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Stark got the forwarded e-mail from none other than a student at Xavier's Institute. Curious. The talk about studying telepathy for a way for it to communicate through technology for verbalization is also one that fascinates him. He hasn't gotten a chance to study telepathy before, and the thought is exciting even with the potential dangers it presents. It is an opportunity he would not wish to give up, especially since he has Chamber's medical records.
Then again, after pulling those out, Stark thinks he had question marks appearing atop his head repeatedly. They do not rightly make any sense really. As a result, he ends up responding to the E-Mail as follows:
Dear Mr. Starsmore,
Ah, what the hell, who needs the overly heavy polite stuff anyway? I'm just reaching out to say the PR department forwarded your E-Mail and it really caught my interest. I tried to make heads or tails out of your medical records, and I'm afraid I'm still at square one. If you are willing to give me a chance though, I'm more than willing to research for a resolution to this communication issue. Anyway, always wanted to study telepathy to figure out how it worked.
Just stop by Avengers Mansion sometime, and if you can let me know ahead of time via E-Mail, I'll make sure I'm there. And just let Jarvis know whatever tea you drink, he would appreciate someone with potential taste, least I guess all Brits have taste in tea. I just drink what he gives me.
- Stark
And that is how Jono now finds himself in the Avengers Mansion sitting room on the couch, with Stark lounged out in one of the chairs. Stark hasn't bothered with shoes, his jeans have holes in them, and he wears a black wife-beater. He had just walked in, and flopped right down. "Hey man, Jarvis fixing the tea already? I swear, he wants to flush out my system." The famous inventer presents a lopsided grin at Jono.
This would normally feel surreal of course, but it's worse in a way. Because whenever Jono tries to telepathically talk to Stark, he absolutely senses no mind. Which means...simply...Stark is not base-line human or he lied about not having studied telepathy before and found a way to block it.
Jonothon was oddly polite - he sat with his hands in his lap, simply marveling at the... everything. He was in the Avengers Mansion! Holy crap! These people were his heroes! And then Tony shows up just so casually, it made him jump just a tad. < Cor! > he path'd with a start. < He insisted, even though I informed the good bloke I don't drink tea, or anything for that matter. Uhm, so you're still at square one? > That was the question most pertinent on his mind.
"Ah...," is what Stark says as Jarvis walks and puts down some sort of mixed fruit or veggie drink in front of Stark. "Ugh, it's that time of the day, huh?"
"Well sir, you should eat right then." Jarvis then says, "Do try and remember to fully review medical records before telling me to ask what tea a gentleman would like, young master. He is unable to consume such things." Jarvis then about faces and walks on out.
"Oh...oh!" Stark then smacks his palm against his forehead. "I didn't think of that! I was just looking at brain wave and energy reading signatures." He then moves to take a big gulp of his nasty looking drink, before making a face. "Anyway, you can be more talkative. You go by Jono, right?" Least Stark got that right. It's as if Stark didn't hear a word Jono was saying.
Jonothon furrowed his brow. < I am being talkative, > he said, in broad-range telepathy that even Jarvis could hear. < Er, he can hear me, right? > he asked Jarvis, looking over at the older gentleman... as he's walking away. Bugger all. Jono then started to sign - poorly. It took a little effort, but he got his point across. He said, 'I'm sorry, I can't eat or drink.'
Jarvis pauses at the doorway and looks back at concern. "Young Master, Mr. Starsmore is speaking." The bulter sounds obviously concerned, and a little worried.
Stark looks at the moving hands though, then at Jarvis, then back at Jono...and there is an expression of almost horror on his face. "You mean...I can't hear him?" Stark had no idea, that much is obvious.
"Young master," Jarvis' tone still sounding concerned, but also firm. As if he knows he needs to remain calm in this situation.
Stark gathers himself up pretty quickly, and forces a smile to his face as he looks at Jarvis, "Sure, I'm fine. Perfectly, just surprised. I...it's complicated Jarvis."
Jarvis sighs, "You will explain in your own good time, as per usual." Still looking concerened, he does depart.
Stark is staring at Jono right now, as if trying to figure out what he should do about this, or he he should handle it.
Jonothon rubbed at his nose in thought, before making a gesture with his hand, for, say, a pen. Or a notepad. Or some seriously awesome Stark-tech to do super-texting!
