Interlude
Harmony, PA- 3 Months Later
Jim Kenny had expected being the mayor of a small town to be, well, easy.
And then, he gets people complaining about a couple of lawyers and inspectors at the mine. With a town centered around the mines, having so many people in suits looking around makes everyone nervous. Kenny wasn’t too concerned since the mine is owned by three of the oldest families in town and they had no desire to sell any time soon.
He doesn’t think anything of it until he has no choice but to think everything about it.
The lawyers and inspectors leave except for one. A one Miss Jane Forester, sits in his office and introduces herself as an employee of Stark Industries and her only reason for being in his office is a thick fifty page contract. Now, normally Kenny wouldn’t even think about humoring an outsider about anything dealing with the mine.
Except, Stark Industries is a huge company and its name would no doubt bring in more tourist and revenue for the town. So he agrees to look over the proposal with Ben Foley, a retired lawyer for the mine. His family also is one of the Big Three and Kenny knows if he says no to anything then the others are likely to follow.
Neither of them ever expected what they were offered.
”Sweet Jesus.” Kenny nods his head, his own copy in his hands.
”You on page twenty three?” He ask, trying to for nonchalance.
”You can stop being a smug little shit any time Jim.” The old man grumbles. “Page twenty seven. They’re offering to compensate all miners for two years of unemployment.”
”So long as they go to the seminars and participate in at least two job training programs.”
To say that Kenny loves this contract would be to say the sky is blue. He fucking adores this contract. He wants to frame and put it on his wall. But only after its been singed and sealed.
”You have any idea what this could do for us?”
“It’s all I’ve been thinking about Ben.” Jim put his copy down on the table and pours himself a cup of coffee. Since he’s technically on duty, he can't touch his liquor cabinet. “There’s a list on the next page about the types of training available. There’s a whole slew of things, Ben. Security, accounting, Shit, there's a bunch of business things, too.”
Ben looks up from the contract and slips his glasses off his face, expression taking on slight disbelief.
”You think this is a good thing.” He tilts his head one way. “You want to sign the contract.”
”Hell yes, I do.” Jim stares the old man down. “They’re even offering college incentives, Ben. That’s a hundred thousand dollars miners don’t have to worry about for their kids. And I know that’s where you were gonna go with this. All the kids get a full ride to whatever college they want.”
“And what do have to do, Jim? Shell out tourist trinkets with the Stark logo?”
”Don’t play stupid. You read the first page, Ben.” Jim usually gives way to Ben’s experience but not with this. “Stark wants to build a reactor here, clean energy and all that. There’s a possibility of a factory for manufacturing so long as nothing goes wrong with converting to reactor power. But, Ben, you have to be realistic. This is one hell of a deal we’re getting.”
“It’s too good to be true!” He snaps and Jim feels his own temper flare.
”It’s not and you know it! In fact, its really fucking simple. We let Stark build his reactor and convert everything over to that for his little energy experiment. All the miners get a incentive to find other work, they get compensated for two years of unemployment, everyone’s kids get a full ride to whatever college they want and I do mean that literally Ben. The contract is really fucking clear about that and all we have to do is keep trespassers away from the reactor. Which, given its going to be powering our town, I don’t think anyone is going to complain about.”
Ben is quiet but Jim knows the old man is being worn down. “And that’s it? There’s no catch?”
”Nothing I can’t see us doing anyway.” Jim turns the pages of the contract and turns it for Ben to read himself. “We have to make a few more incentives to get more officers on the force to help keep the reactor safe from trespassers and they want the surrounding forest to be cleaned up for tourists.”
”To bring in more revenue.”
”So we have the funds to pay for the additional officers among other things, yes. They’re offering training and education to help us get that done too, so we can be ready when the reactor is up and running.”
Ben is quiet for a long time, just staring at the contract in front of him. He breathes deeply and shakes his head. To Jim, he really looks his age now, all sixty nine years of them. Ben has always been a part of the mine, a part of its history. But times change and if they wait too long, they’re going to be left out in the cold. Tony Stark is looking to provide clean energy and Jim doesn’t want to wait until countries are paying top dollar to get their name on the waiting list.
“Why now?” Ben finally asks.
”After everything he’s been through, do you really have to ask that?” Jim doesn’t take satisfaction in Ben’s shame as the other man looks away. “Why not now?”
Ben sighs again. He runs his hands over his face. “This scares the hell out of me.”
”I know, Ben.” Jim smiles sadly.
The mine has kept this town going for a long time. Long enough for generations to grow up and learn to appreciate it, to learn to live within it. This community is tied together by the struggles of neighbors and aspirations of A Better Tomorrow. Everyone depends on the mine to put food on the table and keep the lights on.
