Chapter 27

The sleek car pulled up outside the air force base, the midday sun glinting off its polished exterior. Tony Stark stepped out, exuding his usual confidence, while Stephen, still in his black-furred cat form, hopped gracefully out after him.

Stephen padded alongside Tony, his eyes flicking to the imposing gates of the base. "Are you sure about this? We should've called ahead."

Tony smirked, adjusting his sunglasses. "Where's the fun in that?"

Stephen's tail flicked irritably as he gave Tony an unimpressed look. "This is a military base, Anthony. People don't tend to appreciate unannounced visitors."

Tony leaned down, grinning. "Relax, Steph. I've got it covered. JARVIS says Rhodey's in the hangar giving a tour."

Stephen's ears flattened slightly. "Is it even legal for you to have that much access to an air force base?"

Tony stood up straight, his smirk widening. "Probably not. But it's me. They'll let us in. Besides…" He pulled a sleek tablet from his bag and held it up. "I've got this. It's my ace in the hole."

Stephen glanced at the tablet, his blue eyes narrowing. "The blueprints?"

Tony nodded. "Yup. The rescue drones, military scanners, and a bunch of other gadgets that'll blow Rhodey's mind. Once he sees these, he'll have no choice but to hear me out."

Stephen sighed, his voice dry. "Well, at least you're bringing something useful to the table. Let's hope it's enough."

Tony grinned, slipping the tablet back into his bag. "Oh, it'll be enough. Come on, let's go make an entrance."

.

After a bit of smooth-talking and name-dropping, Tony and Stephen gained access to the base. As they made their way toward the hangar, Stephen padded quietly at Tony's side, his sharp eyes taking in the soldiers and aircraft with quiet curiosity.

"You know," Tony said casually, glancing down at the cat, "for someone who claims to disapprove of this plan, you're awfully calm about it."

Stephen huffed softly. "I'm not calm. I'm resigned."

Tony laughed, pushing open the doors to the hangar. "You're gonna thank me later."

Inside, the hangar was alive with activity. Soldiers and technicians moved between aircraft, while a small group of officers and civilians stood near a fighter jet, listening intently to Colonel James Rhodes.

Rhodey's voice was firm and confident as he gestured toward the jet. "The future of air combat. Is it manned or unmanned? I'll tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot's instinct, his insight, that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome—or a pilot's judgment."

Tony grinned, stepping into the group's line of sight. "Colonel? Why not a pilot without the plane?"

Rhodey turned, his professional demeanor slipping for just a moment as he saw Tony strolling toward him, Stephen padding at his side.

"Look who fell out of the sky," Rhodey said, his tone a mix of surprise and exasperation. "Mr. Tony Stark."

One of the men in the group nodded respectfully. "Hello, sir."

Tony grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Speaking of manned or unmanned, you gotta get him to tell you about the time he guessed wrong at spring break. Just remember that—spring break, 1987. That lovely lady you woke up with."

Rhodey's eyes widened, his tone sharp. "Don't do that!"

Tony leaned in, his grin widening. "What was his name?"

"Don't do that," Rhodey repeated, his voice growing more exasperated.

"Was it Ivan?"

"Tony," Rhodey snapped. "They'll believe it."

Tony raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin unrepentant. "Okay."

Rhodey sighed heavily, muttering under his breath as he turned back to his group. "Why you always do that?"

Stephen, still sitting primly beside Tony's feet, let out a faint sigh as he muttered. "Are you always this insufferable, Anthony?"

Tony smirked, glancing down at the cat. "Only on my good days."

Rhodey waved a hand toward his group, his tone professional again. "Give us a couple of minutes, you guys."

The group nodded and began to disperse, leaving Tony, Stephen, and Rhodey standing alone near the fighter jet, who crossed his arms as soon as the others left, his eyes narrowing as he looked between Tony and the Stephen. "Alright, Tony. What's this about? And why are you still a cat, Stephen?"

Stephen spoke up before Tony could. "I'm here to keep him from doing anything too reckless."

"Okay… that doesn't explain why you're still a feline, but okay." Rhodey turned to Tony. "What's going on, Tony?"

