It was now 2 days after I had been shot. Tony made me stay in the med bay for the whole of the next day, even though he wanted me to stay for a week, I managed to whittle him down.
Today, Tony was forcing me to attend a meeting with him, Pepper, and the SI Board of Directors. But I had nothing to wear, so Pepper and Nat were going to take me shopping to get some business clothes.
As we were about to walk out, I saw Wanda sitting alone, looking bored. "Hey, guys can we invite Wanda?"
"Sure." Pepper said, doing something on her phone.
I walked over to the couch. "Hey, Wanda, wanna come shopping with me, Pepper and Nat?"
"You want me to come?"
"Sure. Come on, it'll be fun. And Pepper's paying."
She nodded. "OK."
"Come on then, we're leaving now."
We got to the mall and walked in, but I was immediately hungry. "Can we get food first?"
"I swear you're always hungry."
"I do have an enhanced metabolism."
"Good point."
We went to some salad restaurant because apparently Pepper's on a diet, but I don't see why she has to punish us for that.
After, we started to do the shopping. "Let's start with shoes. I'm thinking we get you some nice black pumps."
"Flats."
"Pumps."
"Flats."
"Pumps."
"Wedges."
"Pumps." Pepper gave me a look.
"Fine! But when I fall over in front of the Board of Diectors, it will be all your fault."
"You're not going to fall over, Danielle, because we are going to train you in the art of wearing heels." Nat smirked and Wanda laughed.
"Oh joy." I rolled my eyes.
We went into some shop and Pepper found a pair of thankfully short, black pumps. "Try these on."
I tried them on with my jeans, and thankfully I didn't fall over.
"Good. We'll get those then."
"You really don't mess around with this stuff."
"Now, a dress."
"Oh no. I'll wear the heels, but I'm wearing pants."
"Dress."
"Pants."
"Dress.
"Pants."
"Dress."
"Pants."
"Dress."
"Pants."
"Skirt."
"Fine." We paid for the shoes, along with some other shoes we bought and went to another shop to find a black skirt.
We were browsing for a few minutes when Wanda found one. "Over here."
I rushed over and she held up a black skirt with a bow at the top, that was just my size.
"Perfect, thanks Wanda." I showed it to Pepper and she nodded, so we got that, and I also saw Pepper had snuck in a black dress as well. Oh well, it's not like I have to wear it.
Then, we went to find a shirt. They didn't really have anything liked, and we walked out of that store. And the next 5 we went in. In the last store though, we saw a cute white top with wide sleeves that Pepper deemed 'adequate.'
At long last, we returned to the Avengers Compound. "Hey, ladies, good shopping trip?"
"Pepper and Dani argued about everything." Wanda rolled her eyes.
"Not everything!" She gave me a look. "OK maybe everything."
"Alright kid, go get dressed the meeting starts in 20 minutes."
"I still don't see why I have to go to this meeting."
"Because I say so, and I'm your boss. Part of working includes going to boring meetings."
"Yeah but I'm not working, I'm interning."
"Just go change."
15 minutes later, I was walking through Stark Industries, slightly behind and to the right of Tony, Pepper on his left.
We walked into the meeting room and everyone looked at me confused. "I'm sorry, this is a private meeting."
"Gentlemen, this is my personal intern, Danielle. She's here to take notes."
They nodded but looked sceptical. "Hey intern, you get coffee?"
I looked at Tony with my eyebrows raised and he nodded.
"Uh, yes. I can go on a coffee run."
"Great I'll have an espresso. Everyone else?"
They all started shouting coffee orders at me and I rolled my eyes. "OK, I've got it. 3 espresso, 2 cappuccinos, and 1 latte."
"Do you need to write it down girl?"
"I have a great memory, I'll be fine." I gritted my teeth.
"Alright then."
I walked out of the meeting room and rolled my eyes practically all the way back into my head. I went down to floor 4 and ordered the coffees, plus an iced latte and chocolate chip muffin for myself.
"Hey, Dani, haven't seen you down here for a while. Stark said apparently he lost a bet?" Kayla raised her eyebrow.
"Oh yeah. I bet I could beat him in an arm wrestle and I did. So he had to get his own coffee for a while." I smiled at her.
"Woah, you beat Tony Stark in an arm wrestle?"
I shrugged. "I guess I'm just pretty strong."
"Well, appearances can be deceiving. Why are you dressed so formal? You never show up to work in more than jeans and a crop top."
"Boss is making me go to some boring board meeting to take notes. One of the guys literally said to me, 'Hey intern you get coffee?' Like who does that? "
"Sounds like a dick."
"Yup. And now I have to sit through a 3 hour long meeting with him and all of the other old, privileged white guys. Like seriously, I swear I'm the only person in there under 50."
"Yeesh. You're a tough girl, you'll get through it. Here's your coffee."
"I'll get through it, but it's still 3 hours of my life I'll never get back."
"See you, soon, Dani."
"Bye, Kayla!"
I walked out of the coffee shop, but was stopped by an intern I knew called Josh. "Dani, can you help me with something?"
"God, I wish I could, Josh but I have to take notes at a board meeting. I can come by in 3 hours though if you want?"
"OK. Good luck with your meeting. Those guys look at interns like they're scum on their shoes."
"Literally. See you, Josh." I went back up in the elevator to the meeting room.
