A/N: Well, this is it! The last moment. Forgive the change in story line, but this was the only way I could work this in and I've been really looking forward to this one.

Tony was watching his back. Loki was back in the picture, wreaking havoc and S.H.I.E.L.D had yet to catch him. Worse yet, Raindeer Games had cast some type of witchy ghost spell. Everyone had been hit with the ghost of someone that seriously fucked them up mentally except for Tony - so he was just a little tense.

"You've made quite the name for yourself, Anothony."

Jumping and dropping his decanter, Tony whips around and comes face to face with his deceased father.

"Holy shit." Sure, he had beleived the horror stories of Bruce's dad returning and Steve's ghosts. He had just sorely hoped that by some streak of luck, he'd be left out of the throng. And even if he was haunted, maybe it would be Yinsin or his long gone mother but no. Fucking no. There stood Howard Stark, semi-alive and breathing.

Howard's eyes were flat and his skin was a sickly gray. "I don't encourage that type of language, Anthony."

Trying to recover his calm exterior, Tony set a shaky smirk in place and replied; "Last time I checked you forefeit your ability to tell me anything when you kicked the proverbial bucket."

Howard cocked his head to the side and stared vacantly. "And I thought I taught you while I was still alive that women were something to be treasured. You act like a whore. And appareantly, you disbanded the weapons manufacturing of the company I put so much effort into? And where has Obi gone off to?"

Every word Howard said sent a blow to Tony's already unstable psyche. His brain was kicking into overdrive with possible retorts.

Like;

You're the one who left the company to me, Pops. Don't complain how I run it now.

Your little friend tried to do me in. It hurt. I really thought we had that special connection.

I'm not a whore, I'm a playboy. Big difference. At least whores get paid.

Or, completely ignoring the situation. Knowing Tony that was the only answer all along.

"Well, you certainly look pretty spry for a dead person. Drink?"

Howard sneered, disgusted. "You know, I've seen Steve. He's turned into a very respectable man. Why don't you try taking a page out of his book?"

Tony flinched. Here we go again about Captain fucking Spangles. Part of Tony was hoping all along it would be his father, maybe they'd have a heart to heart, Howard would confess his undying love for his son and 'My Heart Will Go On' would play in the background.

Trying to look easy going, Tony poured himself another glass and continued the conversation. "Can I ask you something, Howard?"
"Don't speak to your father that way, Anthony-"

Tony's head snapped up as he interrupted the older man. "Shut the fuck up."

The startled look on Howard's face was enough to push Tony to keep going.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Well, I'm-"
"Rhetorical question, old man. And stop with the sneering, you'll get wrinkles. What I meant to say is; are you just pissed at me because mom loved me more than she loved you?"

Howard said nothing.

"Because you know, bitterness is a sign of aging. She only ever liked me more because you were a Douchebag with enough money in your pocket to get away with it. You wanna know why I disbanded the weapons? It was because I was starting to act like you."

Tony's glass crashed to the floor with an audible shattering when he rounded on his father. "Everyone has this image of you; this god-like image that you were an amazing man who did amazing things but they didn't know you at home. The non-public persona you. If they did, they'd hate you just as much as I do."

"Anthony, I-"

"No, damnit! You're going to listen to me now. You're the reason I am a supposed 'whore'. Because I went around trying to find a filter for the love I never recieved from my perfect fucking father."

There was more. There was so much more hate that Tony wanted to spew at the man in front of him because he just couldn't. For one reason only; Tony was better than Howard.

So they stood there, staring at each other until Howard's form became shady until flicking out of existence completely.

"Greatest creation my iron ass."