"This is frankly getting ridiculous." said William Harris, a fellow board member of Vex Corp.
Cerion couldn't agree more but the man had insisted on tagging along when he presented the idea of meeting Tony Stark to discuss a possible collaboration in the clean energy project. When he pitched the idea the Board was instantly against any collaboration, especially in the rabbit hole that'd be the clean energy project. The Board was working under the assumption that it was a waste of investment when they could funnel resources into defence contracts. Especially in the wake of the military approving a defence contract for his Shielders and Restoration Discs. The military also asked for another project involving the Restoration Discs which is most certainly going to be a cash cow. So, as far as funding goes Vex Corp was about to get flooded with dollars.
There is going to be a month-long review by the intelligence agencies into the company to see whether Vex Corp is complying with certain codes to operate as a defence contractor. So, with the government going through their books the Board was convinced there is no need for collaboration with Stark Industries. Most of the Board members have a bone to pick with Tony Stark while the rest thought it was a bad idea to collaborate with a competitor just when they were on the precipice of breaking into the defence sector.
Most of all, the Board was concerned with the manic personality interface of Tony Stark bombing them all to kingdom come with his stunts. Everyone acknowledges Tony Stark is a once in a millennium genius but the man has a unique ability to piss off people and make enemies wherever he goes. It didn't help the guy is totally dismissive of other people and their feelings.
Sitting in one of the guest rooms of Stark Industries' CA office Cerion added one more character flaw in regards to Tony Stark. The man has no respect for other people's valuable time. Cerion had gone out his way to book a meeting with the man and what does the man do? Ditch them for four bloody long hours doing who knows what.
"That prick could be having an orgy for all we know." Mr Harris growled, glaring coldly around the guest room.
Cerion doubted that's the case but what would he know. It's not actually outside the realm of possibility.
Thankfully, the door to their room chose to swing open at that moment. Cerion hoped it was Stark but unfortunately it was the skilled sidekick slash secretary, Pepper Potts.
"Sorry for the wait gentlemen. Mr Stark is ready to see you now."
Well, it was better late than never. Relieved that coming here was not going to become a total waste of time he followed Stark's trusted secretary out of the guest room.
"So, what was he doing all this time? Fucking some cheap whore he found on the street?" snarked William.
Cerion gave the man a warning look. It'd seem dear Willy has some unresolved issues with Tony Stark and the silent treatment he incurred for the last four hours seems to have brought up all the anger the man must have suppressed.
"Mr Stark is terribly sorry for keeping you gentlemen waiting. He had to take an unscheduled appointment with his doctor." Pepper explained, a placid smile adorning her youthful face.
"I hope the son of bitch got AIDS."
Cerion heard William mutter darkly. Hoping to not cause any offence he decided to intervene before his companion decide to blow a gasket.
"We understand Miss Potts. I hope Mr Stark is feeling well."
"Of course." Pepper gave him a thankful smile. Holding out a door for them she waved them in. "Please, Mr Stark is waiting for you."
Being the secretary of an egotistical sociopath like Tony Stark must surely be a taxing job. The last thing he wanted was for the poor woman to get the brunt of their ire when it should be directed at the man inside. So, Cerion let William enter first before turning to address Pepper.
"I apologize on his behalf. He has not been having a good day."
Pepper gave him an understanding smile and a nod. Felling a bit better, he squared his shoulders and entered the office of the CEO of Stark Industries.
A few minutes into the meeting he was bemoaning the fact that he was saddled with William Harris. The Board must have known Stark and Harris have a history. They must have intentionally had Harris accompany him to sabotage this meeting. It didn't help Stark's fragile ego couldn't help but antagonize Harris from time to time.
"So, how's the wife and children?" asked Tony, wearing a customary smirk while leaning back in his chair.
"None of your business Stark." Harris growled back.
"Charming. So, what's the business here guys. I have other things to do than having a staring contest with one of my Ex's cousins." said Tony, turning his attention back to the computer screen.
"Rachel is my sister you prick." Harris growled and was about to stand from his seat but Cerion pulled him down at the last second.
"You may not know me, Mr Stark. My name is…"
"Cerion Vex. I know who you are. Strange name by the way. Come to the point pal." Tony smoothly cut in without taking his eyes away from the screen.
"As a part of Vex Corp's expansion into the energy sector, we are interested in pursuing renewable energy. We estimate we will be fielding energy-efficient solar panels by next year. However, I'd like to take this a step further and pursue clean energy in more depth. And I believe there is a chance for your company to benefit from this as well."
"Oh! Do tell." said Tony raising his eyebrow.
"I believe your Arc Reactor project is a viable path towards cheap clean energy. Vex Corp is interested in joining the research with Stark Industries, failing that we would like to purchase the patents you have filed for the Arc Reactor so that we may pursue the research on our own."
"So…this is what you want?" Tony asked, rubbing his hands while looking at the two of them, finally taking his eyes away from the computer screen.
"Well…yes." Cerion replied, a tad bit confused by the lack of reaction from Stark. "I understand you may need time to think this over and perhaps even notify your Board. We would be happy to wait…"
"The answer is no." Tony interrupted.
