Ch59. Monaco

One day Tony suddenly got an invitation to a formula race organized in Monaco.

Something about the Stark Industries sponsoring one of the teams and what an honor it would have been if Tony showed up. Tony couldn't help but snort when he remembered in the past, he usurped the spot of the racer for himself from the bewildered poor sod who was supposed to initially drive the car.

What an honor indeed!

The invitation in itself wasn't really important. He got tons of those for various stupid events he had no interest in almost on daily basis.

If people stopped sending them the invitations, they could actually save a forest or two...

The important thing was that it reminded Tony of one significant problem he forgot during all that cuddling, snuggling, and fucking with Natasha in the past few months.

He totally forgot about the existence of Ivan Vanko.

It was understandable, really. Vanko was not some world-level threat. Tony only remembered Obadiah because the bastard practically raised him and was his initial 'villain'.

Vanko, however, was just a small petulant fry with daddy issues mixed with heavy alcoholism.

He could create a palladium-based arc reactor? Well, good for him. So what?

He had nothing on Thanos, Ultron, Hydra, and the like. It was easy for his existence to somehow elude Tony's mind when he was so focused on so many things.

His relationship with Natasha, his research, Extremis Cradle research, friendship with Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy...

Tony's schedule was too full for Vanko's existence to be registered.

So, unless Vanko decided to reveal his ability to make an arc reactor to the public or started working for Hydra or some other dangerous organization, Tony was fine with letting the Russian dude continue to drown in his miserable life and alcohol.

He could not be sure that Vanko would seek vengeance in this timeline too. Not when Tony didn't become the Iron Man.

For all Tony knew, that might have been what really riled Vanko up to proverbially take up the arms.

But Tony was curious...

Hence, he was currently in his private jet with Natasha on their way to Monaco alongside Pepper and Happy who were taking it as a sort of family vacation mixed with work since Pepper had several meetings with European businessmen after the race.

She tried to rope Tony into them but he flatly refused, citing his profound need to satisfy Natasha's unquenchable sexual urges rather than entertain the sense of the importance of some old wrinkled men.

That earned him a weak swat from Natasha... just for appearance's sake... and a disproving look from Pepper but Tony proudly puffed out his chest and didn't budge even an inch. Everybody knew he was totally right! Not his problem they lied to themselves for propriety's sake.

...

Tony, Natasha, Pepper, and Happy arrived at the restaurant where the wealthy people spent their time before the race and separated, Pepper and Happy going their own way to enjoy themselves alone while Tony and Natasha also did the same.

They found a table and ordered some high-class food. Neither Tony nor Natasha had many opportunities to visit good high-end restaurants. Tony was too busy and Natasha would not go without him. That's why their usual food was either take-out or whatever Natasha managed to cook.

Now that they found themselves in one such restaurant, they decided to enjoy it.

In the middle of their late lunch, Tony even noticed Jam-, uh, Justin Hammer near the bar but the ponce seemed to try blend in with the crowd, probably not wanting to be recognized by Tony.

While the article about the verbal mocking he and Natasha delivered to Hammer and Ch-... whatever was her name... was not quite a sensation compared to the one about Natasha being Tony's fiancee, someone still wrote about it, causing Justin quite a bit of shame.

Tony didn't really mind that Justin seemed to avoid him. The guy was a bothersome idiot. Tony left the weapon manufacturing industry. Was it so hard for Justin to just relish his perceived 'victory' in silence and enjoy the benefits of being one of the very few weapon manufacturers in the States?

Yet, instead of doing that and working on bettering his company, for some reason, Justin was chasing Tony's shadow.

Tony found it retarded. There was nothing to chase. Tony did not make weapons anymore. How can you expect to beat somebody in something he no longer does?

More importantly, why should Tony care about Justin and his achievements in weapon-making?

He was not interested in some stupid dick-measuring contest with a dickless idiotic peacock.

It was nice that Justin was too embarrassed to approach them. At least he and Natasha had peace and calm while they ate and chatted.

The day progressed and the race began... it was boring. Tony would have rather spent the day in his workshop or with Natasha in bed.

He remembered how he wanted to race in his past life. How exhilarating it felt to be on the track. And he inwardly chuckled at how childish he was then. He took the place of a driver who was preparing for this race for months, probably ruining his dream.

All these racers did it because they loved racing. They lived for it. Taking the spot of one of them just because he threw around some money was incredibly spoiled showing from Tony.

He didn't regret it. Not really. But he wouldn't do it again.

That's why he was sitting in the spectating area for the rich and successful with Natasha on his lap, being a general bother for everyone around.

Rich people had this thing called manners and societal rules which Tony took a great delight in breaking. Having a woman seated on his lap while sitting among them was scandalous! Deciding to completely ignore the event in the middle of it and start making out with her in a very passionate way... now that was a bonafide sacrilege to these societal rules.

But did Tony care?

Meh... hypocrites.

All the scandals he had caused over the years and his fiancee sitting on his lap is what they care about?

They really had nothing better to do than throw stifled gasp at his back in an excessively scandalous way as if they themselves did not cause many small scandals all the time.

If Tony cared about the opinions of others, he would have gone bonkers already from all the crap that is said about him in the media. One or twenty more people badmouthing him won't change anything.

It was not as if these people suddenly stopped making deals with the Stark Industries because of their image of him either.

And when Tony finally thought he came to Monaco for nothing, feeling both incensed and relieved at the same time, he spotted something that made him inwardly groan.

Putting his forehead on Natasha's and stopping her short from delivering a fiery kiss on his lips, Tony gave her a wry smile while gesturing with his eyes to the left.

Natasha frowned but listened and discreetly looked to the left...

Only to let out a loud frustrated whining sound, startling the nearby people as she put her head on Tony's shoulder and quietly growled.

"I am going to kill him." She said with finality in a miffed tone.

"No skin off my nose." Tony shrugged, too annoyed that he was correct in this case.

To their left, Ivan Vanko clad in the attire of waiter, and he looked as suspicious as a tattooed muscular Russian ex-convict waiter can be in a room full of rich people, served drinks to a feeble old guy, who seemed extremely nervous being in Vanko's proximity, while throwing glances in Tony's direction.