Chapter Text
[Las Vegas, 36 Hours Earlier]
Voice over: Toni Stark. Visionary. Genius. American patriot. Even from an early age, the daughter of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark quickly stole the spotlight with her brilliant and unique mind. At age four, she built her first circuit board. At age six, her first engine. And at 17, she graduated summa cum laude from MIT. Then, the passing of a titan. Howard Stark's lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, steps in to help fill the gap left by the legendary founder, until, at age 21, the prodigal daughter returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries. With the keys to the kingdom, Toni ushers in a new era for her father's legacy, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, and satellite targeting. Today, Toni Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the globe.
Toni withheld a sigh at the looks that she was getting from the gods and even the demigods. Fame was something that followed her since the day she was born. Being the daughter of a famous socialite and a genius was a big burden. Her every moment was monitored by the media. She was used to being stared at by, but the gazes of the Greek Gods made the hairs on her neck rise. She had read some myths, and from the picture, the Gods didn't seem merciful at all.
What she couldn't understand, was how the God of the Sea was her father. And if he really was, then where was he? Was he even aware of her existence, and most importantly, did Howard Stark know that the child he claimed as his was some other man— god's child?
Howard doted on her, when she was young, her relationship with her father was perhaps the best. She was closest to her dad, whereas her relationship with her mom was perhaps not the best. Though, her relationship with her dad soured when he sent her away to boarding school. And Toni never managed to salvage her relationship with her parents, all because they were dead.
The Greek Gods were surprised at the achievements of the young Stark, especially Athena. It was not the first time that she had met Toni Stark, she had met her first when the young genius was only nineteen. Athena had even had a nice conversation with the young woman and was pleasantly surprised to find herself enjoying their talks. To think that the woman was Poseidon's spawn, shocked her to the core.
While Perseus was Poseidon's carbon copy, Antoinette Stark had a startling resemblance to the Sea God. To anyone who knew Poseidon, it was obvious that the girl was his daughter. But, no one seemed to connect the dots, it was as if something or more like someone was stopping them from recognising Toni as Poseidon's child
James Rhodes: As liaison to Stark Industries, I've had the unique privilege of serving with a real patriot. He is my friend and he is my great mentor. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honour to present this year's Apogee Award to Ms Toni Stark. Toni?
Obadiah Stane: Thank you, Colonel.
James Rhodes: Thanks for the save.
Obadiah Stane: This is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you all very much. This is wonderful. Well, I'm not Toni Stark. But if I were Toni, I would tell you how honoured I feel and what a joy it is to receive this very prestigious award. Toni, you know...The best thing about Toni is also the worst thing. She's always working.
Toni scowled a bit as Rhodey scoffed, "Toni would never."
Sam Wilson's brows crinkled as he turned to Rhodey. "Why she wouldn't be grateful?"
It was Pepper who spoke up. "She has awards that fill up rooms. Why would she need more, especially when someone else could get it."
"It's just a showpiece to me," Toni interrupted. "After a while, awards lose their meaning. I find them extremely wasteful, rather than giving it to me, give it to someone who would appreciate it."
[The scene shifts to a casino.]
Toni Stark: Work it! Come on! We should just stay till the morning.
Woman: You are unbelievable. [The woman's hands slowly caresses' Toni's shoulder, as the genius smirked seductively.]
"Well Apollo, looks like you really found your match," Aphrodite smirked as she eyed men and women equally surrounding Toni. It didn't take a genius to understand that the woman was enjoying the attention of both genders. The goddess of beauty's smirk widened into a shark-like smile as the Sun God turned and glared at her venomously, his blue eyes bleeding into gold.
"Aphrodite," The golden god hissed. "Shut up."
"Truth hurts, doesn't it," The goddess continued to grin. "We both know that's the truth. Toni Stark was quite a playgirl back in the day." As the intensity of the glare increased, the goddess tittered. "Oh, I do remember the summer of 2004, Toni does know what she is doing."
Both Hades and Apollo stiffened at the implications, they both knew that Aphrodite had an affair with a mortal named Toni Stark years ago, and to think that the woman was none other than their soulmate, made them furious. But, not at Toni, never at Toni but at the Fates for hiding their other half, and at Aphrodite for touching what's theirs.
"Apollo, Aphrodite enough," Hades gritted out. He swallowed dryly as he felt the curious gaze of his soulmate. The last thing he wants is to make a bad impression. After an intense glaring competition, Apollo sat down fuming.
Toni Stark: Oh, no! Did they rope you into this?
James Rhodes: Nobody roped me into anything!
Toni Stark: I'm so sorry.
James Rhodes: But they told me that if I presented you with an award, you'd be deeply honoured.
Toni Stark: Of course, I'd be deeply honoured. And it's you, that's great. So, when do we do it?
