Well this ended up coming out a few years later than intended. So sorry for the wait you guys, but the third and final chapter for this first fic in the IDCA series is finally posted. The first half of this chapter had been wasting away in my files for these last 3-4 years and I've only just now rediscovered it and finished it. It's not as long as I'd thought it'd be, but it's just kind of a round up chapter before I get to the rest of it in other one-shots and the first big story with the team. This chapter is just Tony's decision and what happens after it's been made. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading. Hopefully it won't be another 3-4 years before I post the next installment. :)

Chapter 3: A New Beginning

Sunday June 14, 1992

Tony stood in the entryway of his apartment to take one last look at what had been his home for the last three years. Everything he owned was in a pickup truck that he'd borrowed from one of his frat brothers for the day. His suitcase was packed with all of the clothes and movies he'd decided to keep and his carry-on was filled with the few personal items he was taking with him. Everything else was packed away in a few boxes full of clothes, books, movies and a few other miscellany items. Some were going into storage; the rest was going to be dropped off at the local Salvation Army on his way to the airport.

Yes, Tony DiNozzo had made his decision. He was going to join the IDCA. He'd thought about it all Friday night after his second meeting with Michael, and all through his graduation ceremony the following Saturday morning.

He hadn't really expected anyone in particular to show up for his graduation, so seeing Michael after the ceremony and being treated to another lunch, and dinner later on, was a pleasant surprise. Michael had been there just for him and there hadn't been any talk about the IDCA that time. Tony and Michael had just spent the afternoon talking about normal everyday things, like Tony's finals, classmates and the graduation ceremony. Michael told Tony a little about the time he'd spent in the army. They talked about their families and realized that they both had assholes for fathers and were looking for an escape from their childhoods.

Tony had been sad to see the day end and when he was left alone in his small apartment he found a few demanding voicemails from his father. Tony was already leaning heavily towards joining the IDCA, but the last voicemail on his machine had been the final nail in the coffin.

"Anthony, my patience with your childishness is wearing thin. Quit sulking and pick up the Goddamned phone! …I'm sending the jet out tomorrow. Gerald will be on it and will come to help you pack if need be, so that you can be home by tomorrow night. I have a meeting set up on Tuesday for you to meet with the head of our Human Resources department for that secretary position I mentioned in the last few messages. We'll discuss further details when you get home. I'll see you soon, Anthony."

Tony had started packing soon after listening to that. Now he stood with the keys to his now former apartment in one hand, and a garbage bag full of trash in the other.

With one final sweeping glance around the sparse space, Tony stepped out the door and locked it behind him. He disposed of the garbage before making his way to his landlord's apartment to return his keys and finalized the details for terminating his lease. All was then taken care of.

The next couple of hours passed by in a haze for Tony while he made stops to drop off some of his things at the Salvation Army and paid for a small storage locker to hold the rest. With that taken care of, Tony returned the truck and headed to the nearest bus stop with only his suitcase and carry-on. He arrived at Port Columbus Airport around two o'clock, but it wasn't until he got off the bus that he realized that he wasn't sure what to do next. He didn't have a plane ticket yet and wasn't sure which airline to head towards. He was about to start looking for the nearest payphone to call Michael when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Tony jumped in surprise and found himself facing the very man he'd been about to call.

"Tony!" Michael grinned. "Glad you decided to join me. We're flying Delta."

Tony let out a sigh of relief and followed the older man to the Delta Airlines counter. When checking in their luggage, Tony noted that Michael only carried an Army-issue duffle bag with him that was checked in as carry-on luggage. Tony's suitcase was tagged and sent away on a conveyer belt and the backpack that was his carry-on was checked in and tagged as well. Tony and Michael took their time making their way through security and to their terminal. They sat back at one of the few food places there – a McDonalds – and ate a late lunch. They passed the time eating french-fries and swapping stories.

When their flight finally started boarding Tony felt a wave of excitement flow over him. This was it. He was finally going to step out of his father's shadow for good and start a new life. An unusual one to be sure, but one that he was looking forward to beginning with rampant anticipation.

The flight was an hour and twenty minutes long and after they touched down at JFK, Tony followed Michael to the luggage carousel and to the parking lot where they got inside a black non-descript car. It was another couple of hours driving as they drove out of New York City and into the country where they arrived at a bright shining modern compound seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Tony felt both excited and nervous when Michael drove the car into an underground parking ramp and parked in a line of similar model cars. From there they headed to an elevator that took them back up to the ground level. Upon exiting the elevator, Tony was met with the sight of cool grey granite floors and muted white walls. There was also a glass ceiling in what was clearly the lobby of the compound. He followed Michael to a marble desk where a woman with hair in a strict military bun was situated in a navy business dress suit.

"Agent Hill, lovely to see you as always. I see you're on desk duty tonight," Michael said in greeting. "I have Anthony DiNozzo Jr. with me awaiting registration for recruitment."

The woman nodded, typing away at a computer Tony couldn't see behind the desk.

