"We received an official statement last night regarding the Stark Industries explosion. Unconfirmed reports claim that a Robot Prototype malfunctioned and damaged the Arc Reactor. Fortunately, one of Tony Stark's personal bodyguards stepped in..."
The television was broadcasting the official account of last night's incident. Meanwhile, Tony Stark, the man at the center of it all, sat with one leg crossed over the other, reading a newspaper with great interest. The front page featured a photo of Tony the moment he had appeared on the street.
"Iron Man. That's what they're calling me. I have to say, it's a pretty cool name. I like it," Tony said with satisfaction.
At that moment, Coulson walked over and handed Tony a slip of paper. "This is your alibi. You were on Avalon Island at the time. Not only do we have customs documents to prove it, but we also have testimony from more than fifty witnesses."
"Fifty people? I thought it was supposed to be just Pepper and me, alone together. That would've been more my style." Tony took the note and studied it for a while.
"By the way, why doesn't this mention Obadiah?"
"We've already taken care of that. He was on a private jet headed to a small island for vacation at the time, and as you know, private planes have a rather high chance of accidents," Coulson explained with a smile.
"Relax, we're professionals. Just read what's on the paper and stick to the official statement. Before long, this won't have anything to do with you. All you need to do now is familiarize yourself with your lines before you go on the news."
After Coulson finished speaking, the door beside them opened. At the security chief's signal, Tony walked into the Media Hall.
Looking at the gathered