Percy couldn't help but snort at the sarcasm. He was grateful that he and his sis have the same sarcasm and sass, maybe they could have a sass battle in the future. Yup, that would be amazing.
James Rhodes: It's right here. Here you go.
Toni Stark: There it is. That was easy. I'm so sorry.
James Rhodes: Yeah, it's okay.
Toni Stark: Wow! Would you look at that? That's something else. I don't have any of those floating around. Uh, we're gonna let it ride! Give me a hand, will you? Give me a little something-something. [hot girl blows on dice] Okay, you, too. [Tony holds the dice out to Rhodes.]
James Rhodes: I don't blow on a woman's dice.
"So, you would blow on a man's dice?" Nico asked with a seemingly innocent head tilt. His intentions, on the other hand, were anything but innocent.
Toni pursed her lips as she looked away to avoid laughing at her honey bear, but when she heard him splutter-out excuses, she lost it as she dissolved into a hysterical laugh, unaware of the gazes of two specific gods.
"Wh- wha- kid, I don't blow on anyone's dice!" Rhodey spluttered as he shot the kid an incredulous look, a part of him was grateful for the kid making his best friend laugh. God- he paused glancing at the deities, before internally correcting himself. Gods only know how long it has been since he heard Toni laugh so freely.
Toni Stark: Come on, honey bear.
James Rhodes: I don't blow on a woman's dice. [Rhodes knocks Toni's hand away causing the dice to roll]
Toni Stark: There it is. Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes rolls! And...
Dealer: Two craps. Line away.
James Rhodes: That's what happens.
Toni Stark: Worse things have happened. I think we're gonna be fine. Colour me up, will ya?
[Toni, Rhodes, and Happy leaving the casino.]
James Rhodes: This is where I exit.
Toni Stark: All right.
James Rhodes: Tomorrow, don't be late.
Toni Stark: Yeah, you can count on it.
"That was a lie," Rhodey deadpanned glaring at Toni without any heat.
"Yes, it was," Toni replied carelessly.
"I could never count on you to arrive on time," Rhodey said dryly.
"Excuse me! I am never late, I am fashionably late," Toni said, "There's a difference between the two honey bear."
James Rhodes: I'm serious!
Toni Stark: I know, I know. [Handing over her award to Caesar.] Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's. There you go.
[Outside of the casino.]
Christine Everhart: Ms Stark! Excuse me, Ms Stark! Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions?
Happy Hogan: [whispering to Toni] She's cute.
Poseidon closed his eyes in mortification as he sunk down in his seat. He could hear the laughter of his wife Amphitrite when she hears that his daughter took after him. He could practically hear her saying that he deserved it. Why? He turned to the ceiling thinking about his life decisions. Why does his daughter have to take after him and his little brother? Why can't she be more like Hestia?
"She is indeed cute," Zeus hummed, wincing as he felt his wife's glare.
Toni turned to her uncle? and grinned. "She is, but too whiny for my tastes. I have her on my speed dial, I could set you up with her."
Zeus grinned a bit as he nodded. "Of course, I would love that."
"Great," Toni jumped in her seat. "I'll contact her after this shitshow is over. Maybe we can later compare notes, right?" Zeus happily nodded.
Percy meanwhile looked mortified as he glanced between his older sis and his dearest uncle Z. He can't imagine that the two get along together.
Toni Stark: She's all right? [Turns to face Christine.] Hi.
Christine Everhart: Hi.
Toni Stark: Yeah. Okay--
Christine Everhart: It's okay?
Toni Stark: Go.
Christine Everhart: You've been called the da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?
Toni Stark: Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint.
Christine Everhart: And what do you say to your other nickname? "The Merchant of Death"?
Toni Stark: That's not bad. Let me guess. Berkeley?
Christine Everhart: Brown, actually.
Toni Stark: Well, Ms Brown. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee you, the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals.
Christine Everhart: You rehearse that much?
Toni Stark: Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime.
Christine Everhart: I can see that.
Toni Stark: I'd like to show you first-hand.
Christine Everhart: All I want is a serious answer.
Toni Stark: Okay, here's serious. My old man had a philosophy, "Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."
Christine Everhart: That's a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks.
Toni Stark: My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero.
Christine Everhart: And many people would also call that war profiteering.
Toni Stark: Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs, military funding, honey.
Christine Everhart: You ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life?
"Sleep?" Pepper asked incredulously as she laughed sharply. "Toni doesn't do sleep."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Jason Grace asked.
"That woman," The strawberry blonde says pointing at a perturbed Toni. "Never sleeps. Rhodey and I have to most of the time have to drag her to bed. She goes without sleep for like seventy-two hours straight."
"What?" Apollo squawked as he turned his concerned gaze to the billionaire. "That is unhealthy."
Toni looked away from the intensity of the hot blondie's gaze and cleared her throat. "Man, I am fine. No need to worry, okay? I had plenty of sleep after that."