Now, this stunned Cerion. Of all the things he expected from this meeting, he had hoped to not get a blanket no.
"Mr Stark I implore you to reconsider. Together we can accelerate the development of…"
But, once again Cerion was cut off.
"It's not about you pal. It's about legacy."
"Legacy Mr Stark? I don't think legacy would be the first priority when we are talking about cheap and clean energy for the whole planet." Cerion countered.
"I never took you for a hippie. But, this day is full of surprises."
"Mr Stark, what I supposedly am or not is the issue here. Surely you can see the advantages of cooperation. If you give me the time I can present you with some of my ideas…"
Tony raised his palm prompting Cerion to pause.
"Let me stop you there. The Arc Reactor was my father's dream project and he passed away before it could become a reality. So, the Arc Reactor has some sentimental value for me even if my father was a cold calculating man. I'm not willing to let that go." Tony said sharply.
"We are not asking you to let go of your father's legacy, Mr Stark."
"I'm afraid the Arc Reactor project will be pursued exclusively by Stark Industries. If that's all gentlemen…"
Cerion realized Stark is not going to budge on the issue. He had imagined himself and Stark working together and propelling mankind to the stars in a decade. But, it'd seem he'd have to do the heavy lifting all by himself. Perhaps it was silly of him to assume Tony Stark was interested in the progress of humanity. Also, he could see where Stark was coming from. The reactor may indeed mean more to Tony than he assumed.
Cerion took to his feet seeing as there is no point in continuing this conversation. He could read the resolve from Stark's eyes and the guy was not going to budge an inch. Perhaps, there will come a time they might collaborate but it was certainly not now.
"In that case, I do apologize for taking your time Mr Stark." Cerion said, shaking Tony Stark's hand before acknowledging Pepper Potts with a nod. "Miss Potts."
And just like that, they were out of Stark Industries' HQ. Once both Cerion and Harris were inside the car Harris turned on him with the most insincere apology.
"I'm sorry for how I behaved. But, there is so much of Stark's ego I can take."
Cerion was quite sure the Board insisted on sending this guy with him to ensure no positive result emerge. He was also not blind just who Harris represents and the undercurrent within his company's investors.
If HYDRA thought they were playing him from the shadows they were in for a rude awakening. He was quite aware Harris and many members of his Board were puppets left there to orient him in a direction of HYDRA's design. While they were ignorantly thinking they've manoeuvred him to the way they want that's exactly what he was looking forward to. A trail of money and phone calls were left in the wake of HYDRA's mechanizations. Using this, he was slowly building up a profile of their members from the roots to the highest echelons of the organization.
"If you are still open to collaborating with a reputed company then I'm sure there are other better prospective partners who are far more agreeable than Tony Stark." said Harris.
'And there it is! It only took the man a few minutes to bring this up. Definitely not a trained HYDRA agent.' Cerion thought amusedly.
"Who are you suggesting Mr Harris?" he asked, curious to see who are the other puppets HYDRA has in store for him.
"Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries and if not them there is Oscorp. I'd caution you against the latter as there are rumours Norman Osborn is not right in the head. People have not seen the man in public for years. If you ask me, Hammer Industries will be up your speed. So, what do you say?"
Cerion stared at William Harris out of the corner of his eye. He could technically reject the offer. He could even strong-arm the Board if he wants to but why create friction this early on. While HYDRA was most certainly setting a trap he saw an opportunity. Besides, an organization like HYDRA is standing on a shaky foundation. They have most certainly thrived but they stay in shadows for a reason. They depend on blackmail, corruption and subterfuge to bolster their numbers and allies. This means HYDRA can be taken out if he plays his cards right and position himself this early into the game.
"Can you arrange a meeting with Justin Hammer, possibly after Christmas?"
XXXXXXXX
Jane let out a sigh of relief as she saw her boyfriend exiting the terminal. The flight was a few hours delayed and she has been waiting all this time bored out of her mind. As if to complicate matters, her dad was constantly calling her to check up on her every ten minutes or so. After the incident in Culver, her dad developed a paranoid streak that was getting on her nerves.
She could hardly go anywhere without the shadow of her father's paranoia reaching out towards her in some form. Last day, when she went out for some grocery shopping her father had secretly followed around her throughout the city. Her father who had never managed a gun in his whole life was now spending hours on gun ranges practising on different guns. It didn't help she got injured from that carjacking last year.
Frankly, it was getting very disturbing. She was planning on forcing her dad to take some counselling after the Christmas holidays. With his present state of mind, she worried he might do something dangerous.
"You look like a zombie."
That was the first thing her boyfriend said greeting her.
"Really? That's what you've got to say."
As compensation, she got a small peck on her lips.
"Forget anything I just said. I've got jet lag and you look lovely as always." said Cerion, pulling her to his side with his right arm wrapped around her shoulder while the other held his luggage.
"That better be the reason. You had me cancel all our plans for Spain and now you are insulting my looks. That's strike two in my book."
"Well, how about a trip to the Netherlands?" Cerion asked while slipping his luggage into Jane's car.
"I'll take Spain any day over the Netherlands."
"Hey, don't write them off the bat. You may find yourself loving the place."
