"We have to stop meeting at these kinds of places," Moira greets me with a warm smile as I enter the press conference hall. The room buzzes with reporters and officials at Stark International Headquarters.
"Indeed," I reply with a chuckle.
Moira's expression shifts to one of concern. "I wanted to personally apologise for what happened with Obadiah Stane. He went missing during the FBI's prison transport. If we had been more careful, yesterday's events wouldn't have transpired."
I shake my head. "It is not your fault, Moira. You are with the CIA, not the FBI. There is no need for you to feel responsible."
She sighs, clearly troubled. "I know, but I still feel bad. You put your trust in me, and I didn't want to let you down."
I give her a reassuring smile. "Trust me, you haven't. At least he is caught now. I just hope he doesn't go missing again."
"Do not worry, a higher department has taken over his custody. You won't be seeing him ever again," Moira responds seriously.
"Good," I reply, nodding, knowing that she is talking about SHIELD.
Moira's tone shifts to a more personal matter. "I am more concerned about our date. I hope this doesn't cancel our plans," she inquires, looking at me hopefully.
"Definitely not. I am looking forward to it," I respond with a smile, making her face brighten.
As I was having some small talk with her, my mind drifts back to the previous day's events.
---
After Toni defeated Stane, I made both of them invisible and transported them to a secluded corner with my Forcefield Power. Opening an Earth Portal, I took Toni and the Mk-II suit to her house in Malibu.
Toni had also filled me in on the ambush that she experienced at her house. I was shocked to know that someone had shut down Jarvis this easily. Apparently, I had underestimated the infiltrators, as such technology was in the hands of only a handful of groups.
Until then, my initial guess was that these goons belonged to the Mandarin, who had come to get revenge for what happened in Afghanistan, to one of his branches, and that would also line up with him saving Obadiah and attacking Toni. But now I felt like maybe it wasn't them and it might be someone else altogether.
Arriving at her house, we both made our way to the basement, only to find it empty, devoid of any souls. The Tinkerer and the two goons Toni had knocked out were all missing. I checked the footage and discovered that the last few hours had been wiped clean.
I shared my concern with Toni that someone might have stolen her data or planted a bug in her home. Taking my warning seriously, she decided to thoroughly inspect her house for anything suspicious.
Before I left, Toni hugged and kissed me, playfully commenting on how cool my suit looked. With a mischievous wink, she added that she especially admired my 'hard' metallic pants.
Ignoring whatever she was implying, I hurriedly returned to the HQ, placing Obadiah in a conspicuous corner with a knockoff scrapped iron suit which I had made from my Metal Constructs power.
Before leaving, I also tried telepathy on Obadiah but found a mental block on his brain, I have found a similar one on the other thugs and even their leaders. It was definitely very odd. I would have to check later if they had any mental shield like mine installed or if it was something else blocking me from reading their minds.
Then, making myself invisible, I slipped into my normal suit and emerged from behind the stage to reconvene with Pepper, creating an alibi.
Pepper had been relieved to see me, and I telepathically informed her about what had occurred.
Just then, I received a call from Bobbi informing me that she had arrived at the HQ in the Ghostwing with Sage in tow.
They had gone to Afghanistan, as today was the day when Sage took some of her own personal revenge, so I didn't blame her for arriving here just then.
There were also sirens ringing from outside, signalling that the police had arrived.
---
I was brought back to the present as my casual talk with Moira is interrupted by the sound of NYPD Captain George Stacy arriving at the podium. He clears his throat and begins to address the assembled press and officials.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. Yesterday's terrorist attack was a serious reminder of the threats we face…"
I listen idly as the official response to yesterday's events is far from what really happened.
---
In the room behind the stage, Toni Stark sits in a chair, today's newspaper in her hand. The headline says: "Who is the Iron Woman? And Who is Aeon?" Two photos accompany the text—one of her in the Iron Woman suit and the other of a Golden-White caped figure.
Toni chuckles, showing the paper to Pepper, who is adjusting her tie, getting her ready for the press conference. "'Iron Woman'—that's kind of catchy. I mean, it is not technically accurate; the suit's a gold-titanium alloy, but it has got a nice ring to it."
Pepper rolls her eyes affectionately. "You do realize that the Fantastic Four would have ended this threat easily if they weren't out of town on some Academic Conference."
Toni pouts, "Iron Woman sounds way cooler than Invisible Woman"
Their banter is interrupted by Agent Coulson, who enters the room with a serious expression. "Miss Stark, here's your alibi." He hands Toni a set of notes.
Toni glances at them and then back at Coulson. "Do we really expect anyone to believe that it was my female bodyguard in the suit? And what about Stane? There's nothing about him here."
