A Different Tony Stark

The roar of the jet's engines faded as the plane touched down. A small crowd gathered on the tarmac, security personnel and a few close employees, but one figure stood out—Pepper Potts, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, her eyes fixed on the aircraft's door.

Her heart raced as the stairs lowered. It felt like a dream, one she didn't dare believe until she saw him with her own eyes. And then, there he was. Tony Stark, alive.

He stepped out slowly. His size grew bigger, his hair a little longer, and his eyes—those bright, mischievous eyes—were sharper.

Pepper's breath hitched, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes. She didn't move at first, her feet rooted to the ground, afraid that if she ran to him, he'd vanish like a cruel mirage.

But then Tony's gaze locked on hers, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles. 'I have nothing against the actress but she didn't do justice the beautiful woman in front of me.'

She rushed forward, her heels clicking against the pavement, her arms wrapping around him before she could stop herself. "Oh my God," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You're really here."

Tony froze for a second, clearly startled, but then his arms came up, hesitant but firm, holding her close. "Yup, I'm here."

He wouldn't say no to this, and who would?

Pepper pulled back, her hands gripping his shoulders, her eyes scanning his face as if memorizing every line. "You... you're different?"

He tried to joke, his old bravado peeking through. "Well, what can I say? It's a cruel world out there. But I mange to catch some sleep on the plane."

She let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her tears. "You're an idiot."

His smile softened. "I guess you missed me, Potts."

"I hate job hunting." Pepper quipped.

"To be fair, who likes doing that?"

After a short reunion with Pepper and Happy, his driver, Tony rode the car with Pepper and drove straight to Stark Industries for the scheduled press conference.

Or at least that's the plan.

A few government departments, however has other plans. DOD, FBI, and the CIA all sent representatives to debrief him.

"What a waste of time." Tony muttered under his breath.

"Tony." Pepper lightly reprimanded him knowing the implications if they ignore these gentlemen.

"Yeah, well. Anyway, I forgot to tell you, call a press conference."

"What for?"

Tony didn't answer her as some guy in a suit swaggered towards them.

---

The company doors slid open with a quiet chime, and Tony followed by Pepper stepped out onto the sleek, polished floor of Stark Industries' headquarters. The building looked exactly the same—glass walls gleaming under the bright lights, modern art pieces perfectly placed, employees bustling around in crisp suits.

As he walked down the corridor, conversations hushed, heads turned, and eyes widened. It was as if a ghost had just walked by. Some people whispered his name, others just stared, their faces a mixture of shock, awe, and confusion. Tony tried to ignore it, his shoulders squared, his steps firm, but he could feel the weight of their gazes.

Tony wasn't surprised by their reaction, he didn't send a word about his arrival, except to Obadiah.

Obadiah Stane was the business partner of Tony Stark and a good friend of his father, Howard Stark, and the future 'Iron Monger'.

'Well, maybe not in this universe.' Tony playfully thought.

"Mr. Stark... you're back..." stammered one of his engineers, his mouth hanging open.

"Yeah," Tony replied, his voice casual, "Miss me?"

The engineer could only nod, still too stunned to speak. Tony moved on, not waiting for a reply.

When he reached the main office, Obadiah Stane was already waiting for him. Pepper consciously waited outside and left the two on their own. The older man's face broke into a wide grin, his arms outstretched as he walked over. "Tony! Look at you!" Obadiah's voice was warm, almost fatherly. "You gave us quite a scare, kid."

Tony tried to smile, but the memory of dust, blood, and darkness clawed at his mind. "Yeah... I've always had a flair for drama."

Obadiah clapped him on the back, his laughter booming. "You sure do. It's good to have you back." But then his eyes narrowed, his voice dropping lower, almost giving himself away. "You okay?"

Tony confidently answered, "I'm fine. In fact, I've never been better."

Obadiah's face softened. "I can only imagine. Look, take some time off. Get some rest. We've got everything under control here."

Tony's eyes hardened. "I'm not here to rest. There's something I need to do. A lot of things I need to fix."

Obadiah looked taken aback but quickly covered it with a chuckle. "Same old Tony. Always jumping straight back into work."

Tony's jaw tightened. "Yeah... something like that."

He glanced around the office, the sleek designs, the awards on the walls, the models of weapons he once thought were masterpieces. Now, they felt like burdens, symbols of mistakes he could never take back. Admittedly, Tony shared this sentiment with his predecessor. This is his new life and all his, including all the consequences of the old Tony's negligence. Although, he can't say that he's a good person, he still wants a clear conscience.

"I need to call a press conference," Tony said suddenly, his voice firm.

Obadiah blinked, his smile faltering. "Yeah, Pepper already sent me a heads up about that and the press are on their way. What's with this press conference? Tony, you just got back. Maybe you should take it slow, ease back into things."

Tony shook his head, his expression unyielding. "No. This can't wait."

Obadiah's eyes flickered with concern, but he gave a slow nod. "Alright. I'll have some people prepare the hall."

As Obadiah walked away, Tony stood alone in his office, surrounded by the empire he had built—the empire he was about to change forever.

It was time to take responsibility. It was time to make things right.

---

The room buzzed with anticipation. Reporters crowded together, their cameras flashing, pens poised, and eyes fixed on the podium. They were hungry for answers. Tony Stark, the genius billionaire who had been missing for three long months, was finally back.

When he walked in, the room fell silent. Tony looked different—a lot different. If they didn't know better, they would never think he just came back from captivity for 3 months, they would much rather believe that Tony went in seclusion to train some sort of martial art. No one could deny his overwhelming presence, far from the carefree and playboy personality they knew. He looked like a man who had seen too much and experienced too much.

He stepped up to the microphone, his fingers tapping the wood lightly before he spoke. "I never got to say goodbye to my father," he started, his voice steady but low. "There are questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did... if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels." Tony followed the script his predecessor planned to do.

The reporters leaned in closer, pens scribbling furiously. This wasn't what they expected.

"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, what happened over there?" One of the reporters asked.

 Tony took a deep breath, his jaw tightening. he continued, "I had my eyes opened."

Whispers rippled through the room, confusion mixed with curiosity. What was he saying? Why was he bringing this up now?

"I came to realize... I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up," Tony said, his voice growing stronger, his shoulders squaring. "And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."

Gasps echoed through the hall. Reporters shouted over each other, questions flying like bullets. "Is this permanent?" "What about national security?" "Are you stepping down as CEO?"

Tony held up his hand, silencing them. "There will be changes, big changes. But I need time to figure this out. I need time to do what's right."

With that, Tony turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the stunned silence, including Obadiah. The cameras kept flashing, capturing the moment that Tony Stark, the man who had everything, decided to become something more.