His Secret Daughter

Interviews With the Stark Family: Anthony Edward Stark

A/N format in a magazine interview that's why there are no quotations. Please comment and tell me if you liked this different chapter? PS if using the app click on the picture to see the full pic that would have either been the cover or a pic beside the interview

Here with Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in Stark Tower to answer some very large questions after the show last night. Let me start by saying, welcome back to New York, Mr. Stark.

Thank you it's good to be here.

I caught the show last night, fantastic flying out there.

Well it's what I do.

At the end of the show you announced something pretty wild. I expected a pregnancy announcement, but you had me beat. A seventeen year old daughter?

That is correct, Toni is seventeen.

I'll be honest,  I don't know that I believed it.

I'm sure you didn't, I'm sure a lot of your readers didn't. But it was time to let the cat out of the bag.

And just to clarify, for those who might think she was a surprise from your past: Toni is yours and Peppers? Also not adopted more recently?

That is correct.

Why did you want to keep her hidden?

As I said last night, I was scared that her life would be put in danger by mine.

The Stark name has been very public since the 40's. Did growing up the way you did have an effect on the decision?

Well, mostly it's exactly what I've said. But then, once I had this secret, this other life that allowed me to go unnoticed for weeks at a time, I think it was a reason for us to keep the secret. Even if I didn't often leave the house for those weeks.

Then you couldn't go outside with your daughter? What was that like?

It sucked. Of course, it sucked. I couldn't be at parent teacher nights. I couldn't pick her up from the principal's office, or when she blew a tire. Anything that normally a dad would do, that I couldn't do...yeah it sucked.

Then why wait so long to give it up?

It became too normal. Routine. It was hard to break that.

What changed?

As much as I try not to admit it, Toni is growing up. She's almost an adult. She has friends she doesn't want to lie to. We needed to let her do that. Let her be Toni Amanda Stark--not Miller.

How do you think others will react?

Um. . .Well I don't know. But honestly, who cares? Ya know? This is us.

Well put. As a father, how do you feel about her dating?

*Laughs* I was told I shouldn't speak on the subject. No, no, I don't worry too much. Toni is smart and capable. I do plan on instilling the fear of Iron Man into her poor prom date. But in the end if she ever needs me, now I can be there as Dad, or Iron Dad.

What has been your proudest moment in fatherhood?

Oh, jeez, I missed so many. Well, in second grade, I hope she's proud of this *laughs*. In second grade she got sent home because a boy wasn't letting anyone but his friends on the playground. So Toni goes up the steps and when he tries to stop her she clocks him right in the jaw! *Laughs* More recently, hell I don't even think she knows this, Pepper and I were in New York for a few days, that's three days. And when we got back I found she'd broken into my shop and built a suit. She'd never built anything that sophisticated before, but in three days. . . After I did the whole get-angry-for-breaking-in-and-building-what-I-told-you-not-to, I don't think I ever told her that I was incredibly impressed.

She wasn't supposed to have it then?

No. I didn't want her to be seen flying something like that, that people are still scrambling to recreate, and be targeted for that reason. After the fact though, after I made the mistake of dismantling it. . . It was one of my proudest moments.

***

Cap said last night "welcome to the spotlight". Did all of the Avengers know about your daughter?

I left Clint out of the group chat--don't tell him. . . No, no. They all knew. They helped through Peppers pregnancy, when Toni was younger and I wasn't in town to watch her, and most of the team was able to make it to her birth. They're our extended family, no doubt about it.

Did they all know you were going to introduce her after the show?

If I could turn back time. . . That would have been hilarious! *laughs* But, yes, they were all in on the little surprise.

What did they say when you told them?

Mixed reactions, mostly once they understood I meant it they were excited, and happy for Toni. We've all watched her go through ups and down's with this, she was more open with some of them than with me and Pep. We all knew this would be a good thing.

***

How was Pepper's pregnancy, for you?

You're trying to get me in trouble! I mean I wasn't the one tasked with building a human, so it wasn't that bad!

*Laughs* Was it a home birth?

I couldn't bring her to to a hospital, so yes. But luckily, there are doctors and capable women in the extended family we have, so it was like a hospital trip in the comfort of our home.

Are we ever going to see baby pictures of Toni?

I wouldn't hold my breath. Those moments might stay ours.

Well, thank you for talking with us, Iron Dad. It's always a pleasure.

Of course it is.