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IDEAS | INTERVIEW
Tony Stark Breaks His Silence
BY LIV SMITH November 13, 2018
Smith is a TIME correspondent based in New York
Nearly thirty years have passed since weapons manufacturer and WW2 hero Howard Stark was killed in a tragic car accident. In the following years, his son Tony led Howard’s legacy and Stark Industries to great heights, moving from the weapons industry to sustainable energy, communications and cutting edge medical technology. Over a month ago, Tony found out (with the rest of the world) that his father had two secret children. In his first interview since the news broke, Tony “Iron Man” Stark speaks to TIME about the infamous video, his new family and the future of his company.
How did you find out about the video?
Same as everyone else. Well, not exactly. My publicist sent me the video and asked me if she should verify it.
Surely this was not the first claim of a relation with you. What made this one different?
Oh, definitely. There have been various claims by a number of women, teens, and adults. However, all of these claimed to have/be my own child. Someone saying my father had illegitimate children? That was definitely a first, at least in my lifetime. Looking at the family, it didn’t seem like a hustle for money, either. Still, we went through the usual channels. Checked dad’s accounts and correspondence, even did genetic testing.
Can you tell us the events of that night?
This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked this question, but it’s the first time the intent wasn’t sordid. Same answer as always though: no.
You have admitted in the past that you shared quite a tumultuous relationship with your father. How has this revelation influenced your thoughts on him?
I mean, who doesn’t have a Cat’s in the Cradle sob story, right? Therapists send their kids to college on the trauma money. Mine probably bought an island. I’m kind of torn up about the whole thing. My siblings have a father, who did an outstanding job of raising them, and Howard was just this distant figure for them. They had no pressure, no media scrutiny, no kidnapping attempts, and are remarkably well-adjusted. My sole regret is that I missed out on so much of their lives, and didn’t see my nieces and nephews grow up.
Do you feel that your personal growth has made this a better time for them to come into your life?
There’s never a right time, only the right people. I think they could have entered my life whenever – pre-Afghanistan, or when Howard was alive, whenever – and we would have shared the same equation.
How is your new family?
They’re good people. I’ve seen the shit the British media says, but they’ve had a hate boner for me for ages so I’m not surprised. I don’t like it when they attack the kids, though.
Are the rumours true about them spending Thanksgiving with you?
Yes! We're all very excited.
Seeing as you have no children yet (that we know of), will we see the torch of Stark Industries being passed on to one of the British Stark children?
You’ll find out with the rest of the world when it happens.
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“Don’t worry about it,” Tony was saying, seemingly to no one. He was throwing some sort of hologram ball into the air, catching it with alternate hands. “I'm annoyed it took me this long, Baelish is a smart motherfucker. I didn’t know he was so closely connected to you.”
“I’ve barely met him myself, but Cat and her sister had quite the shock,” a man replied through the speakers. Ah, a phone call. Peter dumped his backpack on the couch and beelined to the fridge. He grinned when he saw a large covered bowl labelled “Peter” right in the front.
“Don’t keep the fridge door open!” Tony called out, and immediately made a face. “Ugh, I’m a soccer mom.”
“Hey, soccer moms are the backbone of the community,” Peter chided, taking his bowl and making his way to the kitchen island.
“Hello?” the voice said hesitantly.
“Oh, my bad,” said Tony, throwing the ball at the floor, where it disappeared, and making his way towards Peter. As he got closer, his phone’s proximity field moved with him and Peter could finally see a projected video of Tony’s brother. “Ned, say hello to the kid. Peter, this is my brother Ned, the less cool Stark.”
“Hello, Peter,” Mr Stark – Ned – said warmly, ignoring Tony’s jibe. He was holding his phone up to speak, unlike Tony.
“Hi, Mr Stark,” Peter replied, waving. “You know, my best friend is called Ned!”
“Nice, solid name,” Ned Stark smiled. “Are you just getting home from school, Peter?”
Weird way to put it, Peter thought. He was just about to correct Mr Stark when Tony spoke up instead. “He’s already digging into his post school snack. Did your kids eat as much as this one?”
The betrayal! Peter would’ve defended himself…except he was indeed, eating a bowl full of chilli that would normally feed three people. He took a large bite, suddenly ravenous.
“I swear Jon had four stomachs, the way he ate,” Ned laughed. “The others were away for school so I wouldn’t really know. How was your day, Peter?”
“Mmhmm,” Peter said intelligently, nodding and trying to swallow quickly. “Yeah, um, yeah it was good! How was yours? Or wait, is it just beginning? It looks dark.”
“No, you were right the first time, it’s just about 9 at night here. I’ve had quite the day, but I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s just say having Tony for a brother gets more and more rewarding. I shall be very glad to see him soon. And of course, I’m looking forward to meeting you, Peter.”
Peter smiled shyly. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it too. Uh, I hear you have a son my age? Will he come?”
“Can’t confirm anything about Rickon, I’m afraid. He’s at Harrow, it’s quite a chore trying to get him out. I’m sure you’ll get on with the others, though. We’re a friendly bunch.”
“Yeah,” Peter enthused. “Sansa already got in touch on Instagram. And I met Robb, of course.”
“Yes, you made quite the impression. The others are dying to meet you as well,” said Ned. He paused, and Peter could hear a muffled voice in the background. “Well lads, it was lovely to chat, but I’m missing Eastenders. Speak soon!”
“Bye,” Peter and Tony chorused. The projection disappeared. Grateful, Peter resumed stuffing his face.
“So?” Tony asked. “Opinion?”
“His accent is cooler than yours,” said Peter, swallowing. “And he seems nice.”
“I got all the funny in the family, though, right?” Tony asked, pointing finger guns at Peter.
“YES!” Peter replied immediately, feeling slightly guilty. “Not a single joke in the whole conversation, it was killing me trying to keep a comment in! You’re way funnier, if a bit–”
“Uh-uh, sentence stops there,” Tony said, mock-scolding. “Finish your food and hit the labs, today I want you to do the grunt work I had to learn before I invented the better, cooler tech. Copper wiring, old fashioned coding, no AI.” He started walking away, typing away into his Starkphone. “If you’re going to MIT you need to slum it for a year before I give them free upgrades.”
“Who says I’m going to MIT?”
“What?” Tony cupped his ear, as the elevator doors opened. “Can’t hear you, did you say something? FRIDAY, did Peter say something?”
“Yes, Boss!” FRIDAY replied. “Peter said he would like to get donated to a community college.”
“I don’t get that reference!” Peter yelled over Tony’s loud cackle.
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peterparker literally had this conversation irl #isthisthereallife
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“Arya!”
“What?”
“Check your Insta.”
“Oooooh. Ask him what it’s about!”
“Already done.”
“And?!?!”
“He’s typing!”
“….”
“Okay, he says Tony wants him to go to MIT – how cute, he’s explaining that it’s a college – but he’s joking with him that he’ll go to Stanford instead!”
“Are these the posh uni’s, then?”
“No, I think that’s Harvard and that Ivy lot, I remember Harry Hardyng went to one of those cos he didn’t get Oxbridge. Stanford and MIT are the smart people uni’s, d’you remember Anjali from four houses down? Wait, was it Anjali or Reena? No, it was Anjali! Anyway, remember she went to Stanford? She works for Google?”
“If you say so. Anyway so Peter’s really smart then, if he’s so confident he’ll get into these places?”
“Seems like it. Wonder where he gets those genes from, eh?”
“Fucking hell, can you believe the genius gene skipped our entire line?!”
"I mean...I guess Bran's okay?"
"Is he, though?"
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