Chapter 3
Disconnected Billionaire Mounts Write-In Senate Campaign. By Peter Parker.
On Monday, Tony Stark hosted a press conference at Stark Industries to announce his candidacy for the United States Senate. While adept at giving cookie-cutter answers that make him look like he’s serious, it’s painfully clear he is oblivious as to what he’s just stepped into.
“Ouch, tell us how you really feel.” Peter looked up from his keyboard to find Ned standing there with two iced coffees. He slid one across the desk to Peter, pulling up a chair again. “Was the press conference that bad?”
“No, actually,” Peter was loath to admit it, but wouldn’t lie. “He did really well for the first portion. He got control over the room, connected with the reporters, and answered their softball questions.” Pushing back from his desk slightly, he took the coffee and sipped at it.
“Softball questions?” Ned questioned, scooching closer. Though he worked on the communications side of the office, he found what the journalists did to be fascinating and was always eager to learn more.
“Yeah, like easy questions. What’s your platform, what party are you, are you running as a write-in candidate?” Peter counted the questions off, rolling his eyes and taking another sip of coffee. “It was ridiculous. Not one question about the fact that Stark’s supposed to take over a worldwide arms manufacturer. Nothing about his billion-dollar government contracts. Nothing about how he has no political experience and wants to use the Senate as his playground.” He slammed his coffee down on the desk a little too hard, wincing and muttering an apology to his friend.
“What did you do?” Ned asked with a knowing grin. Peter looked at him, having the grace to look somewhat sheepish.
“I, uh. I might have sworn at him,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing as Ned started to laugh a little louder than was probably appropriate for the office. Peter filled him in on everything, grinning a little more at the knowledge his best friend was getting a kick out of the story.
“And now you’re about to ream him out in the press,” Ned said, gesturing to the barely-written article on Peter's computer. The journalist shrugged, the hint of a blush still present on his face.
“I wouldn’t call it that. I’d call it telling the truth. Stark is bad news for New York, okay? He’s not in tune with voters, probably couldn’t even name the incumbent Senator he’s running against, and would be a walking disaster if he ran,” Peter explained.
“Sounds like he’s a walking disaster whenever he sees you,” Ned teased. Peter flushed darker, shoving his friend playfully.
“Shut up, man. Let me work.” Ned chuckled and disappeared back to his office, leaving the young Pulitzer winner to his work.
The echoes of a deep voice saying Hi, Peter, twinkling brown eyes, and a smile that was actually somewhat warm and inviting rather than smug and insincere swirled in his brain. Shaking his head, Peter put in his earbuds and continued to type. He wouldn’t be one of those women who swooned in Tony Stark’s presence, and he wouldn’t be one of those men who fell over themselves to impress him.
He wouldn’t.
---
The smack of a heavy newspaper hitting the table next to him caused Tony to jump, dropping the screwdriver in his hand and placing a hand over his heart.
“Are you trying to kill me?” He asked, putting down the part of Dum-E’s arm that he’d been fixing. He looked up to see Pepper, an incredible mix of frustration and admiration on her face. Something told him the admiration wasn’t for him. Looking down at the paper, his eyes skimmed the headline and he frowned slightly.
Disconnected Billionaire Mounts Write-In Senate Campaign.
Tony’s frown tilted upwards into a little grin as he took in the byline.
“Why are you smiling over this? Parker’s a well-respected journalist, and he just hit you with a heavy blow before you’re properly out of the starting gate! You’re going to be playing catch-up in your own campaign!” Pepper exclaimed, throwing her hands up as she saw the look on Tony’s face.
“I was already playing catch-up, Pep,” Tony pointed out, picking up the paper and skimming the rest of the article. “According to our dear friend Mr. Parker, that’s what I’d be doing in the Senate, too.”
“Well, he’s not entirely wrong,” Pepper grumbled. “Nothing in there is untrue. At least with other papers, you could rebut them with an argument over sensationalization or exaggeration. No wonder the kid won a Pulitzer.”
“While adept at giving cookie-cutter answers that make him look like he’s serious, it’s painfully clear he is oblivious as to what he’s just stepped into,” Tony quoted from the article. “This is what I get for not answering the question. He’s got valid concerns.”
“Well, you didn’t have an answer.”
