18

Stark Industries' Public Relations department was both feared and envied by its contemporaries.

Everyone in the business was acutely aware of why, as well: having Tony Stark as the face of the company was like having a RD-180 engine duct-taped to a go-cart; that is to say, explosively powerful, and as liable to rocket towards the future as it was to misfire if not handled well. Add to that, the fact that it was genetic; after having dealt with two generations of Starks, it was really no wonder the PR department was as effective as it was.

See, the Stark family was, of course, focal in regards to everything corporate-related. Due to the nature of their work, the PR department worked far closer with them than most people ever got, between contending with possible scandals and deflecting attention to more beneficial avenues.

Howard Stark had made a name for himself during World War II, and by the time the Manhattan Project was declassified it only added further credence to his reputation as a titan of the arms industry; Maria Stark, meanwhile, was crucial in helping balance out the harsher aspects of SI's media presence with fundraising galas, homeless shelters, and various other demonstrations of charity. All in all, fairly standard fare, if rather respectable in regards to company histories.

And then, Tony Stark was born.

More than one PR staff member had popped a champagne bottle in celebration when Howard had proudly talked of how his son had built a circuit board. [If the champagne was also meant to distract from the implication that their CEO had let a toddler in a workshop with power tools and heavy machinery, well, good thing the kid seemed to know what he was doing and hopefully it was Stark Sr. or his butler who was doing the soldering and plausible deniability, plausible deniability everywhere!]

Seriously speaking, though, this was 'once in a lifetime/generation/century' levels of luck Stark Industries were experiencing, and when the PR department realized just what they were dealing with, there were equal looks of "we've got it made" and "oh shit" being thrown around. And their role to be the facilitators between what went behind the scenes, and what was shown to the world, meant that they got a look to the Stark family that very few ever got to see.

Tony Stark was practically ready-made for public relations, is the thing: not only was he the sole heir of a multimillionaire family company, he was a genius. And oh, it showed.

Investors stopped voicing their concerns about the future of the company, when the first press release was made, and playing up how much potential he had was a cakewalk. Howard Stark was still the face of the company, of course, but having a son who was practically his spitting image worked wonders for allaying possible concerns.

Not to mention Maria Stark's influence; while the media seemed content to relegate her to a housewife, she was unofficially the PR department head, with how involved she was with managing the press. Her open-door policy regarding potential concerns meant their representative stopped by fairly often, almost on par with Obadiah Stane's visits when talking business with her husband.

Between the three of them, Stark Industries' PR department had more than enough fodder to pacify everyone even remotely concerned about the sheer amount of media coverage an arms company had, and that they managed to present the image of a happy family was a miracle in and of itself. Really, though: Howard Stark's constant voyaging, even after his only child's birth, had been very tricky to paint in a positive manner, and Maria Stark was masterful in handling the bulk of the media's scrutiny, especially considering public sentiment regarding Vietnam. [The PR department was impressed, really. Nobody questioned where Tony Stark got his media handling skills from, by the time he entered the spotlight of his own right.]

Howard Stark took to talking about what his son was doing [despite not being there for roughly 95% of it] and as time passed, when it became readily obvious that Tony wasn't so much a chip off the old block so much as he was a powerhouse in a league of his own, SI's Public Relations department shared yet another look and buckled down for whatever'd get thrown their way. Pym Technologies was quickly becoming a nuisance, and trying to counteract any attempt to give them a hard time meant Maria Stark and the PR department worked very closely in order to maintain the delicate balance that meant Tony could have some semblance of a childhood when the media—no, the world, demanded for more.

Some of Tony Stark's innovations and displays of brilliance were more talked about than others: his first circuit board, for instance, was what launched him into the public eye a full decade ahead of schedule, and ditto as to the engine he built at age six.

On the other hand, the fact that the Stark heir had designed his first bomb at age eleven was kept a secret between him, Howard and everyone who was on the PR and R&D's payroll at the time. [That the kid had done it because he'd wanted to impress his father, and help with his workload, went even more unsaid: dear lord did that family have issues. The boarding school thing had been particularly tricky to spin in a positive direction, and the less said about the alcohol the better. No, really.] By the time he turned 16, the PR department was very familiar with Tony Stark, and vice versa.