"Room A02 is open. Agent Coulson is expecting you and shall meet you there," she said, as she reached into a drawer and pulled out a clip-on badge that said RECRUIT on it. She handed the badge to Tony. "Welcome to the I.D.C.A, Mr. DiNozzo."

Tony nodded, taking the badge from her and followed Michael back to the elevator. The man hit the button for the top floor this time and they exited onto a floor that was all white. White tile, white walls, white doors, and a white ceiling. The only color was the black letters and numbers on the doors that lined the hall.

Michael let him to a room at the end of the hall on their right that had A02 painted on in sharp calligraphy.

"Good luck, Champ," Michael said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll see you when you're done."

Tony felt his mouth go dry as the older man left him standing before the door, heading back to the elevator. Swallowing his nerves down, Tony knocked on the door, entering only when he heard a soft "Come in."

The inside was thankfully not white. The floor was plain grey cement and the walls were a light grey color, softening the single florescent light in the room. There was only a simple table and two plastic chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was an unassuming looking man in his mid to late thirties with ordinary brown hair, flat grey eyes, and a bland smile. He was the most unremarkable man Tony had ever met. But those grey eyes held an intensity that warned him that the man was not as he appeared.

"Please take a seat, Mr. DiNozzo, and we'll get started. I'm Agent Coulson, and I'll be registering you within our system," the man said, setting aside a file with his name on it, not unlike the one that Michael had had on him during their first meeting. In front of the man was a clipboard hold various official looking documents.

Tony slowly eased himself into the other chair.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said. "Michael Weston talks very highly of you."

Coulson gave him another bland smile. "And your record reflects very highly on you. I must admit, I'm impressed, Mr. DiNozzo, and that's not a very easy thing to do, especially considering that you are a civilian and not here because you did something in the Armed Forces to impress us. You appear to be highly intelligent as well as athletic, so that certainly counts in your favor. Your recovering injury may be a bit of an issue starting out, but I have no doubts that it'll clear up with some structured PT and a consistent exercise regimen. We'll look more into that during your physical tomorrow. For now, will you please fill out these forms so that we may run a background check?"

Tony accepted the clipboard Coulson pushed in front of him and began to fill it out. The only sound in the room was their soft breathing and the faint scratching of the pen as Tony completed the information. He noted that there was no current address slot to fill out. Only previous residences. The back half of the form and the attached secondary page turned out to be a questionnaire of sorts that left him confused for a moment with it's seemingly random questions before he shrugged it off and answered it to the best of his abilities. Some were mathematical equations, others were riddles. One asked him what he would do if he were to come across an injured dog on the side of the road.

When he was done, he made sure that he had filled in everything and had answered every single question before sliding the clipboard back over to Coulson. Coulson then spent the next half hour reviewing what he'd written down. His expression remained neutral for the most part. Occasionally an eyebrow would rise a fraction or his mouth would curl up in a corner like a repressed smile, but for the most part the man gave no indication of how Tony had done.

After what felt like an eternity, Coulson set the clipboard aside, smiled another bland smile, and then rose to his feet, offering Tony his hand.

"I look forward to seeing you progress," he said as they shook hands. "Welcome to the I.D.C.A, Agent DiNozzo. If you head back down the elevator to the ground floor, Agent Hill will give you a room key and direct you to your temporary quarters where I'm sure you'll find Agent Weston, who will show you around."

"Thank you," Tony said, stunned that that was all he had to do at present, but didn't complain as he left the room and made his way back down to the lobby and Agent Hill's reception desk.

"You'll be in Room Q07 on level 2," Hill said without looking up at him as she placed a folder on the desk with a keycard on top of it. "That's your welcome packet and schedule for your stay here at HQ. I'm sure if you have questions, Agent Weston will be able to answer them."

"Thanks," Tony said, taking the keycard and folder, and headed back to the elevator.

The second floor was just like the top floor had been; white. Room Q07 was three quarters of the way down the hall on the left. When he opened the door, using his keycard, he found himself in a small bare bones room with only a full bed, a small desk, and a chair. There was a window in the wall opposite the doorway above the bed. It was a small cramped space, but Tony figured that it was only a temporary arrangement. His bags were already waiting for him on the bed.

"It's small and basic, but you won't be spending much time in here anyway," Michael's voice said, coming from behind him. "In case you're wondering, the restrooms are at the end of the hall. Men's on the left, Women's on the right."

Tony turned and saw the man leaning in the doorway of the room opposite his in the hall.

"C'mon, I'll show you around," Michael said, pushing off and shutting his door behind him.

Tony set his welcome packet down, pocketed the keycard, and followed.

On Monday, Tony spent a majority of the morning performing various physical tasks after getting checked out by a doctor. They even had him run through an obstacle course. By the time they let him go to shower and have his lunch, he was exhausted.

He didn't get to see Michael much as the next few days progressed. Every morning he met with a physical therapist and spent his afternoons getting read in on the I.D.C.A.'s policies and all the various types of training he was expected to get through over the course of the next three years.

