He did not want to be tied down to an office, did not want to deal with boring meetings and paperwork every day, and did not want to become a serious, rigid, and boring businessman.
But last night changed everything.
If he had all the resources of Stark Industries, he could do more.
He could build his own security team to protect his parents' safety.
He could mobilize the company's R&D power to develop technology to counter threats.
He could use the global influence of Stark Industries to investigate the traces of HYDRA.
Most importantly, he could let his father lay down his heavy burden.
Howard was already over seventy years old. After experiencing something like what happened last night, he needed rest and needed to spend his later years in peace, rather than continuing to walk on the edge of danger.
Tony turned and left the study, walking down the stairs.
In the living room, Howard was already up, sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in his hand, but his eyes were empty; clearly, his mind was not there.
Maria was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, her movements somewhat slow; although the injury on her left arm had been stabilized by Mavuika, it still hurt.
"Dad." Tony walked into the living room, his voice much more serious than usual.
Howard looked up, somewhat surprised; Tony rarely spoke to him in this tone.
"What's wrong?" Howard asked, trying to make his voice sound lighter: "Are you that free now? The young master of Stark Industries doing nothing all day?"
If it were normal times, Tony would immediately retort, using those sharp but humorous words to counter, but today he did not.
Tony walked over to the sofa opposite Howard and sat down, leaning forward, his hands clasped on his knees.
His expression was one of seriousness that Howard had never seen before.
"Old man." Tony said, his voice steady: "I've decided."
Howard looked at him, waiting for what was to come.
"Hand Stark Industries over to me."
This sentence echoed in the quiet living room, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, the ripples it stirred up were far greater than they appeared.
Howard froze, his hand holding the coffee cup stopping in mid-air, his eyes widening slightly, and the expression on his face mixed with surprise, suspicion, and a trace of imperceptible hope.
He knew his son too well; Tony had amazing Talents, extraordinary spatial imagination, and an instinctive understanding of mechanical and electronic principles.
Howard had always believed that if Tony was willing, he could take Stark Industries to unprecedented heights.
But Tony had always resisted; he would rather tinker with those "toys" in his own workshop than participate in the actual management of the company.
He only attended board meetings because it was an obligation; he was always careless when signing documents, and he didn't care at all about the company's future plans.
Howard had been disappointed and had quarreled over this, but in the end, he could only accept it; perhaps Tony would never become the heir he expected, and perhaps the future of Stark Industries needed to find another way.
But now, Tony had suddenly said such things.
"What did you say?" Howard's voice was somewhat dry.
Tony took a deep breath and repeated it, every word clear and forceful: "I said, hand Stark Industries over to me, officially and completely; you retire, and I take over."
He had been thinking from last night until this morning; the fact that Howard was assassinated had deeply stimulated him.
Tony suddenly realized that the nature of his parents' work kept them in constant danger, not just the direct attacks like last night, but also the day-to-day pressure, conspiracies, and calculations.
And he had always been completely unaware of this, immersed in self-righteous pleasure.
If it hadn't been for Mavuika last night, if that sun goddess hadn't arrived in time, Tony dared not think about what the consequences would have been.
His parents might have died, died on a remote road, died at the hands of a former friend, and he would only have learned the news after the fact, powerless.
So he felt he had to do something; he could no longer be a bystander, could no longer push all the responsibility onto his father, and could no longer pretend that this World was very safe and very beautiful.
He wanted to protect his family, and to do that, he needed power, resources, and control.
Stark Industries was the best tool.
Howard put down the coffee cup, and a slight "click" sound was made when the bottom of the cup touched the coffee table.
He leaned back against the sofa, carefully observing his son.
Tony's expression was firm, and there was no frivolity or cynicism in his eyes as in the past, only a kind of determination he had never seen before.
"Why?" Howard asked, not questioning, but wanting to confirm: "Why make this decision suddenly? Because of what happened last night?"
"Yes." Tony admitted frankly: "But not just last night."
He paused, organizing his words: "I have been avoiding responsibility; I used my Talents to play some little tricks, designing some flashy but impractical things, and then told myself it was cool, but last night... last night made me see the reality."
Tony's voice lowered: "The reality is that you and Mom have been working in danger, and what have I been doing? Partying, chasing girls, and pushing the company's business onto you and Obadiah."
He looked up, his gaze fixed on Howard: "I don't want to be like this anymore; I want to protect you, and to do that, I need Stark Industries, not as a young master, not as a nominal director, but as the true controller."
The living room fell into silence again; Maria walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with three glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice on it.
She had heard the conversation between the father and son, and a complex expression appeared on her face, with care, worry, and pride.
"Tony." Maria said softly: "Managing a large company like Stark Industries is not an easy thing; it means countless meetings, negotiations, and decisions; it means you have to be responsible for thousands of employees; it means you have to face the scrutiny of the public and the media..."
"I know, Mom." Tony interrupted her, his voice gentle but firm: "I know what that means, and I also know I am ready, or rather, I am willing to be ready."
He looked at Howard: "You taught me everything; from the time I was a child, you taught me physical, math, and engineering; you took me to the factory, told me the history of the company, and told me the stories behind every product; I might not have listened carefully, but I remembered it all."
The corners of Tony's mouth curled into a wry smile: "I have always refused, not because I couldn't do it, but because I didn't want to become the person you expected; I wanted to walk my own path, wanted to prove that I didn't need to live according to your plans."
"But now I understand." He continued, his voice even firmer: "My path and your path don't have to be separate; I can take over the company, but I can manage it in my own way; I can inherit Stark Industries, but I want to take it in a new direction."