long ago on the road

Closed starter for @irxnstark​

“You know Tony,” Charles wheeled down the hall next to the mogul. “What you’ve proposed is extremely interesting to me. I agree, men and women like us, we could be doing more for society, for humanity.”  He watched Tony closely as they arrived in his lab, fully equipped with all his various robots and high tech computers. “I know your previous endeavors…Ultron, Sokovia…I know things have rarely gone the way you planned and I understand why you currently only see this in the conceptual. But we have a real opportunity here to make a difference for the better.” 

-

Tony gave a little shrug as the older man spoke. “I just feel like we’re kind of sitting here twiddling our thumbs if we’re not helping out,” he said. “And I’m really not a big fan of thumb twiddling.”

He glanced back at Charles as Charles studied him, wondering if the old man was reading his mind. He wasn’t really a fan of people walking around inside his brain, or putting images in there that weren’t his own thoughts. 

He frowned as Charles brought up Ultron and Sokovia. He also wasn’t a big fan of talking about his failures. Something about his ego. “Yeah, well,” he said. “Just because I’m a little gun-shy doesn’t mean I’m not willing to try again. The world is more important than my bruised ego.”

Closed Starter for @irxnstark​ 

“I can’t tell if you’re maddeningly idealistic or idealistically mad”

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      “Is there really all that much difference?” America rose a brow, a glimmering smirk stretching the corners of her lips as she turned to look at Tony. “Besides…you’re seriously going to look around this place at all of these incredible things that you’ve built and tell me that you really think what I’m telling you is all that impossible?” America wasn’t sure why she was surprised, Tony was a see it to believe it guy in all of the realities in which she had encountered him. It would take more than words to completely sell him, but she wasn’t sure that he was prepared to portal across the multiverse just so that she could prove herself right. A shame, really. Proving other’s wrong was one of America’s favourite past times. 

-

“Hey,” Tony began, pointing a finger in her direction, “don’t nitpick my nitpicking, okay? I haven’t had enough coffee for that. I’ve only had four cups.” He shrugged as he glanced around his workshop, his brow furrowing a little. “I guess,” he said. “It’s just kinda, you know…” He wiggled his fingers by each temple. “The way my brain works. You know what I think is crazy, though? That peanut butter-chocolate combo. H.B. Reese was a goddamn genius. Did you know he started out working for Milton Hersehy? True story.” He shrugged again. “Besides, I didn’t say it was impossible. I’ve seen way too much to count anything out like that. But you gotta admit, it does sound a little whacky.”

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      Peter had to hold in his excitement when Tony asked FRIDAY about Chipotles in the area. There was something inherently cool about your hero taking your suggestion on anything, even something as small as a restaurant recommendation. “Can FRIDAY order for us?” He asked, trying to  hide his astonishment. He knew that FRIDAY could do a lot, but he was used to having to order on his phone, not through AI. 

-

A grin touched Tony’s lips as he noticed Peter trying to rein himself in. The kid had tugged at his heartstrings from the beginning, and getting to know him had only cemented the fact that Tony cared about him deeply. More than feeling responsible for him, Tony felt a connection with him that he didn’t typically feel with the people around him. “Yeah, go on,” he said. “She’ll call for us. She could probably call everyone in Manhattan if I fiddled with a few things. But that would be kind of rude. I’d just be a telemarketer.”

Yelena quirked a brow, unimpressed with every single choice Tony Stark made, potentially in his entire life. “You sound proud.” She observed a scrunch to her eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be a superhero.”

-

Tony just looked at her, quirking a brow in return. “Well, yeah, it’s cool,” he said, as if this should be obvious. “Yeah, so? Does that mean I’m supposed to eat the BRAT diet? Because bananas are disgusting. They start out mushy. Look me in the eye and tell me that’s right.”

> @irxnstark​ : closed starter

❛   are those gummy bears wrapped in a fruit roll-up? ❜  

Tony nodded, chewing laboriously. He held up a finger to indicate that he needed a minute to finish. “Yep,” he said finally. “I bet my tongue is blue.”

Closed Starter for @irxnstark​

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     “So I figured if there’s anybody out there that’s worse at remembering to eat it’s probably you so what do you say about dinner?” Atticus rose a brow, watching the older man for a moment. “I also had a small favour to ask you…but I get it if the answer is no” He could see why Tony might decline, but Atticus had been hoping that the older man would at least hear him out before doing so. He had worked on his speech for far too long to just get shot down right away, after all.

-

Tony looked up over the holographic computer monitor that hovered in front of his face, his eyebrows lifting. “I had a fruit roll-up today,” he pointed out. “That’s food.” It wasn’t, at all. He wasn’t actually sure what to call it, but it definitely wasn’t food. He paused, considering. “Dinner is probably a good idea,” he said. He raised an eyebrow, waving a hand in the air so that the holographic monitor disappeared. “You’re not really setting yourself up for a homerun here, kid,” he said, though not unkindly. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re aiming for first?”

