."

Clint just gives him a look. "How was the trip? Not that I'm asking for a ride. . .there's no way you could get me in space."

"Long. . .thanks to hyperdrive we were gone several years our time. But we've got sites for future colonies if needed as well as locations in the other dimensions. In case things continue to go sour here and we need a fallback."

"Better safe than sorry." Pepper says as she gets off the phone. "Any rumors on more sicknesses."

"God I hope not, life is just starting to get back to normal now." Clint mutters.

"Amen. People are finally realizing how bad it it. Before then it was smaller countries lost."

Bruce drags Tony off to medical a few minutes after he returns.

"Open your shirt, JARVIS told me you were gone for years . . .your time. Your arc reactor would have needed a new power source in that time."

"Yes it did, I was tapping the ship's power source for a couple weeks until Richards could find another power source for me." He opens his shirt and the arc reactor would appear unchanged. ..but the glow looks slightly different.

"It's a smaller version of an alien power source meant to give construction robots an unlimited power supply. Not radioactive, so I don't have to worry about being poisoned again. It will last forever. Even with whatever it is that Thor gave us.” Bruce chuckles, he'd cut himself on some papers and it had quickly healed.

"How are the off-dimension growing areas coming?" They were going to be inspecting them on this trip.

"Good. We should get getting some of the tree crops coming in this year."

Tony, Reed, and Coulson settle in a room at the Baxter Building a few days later.

"Are we going to be expanding the domes this year?" Phil asks.

"I hope we don't have to, but I know the precogs are having unsettled feelings. And there's enough morons in the world to cause problems because they're not getting what they wanted."

"Unfortunately." Phil sighs. "Then go off wailing they didn't know how many people would be hurt by their foolishness. We're looking at least ten years of kids graduating later than they should have. Not to mention kindergartens that's full to overflowing with two years of children."

"Both the children that should be in third grade and those who are the right age." Reed sighs. "The twins will be officially skipping kindergarten in a couple years. . .and most likely first grade too. Your Mr. Lang, are his daughter and Clint's children still somewhere near their real grades?"

"Yes Cassie is graduating in a few months." Tony says. "She's planning on going to Columbia. Clint's oldest is graduating next year I think."

"Homeschooling expo?"

"There's one this summer in Boston. Natasha is going for us." Tony says, looking at his phone. "We got the information a few days ago and Natasha just grinned, the look that means she's got something nasty in mind for somebody and considers this another op."

Phil sighs. "I have a feeling I know who she is going after. She's been after him for a while but he had diplomatic immunity until now."

"Medical expos?"

"Leonard and Bruce, they . . ." Tony looks at his phone again. "are flying out in two days to go to Tucson. There's one later this year for the mental health community that Leonard and Sam will be attending in DC. And no Agent. . .if I can't make rude comments about having plenty of examples there neither can you." Reed and Phil chuckle at the pout on Tony's face. "Pepper's mean." he drawls.

"Are we seeing any empty cities or even towns in the US?" Coulson asks.

"Not that they're admitting to in Congress. I know a lot of representatives have lost most of their constituents to this second round of disease."

"Orders for the commercial farms and growing areas?" Reed asks. "Our order is nearly ready."

"I'm talking to representatives in a couple weeks."

"I've heard rumors about expanding the commercial farms?"

"We don't need them yet but eventually I can see the need."

"Are we getting any requests for more schools?"

"The birthrate is still too low, I don't see the need for more schools for years. Despite the protests of the old fools who wanted the schools to be rebuilt because they didn't wike how schools were running two sessions."

"No doubt they were the some fool blubbering about how the schools hadn't needed to be torn down in the first place."

"Probably."

Reed pulls Tony into a lab after Phil leaves, checking his arc reactor and measuring the energy output.

Pepper gives Tony a look when he's late coming back to the Tower. "Reed wanted to check the arc reactor. We weren't expecting any problems off the ship but he wanted to make sure." She nods in satisfaction.

"The president has called twice while you were. . ." She picks the phone up again. "Tony Stark's o. . .yes Mr. President, he just walked in. Line one Tony." He walks into his office and picks up the phone, talking with the other man for nearly an hour. He then dials the Baxter building. "Johnny, tell Reed that Congress is going to be making towns and cities tear down condemned buildings that they've been too cheap to before."