All in all, things were looking up; Stark Industries' CEO was, while a relatively cold and distant figure, still very respected in the public eye, and his wife and son helped project a very good image, and the PR department payroll might've changed a bit along the way, but it still didn't change the fact that they'd seen the family through it all. [More so than the man who'd somehow managed to cram the time to help create a secret agency yet missed his son's tenth birthday party; goodness gracious, family issues didn't begin to cover it.]

The car accident caught everyone off guard. [Well…not really, considering the PR department was more than aware of Howard's issues, of which alcoholism was a very, very well hidden one.]

In the days that followed, Tony Stark spent more time with the PR department in one week than in the past five years combined. Legal's representative also quickly became a familiar face, and while he leaned on Edwin Jarvis, James Rhodes, and Obadiah Stane, they hammered out a battle plan. Stocks dropped 94 points during the first hour of the confirmation of Howard Stark's death, after all, and they knew what was at stake. Tony had grown up seeing his parents' involvement with the company, and…they would pull through. [They had to, hundreds of employees depended on them.]

Not 24 hours from their CEO's death, Stark Industries issued its first press release.

It was heartbreakingly easy for the PR department to cast everything in a sympathetic light, to make the obituaries for two of the most influential people in the country, to mention the creation of the Maria Stark Foundation, and to ask for patience while the seventeen-year-old heir took his leave during this time of grief. It took some effort, but not an undue amount, to also remind the world of said heir's genius, and the promise that "Stark Industries was in good hands" was not an empty one.

What went far more unsaid, was that the kid they'd seen grow up in front of the camera would be on his own from there on out. What the press releases didn't say was, once he took up his father's place in Stark Industries, he wouldn't be able to dabble in what had interested him as much anymore, and if he wanted to angle for further schooling now was the best time to do it. What no one in the PR department said was, Tony had cried at learning of his mother's death, not his father's, and the way he'd leaned against his butler through it all said everything anyone needed to know about that particular relationship. [Again, that family had issues.]

Time passed, and the PR department knew they were so very lucky, in some ways, to have Tony Stark as the face of the company, whenever they looked around and saw what their contemporaries at Hammer Industries had to contend with. Also: they'd known Hank Pym had hated Howard, but it took a special sort of asshole to attempt to leverage the situation in his favor when such turmoil was happening in the corporate sector. If they hadn't had the 'yeah the Stark heir's currently earning his second doctorate while preparing to take up the reins' card, who knows how things might've worked out?

By the time Tony Stark entered the public eye of his own right, he took the world by storm.

Part of it was due to his winning the lottery in terms of charisma, looks, and brains; most of it, though, was due to his keeping in constant communications with Stark Industries, and knowing that as an arms company, they needed to present a strong front. It was a joint effort, in truth, that resulted in everything going as smoothly as it did, when his ascension to CEO happened.

Any concerns about youth were met with a very aggressive projection of a "work hard, play hard" image, and his three doctorates took care of the rest. [That one of them had been earned when Edwin Jarvis had died of a heart attack, not a year after his parents, went unsaid. That JARVIS the AI had gone online shortly afterwards went even more unsaid.]

Here's the thing: when it comes down to it, Tony Stark is terrifying.

Everyone got reminded with just how much of a genius he was with the long list of patents he'd taken to contributing to SI's databases, but all it took was one person to step back and realize that yes, this man was capable of innovating and weaponizing said innovations with the same ease as breathing, and it was child's play to tell who was a new hire because they all made the same face when the realization hit. [Well, with one notable exception, but there's a reason Pepper Potts was an unconfirmed living saint.]

So, to quell any possible rumors, and deflect attention from the fact that their CEO was constantly toeing the fine line between "revolutionizing the industry" and "kick-starting the next arms race", the PR department set to making him larger than life.

It was remarkably easy, actually: they only had to ask him to play up some things for the cameras, and the media more than took care of the rest. The 'playboy' component in particular took center stage, and while the 'philanthropist' part didn't quite get as much coverage until decades down the road, it still helped.

Time passed, and things were going fairly well, for the PR department.

They'd been dealt an odd hand, to be certain, but this just made their jobs easier so no matter. Sure, there were some hiccups; the first time the Merchant of Death was used in a headline, an emergency conference was held, and the various scandals Tony Stark had gotten himself wrapped up in along the way meant things never got boring. [The Fashion Week Fiasco of '97 had been particularly interesting, especially in the discovery that wow the man could really rock eyeliner, and that dress was…something else.]

