Author's Note

I wanted to just warn everyone that there may be spoilers in this story when it comes to the origins of certain characters. Mostly the villains. Just a heads up.

Now with that out of the way let's begin, please enjoy.

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Upon returning home, Stark and Rhodey exit a plane. Pepper and Happy are seen waiting for Stark.

Stark approached Pepper. "Hmm. Your eyes are red." He pointed out. "A few tears for your long lost boss?"

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." She said.

"Yeah, vacation's over." Stark said.

They then enter the car and Pepper tells Happy to take them to a hospital, but Stark refuses. She tried to convince him to go to the hospital but he continued to refuse and instead decided to hold a press conference.

(0:41:58 - 0:43:10)

"He should really go to the hospital. He needs surgery for the shrapnel still in his chest." Recovery Girl said.

"But he's fine as long as he has the arc reactor, right?" Kaminari said.

"It would be better if he didn't need the arc reactor to survive." Shoji said.

"I'm more interested in this press conference." Kurogiri said.

Stark arrives at the press conference and is greeted by Obadiah who joins him. As the group enters the press conference, Pepper is approached by someone.

"Miss Potts?"

"Yes."

"Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now."

"I'm not a reporter. I'm Agent Phil Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"That's quite a mouthful."

"I know. We're working on it."

(0:43:10 - 0:44:05)

"The what?" Spinner asked.

"The Strategic Homeland Inter-" Izuku started as he noted the name.

"Just call them SHIELD. It's an acronym." Trixter interrupted.

"Oh. Okay." Izuku nodded.

"You know, we've been approached already by the DOD, the FBI, the CIA..." Pepper explained.

"We're a seperate division with a more specific focus." Coulson explained. "We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape."

"I'll put something in the book, shall I?"

"Thank you." Coulson walked away.

(0:44:05 - 0:44:22)

"So these SHIELD guys want to know how Stark managed to escape." Izuku noted.

"Well they're in for one hell of a story." Kirishima said.

"Just wait till they find out about the suit!" Mei said.

The villains didn't like the sound of that. Stark's suit was pretty impressive and the fact that it's called the Mark I means there will be a new and better suit later on. Who knows what the government would do if they managed to get there hands on it.

As the press conference begins, Stark requests that everyone sit down, to which they all comply.

"Good to see you." Stark said to Obadiah.

"Good to see you." Obadiah responded.

"I never got to say goodbye to Dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father."

(0:44:22 - 0:44:52)

"That's so sad. I don't know what I'd do if something horrible happened to my parents." Uraraka said.

"It's an unfortunate, yet inevitable part of life. We will always lose someone dear to us." Nezu said.

"Right." All Might began. "Remember young heroes, while the choice to become heroes is noble, you must also consider how your decision will impact the people in your lives. Be sure to take their feelings into consideration."

The students nodded. Nighteye glanced at All Might. He found it ironic that he of all people would say such a thing.

While most of the audience felt bad for Stark's loss, none felt quite as bad as Kota. He knew exactly how Stark felt, suddenly losing your parents without so much as a goodbye. (Just wait till Civil War.)

"There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did." Stark continued. "If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

(0:44:52 - 0:45:30)

"So that's what this is about." Aizawa said.

"He feels responsible for all those innocent people who were killed using his weapons." Gentle said.

"But it isn't his fault. Those Ten Rings guys weren't supposed to have his weapons." Melissa said.

"Stark's intentions don't matter." Kurogiri said. "The fact is Stark made weapons that were later used to kill innocent people. He is partly to blame."

"That's why as Pro Heroes you'll have to be conscious of collateral damage. You might not mean to hurt someone or cause damage but you will be held responsible if you do." Aizawa said.

"Mr. Stark!" a reporter said.

"Hey, Ben." Stark responded.

"What happened over there?"

"I had my eyes opened." Stark stood. "I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International."

Then all hell broke loose.

(0:45:30 - 0:45:51)

"WHAT!" Mei shouted. "You can't just stop making weapons! That's your company's specialty!"

"But if he stops making weapons then the Ten Rings won't be able to get anymore." Ojiro said.

"True, but this is also a very bold move." Nighteye said.

"From what we know about Stark Industries, they're primarily a weapons manufacturing company." Power Loader said. "By shutting down the manufacturing of weapons in his company, he has essentially put them on a path towards bankruptcy."

"Even still, I think it's best that his company stops making weapons." Thirteen said.

Overall the audience was rather surprised to by what Stark was doing. Even Stain was caught off guard by this. Until now, Stark had been nothing more than arrogant and selfish. He didn't seem to care much for others and he always did what he wanted, never seeing anything wrong with his actions. Now Stark was doing something incredibly selfless. He was crippling his own company just to ensure that people would be safe. This moment made it clear to the audience that Stark was beginning to change.