"They'd just rather let them fall down because it was easier." Johnny snorts in the tv room of the Baxter building. "Figures. When?"

"They're supposed to have them all down by the end of August with any recyclables sorted out and removed. We're supposed to be traveling across the country like earlier to remove all the debris so dumps don't get filled. If we find any buildings that should have been torn down we're to contact both the local governments, their representatives, and Congress. If they were on the list to be torn down but they're too damn cheap to do it they'll be fined and publicly humiliated on the national news."

Johnny must have put him on speaker on the other end, he can hear Ben braying with laughter. In the outer office Pepper is giggling and obviously passing that along to the others from their laughter. "Other countries have been tearing down derelict buildings, it's only the US that's too damn cheap to take care of them.

"More like certain governments are too cheap to tear them down, they'd rather use the money for their pet projects." Sue says in the Baxter building. "Reed, Tony. . .do we have cleaning units on the water and septic for the buildings? I've been hearing rumors about other areas having problems with their water."

"Yes, we've got units on both buildings. So does Coulson on his building." Reed's voice says faintly from the Baxter Building. "I've heard the same rumors, probably so has Tony and Agent Coulson. Governments not wanting to spend the money putting up new waste and water treatment plants and hoping that their old ones keep running."

"We've been lucky in keeping ours running so long." Tony says. "We can't really build new ones on an island." Everybody leaves unspoken the fact that the only reason theirs has lasted so long is the loss of so many people.

Reed makes a note on the computer before returning to the lab. Ben looks over and nods. "What?"

"Seeing if the building units can be reworked into something bigger for the island. We'll need larger units in space colonies anyway."

Johnny sighs and nods, looking out a window. "I feel like a damn useless lump around here sometimes. Maybe I'll look into some of the degrees at ESU." Sue watches her brother sadly. He'd had what Reed had thought was a minor case of the disease and it seems to majorly have affected him. He's not showing off anymore, he's quiet and more than once all of them have come across him staring out a window.

"Th. . .that sound like a real good idea Johnny, maybe I'll so the same thing." Sue says quietly. Johnny can fly under his own power, Reed's a genius, Ben can fly damn near anything with a engine when he puts his mind to it, what does she do? Turn invisible and keep anybody away from her with her force fields. She gets on the ESU website and starts looking through areas, making a list of what she thinks they need. When she's done Johnny takes her spot and makes his own list.

"Go for what you want to do, not what you think we need." Reed says quietly behind them. "Tony and I can give you the training if that's what you really want but do it because you want to do it."

Sue and Johnny look through their choices again and nod. Some choices are crossed out and more are added.

A few days later Tony is tapped on his foot as he's buried headfirst in a piece of machinery. He makes an unintelligible sound that Pepper recognizes as 'go away'. He's tapped again and he makes another sound that Pepper recognizes as 'told you go away'. She pokes him again and this time he comes out from under the machine, looking at her. Only Pepper can overrule JARVIS so she's not announced and would keep poking him.

"Governor wants a meeting tomorrow."

"When?"

"Noon. Reed is coming over to pick you and Phil up at nine."

"'kay, lay out some clothes for me."

"Make sure you scrub." She calls behind her as she walks out of the room, laying out a good suit and white dress shirt. Looking through the rest of his clothes, she sighs and starts replicating more dress clothes, Tony loudly groaning when he sees the full closet.

"Tough you needed them. You can't meet people in work pants and a t-shirt."

"Sure I can. If they're coming to me they're getting me on my terms."

"And if you're going to meet somebody they're getting you on their terms." Pepper says firmly. "Now scrub, or I'm getting the robots to scrub you again."

The next day Phil chuckles as he sees the unmistakable signs of Pepper's work as a dressed in a nice suit Tony Stark comes out of his office. They go up to the roof and get in the fantasticar, talking about Sue and Johnny taking classes or getting training on the flight to Albany.

"Mr. Stark, Dr. Richards, Director Coulson. . .thank you for coming on such short notice. I know all three of you are busy running New York. To cut to the chase. . .what do you have in the way of water cleaners?"