I entered and handed everyone their coffee. "Who ordered an iced latte and chocolate muffin, Miss Excellent Memory?"
"I did, Mr Judgy Board Member." I smirked at him and handed him his stupid espresso.
I sat down next to Tony and he looked to be stifling a laugh, while Pepper was shaking her head, but I could see a small smile on her face.
"Shall we begin?"
They went on to talk about the business' profits and how they could be improved, but I just looked around the room and Tony was playing Flappy Bird on his phone.
Once I realised, I watched what he was doing and he smirked at me. "Excuse me, Intern, aren't you meant to be taking notes?"
Mr Judgy Board Member looked Judgy, smirking. But I smirked back.
"Oh I am. I created technology that records everything you say, then takes out any hesitations or repetition you speak, and then removes any off topic conversations like this one and compacts everything into bullet points each under a different sub heading for what you've been talking about."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Where did you get that kind of Technology from? It seems technically impossible."
"You know what also seemed 'technically impossible?'" I put air quotes around technically impossible and he just raised an eyebrow. "The telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell, in 1876, although Italian inventor Antoni Meucci is credited with creating the first basic phone in 1849, and then devised by Frenchman Charles Bourseul in 1854, and Bell's invention was the one that got a patent in 1876." I recited from memory and out of the corner of my eye I saw Tony smirking and Pepper sighing. I smirked again as Mr Judgy Board Member sat with his mouth wide open.
"But anyway, like I said, I created this technology. So you wouldn't have heard about it at all, as only myself and Mr Stark have tried out the product. Anyway, shall we get back to the meeting, gentlemen?"
Another board member cleared his throat. "Right. Mr Stark, you might want to pay attention to this part."
I nudged Tony and he looked up.
"The board have been discussing, and given recent events, we have come to the decision that an Heir to Stark Industries must be found by the end of next year."
"Excuse me?" Pepper looked totally thrown off guard. "By the end of next year?"
"That's correct, Miss Potts."
"And what if we don't?" Tony sat up.
"Then the Board of Directors will provide one for you."
"Right. So what are the conditions of this?"
"An Heir to Stark Industries must be announced to the Board by the end of next year. It is up to you when you decide to announce it to the public, but a suitable heir must be found by the end of the year 2017. If an heir has not been chosen by midnight on January 1st, 2018, an emergency board meeting will take place to decide on the future of Stark Industries."
"So it can be anyone?"
"If anyone is to find the heir unsuitable, we will bring them in to plead their case and also ask you to explain your choices, as well as any board members who disagree will have to come up with appropriate reasons for disagreeing. If after that, we find them unsuitable, the same protocol of an emergency meeting would take place."
"So, what kind of person are we looking for?" Pepper asked.
"We have compiled a list of people you should consider, anyone else is up to you. If either of you have a child who is born by the end of next year, you may use them as your heir but the board will find someone who can take charge of the company until said child is able to in case of something happening to the two of you. "
"So let me get this right, we have to find an heir to our company, my father's company, by the end of next year to take over after we're gone or retired?"
"Exactly, Mr Stark. That concludes the meeting, unless there is anything I've missed?" Everyone shook their head and the man nodded. "Excellent, meeting adjourned." (a/n I have no idea how business meetings work)
The board members all started to clear out, and Tony, Pepper & I just sat there. Pepper had her head in her hands, Tony looked to be in thought and I felt awkward.
"Oh, would you look at that, they all left their cups on the table. It's not like there's a trash can right by the door." I grumbled and rolled my eyes as I collected the cups and put them in the trash. "Dumbasses."
"What are we gonna do, Tony? How are we meant to find an heir to the company by the end of next year? Lord knows we're not ready for children."
"We'll figure it out. Besides, I have someone in my mind."
"Who?"
"Give it some more time for me to be sure before I mention it to you."
Pepper followed his gaze to the girl putting cups into the trash, who was grumbling and rolling her eyes.
She looked back at her boyfriend and smiled.
He smiled back. "Like I said, give it time."
I came back over then and sat down. "I don't know if either of you have noticed, but every single member of the board of directors are privileged white men. There isn't a single woman, person of colour, anyone from outside North America, or, not that I like to assume, but most likely not, members of the LGBTQ+ community. It's a very exclusive group, and it seems to shut out anyone from minorities, or even just women. Also, from what I've seen, they're all pretty old fashioned men who probably think a woman belongs in the kitchen and homosexuality should be a crime. Also, that one guy looked at me like I was a lowly peasant who was blessed to even breathe the same air as him. While I understand this is a very tight and important group, by only having one type of person in it, you're shutting out newer and fresher ideas that could potentially be amazing. And I'd bet anything that the 'potential heirs' they've provided you with is the same, probably their sons, cocky, arrogant playboys who think they're God's gift to Women. A little like you, Tony, but more annoying, if that's even possible."
I stood up and picked up my phone. "Mia, email the completed notes from this meeting via link, to Pepper Potts, cc Tony Stark."
"Email sent, Miss Parker."
"Thanks Mia."
I looked back at Pepper and Tony. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I promised an intern on a lower floor that I would help him with a problem he's been having."
I left the room and finally breathed out.
When Dani left the room Pepper looked at Tony who was smirking. "How soon can we sign the papers?"