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[manofiron]

[ Finding out that Pepper's stocks in Stark Industries have been transferred to him - and because she'd been running it, he can only assume that it's the lion's share - and that that means she's presumably gone is not the way he wants to start the day. But it is what it is and there's nothing he can do about it.

He's wearing the suit, though the helmet's off, and the expression on his face is as professionally detached as the matter-of-fact tone of his voice when he speaks. ]

It's come to my attention that Pepper Potts may no longer be in residence in the city.

[ That covers that and he's not lingering on it. If he does, he'll wonder what that means, if some piece of her has gone back to the world she remembers or if she's dead and her body is being recycled or whatever it is they do with clones when they're gone. It isn't something he needs to worry about right now. Not in front of an audience. So he moves right along to business. ]

I've been informed that per her request, her interests in Stark Industries have been transferred to me. For those of you don't know, I'm Tony Stark, and if you work for SI, it means you're working for me.

[ May whatever aliens people consider gods help them all. ]

If you do, I want to know who you are and what you do for the company. If you don't, and you want to, talk to me.

And be prepared for change. It's coming.

[ What that change is, he doesn't know yet. But once he finds out what the company's been doing, he'll figure out the right path for it to take under his leadership. And this time, it's going to be a damn sight better than the last time he was at the helm. ]

Comments

[manofiron]

So is the Head of Whatever, who is Bruce Banner, by the way.

[ Oh hell no. He uses too many conversational loopholes to weasel out of things himself. He's not letting someone else do it to him. ]

So spinny the thing can fly if you want it to.

[bacondivination]

Right, right. [ He waves it off with a little grin. ]

Say, how many Bruce Banners are there? Just the one? Your world's? Someone else's? I'm curious here.

[manofiron]

That depends on how you look at it. I mean, if every universe exists in a perpetual state of now, all overlapping, and some version of us is present in every one of them, then it stands to reason that there's some iota of commonality between each of us. So technically, my Bruce is every Bruce. To avoid a philosophical quandary, let's just not harass any of them. Except that one that's a dick. The one from whatever place that one woman who turns into a Hulk comes from? That one you can do whatever you want to.

[bacondivination]

Now do I look the sort to really wish to anger a Hulk?

[ He won't give the opportunity for an answer. ] Though, I admit, I did have a fine conversation with the Lady Red-Hulk some weeks back. As good a reason as any.

[ He considers that one. ]

I will use my exceptionally questionable judgement only in pursuit of good and funny things, but not with this your Bruce if he is not a dick as you say.

[manofiron]

That's good enough for me.

[ As an individual with exceptionally questionable judgment, he understands that sometimes, things happen. They seem like a good idea, and then through no fault of his own, something catches on fire and the evening ends with about twenty-five million in property damage. ]

Wait. Go back. Red Lady Hulk? Big woman, red skin, black hair, works at a bar? Is that the Lady Hulk?

[bacondivination]

Indeed, though I'm arbitrarily mangling her name. I hope that to be the 'woman who turns into a Hulk' you referenced, and may yet desire greatly to hide under my bed if there are too many more of the Hulk sort here.

This one, though. I like her. Promised not to harm me for any past transgressions. Very charming woman. She works at a bar?

[manofiron]

If there's more than one, I think we're either in trouble or we're very lucky.

[ Because if there's another lady Hulk, that means that that one isn't off limits as some form of Bruce's former girlfriend. ]

Yeah, uh... That one that opened not so long ago. Woman by the name of Bryn owns it.

[bacondivination]

Huh, I don't go out drinking half as often as I ought to. This is an unpleasant but ultimately irrelevant realization I need to deal with.

[ It comes out a bit odd from a boy Loki's apparent age, but eh. He owned that fact. ]

[manofiron]

We'll have to remedy that. The drinking.

[ Loki looks like a kid, but he's still Loki. Tony doesn't fully understand how reincarnation works and he can't divorce thousand year old crazy Asgardian from this new one completely. ]

[bacondivination]

[ It took a far more optimistic person to hope to consider Loki entirely on his own apparent merits. He's clearly pretty pleased with the response. ]

Excellent, as my dry spell was getting to be distinctly un-Norse.

[manofiron]

You show up, I'll keep the flagons of mead coming. Or mead substitute. Whatever the equivalent is here.

[bacondivination]

We shall be the classiest of gentlemen out on the town!

[ His grin is predictably mischievous. ]

[manofiron]

We'll need suits for that. Classy suits.

[bacondivination]

In colors of thematic importance just for funsies, and it's a deal.

[manofiron]

Looks like you got yourself a deal.