With that moment being interrupted everyone laughed. Very quickly we made our way out of the limousine, obviously I cloaked myself as I stepped out. As we stepped out a ton of reporters and people started crowding around Tony as they shouted out questions and statements of affection.
Tony himself had a massive smile painting his face, the crowd obviously feeding his ego. Pepper stood diagonally behind him to the left carrying two suitcases. Illyana stayed beside pepper holding some documents and two coffees. Me, being cloaked and all, walked right behind Illyana my eyes scanning the crowd for any dangers or obviously weird people.
As I scanned I took in the massive crowd around us who were all originally waiting to get into the venue for the race. We were all out front of a grandiose looking buildings where the race could be watched in luxury and comfort, with front row seats to the race.
Gradually we made our way inside the building, the hubbub of the crowds dying off into a calming quiet. Gentle noises sounded from time to time as the lighting switched from the brightness of the sun to a more luxurious moody lighting.
The inside was furnished wonderfully with fully upholstered couches and chairs all arranged in various locales throughout the many segmented rooms we found ourselves walking through. We stopped in front of a admin desk as Pepper stepped forward and handed over paper work and receipts for their reservations.
Illyana looked around for a moment, my eyes tracking her movements. She seemed to be looking for someone, possibly me, so I got up close to her ear and whispered.
"I'm right beside you."
Her body straightened like a board as my breath tickled her right ear, her face turning a deep red at the stimulation. She nodded slightly, making sure no one was watching before she did so. My smile widened at her antics as Pepper finally took back the documents and turned to look at Tony who was lightly caressing his stylish beard.
"Right, were ready boss. Let's go."
"Relax Pepper, it is meant to be fun not a major function or something."
"Yes but what you don't talk about is that there are several bosses of large corporations and trust fund babies going to be present."
"Doesn't matter, they're all poorer than I am anyway..."
My teeth ground a little at his last statement as my Australian instincts started to kick in. I really wanted to push this guy off his high pedestal. Hehe, {Astra Domina} , I whispered out the incantation of my greater spell as I formed a ball of condensed air and pulled it back towards Tony's legs as he began to walk. With a small thud and a groan from the man he fell on the ground face first, all of his arrogance wiped out in one fell swoop.
'Heh, that'll teach you for thinking you better than everyone else.'
[... You are so childish sometimes...]
'I'm allowed to be.'
I felt a small smack up against the back of my head. I turned around in confusion, shock and frustration until i noticed no one was behind me. 'What the fu-'
[Heh, that'll teach you, won't it?]
My eyes narrowed, my frustration and embarrassment increasing with every second of silence. This continued for several seconds before Tony eventually got up with the help of Pepper and started trotting away with a brisker pace. I hurriedly broke off my imaginary staring match with my sis and started to follow him, my steps a little angered despite the fact I emanated no noise outside of my veil.
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We eventually got to the main event after half an hour or more of talking to various balding men and cougars who supposedly were CEO's and leaders of different business venture and such. I must say I was quite fucking bored by the end of the half hour, my will to live slowly starting to slip. This was the case until a well-dressed blonde haired business man with an expression all too similar to Tony Stark, cocky and arrogant, walked over to the table of Tony, Pepper and Illyana.
His eyes traced Illyana for several moments, I could see the slip in his gentlemanly façade as a touch of lust graced his eyes for several moments. He soon turned his eyes away from her however as he focused on Tony himself his expression becoming that of a stone wall, stoic and without emotion.
"I see the playboy has deigned to step out of his mansion and grace us, 'plebeians' ,with his presence this day..."
Tony acting as if he had barely heard what the man said turned his head towards him and frowned slightly in confusion.
"Who are you?"
There was some light laughter in the background and a small chuckle resounding from Pepper and Illyana. The man's face became even more stoic if that could be said to be possible. His eyes revealed a hint of hatred and deep seeded anger for Tony. I glared at him, my eyes focusing on his face and the minute expressions that I could possibly use to understand this man's motivations.