Stark gets it after a second or two, "Oh, oh! Sorry man. I'm just...right, one second." Apparently lying wasn't an answer, because Stark appears pretty unsettled. He moves to stand, fidgets, moves to pick up his glass to chug the thing with an icky expression on his face, then sets it down and runs the back of his hand across his mouth. "Anyway, why don't you come along? I set up some reading sensors in the medbay, and I can get something from my lab to make it easier for us to communicate with. I...I didn't know." He didn't know that Jono wouldn't be able to telepathically communicate with him.
Jonothon didn't know he wouldn't be able to either. Maybe beneath Fantomex's mask is Tony! They both seem suave enough, at least Tony does in public. But... nah... couldn't be. That's just silly. He followed Stark, his gothy boots clonking on the floor perhaps a bit too noisily.
Stark motions to the medical bay, and then heads to his lab to go hunt for something to use. It also gives him a few moments to recover before he returns with a Starkpad. "It should work temporarily. I downloaded a simple program that will take what you type into it, and turn it to audio to speak so you don't have to constantly show me the screen." Though he would be able to read it remotely. He then holds it out to you with a bit of a lopsided smile, a signature expression of his.
Jonothon accepted the Starkpad and started typing, but he looked at Tony first, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled and his cheeks moved just so. Seemed he was smiling. He typed, rather fast, and the Starkpad spoke: "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry you can't hear me. I don't know what is wrong. I can only speak telepathically. Don't worry, I can't read minds. Like a one-way radio, I can only broadcast."
Stark nods at that, "That's a bit limiting for your telepathy," he admits. "But let's see what we can do. First, I got to find a way to pick up the broadcast wave lengths of your telepathy. I've never built a receptor for telepathy before, but surely it cannot be that much different from radio waves or brain wave lengths. I have done one before with brain wave lengths, so I'm positive it can be done."
Stark walks over to pick up what almost appears to be a metal bowl, "And the fun wave length monitor, though I adapted it to also pick up other frequencies. You will briefly appear as if you were just aducted by aliens, or trying to prevent them from reading your mind," he teases Jonothan.
Jonothon nodded, and he teased right back, "As long as there are no probes, no complaints. Ha, ha, ha." Silly computerized voice. He looked at the metal bowl, though, and he wished he could smirk at just how silly it all seemed.
Stark laughs openly, "I definitely do not swing that way. Wow, imagine the media frenzy /that/ would cause. Rich, retired playboy goes alien probing after death of girlfriend. How many dead girlfriends has he been through before he finally cracked to play left field?" There is that dark, biting humor there that Stark gets at times. But he then shrugs dramatically before sighing as well. "Alas. Still straight, and single." But then with a twirl of the metal headgear within one hand, he walks over to Jono to set it on him, and strap it into place...until...and if you don't stop him he will lift the bandana briefly. "Have you ever thought of cybernetics kid? You seem to be missing your jaw," as if there is no way in the world you would have noticed that before. Then again, there is just something about Stark that makes even the darkest and most dire of situations, hold a funny edge to them.
When tightening the strap sinks inward, dispelling the notion that he had a lower jaw, and then Tony checked under the wrapping... and that strange, bright orange energy started to flow, Jono shrugged, and typed. "Not everyone can afford what you can, Mr. Stark," Jono said. "In fact, I'm coming to you specifically looking for technological assistance, as you know." He may come from money, but his family seemed content to just sweep him under the rug.
And Stark considers this. "Well, it sure as hell wouldn't pass as 'normal', but you won't appear like a bandit." He drops it in place, "Try not to move too much." He then walks over to activate a medbay panel. "Alright, think loudly, or project your thoughts," his tone a bit teasing. Still, even with his tone that way, his expression is thoughtful. He knows Professor Xavier has money, but he is funding the X-Men, trying to take care of Generation X, and had to rebuild the school recently. And McCoy is a brilliant man, but cybernetics is not his strong point. He taps his fingertips absently against the side of the medical console while it scans. It is as if Jono can /see/ the wheels turning in Stark's head even if he cannot hear the man's thoughts. The young Brit had managed to get the genius' attention, which is sometimes difficult to do.
"Sometimes mystery gets me phone numbers," Jonothon joked through the pad. And when he's told not to move, he shuts his eyes, and goes utterly still. He thought long and hard... Thought bubble time! . o O ( How you've turned my world you precious thing. You starve and near exhaust me. Everything I've done I've done for you. I move the stars for no one. You've run so long, you've run so far. Your eyes can be so cruel. Just as I can be so cruel.... ) Bowie? Kind of awesome, actually.
