Chapter 4: 4- Work
The penthouse was great. It had a massive master bedroom, two guest bedrooms, three bathrooms all with a full shower, a decently sized workshop area and a whole loving room and bar set up.
"Stark really knows how to treat his guests..." I muttered, throwing my luggage on the bed. While I was unpacking, I dove into the connection that the Allspark gave me to each of my creations, specifically to Ironhide.
'Hey buddy, how's Tony treating you?'
'Oh, hey bossman! He gave me a wipe down then rolled me into the garage with the rest of his cars on one of the lower floors.'
That's good. He probably knew Ironhide was a Transformer, but decided not to look too deep yet in fear of startling me... or the living death machine he had right in front of him.
Anthony Stark was a good person, and after his incident in Afganistan, he truly gained a heart big enough to care for those around him. Hell, he even started falling in love with Pepper, who was probably soon to join the company after 'Natalie' left.
"Okay, inventory check: I've made three Transformers- Ironhide, who will have a new name soon, Arachnid, and Skyripper. Ironhide is a Teir 3, and I might up him to a Prime, same for Arachnid too. At most, Skyripper's gonna be a Teir 4 because of his size and purpose." I said to myself, beginning to pace.
"As far as timeliness go, the whole Hulk in Harlem thing should happen soon, followed by Thor's banishment, and whatever else that comes with the joining of the Avengers. That means that I have plenty of time to relax and prepare for the shit storm that is Thanos, Arishem, Doom, Galactica, and whoever else wants to fuck with Earth."
I sighed, because I knew that I should take this time to jump into research. Then an Idea hit me. "Should I be a vigilante?"
The idea had merit, but he would have to train for that. "I'd have to leave the Transformers our of the mix, maybe be something like Batman... it would be a good thing to do while the rest of the plot cooks up."
I'll have to pit that idea on the back shelf for now, because I had a long day of real work tomorrow. "At least it'll be a nice change of pace."
---
I sighed to myself while looking through a stack of designs Tony had sent down to me. "It's a good idea to jumpstart your automobile sector with a good, reliable family car, as well as a luxury version."
A voice popped up over the speakers, revealing Jarvis, who strongly enough had a brittish accent. "Do you have any modifications Mr. Tracy?"
I double checked, looking over the frame design and the new engine system. "How does Tony want to market these?"
"What do you mean?"
"I have a water-fueled engine design sitting in my back pocket, but I can modify it so it can be more dependant on a derivative." I explained to the Ai assistant.
"You mean a new version of the gas station?"
I nodded. "Yeah, somewhat. Anyway, the frame on the luxury version needs revision. There's a section next to the front left wheel that can be compromised due to a lack of supports."
Jarvis went quiet for a moment, running millions of numbers and comparing them to other designs he had available. "Your conclusion seems to be correct. I'll notify Mr. Stark immediatly. Are there any other modifications necessary?"
"Other than making the family version comfortable, no."
"Thank you for your insight, Mr. Tracy." I could almost hear a smile on Jarvis's non-existent face. "You have three more designs to look over: The Stark Truck, Stark Plane, and Stark Train."
"Thanks Jarvis, I'll get to it soon." I told him, and he apparently moved his attention to another room, because he didn't say anything when Natalie walked into the room.
She wore a tight pencil skirt, a button up white shirt and had a sleek pair of glasses on that framed her soft features. The floor echoed with the taps of her shoes as she strutted towards me.
'That reminds me that I haven't looked myself in the mirror lately.'
"Hello Mr. Tracy, how are you settling in?" She smiled gently, standing not too far away from where I was sitting in one of the manufacturing floors.
I smiled back. "I'm doing great, Natalie, and you can call me Sam. I don't much care for formalities."
Her smile widened, and she gestured to a nearby seat as if to ask me whether I mided if she sat there. "Go ahead, like I said, I don't care."
While I wated for her to speak, I turned to the truck design and pulled it up on the hologram that Tony had set up for me. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the frame...or the engine, but that could easily change once we start in-house testing.
"What do you like to do in your free time Sam?" She tilted her head as if she actually wanted to know that.
I laughed, not bothering to look over. "Oh please, as what you really want to ask."
Natalie flinched, not expecting the sarcasm, or the fact that I knew she was faking. "U-Ahem. What's your mutation like?"
I smiled to myself. 'Her mission's to monitor Tony, bit she probably got reassigned when a possible Omega class mutant showed up.'
"I can turn machines into living beings." It was very simplified, but I didn't want to give shield too much when Hydra was still in their shadows. "It also gives me an innate knowledge with machinery and tech in general."
Natalie paused for a moment, taking mental notes. "How does that work though? Like technopathy?"
I chuckdled, turning and hopping up onto the table. "Why are you so curious about me? I'm a nobody."
She paused, contemplating her next words. "Nobody's a nobody, and it's not everyday I get the chance to meet a mutant."
I nodded as if I had come to an understanding. "Ah, meet the freak day is it?"
"What? No!"