Tony pulled the tablet from his bag, his expression serious now. "I came to talk to you. I've been working on something big, and I want you to be a part of it."

Rhodey frowned, glancing at the tablet. "What kind of 'something big' are we talking about?"

Tony tapped the screen, bringing up a blueprint of a sleek rescue drone. He handed the tablet to Rhodey, his tone steady. "It's not weapons for the military. It's different. These are rescue drones, scanners, and other tech designed for defense and recovery. I'm building a better future, Rhodey. And I need your help to do it."

Rhodey studied the blueprints, his frown deepening. "You're about to make a whole lot of people around here less annoyed with you thanks to this. But, that stunt at the press conference? It didn't exactly go over well."

"I know," Tony said, his tone softer now. "But this isn't about weapons. It's about accountability. About fixing the mess I made."

Rhodey looked up, his expression skeptical. "What, you're a humanitarian now or something?"

Tony exhaled, his shoulders tense. "I just need you to listen to me."

Rhodey tried to hand the tablet back, shaking his head. "No. What you need is time to get your mind right. I'm serious."

"You know I don't like being handed things, buddy."

Rhodey sighed, pocketing the tablet. "This is good, man, but it's better if you give it to Pepper. My status with the brass isn't exactly solid after your little stunt at the press conference. The last thing I need is them thinking I'm taking sides."

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't blame Rhodey—not really—but the sting of rejection still hit harder than he cared to admit. 

"It's nice seeing you, Tony," Rhodey said when Tony didn't add anything else.

With that, Rhodey turned and walked away, leaving Tony standing there. His jaw tightened, his mind already racing with ways to salvage the situation.

Stephen broke the silence, his voice calm but pointed. "You should've led with the suit, maybe."

Tony huffed as he leaned to pick Stephen up. "Yeah, well, hindsight's 20/20, isn't it?"

Stephen tilted his head, his tone dry. "You're lucky I'm patient."

Tony chuckled softly, scratching behind Stephen's ears. "Don't worry, Steph. I'll figure this out."

"You'd better," Stephen replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Because I'm not sticking around to watch you fail."

Tony smirked faintly, his confidence slowly returning. "You really know how to motivate a guy, don't you?"

Stephen huffed softly, his tail flicking against Tony's wrist in a gesture that was oddly reassuring. "You'll figure it out, Anthony. You always do."

Tony glanced down at him, his smirk returning faintly. "Damn right I will." 

As they turned to leave the hangar, he could see how Tony's mind worked on his next move. He wasn't giving up—not on Rhodey, not on his vision for the future.

And Stephen, though he wouldn't say it out loud, found himself quietly rooting for the billionaire genius. Though as Tony climbed into the driver's seat of his sleek car, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary, he could see that the conversation had affected him more than he thought. 

His jaw was tight, and his hands gripped the steering wheel as if it were the source of his frustration. Stephen, still in his black-furred cat form, curled neatly on the leather surface where Tony deposited him, with surprising gentleness considering his mood.

"So that went well," Stephen said dryly, his tail flicking lazily.

Tony shot him a glare but said nothing, his foot hitting the accelerator as they sped away from the air force base. The hum of the car's engine filled the silence, the desert road stretching endlessly ahead.

Stephen was lucky he no longer had an aversion to cars, or Tony's driving could have led him to a panic attack.

Stephen tilted his head, watching Tony out of the corner of his eye. "You're upset."

Tony snorted, his grip on the wheel tightening. "Gee, what gave it away? The way I slammed the door, or the fact that Rhodey practically told me to take a hike?"

Stephen let out a soft huff, settling into a more comfortable position. "He didn't reject you outright, Anthony. He's cautious. You, of all people, should understand that."

"Yeah, well, cautious doesn't get things done," Tony muttered, his voice sharp. "I'm trying to fix things, Steph. To actually make a difference. And instead of support, I get stonewalled."

Stephen was quiet for a moment, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Perhaps you're looking at this the wrong way. Rhodey didn't say no. He just suggested giving the blueprints to someone who can push them forward more effectively."

Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair as he eased off the accelerator. The car's speed dropped slightly, the tension in his shoulders softening. "You mean Pepper."

"Precisely," Stephen said, his tone calm. "She's already dealing with the fallout from your press conference. Giving her the rescue and defense blueprints would reinforce the direction you're trying to take Stark Industries. It's a logical next step."

Tony exhaled heavily, his gaze fixed on the road. "Yeah, you're right. Pepper's got the chops to handle it." He glanced sideways at Stephen, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Man, you're really leaning into this whole voice-of-reason thing, huh?"

Stephen flicked his tail, his expression neutral. "Someone has to keep you grounded, Anthony."

Tony chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Alright, Doc. You've made your point. I'll send the blueprints to Pepper as soon as we get back. But while she's dealing with that, I've got bigger fish to fry."

Stephen raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "The suit?"

Tony's smirk widened. "The suit. The Mark II. It's gonna be everything the Mark I wasn't. Sleeker, faster, stronger."

"And far less likely to overheat?" Stephen added dryly.

Tony laughed, his mood finally starting to lift. "Exactly."

.

By the time they reached Tony's mansion, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the Malibu coastline. Tony parked the car in the circular driveway, stepping out with renewed energy. Stephen hopped down after him, his cloak—still disguised as a red bandana—fluttering lightly in the breeze.

Tony stretched, rolling his shoulders as he glanced down at the cat. "You coming, or are you gonna sit there judging me some more?"

Stephen let out a faint huff, padding after him toward the front door. "You make it too easy, Anthony."

Inside, the house was as sleek and modern as ever, the floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed view of the ocean. But Tony barely glanced at the view as he made a beeline for his lab, his mind already racing with ideas.

Stephen followed at a leisurely pace, his sharp eyes scanning the space as they descended the spiral staircase into the lab. "You seem… energized," he observed.

Tony grinned, grabbing a tablet from the nearest workbench. "What can I say? I'm a man with a plan."

"Several plans, if the state of this lab is anything to go by," Stephen muttered, his gaze flicking to the scattered blueprints and half-finished prototypes.

Tony ignored the comment, his fingers flying across the tablet's screen as he brought up the design for the Mark II. The holographic display sprang to life, projecting a sleek, unfinished suit of armor in glowing blue light.

"Alright," Tony said, his voice brimming with excitement. "First things first: flight stabilizers. The Mark I was a beast to maneuver. The Mark II needs to be as smooth as butter."

Stephen hopped onto a nearby workbench, his tail curling around his paws as he watched Tony work. "You're keeping the repulsors, I assume?"

Tony glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Stephen shrugged lightly. "No reason. I just remember the suit you wore when I met you. It was a sight, alright."

Tony blinked, his curiosity piqued. "Wait, you saw my suit? The one I'm planning to make?"

Stephen hesitated, his gaze flicking to the hologram. "Briefly in the news. It was… good. Though the one I saw with my own eyes was far more advanced than the Mark I or anything I've seen in this timeline so far."

Tony leaned back, his brow furrowing as he processed this. "Interesting. So, what you're saying is, the Mark II's just the beginning?"

"Precisely," Stephen said, his tone calm. "But don't let me influence your design too much. It's your suit, Anthony. You should build it your way."

Tony grinned, turning back to the hologram. "Damn right I will. Now, let's talk about weight distribution. The Mark I was clunky as hell. If I'm gonna pull off flight, I need something lighter, more efficient…"

Stephen listened quietly as Tony rambled, occasionally nodding or offering a pointed observation. Though he didn't say much, his presence seemed to ground Tony, giving the billionaire the space to think out loud without judgment.

"And the arc reactor," Tony continued, gesturing toward the glowing chest piece on the hologram. "That's the heart of it. I'll need to optimize the energy flow for the repulsors, but also add a failsafe in case of overload. Maybe even a backup system..."

Stephen tilted his head thoughtfully. "Redundancy is always a good idea. It could be the difference between success and disaster."

Tony shot him a grin. "See? That's why I keep you around."

Stephen smirked faintly. "I thought it was because of my charming personality."

Tony laughed, shaking his head. "That too, Steph. That too."