“No, but that’s not a reason to not answer it. That’s a reason to find the answer.” Tony held up a hand when Pepper started to protest. “Listen to this: Stark seems blissfully unaware of the realities New Yorkers face every day. While he hid in his tower for years, real people struggled with homelessness, poverty, and the constant pressures of trying to make ends-meet in one of the most expensive cities in the world.” Tony sat there, stunned into silence before he continued to read. “He claims to want to make things better for the average New Yorker, but how can he do that when he’s never even been one?”
Silence descended over the lab again. Neither one of them seemed to know what to say, staring at the newspaper as Tony gently set it down again.
“He’s good,” Pepper eventually said, voice much softer than before. “From the looks of things online, people agree with him, too.”
“I’ve got an event on Thursday. It’s out at one of the affordable housing construction projects that SI is funding,” Tony said, leaping into action. One bad headline was fine. Peter Parker might be well-respected, sure, but they could get back in control of the narrative. He didn’t plan on slandering the man - he was doing his job and hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true.
Tony Stark wanted to prove Peter Parker wrong.
“Yeah, what about it?” Pepper asked when Tony fell silent.
“Is he on the list?”
“He’s the assigned reporter from the New York Times,” Pepper said with a huff of laughter. “He’s always on the list.”
“Great.” Tony stood, grabbing the newspaper and tucking it under his arm. “We’ll prove him wrong.” With that, he swept out of the room and headed up to his penthouse to prepare. If he was going to get anyone to admit they were wrong, especially someone as savvy and intelligent as Peter Parker, then he was going to have to put everything he had into this event.
---
Three days after Tony Stark announced his plans to the country, Peter and Ned pushed open the doors of the New York Times building and started walking in the direction of the next Stark campaign event. It was Stark’s first public appearance, and was happening at the site of a construction project his company was funding. It was supposed to provide affordable housing, but the project was so behind-schedule it was laughable, and the process to try and get one of those apartments was such a mess that even Peter couldn’t figure it out.
“I can’t believe I get to go with you,” Ned said, gripping the camera slung around his neck tightly and beaming over at his best friend. “I get to see you in action!”
“It’s not really in action, Ned. He probably won’t even call on me again after that shitshow on Monday. He won’t if he listens to his campaign advisors, at least.” Did Stark even have campaign advisors? He didn’t seem the type to take advice from literally anyone.
Peter jotted down a note in his notebook to remind himself to look into that later on.
“Still, it’s nice to get out of the office if nothing else,” Ned said with a shrug. Peter grinned at him. The way his best friend never lost his enthusiasm was almost infectious.
Making their way to the event, Peter raised an eyebrow when he saw how little decoration there was. No Stark campaign banners, no roped off areas or decorative stages with balloons and a podium.
He was almost impressed. At least Stark knew not to unnecessarily disrupt an active construction site. Peter couldn’t fault him for having the event here, it was a visual representation of the good work he would supposedly make sure Congress funded. He could have faulted him for all of the extravagance he was sure he would find, but there was none.
Peter and Ned made their way to the press area, which was really just barely separated from the crowd of supporters. He was surprised to see a couple hundred people gathered, wearing sunglasses like Tony’s signature pair and carrying homemade signs.
“Does this guy have a merch store? Or did they make their own stuff?” Ned asked.
“Looks like they made their own. It seems Stark has some supporters after all, I’m surprised,” Peter mumbled back, taking notes. Ned just nodded, wrapped up in taking photos of everything. He was one of their best photographers, and Peter knew whatever shots he sent along for the article would look absolutely incredible.
“Good afternoon everyone!” Their attention was drawn as Pepper Potts walked out onto a simple wooden platform that Peter hadn’t noticed before. It raised her about a foot above the crowd, making her easily visible without requiring a lot of setup and teardown. She didn’t even have a microphone, just speaking clearly to the group gathered.
“I’m so pleased to see everyone here, and thanks to our friends in the press for coming out here as well.” Pepper gave a wave in their general direction, but it wasn’t returned as everyone’s hands were full with pens, recorders, and cameras. “I never thought I’d be up here, introducing someone for a very last-minute Senate campaign.” She paused, allowing for laughter to fill the space. “But I don’t think Tony ever saw himself at the center of that very campaign. He’s incredibly excited to get to work for you all, but I’ll let you hear it from him. Please welcome Tony Stark!” Pepper stepped back, clapping, as Tony climbed onto the stage and waved to the cheering crowd.
