[Third Person's PoV]
"What a twist! Who could've possibly foreseen such a shocking revelation? Le Gasp!!" Peter exclaimed theatrically, clutching his face in mock shock as if he were a soap opera star.
Fury, unfazed by Peter's antics, slowly turned to glare at him. "Tell me something, Spider-Man—did you, by any chance, influence his decision? Because if you did, that would be cheating... and I'd like a refund."
Peter waved a dismissive hand without taking his eyes off the screen. "Nope, I had nothing to do with it. Now shhh—pay attention, this is where it gets good."
"Shush me again," Fury said in a low, dangerous voice, "and I'll staple your mouth shut."
But Peter was already too engrossed in the press conference to notice the threat. On the monitor, Obadiah Stane—Tony's so-called uncle and business partner—stepped forward abruptly, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Wait just a minute," he protested, eyes wide. "You can't just make a decision like that on your own—"
But Tony had already stood from the podium's steps and brushed past Obadiah like he wasn't even there. His voice was calm, firm, and filled with resolve.
"I can, and I will. This company was founded to develop weapons in defense of our country and its people. But somewhere along the line, I allowed myself to become part of a system—one that's twisted our purpose into something dangerous. The weapons we've created have been turned against the very people they were meant to protect."
He paused to let his words sink in before continuing, "That's why I'm shutting down the Weapons Division, effective immediately."
"Tony—!" Obadiah called out again, his voice edged with disbelief and alarm.
But once again, Tony ignored him. Turning back to the sea of stunned reporters, he gestured casually. "Any questions?"
From the front row, a hand shot up with almost comical enthusiasm.
"Ooh! Me!" came a bright, eager voice.
Tony's gaze shifted downward to find a red-haired teenage girl in the front row, hand waving like she was in school. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and curiosity.
Peter's face broke into a grin the moment he saw her. Peter couldn't help but inwardly sigh, 'Hold back, hold back, I can't scream 'that's my girl', secret identity Parker, Secret identity!'. It was of course MJ, who had raised her hand. Next to her sat Eddie Brock, arms crossed, jaw tight, still fuming from their earlier confrontation.
Tony arched a brow. "Aren't you a little young to be a reporter?"
Without missing a beat, MJ shot back, "Aren't you a little old to be getting kidnapped?"
The room gasped—audibly. A few reporters even dropped their pens. MJ immediately winced, realizing how her impulsiveness might've just landed her in hot water.
But Peter, meanwhile, was cackling, doubled over with laughter, practically spilling popcorn everywhere.
Both of them had the same exact thought at that moment:
'She's been spending way too much time with me.'
'I've been spending way too much time with Peter.'
Tony blinked, surprised—and perhaps just a little impressed. He stared at her a moment longer, then gave a small nod of respect.
"Touché," he said. "What's your question?"
"I've got two, actually," MJ said confidently. "First—what exactly did you go through that led to such a drastic change in your worldview? And second—now that you're shutting down the Weapons Division, what's your plan going forward?"
All eyes in the room turned back to Tony. Even the most skeptical reporters leaned forward slightly, eager for his response.
Tony, unfazed, took a bite of the last piece of his burger, chewing thoughtfully. After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he finally answered.
"What I went through?" he echoed. "You could call it a form of... enlightenment. I had my eyes opened in a very real, very painful way. It forced me to reevaluate everything—my priorities, my purpose, what kind of legacy I want to leave behind. I realized that if I wanted to live with myself, something had to change."
He leaned forward slightly on the podium, his voice soft but resolute.
"And as for what's next? That ties into what I just said. Change. Real, lasting change. Someone I came to know recently, someone who I would hope to get to know better, said something that stuck. He said, 'The past can't be changed, it's there, set in stone. What matters now is what you do from here'"
There was a pause. Silence swept through the room as the weight of his words settled.
"So that's what I'm going to do," Tony concluded. "I'm going to focus on what matters—from this point forward—so that the mistakes of the past don't repeat themselves."