"Nothing large scale." Reed says. "While we do have water and septic units. . .they're not meant for large-scale communities such as New York and Albany. We have units on our buildings and I'm working on creating larger units for future space travel. A unit for a ship would only handle about four hundred people. . .basically a large skyscraper."

The governor sighs. "So we're looking at having to build more water and sewage treatment plants to replace failing ones."

"I'm afraid so. Ours are still operational only because we've lost so many people." Tony sighs. "Water, septic, and power are things that are going to have to be worked on for the next several years."

"Yes, other states are already reporting power outages. Even with so many losses there's still a great drain on the power grid."

"It's old, was never meant to last this long, and has been in disrepair for years. Slapping a bandaid on it isn't working, an entire new grid would have to be built and that would take decades and trillions of dollars."

"Not to mention a lot of the power generating facilities are in just as bad shape. People are going to have to start seriously thinking about alternative energy. Not just for large power production but on individual buildings."

They fly back to Manhattan, Coulson and Tony getting dropped off at Stark before the fantasticar flies back to the Baxter building.

Sue looks over at Reed when he returns.

"The governor wanting to know if we had water or sewage treatment units. I had to tell him the ones we have wouldn't work. . .they're too small. New ones will have to be built to replace failing ones. . .the only reason Manhattan's has lasted this long is because of so many deaths." Johnny sighs but nods. "We also talked about the need for a new power grid and investing in alternate energy."

"Yeah, some of the power plants are ancient and only being held together by string and baling wire. Because god forbid anybody put any money into them and people *howl* about building new power plants because they might be nuclear." Ben rumbles. He looks at Reed. "Are the precogs seeing only us and the other places having power, being able to grow our own food, and have medical supplies?"

"God I hope not, but people are going to have to start cutting back on power or create some of their own."

"Easier said than done. . .solar panels are pretty useless in winter and while you can put farms of them in places that don't get winter to pass along to the rest of the country it's just a drop in the ocean. . .let alone the bucket."

"And it doesn't address the need for every building to have it's own independent power supply."

"Okay, are all the lists in for the seed order?" Pepper asks in early February.

"Yes, Darcy collated everything so you don't have to go through every list and keep changing the total."

"I saw the list." She gets on the computer and sends in the order.

A couple days later the first meeting of the year forthe unofficial group handling everything in the city happens.

"The tropics dimension? Are you going to be bringing food out this year?" Daredevil asks.

"Yes, we won't be getting enough to sell to the public yet but you can sign up for a time to either go out and pick yourself or have one of the others do it. We'll have robots pick what's left and preserve it in one fashion or another."

Tony looks at Essex and Richards. . . the unofficial doctors in the group. "Has anybody besides Johnny had the illness?"

"Not that we can verify." Essex rumbles. "There's no test to definitively tell you if your patient has that damn disease. . .even in death."

Coulson nods. "With so many deaths in hospitals coroners waived the need for autopsies. Many death certificates were just rubber stamped unknown. Some so-called civil liberty groups wailed to the court that people might have been murdered instead of dying thanks to that damn disease and tried demanding every body be dug up and autopsied but the court told them to go blow in the wind."

Weasel snickers despite himself as Don Flack sighs. "Yes, the corrupt cops are going to 'miss' the gunshot wound and call it a death from the epidemic. Morons."

"People think they're as stupid as they are."

"Are we seeing more schools being built?"

"Not here, and definitely not in the rest of the states. They're still sulking about the president making them reopen their schools. We're looking at seven more years of double classes here?"

"Eight at the most, that should see *most* of the students who were in school when they were shut down graduating."

"Have we started seeing smaller class sizes? I know a lot of people aren't having kids because they're working two jobs." Weasel says.

"Yes, that's the other problem with so many deaths. The morons in congress might bleat about no unemployment but if there's no children being born. . ." Daredevil sighs.

"We've already seen third shifts shutting down, eventually it will be second shifts too. And it will be years before robots can take over all the jobs that need to be filled."

"Are we looking at the second shift of classes ending?"

"It looks that way." Professor Xavier says slowly. "None of the precogs are seeing the schools so. . ."

"Gods, I hope that doesn't mean schools closing again." More than one person sighs.