In board rooms, Tony Stark presented the same strong front Howard and Obadiah had always favored, meanwhile the rest of the world was kept distracted by flash and charisma.

Stark Industries had a system, and, up to 2008, it worked.

Afghanistan was a mess, plain and simple. For three months, SI's Public Relations department had to contend with mass speculation of their CEO's death, and stock prices dipped to an new low for the first time in decades. They did their best, of course, but…really, what were the odds?

Then Tony Stark came back, and…well. Shifting gears was an experience, simply put.

The 'we're leaving the arms business' bombshell was, surprisingly, nowhere near as hard as what others had probably expected, though it still resulted in weeks' worth of overtime hours and dark muttering while the coffee was percolating. Oh, sure, it was tricky, but it was so, very easy for the PR department to spin it in a positive manner, to emphasize the potential for the future, to talk about the possible applications their tech could offer because Stark Industries had always been the leaders of the industry for a reason. Refuting the rumors of mental health issues had been a doozy, for certain, but they'd seen worse, and it was pretty hard to counter 'prisoner of war for three months and still didn't break' when it came to sympathy, and that this could all be laid at Stane's feet was only the cherry on top.

Not to mention the "I am Iron Man" press conference…Suffice it was to say, their department got the biggest bonuses at the end of the year.

After Afghanistan, it was a whole new ball game, but, surprisingly enough, things were easier, in some respects. Nobody was mentioning the Merchant of Death, at least, and the press finally shifted their attention to the ways Stark Industries was helping the world.

The donations to Doctors Without Borders, the various raids on weapons depots with illegally-obtained weapons, the Maria Stark Foundation's various outreach programs [on both a national and international scale], all of it. The 'privatized world peace' headlines practically wrote themselves, that there'd be a Stark Expo by its creator's son was history in the making, their various outreach programs were being mentioned on a semiregular basis—things were on a roll.

Sure, there were still pitfalls, but really, what company didn't have its rough patches? The Congressional hearing had the PR department playing their drinking game with Accounting, because they'd seen Tony growing up and known he'd go far, but still. [Accounting won, of course; but they were both regarded with horrified awe when any passerby saw the empty bottles, so no matter.]

The New York invasion, however, was when a wrench was thrown in the works. See, the world had acclimated to Iron Man, but their universe had just gotten much, much bigger.

SI's Public Relations department noticed that there were other people helping manage the fallout, but whoever these new guys were, [some covert government agency, right, not fishy at all] they were doing a…weird job at it. When Tony asked for them to help if they could, it was no chore for the PR department, though it was still very annoying to deal with idiots who thought they should focus on press releases and classifying video footage [ha— as if that'd ever work] over spinning the efficacy of cleanup operations.

But okay, they managed. All in all, the fallout of New York was under wraps, why were these new guys looking so stressed? Some footage went viral, so what? At least it was Iron Man saving Manhattan, rather than Big Green smashing buildings, could've been worse.

Things continued in that vein for a while, when December…happened.

It wasn't as bad as Afghanistan, thank goodness, [be pretty hard to top that, plus there was no body and they refused to consider any other alternative] but everyone in the PR department had a field day reassuring everyone that things were okay. The 'hey, PTSD's a thing and this guy's never sought treatment in his life despite being a textbook case' thing was harder to address, but still manageable. AIM and the President's involvement, meanwhile, meant everyone got very, very familiar with both JARVIS and overtime pay. [The 'get well soon' card they made for Pepper was a thing of beauty.]

But they pulled through, the Stark name and everything associated with it came out smelling like roses, and things settled back to their new normal. Sure, things cropped up, and trying to sell the 'hey the face of the company wants a robot army' thing to the general public was a trip and a half, but still better than anything Hammer Industries could've conceived, so.

Things were going well, when shit went down in Washington D.C. involving Nazis and spies. Of course. [Because alien invasions weren't enough.]

It was a clusterfuck of the highest order, and, somehow, it was their problem. Because, somehow, they were the only ones willing and capable of getting involved, because the Stark name was focal in this mess [dammit, Howard]. Legal wasn't a happy camper, but the PR department didn't exactly get off lightly, either. Not with the rapid influx of new employees, and the only saving grace was that the HYDRA reveal had also given them a list of enemies, so putting a positive spin on the 'hey good people got burned, look at how nice we are in helping' thing wasn't hard to do. [Far simpler than Legal's role in this mess, anyway.]