Except that will all change and since the deal is coming from Tony Stark, Jim is hoping for the better. That’s all he has to go on besides the red flags waving at how ‘too good’ it all is like Ben. Hope. Plain and simple.
”But I’d rather gamble it all on this, right here, right now.” Jim places his hand on the contract. “Than see Harmony turn into a ghost town because Stark decided to start somewhere else.”
The office is quiet for a long while. Jim doesn’t say anything else. He’s already said all he needed. He just waits for Ben to make his choice. The old man sighs again and whispers so quietly Jim almost misses his response.
”Okay.”
Jim opens his cabinet and pours Ben a glass.
”Okay.”
“Sir, Ms. Forester reports the Harmony contract has been signed. Construction is projected to begin in three weeks.”
Tony puts his screwdriver down and leans back into his seat. “Thanks, J. Tell Pep to give Jane a bonus.” Tony had been waiting for the mayor to sign that contract for over a week.
When Rikki had told him that his company barely got a mention he couldn’t help the swirling mix of fury and regret. The company has always been a point of contention for him. It is both his pleasure and an annoyance to build it up but it belongs to Tony now. It deserves better than a footnote in history, in a story.
”Done, Sir.” JARVIS takes this time to remind his creator of a rather prominent meeting later today. “Your appointment with Dr. Keyworth is tonight at 6:30 pm.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll be there.”
The genius had agreed to the therapist, one vetted to the moon and back. He knows its good for him after his kidnapping and Stane’s betrayal. However, it also serves the purpose of protecting him from additional manipulation. Tony might be a genius but he’s also human and he can’t be on guard all the time.
That’s what Dr. Keyworth is for, to buffer him against SHIELD’s mind games. He had too much to prepare for to be bogged down by a bunch of spies trying to get free stuff. Speaking of...
”How’s this round of potentials?”
”Dismal.” JARVIS deadpans and its enough to have Tony snort and grin, amused. “More of the usual. I’d recommend carrier pigeons at this point, Sir.”
”Put ‘em on the list.” He laughs and he knows he can expect a phone call from Pepper about that but he honestly does not give a damn.
He’s tempted to give her the real reason why but he’s holding off. Tony needs at least a year before bringing Pepper in and not because he doesn’t trust her. But she needs to have plausible deniability if they try to scoop her out and Tony wants to see the assholes they send her way to do it. JARVIS monitors everyone who comes into contact with his former PA and all the people she hires.
Pepper’s promotion had gone smoothly but there was a still a slight complication. She needed PAs of her own and he couldn’t risk Pepper not getting the best and cleanest choice. So he let her “borrow” JARVIS to do screenings and for that he made sure she knew everything she needed to know. The SHIELD agents may not come up as being from SHIELD but the AI always flagged them as having a...questionable background, not suitable for someone in Pepper’s position to have.
These flags always reached both Tony and the HR department. Where the person is blacklisted from all Stark Industries properties and branches.
Tony would have felt a little bad about it if there weren’t enough spies in his company as it is. Now that he needs a new PA, it’s like the entire organization is pulling a lottery to get into his pants. He needed a new PA, he knew this and he wasn’t trying to get out of it even if the position is a temp. (Not that anyone else knows that.)
But still, the search isn’t going so hot for a number of reasons. One being how SHIELD has clearly monopolized the applicants. Since JARVIS screens all applicants, it turns out that two out of three turn out to be SHIELD agents with the one being someone inexperienced and ill suited for the position to make the other two look better. Now that he knows what to look for, he’s annoyed at how...prominent they are.
Literally, they are fucking everywhere.
He had JARVIS fire over half of the traitorous spies in his company in a show of spite. Yeah and they still have the nerve to keep pissing him off. Every time they add a new face to the pool he swears his blood pressure shoots through the roof.
“Alright, you know what, we need a new strategy.”
If he has to play another round with wack-a-spy he might be tempted to just burn the entire network. See how they like it being pushed out into the open because they couldn’t stop being greedy.
“Work study?” Tony doesn’t jump at Rikki’s voice in his workshop. He turns his chair to look at his girlfriend, just taking her in. She comes in barefoot, wearing pajama shorts and one of Tony’s shirts with her hair down. “You guys do have that right?”
”Yeah but Stark Industries isn’t a school.”
”Doesn’t mean the idea isn’t bad, is it?”
She saunters her way over to him. Well, not really but she has a natural sway to her hips that makes her walk look like a saunter and it is sexy as hell. Rikki takes a seat on his lap and Tony is quick to support her, making sure she doesn’t fall back.
