章 317: All The World's Marvels: Hearts of Iron(Marvel Cinematic Universe/JumpChain) by Zaralann
Tony Stark getting Jumpchain a interesting idea why don't we get fanfics with super heroes getting jumps more often?
Words: 80k+
Link: https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/25500
Summary: The Shield fell and the Hero died… Anthony Edward Stark perished in a derelict bunker in Siberia by the hand of Steven Grant Rogers, the World lost its Greatest Defender…. But is it truly the end of his story? Anthony Edward Stark was called many things, he was the 'Merchant of Death' and 'Iron Man', he was the 'Greatest Creation' and the one who was 'Not Recommended'… But at his very Core he always was the 'Mechanic' and he will fix any issue given the chance, no matter how many tries it will take. No matter how long it will take, no matter how many times he will have to open his eyes for the first time, Anthony Edward Stark will find his way home… He will fix everything.
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Reforging - 1.1
'Get yourself together… ' That was what Tony was telling himself, trying as hard as possible not to allow the creeping coldness to take him and even as his body suddenly felt way better than ever before he still persisted. It was the thought that carried him through, it was the thought that allowed him to preserve himself and not simply crumble, Siberia took something from him that he knew will never return. He also knew that it won't be the same ever again, he won't be the same ever again, it was something that he won't be able to put into words even if his life depended on it. So when his eyes opened and he found himself in White Space he wasn't panicking, it hurt but the lack of coldness of the bunker was enough of a hint for him to connect the dots. He was able to force the Emergency Manual Release on his armor, he was able to get out and then the Screen appeared and his mind was running, his mind was taking in the new data. And then he cried, then he laughed, then he couldn't help but punch the immovable object before him and still failed to even hurt his hand…
Nothing could be done, he wasn't sure how long he spent while thinking it over, this didn't feel like a second chance but it was something that he knew won't go away. He couldn't lose it, he couldn't even properly articulate what was happening around him, it didn't make sense but he was sure that he could still feel that everything was real. Maybe hours passed? Maybe days? He wasn't getting hungry or tired, he tried to get his armor working but he didn't have the means just yet and he wasn't getting them anytime soon. He still glanced at the Screen from time to time, it still felt like someone was mocking him with the idea of a new life being given to him. He read the fine print, he could go back but only if he was lucky, he wasn't stupid and he knew that this wasn't what he wanted so he wished to ensure that he was alive to do it. He forced himself to walk to the Screen, to finally press the buttons and to ensure that this madness would finally end while he picked everything he could think of that wouldn't be too hazardous to himself.
He looked himself over… Was he 'Medium'? Picking 'Athlete' felt almost logical, he wasn't really into physical kind of work but after working with so much machinery he was already on a list of those that were in shape. The 'Flexibility' was nice, he wasn't thinking any of it was real but he was making an attempt, he also chose 'Evercleansed' and 'Metavore' as both were something that his mind whispered to him were his godsent choices. He then gained the maximum in 'Sense' as it would allow him to see so much more, he figured that even if he was going insane so at least it would be on his terms. 'Endurance' was taken to its limit, the desire to not be tired or feel so worn out pierced through the haze of his mind slowly trying to break apart. The last of these Choice Points went into 'Appeal', because why not? He decided that if someone was having a laugh at his expense he wouldn't be the one to give them the last laugh and then he pressed the 'Submit' button and everything changed…
There was no pain and no discomfort, his body that he knew suddenly changed and he wasn't aware how it happened, he blinked and missed it. He crumbled near his armor as he stared at his hands, he patted himself over and he could see everything so clearly now but it wasn't even the most outrageous thing. He felt so refreshed, he wasn't sure if it was just the sensation, it was something within him that just clicked into place and suddenly everything was better and everything was making so much sense to him. It was real? It was real… It was real! He wasn't sure what exactly it meant, it was almost too much, he cursed that his brain was staggering behind for so long, the bitter taste of reality suddenly settling. The Screen changed and he couldn't go back but the new one wasn't any less interesting, Tony now knew that it was real and he paid it the attention it deserved. He rolled through the options, he knew what he wanted and the current number of Choice Points allowed him to acquire as much as he desired. Some things had to be sacrificed, some had to be discarded but he was getting a living space and he was getting it now, he was getting the tool to fix his suit and he will be running soon…
His eyes watered as the space around him warped, there wasn't much to it and it was an instant thing but he was perfectly aware that it was much more than that. His head didn't hurt but he wasn't going to complain about that, he dragged his suit with the help of his new little helpers to the 'Workshop'. He had work to do, Tony Stark wasn't going to be idle, he knew he wasn't alone and as long as he was able to get his suit running… He wasn't alone… He wasn't alone… He was 'The Mechanic', he could fix it, he would fix it, he won't be giving up no matter what, he had things he wanted to return to. His hands were grasping the tools, not as good as he wished them to be but enough to get him going, he won't be failing here, he couldn't fail here!
