Chapter Text
You looked between your dad this Madelyn Stillwell person. Was he serious? Or was he just being petty? Either way, you weren’t so sure if you were more afraid of him or her right now.
Tony Stark didn’t play around with his technology. Ever since the fiasco with Obediah, he wasn’t going to let that happen again. Nope, absolutely not — no matter how good the deal.
Actually, he stopped making weapons all together for a couple years now. He’s been improving his armor, improving his skill set as a hero, and he wasn’t going to sell out — again to media. He was done with that.
Vought, however, was not. This company was sketchy as hell, you couldn’t find much about it — you were hacking their data bases with the help of Peter Parker when you heard your dad had a meeting with them.
They didn’t like that you hacked into them. Thankfully, Peter got out of the way when Vought sent one of their own over — a guy decked in black dubbed as Black Noir as you will later learn. You’re actually quite surprised your dad hadn’t said anything about that. Either he was impressed and was all in for trying to get more info out of these douche bags, or he wasn’t going to even mention it.
He wasn’t going to mention it. Tony wasn’t going to throw his own daughter under the bus. Did you have potential? Debatable. You weren’t as bright as him, but when you hyper-focused on something you locked the fuck in. Did you know how to hack in the first place? Fuck no, but you learned and begrudgingly asked for help from your dad’s protégé and got into some stuff you probably shouldn’t have seen.
“I am willing to respect your wishes, Mr. Stark, but what about your daughter?” when the blonde executive spoke it made shivers run up and down your spine. She threw you off as someone you probably could trust but piss her off good and she’d send the hounds on you like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.
Tony looks at Madelyn with a raised eyebrow that read ‘what about her’ like he “didn’t know” what she was about to bring up. You point at yourself just to make her mad.
“We have evidence that she was in our systems,” she speaks with a tone that says she’s impressed but in reality just more pissed off. “She breached quite a lot of security data, seeing information that’s not even out to the public. What she has seen is unknown to me but to our IT team and from what I was told she has seen a lot.”
“Are you trying to blackmail my daughter? Because you’re not quite colorful with your words, Mrs. Stilwell.” Your dad starts to stand up as he adjusters his tie.
“It’s Ms, Mr. Stark, and I think you and I both know your daughter shows…” she pauses for a moment as she notices your eyes darting around the offices over analyzing every object placed and why it was placed there, “…potential. Have you considered her finding a job yet?” You raise an eyebrow, she sounded furious that you hacked her systems but now she was seemingly offering you a job?
“That doesn’t sound like blackmail, almost wish it was so I can have my lawyers ready. Was that a job offer?” Tony raised an eyebrow and motioned for you to stand up which you did without hesitation.
In no ways were you broke. Your father was still quite off from his company when he handed it over to Pepper. You wished you had a job to provide for yourself in the future and forge a path that wouldn’t brand you to your dad forever. This wasn’t it. “I’m fine with being broke right now, Ms. Stilwell,” though not academically acclaimed like your father, you did have your moments with your choice of words. “There is no way that I’m going to accept any offer.” You were happy with being 28 and still living at home. Honestly, Tony preferred it. The man worried about you, while you wanted to explore and grow on your own it would take you a while unlike any peers you’ve come across.
Because you’ll admit, you’re a little naive and your kindness has been abused before in the past. Hence the lack of friends, the lack of trust in others, and why you’ve been trying to understand body language. If your dad was quick to leave, you’d be quick to follow.
Vought wanted Stark to update their security database, give them access to high tech weaponry for their “supes” to use, and Stillwell wanted verbal supes in the military.
All for which your father refused to do. Good on him. Unlike these supes of hers, he didn’t need to sell out. Not anymore. Man was perfectly fine being a hero on his own terms — on his own dime.
And you would follow in his footsteps.
“I think you’re making a big mistake, Miss Stark.” she’s not aggressive with this sentence, she’s making a statement. Madelyn knew that you’d regret her offer, she’s didn’t know how and neither did you but once anyone crossed with Vought and got away with it? They never seem to make it out in one piece.
“And I think you underestimate my will to say no.” Tony smiles proudly, clapping a hand on your back as he leads you and himself out of the penthouse office in the Seven Tower.
“Well, the offer remains open. We were impressed, while also frustrated, with your newly found skill set.” Stillwell says with a tilt of her head and a smile, “You have my contact information. If you ever change your mind—“
“—We won’t.” as if in sync, you and your father both speak up at the same time and head out of the building.
Feeling a second pair of eyes staring at the back of your skulls on your way out menacingly. Or curiously? You didn’t have a clue where those second pair of eyes were, but you knew they were watching.
And judging.