Pepper and I don't talk to dad the whole way back to Malibu. I support my dad I do, but if he doesn't start taking things seriously people are going to get hurt and so will he. I don't want it to go that far. When we get back we all go our separate ways. I don't think dad even realizes how annoyed Pepper and I are with him. For a genius he can be so oblivious sometimes, it can be annoying.
I hear Pepper let out a shocked gasp so I go over to her and ask, "What's wrong?" She says, "Your father is wrong." With that she storms down to the lab and I hurry after her. When we get there she says, "Is this a joke? What are you thinking?" Dad says, "What?" Pepper says again, "What are you thinking?" Dad says, "Hey, I'm thinking I'm busy. And you're angry about something. Do you have the sniffles? I don't want to get sick." I say, "Dad that is not how you talk to an angry woman and when I find out what you did I might be angry too. So, I would tread lightly." Pepper says, "Did you just donate…" Dad cuts her off, "Keep your business." Dad continues to make his way around the room as Pepper says, "Our entire modern art collection to the…" Dad cuts her off again, "Boy Scouts of America." Pepper finishes, "Boy Scouts of America?" I shriek, "What?"
Are you kidding me the pieces I studied and helped pick? He donated them without even telling me? I say, "How could you do that? Without even telling me dad?" He says, "Yes. It is a worthwhile organization. I didn't physically check the crates but, basically, yes. And it's not "our" collection, it's my collection. No offence." I say, "Excuse me? I studied every piece you selected I helped you pick them and price them. So, I think I'm entitled to an opinion on what happens to them." Pepper says, "No, you know what? I think I'm actually entitled to say "our" collection considering the time that I put in, over 10 years, curating that." I nod and say, "We both put a lot into getting you those paintings we deserved a say in what happened to them." Dad says, "It was a tax write-off. I needed that."
I roll my eyes and Pepper moves on, "You know, there's only about 8,011 things that I really need to talk to you about." Dad starts moving through the lab and we follow. Dad says, "Dummy. Hey, stop spacing out. The Bridgeport's already machining that part." Pepper says, "The Expo is a gigantic waste of time." She is not wrong there. Dad says, "I need you to wear a surgical mask until you're feeling better. Is that okay?" I say, "That's rude, dad." Dad says, "There's nothing more important to me than the Expo. It's my primary point of concern. I don't know why you're…" I say, "Excuse you?" He says, "Besides you princess there is nothing more important to me than the Expo." I nod and say, "Better." Pepper says, "The Expo is your ego gone crazy." I nod and say, "She's right." Dad says, "Wow. Look at that. That's modern art. That's going up." The painting he picked up was him as Iron Man. My dad has always been arrogant, but he has gotten so much worse since he became Iron Man.
Pepper says, "You've got to be kidding." Dad says, "I'm gonna put this up right now. This is vital." Pepper says, "Stark is in complete disarray. You understand that?" Dad says, "No. Our stocks have never been higher." I roll my eyes even I know there's more to it than that. Pepper says, "Yes, from a managerial standpoint." Dad says, "You are… Well, if's messy then let's double back." Oh dad. Pepper says, "Let me give you an example." Dad says, "Let's move onto another subject." Pepper says, "No, no, no, no. You are not taking down the Barnett Newman and hanging that up." I sigh sometimes dad doesn't listen to anyone I swear. Dad says, "I'm not taking it down. I'm just replacing it with this. Let's see what I can get going on here." Pepper rolls her eyes and says, "Okay, fine. My point is, we have already awarded contracts to the wind farm people."
Dad says, "Yeah. Don't say "wind farm." I'm already feeling gassy." Pepper says, "And to the plastic plantation tree, which was your idea by the way. Those people are on payroll…" Dad interrupts, "Everything was my idea." Pepper finishes, "And you won't make a decision." Dad says, "I don't care about the liberal agenda any more. It's boring. Boring. I'm giving you a boring alert. You do it." Pepper says, "I do what? " Dad says, "Excellent idea. I just figured this out. You run the company." The arguing begins. I see what dad means. He's trying to turn things over to her, but she doesn't get it. This is kind of cute. Pepper says, "Yeah, I'm trying to run the company." Dad replies, "Pepper, I need you to run the company. Well, stop trying to do it and do it." Pepper says, "You will not give me the information…" Dad tries again, "I'm not asking you to try…" Pepper, "…in order to…" Dad, "I'm asking you to physically do it. I need you to do it." Pepper, "I am trying to do it." Dad, "Pepper, you're not listening to me!" Pepper, "No, you are not listening to me." Finally dad gets a little louder, "I'm trying to make you CEO. Why won't you let me?" Pepper asks, "Have you been drinking?"
Dad says, "Chlorophyll. I hereby irrevocably appoint you chairman and CEO of Stark Industries effective immediately. Yeah, done deal. Okay? I've actually given this a fair amount of thought, believe it or not." One of the robots brings him a tray which a bottle and three glasses on it. He must have given this some thought. I'm just glad he didn't ask me. I'm not ready for a boring desk job. Dad continues, "Doing a bit of headhunting, so to speak, trying to figure out who a worthy successor would be. And then I realized it's you. It's always been you. I would have picked Melody, but I know she doesn't want a boring desk job." I smile and say, "Ah, dad you know me so well." Dad pours us all champagne as Pepper sits down, shocked and confused. Dad goes on again, "I thought there'd be a legal issue, but actually I'm capable of appointing my successor. My successor being you." Dad tries to hands her a glass, but she doesn't take it. Dad says, "Congratulations? Take it, just take it." Pepper says, "I don't know what to think." I say, "Don't think, drink. There you go." We all clink glasses to celebrate Pepper's role. She turns to me and asks, "And you're sure you are ok with this? This is supposed to be your company one day." I smile and say, "Pepper it's fine and it still can be my company one day. I'm only 18 I'm not ready for this yet. You've earned it." She smiles and gives me a big hug.
