Iron Skye

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I’m sure.”

“What if he doesn’t even remember who I am?”

“Don’t say that. I’m sure you’re all he thought about these past three months.”

Pepper and I were on our way to the air base to pick up my dad. I didn’t know whether to be terrified or thrilled that my dad was back. I was scared that things would just go back to the way they were before. My dad would go back to almost completely ignoring me and I would go on being ignored.

Both Pepper and Happy stood outside the Rolls but I couldn’t bring myself to get out. Not until I saw him. Then I would know this wasn’t a cruel trick and he really was coming home.

I watched the C-17 land and the ramp in the back open. Two figures emerged from the plane, one being guided carefully.

He walked up to Pepper and they exchanged a few words and I almost forgot where I was.

I slowly opened the car door, still afraid that this was a nightmare and everything was going to dissipate when I left the Rolls. My dad’s eyes left Pepper and he did a double take when he saw me. I slowly walked towards him as he limped towards me. We met in the middle, his good arm wrapping around me, holding me to his chest as I clutched to his shirt, letting out three months worth of pain and sorrow.

“Please don’t leave me again.” I whimpered into his chest.

“I won’t.” He whispered into my hair. “I won’t.”

Once my crying was done and my dad had wiped the tears from my face and I caught Pepper wiping a few from her face out of the corner of my eye, we loaded into the Rolls.

“Where to, Sir?” Happy asked. I sat in between Pepper and my dad, glued to my dad’s side.
“Take us to the hospital, please, Happy.” Pepper said.
“No.”
“No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital.”
“No is a complete answer.”
“The doctor has to look at you.”
I snickered at their bickering. Things were starting to go back to normal.
“I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other...”
“That's enough of that.”
“...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now.”
“What?” I sat up, looking at him. He looked down at me for a second before looking back at Pepper.
“Call for a press conference?”
“Yeah.”
“What on earth for?”
“Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first.”
After going through the drive-thru at Burger King where my dad had made comments about how thin I felt and ordered me a large french fry, we made our way to Stark Industries.
Obadiah met us as we pulled up, greeting my dad like a long, lost brother, quickly ushering him inside. Pepper and I followed the two inside, staying at the back of the crowd of reporters.
Rhodey entered and I walked over to him.
“Thank you.” I said. “Thank you so much.” I wrapped my arms around him.
“I told you I wasn’t giving up that easily.” He said, smiling at me.
“Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can... A little less formal and...” I heard my dad’s voice. I looked for him, only to see him sitting at the base of the podium.
“What's up with the love-in?” Rhodey asked Pepper who had sat along with the reporters. I sat down next to her, leaning back on my hands, my legs straight out in front of me.
“Don't look at me. I don't know what he's up to.”
“Good to see you.” My dad addressed Obadiah who was sitting next to him.
“Good to see you.”
“I never got to say goodbye to dad.” He said to Obadiah. “I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. lf he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. ... I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.”
“Mr Stark!” One of the reporters yelled.
“Hey, Ben.”
“What happened over there?”
“I had my eyes opened. I came to realise that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well.”
The reporters had jumped to their feet and I sat there in shock. My dad came up to me and held his good hand out. I took it and he pulled me to my feet, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and through the door.
“Happy.”
“Yes sir?”
“Take them home then come back. I have something I need to take care of.”
My dad kissed my forehead, lingering there for a moment before walking away.
I watched him walk away, my brow furrowed. The same question was on my mind as everyone else’s. What happened over there?