Roberta Rhodes can make or break a journalist’s career. She is either going to be your best friend or your worst enemy. Many a young reporter had made the mistake of angering the woman.
They never were never given a second chance.
Older more experienced reporter had all learned how to keep their careers going. Instead of watching Stark they made sure to watch Ms. Rhodes. Unlike Stark she didn't have to hide her reactions to reporters so if a certain question made her frown a reporter worth their salt knew to change the line of questioning before she got upset. If Ms. Rhodes smiles that means the line of questions is safe and that they are in her good books for now.
Any reporter dumb enough to piss her off deserves her revenge.
It's because of this knowledge that when a young reporter with a stick up her ass asks Stark a particularly horrible question that the entire press conference falls quiet and those reporters close to her inch away as fast as they can.
“I... I'm sorry. Can you repeat your question?” Stark asks giving the idiot a chance to save herself. But the reporters already know that regardless of her choice Ms. Rhodes is already going to destroy her. Regardless of if Stark is willing to give her a second chance.
“I asked if your refusal to fight against James Barnes joining the Avengers means that you love being a Superhero more than you loved your mother?” The idiot asks and the reporters cross themselves and get as far away as possible wondering if this one will end up ruined, missing, or in jail in addition to jobless.
“I don't believe that's an appropriate question. Barnes was simply the weapon that was used to kill her not the orchestrator. In addition to the fact that he was brainwashed at the time. It would be irresponsible of me to put all the lives on Earth in danger because of one man who didn't have a say in it. However, should the man that issued Barnes’ orders were to show up I can guarantee that I would have him arrested,” Stark says and calls an end to the conference.
The next day different headlines cover every newspaper in New York. All of them ignore what the idiot had asked and paint Stark positively.
The idiot's own story leaves out the question she had asked. Her editor must have cut parts out.
Smart man.
The next day a story breaks about how the idiot's car had been involved in several drunk hit and runs. Luckily no one had actually been hurt but she was still arrested.
Tony and Roberta had also found photographs of the reporter stripping to pay her way through school. But Tony simply deleted that as much as he could.
He and Roberta may not have liked the question. But both of them would never hold stripping to pay for college against someone. Tony understands that people need to do whatever they have to in order to get by. Besides he's not the kind of person who would post risque photos of a woman without her permission.
While most reporters settle for ignoring and erasing what the idiot had said there's one small little blog that isn't going to stand for it. So, the blogger writes a post.
The post reads;
I'm so sick of everyone blaming Tony Stark for every little thing that goes wrong.
Captain Fraud chose to ignore the UN and attempt to discredit them by calling them corrupt.
Bloody Black Widow chose to be a spy and assassin. Then she chose to switch sides again and again to her benefit.
The both chose to damage DC and put innocent families at risk. That's not what heroes do. That's what villains do.
No one has a problem when the families of murder victims forgive the killers. Granted usually the killer is in jail. But what is a HYDRA brainwashing machine and a cryo tank if not prisons for the mind and body.
Imagine if Mr. Stark hadn't forgiven Barnes. That same reporter would have been screaming about how Stark was putting himself above the needs of the people.
So, while Mr. Stark has to deal with professional reporters that don't look at the bigger picture of issues this blogger will continue to support Mr. Stark by analyzing all the information.
Keep digging deeper readers,
Kami
No one is more surprised than the blogger is when the she gets a chance to interview Tony Stark during an SI live interview.
She's even more surprised when Mr. Stark and Ms. Rhodes apparently like her enough to offer her an internship in SI’s social media and public relations division.
Then when Mr. Stark finds out that she's an inhuman he helps her get training and therapy to help her deal with any stress and anxiety it may cause and even helps her through the accords and telling her parents with Ms. Rhodes right by her side.
So, that's the story of how every reporter in the Western Hemisphere knows when to stop asking questions and when to continue.
As well as how Roberta Rhodes and Tony Stark met Kamala Khan.