Heroes Assemble!

The Path You Choose

"Better make it in two weeks," he replied. "Pepper deserves my full attention after today for at least that long."

"Very good, Sir."

The next item was actually a set of eight photographs laid out on the screen two across, four down. Each one of them showed a picture of a piece of land. Across the top of the screen was the name of the project: Calrissian.

"Hmm," Tony mused as his eyes wandered across the different photos. "No. No. No."

As he rejected each one, he swiped them straight off the screen where they zipped along the holographic display and into the holographic trash can. The next two were tapped for deeper analysis before also being rejected.

"That's got potential," Tony stated, tapping deeper and deeper into the file, seeing pictures, statistics, even a map.

A series of quick taps brought the main image back into focus. Tony captured it and dragged it out into his holographic 'playroom' and began walking around it.

It was a caldera, a great bowl surrounded by a mountain rim, obvious by the fact that the spectral analysis showed that the lave tubes back to the surface had all been filled in by the collapsing volcanic material. There was, however, a large empty chamber under there that would be perfect for his needs. The land inside the bowl was lush and green and even had a small river and lake to one side of it. The land outside the rim of the bowl was lightly forested, not that it'd likely survive what he had in mind.

Leaving the hologram where it was, Tony checked the remaining two potential sites, for thoroughness' sake. Both were quickly dismissed.

"Where is this?" Tony asked, moving back to the holographic map.

"It is part of a small, currently un-named and uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean between French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Islands," Friday informed him.

"Who owns it?"

"French Polynesia has laid claim to it but due to the fact that it lies on the very edge of its border, has not seen fit to do anything with it."

"Buy it from them," Tony instructed. "Offer them trade in the form of clean, advanced energy tech and water reclaimers as well as cash. I want this to be a generous deal, give them nothing to complain about later."

"I shall contact Mister Nelson with your instructions," Friday replied. "Sir, your timetable is approaching."

"Pepper?" Tony asked, glancing at the clock.

"Her flight is on schedule and she is expected to arrive at the Tower at the predicted time."

"Excellent," Tony replied and suddenly, completely unexpectedly, he felt nervous. Shaking it off, he gave the order. "Send the call."

ooo00ooo

Harry watched as Scott in his black and red suit held up his hand and tapped his thumb onto a button built into his glove.

Instantly, the man, the Ant-Man, shrunk to the size of well, an ant. Carefully, Harry knelt down to get a better look at the now-tiny man.

"Crazy, right," Sam commented. "And you know what's even crazier? He's probably even stronger that size than he is in his normal size."

"He's like a tiny doll," Luna said.

"Yes!" Cassie squealed. "Daddy, come play in my doll house with me."

A second later, Scott was full size again, startling Harry backwards to land on his backside.

"Not now, Peanut, Daddy's talking to the nice Avengers," Scott said. "But later on, we can do that."