Apollo looked dubious at that, but internally he was ecstatic that he got to talk to his soulmate.
Toni Stark: Ah! Thinking about that, I do need some sleep, excuse me, darling.
[Toni smirks as the woman as she gets into the car.]
[The next day, the screen shows a white, expensive house on the edge of a cliff. The words 'Malibu, California' is displayed at the bottom of the screen.]
Everyone's jaw dropped at the house's image. Annabeth especially looked in awe at the house. She had never really gotten to see Toni Stark's house's pictures as the billionaire was really possessive about the house and secretive about her private life.
"This is where you live?" Percy asks in awe. He couldn't imagine living in such a big mansion, that overlooks the sea. He loves his apartment in Manhattan, but he would absolutely love to live near the sea all year long.
"Yup, that was baby, designed it myself," Toni said proudly as she gazed at her house wistfully.
"Was?" Poseidon echoed in question.
"Well, you see, it got, boom," Toni said awkwardly with a laugh.
Annabeth looked heartbroken that such a magnificent house was gone, it was truly a beautiful piece of architecture. "How- how did it happen?"
"Well," Pepper cut in, offering Toni a toothy smile as the billionaire winced at the look. "Toni had the brilliant idea to expose her house's address to the world."
Silence reigned for a moment before many voices called out. ''WHAT?!''
"Oh Chaos," Demeter sighed tiredly. "She's worse than Perseus."
Percy squawked in offence at the comment. "I am a saint, compared to Miss Stark."
It was now Toni's turn to squawk as she glared at the mini SpongeBob. "Kid, what is this?"
"Oh! Can we continue!" Leo snapped flushing as everyone focused on him. "I want to see, Miss Stark's amazing creations. Can we please get going?"
[The next day, Toni is seen working on a car in her workshop]
Tony Stark: Give me an exploded view.
JARVIS: The compression in cylinder three appears to be low.
Tony Stark: Log that.
Leo gasped as he fell on Piper who looked irritated and started to fan himself. "I cant believe that I am seeing The Toni Stark's lab."
Hephaestus looked impressed at the lab, he couldn't believe that Poseidon's spawn took interest in such things. Maybe he could have a chat with her later.
Pepper Potts: [Coming in on her phone.] I'm gonna try again, right now.
Toni Stark: Please don't turn down my music.
Pepper Potts: I'll keep you posted. [Getting off the phone.] You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now.
Toni Stark: Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?
Pepper Potts: Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.
Toni Stark: That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there.
"Must be nice," Percy muttered.
"What must be nice?" Annabeth asked.
"You know, like flying in a plane," The son of Poseidon said. "I can't because my uncle is a cunt who would blast me out of the sky for daring to ride a plane."
Pepper Potts: Toni, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door.
Toni Stark: I mean, doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?
Pepper Potts: Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no.
Tony Stark: Is it a good representation of his spring period?
Pepper Potts: Um, no. The Springs was actually the neighbourhood" in East Hampton where he lived and worked--
Toni Stark: So?
Pepper Potts: Not "spring" like the season. I think it's a fair example. Um.. I think it's incredibly overpriced.
Toni Stark: I need it. Buy it. Store it.
Scott couldn't help but snort at that. "Wow, have a lot of money to waste on overpriced products."
"I'm a billionaire Lang," Toni said blankly. "And it's my money, I can do whatever I want with it. And plus the business is getting fame if I am buying from it. I think it's a win-win situation."
Wanda scoffed at that but kept silent as Natasha turned to glare at her.
Pepper Potts: Okay. The MIT commencement speech...
Toni Stark: Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down...
Pepper Potts: Well, they're haranguing me, so I'm gonna say yes.
Toni Stark: Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me.
Pepper Potts: I need you to sign this before you get on the plane.
Toni Stark: What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans?
Pepper Potts: As a matter of fact, I do.
Toni Stark: I don't like it when you have plans.
Pepper Potts: I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday.
Toni Stark: It's your birthday?
"Aren't you a model employer," Wanda sneered at the billionaire who turned to glare at her.
"I do not need to defend myself from a woman who supported Nazis," Toni said sharply to the brunette who had not only allied herself with Hydra, but also messed with her brain, and Bruce's brain forcing him to turn to Hulk. For which she could never forgive the Sokovian.
"Toni she's a kid," Steve said sharply, only to wince under Toni's sharp glare.
"She is in her mid-twenties, Rogers" Toni said sharply. "She knew what she was doing when she willingly joined Hydra."
Pepper Potts: Yes.
Toni Stark: I knew that. Already?
Pepper Potts: Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year.
Toni Stark: Well, get yourself something nice from me.
Pepper Potts: I already did.
Toni Stark: And?
Pepper Potts: Oh, it was very nice.
Toni Stark: Yeah.
Pepper Potts: Very tasteful. Thank you, Ms Stark.
Toni Stark: You're welcome, Miss Potts... Okay.