Closed starter for @irxnstark​

Carol watched Tony closely from across the table, she couldn’t read him, it unsettled her, how opaque he seemed to be. Nevertheless, he had called her, a rarity in and of itself so at least she knew she was wanted.  It had been nearly a month since Carol had first arrived in this dimension, some things took some getting used to, others felt exactly the same. It was at least nice to know that apparently, no matter what world she was in Tony Stark was more or less the same. Carol leaned back in her chair, “So, Tony, lay it on me.” 

-

Tony studied the woman across from him for a moment, a little frown laying on his lips. He was still trying to figure out this whole multiverse deal, both as a scientist and because he had some questions of his own from a personal perspective. It seemed like she knew him already -- or at least of him -- or at least…of a version of him. It was perhaps a matter of semantics that he was still interested in untangling. 

“I got some questions,” he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a crooked smile. “Are you different from the Carol Danvers that was here before? What happened to her?”

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Bucky smiled watching the other for a moment, after all, it never cease to amaze him all the things Stark’s brain was capable of creating. Even if being alive 70 years past possible he was still surprised by every new thing he saw. “Well I also prefer you to stay in the air when flying or you’ll be grounded” he teased the other nodding his head “Yeah…..have no problems with my memory now…” He sighed taking a seat near the other “Can I hang out here? I won’t distribute you too much…”

-

Tony snorted softly as the older man spoke. “Grounded?” he repeated. “What are you gonna do, sit on me?” He yawned, pulling the safety goggles off entirely and dropping them with a clatter onto the table. “How about some coffee?” he said. “I mean, I’m having coffee no matter what, but it’s polite to ask.” He made his way over to the table with the coffee maker. “Don’t tell Pep this has caffeine in it, she’ll beat me up.” He looked over at him. “Yeah, you can hang out in here,” he said, his tone softening a little. Just a little.

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Johnny rolled his eyes, his hands coming up into a surrender as Tony spoke about kicking him out. It was the last thing he wanted. So, even if it was for a moment, he shut up. It took him exactly a minute before he felt the urge to speak again. New record. He could’ve gone longer, but he just got way too excited about working on a car with Tony freaking Stark. “Yeah, great.” He couldn’t keep it cool. There was absolutely no way he could. He basically skipped over to the car, leaning over the open hood of the car. “I’ve fixed up spaceships before Mr. Stark.” He glanced at Tony with a proud little smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

-

Tony smiled faintly and flashed the younger man a thumbs up when he actually kept his mouth shut. Even if just for a few minutes. He yawned, moseying over to the coffee maker on the counter as he looked back over at the young man. “Okay, but if you mess up anything, I reserve the right to whack you with a ruler right here,” he said, gesturing with his forearm as he poured coffee with the other hand. “Right on the funny bone.” He raised an eyebrow as he brought the mug to his lips, drinking his coffee black. “Deal?”

@irxnstark​ cause we needed a starter!

James moved around the lab knowing he’d find its owner somewhere within this mess, he didn’t know what he was working on only that the hour had been quite late. He couldn’t sleep because of nightmares he couldn’t control. He decided to see if Tony was awake for him to bug, being alone in this state of mine wasn’t ideal. “You always get this super-focused face when you are working on your inventions,” he said quietly so as not to distract or disturb the other.

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“Yeah, well, that may be because I’m focused,” Tony muttered, absently tilting his head toward Bucky’s direction, like a cat hearing a vaguely interesting noise. “It’s not like we’re gonna blow up if I cross a wire or anything, but still, pretty important. I kinda like to stay up in the air while I’m flying.” He put down the tool he was using and pushed up his safety goggles, rubbing at his eyes. “Can’t sleep?”

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     “You don’t have to agree with their life choices, Mr Stark. It’s a fictional show for a reason…I mean, do I look like the kind of guy that wants to be out partying it up? I would take some fancy MIT 3D chess any day” Atticus chuckled. In fact, getting to see literally anything at MIT would most likely make his entire life. He’d been lucky enough that Mr Wayne had believed in his potential enough to pay his tuition for a degree in computer science - a loan that he intended to pay back every penny on one day - but college hadn’t been something that the younger had even dared to think about until then. “Yeah, no…I’m with you on that one. It doesn’t exactly send the whole you get what you work for message, you know?”

-

Tony wrinkled his nose thoughtfully and shrugged. “I guess,” he said. “Although I gotta be honest with you, kid, I’ve lived the Euphoria life. You just end up getting a whole lot of medical professionals silently judging you and bruises in weird places that you can’t explain. Not to mention you lose items of clothing on a regular basis. I still have no clue what the hell happened to my Members Only jacket.” He snorted. “Yeah, well, I guess I can’t blame them for that. Doesn’t really make for exciting television to see people studying and doing well in school, does it?”

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       A sly smile tugged at the corner of Nat’s lips. She only allowed it to go that far, not wanting to expose herself. It was a harmless prank, but she wanted to see how long she could keep it up. “Is it usually bad?” Natasha asked, acting confused. “Maybe Happy did.” She offered an alternate solution, leading him towards a different answer than the true one. “You’re still up early even if you didn’t go to sleep. This is early, not late.” 