The Arc Reactor spurred back to life, the internal systems coming back online, he couldn't help but release a tearful bark of laughter at it…
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"Boss, I'm not sure this is… possible?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. commented as Tony took a gulp of orange juice from a can, the food in the fridge was fresh and filled his gut. "I'm archiving away the options, the last entry was not logged… "
"Don't worry about it, Baby Girl, we're going beyond what science expected and I'm not sure how to explain it, my brain drawing a bit blank here." He finished his juice and threw the can into the trash bin, hitting perfectly. "I already checked everything, this place is isolated and even scanners that we have right now show nothing, as if nothing here exists. I think I'm not suited for this shit anymore…"
"At least you're alright? I can tell that you're in better shape than before." He almost cooed at his Baby Girl trying to cheer him up, he may not be in a better shape mentally but at least nothing hurt him physically. "And you think that it would be possible to return?"
"As far as I can tell, it depends on luck but it's possible." He stood up and walked up to the fridge, opening it and looking over what he had to work with. "Trust me, I already considered all the stupid things that I did… Mistakes were made… I'm an idiot."
"But you're going to fix it all, right?" He knew she was growing, he knew that he won't be losing anyone this time around like before. "You're going to make it work?"
"Well, one thing that I'm good at is fixing things and I hope that I won't be disappointing anyone that I'm not planning on dying." He missed others so much already, he will be on his knees and with his forehead on the floor when he'll be apologizing to Pepper, he still wished Rhodey was here and not on the coat in the hospital. "I'm going to fix this, I cannot fail at fixing this, this isn't like before… This is real."
He wasn't sure if he wanted it to be, it simply hurt his inner scientist, it was almost too much to even grasp but some part of him was so assured about it that he wasn't fighting it. Being able to participate in this mess was almost as bad a fleeting promise of being able to return, he wished to get back but he wasn't sure if he would be able to pull it off. He wasn't exactly in the best place right now, Siberia still echoed within his mind in a way that made his heart beat in an uneven rhythm, but he had to come back. There was no other option, no other outcome for him, he had to force his way back no matter what, against everything as his life wasn't just over. He could fix this, the betrayal still stung but he knew that it won't do him any good to simply mope around and consider all the possibilities of what could've been if not for Rogers and his lies…
"Sometimes teammates don't tell me things."
Tony gritted his teeth and grabbed a bottle of water, he wasn't going to cloud his mind with anything, this was too important, so he headed out and moved towards the still floating Screen. He really had to marvel how his mind refused to find any faults in whatever was producing the damn thing, he literally had no clue how it worked and he was looking it over for hours. No clock moved within this place, time wasn't moving forward, but it would seem that he wasn't being harmed by it in any way so there was a good side to it all. Shaking his head Tony started reading the Screen, the name 'Short Circuit' did spark some minor itch in the back of his head but he wasn't sure if it was just him having a phantom recognition or not. It wasn't like he knew every piece of Media all over the place, he was sure that he'll remember it after a while. Now he had to make his choices…
"Boss, are you sure?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked as she awkwardly moved the armor to stay by his side. "This all looks like it would have a profound effect on you… "
"Don't have any choice here, we need to start moving if I want to get back so I'm not fighting it and going with the flow." He snorted at his own rather overly dramatic description of basically 'giving up'. "Don't see any doors around, don't see any Magic Tickets either, so it feels like it should be our only option…"
The part about 'Location' was simple right after he skipped the 'Age and Gender', he didn't wish to change a single thing for the latter, and he also didn't wish to land right in the middle of a military base. The alternative was somewhere in the middle of Oregon, which he preferred right now, 'Origins' also wasn't a choice as the only thing he could see himself taking was the 'Genius Scientist'. Looking over all the 'Perks' and 'Items' he could get out of it there wasn't much he would even need when it came to supplies, he already forged Stark Industries into what it was by the time he… departed, he could do it again. Making his choices wasn't as simple as he expected it to be, he simply picked everything from 'General' in 'Perks' and then all 'Items' for his Origin, he also took one Perk from the other Origin. He wasn't going to be missing out on a way to protect himself against someone like Wanda, '"I" Told Me' was acquired without a single regret.
"So you're ready, Boss?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked as his finger hovered over the 'Submit' button.
"Almost, and I hope that I'm right…" He released a sigh and pressed the button…
And then the World went White…
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Waking up at his workplace wasn't something new to Tony, the lack of Pepper reminding him that he should sleep in bed was, and it stung and he knew that there was his 'light at the end of the tunnel'. So he instantly booted up F.R.I.D.A.Y. and started going through his new memories, it was so bizarre that he had a whole new life that he would need to live for ten years. There wasn't much but he had a full comprehension of what was happening, the 'Stark Industries' company he now had wasn't as big but it was among the best in sheer quality around. But these were the eighties and he wasn't exactly thrilled with the strange hop back in development of the technology, it was like a blast from the past but he wasn't waking up from this one. The Internet wasn't even a thing yet, something he was going to change soon enough, and he was going over the records to see how this Earth was different from the one he was familiar with. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was helping as she kept records, at least the ones that were uploaded to the armor that he stored in his personal laboratory and locked it away for the time being. So he dug into his dusty mental locker where he kept all the old stuff and started pulling, the company he had may have been one of the best but it was still back in the eighties. He had higher standards, he had a plan and he was going to work it into the ground so to regain at least some traction with the mess that was currently his life, it wasn't nice and it wasn't optimal but it was better than doing nothing.
