Stark Industries | Saturday

[dollpocalypse]

Topher came to work today scuffed, exhausted, but very relieved to finally be back on the island. Portalocity had failed him this weekend. It had failed so hard.

Whereas his job at the store, in contrast, was actually a far greater asset than he'd realized.

There had been a number of things installed in the building itself when one of the previous owners had remodeled the place. And some of those things had yet to even be noticed by the most current owner. Who would have probably tried taking them apart.

Which would be why they still functioned now as the holographic image of a man suddenly flickered into existence.

"Ender. Or whoever the hell works here now. God, I hope it's not a moron." He was such a kind man, wasn't he? "I'm contacting Steve to make sure. It's all my readings on whatever is annihilating my world. Hopefully it hasn't reached there yet and you people can do something."

He stared down at something just off camera before shaking his head.

"Don't screw it up."

And then it was gone. But the readings remained on the computers.

Topher was left to gape at what he'd just seen. Then he quickly grabbed his laptop and tried to copy everything down without drawing little hearts everywhere and texted some people to come see. Who was that guy and why was he so awesome?

[[Cowritten, of course, with the lovely doyoufondue. Open!]]

Comments

[endsthegame]

Ender had just received an excitable but very uninformative voicemail message; hence, he was turning up to get the details.

"Topher," he called as he came in. "You left a message?"

[dollpocalypse]

Being both very helpful and very excited, Topher flailed in the general direction of the readings on the screen.

"Science!"

[endsthegame]

"And is this science about anything in particular?" Ender asked. He walked the short distance to where Topher was sitting, and glanced at the screen.

[dollpocalypse]

"About the -- disappearing universes and stuff," Topher shared, sliding his laptop over so Ender could see the notes he'd been taking.

There was also maybe a not-terrible drawing of the guy on a scrap of paper off to the side. Look, he'd had about an hour, okay? There were only so many legitimate notes he could take.

"He thought you were working here," Topher added as he scrolled through his notes so Ender coul see. "Unless there's some other Ender."

[endsthegame]

Ender's eyes skimmed over the notes, and he would have commented on them - they were important, and it sounded like the principal might have gotten some more important data of her own, so he'd be busy today - if his eyes hadn't been caught on that scrap of paper.

He reached past Topher's laptop to pluck it off the table, then looked back at the notes. "Tony always was terrible about remembering my name," he said, idly. "I'm surprised he managed."

[dollpocalypse]

Okay. Wait just one second, Ender.

"What."

See, okay, that had just sounded like he'd said 'Tony.'

[endsthegame]

"There was a message to go along with this, wasn't there?" Ender asked, glancing at him. "Holographic or video?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Holograph," Topher said, still baffled. "Up there." He nodded at the wall. "That's -- did you say Tony?"

HOOOOOOOT.

[endsthegame]

Ender walked over there, fiddling with a few buttons until the message replayed.

He took a step back when it was done, and hummed thoughtfully.

"Yes," he said, another moment later, "I said Tony. Anthony Edward Stark, give or take thirty extra years." He sounded distracted.

[momslilassassin]

"There was science?" Ben asked, poking his head into the shop.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher pointed at his laptop, where Tony's readings still lingered, along with notes Topher had taken.

"About the disappearing universes," he explained. "Apparently they're from Tony from the future."

He wasn't incredibly fascinated by that or anything. Really.

[momslilassassin]

"Goatee, attitude problem, weird obsession with my relationship with Ender?"

Thank you, Ben.

[dollpocalypse]

A pause.

"I did not notice a problem," Topher said primly.

Of course he didn't. It was hot.

"Here, watch." He fiddled with the buttons Ender had pressed earlier to make the holograph replay, and totally didn't mouth the words along with Hot Goateed Tony. That would be weird.

[momslilassassin]

"Don't screw it up," Ben repeated. "Older Tony needs to work on his pep talks."

[dollpocalypse]

"I felt motivated," Topher pointed out.

Especially by the part where Tony hoped he wasn't a moron. That was especially inspiring.

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave him a look. "Well, for people who aren't you...so that's another world to worry about."

[dollpocalypse]

You could say that again, Ben.

"Check out all the zeroes," Topher said, indicating his laptop screen. "Not looking good."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"What science are you talking about?" Tony was in need of a shower and good night's sleep once again. This might be a thing when he didn't leave the lab for days on end.

[dollpocalypse]

"Dude," Topher said, regarding him critically. "Did your suit try to have sex with you again?"

WHOOOOOLE DIFFERENT CRISIS, TOPHER.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"...Topher. No."

[dollpocalypse]

"Well, you look exhausted," Topher pointed out.

So did he. But regardless.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I've been busy. Rhodey--doesn't exist anymore." AND HE HAD TRAUMA OVER THIS, DAMN IT.

[dollpocalypse]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, what?

"Oh, man," Topher said, looking a little sick. "I'm really sorry, Tony."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"It's happening to a lot of people apparently," Tony said, looking around carefully to make sure Howard wasn't going to pop up and make all the trauma worse. By being there.

All alive.

[dollpocalypse]

God, Howard, why did you have to be so alive and stuff? It PISSED TONY OFF.

"No one's here that I know of," Topher said, noticing the way Tony was glancing around. "But -- wanna see something kinda cool?"

HE DIDN'T. HE REALLY DIDN'T.