Who: Tony Stark tony & OTA What: Test Drive. When: Wednesday, April 22, near sunset Where: Test City Main Street Rating: Audience Discretion is Advised Warnings: Egomania, potentially language, Tony Stark, peacocking, oh, and Tony Stark. Status: Open/In Progress
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Tesla was a company who had really stepped out of the gate at a full sprint with their Roadster introduction to the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) line. They'd put it all out there with their prototype. Stark Industries had dropped a few schematics their way along with a couple million in start-up capital, but it hadn't been Tony Stark who had made the Tesla Roadster. It'd been all them in the end; he was only proud to have gotten one of the first ten prototypes. He loved the way it hummed when in motion, not a roar the way a gas engine rumbled, but a sound one would expect from an animal which prowled.
Something used to stalking its prey.
That was what the Tesla Roadster reminded Tony of when he drove his.
It felt like it had been an eternity since he'd been behind the wheel of the sleek silver vehicle. How long had it been since the car had been destroyed? Would he be able to replace it? Was it able to be replaced? Sure, they still manufactured them, but they weren't his prototype model. The latest ones could hit 0-to-60 in 3.7 to 3.9 seconds, but his had made it in 2.8 seconds. Tony had put some work into his before taking it for a spin. His had truly lived up to the name DarkStar. He was currently behind the wheel of a blue Tesla Roadster which wasn't even a close second to the car he'd lost. She was pretty, perfection from the outside really, and her BEV status was unparalleled. Tony would stake his life on her being able to go a minimum of 250 miles on a single battery charge thanks to his handiwork.
She just wasn't his car.
Still.
She was a lot nicer for a test drive than anything else in the garage at present; Tony wasn't above admitting he missed his car collection. Steve Rogers accused him of being a man who couldn't live without his "toys" when Tony knew he could live without anything as long as he had Pepper and the freedom to use his mind. Nothing could hold him back with those two assets in place. There was no item or even a list of items which could replace his mind or Pepper. Tony would gladly live as a pauper to have her. He wasn't too good to be a mechanic. It was actually fun. Really fun some days. He could get things running in a way the owners weren't expecting. This Roadster was going back fine-tuned enough to have it ranked number one in its class if Tony were to be honest about it.
Rumbling down the street, he slid to a stop before he nearly hit someone who was either crossing the street, unaware they weren't on the sidewalk fully, or were having some kind of suicidal moment Tony really didn't want to get involved in.
He asked out the open window, "Everything okay? Need a ride? Sorry if I got too close on you. I'm testing the tweaks I've given this one before I hand it back over to its owner at the garage."
Tony had been told his smile was infectious. In that moment, he hoped he'd been told right.