And then he started to work, this new breath at Life ignited a fire under him that he almost felt was lost after the years, he was being more productive than ever. Maybe part of it could be directed to [Miracle Maker] as it allowed him to work better, he had no choice but to accept it but now he wasn't complaining. [Open Minded] was also helping, all the unfamiliar relics that he had to handle were hard to adjust to, he was working overtime and it was probably for the best that he started learning. He was Tony Stark, he knew how to admit his own wrongdoings, he was doing it for years, and now that he was in a better headspace he also knew that he couldn't pull off another escapade like that. His mind was ablaze, the 'Perk' did more than it promised and he had a nagging thought that it had something to do with his already high IQ and it wasn't really accounting for it. He pointedly ignored what was happening in NOVA Laboratory or the weird conga-line of military-grade vehicles along with the strange machinery being dragged around. He was more than aware of what was happening, F.R.I.D.A.Y. made a list for him of the fact that they knew and Johnny Five wasn't a threat at all. He wasn't going to simply waltz in and stir anything, he was more curious about the past than the present at the moment and when the week passed and everything was resolved he simply sighed and filed it away for now.
There was no Howard Stark, no HYDRA and no Project Rebirth, he may not have access to all the files nor was he going to go diving into Government Archives so he was working only with what he had on hand. But that barely mattered as he had work to do, it just meant that he wasn't going to be warring with Nazi Cults and that there wasn't a Super Soldier running around, he wasn't going to complain. Other than the minor incident with an A.I. getting a new lease on life there simply wasn't anything going on, he was free to do as he pleased and right now he was getting on his feet. His new company may have been one of the best but it was far from enough for him, he instantly started working and analyzing the market and producing what he could. First he needed to get everything off the ground, the eighties wasn't exactly an ideal place for him to work but he could do it and [Miracle Maker] was helping as it allowed him to adapt. New processing units for personal computers were going to be on the market within months, he knew that he would need to map them out personally but the people working in his company weren't idiots.
It was almost refreshing to see the awed looks the people that were now working for him were sending him when he brought the schematics and the blueprints for the new terminals. He really appreciated it, and he wasn't going to complain about that, they were instantly taking in his designs and working on them, and it wasn't some blind or mechanical thing but a living and active mutual interaction. His employees weren't like the ones before, the difference was subtle but there was the lack of mileage on them that he was used to looking out for when he visited the departments. He made sure to memorize the faces, F.R.I.D.A.Y. made a list specifically for him, in the first month he was running things as smoothly as he could and wasn't even sure if he had to do anything. It was like a return to his 'roots', like he was back at being young and only now inheriting the business from his father, and fuck if the reminder didn't hurt like a bitch…
His 'Warehouse' was also used extensively, he was making sure that he had a database of everything that he was creating and everything was copied and stored in there. He was bringing in the 'Digital Age' a few decades early but he didn't care, his company was working perfectly and only now he was grasping just how refined it was. He was feeding the departments the ideas that came from some hazy memories, he may not be able to install optic fibers just yet but he was making waves already. Improved processors, the sheer idea of personal computers being so… primitive irked him, he also invested in the mainstream Liquid-Crystal Displays that were already being floated around from Japan but not really on the market in America just yet. He actually was invited to several social gatherings, the Ancient Rituals of showboating and Dances Around the Investors' Campfires, and he obliged while giving out his own personal opinions. His 'revolutionary' ideas were accepted and prized and he wasn't sure he was going to stop anytime soon, it still tasted bitter but he was recovering. At least the physical side of things was marking him as being better off than ever before, he was clean and also sober and there wasn't much else to say about that side of the deal.
He was the first one to admit that he kind of wasted the [Highly Educated] as he took it with 'Robotics' and 'Artificial Intelligence' and while it boosted his knowledge somewhat he was already better at it than many. He wasn't going to complain and cry over the spilled milk, he was already working with it and so he was going to accept it as a lesson and start making his changes soon. The only thing that was still a bit out of his reach were his Arc Reactors, he was able to recover the one in his armor but that wasn't much and he was using his personal Laboratory to make more. He wasn't sure he was going to break out that kind of tech until a lot later, he wasn't exactly sure he was going to be able to do so this early, no matter how much he wished to do it. The designs for the new batteries with expanded capacity were going to have to do for now, they were a year or so off from the point where he would be able to launch proper mobile phones. Tablets and laptops were next, medical breakthroughs would need to wait and Tony had to think really hard about his own reasoning as he wasn't sure that people were ready for it. He was planning on stretching this, he had ten years so he was going to make it all work out no matter how much he felt he was going to regret it later but it was the best solution.
He was also using his personal laboratory to restore his armor, the process was a bit slow with how he was working with inferior tools and all that but he was making progress. And the voice in the back of his head, that suspiciously sounded like Rhody, kept telling him to take his time and not rush into things. And Tony missed him so much that he didn't even dare to argue, he had to keep himself busy but he could get away with small things and he kept going for as long as he could. The free time he had? He spent it processing, he knew that he wasn't the one who threw the first proverbial punch, at least not a physical one, but he also knew that Rogers was the one he was angry at. Barnes… Tony didn't hate the man, he couldn't as he had enough time to digest everything that happened and admit that he was in the wrong, but only about Barnes. Rogers deserved everything and more, with him now healed to an utmost peak there wasn't much that was holding him back from starting to reflect. It wasn't some kind of Enlightenment, nor was there a sudden Epiphany, it was a slow process that made him feel as if his only fault was not being enough of everything. It wasn't a self-destructive kind of realization, it was a slow acceptance that he didn't do enough to make it work out but not in the way that others may perceive.
