Tony Stark Imagines

Red In My Ledger | Bonus

Note: This is a bonus chapter of the story after the events of Red In My Ledger

Word Count: 1,610
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The scene begins with Anton parking his motorbike beside the hospital, and then entering. From there, he takes the lift and reaches his desired floor, walking through the corridors of the hospital, looking for the room number where he wanted to see somebody. There, he successfully finds it and opens the door, to find someone familiar.

It was actually Kulikov, old and retired. Beside him, he had Vasili, with his arms crossed, seated on a chair while waiting for Anton. The blonde saw the agent entering, that he immediately stood up.

"My two agents. Look how grown they have become." Kulikov speaks in his weary tone, smiling. But, Anton and Vasili don't say anything much, and just seat themselves on a chair.

Tony wasn't much amused when he was requested to see the former General with his friend. He could only respond with;

"Why have you called us here?" Anton says, while his Russian accent blurts out.

"I just wanted to see my two little agents. Remember how you both always used to make me feel proud?"

"But you weren't always satisfied." Vasili interrupts, and shook his head.

".. you boys know the Soviet Union was in danger. The Western forces were growing stronger and paranoia consumed me so bad, in the fear I will lose my country. So.. in an attempt, I wanted to strengthen you both as much as I can." Kulikov addresses, while the both agents listen to him carefully.

"I was becoming helpless.. powerless.. then, I found you two.. you both gave me hope. Maybe if.. we did had to lose it one time, we can fight again." Kulikov mentions his sadness and fear, and reasons to treat Tony and Vasili in the way he wanted. It wasn't always that, Kulikov was a cruel man, he did treat his agents like a parent - a positive trait which, Tony does accept, but mad of the fact, he had to face a lot of his treatments to just perfect him. His paranoia did came true the time when they realised the intel was fake, and they failed.

The Soviet Union broke apart when the government got weaker, and switched to a democratic system. Changes do happen, but sometimes, those memories hurt us. So it did to Anton, the time when he witnessed his former flag falling from the sky. He did love his country, and proudly wanted to serve it till the end, like Howard.

But unfortunately, things don't remain happy as they're supposed to. Anton did move on after the country broke apart, but found a profound grudge over Americans, specially the reason why he first disagreed to help Fury in finding out the Winter Soldier who killed his father, later realised he was manipulated and ordered by Pierce.

All these things revaluate in Tony's head, making him feel a bit awful of the fact he misunderstood Kulikov. But, his paranoia was the reason why his entire childhood went to learn being a spy, and it never got into Tony so well.

"Then why us? Why do you have so much hope in me than the rest?" Tony asked, for a reason.

"Because your father, Howard Starkov was a man who knew his son will save them from many threats. Make his country proud." Kulikov turned to Vasili.

"Even after your parents died too, Vasili, they always told you to never give up, and focus what you want to become. KGB was your other choice, isn't it?"

"It was my second option, Kulikov. Before that, I wanted to help people by all means, by being what benefits me and the others a lot. But.. when I realised, that my parents were.. actually murdered and not.." Vasili began to break into tears, and wipes them off before they could even fall. ".. I was fuelled with revenge after that. I thought it would give me satisfaction, but.. it wouldn't really give me them back alive, anyway."