"Not likely. If I want to freeze my ass off then I wouldn't have to travel to Europe for that." Jane scoffed.
"Or we could go to the Netherlands and come back via Spain." Cerion suggested.
"Let me think about it." said Jane, acting as if she was reluctant to agree when she was anything but.
A trip to Europe might just be the perfect thing that could happen for her. It could let her unwind and forget about the difficulties back home. Above all that, she gets to spend some quality time with her alien boyfriend who has been away for some time. Either way, this was going to be their second Christmas together and she intend to make the most out of it.
XXXXXXXXX
Enrique flipped through channels on the TV bored out of his mind. He was all alone in his home with no one to help him. In his present situation, he needed all the help he could get but most of his healthy friends abandoned him. Those who were not so healthy like him were in far worse condition compared to him.
A year ago he was the king of the streets. Now, he lived in fear of whether he'd be thrown out of his home and on the street. He had to spend all his money and influence to stay out of jail but no amount of money or influence would allow him to walk again. The demon saw to it his spine remained dysfunctional.
He went by the name Baker in his community. People used to fear him but these days he is the butt joke of all the conversations in the neighbourhood. He hated how powerless he has become. He hated the fact that he is stuck here while the demon that did this to him got away scot-free.
"So, you want revenge, Enrique?"
A voice whispered from behind Enrique making his skin crawl. He adjusted the wheelchair so that he was looking at his visitor. It was an old man wearing a black coat and a walking stick, an expensive stick based on the silver handle and the shiny gems encrusted on it.
"Who're you? How did you get inside my home?" he asked palming the gun he kept on his lap.
"I go by many names dear Enrique. My name is not important. What is important is you and your revenge against the one who turned you to this state."
Now that piqued his interest. The very thought of that demon made his blood boil.
"You can make the son of bitch pay for what he did to me?" he asked eagerly.
"I can make him bleed a river of blood and drown in a sea of despair. But first, what would you give me in return for seeing your most hated enemy broken and crawling through the streets before meeting his end?" the old man asked, a creepy smile on his wrinkled face.
"I would give anything to see that happen. I want him dead. No, I want him to beg for death." Enrique screamed, anger and hate flooding his mind.
"My price is your soul."
Enrique broke out into laughter as he heard the strange demand of the old man. Perhaps, he was imagining all of this and this dream would end soon.
"I don't care what you take. If you want my soul, take it. But, I need to see that demon beg for his life." Enrique screamed.
"That can be arranged." said the old man before plunging his hand straight into Enrique's heart.
Enrique stared with wide eyes at the hand spearing into his heart. Blood was oozing out of his heart and he looked at the old man as if seeing the guy for the first time.
"What..? What's happening? Aaaaaaaaargh!"
Enrique let out a blood-curdling scream as he felt his whole body tear itself apart. His bones began to break and grow out piercing his muscles and tendons. He felt himself rise to his feet even as his whole body was tearing itself apart. He also felt like he was gaining height which was strange. He has always been a bit short comparatively. The pain he was feeling tripled all of a sudden and he began to claw at his face.
The human skin on his body began to peel off and instead blood-red hardened skin began to take its place. He screamed some more but ever so slowly Enrique began to feel an unholy strength permeate his limbs. His hair fell away and instead his skin began to grow fur. He could hear the beating of his heart and it was pounding away at a pace unfamiliar to his ears. Two bullish horns began to sprout from his temples. He could see the crooked horns growing all the way out, long enough to skewer someone to death.
The strength he felt in his limbs was unlike anything he had ever felt. It felt as if he could stop a moving train all by himself. Perhaps, he could even crush a mountain. Fisting his arm he suddenly turned around and punched the wall of his home. To his delight, his arm punched through the wall with nominal effort.
Enrique flinched when his arms suddenly caught fire. To his surprise, the fire didn't seem to harm him. Fascinated by this he pulled back his arm and observed the red flames dancing on the skin of his arms. Feeling an epiphany Enrique jabbed his right arm in the direction of his TV. Red hot flames blasted out of his palm and consumed his TV whole turning it into a pile of ash within seconds.
The flames began to quickly spread into the rest of his home. Enrique was not bothered nor was he fearful of getting burned to death. Instead, he looked into a mirror hanging on a wall. The first thing he noticed was the bright slitted red eyes burning with power and hate. His face was unrecognizable and no longer human. He was a mix of a bull and jackal. Staring back at him was the face of a jackal with bullish horns with red fur all over the body. Even a red tail flickered into his line of sight.
"I've given you the power to crush your enemy. Now, come with me, Enrique. Come with me and take your revenge." the old man offered.
"Enrique...? That's no longer my name. Call me the Baker!"
He let out a yell and stomped hard on the ground. A pillar of flames erupted all around him spreading far and wide into not just his home but the entire neighbourhood. The screams of his neighbours only fuelled the intensity of his flames which began to consume anything and everything.
The old man watched all this with a wicked smirk.
'It looks like there will be quite a lot of souls are coming into my realm. Now, let's see who wins this round my nemesis.' the old man thought before disappearing into a portal.
AN:
Discord: discord. gg/QRTnmx8dW4