CHAPTER 7: TRADER JACK AND FEARFUL LEO

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Mistral

Open Market

May 30th, 56 AGW

Tony decided that a brief visit to Mistral was in order. He was here mostly to see if he could scout out any potential business partners. While initially he had zero interest in this place due to his priority of securing Atlesian alliances and trade partners, he had begun to reconsider his stance when he took a closer look into the kingdom famous for many things.

Mistral was home to the largest of the four kingdoms, meaning that it had the most land under its control. As a result, there was a massive emphasis on culture and due to the varying natural environments, what was normal up north was considered unusual down south. In short, there was little lacking in the way of things to do. It was just a matter of finding the right people, at least that's what his information led him to believe.

It was Ozpin who ultimately convinced the young man to go. While he could find new ventures for Stark Industries, he could also visit Haven Academy and scope it out. Whether he chose to introduce himself to the headmaster was up to him, not that he had a good reason to do so. The way he saw it, being friends with the Wizard of Oz was more than enough for him. The last thing he needed was to be incurring any more debt. He would prefer to remain debt-free where that man was concerned. He was mysterious, which meant he had secrets and probably nothing of the good variety given his occupation.

Ultimately, Tony knew that whatever happened here, it would be no huge loss if he didn't accomplish something major here. After all, Mistral was the place to go if you wanted to sit back and relax and god knew he needed a vacation, and yes, he would always say god. He just couldn't get over people here saying gods. If he had to explain it, he wouldn't. He didn't want to and he never would want to.

So the young CEO decided to casually cruise around town and see what delicious food he could find. He was taking advantage of the fact that his celebrity status so far didn't prevent him from being in public without being recognized. Soon, he wouldn't be afforded that luxury; he intended to make the most of it while he still had the chance. Thus, he found himself within a relatively busy market place wandering.

His nose had led him to the scent. Immediately, he caught onto the wonderful smells surrounding him. It was a collage of so many different things that every second, he was detecting something that had his mouth watering just a little bit more. First, he smelled something like meat cooking, perhaps a steak. Then he smelled something akin to fish, a light smell but no doubt fishy. Next came the definite smell of bakery items, bread loaves and likely pastry items. Another scent that came to his nose was something hot and spicy, enough so that his nasals were feeling a little tingly and he almost sneezed.

Tony felt a bit of nostalgia hitting him in this moment, and that was unusual considering he wasn't usually nostalgic, or at least he wouldn't call himself that. All of this felt strangely familiar to him. Despite his mixed opinions of Mistral, it did remind him of his home in New York City. As a matter of fact, NYC contained so many different types of people with different cultures, values, and beliefs. Mistral seemed to reflect that same vibe in the respect. The difference was that instead of cultures compacted into a city, it was spread out across an entire kingdom.

The young Stark weaved his way through the crowd, taking it all in. While he would like nothing more than to take in everything there was to offer, he did wonder about something. The similarities between Earth and Remnant were scary. If even the most basic of things like food were similar, then what did that mean about critical and fundamental aspects of this section of the universe? Was there some connection between the two worlds? If there was, why had he never heard any hint of it?

Tony halted the gears in his mind. He had shut out any memories of Earth in favor of creating his own legacy. It was easy for him to forget where he had come from because building Stark Industries from ground zero was a mountain of work. Now, as he wandered aimlessly through a crowd being merely one person in a crowd, he suddenly found his mind wandering into places he would rather pretend didn't exist.

The genius spun his head around, searching for anything that might be able to serve as a distraction. He spotted what looked like a burger joint and he then thought about cheese burgers. Without another moment of thought, he honed in on the booth.

"Hello there, sir?" The man operating the stand smiled and nodded. "What can I get you?"

"Just a cheeseburger." Tony glanced at the menu for a second. "Add everything you can. I don't really care."

"One cheeseburger with everything on it, coming right up!" A woosh and a blur of motion was the result. "And here you go!"

"...how did you do that?" Tony looked at the plate containing burger and fries with mild shock.

"I'm just really good with my hands." The response with stated as if it were fact and not meant as a means of bragging. "If I want to do something, I can. It's really that simple."

