✔𝚨 𝚸𝛐𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

Chapter 19

How long can
You chase a dream
Until it becomes
A nightmare?

Melora stared from the sideline, watching Tony Stark as he wandered up onto the stage. Agent Coulson had left already, finished with the S.H.I.E.L.D business for now. The reason for her being there was quite different.

Howard had been a difficult man, but he cared for his son, and she remembered their drunken conversation quite clearly. He had wanted her to look after Tony, and she had tried to do so for a long time, but this was much bigger than anything he had ever done before.

"Been a while since I was in front of you," Tony spoke up with a slight grin on his face. "I figure I'll stick to the cards this time." There was no way he was going to do that. "There been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and on the rooftop-"

"I'm sorry, Mr Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you-" A blonde reporter spoke from the front, interrupting Tony.

"I know that it's confusing," Tony said, tilting his head back and forth with a grimace. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."

Melora rolled her eyes, his father had been so much better at official statements than him. She ran a hand through her pale hair, fixing the suit she was wearing as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I never said you were a superhero," the blonde reporter replied.

"Didn't?" He asked while his face dropped. "Well, good because that would be outlandish and fantastic." A deep sigh left him, and everyone in the room was piquing up. "I'm just not the hero type. Clearly... with this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."

She shook her head, he could be a hero without a doubt. Colonel Rhodes leaned towards him, hopefully, to get him back on track, and Tony gave the man a nod.

"The truth is," Tony said, looking down at the cards in front of him. "I am Iron Man."

Every reporter in the room rose from their seats, and once again, she rolled her eyes, turning on her heels to leave the room. Her car had already been moved forward, the old chevy impala waiting for her. The car had stayed with her since she bought it brand new in the 60s.

"Thank you," she nodded to the valet as he gave her the keys, and she immediately drove towards Malibu point.

The layered white mansion still standing there with the usual high-tech security, but that didn't matter to her. From her pocket, she took out her card, swiping it across the reader, and the door unlocked instantly as she stepped inside.

"Ms Voitheia? A pleasure to see you again," the familiar voice of Jarvis sounded over the intercom, and a grin washed over her face.

"Likewise, Jarvis, likewise," she said and moved across the wooden floor towards the sitting area with quite the view. "Why don't you inform Tony that a friend has stopped by?" She asked, noticing the bar in the corner and wandering towards that instead.

"It has been done," the voice spoke, and she nodded to herself.

"Thank you, darling." Melora poured herself a glass of whiskey while a much more unlikely man entered the room as well. The long black cloak swayed behind him, but by the eyepatch, she instantly realised who he was.

"Fury? Always a pleasure," she smiled, raising her glass towards him and taking a large drag of it.

"Have you decided to come out of the shadows, agent?" Fury asked as he walked towards the row of windows, seeing the setting sun from there was quite remarkable.