"The morons in congress would be overjoyed at that. Until they realized that it was because there weren't any children, not because they were working sixteen hour days like *they* wanted."

"Are we seeing factories closing completely?"

"Yes, and consolidating shifts to keep at least some of them running. Right now we're seeing three births for every one hundred and fifty deaths."

"Yes, everybody's too busy working two jobs thanks to that fool Trask to have children. Even if they can afford them now."

Weasel sighs. "I can see some fool in the government trying to pass a law making people work three jobs and then whining when people with some damn brains remind them people need to be able to sleep sometime."

"And those with children need to see their kids sometimes." Clint snorts. "We're getting rid of drugs, gangs, teenage pregnancy, and with parents working themselves to death for the government that will bring them right back." Everybody in the room nods.

"I'm sure some damn fool will whine that they can see them while they're working next to them in a factory when they're not in school. Of course if they close the schools like they want they can work next to their parents all the time."

"I'd like to see some of those fools work sixteen hours a day five, six days a week and see how quickly they'd shut the fuck up and realize people can't do that." Weasel snorts. "Of course the fools would whine about having to work but that's the reason they go into government, so they can tell everybody else what to do." Nods from the others. "Have the precogs seen another round of deaths?"

"Nothing for the next several years, but they're also not seeing many births."

Don leans against Mac's office door when he returns from the meeting.

"Anything new on the illness?"

"No, there's still no way to tell if anybody had the damn illness and if they're immune now or if they can get sick again and again and again and this time might not make it since there's not really anything you can do but pallative care." Sheldon and Sid, who'd been up in the lab helping with paperwork since everybody working at least two jobs has meant deaths from something other than illness dying off, nod. "They're still hoping to make vaccines but. . ." Don shrugs. "We're looking at seven, eight at the most years of double class sizes since the schools were closed."

"For us anyway, other schools are just seeing the first double shifts of students graduating. They're looking at at least ten more years." Sid says. Don nods. "And. . .we're looking at not too many kids being born with people working two jobs." Danny nods. "Day cares are open 24 hours now with parents having to work two jobs, a lot of them have dorms where kids can sleep unless the parents got somebody who can stay with the kids in their homes. No flipping shifts for two parent families anymore."

"Nope." Mac sighs. "Has anybody heard rumors about some schools not reopening?"

"Yes, where I grew up the school didn't reopen." Adam says from the doorway. "Too much work needed to be done, the school had been trying to pass millages for years for a new school but they didn't pass. The inspectors didn't approve it and the students had to be bussed to other schools in the area and some poor kids were being bussed an hour one way."

"Hell." Mac sighs.

"Yeah. my aunt says people were complaining but since the millages had repeatedly failed it was their own damn fault for their school not being reopened. Kids had to be picked up an hour early for each shift, that gave them time to get to the school, switch to the busses going to their school, and head off. One of my cousin's kids is getting up at five in the morning, catching his first bus at six, getting on his second bus at seven, then reversing the process so they can be bussed back home." Adam shakes his head. "Here's my inventory Mac."

"Thank you Adam, are you off to the other lab?"

"Yeah, but I've got an intern I've been mentoring and it's looking like I'm going to be only covering this lab in a couple weeks."

"Congratulations Man." Don and Danny shake his hand. "What about you Don?"

"I'm still covering a shift at another precinct, but the extra money is good and it keeps Ma from nagging me about finding a lady and settling down."

"Yeah, if Lindsay was . . .still here I doubt we'd have Lucy, we're all working outrageous hours." Danny says, his eyes growing distant for a second.

Tony drops into the chair in the office he rarely uses, looking at the desk full of reports and sighs. Being a grown up sucks as some of the young Avengers would no doubt say. Sighing he grabs the first file and starts to read, tossing it into one of three bins on the floor. One is for Stark business, one is for city business, and the last is for 'quit your bitching moron' business. Unfortunately that usually has the most amount of files and other stuff in it when Tony has cleared his desk. Pepper had given him a look but after reading the files and other information she'd agreed that that was the best place for it so it could be recycled.

"Pepper?"

"Yeah?"

"Recycling facilities?"