"Really?" Tony looked the man in the eye. "Care to put that to the test?"

"Sure! I welcome a challenge." The man seemed eager. "But first, will you be paying with lien, credit, or debit?"

"Actually, I don't have any cash on me." Tony, thinking quickly, removed his watch from his wrist and offered it.

"That's too much, sir."

"Just take it. I can always get another one." Tony brushed off this hesitancy. "Oh, what's your name by the way?"

"Jack." The answer came. "Like a Jack-of-all-trades."

"Alright! I'll hit you up with a challenge when I know what I need." Tony then looked at his food. "Uh, I don't like being handed things. You can just set it down in front of me and I'll get it."

The exchange was slightly awkward, but Jack did as he was asked, choosing to set the paper plate containing the order in front of his customers, to which the former graciously accepted.

"Aren't you Tony Stark?" Jack then asked out of the blue.

"Sometimes." Tony casually stated while making his way back into the crowd, ready to devour his lunch.

"How will you get in contact with me?!" Jack shouted.

"You don't!" Tony called back. "I'll get in contact with you!"

Well, that was a fairly interesting encounter right there. Clearly, this Jack guy was a lot more than just a street vendor. It wasn't crystal-clear what exactly he was, but clearly his rather unassuming appearance belied the inhuman display. Of course, given aura and semblances, maybe such things weren't as impossible, but then again not everyone had an unlocked aura and a semblance by extension.

Clearly, there was a great deal of talent that he had yet to scope out. While he had found some promising people to bring in to work for him, there was merit in having a network of freelancers who did odd jobs for him without the red tape and rules that officially working for Stark Industries came with. Granted, this technicality could involve some very lengthy court cases and legal headaches should the wrong people find out, but when you were rich and had power, it was much easier to find loopholes.

Tony pulled up his scroll and began a search for the identity of his newest acquaintance. He wanted to know everything about this guy despite having only just meeting him not even five minutes ago and spending even less time speaking with him, but he didn't need all that much time.

There's something in those eyes that makes me want to believe. Explaining it rationally would take time, so instinct was guiding the CEO to this decision. I'll kick some incentive his way. If he's as good as he says, it's a win. If not, then I move on.

Part of being a businessman was knowing that success was elusive and couldn't be won easily. To win at this game, a person needed to have undying tenacity. They had to be willing to press forward even in the face of failure, They had to be able to keep going even when everyone denounces them as crazy and delusional. In short, winning meant losing a lot of battles in order to win the war. It was why people with this frame of mind were met with incredible success when everyone else fell short, achieving only mediocrity in the process.

And I am the best at what I do if I say so myself. Tony didn't need to tell himself this because merely existing meant he was awesome.

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Mistral

Haven Academy

May 31st, 56 AGW

Leonardo Lionheart felt a bit nervous at the thought of his current task. Yes, he had been informed prior and he had been given enough time to prepare accordingly, but that did not make him any less nervous. As a huntsman, it was always important to keep a heavy reign on emotions so as to prevent the Grimm from sensing any sort of weakness, but there were some things that could be more nerve-wracking then even the twisted monsters.

By the request of Ozpin, he had been instructed to guide a special guest through the halls of Haven Academy. The reason for this was because it was to familiarize the newest edition to one of the most secretive societies in all of Remnant. To be more precise, his candidacy was up for discussion and so far, it was looking to be promising.

Ozpin himself was nothing short of impressed if not a bit dismayed by Mister Stark's very unorthodox and atypical approaches to one-on-one conversations. Still, the Beacon Academy's headmaster described the weapons developer as smart, charismatic, and confident. Leo couldn't be too sure of the first one, but the second and third he could see that much based on what he saw in the news.

James Ironwood had a similarly positive opinion of the CEO of Stark Industries. According to the captain, the Stark Industries founder was not just smart. He was a genius, a true bona fide genius. Not only were his weapons in the process of being manufactured and shipped to Atlas, but he had conceived of numerous other devices that would be of use tactically and strategically. Additionally, all were made with the intent of long-term usage. To make a long story short, the word smart was grossly simplifying the intellect of Tony Stark.