The readings are coming back slowly, but Stark then mentally starts to do adjustments to the software in the device, so that they come back more accurate to the medbay pad. His fingers dance over the medbay pad, storing the recording information, and already sending it to a system for testing on responders. He really thinks he can do this, and smiles as a result. It's another ten minutes before he says, "Alright, we are good." He walks over to remove the metal special class helmet from Jono's head. He is grinning. "It took some tweaking, but I got the results I needed. It isn't exactly brain waves, but it's something close. I'll need a few days to do some testing with the system though, to find something that will actually respond to that. Still, I know there is a /lot/ I can do with it. It's on the edge of my mind." He sounds excited. "You be gossiping like the gals in no time. Oh, I'll need to send you some voice files, I doubt you want the Iron Man one," which is very computerized, "Unless it's for giggles and laughs. You likely want one more personalized. My only concern is communicating emotion, as reflections in tones with these sort of programs are much more difficult."
Yes, Stark is on a bit of a think tank rant. Sometimes, he soooo borders supervillain rambling.
Ten minutes Jonothon started on Bowie's album, 'Outside,' just playing through his head. He blinked after the apparatus was removed, and started typing. "We'll make it work. I just want it to try to perform again... I was hoping we could literally translate my projections into wavelengths, or onto tape, or something, you know? Like unscrambling television signals into coherent audio and video. Also, I don't need to sleep, so if you want to study me all night, that's cool. I'm sure you're interested in my energy signatures and their potential."
A nod at that, "Performance, then you will need something very clear sounding and something to reflect not only tone, but also pitch. You are really challenging me here kid." But Stark is grinning as a result. "And of course I'm interested in your energy signatures, I'm also terrified of what I could do with them," the grin fading. "I've learned over time to adapt my genius to improving people's lives rather than killing them, but weapons and defense items are still the first thing I think about. I'll need to study in how you make use of the energy yourself, but I'll be careful on what information is recorded." He knows the danger of temptation.
Stark then shrugs, "Then again, that's for a project you didn't techniqually ask for." But he then chuckles, "So, cybernetics...been a while since I touched that avenue of research." Stark then tugs at your shirt, "Can you remove it? And the bandana? I have your basic medical reports, but I'll like to get a scan of exactly where the flesh ends, and where it begins, like a map of your body. From what I can tell, you really don't have anything much physically holding your body together, but yet blood still moves, and though new cells aren't generated, the body repairs itself." This causes Stark some thought. "Does McCoy have any theories on that?" If he makes something to integrate into Jono's body, he is going to need to understand it.
Sliding out of his shirt, Jono began the slow process of unwrapping his covering - it wrapped around his lower face, jaw, chin, neck, and around his shoulders, under his arms to cover his chest and back down to his sternum. It took a while. But in time, he stood there, shirtless, his biokinetic energy flowing slowly, up and about, lazy tongues of psionic power flitting like slow-motion electric fire. When asked, he reached to the pad and started typing. "Cybernetics are just an option for now. I guess the best option would be to correspond with Dr. McCoy. Do you have an X-Ray or CT scan machine? I don't have tattoos or piercings, just a number of missing flesh and organs."
"Ummm...ya." Stark shakes his head to stop staring. "I doubt you need to hear the term 'fascinating'. I'll drop Hank a line though, we are on each other's e-mail lists of random thoughts of the day." He then motions to lay down on a medical bed. "Just lay down, this will do all the required scanning. Your energy is pretty active, how do you make use of it generally?"
Stark then face palms, "Right, you can answer that, then I'll start the scan." You can't type responses and get the scan done at the same time. Tony likely knows he is like a bull in a china shop.
Jonothon shrugs, and sits on the medical bed before typing, "I use it all the time, passively. When I use it actively, I can move it, or let it get its own mass or force. Or I can affect minds with it. Or I can heat things up. I use it all the time to keep me alive. I guess it is me. I don't know for sure." He shook his hand, the typing getting a little annoying. "When I make use of it, say, in training, its either to try to contain it or unleash it, and blow stuff up with it." Then he set the pad down so he could lay back on the medical bed. He looked as the energy began flowing upward. Looked kinda like he was on fire from the mouth down. Weird.