On Tuesday, he finally had his orders. His background check came back clean, his record spotless, and he was declared by PT and the doctors that he was fit enough to begin boot camp starting Monday next week at Parris Island. After he completed Boot Camp, he'd join a unit of recruits at the IDCA training compound in Colorado.

Marine Boot Camp took a total of thirteen weeks. The first four weeks weren't too bad for Tony. The physical training was tough, sure, but with his athletics, he found he was in better shape than most recruits in his platoon starting out. The running and the conditioning marches were almost relaxing. It was the obstacle courses that were a pain in the ass. When they added in all the martial arts, hand-to-hand combat training, First Aid, and the Marine Corps History and Values classes, and Tony began to feel wrung out at the end of every day.

Then there were the weapons and field training sections that took place over the fifth through ninth weeks. That training was both stressful and more intense than that of the first four weeks. The worst of it was during what the Marines call, The Crucible. The Crucible was designed to emphasize trainee teamwork under stress. Tony and his fellow recruits got only about eight hours of sleep during a 54 hour exercise. They got two-and-a-half Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and they were responsible for rationing out the food to themselves. During that time, Tony and his platoon were put through tough physical activities like road marches and night infiltration courses. They marched about 40 miles in those 54 hours. In comparison to The Crucible, the gas chamber training and the Field Firing Range course was a piece of cake. At least they were able to get a decent night's sleep before those.

The last four weeks were running through swim qualifications, a defensive driving course, and a bunch of tests to make sure they were competent and qualified in what they had learned at boot camp. Tony had never felt so relieved and proud to be done when he found himself marching at graduation on the parade grounds with his fellow recruits, who were now graduated Marines. He felt even better when he realized that Michael Weston was there to not only congratulate him on successfully completing boot camp, but to fly out with him to Colorado where he'd be joining his IDCA Unit, which Michael was apparently in charge of.

It was strange to move from the large open quarters that he'd been sharing with his unit of fellow Boot Camp recruits, to a small two bed apartment in IDCA barracks. His new roommate had been staying in their quarters alone while he underwent some type of specialized training while Tony was at Boot Camp.

"Hey, you must be Tony DiNozzo," the guy said when Tony entered their shared living space for the first time. "I'm David Webb."

"Nice to meet you, David," Tony said as he shook his hand.

"How was Boot Camp?"

"Long and exhausting," Tony sighed, "Glad to be done."

"How was being surrounded by a bunch of newbie Jarheads?" David asked.

"Fine. They were a good bunch of guys," Tony sighed. "It was funny as hell though when some of the Gunnies decided to pull pranks on some of them. One of my bunkmates was asked to find a left handed spatula. Another guy from a different unit was asked to go to the medical supplies office to search for fallopian tubes."

David laughed.

"The best," Tony said, grinning, "Was during our first week and our Gunny instructed this poor sap to perform a boom test on a howitzer by yelling BOOM down the tube to calibrate it. Lotta funny guys in the Marines, and yet they pull it off with a straight face."

"Did you ever get pranked?" David asked.

"Yeah," Tony snorted. "Got me when I was sleep deprived. I was asked to get a five-gallon bucket of dehydrated water. Took me a good while to realize Gunny Riggs just wanted an empty bucket."

"Yeah, we have wise asses like that in the Army too," David chuckled. "We were taking an inventory of supplies once and some bastard thought it'd be fully to hold up a spare pin and ask if anyone had seen his grenade."

"Oh man," Tony laughed.

They spent the rest of the day chatting and getting to know each other.

David turned out to be two years older than Tony, but had a baby face that made him look like he was still just a kid. He was from Nixa Missouri and had joined the Army in '88. He'd made the rank of Captain as a member of US Army Special Forces, before he'd gained the attention of IDCA and was recruited by Weston. David also knew a number of languages including Dutch, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Italian. He was currently working on Czech and Polish. Tony only knew some Italian and a little bit of Spanish because of his mother. It was fun, though, seeing what he remembered with David. The two of them quickly became friends.

Tony wasn't sure what was ahead for him as an agent for the I.D.C.A. as he settled into his new living quarters where he'd be spending the next 3 years, but he was looking forward to seeing where this new chapter in his life led him.

So Tony's joined the IDCA and not only have I pulled Coulson into this, Hill is here too. Let's see how many of Marvel's characters end up in here before I'm done with this universe. XD

And David has finally made an appearance! David Webb/Jason Bourne is Tony's Roommate! I can't wait to see what sort of adventures they get into with Michael. By the way, all of the stuff about Tony's time at Boot Camp is true. My dad is a retired Marine and he likes to tell stories from his 20 years of service.

I think I'll write a few one-shots about how Tony and David get along during training with Michael, how Booth joins the team, and some more basic team building buddy stuffs before I write their first mission together. Thanks for reading and waiting for updates. Let me know if there's something you guys would like to see. :)