Leo had to wonder something: if this man was as smart as Ozpin and James said he was, then was it a stretch to imagine that maybe the attempt to be secretive might already be for naught? Considering everything he knew, the faunus man considered the possibility that maybe the man in question had already figured out that something was going on. Assuming that was the case, then would it be wise to maintain ignorance?

Slow down. Leonardo calmed his mind. You have yet to meet the man and you're already panicking. Remember your training. Assume nothing and watch for everything.

Perhaps the reason that this had him so tense was due to how critical this part went. Few people knew that the Maidens existed in their world and not just in fairy tales. Fewer people still knew that the Grimm had a master that was mysterious and powerful. Only a handful knew about the Relics hidden underneath each of the huntsmen academies. All of this was highly classified information, known only to those that Ozpin deemed worthy of knowing. The fact that Leo knew meant he had an immense responsibility to uphold.

That responsibility was about to be put to the test soon and depending on his observations and opinion, there might be a new member to add to the group, a new member that had both pros and cons to bring to the table.

Leo stood at the front gate of Haven Academy, waiting as patiently as he was able for the arrival of his venerable visitor. He straightened out the small wrinkles in his outfit and stood at attention. A good appearance would do more than just make him look nice. It would send the message that he was indeed serious about this meeting and Mister Stark was reported to be a businessman through and through.

Right as the clock struck at the beginning of the hour, a car pulled up, a black and sleek vehicle. The door quickly opened and an immaculately-dressed man with neatly-kept hair got out. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark shades. Already, the expectations were beginning to grow.

"Mister Stark." Leo stepped forward to introduce himself, stuffing his reservations down. "A pleasure."

"Leonard Lionheart." Tony stepped forward looking him up and down. "Ozpin tells me a lot about you."

"I'm sure he does." Leo offered a hand. "Ozpin said you needed a guide to get you around Haven."

"From a business standpoint, Haven Academy doesn't have much to offer me as things stand." Tony shook the hand, yet was frank. "I've got Beacon so I'm covered on that front. I'm just curious to see what's different between the academies."

"Well for starters, our curriculums are fundamentally the same, but the methods employed are vastly different." Leo began his explanation. "In the most simple terms, Haven has an emphasis on training in harsh environments and situations. It's our desire to see our students be able to fight and persevere no matter where they are."

"That's certainly a lot different than what I've seen at Beacon." Tony crossed his arms. "Based on what I've seen, students there direct most of their energy into combat."

"And that is one of the reasons why Beacon is sought after for aspiring huntsmen and huntresses." Leo nodded his head. "But that's not to say that we neglect our combat training. We simply believe that being prepared for a wide variety of situations will help more in the long run. Thus, while our students may not be masters of any style, all of their bases are covered."

"Well, now that you put it that way, there might be something I can do here after all." Tony's mouth lightly pressed his lips together, looking to be in thought. "If your forte is turning your students into all-rounders, then I might be able to put something together that could further benefit the school in that regard."

"And that would be what exactly?" Leonardo placed his arms behind his back.

"While it is important to have specialized equipment for certain missions, I believe it's equally as important that there be weapons and gear fielded that fulfill a more versatile role in combat." Mister Stark held his scroll in his hand and activated it. "I've got some drafts that I've been working on that deal with pieces which aren't really useful to a soldier in an army, but are to a huntsman."

Not even ten minutes into the conversation and they had gotten this far into the conversation without having entered the academy grounds. It was extraordinary how swiftly this man moved. Furthermore, this was only a surface-level chat, something to warm them up. That would only indicate that more private words would contain far more interesting things. Of course, there would likely be some of the more juvenile behavior mixed into the mix, but that could be overlooked given the benefits.

Returning to the matter at hand Leo carefully trained his eyes on the contents of the scroll. At first glance, they appeared to by typical infantry rifles. Usually, huntsmen and huntresses didn't use such weapons because they were simplistic and couldn't serve numerous functions. However, this model looked nothing like the ones fielded to soldiers in the kingdoms. They looked so primitive in nature.

