Chapter 5
**Chapter 5: Stark Mansion**
"Wake up, Daddy's home," Tony says, clapping his hands. The lights turn on, and all technology boots up.
"Welcome home, sir. Congratulations on the opening ceremonies. They were such a success, as was your Senate hearing. And may I say how refreshing it is to finally see you in a video with your clothing on, sir," Jarvis replies as Dum-E and You rush to him. Tony pets the two arm robots on the head.
"Yeah, it was," Tony said as he looks at Jarvis, his son, who is sentient and possesses the body of energy. "Pepper's Birthday's coming up; have you made sure the papers for her gift are ready?" Tony asked.
"The papers to make Ms. Potts CEO of Stark Industries are ready. Also, we have managed to get the rest of the board to sell their stocks to us before the Expo. They are wanting to buy some back, but I turned them down. Since you want to turn Stark Industries into Stark International and make it a private LTD after Stane," Jarvis replied.
"Perfect, thanks," Tony replied as he headed down to his workshop.
"Sir, Ms. Potts is heading down," Jarvis announced.
"Let her in," Tony said.
"Jarvis said you wanted to see me," Pepper said.
"Yeah, I did, Pepper. You see if I'm gonna do Iron Man, I can't be trapped in meetings. What if there's an emergency? So, Pepper, I was thinking who I could trust to manage to run the company, and it clicked who helps keep me in line and know what I do. You, Pepper, you've been my assistant and someone I can trust, unlike Rhodey or Stane," Tony replied.
"Tony, what are you saying?" Pepper said.
"Pepper Potts, I offer you a promotion to the position of CEO. It comes with a pay rise and a bonus. We have already got the board of directors to sell their stocks to us so we can vote them out and put a new board together. A board that can help us grow," Tony replied.
"Tony, I... are you sure?" Pepper said.
"Yes, I am. Pepper, I can't do both jobs without losing myself. I need the company to be in safe hands, and yours. So will you become CEO of Stark Industries? It will make a change for the company," Tony replied.
"Of course," Pepper replied as she hugged him.
"Thank you, Pepper," Tony replied.
"You're welcome," Pepper replied.
"So Pep, how does it feel?" Tony asked.
"I am once again speechless," she replies.
"Then let's drink to the future of Stark Industries," Tony said as he handed her a glass of champagne.
"To the future," they clinked glasses and drank.
A few days later, Tony is sitting with Pepper when Jarvis interrupts them.
"Sir, a Natalie Rushman has applied to join Stark legal department. I ran a background check on her; it cleared, but when I scanned her through all known databases using her face, she came back as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who goes by the name Natasha Romanoff. Her mission is to infiltrate Stark Industries and judge if you are a viable candidate for the Avengers Initiative," Jarvis replied.
"What the hell? Reject her position. Get the evidence of her true name and her mission and give it to the legal team; I want S.H.I.E.L.D. to understand not to mess with us," Tony replied.
"At once, sir," Jarvis replied.
"Pepper, it seems we had a breach in security or a plant. S.H.I.E.L.D. almost had an agent called Natasha infiltrate Stark Industries. The woman applying for the position of Legal is a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. She was an obvious honey pot; I had to be near death to not realize," Tony said.
"We need to deal with her," Pepper replied.
"Yes, and we will," Tony replied.
"I'm sorry, but your application has been rejected. If you like, we have a position available at Hammer Industries. Justin Hammer is a rival and can use someone of your caliber," Pepper said, sneak dissing Natasha.
"I see. I will contact him," Natasha said as she left.
"That should keep her busy," Pepper said.
"Yeah, well, let's not let this happen again. I've already updated security. From now on, any person that comes into our buildings is scanned."
Some time had passed. Now in Monaco, Tony, Pepper, and Happy are seen leaving a car and walking into a building. They walked towards a table; Tony went to the furthest table.
Pepper noticed another businessman. She decided it would be better if she, as CEO of Stark Industries, met him.
"Mr. Musk, how are you?" Pepper asked.
"Hi, Ms. Potts. Congratulations on the promotion," Elon Musk replied.
"Thank you very much," Pepper said, as Tony noticed Pepper also came towards Elon.
"Elon, how’s it going? I haven't seen you in a while. Those Merlin engines are fantastic," Tony Stark said.
"Thank you. Yeah, I’ve got an idea for an electric jet," Musk replied.
"You do? Then we will make it happen," Tony said, as Justin Hammer came from behind Tony.
"Anthony. Is that you?" Justin said using the name that pissed him off, knowing about Tony's issues with his father.