”Having a twenty something graduate trying to keep my schedule straight over a fully qualified and experienced personal assistant?” Both of his eyebrows rise near to his hairline.
”Compared to the potentials that aren’t potentials floating across your screen?” She waves her hand at the images on his holo-screens.
”Well,” Tony looks over the same pictures. “Yeah, you’re not wrong...”
He runs a hand over one side of his face. Hiring grad students? They’d have no experience, no understanding of basic business protocols. Who’s to say one of them might not try to steal company secrets for a quick buck?
“You could stick to grads with degrees in business. I mean, they’d be pretty determined to prove their loyalty for a job, right? Job security is a issue with all students isn’t it?”
”That’s...right.”
He’s getting where she’s coming from. A grad student with an assistantship or internship would work their ass off to prove they were worth a more permanent job with Stark Industries. They’d be more loyal to the company and the owner of said company that gave them the job to help pay their student loans and job security. With a few incentives and buffers to keep them from being exploited, he’d have an entire generation in his pocket and quick to shut down any outside influences...if he played it right...
And a blank slate is easier to work with than a stained glass window.
”I’m guessing you’ve got something going on in that big brain of yours.” The blonde grins at him, not even needing to hear him say anything and already knowing how far ahead he’s thinking.
”Yeah.” Tony pulls her into passionate kiss. “You’re a genius.”
”Of course.” Rikki moves off his lap and he groans in protest. “It’s lunch time, genius, you can’t live off of coffee and chips.”
”Never took you for a professional chef, sweetheart.” Tony teases and stands behind her, kissing her shoulder before freezing. “I didn’t forget anything did I?”
“No, doofus.” She smacks his arm. “I’m trying to be nice and make sure my genius doesn’t starve and you’re being a jerk. See if I cook you anything ever again.”
”Well, in that case, I’d cook you something.” Tony laughs. “You likes eggs? I can make an omelette. Maybe.”
“Please don’t.” Rikki grins and shakes her head. “Not sure your confidence will survive the blow.”
Tony gasps, placing one hand over his arc reactor. “The hurt! Rikki, why?!”
”Because you know you can’t cook.”
She turns away from her genius but not quick enough for him to miss her teasing grin. She moves a couple of the screens quickly before settling on one.
”Is this the Stark Expo?”
”Yup.” He widened the holo screen to show her layout of the expo. “Plans are coming along just fine, too.”
”And this is when you’ll announce Pepper as the new CEO? Does she know that?”
”She will when she signs the paper. But that’s not for another year.” He changes the screen again to pull up the schematics for the new element he found in his father’s work, just like she said.
”Recognize this?”
”That looks an awful lot like the light show for a certain element.” She trials off and turns her blue eyes onto him, expectant.
”It is.”
”And the reason it’s not in your chest right now is because...?”
”I’m getting it patented and having it synthesized once all the parts I need come in.” He remembers what she said about how he made it, practically cannibalizing his own house to rig up a particle accelerator. “I’m taking my time. Really pushing SHIELD to try and show their face. I’ve got most of the parts already-”
”-You don’t want them to know you have the cure.” Rikki cuts him off, picking up what he’s really saying.
”Yeah, I’d like to keep that ace up my sleeve.” He gives his girlfriend a lazy grin. Whoever thinks Rikki is just a stupid blonde are the really fucking blind. “It helps the parts are being made and sent to me directly from one of my own factories.”
”They can’t trace anything you order if you’re having it made by you and sent to yourself.”
”Yup.” Tony opens the screen where a copy of the Harmony contract is shown. “They’re biggest target is going to be the arc reactor I’m building anyway.”
”You did say you were going into clean energy.”
”And these guys are getting for free.”
”Oh, I bet Fury is just steaming in his lair.”
“Speaking of,” Tony leans back, away from his tech and pulls Rikki close to him, wraps his arms around her waist, “he really as bad as you say?”
”Fury?” Rikki raises an eyebrow but looks thoughtful as he nods at her. “At one point I believed he really meant to protect the people. But at some point, I think that idea morphed into something...wrong. He still believed in protecting the world but it had to be on his terms, his way and no one else’s. Because no one else knew better than he did.”
”Not even the “Great” Captain America?” There’s no way to cover up his bitterness at the thought of the man his father always compared him to.
”No. If anything...” She trails off, unsure. But its the kind he knows. It’s less should-I-tell and more how-do-I-use-my-words. “If anything he made it worse. I can’t put it into words. Sort of like, Rogers enabled him and empowered him. Gave Fury the idea that he could be better at being a “good” guy if he did everything he was already doing but doing it Roger’s way. If that makes any sense.”
