A little too tired of just hanging on

Chapter 17

Some people never learned. Which had never been Tony's case. Perhaps it was a red haired thing, that idea they had to think they could still manipulate him. Both women didn't seem to understand that their chances were gone. They needed to realise where they were standing now in their lives and that it definitely was not next to Tony ever again.Somebody would ruin the interview. Christine had promised she wouldn't do that kind of thing but some would still prefer a quick juicy scoop to the truth. Tony had been expecting that someone would come.

The genius had decided to make an entrance, appearing on Earth at the last minute directly on the sage. The public might think he was being a drama queen yet again. This wasn't his first rodeo. Backstage could be a dangerous place. The vultures would be too close to him. In his Armani suit and glasses, he looked very much like the old Tony. He had always known how to play his part. Howard had taught him well.

Christine started the interview by apologising again on behalf of her profession. The feeling was nice but, obviously, it would also mean that many others, just as guilty as her if not more, would not bother to say anything to himThey were the kind to think that all of that was in the past, that they had only been doing their jobs. Despite all that the world had done, Stark had saved them anyway. All was good then. Tony didn't answer Christine, his posture stiff. Nothing was forgotten or even forgiven. The interview was the first one in a long time. Tony already knew it would be the last for just as long and more.

At least, most of them had a moment of silence and almost shame when Tony said he had moved to the moon because nobody wanted him on Earth anymore. They had pushed him that far. It looked like that little information had made them finally realise just how much they had destroyed one man's life. And for what? Because Tony Stark had tried to listen to them, the public. What had been leaked had proved that anything Iron man had ever done, had been to protect them as best as he possibly could.

Tony had spotted Pepper Potts as soon as she had arrived. It had been a time when he would just have been so happy just to see her. She looked just the same as always, well put together and very professional. Christine was visibly uncomfortable seeing her. It was clear it hadn't been her idea to begin with. This whole thing was one last Hail Mary, he supposed. It wouldn't work this time. Tony had always been quite forgiving. Excuses and reasons could be found for almost anything. Once upon a time he would have even shifted the blame to himself. Pepper Potts was perfect in every way right? The best thing that ever happened to him.

In a way, Siberia had opened his eyes to a lot of things that had been wrong in his previous life. He had simply been way too nice to undeserving people. Tony had wanted to belong more than anything in the world. But really, sometimes, it was better to be alone than in bad company. He could have gone past a lot of things. Nobody was perfect. Mistakes were easy to make. He had made plenty himself. Pepper ambushing him when he was at his lowest though, that was just the last drop.

Christine asked him if he wanted to go back to his life, his old self before the Civil War. Certainly not. Tony had always been the kind of man to look into the future and never back. There never had been a point in mulling over things that he couldn't change. Unfortunately, the past always had a way to come back and bite him in the backside. Vanko, Hammer or Killian were proof of that. OK, he might have handled the situation better in some cases. The Russian scientist wasn't even his fault. Dear old dad might have been a terrible working pattern, then again he hadn't been a good father either.

Tony had been being stopped at innombrable events by a whole range of people with the best ideas ever. When Killian had come to him, they had been at a New Year's party, for crying out loud. People always had that crazy notion that Tony had never struggled in his life, that he had never worked a day in his life. Because he was rich, he owed the world his time, his money and his brains. Appointments weren't needed for them. Privileges weren't equal to rainbows and fairy tales in life.