Ecstatic Characters: Tony Stark and Sue Storm Setting: Haiti. Content: Tony's sparkling maturity. Summary: Tony finally makes good on his offer to take Sue on a job.
There was little delay at the airstrip, which caused something of a ruckus in itself because the technicians took care to give any Stark flight an extra buffer of time, which in practice meant a traffic jam when Stark attempted to actually take off on schedule. Someone won $30, and everyone felt a strange sensation of accomplishment. Onboard the jet, the cabin conspicuously devoid of the sounds one might have grown accustomed to in flight, like the rush of the engines or constant air cycle, and gliding so smoothly with the transition from ground to air it was barely discernible that they were even mobile, another crew was equally as industrious. Sue wasn't the only one invited along on this consultation; with them were five students from Tulane University that chattered with nervous energy amongst themselves and with an accountant, two bioengineers from Stark Enterprises, and a whole medical team from a leading doctor to a gaggle of enthusiastic volunteers. Except for a geologist, they intuitively kept separate from another group that was mostly quieter, considerably smaller, and inexplicably connected. A speleologist, a Haitian mythology and vodou specialist, a rock climber, and a translator.
Tony couldn't really stand to entertain any of them. He disappeared after completing the most efficient circuit of greetings in record time, followed only by an attentive steward who could be spotted carrying a refreshed martini or steaming mug throughout the flight.
"I hope you made friends," came Tony's purring voice in Sue's ear only after they had landed and the cabin doors opened for the whole troupe to file out, taking with them their animated voices clamoring to be heard over the other, and only getting louder in open air. Inside, it was still chilled to perfection, with a tunnel of humid heat beginning to press in from outside wherever the thick yellow sunlight broke in and touched. Tony was already unbuttoning his collar and tugging his tie loose, Pepper well out of the line of disapproving sight. Haiti was going to enjoy a very muggy day, which Tony hoped was just a good excuse to bare a lot of skin.