The Iron Man

While this is actually maybe vaguely cool... [insert pause here; there's a faint "what the hell?" in the exact middle of said silent pause] ...I would really rather like to have my armor back. No, seriously. What the hell am I doing? Oh, crap. Don't do that! No, no! Not there!

[scratch is deleted after a moment of (mostly) silence, aka when he gets back to the PDA device; it becomes unhackable after a couple of minutes]

Damnit. Yeah; armor, now, please.

And I seem to be having problems with...nevermind. [the PDA--it took him so long to make scratch-out unhackable because he had to go to previous posts to "copy and paste" (more or less) the coding instead of simply writing it out anew--because his intelligence is shot to hell and back right now; he's also playing with fire and darkness at the moment and totally ruining his notes/projects]

...I'm not the only one missing their armor, am I? Who has it!?

Repairs complete.

Status: weapons, fully functional; power, 100%; sensors, online. Seems perfect.

...wonder how long that'll last...

[muttering to himself; it's possible he doesn't realize the PDA is recording, but more than likely he's simply logging this for his own purposes without--for some reason or another--making it personal/private]

...need to make a few requisitions... [half-hearted list that is almost inaudible; it sounds incomplete] ...sensors hit... offline... simple repairs applicable...

...armor undamaged... power routing reestablished after initial overload... undamaged source... ...weapons systems online... targeting... besides sensor link, online... ...flight... online...

...me?--pilot? operator? user?--me. I'm fine. ...undamaged...

Blah, blah, blah. I'll throw my opinion on the spit, too, while we're at it.

I don't think the Alliance should have to answer to anyone. Nope. That's it. That's my entire opinion. Okay, okay; for you pathetic people out there who are just begging for a reason, I'll be nice. If anyone is going to try to create the closest thing to a "government" this place is ever going to see...? They don't have to own up to anyone. If they did it would defeat the purpose. Especially considering the circumstances. Answer for killing a known sociopath? Ridding this place of someone who made it a living nightmare for others? No. There shouldn't be a punishment for that. If someone thinks there should be--then take it into your own damn hands. Everyone seems to like the idea of anarchy and ruling various others in their own way, so why not go for it? Or are you all talk and no act?

Alliance: you don't have to answer to them. Either you're looking out for their best interests and keeping them safe, or you're nothing. If you want to cop up to it; that's your own prerogative. But others should stop talking and start doing.

Oh, as for me? You can add the Iron Man to the usual patrol list.

[Screened to friends, allies (including Alliance members), and pretty much anyone who isn't Harth, Atlas, Tomo, the Joker, any recently stolen PDAs or anyone else associated in any way with them | Unhackable]

Christmas--all these gifts--everyone who has shown they appreciate me, despite what might have happened in the somewhat recent past--as cliched as it sounds, it's opened my eyes. I can't--Iron Man--can't afford to act like this anymore. I'm not a petulant teenager anymore. So I'll try to think on the good side. The best Christmas gifts I could have ever received would be having Pepper and Rhodey sent back home. So that's what I'm going to pretend happened, whether I know it for truth or not. I miss them--but that's better than watching them die.

Therefore I'd like to say, simply, that I'm sorry. For--what I did before. I'll try to behave from now on. I completely refuse to make that a promise. I am, after all, Tony fucking Stark. Get over it. [scratch-out is only viewable to really close friends who would get he's making a tiny joke (like Urd, Mel, Leon, Rory, etc.)]

[/Screened]

Merry Christmas everyone.

( [Gift List] )

[This is the sound of a certain armored someone blasting a Repulsor ray at random mistletoe. He's only blasting the ones in his room/apartment, and maybe the ones in the Dor hallway, too. But he is totally destroying all the ones in those areas. Permanently. (Even if it means destroying them more than once if they respawn.) He doesn't want to get caught. Other than that... he is staying safely in his room. lol. He's a spoilsport at the moment, sorry.]

061
062
063
064
065
066

NO!!! PEPPER!

It got quiet all of a sudden. A little too quiet...

--Has anyone seen Persephone lately?

[five minutes later:]

Yeah, I thought so. She's gone.

[he sounds very serious and meaningful--anyone who knows him will recognize that the tone is utterly genuine and that it is very unlike him--this is obviously not a joke barely two sentences in]

A lot of people around here have been complaining about the current American holiday that takes place right now. I would like to rectify the mistake you are making in completely ignoring its purpose and going so far as to downplay its meaning to those that would like to celebrate it. Not only is it disrespectful, but obviously you do not understand it's true meaning.

I agree that in modern times the holiday has lost its true meaning--and for some it has taken on a new, less glorious purpose within the family traditions and general pettiness of the times. But that doesn't mean everyone should just forget it, or ignore it, or make fun of it. If you share that opinion: Keep. It. To. Yourself.

Now, as for it's true purpose--the day of Thanksgiving was originally more down to earth and meaningful for those that decided to share in it. The times were harsh--as bad or worse than they are now--for most of the people back then. They were dying by the hundreds. Not fake deaths, mind you, but real, horrible deaths that had that final, ultimate meaning. Famine, disease. We don't worry about those things too much today, but back then they truly did.