"I've never seen weapons like this before." The faunus man took another look. "Could you describe what exactly I'm looking at."

"This is a little something I've whipped up with the intent of changing how ground troops engage each other. What you're seeing here is a proposed standard-issue rifle. Mind you, today's troops are working with tech that's last century frankly-speaking. The common soldier barely has the means to take down a simple Beowolf. How can any army hope to have a chance if the individual isn't properly armed and trained?"

"You do have a point." Leo furrowed his brow. "But what does this have to do with our students' effectiveness if you don't mind my asking."

"Okay, so take a look at this footage and bear in mind that this is a theoretical standard-issue rifle for future soldiers." Tony began to play back something pre-recorded. "And there it is."

The 3D image shifted, turning into one man holding the rifle in question while firing at what appeared to be Beowolf. Behind him appeared to be other armed men, but they only had their weapons raised, but they were not firing. Only the man with the prototype rifle was firing and the effectiveness of the firearm was impressive. Just a few rounds to the head was enough to fell the monster. The rifle looked to have a decent capacity as the man fired in bursts, only reloading after some twenty seconds. A magazine clip was ejected and a new one was placed and firing resumed.

"I see that your reputation for deadliness is justified." Leonardo was convinced. "But where are you going with all this?"

"Well, I like to think of huntsmen and huntresses as a type of elite force of soldiers who are in need of specialized equipment and gear." Tony shut off his scroll and removed his shades. "So I'm willing to commission rifles and firearms specifically made for Haven Academy students."

Leo blinked. "Is this not something that could be provided to Beacon students as well?"

Tony shook his head. "I've already got a team at the big B testing out something else. Like I said, this is strictly for Haven."

Leo knew this decision wasn't in his hands, but if it were, he knew what he would do.

RWBY - - - Iron Man

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Mistral

City of Mistral

June 1st, 56 AGW

The sunset was beautiful, just like it was on Earth. The sky was painted a vivid orange color, giving off a warm vibe. There appeared to be very little difference between this sunrise and Earth's sunrise, just another little thing to add to the ever-growing list of things that the two worlds shared in common. The uncanny valley continued to grow with each and every detail that lined up too perfectly.

This shouldn't have been a subject of bother in the first place. The known universe had more stars and planets than the entire Earth had grains of sand. The development of Earth and all life on it was all due to chance, but there was no rule saying that a two planets couldn't be alike. Out of the billions of galaxies out there, was it really wrong to say that it was impossible that Humans couldn't develop in another way?

Tony stared from his balcony as his mind drifted off into no man's land. Clearly, he had far too much time on his hand if he was thinking about the nature of Remnant's existence. Although he had wondered about this topic many times, his energy and resources were largely focused on building up Stark Industries. Unlike pondering the meaning of existence, building a business actually was a productive use of time.

So to escape the dangerous territory that was his thoughts, the young man turned on his scroll, went down the list of contacts on his number, then randomly selected Ozpin's number. The ring lasted two times before an answer came.

"Mister Stark." Ozpin's voice came through crisply. "What can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to check in." Tony made something up to talk about. "Had a chat with your inside man, Lion Leo. Chill guy, but he seems too timid for his own good."

"While I can't disagree with that, I believe that he wants to overcome that fear as best as he can." Ozpin sounded unconcerned. "He is rough, but I think he will do good."

"I've got my doubts." Tony couldn't help but be somewhat pessimistic. "He's not quite the Cowardly Lion that I know, but there are some hints."

"I have no idea what you are referencing." Ozpin's voice carried his curiosity. "I presume this title to be something relevant to popular culture."

"Only one of the greatest films of all time." Tony saw some of the scenes flash in his mind, then remembered what he was supposed to be talking about. "So, what's his story? What's he got that interests you?"

"Let's just say he's one of my many ways to bring the Faunus into the fold, but considering the stunt you pulled," Ozpin deadpanned, "I don't think you need me to say more."

"Yeah, being all spy-like is not really my style." Tony tended to be really wary of secretive types. "Not that I have a choice anyway with what's already public, but getting back to the point, Leo seems like the type of guy to crack if the bad guys caught him."