Avengers were required, but 'Avengers' weren't a specific group of people but an idea and it was probably [Her Pants Are Blazing For You] allowing him to filter it but some things just clicked. He was too compromised, too attached, he took the blame for things that he now was realizing he should've been fighting against, it was a bitter pill to swallow. He had his faults, he had his mistakes, but the faults of others and the mistakes of others weren't his own and taking the blows for them wasn't something he wished to do. Could he do better? Absolutely. Will he do better? He would need to wait and see, the Screen promised him that he would be able to get back, as long as the Random Chance will allow, he would be able to get back, even the next World he visits can be his home. He spent a… large amount of time figuring it out, he spent too much time agonizing over it and now he was here and giving a chance to this utter insanity. But was it still insane if it worked? Was it still insane if it allowed him to actually succeed?
He could feel these 'Perks' working, he could tell that he was already better than before and could only improve from there, he was getting the hang of it. He already would do better, he could do so much better, he only needed the chance and it was given to him, he still went back to the Warehouse to reread all the Rules and Regulations and Agreements. F.R.I.D.A.Y. kept him company, she was his Baby Girl and he wasn't going to lose her too, he had nobody else left…
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Tony felt like life was just flowing around him, each time he stepped out outside he could see people living normal lives and everything was so much calmer here than ever before. But he knew that it was only here, he knew that it was only right now, he was now forty-six and still counting so he kept going. He already had months of mileage on this new Earth, nothing much of note was happening so he made sure to keep going for as long as he could while retaining his conviction. Howard always said that it was important to improve, everything could be reached through technology and Tony wasn't going to surrender the notion as he pushed for more with each day. The designs that his company had already exceeded what was on the market right now, releasing the more advanced ones with Stark Industries being the forerunner helped a lot. Contracts were in abundance, the moment people started to smell the profit they instantly started to send contacts, nothing too serious as the feelers were always the first in line but the better ones also came around. But he was more focused on developing the technology that would allow him to improve what he already had, it was starting to appear that he would be able to pull it off as [Miracle Maker] removed the limits of the current technological progress of the World. He already could synthesize his own Element, building a Particle Accelerator wasn't exactly simple but he was able to do it on his own and with a little help from F.R.I.D.A.Y. and it worked.
"This is amazing, Boss!" F.R.I.D.A.Y. noted as Tony finished the Portable Assemble Unit. "But you said you won't be wearing your armor in this World?"
"Don't need it, there aren't really any threats around that the normal police won't be able to take care of, but it's for the sake of the future as I have no clue how far I will be thrown in the next one." He was accumulating as much as he could, his Warehouse was already stacked with some of the more 'advanced' designs he could think of and he was constantly making more or improving on the ones he had. "We need to prepare for every possible thing that may come our way, we cannot expect to be lucky twice."
"Got it, Boss!" F.R.I.D.A.Y. was currently working on maintaining his personal production facility, he needed to get something more cutting edge out to make everything work for him. "Also, how are you going to guess where we'll go next?"
"I won't be guessing, it's kind of impossible with how I'm basically playing a Russian Roulette here, but I can create something that would allow me to outlive the unfavorable odds." His face scrunched into a frown as he took a gulp of orange juice, for some reason alcohol tastes like ash for him. "And as we are basically replicating the 'Sliders' here we may as well think of every possible option, things always can go wrong and I'm not planning on them ending up bad for us."
He couldn't allow himself to stagger, to fail, it was his Mantra for months and he was sure to repeat it each morning as he slowly made sure to lessen any stress that he was feeling. He was getting better, slowly but surely, he may be able to fully recover by the time he will be gone from this World… Tony wasn't going to be optimistic here, he was a realist but even then [Open Minded] gave him an unique perspective on things and he was able to break the usual walls that he built around himself. It was getting easier, not by much but it was a work in progress and he was advancing, it was hard and it was painful but he was slowly getting the feeling of being able to overcome the mental blockage that he forced upon himself. He may never be able to forget, no matter what he will never allow himself to forget, but he was more than capable of developing a level of acceptance of his past and move on. It was still a long way away but he was getting there…
But he was getting distracted, he considered the simple thing that the Perk allowed him to properly view as an option, everything was possible. Hours sitting and figuring out all the details of the 'explanation' he was given made him able to read between the lines, there was nothing truly impossible within this weird established system so he could potentially get any means to success. It took him a bit of time but 'Short Circuit' was something he recalled, a Movie that he watched some years ago and the face of Steven Robert Guttenberg kind of keyed him in. He asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to check, Newton Crosby was fired from NOVA Laboratory for extremely poor mishandling of equipment that led to an incredible amount of property damage, Tony was almost impressed. His assistant, Ben Jhaveri, was also kicked out, the sheer cost of one of the S.A.I.N.T. Units was really hefty in current times and Tony was almost tempted to hire Crosby but held back. He decided not to touch the whole thing for now, he had his own things to do and there was no point in doing anything with how the whole thing was already done with and wrapped up.