That was when a small state panel opened in my vision.
(Justin Hammer)
Species: Human
HP: 100
MP: 400
Titles: DOD Primary Systems contractor, CEO, Entrepreneur, Business Man, Liar
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'Ah, interesting, okay so this is the asshole that was trying to copy Tony's tech and ended up with his contract almost completely terminated... Must be the old titles he had earnt.'
Justin continued to do some snarky back and forth with Tony until a gorgeous reporter stepped up behind Justin, her eyes practically glued to Tony as if he were a flame and she a moth. Pepper, who at this point had settled the suitcases on the ground, began to glare at the woman and get closer and closer to Tony.
'She seems way more possessive than the movie version of Pepper... Although she does have a similar injury to him and he did provide the means to keep her alive. Nah that makes perfect sense.'
The reporter stepped towards Tony and introduced herself as Christine Everhart, a reporter for Vanity Fair. Tony eyed her for a small time before switching his focus back on Justin.
'Hold on, wasn't this supposed to happen after Tony joined the race?'
It was at this moment that on the massive screens in the palatial room a count down for the race started. Tony quickly ignored Justin and his lady and proceeded to excuse himself as he needed to go to the bathroom.
"The man must have drunk too much already..."
The reporter laughed a little at the remark as I simply shook my head. He didn't drink anything, no alcohol, no water, nothing. It seems he had been preparing for this all day as I recalled that the only drink he had drunk all day was a coffee this morning. Shaking my head i stayed with Pepper and Illyana as Justin meandered off with his reporter escort, the man losing almost all interest in staying nearby. The only clue he gave of maybe wanting to stay being Illyana but it seemed he didn't want to make a move with his escort right beside him.
'Good, next time I see you ogling her you'll be a seriously broken man.'
[Hey, your speaking in your head in stead of aloud, he can't hear you...]
'I know sis, but I am currently invisible, I was merely trying to blow off some steam so I can stay concentrated for Tony's 'venture' today.'
[Good idea.]
With that the clock on the TVs continued to count down until the footage of the event started. Various men getting into racing cars with company logos and brand names imprinted across the light weight metal frames of the race cars. The commentary was the same as usual going through various drivers names and the companies that supported them. They proceeded to go into theories and possibilities for the race today. This continued for several minutes, Pepper incrementally getting worried about where Tony was, until there was a gasp from the commentators. Everyone who wasn't paying attention to the broadcast at first now did as the commentators began exclaiming loudly.
"It's Tony Stark! What is he doing down near the pit stop?"
Tony confidently strutted towards the formula one car with the 'Stark Industries' logo and name decaled onto the side of it. He talked for several moments with some of the higher ups and executives of the racing team before he began walking towards the inner area of the Pit Stop where he began wearing overalls and was given a helmet.
The commentators were going wild as he strode up to the side of the formula one car and entered the cockpit, the pit crew making sure he was soundly buckled in and everything was in order.
"He's joining the race! 'The' Tony Stark will be joining the Monaco Grand Prix! This is a first ever race with this type of occurrence! George have you seen anything like this before?"
"No John I haven't!"
I started to pay less attention to the commentators as they waffled on about useless shit. I merely watched Tony get settled into the formula one car and check the gauges and other instruments within. Pepper was panicking and I could see the fear etched on her face as she witnessed the same scenes I was. Illyana was giving small tight hugs to Pepper as if to comfort her.
'He's a fucking idiot despite his intelligence.'
[You used to be the same before you slowly acclimated to the dangers you now face.]
'Yes well, I at least acknowledge that I'm sometimes stupid... He simply lies to himself and uses other peoples reactions to his presence to bolster his sense of self worth and abate inadequacies.'
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Hello, author Alex here, sorry for the late upload of the second chapter i got kind of busy with RL stuff so... Anyway, it's out now, thanks so much to everyone for their continued support and please have a good day/night!
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