Disarm • Stark

5. The News Guy & Top-Secret Shit.

While Tony was tasked with looking through his father's old belongings, Mazzy was tasked with spending the day with none other than Pepper Potts. Unfortunately for Pepper, while also watching Mazzy, she had to work, like it was any other day. But everything was already busy and problematic with all the stunts Tony had pulled in the past few days. 

That was why Mazzy was huddled up in the corner with a clipboard, a piece of paper, and a pack of crayons. First, she folded the paper in half- hamburger style, as Pepper called it when she helped Mazzy make a Father's Day card for Tony a few months back. But this time, Mazzy had to make the card herself because Pepper couldn't help make her own thank-you card.

Once the paper was folded, Mazzy got to work. In her best handwriting, which was still quite messy, she wrote out the words, THANK YOU PEPPER, and drew some balloons around the sides of it. She also drew a cake on the bottom of the cover, even though it wasn't a birthday card. Mazzy just wasn't sure what else she was supposed to draw on a thank-you card. 

As soon as the cover was finished, Mazzy opened up the card and drew a picture of her and Pepper in a park together. She finished it off with a little note. 

Deer Pepper, 

Thank you, Pepper. I am glad you have to babysit me becuase you are funny and nice but I am sorry my dad made everything busy. He is dum. I don't have a thank you prezent for you so I drew a picture of us insted. You are very nice and sometimes I love you so much I wish you were my mom. Thank you Pepper!!!

Love, 

MAZZY STARK

It was annoying that Pepper was on the phone during all of this card-making because that meant that Mazzy couldn't ask how to spell the words she was unsure about. She was a pretty good writer and speller for being only six years old, being the daughter of Tony Stark the genius, but she still made her fair share of spelling mistakes. 

Just as Mazzy got up to go over to the desk and wait patiently for Pepper to finish her phone call, the door to the office swung open. That was very weird, considering no one was supposed to interrupt Miss Potts' important phone calls (which was a rule Mazzy was informed of by the secretary as soon as she stepped foot into the office building).

When the door opened, in stepped the secretary Mazzy had walked past on her way up there. The woman looked nervous as she peeked her head in. "Miss Potts?" she interrupted quietly. 

"Relax," another voice said from behind the woman. Mazzy knew that voice to be her father's. He was supposed to be at home going through things, from what Mazzy had been told. 

"Mr. Stark is here," the secretary lady announced. "He refuses-"

"I don't. It's fine," Tony said, shooing the secretary lady off. "I'll just be a second."

Hesitantly, the secretary lady closed the door, leaving Tony in the office. 

Mazzy ran up to her father and tugged on the bottom of his pail blazer. He turned around to look at her with his eyebrows raised. Mazzy cupped her hands around her mouth as she whispered, "You aren't supposed to interrupt Miss Potts' important phone calls."

Tony's eyebrows pinched together. "'Miss Potts'?" he echoed with confusion. Since when did Mazzy refer to Pepper as Miss Potts? "What have they been teaching you here?" he murmured. 

"Shhh!" Mazzy shushed him, her pointer pressed against her lips.

Although rolling his eyes, Tony complied and stayed quiet. 

His silence only emphasized the voice of the man rambling about Stark Industries on the television, though. "When Mr. Stark announced he was indeed Iron Man, he was making a promise to America. We trusted that he would look out for us. But he obviously did not. And now we learn that his secretary, a woman named Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, has been appointed as CEO of Stark Industries. What are her qualifications?!"