"My least favorite person on Earth," Tony whispered to Pepper before turning around to face him.
"Justin, what do you want? I heard you tried to get the racist senator who is now fired to allow you and the states to experiment on me because my mutant powers allow me to create highly advanced technological armor I have dubbed the Iron Man suit around myself," Tony said, as Justin shook when he saw Christine Everhart, the news reporter that did quite a spread on Tony and was doing one of Hammer's recordings. If Hammer Industries were exposed as Anti-Mutant, it would be over; the public would never support taxpayer funds going to his company.
"Nothing much, just wondering how your mutant powers are doing," Justin replied as he quickly left. Tony chuckled. He knew Hammer would not take this lying down. Tony was feeling bored just cooped up here. Tony then decided he would race in the Grand Prix.
An hour later, Pepper, Happy, Christine, and Hammer were shocked when they saw Tony getting into a race car and getting ready to drive in the Grand Prix.
"Happy, what the hell is he doing?" Pepper said.
"No clue, boss. It's like he's suicidal," Happy replied.
"Quick, prepare the car; let's go and see," Pepper said.
As soon as the race began, Tony took the lead and sped down the streets of Monaco. As the other cars tried to pass him, a man with electric whips came slicing two cars in half, making the audience scream as the other drivers started to scream and drive away from the man.
Tony quickly realized this was an assassination attempt and jumped out of his car. Using his mutant power, the Iron Man suit formed around him, and he jumped from the car. Tony caught the whips. The man tried to shock him with the whips. Tony analyzed the man and was shocked when he saw the wh
ips were being powered by an arc reactor.
"Who sent you?" Tony asked.
"No one; I am here to avenge my father, the man your father stole the arc reactor from," the man said delusionally.
"Who the hell are you talking about? My dad was many things, but he would never steal someone's technology."
"Anton Vanko," the man said.
"Impossible," Tony replied.
"He helped build the original Arc Reactor. But was deported when the state found he had a criminal record. He told me everything. That you had stolen his idea. You're a thief," the man said.
"That's a lie. Your father lied. He didn't make the tech. He helped when he worked for my father, My father owns it, and secondly, he was stealing the design for the Soviets. What do you expect my father to be like, here take American taxpayer money to help the enemy? No, he refused. So no, he was not a thief. He was a hero and patriot. Finally, the only person who will have his life destroyed is you," Tony said.
"But anyway, you lost," Tony said.
"Did I? If you can make God bleed, the people will cease to believe in him. And there will be blood in the water. And the sharks will come. The truth, all I have to do is sit here and watch as the world will use the arc reactor to make the suit I am using. It might not be as good as yours, but they will still make it," the man said.
"Where will you be watching the world replicate my powers from? That’s right. A prison cell where you belong. I’ll send you a bar of soap," Tony asked.
"You have no idea, Stark. No idea," Vanko said.
Tony was on his plane as Pepper told him Stern was making a fuss, saying how he was right. Tony should have allowed himself to be experimented on. Even James Rhodes did. Tony frowned at how far his ex-friend had fallen for title and money, even Mama Rhodes had disowned Rhodey. James Rhodes' mother hated mutant haters, and to see her son support them, she saw him no differently than Black Slave Masters.
Eventually, Tony made it home and started to develop more technology he had learned from the QuantumForge. It was weird; it gave him knowledge but only when it saw fit. Sometimes when he fell asleep, he got information that would make the internet look like a tiny drop. He had learned so much in the past year and was ready to take the world by storm.
Tony was working on a healing chamber. A chamber that, once someone enters, will use special liquid called healing water from Planet Exodus. Tony managed to use the knowledge he gained to replicate this water and even patented it. In order to prevent it from being replicated, Tony created a machine, a device will would spoof anything that analyzes the atomic structure and healing properties, making it so they can't see what makes it different from regular water.
"Sir, Jarvis said, interrupting Vanko was broken out a few weeks ago, and now Hammer has built his own suit that is similar but highly primitive compared to the Iron Man suit your mutation makes, however, it uses Stark Proprietary Arc Reactor technology."
"WHAT?" Tony screamed.
"Hammer Industries has stolen Stark technology and has made weapons similar to the Iron Man suits. Hammer has also hired Ivan Vanko as a weapon consultant, and he is currently working on his own version of the arc reactor."
"Damn," Tony said.
"Sir, Vanko has called; he said prepare for fireworks at the Stark Expo," Jarvis said.
"Jarvis, I'm going to the expo; I have to stop whatever Vanko's up to and whatever Hammer Vanko's pawn is up to," Tony said as he flew out the door.