50 Shades of Tony
By Rey
Chapter 17
Tony Stark and Preparations to Go Jurassic
Warning for: None
Stark Tower, New York, United States, January-March 2015 (Ctd. 2)
417. Expand
Driven to make the visit as safe as possible for his family, Tony buys 30% of InGen with his own money, supplementing SI's contribution, and begins his "terror campaign" – investigation, adjustments, evaluation – on everything it has. Many critique him – billionaire new alien – for "expanding his empire," but he doesn't care.
418. Belonging
Until just now, Tony didn't know that Chan-Chan and her little family's belongings can be gathered in just one backpack. He didn't know either that they've been living from that backpack. There's no sense of belonging to the tower, to the floor he's set aside for them, and it hurts.
419. Uncover
Tony, by the self-help of Agents Legolas and Pretender, uncovers many, many, many suspicious, maladjusted, and just wrong things in the ranks and plans of Hammond's company, InGen, especially in the island-park Hammond's inviting his family to. Simply said, if it's SI, he'd go bankrupt from at least work-accident-related lawsuits.
420. Game
"You're kind, and enthusiastic, and beardy like a santa, I got it, but life isn't a game and we can't restart it once it's game-over, Hammond." `Except through reincarnation, which doesn't count.` "In that park's previous configuration, my family would be trapped there. It wouldn't be a vacation at all."
421. Evaluate
"Get experts to evaluate the park before we come and no more interpretations on it," is Tony's requirement to still bring his family to Hammond's insane park after all that's been uncovered. "And the experts must be countersigned by me, you, SI's CEO and other shareholders before they're brought in."
422. Travel
Tony doesn't want to let the world know about the Rescue yet, but he no longer feels comfortable riding in an ordinary, flimsy jet, especially when travelling to a dinosaur-populated island. So he modifies a quinjet with features and materials similar to the Rescue and loads it with just-in-case things.
423. Provision
Getting provisions for the "holiday" is an… interesting experience. Families stock up on fastfood, snacks, toys, games and moment-immortalising devises for a holiday, from what Tony's heard. But his stock up on weapons, ammo, medicines, medical things, getaway plans, call-for-help set-ups, and emergency rations. He prefers this version. It's realistic.
424. Test
Tony tests the modifications to the quinjet himself. He tests for bugs – of all senses of the word – too, and installs more just-in-cases that only he and JARVIS know about. He's even improved JARVIS' capacity and capabilities for handling such. And then, he gets Týo's team to test it, thoroughly.
425. Year
"We usually measure life in centuries, Afa, or decades, years, not days," Fié sighs tiredly, as they and Tony are watching supplies being loaded into their transport. Tony quirks a smile, amused. "Well, accept it, buddy. I'm still a human in all that counts, and humans measure things in seconds."
426. Luggage
It's a shock to Tony when Pepper, Happy, Kalahar and Rhodey suddenly appear on the launch-pad on the roof of the tower, with their own luggage. Pepper looks wryly at him, for that. "I am SI's CEO, Mister Stark, and I'll be there to assess SI's asset," she says dryly.
427. Order
"Kientar ordered me to guard you; you ordered me to guard Miss Potts; then Miss Potts ordered me and Mister Hogan to guard her and you," Kalahar says when Tony eyes him. Rhodey's explanation's even more succinct, but much more problematic: "Representative of US military, one of InGen's bigger shareholders."
428. Preparation
Tony purses his lips, caught between anger, annoyance and worry. The worry wins, for now. He's once best friends with Rhodey, after all. All his preparations for this trip didn't include this contingency – that other people will hitch a ride. "We delay," he decides, finally. "Stock up for just-in-case, people."
429. Surplus
"But… you've got a surplus of everything already here, Tones! Why'd you want more? Where can we fit everything, too? Your jet's not that big!" Rhodey squawks after reading half of Tony's logistics list. "N'this is a submachine gun! You going in a war campaign or an island inspection, Tones?"
