Tony’s disappearance weighted heavily on Luke. It seemed as if everything was falling apart bit by bit. Pepper was losing it, Stark Industries, despite being run by Obadiah until Tony’s return, was falling apart as well, investors left and right losing interest in investing in the company and its progress. Luke found himself sitting with Pepper more and more, both of them trying to figure out what to do and how to do it, but she was only the assistant and he was the boyfriend - neither of them had any authority really.
It wasn’t until Pepper called him one afternoon, asking him to come to Stark Industries HQ, stating how Tony’s son stepped up to take over the company for a while until they’d have Tony back. Luke assumed it was Nick, whom Tony told him about on a few occasions. ‘It was so ironic really’, he thought as he drove into the Stark HQs parking lot, how he got to meet his hopefully future son under such circumstances.
Pepper met him at the entrance, leading him inside and into one of the meeting rooms, where Nick was supposedly already waiting. Luke didn’t really know why he was needed, but he was willing to help and do whatever it took to possibly help get Tony back. As he stepped inside, he immediately noticed the striking similarity between his boyfriend and his son.
“I’m Luke,” he said softly. “You must be Nick.”