"Quickly sending it on and the places that remake it are in operation 24/7 since so many places had to shut down. If we need to we can drop it into the replicator and remake it into new paper." Pepper calls from the other room. "And before you ask, yes we have five in the state, they're getting in material from the surrounding states. All factories are bundling up their scraps now and sending it on to be remade, like a good number of them were doing to begin with. The companies that were sneering at others who actually cared about the environment and not the almighty buck quickly had to change their tune when they lost a lot of their employees and couldn't replace them and were in danger of losing contracts if they didn't straighten up."

"Fabric?"

"We've got a good batch in stock, the larger factories are working together because they know they can't do it on their own anymore and a good number of smaller mills are opening for speciality orders. And yes, I've been putting in orders." Tony nods in satisfaction.

"Well guess what moron, we don't fucking use your damn company so your petty ass threat to shut off our power. . .doesn't mean shit to us." Pepper sneers a few hours later. "So go toddle off and grow the fuck up. If you do try shutting off power to the area you'll find yourself facing life in Gitmo." She dials a couple numbers, leaving a couple messages. Tony walks out of his lab and looks at her. "Some petty little tryrant is trying to shut down power to the island because he doesn't like how we're running the company."

"Goddamn fool."

"Yep. He's sulking because he's not getting all the profits he used to before the damn deaths and he's trying to shove his weight around."

"I don't suppose you want to take over a power company." the governor sighs a couple days later on the phone to Stark.

"Not really, no." He snorts. "Is the fool whining because he's not getting all the profits he wanted?"

"Yes, wwwwwwwhhhhhhhhyyyyyyy won't you make Stark give me money? Are you sure he isn't a customer? Wellllllll yeeeesssss, I don't see his company name in my customer database but. . .but. . .but. . . Idiot." the governor snorts. "He thought taking over a smaller company would make him instant profits and he's sulking because he's not seeing them. He went after you because you and Coulson are the leaders of the city. And speaking of the city. . .elections?"

"The city has been trying to start them again but nobody is registering to be a candidate. Everybody likes how the city is being run now and is afraid of upsetting the applecart. The smaller elected offices have had elections. . .though most of the time it's just a formality since the person doing the job now is running unopposed."

"Yes, that's what everybody I've talked to have said." He sighs. "Morons in the government who haven't been affected by the deaths are bitching because our governments are working better than theirs. . ."

"And rather than improve their governments, which isn't possible as damn bloated as some of them are they'd rather bitch about the ones working well." Tony snorts.

A few days later is a meeting from people from the Massachusetts and New Jersey governments in the governor's mansion, a loudly complaining Tony Stark is shoved into the meeting room by Captain America.

"And why the fuck do I have to attend this meeting?" He asks, looking over his shoulder at the other man.

"Because you're basically in charge of one of the largest cities in New York and can give them an independent viewpoint. That's why Dr. Banzai is here as well." Steve says dryly.

"And why isn't agent here?"

"He's busy going over the last remnants of AIM and getting reports of the research he parceled out to the others." Steve says patiently. "He knows better than to expect a report from you, as long as you haven't blown the building up it's all good." The others snicker despite themselves, especially when Tony pouts at him.

"I've heard complaints about the parades?"

"That they've been restarted? Fools." Tony snorts. "People have to have something they enjoy. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the Macy's thanksgiving day parade being telecast and schools from all over the country come out to march. Once the deaths stopped announcing the parades would start up again was a no-brainer to quote one of my associates. People enjoy watching them and planning them." Nods from the others. "It would be like New Orleans without the floats during Mardi Gras." He looks at the others. "Are people still whining about the lackluster Black Friday sales?"

"Oh dear god yes, and while I can see their side. . .it's a good bit of money but on the other hand it's annoying the hell out of people who are working two jobs and just want to relax with their families, not stand in line for days."

"But it's tradition." One of the members of Massachusett's government mock-bleats, then snorts. "That's what we've told people who came bleating to us, we've got better things to do. Maybe in a few years when things are quieter, we've only got one year of students attending the same classes, universities are turning out students every year and people aren't working two jobs because there's nobody else to do it. . ." Tony and the others nod.

"Water and sewage treatment plants?" The governor of New Jersey asks.

