Disclaimer - I don't, and have never claimed to, own Marvel or its Intellectual Property. This is all just so that I can take my maladaptive daydreaming and turn it into something so that it does not ruin the rest of my day.
DoorMan #53
Stark Industries, LA[February 9, 2008]
–Colin Baxter–
Finally!
Something actually interesting was going to happen today. They were going to be taken on a tour of the Arc Reactor facility and despite its supposed not working state, it was still a very novel scientific application of forces that humanity even now could barely comprehend. Howard Stark truly was ahead of his time, to be able to understand something as genuinely abstract as an Infinity Stone and then somehow find parallels in nature and create a procedure to mimic a fraction of the original's capabilities, all the while being hamstrung by technology of his time was a miracle all on its own.
Speaking of miracles, he might just ask the Ancient One if Howard's discovery was purely his own skill or if there were some disturbances around him that coincidentally led to the discovery, just like the creation of Captain America's shield. The formula for that alloy is long lost now.
That shield was more than just Vibranium and the prevailing theory among the Sanctum nerds was that the shield had more than one isotope of Vibranium along with something else, something much harder than conventional metals to create that abomination that regularly broke the laws of physics. Yes, even Mystical laws were broken by that damned thing.
He had half a mind to see what would be the end result of a blood bonding process, wherein he would put the Shield through a ritual and blood bind it to the Captain. He was certain something amazing would happen, either it would gain some fantastic abilities or it would just outright reject the ritual. Either way, fascinating to observe.
He was brought out of his reverie when the car they were in jerked slowly to a halt. He got out without a word as his relationship with the rest of the interns had not progressed beyond friends of circumstances.
His eyes landed on the massive whirlpool shaped building, housing one of the largest experimental prototypes that Stark Industries ever built. It was a nice little PR win for SI, considering that Arc technology was touted as a viable alternative to Fusion Nuclear Reactors, as much as both of them were viable in the next century or so.
According to what little was available online, and in SHIELD servers, the Arc Reactor, this specific one still generated electricity, yes, it was positive in terms of net energy generated but it was so little that it barely made any sense to pour so much time and energy into it. It was also very expensive, the housing of the Reactor.
All in all, it was a net negative for Stark Industries, if not for the massive stock rally they had after the green hippies around the world saw the potential for clean energy.
"Welcome!" His eyes widened minutely as he saw Stane, the one responsible for Tony's continued imprisonment in Afghanistan, walking towards them, all dapper and charming smiles. He could see how the man could have fooled everyone with his act, least of all Tony who was barely sober for the past couple of years with how much he had partied around the world.
"I was told we had a new cohort of young geniuses but nobody told me they were this young. Ah, where was I?" The act was well oiled and rehearsed, easing himself into the conversation and then leading them into the building, sidelining their official guide.
He hadn't expected the man to come out here himself, what with him being in the middle of a crisis because the terrorists he paid to kill the man didn't finish their job, instead taking the money and keeping the man alive for their own purposes. It didn't take a genius to know that Stane must be so busy with damage control that he wouldn't even have time to breathe but the man was here, on an intern tour, of all things.
A charade, an act to show that he was in control, to show that he wasn't panicking. He could see it, the minor tremors, the sweat, the dark circles covered by makeup, the shrinking gut.
Wow, just a few weeks of stress and the man had lost so much weight. Wouldn't want to be him.
"Ah, I know you guys are all very smart but I have to warn you, it's part of protocol, no photography, no taking phone out of your pockets and more importantly, DO NOT TOUCH anything. It might zap you or it might not, we'd rather not find out, alright?" Stane leaned down and mock whispered to them.
"Alright." And the people replied. Wow, so gullible these people are.
After that, Stane led them towards the side with a large yellow door with the nuclear warning plastered on every inch of that door. Stane swiped his card as the door began opening with the stereotypical warning sounds.
"Alright, come on in." Stane jokingly put his hand forward and then pulled it back as if afraid of what would be on the other side. Despite all the people here being geniuses and knowing that if there was a leak in the Arc Reactor, they would all be affected, hand in the door or not, they all went along with Stane and laughed.
He would have rolled his eyes so much had he not been in such a small group.
Ass Kissing much?
Soon, they were herded into the room and the second his foot crossed the threshold of the door, he stiffened for a second and almost fell down. Only his superior sense of balance and the fact that he was last in line saved him from suspicion as he struggled to keep his expressions neutral.
The second he had stepped into the room, his powers began acting up, doing something that they had never done before. He quickly closed his eyes and entered his mind space, only for his entire face to warp in astonishment as the place where the Trees that symbolised his claimed Doors had a new addition at the moment. It was glowing blue, with discharges of lightning all around the Tree, with a glowing lightning logo seared into the bark of the tree.
"What the fuuuuuu–"
__xx__
Outside
The second they entered the Reactor room, a sudden surge of energy from the reactor was recorded by the technicians. Thankfully, the energy was bled off harmlessly because of protective mechanisms in place.
The second time it happened, the surge was much more noticeable, even to the naked eye as the housing that kept the Arc Reactor contained, crackled with energy, or lighting for some reason.
Meanwhile, Colin was standing at the back, with his eyes closed and his face scrunched up.
If you guys would like to support me, or just want to read up to 15 chapters ahead, you can head on to my P*treon. It is the same name as my username.