Stark leaves the podium and Obadiah attempts to calm the reporters, saying he and Stark would have an internal discussion.

(0:45:51 - 0:46:18)

"'Internal discussion' huh? Guess Obadiah doesn't like what he just heard, ribbit." Tsu said.

"Not that surprising. I doubt any of Stark's board members are gonna be happy with his decision." Power Loader said.

"I'm not happy! Why did he have to stop making weapons? Those babies were amazing!" Mei complained.

"You'll see more inventions from him, they just won't be meant for wars." Trixter eased the girl's worries.

"Even if he makes something different, the board members aren't gonna care. War is more profitable and people like that only care about money." Dabi said.

The scene changes to Obadiah looking for Stark. He finds them in the building with the giant arc reactor.

The two begin talking about the press conference, with Obadiah asking what Stark thinks the stock drop will be tomorrow.

"Uh, optimistically, 40 points." Stark said.

"At minimum." Obadiah clarifies.

(0:46:18 - 0:46:48)

"Gosh that's rough." Melissa said.

"Is it that bad?" Jiro asked.

"Well-" Melissa began.

"Don't bother trying to explain it." Trixter interrupted. "I don't understand stocks and I'm not gonna bother trying to understand."

'Why does that matter?' Everyone thought.

"Tony, we're a weapons manufacturer." Obadiah said. "That's what we do. We're iron mongers. We make weapons."

"Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy." Stark explained.

"And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos."

"Not based on what I saw."

(0:46:48 - 0:47:03)

"Yeah, if anything all those weapons just made things worse." La Brava said.

"Also, 'iron mongers'? That makes you sound like villains." Midnight said.

"The name sounds pretty cool to me." Bakugo said.

"Of course it does." Trixter chuckled.

Meanwhile some of the audience thought about what Stark said. 'I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy'. Dabi and Stain thought about this line the most.

Dabi never hesitates when killing someone. He's a villain and thus he should embrace the role. However that's not to say he doesn't feel a little guilty for the lives he takes. After all, his grudge is against endeavor, anyone else he harms might as well be bystanders. In some ways he doesn't want a trail of bodies to be his legacy, but if it means making that bastard pay for everything he's done, then it's worth it.

Stain also deep down doesn't want to be remembered as the man who kills heroes. In fact he wanted to become a noble hero just like All Might. But as he learned just how many people become heroes for selfish reasons, he realized that the world doesn't remember what a real hero is. All Might was a real hero not these glory-seeking, fame-hungry fakes. Someone has to fix society and he's willing to shoulder that responsibility since no one else will.

Stark then says that they can do something else and suggests looking into arc reactor technology.

(0:47:03 - 0:47:14)

"Yeah! The arc reactor is such an impressive piece of technology, they could probably do something with that." Melissa said.

"Considering the amount of energy that smaller one could produce, bigger ones could probably solve an energy crisis." Power Loader said.

"But who's to say Stark's company won't just try to weaponize that too." Dabi said.

"That is a possibility, should they ever learn of the Iron Man suit." Nezu said.

"And them weaponizing the suit would be really bad. Especially if the Ten Rings managed to get their hands on it." Izuku said.

Obadiah scoffs at the idea saying that the arc reactor is a publicity stunt. Stark says that it works but Obadiah explains that it was never cost effective. Obadiah then begins talking about how they haven't had a breakthrough in arc reactor technology in 30 years, clearly fishing for info. The two then stare at each other for a moment.

"Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you? It's Rhodey or Pepper." Stark said.

"Never mind who told me. Show me. I want to see it." Obadiah said.

"Okay, Rhodey." Stark said before showing Obadiah the miniature arc reactor.

Upon seeing the arc reactor, Obadiah could only chuckle. He couldn't deny the proof in front of him. Stark had made a more efficient arc reactor.

"It works." Stark said.

Obadiah put his arm around Stark. "Listen to me, Tony. We're a team. Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I."

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the heads-up, okay?" Stark said. "But if I had..."

"Tony. Tony no more of this 'ready, fire, aim' business. You understand me?

"That was Dad's line."

"You gotta let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now. We're going to have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low." Obadiah said as the two left the building.

(0:47:14 - 0:48:38)

"I doubt he'll listen." Todoroki said.

"I don't think he understands what 'laying low' means." Jiro said.

The scene changed to Pepper at Starks house, working while watching this very irritating TV show host insulting Stark Industries.

(0:48:38 - 0:49:01)

"Jeez, is being annoying this guy's job?" Jiro said.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Bakugo shouted at the screen.

"I really want to kill this guy." Shigiraki said.