And so Tony continued to work, he actually enjoyed the feeling of simply creating right now and not having to also get pulled in more than one direction while handling the whole thing with Avengers. It was so novel, he had so much time on his hands that he barely knew what to do with it, he spent most of it drawing plans and working with F.R.I.D.A.Y. on projects that were designed for him to take them along into other Worlds. He abused his Perks, [Miracle Maker] allowed him to sidestep the lack of technological progress and still push for more as he simply wasn't as restrained in creating new things. The production of actual basic mobile phones started already, he was able to negotiate Administrative Rights to the first Mobile Provider within the newly provided network. Stark Industries was crushing any possible competition as nobody truly could compare, Stark Phones were just too reliable and cheap and available on the market for anyone else to compete with them. Computers with the new Processing Cores were also 'prophesied' to be a huge hit, people were starved for such comforts as they only ever saw them in all the Movies about 'Fabulous Future'.
His father was able to demonstrate a working prototype of a flying car in the forties, Tony was just as good and now even better so he was going to do better. It was kind of hard with how he knew that there were some incredible potentials all over the place but he simply had no way of reaching them just yet. He politely skirted around the topic of Artificial Intelligence, after the whole mess with 'Johnny Five' he didn't wish to risk it and F.R.I.D.A.Y. was more than enough for him at the moment. But as the development of the Computing Units was getting off the ground he also decided to address the matter of better opportunities for the civilian population. Simply acquiring facilities and starting the production wasn't an option right now, he wasn't that rich, but he was more than capable of addressing the possible issues of prosthetics. Something that he was planning to start producing and this iteration of Stark Industries will finally break into the market, he was kind of lucky that [High Education] that he acquired included 'Robotics' and the two methodologies had synergy. He was so happy that the people working in his new company were competent when it came to following his directions, they gave out helpful advice and interacted as a collective should.
The Screen said that the company will follow him to other Worlds, the possibility of it being added to the Stark Industries as an 'expansion' was kind of enticing. But he had to get back home first, the 'Homefront' that was promised to him was still years away and he was still working on getting there. So he continued to work, being invited to social gatherings was nice and while he didn't 'party' as such he still enjoyed the atmosphere and interactions. And it also was amusing to see how others were taking his 'progressive' ideas in stride and then were awed by the plans he had for the future. Well, the 'City of Tomorrow' wasn't exactly on the menu just yet but he was sure that he would be able to start something similar in the future. He also wasn't going to construct Stark Tower here, such an outrageous project may be a bit too much for his current place of residence but he had years to work with… so it wasn't an impossibility. He was also making plans for his project, 'S.I.B.E.R.I.A.' was still in its infancy but he was working on expanding it and F.R.I.D.A.Y. was safeguarding it to the best of her ability with how she had not much else to do.
The 'Stark Initiative of Bringing Every Reliable Individual Aboard' was something that he figured out with how 'Companions' were introduced and he was already thinking of the possibility of recruitment. It wasn't exactly something he wished to do with how the idea of simply taking someone away from everything they knew was abhorrent to him, it was no better than kidnapping someone and forcing them to fight battles not their own. But Tony also wasn't naive or oblivious to implications, if such an option was present then there was a chance that there were people out there that could agree. So he kept his mind open, Perk not included, he was planning to see how far he would be able to take it and test the waters and see what could be done without him actually risking anything. His suit was almost fully repaired and he was already making adjustments, the fight with Rogers showed that he was in dire need of an upgrade, he held back but Rogers didn't but it still was his loss. But had ten years here, he had ten years to work on every possible fault and rebuild himself better than before, he had ten years while Rogers won't have even a week.
He also was very thankful to [You Know What Else People Are Liking? Headlights.] as it prevented him from backsliding, from losing his edge and he now could only advance with no risk of deteriorating on any other front. The 'Intuition' he gained from this Perk also made it almost trivial to work on some of the more dangerous projects, he simply had a wonderful 'Sixth Sense' whenever it came to doing something monumentally stupid and it helped. He also was investing heavily in developing the basic network and the rudimentary Internet, the dreams of Optic Fiber were still only in his head but he was perfectly capable of taking strides wide enough to topple that tower in three years or so. He just had to work on the process of producing the more advanced equipment for himself, it was simple for him but he wasn't exactly someone who could personally supply it on an industrial scale. No, his company was promising a lot and he wasn't going to fail to deliver so he worked really hard to ensure that nothing would go wrong.
He also wasn't above cheating a bit with the future data.
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New Year Celebrations were always fun to attend, as Tony didn't have any close friends he wasn't going to host any private parties and instead created an Event for all the company's employees that they could freely attend. It was kind of amazing how such a thing overjoyed them, he usually hosted such things before along with a proper speech and such but this time it was different. He was kind of elated in a very different way, it was that same initial joy from before when he made it all about the people working for him and participated himself. It was somehow novel, the whole thing wasn't even a public stunt and he simply made it to get a proper feel of the company he was now owing. And the feedback was staggering, he spared no expenses and the people really appreciated it with how the cooperative allowed to bring family too. Sure, not everyone joined but most people were lured in by expensive food and champagne and the large Christmas Tree that he acquired specifically for the Headquarters of Stark Industries. He wasn't even sure when the celebrations ended as the New Year came and the fireworks went out without a hitch, the timing was perfect and he was proud to admit that the plan came into fruition.
