Howard had been disappointed and had quarreled over this, but in the end, he could only accept it; perhaps Tony would never become the heir he expected, and perhaps the future of Stark Industries needed to find another way.
But now, Tony had suddenly said such things.
"What did you say?" Howard's voice was somewhat dry.
Tony took a deep breath and repeated it, every word clear and forceful: "I said, hand Stark Industries over to me, officially and completely; you retire, and I take over."
He had been thinking from last night until this morning; the fact that Howard was assassinated had deeply stimulated him.
Tony suddenly realized that the nature of his parents' work kept them in constant danger, not just the direct attacks like last night, but also the day-to-day pressure, conspiracies, and calculations.
And he had always been completely unaware of this, immersed in self-righteous pleasure.
If it hadn't been for Mavuika last night, if that sun goddess hadn't arrived in time, Tony dared not think about what the consequences would have been.
His parents might have died, died on a remote road, died at the hands of a former friend, and he would only have learned the news after the fact, powerless.
So he felt he had to do something; he could no longer be a bystander, could no longer push all the responsibility onto his father, and could no longer pretend that this World was very safe and very beautiful.
He wanted to protect his family, and to do that, he needed power, resources, and control.
Stark Industries was the best tool.
Howard put down the coffee cup, and a slight "click" sound was made when the bottom of the cup touched the coffee table.
He leaned back against the sofa, carefully observing his son.
Tony's expression was firm, and there was no frivolity or cynicism in his eyes as in the past, only a kind of determination he had never seen before.
"Why?" Howard asked, not questioning, but wanting to confirm: "Why make this decision suddenly? Because of what happened last night?"
"Yes." Tony admitted frankly: "But not just last night."
He paused, organizing his words: "I have been avoiding responsibility; I used my Talents to play some little tricks, designing some flashy but impractical things, and then told myself it was cool, but last night... last night made me see the reality."
Tony's voice lowered: "The reality is that you and Mom have been working in danger, and what have I been doing? Partying, chasing girls, and pushing the company's business onto you and Obadiah."
He looked up, his gaze fixed on Howard: "I don't want to be like this anymore; I want to protect you, and to do that, I need Stark Industries, not as a young master, not as a nominal director, but as the true controller."
The living room fell into silence again; Maria walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with three glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice on it.
She had heard the conversation between the father and son, and a complex expression appeared on her face, with care, worry, and pride.
"Tony." Maria said softly: "Managing a large company like Stark Industries is not an easy thing; it means countless meetings, negotiations, and decisions; it means you have to be responsible for thousands of employees; it means you have to face the scrutiny of the public and the media..."
"I know, Mom." Tony interrupted her, his voice gentle but firm: "I know what that means, and I also know I am ready, or rather, I am willing to be ready."
He looked at Howard: "You taught me everything; from the time I was a child, you taught me physical, math, and engineering; you took me to the factory, told me the history of the company, and told me the stories behind every product; I might not have listened carefully, but I remembered it all."
The corners of Tony's mouth curled into a wry smile: "I have always refused, not because I couldn't do it, but because I didn't want to become the person you expected; I wanted to walk my own path, wanted to prove that I didn't need to live according to your plans."
"But now I understand." He continued, his voice even firmer: "My path and your path don't have to be separate; I can take over the company, but I can manage it in my own way; I can inherit Stark Industries, but I want to take it in a new direction."
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