[Tony Stark's car]
Tony was currently sitting in the back of one of his many fancy cars. He had thought about taking one of his faster sports cars. But given it was November right now, and the weather was turning cold and grey, he decided against that. He also needed to bring some tools of his own anyway, so a bigger car was the option he went with.
Furthermore, since the holidays were coming up soon, he decided to treat Happy to an early gift, so he arranged for him to drive him there.
He didn't doubt Happy would be able to enjoy himself. Ricci might be some strange old man in reality, but he acted much like he looked. His mansion was always full of pretty girls who were all too happy to entertain Ricci's guests.
Tony was thankful that Obadiah had been the one to send him here. Since he had been able to tell Pepper that he was just going out to look at something at his request, and he wouldn't even have to lie about it.
It was a short drive from his office to the large mansion that housed one of the biggest drug smugglers in the world. It was always interesting to think about how overt the whole situation truly was. And all Ricci did was to make damn sure he paid his taxes on time.
Tony himself didn't really have many business dealings with the Ricci family itself. After all, he couldn't really sell top-of-the-line stuff to a criminal now, could he? Still, he knew that the military earned a pretty penny selling their old gear to Ricci.
Tony hadn't really been happy when he learned about that. However, after he got to know more, he realized that for many of the most chaotic places around the world. The Ricci family was seen as a form of peacekeeper.
Finally, Tony had just decided not to think about it as long as his weapons didn't fall into the hands of those who would use them against the innocent. The people whom Ricci turned his weapons against didn't count as innocent.
Reaching the large mansion, the car got stopped at the gates, where Happy had to spend the next few minutes waiting and explaining who they were. While Tony just sat in the back and played on his phone.
After a few minutes, the large gates started to slowly swing open, and the guards waved the car inside. Coming to a stop in front of the mansion, Tony looked outside the window and couldn't help but smile widely at the sight that greeted him.
"Welcome, Master Stark." A line of eight beauties dressed in revealing maid dresses bowed deeply for him and showed off their ample breasts.
Tony wasted no time getting out of the car and stepping up to them while shivering slightly in the cold.
"Let's get inside, shall we? I mean, it's freezing out here, girls." He said as he stepped up and, wrapped his shoulders around two of them, and kept walking towards the door.
"Yes, please, Master Stark. Perhaps you can help me and my sisters warm back up." One of the beauties said with a flirty tone as they all surrounded him as he walked.
"Don't mind the car, Happy. Can't you see we have some damsels in distress that need us." Tony called out to his driver, who quickly abandoned the vehicle and stepped up to enjoy the sensation of two of the maids breaking off from Tony and embracing him.
While it might have looked like Tony was the one leading the girls, the truth was that they were leading him through the hallways of the manor and out towards the back. While the playboy kept flirting and letting his hands roam around the backside of the two girls in his arms at every step.
"Master Stark, the Master has permitted a small break to warm up before meeting him if you wish." Said one of the maids as they walked along the hallways.
Tony looked back and saw that Happy and the girls in his arms had already disappeared. No doubt they would make sure he was probably entertained in any way he desired. As for Tony himself? He let out a wide grin and nodded his head while squeezing the two asses he had his hands on. "Lead the way, girls."
…
It was not until three hours later that a newly showered Tony Stark was led through the mansion by just a single maid. Tony had a cocky smirk on his lips as he walked with his back straight and with a swagger in his step.
He almost regretted spending a week partying out in clubs and places like that rather than just accepting Ricci's invitation sooner. However, that was still only an 'almost' since he had been able to still to spend a week drinking and sleeping with models and now spend time with those maids.
Still, he decided not to let Pepper know about this part of his visit here if she asked… Though she would look good if he could get her into a maid outfit like Ricci's girls.
Shaking his head to get that image out before he needed to delay this meeting any further, he followed along until they reached the back of the mansion and left it. Going out to a large outdoor pool where the area was heated to the point it felt like it was still summer.
Sadly, the pool was not full of more beautiful women dressed in bikinis. In fact, the whole area seemed to be almost deserted, save for a few scary-looking guards and a single reclining chair with a young man dressed in a black suit.
"Welcome to my home, Tony. I would have welcomed you at the door. But I thought you might enjoy being greeted by some of my maids instead." The youthful-looking man said with a chuckle as he looked at Tony while raising his nearly empty glass at him in greeting.
"Your girls sure do know how to greet someone, that's for certain." Tony responded back with a laugh.