"We've got a list of ones that desperately need to be replaced here in New York." New York's governor says. "Mr. Stark can tell you Manhattan's has only lasted this long because of all the deaths." Tony nods. "I've got a list of factories that make the materials we need for new ones and companies that will build them from Coulson." He passes them along to the others who nod. "Manhattan. . .well, there's not really a place we can build a new one thanks to being an island but we've got companies out who are going over everything and swear they can work on them while they're in operation."

"Yes, I recognize one of the names." Massachusett's governor says. "They had to work on some facilities in our state and they did good work, they came in on time and under budget. Not many companies can say that. . ."

"No, most it's let's gouge the state for every cent we can get." Nods from the others.

Tony slumps into a seat at the tower later that night. Coulson and Pepper just look at him. "Talking about the need to replace water and sewage treatment plants, going over the list of companies that have been vetted and factories that can make everything we need. Calling the idiots in government who haven't had to live through what we did and are bitching about how we're running everything damn fools." They nod.

"Have you heard from that company inspecting the plants?" Tony asks Pepper.

"Yes, we got the final report today." She hands it over. Tony reads it and then hands it over to Coulson. "What I'd been expecting. They can work while it's in operation and we'll be good for several decades."

The next couple of months pass and soon Cassie is walking for her graduation. Her parents and her Dad's coworkers are there. There will be another graduation the following day for the second session of graduates and Scott is overjoyed to hear them announce his little girl would be going to Columbia on a full four year scholarship. He knows damn good and well the money came from Tony but his girl's going to Columbia. Harvard would be even better but neither of them want her so far away after everything that's happened.

"Think Dr. Banzai will talk Cassie into an internship after she graduates?" Tony asks, taking off his tie when they're back at the tower after the graduation ceremony. Cassie hadn't been the only graduate getting a full scholarship from Stark, just the only one in the 'family' that wasn't officially an employee.

"Of course, he's still talking to Peter about coming out for a year after he finishes grad school. May told him that she's just fine on her own if he wants to go off for a year, she can talk to him nightly and Dr. Banzai knew his parents." Pepper says. "ESU is hoping he'll be a TA since they lost so many teachers and students. As it is, some classes are being broadcast from another school." Tony nods. He'd been asked to take over some robotics classes. Steve was teaching some art classes and guest lecturing about life before world war two and him becoming Captain America while Bruce was teaching some science classes.

Clint comes into the office and drops into a chair. He'd been off on an assignment for Coulson that he didn't trust any of the new SHIELD agents to cover with his ex as his handler. "I'm off until after the baby arrives." He says absently.

"Yep, you shouldn't be needed as quiet as it is." Tony says. "We have Xavier's teams, Richard's crew, SHIELD, and assorted others to call on if needed."

Six weeks later Natasha gets the call. "Amanda had twin boys. Nathan and Philip." Everybody grins at her and sends off congratulations. Baby pictures soon start appearing on the server. Tony smirks and everybody is waiting for a comment that are they sure they're his but he doesn't say anything.

"Is his oldest still on track to graduate next year?"

"Yes, and he already said he can afford to pay for the kids schooling."

"Tough, how am I supposed to be taking over the world if I'm not paying for their schooling and ensuring they work for Stark or one of the businesses I've taken over?" He makes a mad scientist cackle and everybody nods. Yep, there's the asshole Tony Stark they all know.

"Pepper, have we got any applications for internships yet?"

"No, but the deadline is next month yet. I'm expecting a deluge like the fools who wait until the fifteenth to mail out their taxes." Pepper snorts. Tony nods. "And no doubt some of their advisors are trying to keep them from coming anywhere near me. They're busy sucking on the same stupidity tit as the fools in government." The others nod.

"Have the community gardens been planted?"

"Next weekend, everybody who can is planting extra. They're predicting a lot of shortages on shelves since so many factories can't run full shifts and even if they do they don't have the raw materials thanks to all the deaths."

"MRE's?"

"Miserable things but factories are putting them out for emergency supplies. Because a lot of commercial farms had to close because of a lack of employees and the idiots out there haven't figured out yet if you don't grow food you don't eat."

"And farming is one of those jobs you work sunup to sundown, you can't do a shift here and then a shift there. The growing dimension?"