”Maaaayybe.”
Rikki rolls her eyes and pushes him back in his chair so she can climb into his lap again. “It’ll be easier once you talk with Fury again. You have experience with people trying to push themselves onto you, just treat him like he’s one of those guys.”
”As fun as that would be, I think I’d rather think of all the ways I can treat you.”
”Oh, yeah?” She leans in, closing the gap between them and pressing a soft, soft, kiss to his lips. God damn, how did he get so lucky?
”Uh huh, yeah.”
He goes to move her so she’s straddling him only for Rikki to slip away from him. He whines and makes grabby hands at her. “Come back.”
”Come eat.”
Rikki crooks her index finger at him as she walks away and he gets up to follow.
”You can treat me after.”
He follows faster.
The next day he brings FRIDAY online.
With how busy he’s soon going to be, he’s going to need an extra pair of hands. His plans for the Stark Expo are still going strong but there are a couple regulations and procedures they have to go through to get clearance to have the Expo. He keeps the original location in Queens, New York because why mess with a good thing?
Of course, things will change. He plans on it but right now he needs the original script because it does have its advantages.
This is where FRIDAY comes in. JARVIS can’t juggle everything, that would take too much of a risk of something falling through the cracks. She’s her brother’s best kind of back up, helping keep an eye on certain people (enemies) on his shit list and make sure SHIELD spies don’t try to run off with any of his tech.
Tony’s biggest concerns are Vanko, Killian, Agents of Hydra in the government like that Senator and that orange pomp from SHIELD. All of them are here on earth and within reach of his babies’ digital eyes.
He’ll deal with the aliens when they make landfall. (He still cannot believe he’s making plans for a fucking alien invasion but he’s dating a mermaid so there ya go!)
In the mean time, he continues to use the armor, building up Iron Man’s reputation and gaining capital. He has every intention of nailing that Hydra Senator to the wall.
Tony hates it when people try and take his stuff.
The following week he builds the particle accelerator and creates Starkanium, a new element. (Or rediscovering an old one if you wanted to be technical.) Tony doesn’t waste any time switching the power cores to keep himself from suffering palladium poisoning. It feels like a weight has been lift from his shoulders.
And it taste like coconuts.
”Alright kiddos,” Tony claps his hands together, excited and giddy and every other word that means happy. “Let’s change the world.”
”What first on the agenda, Boss?”
”Let’s see if we can’t use Starkanium to make a suit.” He opens schematics dubbed ‘The Iron Legion’ and throws it up next to ‘War Machine’ and ‘Mark 12’ in the middle of the workshop. “We’re going to put some distance between us and the rest of the world. Maybe give Wakanda a run for it’s Vibranium if we can get the governors of New York and California to follow the Harmony mayor’s example.”
”That would make Mr. Ganelli incredibly happy, Sir.”
”Than we better get on it.”
Tony makes a modified suit to swim with Rikki. Specifically, just to swim with his girlfriend. It’s smoother and quieter than anything else he’s ever made.
The design is slimmer, closer to a wetsuit type build and made possible with his new patented element, with stabilizers on his shoulder blades and calves. His visor isn’t made like the rest of his suit, having chosen to use a clear hardened Starkanium glass, letting him see out and still interface like one of his holo-screens. It is both photochromic and functions using a one way screen. It was made to be aerodynamic underwater with the stabilizers made similar to a dolphin’s dorsal fin and he couldn’t have planned the benefits better if he tried.
There are a bunch of little fish sticking themselves to his chest piece, just swimming along with him and he’s pretty sure his girlfriend is quietly laughing at him. Not that he can blame her. (They’re tiny colorful things and they do look cute cuddling up to his suit).
The extra quiet also gives him ideas. So many ideas. How hard would it be to make commercial naval engines? Make them quieter. He could do that. He could completely remove the use of diesel fuel, couldn’t he? Yes, yes he could. Putting it up for fishermen would be a little trickier but if he made it both cheap and hard to steal then it should be fine.
Maybe not give away a bunch of arc reactors but something smaller. A rechargeable battery compatible with the arc reactor? With a flick of his eyes, he pulls up a screen and makes a bunch of notes about it. He wouldn’t be able to tell for sure what would and would not work without playing around in the lab. But if he managed to pull it off?
Oh, that would make Rikki’s decade.
She’d never say anything about it but he knows that ocean conservation is a massive concern for her. And considering her circumstances, he can’t fault her for it. The down side is that he can’t just throw money at the issue like he normally does. That would take far too long and Tony isn’t known for being too patient.