"Then we just need to make sure that nobody can get to him." Ozpin sounded unconcerned. "But more importantly, Leonardo has one other ability that makes him uniquely suited to working with me: he can keep a secret."

"Now that sounds like something he can do." Tony could agree to that point. "But my point still stands. He doesn't strike me as the type to hold out under pressure."

Ozpin hummed before replying. "With time and the right training, he will be."

Just from this conversation, the inventor confirmed one of his long-standing suspicious regarding Ozpin: the man was clearly gearing up for something major. The people he had met under the headmaster's advisement must be screening for some sort of viability. Perhaps he was to be recruited into a secretive organization, which wasn't that much of a stretch given the nature of his occupation.

Tony had more than a few questions not to mention some details he really wanted to know about, but at this time and juncture, it wasn't appropriate to obtain what he wanted. The conversation wasn't going in the right direction. No bone had been thrown so to speak and any attempt to break the ice might result in a setback. Whatever the reason for this dodging of the real topic, it had to be left as it was.

However, to simply leave the matter until the full truth was disclosed could be worse. There might not be a good opening to exploit now, but the young Stark made a point to do his own digging. A man with secrets was a man that was to be watched and Ozpin was keeping many secrets. The problem was that he wasn't doing a good job of keeping his secrets a secret. Either that, or he intentionally made that slip of the tongue to test the waters.

Until a direct question of admission into this little secret boy band was made, there was nothing else to be said or done.

"Right." Tony decided to switch the conversation topic. "So our favorite team of kids doing?"

"Team STRQ is doing well as expected." Ozpin reported with slight amusement. "Summer continues to follow your exploits closely. Taiyang is still deciding what he thinks about you. As for the Branwen twins, well…"

"Those kids stole my name." Tony shot back in a joking manner. "They ought to be thanking me for making their name famous. Who knows, they might just become as awesome as me someday."

"Please don't give them any bright ideas." Ozpin was quick to rebuke that statement. "They already have enough on their plate to deal with."

"You mean the plate that you've given them?" Tony fired back casually. "Don't sound so surprised. I've just been hacking into Beacon's servers and collecting data on all your little hatchlings. I've gotta say, Team STRQ seems to be getting all your attention these days. I mean, just look at these records. Special commendations, additional training meant for older students. Hell, they should be getting arrested for some of this stuff, even by huntsman standards, but they haven't."

"I should be surprised, even shocked, but considering who I'm speaking to, I can't find it in me to react accordingly." Ozpin sighed with the sound of a coffee mug meeting a table surface. "Is there any reason you're snooping on those four in particular?"

"Call it curiosity." Tony pressed his advantage. "So what's your angle with these kids? Why spend so much time, energy, and resources on them specifically?"

"I thought that you wanted to isolate yourself from the huntsman academies, Mister Stark." Ozpin attempted to reorient the flow of the conversation. "What has you so intrigued now?"

"Okay first off, I am keeping far away from your domain." Tony wouldn't be fooled. "Second, those kids are using my tech, so I think knowing a little bit about my clients is all well and good, yeah?"

"You seem to be doing a good enough job as you are right now." Ozpin didn't sound the least bit uncomfortable. "I'm willing to bet that you can piece together everything once you've gotten enough information."

"Very nice, Oz." Tony huffed in mild frustration. "You're going to make me play a game of hide and seek. It's cute, really."

"I've been playing this game a lot longer than anyone else." Ozpin stated clearly. "I wouldn't be very good at my job if I didn't pick up a few things, but to answer your question, they're a key part in the war to come."

"Wow, that was way too easy. It kind of takes the fun out of the challenge of discovery." Tony was disappointed that part of his fun was gone, but there was one thing that caught his ear. "But a war. You seem convinced it's coming."

"Make no mistake about it." Ozpin's voice shifted to a more grave inflection. "It is coming. It could be this year, next year, or many years down the line, but the signs are already there. It's just that the world's forgotten what a true war looks like."

"And preparing child soldiers is the perfect way to fight back." Tony almost felt bad for those teenagers. "That's just dark, man. You really do have some screws loose."