"Coming along good, we'll have the tree crops producing *some* this year but we won't be able to pick to sell until next year according to the botanists." Bruce says. "Do we have a facility to make olive oil?"

"Yes, I purchased one with that in mind." Pepper says.

"Forget Stark taking over the world, Pepper is." Bruce says quietly in an aside to Peter who snickers. Tony is nodding and Steve is desperately trying not to laugh at the smug look on Pepper's face.

"Oh really?" Tony smirks on the phone as he talks to Coulson. "Pepper, our 'beloved' former mayor died in prison, every time he tried getting out of there and getting his job back the courts were mean by not kissing his ass. He tried escaping and ended up getting killed when he tried grabbing a gun."

"Good riddance to the little fool. I'm sure the bastard constantly wailed about how the city was running a thousand times better without him manning the reins." Pepper snorts.

"Oh yes, the last time he was complaining about students having to go to school in shifts because the schools were tore down." Coulson says from the phone Tony just put on speaker. "He wouldn't have torn down the schools, then he whimpered he didn't know the schools were in such bad shape, he just saw kids having to go to school in shifts."

"Figures, he never would have lowered himself to actually inspect the schools. And what is the verdict on using the nanos on buildings other than the tower, your headquarters, the compound, the Baxter building, Xavier's mansion, and my other buildings."

"Yes, in limited places."

"Police stations." Natasha says as she walks through.

"Yes."

"Hospitals." Pepper says.

"Yes."

"Fire stations." Bruce says.

"Yes."

"Schools." Peter says as he comes into the room and hands Pepper a bundle of papers. "I got reports from everybody in my area since I was coming up."

"Yes." Phil says on the phone as he makes a list. "Especially since some of ours still need major work."

"Which the nanos will take care of during the summer." Pepper says. "Thank you Peter, that will save Darcy a trip to your area when she gets back from classes. Finals?"

"Next week."

"Thesis?"

"Working on it and hoping to present it next summer."

"Are we expanding the area again?"

"Yes, the governor asked me to while I was at the meeting. We're adding another hundred fifty miles in all directions."

"Did he ask about anything else?"

"Elections after that fool tried threatening to shut off the power without us being a customer. As I told him we've offered to hold elections but nobody is signing up to be a candidate since everything is running smoothly and they're afraid of upsetting the applecart. The lesser elected offices have had elections but it's mostly been a formality since most of the time they're running unopposed." In his office Coulson nods. Keep the people who know what the hell they're doing in office and everything runs smoothly. Trask had gotten rid of term limits with the idea of keeping him and his cronies in office forever, it's working in their favor now. They don't have to deal with new state governors ranting and raving about what they're doing and trying to stop them then pouting when everything goes to hell in a handbasket and they have to admit that yes, the way things had been done were the right way after all.

"Robots?"

"we've been working 24/7 and have a third shifts in a dozen more necessary factories. I hope to have them all running third shifts by the end of the year. Much to the dismay of some people in the government who just want people to work a double shift, won't that handle it?" Tony says the last few words in a snide tone.

"Changing the subject, the air cleaner?"

"Working well in England, people are breathing fresh air for the first time in decades. Which helps with growing food. Reed and I plan on going out in a couple of weeks to help deal with the recycling that's stacking up since they don't have the factories to turn it into usable materials and help put up some large scale hydroponics units. Even with the deaths, they don't have the arable land to grow all their food needs. Scotland is slightly better off since they have more open tracts of land that are being used for farms or livestock. Ireland. . .Ireland is adjusting. At least one good thing that came from all this shit, the damn political infighting is over and done."

"Same with Israel and Palestine." Pepper says quietly. Tony nods. "Too bad it didn't do a damn thing for the political infighting here."

"Did you get the report on the treatment plants?"

"Yes, the parts are being ordered and they'll start working on them in two months. It should take them a year to eighteen months to rebuild them."

"Okay, do we have robots that could take over growing food?" Pepper asks after the call has ended and everybody else had headed off.

"Yes, it was in the information that agent and I received. If we have to we can use them in commercial farms. But I'd rather not have to go that route right now."

"Yes, let other areas sink or swim on their own as they would have done to us."