【 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗥 】𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

PROLOGUE

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" We promise the next one will be even better! " Obadiah Stane announces as they stand before a room full of reporters and cameras. 25 year old Tony rolls his eyes, that's the fourth time Obadiah has interrupted him in the past fifteen minutes. " Mhm, as I was saying-" He tries to continue but he's interrupted once again. However, this time it's Happy.

Happy clears his throat and leans in towards Tony's ear, whispering something. Immediately, Tony is walking off the stage, causing the press to shout and even more cameras to flash." Woah, Hey-" Obadiah rushes after him and grips his arm. " Where are you going? We're in the middle of a press conference here." He hisses.

" It's Anna, I have to go." Tony yanks his arm out of Obadiah's hand, " I'm pretty sure you can handle it here on your own." He flashes a quick and sarcastic smile before he saunters off with Happy following close behind.

Sitting in the car, Tony is impatiently tapping his fingers on the seat. Happy is driving as fast as he can legally on the roads of New York, but Tony is seriously considering ditching the car and running there himself.

Suddenly the car begins to slow down and then stops.

" Why are we stopping?" Tony asks, staring at Happy intensely from the back seat.

" There's traffic–"

" Then go around it!"

" I can't just ' go around it–'"

Tony lets out a loud sigh and throws his head back on his headrest in defeat.

====

Happy pulls into the hospital parking lot and parks the car. Tony is as impatient as ever and he immediately throws open the door and walks as quickly as he can to the entrance.

He goes up to the front desk where a woman is sitting and typing on her computer. He knocks on the counter to get the woman's attention, who looks up at him and smiles. " Hello sir, how can I–"

" Hi there, " Tony interrupts hastily, " Yeah, I'm here to see my wife, Anna. I've been told she's in labor."

" Of course, may I have your name sir?" says the lady.

" Tony Stark." Tony says, in slight disbelief she didn't already know his name.

" Alright, I'll just need you to fill out a few papers, Mr. Stark, and then we can get you to see your wife." She hands him a small stack of paperwork and gestures to the seats in the waiting room.

Tony, suddenly at a loss for words, takes the paperwork and silently moves to sit in an empty chair. Tony grabs a pen from the table next to his chair and starts filling it out. He grumbles as he signs on lines and checks boxes, the whole process felt like a lifetime.

Finally he finished the last page. He gathers all the papers and stacks them back up, swiftly walking back to the front desk. " Here." he says as he hands the woman the paperwork. She smiles as she takes them, looking over everything and then setting them beside her.

" Everything looks to be in order. Let's find your wife's room number." She says and turns to her computer. " Wife's full name?"

" Annabelle Stark." Tony replies.

The lady types in the name and after a short moment she says, " Third floor, room 22." She hardly has time to finish before Tony is walking away, " Thanks. " 

He quickly walks to the elevator and presses the button to call it down to him. He fidgets with his hands, picking on the skin around his nails. Finally he hears a loud ' ding ' and the elevator doors open.