Chapter 5
The plane lands in the air force base. Pepper, Henry, Harley, and Peter are standing there with Happy right behind her. Inside the plane, Toni is now wearing a suit and is sitting in a wheelchair.
Rhodey helps her get up and tells him to be careful on the ramp.
Then two people come into the frame with gurney Toni asks if they're kidding with her and asks to get rid of them.
"And so the refusal for medical treatment starts," Natasha says
"Mama!" Peter yells as the brothers run over and embrace her "My boys." Toni whispers, pulling them into a hug
Pepper looks over at her with a smile on her face. Toni walks up to her and says that her eyes are red and asks if she shed tears her long lost boss.
Pepper says that they're tears of joy and that she hates job hunting.
"I know better now." Toni says chuckling
Toni says that her vacations over.
"Bold of you to assume it was a vacation, even when you're gone you manage to stress me out." Pepper says
"It's part of her charm." Rhodey says
They all get into a car. Happy asks where he's taking them.
Pepper asks him to take them to the hospital.
Toni denies the request.
"You should have gone and gotten medical attention." Lily says
Pepper tells Toni that she needs to.
Toni says that no is her complete answer.
"At least now I know why." Pepper says
Pepper says that a doctor needs to have a look at her.
"Listen to her." Lily begs
Toni says that she doesn't have to do anything and tells Pepper that she's been in captivity for three months and that there are two things that she wants to do one of them is that she wants an American cheeseburger and the other is-
"Really?" Remus asks and Harley grins "Never underestimate Mom's love of cheeseburgers." he says
Pepper says that she's said enough.
Toni says that its not what she thinks and tells her that she wants to call for a press conference.
Pepper asks what for.
"That stunt you pulled shocked the world," Bruce says
"What stunt?" Remus asks
"You'll see."
Toni tells Happy to drive and to get the cheeseburger first.
"What is with you and eating after a traumatic experience?" Steve asks
"I honestly don't know." Toni says
Happy pulls into a parking lot. Obadiah is waiting outside of the building, he greets Toni as she gets out of the car then he hugs her.
Toni and her family all glare at the man
Obadiah tells Toni that they were supposed to meet at the hospital. Happy comes up around the back of the car with a paper bag in his hands.
Toni tells Obadiah that she's fine.
Obadiah comments on Toni stopping for a burger, then asks if they got him one.
"The first good food you've had for three months and he was trying to take it. Asshole." Steve says
Toni and Obadiah are seen walking through the hallway to be met with a large group of reporters.
"Oh is this that press conference?" Steve asks
"Yes it is."
Toni walks up to the podium. Pepper and the kids stare at her. Agent Coulson appears beside them.
"Phil!" the Avengers and Pepper yell except for Toni who yells "Agent!"
"You think we should reveal Coulson was resurrected after the Hellicarier mess?" Arsenal mutters to Red Widow, who frowns
Coulson asks Pepper if he could speak with her for a moment.
Pepper tells him that she isn't a part of the press conference but it is about to start.
"You thought he was a reporter?" Clint asks, giggling
Coulson tells her that he isn't a reporter and then introduces himself, saying that he's from the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Pepper tells him that thats quite a mouthful.
Coulson says that he knows and they're working on it.
Pepper tells him that they've been approached by the DOD, FBI and the CIA.
"Whoa."
Coulson says that they're a separate decision that has a more specific focus, and that he needs to debrief Toni on the circumstances of her escape.
Pepper says that she'll put something in the books.
Coulson thanks her.
"That was quite the meeting." Pepper says
Obadiah is standing in front of the podium and Toni is sitting down in front of it. Toni asks if everyone could sit down so it would be a little less formal. The reporters hesitantly sit.
"You got the reporters to actually listen?" Harry asks in awe
"It's easy to do once you know what you're doing." Toni says
Rhodey asks what's up with the love-in.
Pepper says not to ask her because she doesn't know either.
Toni looks at Obadiah and says that its good to see him. Obadiah says the same about Toni.
"Bullshit," Henry sneers
Toni tells Obadiah that she never got to say goodbye to Howard. She turns to face the audience and repeats herself.
"You didn't get a chance to say goodbye?" Steve asks
"No and I've regretted it since." Toni says, She and Howard's relationship might have been rocky but she did love him
Toni says that there are questions that she would have asked, she says she would have asked how Howard felt about what the company did and of he was conflicted or if he had doubts. Then says that maybe Howard was every inch of the man everyone remembers from the newsreels
"I guess I'll never know." Toni says
Toni says that she saw young Americans killed by the weapons she had created to protect them and says that she saw that she had become a part of a system that if comfortable with taking zero accountability.