Cleanup was a pain and a half, in the end. While Legal did its magic, and Accounting and HR worked miracles, PR also put in decent overtime into making it all look pretty and patriotic and whatever else it took for everyone to focus on the HYDRA component rather than any changes in SI's payroll.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Because, somehow, the Avengers weren't disbanded, and why the fuck did they just become PR's problem?!

Sure, it was a temporary thing, while something more concrete got squared away higher up the chain, and technically they didn't need to do it, but Tony Stark's name was involved, [even if only in a consulting capacity,] so really it was a no-brainer.

Now if only the Avengers would cooperate. [It should not be this hard, c'mon already!]

Were they disbanded? Were they not? Who knew? Certainly not the media, because these guys didn't seem to get the concept of a press release and it was only the constant stream of emails and memos between Tony Stark and the PR department that kept anyone in the loop. Photo ops were a bust; Thor wasn't on the planet for the majority of the time, Big Green was understandably out, the super-spy duo disdained of anything vaguely relating to publicity and Captain America was currently searching for…something.

So, despite their best efforts, Iron Man was the face of the Avengers, for the general public. Not that the man was aware of it, judging by the confusion on his face whenever he got contacted by a media outlet or government organization. [Eh…he'd figure it out eventually, no need to insult his intelligence by stating the obvious.]

But okay. It was a temporary arrangement, after all.

And if, in the interim, the Avengers were decently-respected [if slightly feared, because D.C. had been a mess] in the international arena, that could only be a good thing, right? Certainly, Steve Rogers didn't seem opposed to the idea, not with how often he was investigating HYDRA bases in Europe, and Bruce Banner's meanderings hadn't changed much since before New York.

It helped, that talks were in the works for the more permanent arrangements to be made. There had always been some concern to contend with, for certain, but Tony Stark's very public displays of responsibility and cooperation meant far more doors were opened than ever before, which could only help, too.

The goodwill that Tony Stark's name engendered was not something to be scoffed at, either: some countries had already been drafting visas, like Syria and Ukraine, before hearing that he was only a consultant. [Actually…Legal's jokes about world domination just got a lot funnier. Huh.]

When Sokovia happened, the PR department didn't know just what the hell the Avengers were up to, but for rich protocols to have been initiated, when they'd been out of the arms industry for seven years now? For Iron Man to be officially leaving the Avengers?

Well then. At least this would be the last time they'd be dealing with this hot mess, right?

Sure, Johannesburg would be a major pain, but thanks to Tony's robot army and minions, it could have gone far, far worse. They could work with this, just this last disaster, then the Avengers would officially no longer be their problem. They could do this.

To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]

From: Just Another Rather Very Intelligent System

Subject: Avengers' Rich Protocols Addendum

Capt. Rogers made an executive decision regarding the current Avengers roster.

Wanda Maximoff, known HYDRA volunteer and the woman responsible for the Hulk's rampage in Johannesburg, has been recruited, as has her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff.

Col. Rhodes has already indicated his willingness to be on-call for emergencies, as well.

Dr. Stark has expressed the sentiment that he understands if the situation cannot be salvaged, and to thank you for your hard work during these trying times. He also mentioned that your department's budget for end-of-year celebrations has tripled due to this, and that 'drinks would be on him.'

Take Care

—JARVIS

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To: Hill, M. Head Intel Officer [Communications, New York branch]

From: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]

Subject: You're Not Serious

We're already fielding off local law enforcement and media with the generic first wave press releases, tell me you're joking. We can do something about second wave, I suppose. Plus we never do specifics beyond the obvious, because it'd be speculation, and I am very happy Dr. Stark's leaving, because that means we can spin this in a…not better way, but a 'soften the blow' way.

Also, we're glad for the heads up re: your guys' little club, but next time, cc us was well was Legal, because we're good, but we prefer to have more than five minutes' warning when someone's asking for a statement about Security subdivisions and property damage.

Have fun

—Lee

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To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]; Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

From: Just Another Very Intelligent System

Subject: SWORD Volunteers For Information Management

Enclosed is a list of volunteers who are wiling to help with the current situation. Said volunteers are sorted by location, availability, and history regarding intel flow, operations and logistical management skills.

A separate list has also been made of the volunteers who assisted with local law enforcement. Over 80% of them are from the Security division, and have expressed their amenability to also assisting with cleanup from a public relations standpoint, but are waiting to hear SI's official take on things.

