[Third Person Pov]
After dinner was served and everyone had their fill, the conversation lingered at the table for a while longer, naturally drifting back to Eric's quirk and the misunderstanding they had all held about it before. The Carbonells didn't stay too long afterward, as they couldn't afford to be out late with work and school waiting for them the next morning.
"Thank you…" Leslie said quietly to Tony, taking advantage of a rare moment of privacy between them. Kane was busy saying his farewell to Maria, while Eric lingered a bit longer than expected, saying goodbye to Tony's Pokémon. The boy looked almost reluctant to leave them behind, his hesitation obvious even if he didn't voice it. It was perhaps the most emotion they had ever seen him openly display.
"Hm?" Tony looked over at his aunt, a bit confused by her tone.
"Although he might not show it, I understand my son very well…" Leslie began, her gaze shifting toward Eric for a moment before returning to Tony. "Eric has always been a bit self-conscious about his quirk. Compared to his cousins, he thinks it's mediocre at best. He's always been the type to work hard to improve himself, but lately that hasn't been going so well for him. That's the main reason he signed himself up for the summer program in the first place."
Her expression softened slightly as she continued, her voice carrying both gratitude and quiet relief. "So thank you for helping him see the truth of his quirk, and for showing him a path he can actually follow to improve."
"If you thank me like that even I'll get embarrassed…" Tony muttered, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You're welcome, I suppose."
Leslie couldn't help but smile at that. From what she had heard and seen, she had expected Tony to be far more arrogant, yet moments like this painted a very different picture of him.
"Now then," she said, her smile fading as her tone shifted, the atmosphere around her turning noticeably more serious, "let's talk business."
"Huh?" Tony blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change. "Business?"
"Yes, business." Leslie reached into her bag and pulled out her credit card, holding it up without hesitation. "Tell me how much you want for it. Name your price."
"Name my price for what?" Tony asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"That Baymax of yours. I know you're the one who created it. I actually attended the Expo during your demonstration, and I've wanted one ever since. Seeing it up close like this, and being personally attended by it, only makes me want one even more." Leslie's eyes carried a clear intensity, her interest no longer hidden behind politeness.
"Oh," Tony replied, clearly amused, on the verge of laughing. "Actually, I was planning to release it to the public soon anyway. I've just been finishing up some tweaks, things like additional customizations, and… well, I've been procrastinating a bit."
He paused, rubbing his chin as a thought began to take shape. "Actually, we might really have to talk business. How about this—I've been looking for a hero to help advertise the product when it launches. I'll give you one for free, plus five different chips of your choosing, if you agree."
"Wait, seriously?" Leslie blinked in surprise. "With your connections, you could get anyone. I mean literally anyone—even All Might—to promote it, and you're choosing me?"
Tony nodded without hesitation. "I was never planning on using S-Rank heroes to advertise Baymax. It wouldn't work for what I have in mind. S-Rank heroes are seen as something close to gods among people with how they're worshipped by the masses, and Baymax is supposed to be something that helps everyone. It's meant to be accessible, something even less fortunate families could realistically afford. You see what I'm getting at?"
He didn't need to elaborate much further. Leslie understood immediately. As an A-Rank hero, she knew exactly how public perception worked. If someone like All Might or Star were used in the promotion, then no matter how beloved they were, Baymax would come across as a luxury item rather than something practical and attainable.
And that was never Tony's intention. He had no interest in turning Baymax into a high-end product just to maximize profit. After all, that wasn't the purpose behind its original creation, and as an inventor himself, he had every intention of respecting that.
"Not to mention, from what I've researched, you're pretty well liked and seem to get along with people. You're a down-to-earth hero, which is perfect," Tony nodded, liking the idea more and more the longer he thought about it.
"Do you honestly even need me for this? You're pretty famous, like insanely famous. Wouldn't it be better if you were the one to advertise the product since it's your creation?" Leslie asked, still trying to process why he would pass up such an obvious option.
"Eh, probably," Tony shrugged. "But I'm too awesome and would probably run into the same problem as S-Rank heroes. Plus, I'm already going to be known as the creator. My name alone will be more than enough."
'And there it is,' Leslie chuckled, shaking her head lightly. "...So basically you want me to be the one to basically spread the word."
Tony looked at her plainly, his expression completely deadpan as he spoke in a monotone. "Yes. That's literally what advertisements are. They get the word around."
"…Right," Leslie replied, growing a bit embarrassed at how obvious that sounded when he put it like that.
Tony then smirked slightly. "So what do you say, 'Lady Armstrong'?" he asked, deliberately using her hero alias this time. "Can I count you in for this product? Oh, and I forgot to mention, apart from the free product, you'll also be monetarily compensated."
"I would honestly be a fool to decline…" Leslie admitted, though her expression turned more thoughtful. "But this is too big for me to just accept on the spot. I'd need to discuss this with everyone back at my agency. We're not really the type to do advertisements, and it could make us seem a bit… superficial."
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a card, holding it out toward him. "This is my agency's number. We can discuss everything officially through there."
Tony nodded as he took the card from her. He gave it a quick glance, noting the symbol printed on it—an arm flexing, surrounded by a golden glow. A small smile formed on his face as he looked back up at her. "You don't have to worry about your image being affected if you decide to go through with it. We can just let people know you're my aunt and that I asked you as a favor."
"That could actually work really well," Leslie said, her eyes widening slightly as she realized how easily that connection could shift public perception in their favor.
"Are you two nearly done?" Kane finally cut in, his stiff grin making it clear he had been waiting for a while. He glanced between them before continuing, "We were supposed to leave over twenty minutes ago, and I don't know how many more times I can say goodbye to Maria. I know this is important, but it's getting late."
"Oops, you're right," Leslie said, quickly checking the time. "You've got my card, and you know where to reach me. We'll continue this conversation later."
Tony held the card between his fingers, giving a small, easy smile. "Don't worry, aunty. I'll make sure to get in contact with you."
Leslie smiled at that, clearly pleased by being addressed as 'aunty, and gave a small nod in response.
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