Something like this? This would eat away at him if he left it up to someone else. Especially if he knows he can do a better job and his girlfriend will actually be alive to see it happen. So, yeah, he was going to do it.
She’s worth it.
His sensors flash again, bringing his attention back to the woman at his side. Rikki glides through the water, smooth as a dream. Like she’s spent her whole life riding the changing tides and coming out the other side wiser for having gone the distance. His sensors keep flashing, letting him know she’s brushing against his side with her tail, caressing him.
Rikki holds out a hand for him. He takes it without hesitation, a reminder that she is here, she is real.
Yes, she’s worth every second of it.
“Good afternoon, Tony.”
Dr. Stanley Keyworth greet him with his usual air of calm and nonchalance. As if he wasn’t hired to dig into the brain of a billionaire who goes flying around in a suit of armor.
”What’s up doc?”
”I enjoyed a lovely steak for lunch. What about you?”
Tony made a room specifically for his therapy sessions. It was a nice room, had it’s own balcony with a seating area. The couches are comfy because if he has to sit for along time talking about his shit, he’s going to do it while he’s comfortable. Keyworth even recommended Tony show up in fuzzy socks once.
Which Tony has done to see if the doctor was serious and the guy didn’t even bat an eyelid. After nearly a year of having the guy around though, he’s familiar with this back and forth, this routine. Some days are bad. Really bad. Days he doesn’t want to talk or listen or make any kind of sense of anything.
And yet, Keyworth just let’s him unload. Let’s him make sense of order in chaos and vice versa. It’s not prefect but its close enough to make the burdens he carried seem...less. Just less terrible than they were. Made a cave in the hot desert and cold night less the terrible nightmare and more an obstacle he’s overcome.
It’s not perfect. But it helps.
”I had a good day.”
It lets him say that with confidence and mean it.
“I got to say Mr. Stark, I never thought I’d ever be speaking with you.”
Tony grins and shakes the other man’s hand. “It’s Tony, Mr. Stark was my father.”
”I’ll keep that in mind, Dr. Stark.”
The other man throws a smirk his way and Tony can’t help but like him a little. Cheeky bastard. Then again, Tony shouldn’t be surprised. Bruno Ganelli is older than him any about half a decade and he’s been around DC for a while and he’s used to dealing with politicians who think they know everything. He’d be more worried if the man didn’t have a spine of titanium to deal with the blender bag of personalities in this countries capital.
”I’ll take it.” Tony huffs.
”Why am I here?”
Tony doesn’t play his usual games or his usual puff and pomp. He takes a black box from his pocket and puts it down on the table between them, from the center a light turns on. A simple projection unfolds between them with everything Tony wants.
Bruno leans forward in his seat. His eyebrows start to climb as he comprehends exactly what he’s looking at.
”Either I’m going blind...”
”You’re not.” Now, it was Tony’s turn to smirk.
”So it really does say-“
”-There’s a reason I called you all the way from your place in DC and it wasn’t to sip tea and eat cookies.”
Bruno leans back into his seat and gives Tony a long look. He taps the table lightly with his fingers, playing a song only he can hear but not really making any noise.
”I had hear you put a reactor in Harmony. Clean energy?”
”Mmhmp.” Tony grins, eyes half lid in satisfaction. “Can power the entire town for decades, centuries, even.”
”And this, here,” Bruno gestures to what’s on the projection, “this would make oil companies obsolete. Completely take them out of the game. You’d be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize if you can pull it off.”
”Yup.” Tony pops his ‘p’.
”And is this supposed to be a joke?” He gestures to a specific line and his frown deepens. “You want to go to Mars.”
”My girlfriend dared me.” Tony clicks his tongue. “I’m pretty sure we were both sleep deprived from a space movie marathon but...I accepted her challenge.”
”According to this, you can pull it off, with your reactors and the factories building parts for them. I imagine you don’t plan on settle for just visiting the big red planet, do you.”
The question is entirely rhetorical and Tony doesn’t bother to actually answer it besides humming a little tune to go along with his grin.
”You crazy son of a bitch.” Bruno’s grim disbelief slowly starts to turn into something else, something like glee. Tony can work with that. “I can actually see you pulling this off. I’m guessing you’re aiming for the election year?”
”Got it in one. This has to be discreet for a little while.” Tony presses. He can’t have this getting out too soon. “So if you want the job, you can’t mention my name until next year at the earliest.”
”Absolutely not.” Bruno shakes his head. “The earliest anyone should hear about you is February 2011 and no sooner than that. You’d have everyone and their mother scrambling to figure you out.”
”So, we have a deal?”
Bruno takes Tony’s hand in a firm shake.
”We have a deal.”