video | un: iron.man

[buildsomething]

[The video opens on a very nice view of a warehouse ceiling, at least until there's a muffled curse offscreen and it tilts to reveal one Tony Stark. He's practically vibrating with the kind of manic energy that means he's been working for possibly too long, all hair standing on end and a few dark smudges on his face, but he looks pleased at least. Just behind him is a glowing blue hologram picking out the lines of something circular, spinning lazily like it was hurriedly abandoned.]

So hey, you all know those power plants out there in yonder abandoned wasteland? Sure you do. I know there's one working, but I've got some ideas for how to give the other ones a good kick. Thing is, I could use an extra hand.

[The metal arm that's been slowly rolling along behind him suddenly straightens and twists in Tony's direction, claw at the front contracting. Without looking back, Tony just snorts.] Not you. [The arm droops, somehow giving the impression of looking disappointed, but continues his trek to wherever he thinks he's going.]

Anyway, yes. Manpower needed. Preferably the kind that knows it's way around a welding iron, but I'll take what I can get. Oh, and a metric shitload of palladium. So if anybody's got a spare catalytic converter or twenty, let me know.

[He reaches for the phone, then pauses, something slightly sardonic flicking across his mouth.]

Or if one of you magic types wants to straw-into-gold me up some, I'll take that too.

Thanks in advance.

[Looking much more satisfied, he reaches the rest of the way to cut the feed.]

Comments

[technospeak]

Ugh. Party poopers.

[There's a definite twist of sardonic amusement in that, because Rodney's had his fair share of that kind of intervention.]

They always show up trying to make you stop working when you don't want to. Mind you, these are the same people who are lining up to authorize stimulant shots to keep you awake when you're the only one who can save the city and you're on a 72 hour deadline....

[buildsomething]

[See, 72 hours is the kind of thing Tony's likely to just do on his own, but he gives an amused little snort.]

Come on, everybody knows that hour 50 is when all the best ideas start taking shape.

[technospeak]

[Oh, 72 hours is something he could pull off on his own too, but it had gone way past that when he was on stimulants. He can remember all the times he'd been ready to go to bed, and then just one more thing came up. One more trip into space. One more nuke that needed to be fixed. One more malfunction...]

Yes, well, that much is true, but I get a real boost around 72 that just...you know, I have to keep going.