Some people that came with children were provided with temporary housing, some that were without also used them and Tony understood and he also thought that cleaning staff was going to be working overtime to fix it all. People that wished partnership with Stark Industries were also present, it was a celebration and not really a place to create business connections or forge deals. For Astoria, a town that barely had ten thousand in population, the large swing of celebration was like a huge city-wide event that everyone wished to see with how Tony knew how to throw a party. The nearest city being Portland and they probably could see the fireworks there, the snow wasn't exactly a problem as the properties of Stark Industries were well-maintained at every season. He also made sure to coordinate the whole thing with the town's authorities, it wouldn't do any good to be interrupted by a sudden visit from the police. The Mayor was elated to have good publicity and also a huge boost to the prestige of the town, it wasn't exactly a monumental shift but it was still a large bump that made him shake Tony's hand for the whole of a minute. The months that Tony spent in this World he adjusted to the sudden and bizarre shift, the memories of his counterpart of this World helped a lot. The Tony that was born in this World was truly a self-made man that also was an orphan but managed to create such a large company all on his own, he wasn't as known as Tony was back on his version of Earth but the locals knew him.
So the New Year was a huge success, he was already making plans for the next year and there wasn't much he was going to do other than push for advancements. He was already working on a project of supplying the local schools with newly produced computers, the idea of children having no access to Internet weirded him out. He had a small idea of coding a basic version of social media, maybe some kind of a Messenger App but his Perk warned him that pushing too far would be bad. He also discarded a lot of possible ideas due to them being a bit too innovative, he was used to the pace that he set for himself and now it wasn't working with how people were too far behind to receive its 'fruits'. But he was making the foundation, he also was improving the infrastructure of Astoria, the new year started with the project of properly overhauling the grid of the whole place. He may not be willing to release the Arc Reactor into the commercial space but he could supply the whole city with cheap green energy, something that was welcomed and appreciated. The large one was working overtime, it was providing for the small town and was based within the Headquarters, only he and F.R.I.D.A.Y. could even interface with it, the security there was airtight.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult to build a large working Arc Reactor as it was the miniature version, [Miracle Maker] was a lifesaver and he wasn't even using it to its full potential. There was more that could be done, more that could be done but the common sense and the Perk were holding him back as he didn't wish to overwhelm the World too much. It was still a fast pace by anyone else's standards but it wasn't the same for him, his mind was still brimming with incredible potential that he wished to realize. Stark Industries was officially off the grid by February of the next year, he wasn't even going to pretend that it was normal by the local standards. Sure, he had to have long and very detailed talks with the police about at least a dozen infiltrators that were caught and three saboteurs that were stopped before they even could enter the premises of the facility but it was expected. He worked hard to tighten security, once more it was F.R.I.D.A.Y. who was the best at it as he simply didn't have the time to look over every possible portfolio but current Cyber Security was utter garbage and his Baby Girl tore through every and each database possible all on her own. He checked every possible venue he could think of but everything was kind of a 'Dead End' as there was never Project Rebirth nor was there anything even remotely close to it.
Well, it would seem that he was going to be making this version of Earth a lot more interesting, the eighties were going to be the years of 'Breakthroughs' for America. He was already planning on branching out, the rudimentary Medical Department his company head was inadequate and he wished to expand it. [Open Minded] helped in that regard as it made learning new things so much easier, he was already dipping his toe into some of the more distant subjects and expanding his knowledge but it was still amazing just how simple it became for him. Tony knew that his brain worked a bit differently than others, he knew he was a genius but it didn't mean much when compared to the sheer boost he gained from the Perk. It wasn't exactly wired to work like that but it still helped, he was making sure that he was being very careful and very thorough in his studies but it was becoming a lot simpler when he tried to synergize what he already knew with what he was gaining. Working overtime wasn't even a problem, his Endurance was high enough to pull good all-nighters without issues, but he made sure to take care of himself and not overstress himself. There was no Pepper or Rhody to remind him to do so, Tony made sure to constantly remind himself that there was a goal to all this, that he was moving somewhere with this.
He also wondered if traveling across Dimensions was possible, he was researching the subject but he wasn't even thinking about experimenting on the subject. His Perk rang like a Requiem Knell in his head the moment he even considered putting his research into actual practice, it was an incredibly bad idea and he was told as such. But he still persisted in the theoretical pursuit, it was refreshing to actually feel the pressure of the subject's complexity pushing him forward, even him managing to produce working Holographic Emitters with the help of [Miracle Maker] didn't amaze him as much. Oh, it was sending ripples of pure awe among the employees who were assigned to the project and refining the product but it was still something unreasonably expensive so it wasn't going to be released into the market just yet. He also started to slowly introduce the idea of personal appliances, while mobile phones were still something new he was also slowly pushing away such ancient artifacts as music players and such and simply combining it all. Having your mobile phone have all the functions at once was novel and comfortable, it was new and allowed people to save space and also have personal comfort of not having to choose.
