prompt for July 2nd - from The Perfect Peacetime Weapon (Iron Man/Real Genius)
There are a couple bits of this (one of which links to the original idea) on this comm, just before this month's hijinks started up. Might be good to dig them up first, just for context's sake.
Prompt for July 02:
These are the frequently asked questions.
Rhodey finally hears about the grand plan after Tony gets his third call-back. (From Mitch Taylor, who ultimately says he'll think about it, but at best it'd be part-time; he's got his own visionary company to look after.) He makes a point of coming over to the workshop that evening to try to get a better idea of it.
Tony half-heartedly thinks he needs to come up with a new routine, if the whole damn world knows he's more likely to talk if he can work at the same time. He doesn't mean it, though, particularly since the whole world in this situation is three people and a computer.
"Seriously, Tony, how do you expect these guys to trust a company that's had a hand in screwing them over before?"
"Funny, I've been hearing that question a lot lately." Tony glances up from the faceplate's schematics and adds, "Not that I can blame anyone for asking it."
"Who first, then, Pepper?"
"Jarvis, actually. When I had the idea. And it's come up on every call-back so far."
Rhodey half-laughs at the first part, then sobers again. "So? What's your answer?"
"First, the company policy that screwed them over wasn't mine. In Holyfeld's case, I was five, and with the Crossbow thing - you know where I was at that time. It might not have even been Dad's policy, in hindsight."
"You think so?"
"It's one of those things I didn't see until I knew where to look, but Obie was itching to get his hands on the company for a long time. It feels like his kind of double dealing. Which leads me to the second point - he's dead, so I think a lot of the problem died with him. Third? I can't trust my own damn company until I figure out how deep those roots actually are, and I can't do that alone."
"Never thought I'd hear you say you needed help on something."
Tony snorts. "Remember it - it doesn't happen often. Thing is, these guys know how to look for the double-crossing, and I didn't see it until it got shoved under my nose. Not to mention, this much of a brain trust? If we can't come up with something for Stark Industries to make that's not weapons, I don't know who can. Even if it's just me and Knight."
"True. But next time you pull something like that, tell me, man. I hate hearing about these things through the grapevine."
Tony's too absorbed in the suit's schematics to really answer that, and the atmosphere in the workshop settles into a comfortable silence.
"So, when do I get to try the spare suit?" Rhodey says after a while.
Tony just grins. "Waiting is."
Prompt for July 02:
These are the frequently asked questions.
Rhodey finally hears about the grand plan after Tony gets his third call-back. (From Mitch Taylor, who ultimately says he'll think about it, but at best it'd be part-time; he's got his own visionary company to look after.) He makes a point of coming over to the workshop that evening to try to get a better idea of it.
Tony half-heartedly thinks he needs to come up with a new routine, if the whole damn world knows he's more likely to talk if he can work at the same time. He doesn't mean it, though, particularly since the whole world in this situation is three people and a computer.
"Seriously, Tony, how do you expect these guys to trust a company that's had a hand in screwing them over before?"
"Funny, I've been hearing that question a lot lately." Tony glances up from the faceplate's schematics and adds, "Not that I can blame anyone for asking it."
"Who first, then, Pepper?"
"Jarvis, actually. When I had the idea. And it's come up on every call-back so far."
Rhodey half-laughs at the first part, then sobers again. "So? What's your answer?"
"First, the company policy that screwed them over wasn't mine. In Holyfeld's case, I was five, and with the Crossbow thing - you know where I was at that time. It might not have even been Dad's policy, in hindsight."
"You think so?"
"It's one of those things I didn't see until I knew where to look, but Obie was itching to get his hands on the company for a long time. It feels like his kind of double dealing. Which leads me to the second point - he's dead, so I think a lot of the problem died with him. Third? I can't trust my own damn company until I figure out how deep those roots actually are, and I can't do that alone."
"Never thought I'd hear you say you needed help on something."
Tony snorts. "Remember it - it doesn't happen often. Thing is, these guys know how to look for the double-crossing, and I didn't see it until it got shoved under my nose. Not to mention, this much of a brain trust? If we can't come up with something for Stark Industries to make that's not weapons, I don't know who can. Even if it's just me and Knight."
"True. But next time you pull something like that, tell me, man. I hate hearing about these things through the grapevine."
Tony's too absorbed in the suit's schematics to really answer that, and the atmosphere in the workshop settles into a comfortable silence.
"So, when do I get to try the spare suit?" Rhodey says after a while.
Tony just grins. "Waiting is."