A reporter raises his hand to ask a question, Toni greets him.
The reporter asks what happened where Tony was held captive.
"A lot." Toni says
Toni stands up. The reporters stay seated. Toni says that she had her eyes opened and says that ahe has come to realize that ahe has more to offer the world than making things that blow up and finishes by saying that he is shutting down weapons manufacturing of Stark International.
Wanda and Pietro smile a little. It may have come later but at least she realized the harm she was doing now. They might still be bitter but holding a grudge wouldn't bring their parents back.
As she says this the reporters stand up and Obadiah tries to push her away from the microphone.
"Trying to save his job." Pepper says, scowling
Toni says that she shutting it down until she can decide what the future of the company will be and says that it will be one that she's comfortable with and one that is for the good of the country. She leaves.
"That's how you got into the clean energy business?" Sam asks and Toni nods
Obadiah tells the audience that what they should take away from this is that Toni is back and she's healthy and then she says that they're going to have a talk and they'll get back to the audience with the follow up.
"I wouldn't say that she was healthier than ever." Bruce says
Obadiah is seen riding a Segway and smoking a cigar, Happy is standing in front of a car, smoking. Obadiah asks Happy where Toni is.
Happy says that she's inside. He takes the Segway.
Obadiah walks into the building, which is the building where the arc reactor is. Obadiah sarcastically comments that the press conference went well.
Toni asks if she just painted a target on the back of her and her kids' heads.
Obadiah asks about his own head and asks Toni what she thinks the over-under stock drop will be tomorrow.
Toni says that optimistically she thinks it would be forty points.
"Definitely Optimistic," Pepper says
Obadiah says that that's at minimum.
Toni agrees.
Obadiah tells Toni that they're a weapons manufacturer.
Toni tells him that she doesn't want a body count to be their only legacy.
Obadiah tells her that that's what they do and that they're iron mongers and they make weapons.
Toni says that its her name on the side of the building.
Obadiah tells her that what they do keeps the world from descending into chaos.
Toni says that that isn't based on what she says and that they aren't doing a good enough job and that they can do better and they're gonna do something else.
Obadiah asks if they're going to make baby bottles.
"Why is that the first thing he asks?" Lily asks
Toni says that she thinks they should look into the arc reactor technology.
Obadiah says that the arc reactor was a publicity stunt and that they only built it to shut the hippies up.
"True but that doesn't mean it doesn't work," Henry says, eyeing the arc reactor in his mother's chest
Toni says that it works.
Obadiah says that its a science project and that it isn't cost-effective, then says that arc reactor technology is a dead end and they haven't had a breakthrough with it in thirty years.
Toni stares at him for a while, Obadiah is glancing at Toni's chest.
"Creep," James mutters
Toni asks if he could have a lousier poker face and asks Obadiah to tell her who told him about the arc reactor in her chest.
Obadiah brushes off the question and tells Toni to show it to him.
"Why does he want to see it so bad?" Bruce asked.
Toni says that it was either Rhodey or Pepper who told him.
Obadiah says that he wants to see it.
Toni decides that it was Rhodey who told him.
Several people give Rhodey surprised looks
Toni takes her sling off and un-does the top buttons of her shirt, exposing the arc reactor in her chest. Obadiah looks around the room, while Toni buttons her shirt back up. Toni says that it works.
Obadiah tells Toni to listen to him and says that there's nothing that they can't do if they work together and tries to talk about Howard but Toni cuts him off.
Toni apologizes for not giving him a heads up, and says that if she had then...
""He would have tried to talk you out of it." Remus says
Obadiah tells Toni no more of the ready-fire aim business.
Toni comments that being Howard's line.
Obadiah tells Toni to let him handle this and that they're going to play a different kind of ball and that they're going to take a lot of heat and asks Toni to promise him to lay low.
"Toni lay low? Yeah right." Clint snorts
Pepper is shown watching a TV show with a very annoying host.
"Oh god it's that asshole." Henry says
"Jameson is just as bad." Spider-Man says, the other Spider heroes muttering their agreement
The host says he has a recommendation for Stark Industries before saying sell sell sell and yelling abandon ship then asks if the Hindenburg rung any bells.
"That's not funny." Lily says
The host says to let him show them the new Stark Industries plan and comments that its a weapons company that doesn't make weapons. Pepper cringes at the TV.
Toni's voice comes over the intercom, she asks Pepper how big her hands are.
"Why?" Steve asks in confusion
Pepper says " what?" Toni repeats the question.
Pepper says she doesn't understand and asks why she needs to know.
Toni tells her to come down to the lab.