He had a lot of ideas for later time, he was personally wishing to actually start getting into other industries that were lagging behind a bit but it wasn't the time just yet. Another thing that Tony dove into was the idea of Planetary Defense, while he won't be realizing it here the schematics were being drawn and he wished to see how far he would be able to push it. With a head clear for the first time in years he recalled, with a painful clarity, what he saw beyond the portal that Loki opened and he refocused on that. He wasn't going to have the time to work on it if he returned in ten years so he will do his best here and now, he had these ten years to work in peace. Well, he was glad that he had time and he already was better than before, a tiny part of him wished to see how far he would be able to push it, he was already doing better than before. The Screen wasn't giving him any information other than the fact that it would mark the 'Homefront' for him when it will appear, it will show him the World he was from so he will be able to seamlessly slide back into it without issues. He hoped it would be as simple, he wished that it would be that simple, then he would be able to bring everything he learned with him and improve everything.
Tony also found a minor source of amusement when he started to produce improved LCD TV that there was a bit of a problem with, he was in at least a dozen meetings with the PR Department over it. It would seem that there was a discrepancy, marketing something that had barely any way of connecting with the current Gaming Consoles were basically not equipped to handle the resolution and the compatibility of the connecting cables. It's not that they didn't work, it was more in line with the fact that they simply weren't keeping up with the improved outlets that they were supposed to work with. That kind of got Tony to blink in pure stupor, he wasn't used to such issues with how it usually happened when Stark Industries were being able to infuse the market with the new 'bar' of quality. This spurred him into taking a small break and diving into researching the issue, the older versions of 'SEGA Genesis' and 'Nintendo Entertainment System' were all hot commodities right now and he was cringing internally. His personal 'Stark Phone' had a hundred times more processing power than any of these things and better output, he wasn't going to even pretend that this worried him even a little. But he relented, instead of working with companies like Sonny and Nintendo he simply decided to release his own Gaming Console, not like it was difficult to create one and all it required was coding and proper hardware that wasn't breathing through a tube whenever someone mentioned going above 'Sixteen-Bit'.
Oh, Tony felt kind of old when he had to fish out some good talents for actual script-writing for the possible Games that were going to be released. He wasn't really interested in competing with anyone, right now it felt almost kind of cruel to hold back and dangle the false possibility of victory in front of the others. He didn't even feel like a dick about it, it was business and he knew firsthand had cutthroat it can get when people pushed for it and he wasn't going to pretend that he was naive. No, this wasn't the time to be the 'Nice Guy Tony', it was time to let the 'Businessman Tony' take the reins and see how far he would be able to push it. This wasn't a fight he had to win, this was a competition and he wasn't going to surrender his first spot for the sake of some misplaced 'sense of fair game'. There was nothing 'fair' in holding back simply for the sake of giving someone else a chance to pull their shit together and basically produce a Miracle, the whole thing didn't work like that. He won't be settling for a 'Second Place', Stark Industries was going to soar and he was going to be the driving force behind it and make sure that nothing would go wrong with his company this time. This time there won't be another Obadiah, there won't be a pretty redhead strutting into his office that wished to stab him with a syringe, there won't be another Vanko, Tony always learned from his mistakes.
Another thing that attracted his interest was the large truck he was given, it was basically a rather convenient Mobile Maintenance Station that he was bringing to the peak of performance. He wasn't sure when and where he'll land later so he was determined to keep it updated with the latest tools and possible additions he may need in the field. He wouldn't be always able to just pick something up and drag it into his Warehouse, he was planning on keeping it a secret that he will only tell to someone who would deserve to know, so there was the issue of keeping everything on hand. He wasn't really interested in buying expensive cars either, nothing truly good was coming out just yet and he was sure that his Porsche 959 was running smoothly and he also worked on it in his free time. He actually did some fine-tuning of the engine and with his new Perks it became much smoother and ran faster than before, he really loved his advanced knowledge.
He also started the program of redoing the power grid of the whole town, it was a lot of work and a lot of construction but it was a much better and robust design than before. He wasn't sure how far he would be able to push it, the plan was to slowly push out most of the other competitors from the market and provide every possible advantage to the local population. Using Astoria as an example of how much Stark Industries could improve the actual level of life for citizens should attract a lot of clientage, the income would increase with how the bigger cities would love to have a much better infrastructure. He also was slightly abusing the [Her Pants Are Blazing For You] for the sake of never botching a public performance, he had an unique way of view and read the atmosphere so he never missed a possible landmine. It was becoming easier as he adjusted to the Perk's subtle help, he did flirt with a few ladies but only on a surface level and never anything more serious, Pepper was still the only one he honestly wished for. He also abused [Your Cocktail, Dr. Marner] to mix himself drinks, minimal amount of alcohol and all about the taste and the quality to make it worth drinking but that wasn't important.
