Tony - JARVIS - Butterfingers - Tate - Tori - YOU/U - Dummy/DUM-E

Shortly thereafter I started to slowly shift the priorities of the company away from weapons to literally-anything-but-weapons, be it Green Energy, Medical and cars, despite Obadiah's protests (which did not really help my opinion of him, especially the very, very discriminating slurs he used to refer to the heads of the three mentioned branches who happened to be a female mutant, an African American woman and homosexual man respectively and this was not the reason they held those offices).

(He's an ass!

You're so right, sis.)

While some of the people both in the company and in the press noticed did not like this development at all (J. Jonah Jameson being a great example), there were other people who did. Sunset Bain, heir of Baintroncis a new-ish weapons company, surprisingly being one of them.

(I don't like her!

Well, I do!

Would you please discuss that at a time other than three am so that Sir might sleep?

Sorry JARVIS!

Still say you should call him Dad!)

One would think that with her father being one of the rising stars in the weapons manufacturing business, she would be against my decision. She explained that she too was not exactly comfortable with numerous increasingly dangerous weapons going into war zones. After all who knew who might pick them up?

She was a fun person and we got closer and closer until we started going out (though Dummy never got over his dislike for her).

(Well, I was -

Just be quiet. Please.)

One day about three months after we got together I was sitting in my office doing paperwork when I was interrupted by JARVIS.

"Sir, Miss Virginia Potts from accounting is making her way to this room, using - in Dummy's words - an incredible amount of Pepper spray."

"Huh, sounds interesting… Let her in when she arrives. I need to know more about this."

(This is why you get into trouble!

I know, I know. I should stop.

But you most likely won't.

You know me well.)

About two minutes later (2 minutes and 12.3 seconds) there was a knock on my door.

"Come in."

A woman with strawberry blonde hair entered the room. There were huge shadows under her eyes and she had a file in her hand (presumably, she had tugged the Pepper spray in her pocket).

"Look, Mr. Stark. I know I am going to get fired anyway, so please listen even if it sounds ridiculous. I think I found a mistake in your math. A mistake that would cost the company millions."

"That's," I stopped, pretending to think for a moment, "that might actually be possible. Let me look at that."

She handed me the paperwork

Of course it wasn't possible. It was simply that Obadiah had been demanding that I keep a PA for longer than a week, but the ones he send me were not very smart and simply did not know how to keep up with me. In a desperate attempt to find someone reliable, someone who would speak up, I deliberately made a huge mistake in a document that I knew would be triple checked.

(There had to be other ways to achieve this.

But you have to admit that this has the added benefit of Dad finding out who will just do as he says without thinking for themselves.

You won this round, Tate.)

"I will be going then." Miss Potts motioned towards the door. "My boss - well, of course you're the boss, sir, but you get what I mean - informed me that I would be leaving should I really try to inform you of your mistake and I would prefer if I get to pack my stuff myself."

I shook my head. "No, you're not being fired."

She took a second to process what I said. "Excuse me, sir? Did you just say what I think you did?"

"If you think I said that you're still going to work for me, provided you want to of course, then yes. Yes, I did. In fact I'm offering you a raise and a promotion. Separately of course."

"A promotion?" Miss Potts questioned as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Why not? You're quite obviously a competent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. And you're not exactly hard on the eyes either."

Her smile became rather fixed at the last comment, but she recovered quickly. "And what is the position you are offering?"

"Why the job of my Personal Assistant of course." I grinned.

She seemed to think about it for a minute. "Okay. I'll do it. Provided", she empathized when my smile widened, "That should I fail, I can return to my old job."

"Naturally. You can start next week."

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That will be all, Miss Potts."

Allowing herself a tiny smile, she left the room.

(I like her!

She's really nice!

I agree!

Bizarrely, I do too.)

Roughly half an hour later (31 minutes and 6.4 seconds) someone knocked again, but they entered the room before I could reply.

"Major Rhodes! What can I do for you?" I smiled.

"You are not usually this cheerful. Did Sunset visit?"

"Nah, but I got a competent PA for once. Also you're here to get me out of paperwork."

Rhodes grinned. "Well, I'm afraid the latter isn't true. In fact I'm even bringing you more."

"Well, I guess not even I can have everything. Are there any reasons besides playing messenger you're still here?"

"Indeed, Anthony. Have you not looked at the date?"

I shook my head and pretended to look at the calendar while my technopathy supplied me with today's date. It was July 16, 2004.

In our words it was time for our monthly Mario Kart battle (the tradition had started five months before Sunset and I got together, around the time Mario Kart Double Dash had been released). I grinned.

"So much for not helping me get out of paperwork."

We played until ten thirty and I won.

(Most of the time.

Let Sir sleep.

It's Dad. I don't get what's so complicated about that.

Oh Dummy.)