Also, Vision is a newly-created android who appears to be willing to assist the Avengers as well, but in a consulting capacity only.

Take Care

—JARVIS

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To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]

From: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

Subject: Once More Unto The Breach

That this is the last time we have to deal with the Avengers is the only saving grace of this mess. How're we approaching this? I'm thinking we're doing a déjà vu of the Afghanistan/Iron Man Incident.

As for this Vision? Jesus, Dr. Stark gets scarier every time I look. What's next, world domination? Oh, wait…

How'd they become our problem, again?

—Romero

————————————

To: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

From: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]

Subject: Remember The Fashion Week Fiasco of '97? Good Times.

Great minds think alike.

Yes—he's practically the face of the Avengers as is, we can shift focus on him and less on the new roster. Won't solve everything, but it's a start. Pretty sure more'll be worried by him leaving than anything else, anyway, so that won't help the A-Team, but guess how many fucks I have left to give. Guess. Just guess.

Re: Vision: It's Dr. Stark, what'd you expect? All I know is, not my division, so if this new guy passes the Turing Test, field that R&D's way and call it a day.

Also: I'm fairly certain Legal's jokes aren't all jokes, anymore.

Good luck

—Lee

————————————

To: Lee, M. Head Representative [PR, Los Angeles branch]

From:Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

Subject: Eh, Could Be Worse

I mean, what's the worst that could happen? At least it's Legal spearheading things and not, y'know, R&D. Well…then again, robot army. Huh.

Also, I know we asked for volunteers, but it's still kind of jarring to hear some of them talking about how this "still isn't as bad as that one op with Rodriguez in Kazakhstan". Not that I'm complaining—their faces whenever we bring up the Picnic Relay Race Incident of '05 are pretty damn funny.

Time for round two with the press

—Romero

Sometime after Sokovia,

A Series of E-mails That Would Be Looked Back Upon With Extreme Chagrin And Regret By Various People Years Later:

To: Ryu, H. Coordinator [R&D, Seoul branch]

From: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

Subject: I Know We Joke About It, But

There's been some rumors and concerns about Stark Industries and world domination. You think someone might've overheard Legal joking about it?

Can't believe I'm asking this, but are we actually doing it, and do we need to cover for it? Asking because after the Fashion Week Fiasco of '97, you're the one who's got the best network for this sort of mess.

Help

—Romero

—————————————

To: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

From: Ryu, H. Coordinator [R&D, Seoul branch]

Subject: About That…Funny Story

Umm…kind of?

Dr. Stark's been talking about planetary protection, and you know he won't stop until it's done, and the threat level he's talking about is off the charts. If anyone heard what we're working on, they'd definitely try to interfere, but we can't risk it.

The Avengers won't cut it, and considering what happened last time, we've been stepping up our game. It may sound arrogant, but who'd you rather trust the planet's safety to? Not Hammer, for sure.

Best wishes, you'll need it

—Ryu

—————————————

To: Ryu, H. Coordinator [R&D, Seoul branch]

From: Romero, D. Department Head [PR, New York branch]

Subject: Well Then

Thanks for the heads up, don't know how I didn't see it before, even if I *should've* been clued in earlier, dammit!

But okay. Um.

There's been a slowly growing amount of concern about us having too much power, especially now that the original roster of the Avengers are taken care of, but I've got it.

Let's make it a meme. Nobody'll take it seriously, until the danger's passed, hopefully. Let's just hope Dr. Stark's robot army and minions don't make too many waves until then, but if Legal could do the bureaucratic work for this, we can definitely cover them. Can't believe I'm doing this, and since when's it been on the table? Oh right.

And hey, if I didn't notice, and you hadn't clued me in, then we've got a good chance. And with Dr. Stark's various AI?

Huh…this should be interesting

—Romero

Notes:

...and another SI division joins the club. It was a minor miscommunication, honest.

Timeline I'm using is Tony was born in 1974, because while Civil War says Tony was 21 when the accident happened, the first movie in the franchise said he was 17 which works a lot better for the purposes of this fic. [Good luck with getting higher ed while also running a company, is why.]

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...why was this chapter even harder to write than the bulk of the AoU arc, again? Oh, right, forgot about the family feels that refused to keep out. Two generations of Starks is nothing to sneeze at, after all. Even if I still feel kinda iffy about some parts of this chapter, but I rewrote this like four times now so screw, it here you go.