The last thing that Tony was working on was Nanotechnology, creating a working prototype during the eighties may be a bit tough but he was actually hopeful with how [Miracle Maker] functioned. It was incredibly difficult but he was already making progress, it was already on the list of upgrades that he was planning way before and it only made things easier for him to properly design. One thing that he used, he was almost feeling too petty but quickly got rid of the feeling, was the shield that he had with him as he still had a solid grasp on it when he… departed. There was something incredibly satisfying in melting the damn thing down and then using the resulting 'ingot' to study the Vibranium, even with such a small sample he was able to slowly make progress. Synthetic Vibranium wasn't exactly something that existed in this World, Vibranium as a whole sure didn't and Tony did check on the location where Wakanda was supposed to be, nothing truly aligned with some of the things he knew as there wasn't even a Sokovia on the map. Well, at least that little tidbit made so he won't have to think about a certain Witch, the whole place was a fair bit more calm than the Earth he was familiar with. Other than the project that created Johnny Five there wasn't anything really happening, he was more than content with that so now he could do his own thing and not worry. Maybe he would be able to invest into space travel?
This would be interesting too, while he couldn't exactly test out any of his defensive measures that he wished to implement due to the obvious lack of a threat, it didn't mean he couldn't test the less complex ones. Stark Industries wasn't exactly up to snuff when it came to the funds to start constructing their own satellites but it only meant that he had to roll up his sleeves and start working. The design for a good network for Internet and mobile phones was already in the works, his 'revolutionary' designs were still exceptionally robust and could be implemented within this time-period. He wondered if his father would've been able to create the New Element if he had [Miracle Maker] helping him, Howard was a genius of his generation and everything he created was revolutionary even without the Perk. Tony had no illusions that he was able to push everything so far right now only because of the Perk, it was the solution to many issues with the present level of technology in the World. He also was working on updating and upgrading F.R.I.D.A.Y., she won't become like Ultron and him holding her back was travesty all on its own. He also was making sure that nobody would be hacking her, when they will be back there won't be any issues with someone trying to make it so she won't be able to help him.
He watched 'Transcendence', he knew about the phobia of 'Inhuman Progression' and that was why he wasn't hastily performing overhauls like some maniac but was steadily making things better. He also started to construct the proper servers for her back in the Warehouse, not the temporary crappy ones that he cobbled together to give her at least some room but the real deal. They may not be the most advanced but he was putting his all into them, the only other step to take would've been to transfer her to Quantum Processing Unit but that would've been a bit too much even with a [Miracle Maker]. It was in the works but he wasn't in a hurry for now, he also considered providing his Repulsor Technology for the future use of the commercial airlines as Stark Avionics sounded very enticing. He could probably also add the methodology to satellite deployment, a multi-use delivery system would see him being approached by a lot of very interested clients. He was also considering constructing an early model of Quinjet, while he won't be degrading it to the level of Quadjet there still will be some limitations that he won't be able to overcome. But all this was for the future, right now he had to pave the foundation for everything that he will be producing later, everything around him was just so unfamiliar with how antique it was.
The first year he spent in this World was slowly but surely coming to a close, the huge timer, that was located within the Warehouse and hanging right over where the Screen was, told him as much. He wasn't sure how far he would be able to go from here, he was already doing his best and he was even bringing together the tiny pieces of what he created before the mess with Rogers. The fact that he was slowly recreating the Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing for future use created a precedent that right now some of the more advanced things were still within his grasp. He was also working on fitting it into something more compact, the potential was there but not in a way that Beck foreseen, Tony did feel that he did the right thing to fire the man. Honestly, the first and foremost application was to show help people, to alleviate trauma and to possibly allow someone to get a closure, and without Beck present there was no real claim on it so Tony could develop it all on his own. There was a small hiccup as he still wasn't getting the required precision from the Holographic Emitters for it, so constructing a fully functioning Augmented Reality wasn't going to work just yet. But he was close and it was something that he was pretty sure also was due to the Perk, but it wasn't as pressing as many other things he was working on so it took a bit of a backseat for now.
He also tasked F.R.I.D.A.Y. with starting to slowly upload every possible data she can collect onto the internal servers of the Warehouse, from his research and designs to other possible pieces of information. Even books and such, guides and music and everything she could get uploaded after scanning, he was sure it won't be as bad as he suspected it to be if he ever would be thrown into a place even further into the past but better safe than sorry. And it wasn't like he was lacking in storage space, he constantly updated his servers and improved them whenever he could as they were basically the only place where he could secure the data without risks. Also, if the Screen was to be believed, then Earth was far from the only possible landing zones, he wasn't going to cross his fingers here but he was kind of hoping that he would be able to get a perspective of technology that wasn't produced strictly from the same outlet and path that he was used to. It was almost redundant, while he wasn't going to run out of ideas any time soon, the possibility of getting the general idea of technology that took an entirely different path of development and worked on different principles would help a lot. But no such luck for now, he didn't need much but even then it was too much to ask as this World didn't have any alien life, at all…
Well, he already gained much more than he honestly felt was fair when comparing his condition on arrival so he had no right to complain. And he still had nine years to figure out everything else, he honestly felt that he had a bit too much time on hand and he already had a wonderful budding foundation for every possible project he had cooking. Moving things head was now only the question of everything he could put together and how far it would be brought into the market, he still had to look over the offered contracts but it wasn't a priority. He could already tell that the people were starting to catch a whiff of the potential that Stark Industries carried and they also wanted to be part of it, they could see that every project that he put forth succeeded.
-=(0-0)=-
A/N: "The hardest choices require the strongest wills." - Thanos.
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