Iron Heart [1]

Epilogue

"There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the arc reactor. Fortunately, a member of Tony Stark's personal security staff..." Rhodey rang out on the TV.

"'Iron Man.' That's kind of catchy," Tony read the paper while Pepper cleaned him up. "It's got a nice ring to it. I mean, it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy, but it's kind of evocative, the imagery, anyway."

"Here's your alibi," Phil Coulson walked up to Tony and handed him a sheet of paper

"Okay," Tony looked up and took the paper from him.

He set his newspaper aside and looked at it.

"You were on your yacht," Phil elaborated.

"Yeah."

"We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night, and sworn statements from 50 of your guests."

Tony looked over the paper before speaking, while Pepper continued to clean Tony up.

"See, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just Pepper and me alone on the island," Tony suggested

"That's what happened," Phil responded.

"All right."

"Just read it, word for word," Phil ignored.

"There's nothing about Stane here," Tony noticed as he flipped through the cards.

He continued to skim through the cards to try to figure out what he could say that was true. After the ordeal he had been through, you would think Tony Stark would have taken a break. But that's not Tony. Despite losing his daughter and his mentor, he was still trying to carry on.

"That's being handled. He's on vacation. Small aircraft have such a poor safety record," Phil explained.

"But what about the whole cover story that it's a bodyguard? He's my... I mean, is that... That's kind of flimsy, don't you think? And what about it just says Ada is in the hospital because she was in the building? It doesn't even say why," Tony questioned.

Pepper had finished with Tony and was now standing there, listening to the conversation.

"This isn't my first rodeo, Mr. Stark. Just stick to the official statement, and soon, this will all be behind you. If we say she's been kidnapped or left Malibu or even at a friend's, people will look for her. If we say she is in the hospital and don't specify which one, we have more time to try to find her," Phil began to walk away. "You've got 90 seconds."

Phil had been greatly affected by the loss of the youngest Stark, as it was him who sent her away, and him who lost her on his watch. Pepper ran up to Phil as he began to leave.

"Agent Coulson? I just wanted to say thank you very much for all of your help," Pepper stopped.

"That's what we do. You'll be hearing from us," Phil smiled.

"From the Strategic Homeland..."

"Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Right," she nodded.

Pepper picked up Tony's suit jacket.

"Let's get this show on the road."

"You know, it's actually not that bad. Even I don't think I'm Iron Man," Tony looked down at his card and then stuck it between his teeth.

"You're not Iron Man," Pepper countered as she put his jacket on.

"Am so," Tony spoke with the card still in his mouth.

"You're not."

"All right, suit yourself. You know, if I were Iron Man, I'd have this girlfriend who knew my true identity. She'd be a wreck, 'cause she'd always be worrying that I was going to die, yet so proud of the man I'd become. She'd be wildly conflicted, which would only make her more crazy about me," he coughed. "Tell me you never think about that night."

"What night?"

"You know."

"Are you talking about the night that we danced and went up on the roof, and then...and then you went downstairs to get me a drink, and you left me there, by myself? Is that the night you're talking about?"

"Mhm," he replied.

"Thought so."

She placed a handkerchief in his coat pocket.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"Yes, that will be all, Miss Potts."

----------------

"And now, Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions."

Tony walked up on the stage while cameras flashed.

"Uh, been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time," he began.

The audience laughed.

"There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," a reporter interrupted.

She was the one that Tony had brought home the night of the awards before the accident.

"-but do you honestly expect us to believe that Adalene Stark is just M.I.A. and that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you and Adalene..."

"I know that it's confusing," Tony interrupted her this time. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."

"I never said you were a superhero," she countered.

"Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic," he paused. "I-I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."

"Just stick to the cards, man," Rhodey stepped up and whispered.

"Yeah, okay. Yeah," he lifted up the cards. "The truth is...I am Iron Man."

----------------

"Jarvis!" Tony walked in and looked around.

He was confused as the lights were turned off.

"Welcome home, sir," JARVIS greeted.

Tony then noticed a man standing in the shadows of his living room.

"'I am Iron Man,'" the man spoke. "You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet."

"Who the hell are you?" Tony demanded

"Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the man stepped out to reveal his face. "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."

-------------------

"It is with a heavy heart that I must inform the public of this news. Adalene Stark, the daughter of multibillionaire Tony Stark, or Iron Man, has officially been presumed dead. The teen was injured on the night of the Stark Industries attack. She was taken to a local hospital, but was reportedly kidnapped by a man wearing all black. There have been no more leads-"

Tony turned off the TV. He sighed heavily in despair. He had recovered some what from the depression cause by her disappearance. He smiled at the pictures of her around the room. He could never forget the girl who had haunted him during his own disappearance.

It was not because he was mad at her or anything. He had been filled with regret. Regret of how poorly he had treated her over the years. But, if he could have at least been nice to her during her last few months, he was more than glad to. Now, the subject would, of course, be a soft topic for him.

He would always have a soft spot for Ada in his iron heart.