Pepper walks down the stairs and sees Toni who is lying on a chair shirtless with electrodes attached to her chest. There's another arc reactor in her hand.
"Everyone look away now!" James yells at the room
Pepper walks over to her. Tony asks to see her hands. Pepper holds up her hands. Toni says that they are very small and petite and tells her she needs her help.
Pepper notices the arc reactor and asks if its the thing keeping her alive.
Toni says it was and that its now an antique, she tells her she's swapping it out for an upgrade but she ran into a speed bump.
Pepper asks what she means by that.
Toni says its nothing, just a snag. Then she removes the reactor from her chest.
"I'm pretty sure that's not nothing." Bruce says
She tells her that there's an exposed wire underneath it and its contacting the socket wall and its causing a short. She hands the old reactor to Pepper.
Pepper asks what she wants her to do.
She tells her to put the old reactor on the table because its irrelevant. Pepper puts it on the table.
"Not entirely irrelevant." Toni says, thankful Pepper kept it
Toni tells her that she wants her to reach into her chest and lift the wire out.
Pepper asks if it's safe.
"No!" Bruce and Strange yell
Toni says that it should be fine, then compares it to Operation and tells her not to let it touch the socket wall or it goes 'beep.'
"Did you just compare a life-threatening operation to the board game?" Strange says
Pepper asks what she means by Operation.
"How do you not know what operation is?" Clint asks
"Is that what you're focusing on?" Natasha asks
Toni says that its just a game. Pepper puts her hand into Toni's chest. Toni tells her to gently lift the wire out.
Pepper pulls her hand away and tells her that she doesn't think she's qualified to do this.
"Henry's hands were too big and Harley and Peter were too young to help with this. And there was no one else I trusted except you." Toni says
Toni tells her that she's fine and that she's the most capable and qualified person to do this and says that she's gonna do great, telling her to trust her.
"You know something's wrong when Toni asks you to trust her." Bruce says
Toni then asks if its too much of a problem.
Pepper says its okay.
Toni says she really needs her help.
Pepper slowly reaches her hand back into Toni's chest. She says that there's pus.
"There's pus?" the Potters yells
"It's not pus." Toni says
Toni says that its not pus, its inorganic plasmic discharge thats coming from the device and not her body.
"See?" Toni says
Pepper says that it smells.
Toni agrees and asks if she has the wire.
"Never ask me to do something like that again." Pepper says
Pepper says that she has it.
Toni tells her not to let it touch the sides when she coming out. Pepper accidently touches the sides, then apologizes.
"Oh god." Natasha grimaces
Toni says that thats what she was trying to tell her before, and then tells her to make sure she doesn't- *Pepper pulls out the wire and the magnet attached to it*- Toni says that there was a magnet at the end of the wire and that Pepper just pulled it out.
"That doesn't sound good." Harry says
"It wasn't." Toni says
Pepper panics. Toni says that she wasn't expecting it and tells her not to put it back in.
Pepper asks what to do and what's wrong.
Toni says that its nothing and she's just going into cardiac arrest.
"What?!" Lily screams
"You said it was safe!" Remus yells
"If Toni says something is safe it's not." Natasha says
Toni tells her its because she yanked the magnet out like a trout lure.
Pepper tells her that she said this was safe.
"I've learned my lesson now." Pepper says
Toni gives Pepper the replacement arc reactor and tells her they have to hurry.
Pepper tells her that its going to be okay.
Tony asks if it is.
"I hope so." Sirius says
Pepper tells her that it'll be okay and that she'll make this okay.
Pepper goes to put the arc reactor in. Toni tells her that she's gonna attach it to the base plate. She does it and Toni yells in pain.
"All you Starks are insane," Pepper says
"You got that right." Arsenal mutters, remembering all the crap his kids, nieces and nephews got up to
Toni then asks if it was that hard then says it was fun.
"And now you're fine." Rhodey says fondly
Pepper asks if she's okay.
Toni says that she feels great and asks if she's okay.
Pepper says to never make her do something like that again.
Toni says she has no one but her.
"OTP." Ginny whispers
Toni stands up. Pepper asks her what she wants her to do with the old arc reactor.
Toni tells her to destroy it and incinerate it.
"Thank god you didn't." Toni whispers
Pepper asks why she doesn't want to keep it.
Toni says that she's been called a lot of things but 'nostalgic' isn't one of them.
Pepper asks if that would be all.
Toni says that that will be all.
Pepper walks away. Toni watches her go, he gives the arc reactor a few taps and turns to her desk. She asks Butterfingers what all of the stuff on her desk is there for, noting her phone and a picture of her and Howard then she tells him to throw it all away.