Coulson maintains his professional demeanour. "This isn't my first rodeo, Ms. Stark. Just stick to the cards, and soon, this will all be behind you. You have got 90 seconds."
Before leaving, Coulson hesitates and then asks, "Do either of you have any idea who the Golden Time Man is?"
"You mean Aeon?" Pepper asks with a weird expression.
Pepper thinks about how the public has started calling him Aeon, a name coined in an interview with the Daily Bugle last night by the woman who was personally saved by him.
"Yes, the one who helped deal with the terrorists," Coulson clarifies.
Toni and Pepper exchange looks, their faces perfectly neutral. "We don't know anything about him," Pepper answers smoothly.
Toni nods, adding, "I would like to know who he is, though. He saved Pepper and many others last night. His suit is a bit ostentatious with the white and gold colour, but it does match the name Aeon"
Coulson keeps his smile and doesn't press further on that topic. "What about the other three leaders of those terrorists who went missing when the police arrived?"
Pepper responds, "They might have escaped during the chaos, or someone might have helped them."
Inwardly, she recalls how Bobbi and Sage arrived just before the police. After a brief conversation with Luke, they escorted the three leaders away. Luke had used his powers to make all five of them invisible, and the arrival of the police created the perfect distraction, allowing them to slip away unnoticed.
Coulson gives both women a suspicious look but relents. "You will be hearing from us soon," he remarks, giving a small smile.
Pepper responds, "Your department... Strategic Homeland..."
"Just call us SHIELD," Coulson corrects her before leaving the room.
"You know, it's actually not that bad. Even I don't think I am Iron Woman," Toni remarks, looking at Pepper.
"You are not Iron Woman," Pepper states as she helps her wear her suit.
"I could be, though," Toni replies with a smirk.
"You should leave these things to those with super powers, like the Invisible Woman," Pepper advises with a shake of her head.
"Right," Toni murmurs quietly to herself as they leave the room.
---
"And now, Ms. Stark has prepared a statement. She will not be taking any questions," you see Captain Stacy announce before walking off the podium.
"Do you know who this Aeon fellow is?" Moira suddenly inquires, looking at me with a casual look.
I give a calm smile, shaking my head. "Not a clue, Moira. But I am thankful to him for saving my life yesterday."
Before the conversation can continue, we both notice Captain George Stacy walking toward me. Moira steps back, giving me space. "Don't forget about our date," she reminds me with a smile.
"I won't," I reply as Captain Stacy arrives in front of me.
"Thank you for your help last night, Uncle George!" I greet him with a smile.
Captain Stacy puts a hand on my shoulder warmly. "It's just my duty, son. And if something had happened to you, my daughter Gwen would have been very upset. She would have literally chewed my head off," he remarks with a chuckle.
"Still, I appreciate that you arrived there personally to check up on me," I respond with a smile.
Captain Stacy shakes his head. "I am just glad that you weren't hurt," he continues. "Helen has invited you to dinner at our house tonight. She is very worried about your well-being after last night's incident."
She wasn't alone in her concern, as I spent much of last night on my phone. With Pepper's and my faces plastered across the evening news as primary targets of the terrorist attack, nearly everyone was trying to contact me to check if we were okay.
I smile, knowing how much Uncle George and Aunty Helen like me. They are secretly hoping Gwen and I will become more than friends. "I would love to. I will be there," I reply gladly, as Aunty Helen is a good cook.
With that, I turn my attention back to Toni, who is now on stage. Captain Stacy steps aside, and the reporters buzz with anticipation.
"Thank you. It has been a while since I was in front of you." Toni glances at the notes Coulson had given her. "I figure I should stick to the cards this time," the reporters laugh at her joke. "There has been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway outside this HQ and also inside the building…"
Before Toni can continue, Christine Everhart interrupts, "I am sorry, Ms. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that, it was your female bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared and saved all the people like she was Susan Storm, despite the fact that many witnesses heard your voice from both the robot-like things…"
"I know that it is confusing. It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I am a superhero," Toni Stark replies, looking at Christine.
"I never said you were a superhero. I was talking about Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four," Christine clarifies.
"Didn't you? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic," Toni murmurs into the mic. "It's not like Invisible Woman is the only female superhero," she says, glancing at me standing across the room.
"Just read the cards, Toni," Pepper murmurs quietly, stepping beside her.
"Yeah, okay. Yeah." Toni clears her throat and makes eye contact with me again. "The truth is…
I am Iron Woman!"
The room erupts in chaos. Reporters shout questions as the crowd surges forward. I release my held breath as I watch Toni smirk at me, a sense of triumph in her eyes.
Amidst the chaos, I realise that this is a momentous moment, as The Age of Superheroes has officially begun!