"Well, with enjoyment out the way, let's move on to the real reason for your visit here." Alexander said as he stood up and handed his glass to the maid. "Please, follow me, Tony."
With that, he led Tony along the side of the pool and down to a small path leading to a tennis court. There wasn't much time for chatter as the court quickly started to move and open up. Allowing a large platform to rise up and carry with it a sleek black craft.
"Now, that is unlike anything on the market for sure." Tony said as he was led onto the platform, which began its descent again.
"We both know you don't really care about whatever or not it's on the market. Only that this is beyond anything you have back at your company." Alexander teased him as they entered into a large underground hanger that shielded them from the cold.
As the platform came to a stop, the railing around it sank into the ground and allowed a group of men and women to step onto the platform and make their way over to them.
"A few of my own men, they have already done some work on understanding the craft. Now go and show them the difference between good minds and the best." Alexander patted Tony on the shoulder and led him toward his men.
Tony huffed a little but took the compliment gladly. He really didn't care for having a bunch of people watching over his shoulder as he worked, but he knew that he could hardly deny Ricci. After all, it was Ricci's plane he was about to study.
"I had your tools moved from the car and down here while you helped some of my maids warm up." Alexander said with a grin on his lips and motioned towards a cart being wheeled in where his tools were.
Other racks of tools and workstations were also being moved onto the platform, and before long, it did indeed look like a proper workshop.
"Alright, I hope you won't mind if I shake your men's confidence a little. After all, it can be rather shocking seeing a true genius at work." Tony said as he left Ricci and went to check his tools and inspect the other pieces of equipment prepared.
Alexander himself just laughed and left Tony to do his stuff while he left the place under the escort of four guards, whom Tony hadn't even seen approaching them at all.
As Tony walked and inspected stuff, he couldn't help but mutter out. "Not bad at all." In a low tone at how well-equipped the workshop was.
"Well, of course, Mr. Stark. We aren't a bunch of amateurs here, after all." One of Ricci's men said. This guy looked like he was in his early 50s and like a retired army engineer.
"That remains to be seen. So, you got anything out of your time with her so far?" Tony asked and threw a look over at the black craft.
"Well, properly, not as much as if you had been spending a few months on her, but we got something alright." He said and led Tony over to a station with some blueprints and documents as well as a few computer screens.
"We condensed it down for you. Give it a read and let us know what you want to have a look at first." The man went on as he pointed to a stack of papers, which were a detailed report of what they knew.
Tony just nodded his head as he picked up the file and started reading while cracking a joke. "Don't you guys have computers here? Why all the paper."
The engineer just shook his head with a small smile. After all, the foundation had lots of computers and black tech. Yet they couldn't well let Tony access those now, could they? Not to mention that they often made paper copies of files anyway for safekeeping.
"This is not made by the air force." Tony quickly said as he read about the craft. It was clearly made for stealth. It was fast, light and silent. It could also take off vertically like a helicopter. It was years ahead of anything the military could have made.
"Right, you are Stark. They don't have the ability to do this. Which is why they really didn't like losing it." The same engineer said while the others had already gone over to the craft and begun opening up panels and revealing its insides.
"So, where did they get it from?" Tony asked as he kept reading up on the many details the team had already explored.
"We believe it is from a secret extra-governmental organization founded by your father and one Peggy Carter. They have some black tech and other things left by your father. And given their work, well, a craft like this would be right up their alley." The man said while making sure to stick to the script given by his superior as best he could.
Tony bit hook, line, and sinker as he was told something about his father. He knew the man had been doing plenty of stuff outside the company and certainly outside of raising him and being a good dad. So finding out about it wasn't all that shocking, yet hearing things about his father from a random engineer of all was a bit of a gut punch.
"What agency are you talking about?" he asked as he turned around quickly.
"Hmmm, I'm afraid I don't remember if I ever even knew. I mean, all I know is that it's some super secret spy stuff, way above my paygrade, you know." The man said, acting slightly embarrassed.
"Ricci, your boss, he would know, right?" Tony said more to himself at this point as he was half a mind to run off to find the crimelord and get some answers. When he turned around again to look for the door Ricci left through, he saw the craft.
Seeing it, he stopped what he was doing and calmed down a little. Still, he narrowed his eyes as he focused on the craft. Yeah, he could see it. This could indeed be something that the old man had worked on before his death. His old man had always been way ahead of his time.
Not as clever as Tony himself, of course, but close enough. He would find Ricci later. First, he would see what this craft was all about and if it truly had been another brainchild of his old man.