Then, seemingly, a miracle happened. The people found a way to survive. They had food because they learned how to get the crops to grow right. With famine a lesser issue so too did disease seem smaller--healthy people tend to get sick less as you might well understand. We won't go into the details too much because that involves a lot of controversy. And I've got enough of that on my hands back home.

In the end what mattered is they made these "miracles" happen themselves. They got things done, and they persevered through hell and back. And so they gave thanks that at least for that year they were still alive, healthy, and maybe next year would see the same. Maybe it wouldn't--but they were glad to just survive one day at a time generally speaking. And if everything wasn't grand--they still gave thanks for the things that were. Because you never know how or when things are going to get worse. And they always can. If you let them.

So if you want to damn this holiday for its "pointlessness" or "wastefulness"... --Then I say damn you. Instead, you should be thankful. Find something. Because even though we're here, in this hellhole, there are plenty of things that could be worse. And it's not the point of the day to have a grand feast just to be happy or have fun--that wasn't really the point. It's to make do with what you have, to move on, and get things done. Today should be a grand day. Today should be when we realize that we have survived, and that tomorrow might be the end-all but we did are best anyway. Today should be a day when would-be regrets are taken care of so that there will be none on that final day. Today should be a day for contemplation. Both of the past and for the future. Today should be a day of planning. Of finding ways to survive another full year.

But most of all today should just be a day to simply give thanks for all the things that could be worse--but somehow aren't.

Okay. Now it is officially too cold.

[faint grumbles]

[There had been a talk between two individuals not too long ago and now a certain thing had happened. Posted on each door (main entrance, both individual bedrooms) in the dorm room of Dor-Dyo was a note. It was likely written by Kelly, but it might have been Tony if the Spartan had forgotten (or finagled him). It said something along the lines of: "Room meeting on (such and such date) and at (such and such time). Be there or else." It almost came off as an ultimatum. So--be there. Or else.]

In case people aren't paying attention, can't understand what is being told to them (because really, that thing needs to read a data file on speech patterns), or are otherwise confused or uncomprehending of what is now taking place with the Indigeo--

It's taking requisitions again.

It's really that simple. And until it does learn how to speak more properly--that's probably all you're gonna get from it. So have fun with the pointless banter with it if you continue to talk to it.



Aaaannd... that is all.

[The PDA turns off with a puff of static--someone blowing straight into the microphone?--and then there is a moment of silence. Some rummaging sounds, mostly metal chinking on metal, and then a guitar and set of drums start playing a familiar tune. Then the lyrics start, softly at first and then gradually getting louder until it's a good jamming intensity.]

Back in black
I hit the sack
Gone so long I'm glad to be back
Yes, I'm gettin' loose
From the noose
You gotta catch me if you want me to hang
I've been looking at the sky
'Cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse 'cause I never die
I got nine lives
Cat size
Usin' every one of them and I'm runnin' wild

[After the first chorus the music settles down a bit lower but continues in the background. Sounds of the PDA's user working on--something--come through every now and then. When the song ends there is a moment of silence just long enough for the recording to time out.]

[lots of static throughout]

This... is so beyond not cool... Everything's missing.

So much for preparation.

[added in several moments later; it sounds like he is choking--on blood?]

Pepper!

Yinsen...

So. Who's next.

( [Private] )

Has anyone seen Urd around lately? I haven't been able to find her. She's probably just avoiding me but...

Awww, and just when I was really getting used to being fully metallic and such. Is it unusual to say that I had an immense amount of fun during all of this? I think it is.

Except for that first day when Pepper went missing and I freaked out. That was not fun. And frankly? That still kinda scares me. I'm not happy to think on the fact that she was someone else entirely different and with someone I don't know and who seemed a little too close for comfort with non-Pepper person--thing. Also... there are things I rather seem to be not remembering as far as... nevermind.

[strikes not readable, not hackable, no trace remains]

Being a robot was really fun though. I'm definitely gonna have to do something like that for Jarvis when I get back home. Also, time to look into those upgrade ideas I had for IM last week...

[Screened to Pepper]

You're all back to normal now, right? Can we talk? Or, just, you know, hang out? Come keep me company while I work.

[/Screened]

Pepper! Pepper! Virginia Potts! Where are you, woman! Please? I swear I've looked all over this dang compound...

[vaguely mechanical sounding like Iron Man, but it's different, definitely less monotone; he sounds unusually cheerful]

Okay... I could get used to this.

This is very interesting.

I should do this for Jarvis when I get back home.

[brief chuckle] So what happened this time? I don't mind, really. It's so typical. This is kinda cool for me this round. How is everyone else?


((Tony is a robot! Rodney from the Robots movie was just the funnest PB to use. Hee. ^^ He's a tinkerer, too, though so it works out! XD He's gonna have fun. He is immensely amused and will, oddly, probably do whatever anyone asks of him. He's cheerful! :D))