"No more than you do apparently." Ozpin took the comment with no offense. "In that regard, we're not that much different."

"Glad we're on the same page." Tony chuckled a bit at how this whole exchange turned morbid. "I never roll with people that don't have at least something crazy going on in their noggins."

What many people considered to be dirty and immoral, the young businessman thought of as inevitable. War was more than just a bloody mess that changed lives and nations; it was an industry and the companies willing to invest in that industry would always have a leg up on those that couldn't.

Was war necessary? Probably not all the time.

Was it inevitable? Most definitely.

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

Continent of Menagerie

Belladonna Residence

June 1st, 56 AGW

Ghira had managed to get the go-ahead from the high leader of the White Fang to send some prospective employees into Stark Industries. While that was going on, Mister Stark was working on the PR angle, trying to craft a narrative that would help more than hurt. It was a delicate stage and any sort of problems now might just snowball into an avalanche if not tended to properly.

Fortunately, the CEO of Stark Industries made his personal number available to Ghira for the purpose of maintaining streamlined communications. This was important for both parties involved in order to navigate the dangerous roads ahead. While things appeared to be going well on all fronts, people were expecting something bad to happen. After all, being part of the White Fang was a largely thankless duty which demanded incredible sacrifice of which many had paid the price and many still were paying. Even the most motivated individuals could not remain so upbeat if there was no sign of meaningful progress.

Naturally, that expectation of disaster led many to be wary of Tony Stark. By all accounts, the man had no business supporting the faunus. He was human and as far as anyone knew, he had no friends or relatives that were faunus either. Without a clear reason as to why he was helping the White Fang, there would always be doubt.

Thankfully, these opinions were contained within the organization. Only the most trusted were told about the proposal. The last thing that was needed now was a leak. As far as the rest of the members knew, there was no reason to fear any sort of mistreatment from Stark Industries. Further details would be disclosed once something concrete was established. In the meantime, there were plenty of events to plan and business to attend to.

Personally, Ghira felt that things were looking up. He chalked it up to a gut instinct; with all the heaviness that surrounded himself and his fellow revolutionaries, it felt about the right time for their luck to turn around for the better. However idealistic and naive this viewpoint was, he wanted to believe it. Good and evil existed in the world and one couldn't exist without the other, so it just felt right to think this way.

For now, his work entailed reading through a rather lengthy list of conditions that Stark Industries was placing upon the White Fang. It wasn't a strictly one-sided contract as the faunus organization too had its own set of conditions. Undoubtedly, there would be revisions and changes. Compromise was a necessary component in any negotiations and they were dealing with a businessman after all.

Ghira noted that for the most part, Mister Stark had made reasonable requests. Nothing in particular stood out as unfair, exploitative, or otherwise disagreeable. It was a breath of fresh air to see something so candid and honest for once. After dealing with so many crooked deals and shady people, this was the best that he had ever seen thus far, which wasn't saying much, but it was a start and that was all he could ask for at this time.

"But if there is one thing I do need to watch out for," Ghira noted, "It's that our partner has a tendency to be… eccentric."

I would like to point out that in this stage of the story, Tony needs to establish himself as a businessman. Stark Industries isn't going to form overnight and it's important for me to establish exactly when, where and why these events happened that will shape the future. Without an event or at least a reference, nothing will make sense in the future.

And speaking of the future, the trailer for V7 of RWBY came out a few days ago. My impression of this upcoming volume at this time is lackluster to say the least. I have a lot more I ought to say on the subject, but this is not the right time or the right place.

On a sidenote, I've come to realize something about my writing that I never caught onto until someone pointed it out in a review. Many of my stories are very similar in concept, but how I go about each story is different. In short, many of my stories revolve around the genre of anime that we like to call "Isekai." Essentially, many of my crossovers involve taking one character from one fandom and transferring him/her to another fandom and seeing what the results are. The things I learn about myself.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, as always. Next chapter will be about developing currently-existing relationships because I've got more than enough to work with at this time.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.

"Leadership is not about you; it's about investing in the growth of others."

Ken Blanchard