"It disappoints me that such 'entertainment' attracts the attention of the masses." Gentle said.

Stark then calls Pepper, asking her how big her hands are, much to her confusion. He then tells her to come down to his workshop because he needs her help.

When Pepper enters the workshop she sees Stark sitting in a chair preparing to swap his current arc reactor for a new one.

(0:49:01 - 0:49:20)

"Don't tell me he's doing what I think he's doing." Recovery Girl said.

"What is he doing?" Inko asked.

"He's about to perform an arc reactor transplant." Trixter explained.

"What!" Mineta shouted.

"That is a terrible idea!" Iida said. "He should leave things like this to professionals!"

"Stark's a genius. I bet he can pull this off." Mei said.

"That doesn't make it any less reckless." Aizawa said.

As Pepper approached Stark she got a closer look at the arc reactor.

"Oh, my God, is that the thing that's been keeping you alive?" She asked.

"It was. It is now an antique." He said. "This is what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future." He held up a new arc reactor. "I'm swapping it up for an upgraded unit, and I just ran into a little speed bump."

(0:49:20 - 0:49:44)

"Well of course you'd run into a speed bump when trying to perform surgery on yourself." Tsu said.

Upon hearing the word 'surgery', Eri began to shake. There had been times when Overhaul would call his sessions with her surgery. Remembering how those sessions went for her made her fearful of what might happen to Mr. Stark.

"Eri? You okay?" Izuku asked, noticing her shaking.

"Um, mhmm." Eri nodded, having been snapped out of her trance. She was still a little nervous about the surgery but realized that it wouldn't be like what Overhaul put her through.

"On another note, it looks like he made an improved arc reactor." Melissa said.

"Makes sense. He made the first one under some pretty harsh conditions." Power Loader said. "Being able to improve it is only natural."

As Stark removes his current arc reactor from his chest, he explains that their is a wire in the hole and he needs her to reach in and lift it out.

(0:49:44 - 0:50:05)

Most of the audience was grossed out by Stark's request.

"Ugh, oh god...that's so disgusting." Uraraka said.

"He really should have gotten more professional help instead of making her do this." Momo said.

"Hehehe, maybe her hands will get all bloody." Toga giggled, making everyone even more uncomfortable.

"Sorry to disappoint you Toga." Trixter said, causing Toga to frown.

Pepper asks if it's safe and Stark explains that it's just like Operation, she just has to keep the wire from touching the socket walls on the way out. Unfortunately, she has no idea what Operation is, which is a good sign.

As Pepper is about to reach in to get the wire, she stops, saying she isn't qualified to do this. Stark counters, saying she is the most capable, qualified, and trustworthy person he knows.

(0:50:05 - 0:50:30)

"Aww. That's sweet." La Brava said.

"Yes, but she has a point. She really isn't qualified for this." Recovery Girl says.

"He has faith in his assistant." Gentle said.

Pepper then reaches in to grab the wire.

"Oh, there's pus!" She grimaced.

"It's not pus. It's an inorganic plasmic discharge from the device, not from my body." Stark explained.

(0:50:30 - 0:50:50)

"T.M.I." Toru said as she covered her ears, not liking the gross sound.

"How repulsive." Tokoyami said. "Disgusting" Dark Shadow said.

Uraraka was thankful that her quirk makes her so use to feeling sick otherwise she'd be vomiting right now.

"Okay, I got it! I got it!" Pepper said as she grabbed the wire.

"Okay, you got it? Now don't let it-" Stark tried to warn before she accidentally shocked him. "-touch the sides when coming out!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"That's what I was trying to tell you before. Okay, now make sure that when you pull it out, you don't..." He once again tried to warn. "There's a magnet at the end of it!" And she pulled out the magnet. "That was it. You just pulled it out."

The equipment began beeping rapidly, indicating that this was not going well. Pepper was about to put the magnet back in but Stark told her not to. He then explains (in a surprisingly calm tone) that he is now going into cardiac arrest.

(0:50:50 - 0:51:15)

"Cardiac arrest?!" Momo said.

"That's bad right?!" Kaminari said.

"It means his heart has stopped functioning." Recovery Girl said. "They need to do something quick, otherwise he could die here."

Shigiraki chuckled at the thought that the hero might die so early in the film, and for such a pathetic reason. Meanwhile the rest of the audience was concerned for Stark's well-being.

"You're doing great. You're gonna kill him!" Twice said.

Stark gives Pepper the new arc reactor and tells her to plug it in quickly. Still panicking, Pepper attempts to reassure Stark, telling him that everything is going to be okay.

(0:51:15 - 0:51:25)

"Stop talking and fix this!" Mei shouted.

Pepper plugs in the new arc reactor and the operation was successful. Stark proceeded