-

“Decaf coffee should at the very least be classified as a misdemeanor,” Tony said firmly, taking another sip of the coffee. “This doesn’t make me want to cry and slide into the sewer to begin my life anew as a Ninja Turtle, so this definitely has caffeine in it. Happy didn’t make it because Happy is afraid of Pepper.” Not that Tony could blame him, honestly. He felt everyone should be at least a little afraid of Pepper, as a sign of respect. “No, because up implies rising from something, i.e., sleep,” he argued, turning his attention back to the nanotech braces he was working on. “Unless you’re implying I’m up early from the last time I actually went to sleep, which was…” He paused. “What day is it again?”

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      Peter didn’t think he could describe the way he felt when Tony told him that he was right. The hair on his skin stood up similarly to when his Spider-Sense tingled, but it lacked the same electric feeling and instinctual response. Instead, he was just elated and unable to his his grin, despite trying his hardest to do so. “Food sounds good. I like food.” Peter pushed his protective googles up after Tony did, following his lead. “Uh, I like pizza or maybe Mexican. There’s gotta be a Chipotle in the city somewhere. But I’m cool with whatever you want.”

-

Seeing the way Peter lit up at the confirmation made the corners of Tony’s lips turn up in a soft smile. Although he hadn’t quite wrapped his mind around Morgan yet, he’d always felt a kinship with Peter. It wasn’t that he saw a younger version of himself in Peter. If anything, he saw a better version of himself -- maybe the type of person he could have been if there was an inherent well of goodness in him, like there was in Peter Parker. He took his role as Peter’s mentor seriously. It meant the world to him. “FRIDAY, is there a Chipotle in the neighborhood?” There are 18 Chipotle restaurants nearby, sir. The nearest is located at 1325 Kings Highway. Tony looked over at Peter. “Okay, kid, pick your poison. And yes, I am willing to spring for the extra guac.”

“Aw, you remembered that my name starts with a ‘J’ ! Wow, that’s super considerate of you, sir. Anyway, you can call me Johnny… I know, it’s hard to remember things after a certain age.” There was a shit-eating grin on his face as the other rolled out from under the car, and beneath the mischievous glint in his eyes, there was also a hint of intrigue. “I wasn’t bugging him. I was conducting an experiment on how long I can stretch his patience. It’s a whole different thing than bugging him. Turns out it’s about three hours and thirty-seven minutes, by the way.” Johnny practically skipped on over to the car to get a better look at it. “Yeah, tell me ‘bout it. I keep fixin’ mine up all the time, too. Hey, don’t you have like, fifty cars or whatever? Need help with ‘em? I swear I’m real’ good with cars. If I wasn’t a superhero I probably would’ve ended up as a mechanic.”

-

Tony gave the young man a look before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, well, I remember how to throw your ass out of here,” he pointed out, agreeably enough. “There are a few options, actually. Just depends on how much I want to deal with your sister later.” He snorted quietly. “Oh, sure. I bet that’s gonna get written up in a scientific journal very soon. I’m surprised he lasted that long, honestly.” He grabbed a rag from the worktable nearby and wiped off his hands, glancing over at Johnny. “Yeah, thereabouts,” he said, and looked at Johnny again for a moment before shrugging. “Okay, why not?” he said, with another shrug of his shoulders. “I could always use some help around here. But these are old and valuable cars, alright? You gotta be careful with them.”

closed starter for @irxnstark​

“Mr. Stark, it’s me, your favorite non-college-educated superhero!” Johnny nearly skipped through the door, twirling his car keys on his finger, basically singing as he entered. “Hope you’re not disappointed that I was the one that brought Reed’s mega secret research and not him. ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, I’m like five thousand times more entertaining than him.” He dropped the tiny flash drive on one of the tables, looking around for anything exciting looking. “I’m still not sure why he trusted me with it, but I guess even scientists get desperate. What’cha doin’?”

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Tony rolled himself out from underneath the car he was working on, just enough for his face to show -- upside-down -- from underneath the front bumper. “Sorry, what’s your name again?” he said. “Joshua? Jedediah? Jehovah?” He snorted, pushing himself out all the way from underneath the car and getting to his feet. “Right, because that’s what I’m aiming for when I come down here,” he said, gesturing around his workshop. “Some yuks.” He snorted softly. “Maybe he was just trying to get you out of his hair,” he said dryly. “How long had you been bugging him while he was trying to work?” He shrugged. “Working on my cars. It’s very zen.” He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Or it was.”

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Bruce fixed his cuff links as he noticed the others still not ready for their charity night, this was one billionaire that wasn’t going alone. “Oh, I can’t huh? Let’s see” He pulled out his phone rather dramatically “Miss Potts is right here at the top of my contacts since it was her rigorous tenacity which put together this party and I’m sure she’d loved to hear what your excuse is for not showing up.” His finger hovered over her contact information. “Shall I put it on speaker?”

-

Tony frowned over at him as Bruce spoke. “Hey, hey, hey--” He held up a hand as if to forestall any more words from Bruce. “Hey. You cannot blackmail me into going to this thing. And I’m not afraid of Pepper.” He absolutely was afraid of Pepper. In the most loving way possible. He pouted. “They don’t need both of us there,” he said. “Granted, I am definitely more fun at parties than you, but still.”