The only sounds that followed were the relentless snapping of camera shutters and the frantic scribbling of pens on notepads.
Peter leaned back, munching his popcorn again. "Man... I love character development."
Fury slowly turned his head to glare at Peter, who in response dramatically turned away, raising one hand to block his face like a child pretending to be invisible.
He leaned subtly toward Natasha, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is he still staring at me?"
Natasha, not missing a beat, gave a small nod of confirmation, her face betraying the faintest hint of amusement.
Fury exhaled through his nose and shook his head with resignation. "Keep it. If his mind was so easily swayed, it was already a losing battle for me."
Peter turned back to him with an expression of surprise. "Wow… how incredibly mature of you."
"Yeah, and you could stand to learn a thing or two," Fury replied dryly, not even bothering to look at him.
Peter clutched his chest in mock agony. "Damn, just know that your words hurt more than any bullet ever could."
"Point in case," Fury said plainly, folding his arms.
Meanwhile, up at the podium, Stark gave MJ a small nod of appreciation. "Very good questions, young lady… but I'm afraid that's all for now. I won't be taking any more questions. I have things to do—important ones—so if you'll excuse me."
With that, Tony stepped down, his movements deliberate and confident. The camera flashes intensified as he walked, reporters jumping up from their seat on the floor trying to get a better angle or shout a question, but none dared block his path. Like a tide parting for a ship, they moved out of the way, letting him pass without resistance.
Obadiah, watching from the side with a troubled frown, scratched his eyebrow and stepped up to the podium. Trying to regain control of the narrative, he forced a smile. "He must still be tired… After all, it can't have been easy for him. But the important thing here, the good news we can all agree on—Tony Stark has returned to us!"
As Tony made his way through the lobby, Pepper hurried behind him, struggling to keep up in her heels. "Tony! Wait—Tony!"
"Hey, Pep," Tony said without turning around. He opened the door to the waiting car, where Happy stood holding it open.
Pepper grabbed his arm gently, as he was getting in. "As much as I want to commend you for doing the right thing and support you—"
"What?" Tony cut in, arching an eyebrow. "That sounds suspiciously like you're about to say you don't think I'm doing the right thing."
Pepper followed him into the car, sliding into the seat beside him as Happy shut the door behind them.
"It's more complicated than that, Tony," she said carefully. "You've been gone for months. Things have changed—drastically."
Tony looked at her, genuinely confused. "Out of everyone, I thought you would be the one person who'd stand by this decision. What could've possibly changed so much in such a short time?"
"It's not that I don't want to support you," Pepper said with a pained expression. "It's that I can't. Just like you can't just shut down the weapons division anymore."
Tony's brows drew together. "Can't?" he repeated. "Pep, this is my company. If there's one thing I still have control over, it's the direction of Stark Industries."
"I'm afraid that's no longer the case," Pepper said, her voice low.
Tony's head snapped toward her. His eyes were wide now, uncertain. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Pepper glanced away, then sighed and met his gaze again. "It's what Obadiah was trying to tell you earlier. You just kept brushing him off. Tony… while you were gone, someone bought up the majority of the company's shares."
Tony blinked, stunned. "What?"
She reached into her bag and pulled out a tablet, placing it gently on his lap.
"You're not the majority shareholder anymore," she said softly.
Tony laughed. "Hah… you're kidding. Come on, it's called Stark Industries for a reason, Pep. My name is literally on the building. I can't possibly be powerless in my own company."
"I wish I was joking," she said, nodding at the tablet. "See for yourself."
Tony picked up the device and read the report displayed on the screen. At first he scanned it with mild interest, but then his eyes froze on a single paragraph. He reread it. Again. And again.
His lips parted slightly in disbelief.
> While CEO Tony Stark was presumed dead or missing, Parker Industries began acquiring majority shares in Stark Industries. The acquisition continued quietly until Peter Parker, CEO of Parker Industries, gained controlling interest and became the largest single shareholder. All major corporate decisions now require his approval.
Tony stared, unmoving.
"…"
Then he exploded.
"WHO THE—!?"
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