“Good afternoon everyone, and thanks so much for coming out.” Tony flashed the crowd a smile. “I wanted to bring you here to the site of the first Stark Industries Housing Initiative project. We’re working to bring affordable housing to New Yorkers in need. No one should live on the streets and suffer that loss of dignity when they’re genuinely trying to make a living. We’ve all needed a hand up at some point in our lives. I’m overjoyed I can extend my hand for even a few people with this project.”
Peter ignored writing exact quotes, knowing Ned was getting it all on camera. He focused on Stark’s overall appearance. At first glance, he appeared confident and self-assured, shoulders back and hands moving animatedly as he spoke. Peter could see the practiced ease in those movements, and wondered when Tony had made the time to perfect this politician persona he’d assembled.
“It was pointed out in the press recently that I’ve been living in a tower with my name on it while others struggle to put a roof over their heads,” Stark continued, and Peter’s head snapped up from where he’d bent to write down more notes.
He’d read the article.
“The reporter that wrote that piece was absolutely correct.”
Fucking what?!
“I’ve had it easy, and far too many of you haven’t.” Stark put his hands in his pockets, looking somewhat like a child shamed for misbehaving in class. It was almost endearing. Almost. “As your Senator, I wouldn’t forget that. I’ve had a privileged life, I’ve been blessed with money and opportunities that most people work their whole lives towards. I haven’t acknowledged that, and that was wrong of me.”
The crowd was silent, hanging onto his every word.
“This project is a physical reminder of my commitment to each and every New Yorker. You deserve, at the bare minimum, access to everything you need to thrive. And I believe that starts with a roof over your head. I won’t forget that, and it would be my honor to fight for you, to make sure it’s not forgotten in Washington, D.C, either.”
The crowd cheered loudly, chanting Stark’s name and waving their signs. Stark made a few other remarks, but Peter was focused on his notepad and barely heard him.
With the other politicians he’d profiled, the response had been threats. Threats of lawsuits, threats to get him fired, death threats from their supporters. With Stark, he’d...admitted he was wrong? And apologized?
Peter prided himself on how hard it was to surprise or shock him, but he was stunned speechless.
“With that, I’ll open it up for questions. I’d like to start with our friend, Mr. Parker.” Peter looked up at Tony with wide eyes, glancing back down at his notepad and then making his way to the front. For once, he felt a slight tremor in his hand as he opened his mouth to speak.
“Mr. Stark,” he started, and Tony smiled at him widely.
“Good to see you, Peter,” the man interrupted. Peter stared at him, brain short-circuiting for a split second.
“Yeah, uh, for sure. Mr. Stark, on Monday you said, and I’m paraphrasing, that good work shouldn’t be reliant on benevolent private citizens for funding. Are you changing your mind on that stance, given you took credit for the fact that this is funded entirely by you but haven’t made any mention of a proposed national or government-funded plan to combat homelessness and the housing crisis?”
It was so quiet Peter swore he heard the gravel crunch under the sneaker of a shifting civilian. Stark, for his part, was staring at him like he’d grown a second head. Fighting to keep the smirk off his face, Peter waited patiently for an answer.
Stark might have learned a thing or two from reading the article, but he still hadn’t figured out how to answer the tough questions.
“No,” Tony said after a beat too long for it to have been a casual pause. “I’m happy to do this, but the government should step up and do their share so that private citizens don’t have to-”
“Have to? Are you saying you’re doing this out of a sense of obligation?” Peter interrupted.
“Of course not,” Tony shot back immediately. “I just-I meant that private citizens aren’t responsible for the well-being of all others. At least, according to the Constitution. That’s the government’s job.”
“Congratulations, Mr. Stark, you’ve proved you know as much about civics as a sixth-grader,” Peter deadpanned with a roll of his eyes. To his credit, Tony didn’t get angry. The corner of his mouth quirked up, like he wanted to smile but was reining it in for the audience.
“What’s your issue with me, Mr. Parker?” He asked, though his tone was friendly.
“I don’t have an issue with you, Mr. Stark,” Peter said honestly with a shrug. “I have a city to report to, and they count on me to deliver answers. It’s not my fault you’re bad at giving them.”
There were a few shocked mutters and gasps among the crowd, but Tony and Peter paid them no mind. They stared each other down, intense but not hostile.
“Saturday at eleven,” Stark said all of a sudden. “I’m giving you an exclusive interview.”
“Why?” Peter asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
“You said it yourself. You owe the constituents answers, and I think that’s a noble goal. This way we’ll have plenty of time for you to get the good answers you need.” Stark stuck his hand out, and Peter hesitated before shaking it.
“You’ve got a deal.”