Anthony

The funeral was a stark session compared to where I was several days earlier, in bed with Marjorie.

RING!

I picked up the phone,

"Mr. Stark."

"Yeah?", I said.

"This is Michael Micheline, Captain of the New Hampshire Police Department," his voice crackled through the phone. When he said Captain, I know something was wrong.

"What can I do for you Captain?"

"Unfortunately Mr. Stark, I am sad to be the first to tell you but I think you should come down to the morgue. At approximately 7 o'clock this morning, your mother and father were driving near Veterans Memorial Highway and 13th Ave, your father's brakes malfunction, the car careened and went into an embankment, when we pulled the car out we were able to identify the two occupants of the car, as Howard and Maria Stark. We needed to inform the closest kin first. I wanted to be the first to give my condolences, your parents were great people."

There was a moment of silence, as my mind tried to logical wrap and judge the permanence of the words I heard.

"Well, thank you Captain. I will be down there shortly."

"Are you o-", I slammed the phone down. Marjorie was awaken by this time, I told her the news and quietly sobbed.

I had just given an emotional eulogy for my parents and their many accomplishments. I still felt detached from the entire experience. I went back home in silence.

The knock at the door the next morning was loud and sharp. I got up to get it. There was Larry Heck, a short tanned stout man with a horrible gray comb-over who somehow finagled his way into becoming our family lawyer.

"Please come in," I gestured towards the Louis Vuitton couch, "what can I do for you?"

"Well as your mother and father has recently past away they left an incredible value behind. Which by law makes you their only heir. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences."

"How much am I worth?" I looked at him, without blinking. He couldn't maintain eye contact, as he shuffled through his briefcase. Finally, his eyes met back up to me, with a stack of papers. "Well from my paperwork you are worth 616 million dollars."

"Oooh, nice."

He smiled, his teeth stained by the coffee drinking.

"Mr. Stark, you are now the interim CEO and the board has requested your presence to decide the fate of Stark Industries."

"When?"

"Tomorrow at 9 am."

"Ouch, not so nice."

"Is that a yes or no Mr. Stark", he was looking irritated.

"That's a sure."