Stark nods at that, and when Jonothon lays down he starts the scanner which seems very sci-fi'ish, though perhaps not as much so as the X-Men medical bay. "So you wouldn't want solid cybernetics, you would need something that can open up and permit your energy to reveal itself. Don't want to be blasting off your own chest plate after all." Stark walks over to a medical pad and punches in a few things before nodding. "I did notice your brain waves were really different, so it might have to do with the energy that your body current contains. You may have manifest as a non-physical being when your X-Gene activated, but somehow you still keep a chunk of your physical being together. Which by the way, if that theory is right, is impressive as hell man." Basically, Stark sounds impressed! "Imagine the willpower you have to have to do that? Wonder if that makes you Green Lantern material?"
Stark grins at that thought, finding it vaguely amusing and interesting at the same time. "Anyway, all done. Scan took less time than the rest of it. But if you like, I can help with the bandages this time. That seemed like a pain. Who's your trainer by the way? I know you go by Chamber in Generation X, but I honestly know nothing of the program itself."
Jonothon sat up, and reached out for the Starkpad. "My trainer is Alex Summers. His mutation and mine are slightly similar. It's all good in theory, but I'm still a mute mutant, and it's a very tough world. The idea of an open-able cybernetic covering sounds surprisingly useful though."
A nod at that, "I'll drop Alex a line as well then to see about some of your training videos, so I can see your energy use in action." Stark then grins, "Looks like I'll have a chance to work with Hank again though, which is always awesome by the way. But don't tell him that, it will go straight to his head!" Stark is of course kidding, he's the one more likely to have something like that go to his head.
Stark seems surprisingly patient when Jono needs to type something in, only tapping one foot in nervous habit as if he has to be in constant motion. He doesn't seem to mind Jono's muteness, but is delighted to resolve it too. "Oooooooh," and Stark just thought of something. "Do you have any old recordings of /your/ voice?" That would be useful.
Jonothon looked up, and his eyes met Stark's. There was an old hurt in his eyes. He nodded, very slowly, before he typed on the pad. "Yes."
Stark nods, "Hey, don't look like that," picking up on it as he moves over to pick up your bandages and eyes them. "It's a way to get /your/ voice back, you know? Even if it isn't the entire English language as they say, I may be able to break it down via computer and use the sounds to create other words. It's worth a try." He then grins at Jono. "Don't worry about it. If I lost my voice, I'd want people to help me take it back. I feel really good about this project."
Jonothon nodded, and he stood up, to let Tony try his hand at the delicate work of concealing his consistent energy output.
Stark is quiet as he takes your leadership in making sure the bandages are put on properly. The fact the energy does not damage the bandages, means unless Jono activate tries to, it shouldn't hurt the cybernetics either. He nods to himself. "E-Mail me directly with any attachments you have of your old voice, or drop them off to Jarvis. He will make sure I get them. I'll follow up later this week with Hank and Alex. I got to stop by and talk to Kenzie anyway," though the last part does not sound like a delight for him. That is something he feels he /has/ to do.
Jonothon remained silent. Such was the elephant in the room right now. But he does indeed make a mental note to grab any of his old cds and to send Stark copies of them. It's not a bad idea. Anything to help. When he mentions Kenzie, he looks down, but merely waits for Tony to finish.
Stark then goes to ruffle Jono's hair if he isn't careful. He is grinning again. "You are a pretty amazing dude, you know that? So, what type of music do you do? I admit, I usually listen to hard rock and heavy metal in my lab when I work. It helps the work go faster, or so it seems." He then taps a few things on the Starkpad he picked up and then holds it out to Jono. "Here, take it home. It could prove useful in situations where your telepathy doesn't work, or would cause a scene." Just like that.
Jonothon accepted the Starkpad after putting on his shirt. "Thank you," he typed. "I like metal, goth, darkwave, quieter stuff, you name it. I'm a musician, I like all kinds of music."
A nod at that. "Well, it's going to take a while, but let's aim for you performing again. It's a dream, but it's a possibility; and why not aim for the best?" Stark doesn't want to get Jono's hopes up too much, but Stark honestly believes it could be a possibility. Especially with some of the technology he has been working on, it makes things even more remotely possible. Can he risk it though? But seeing Jono's chest and lack of a lower face, knowing the kid is a singer, but is trapped as a mute...Stark wants to trust again. "Let's head on up. You want to take any of Jarvis' goodies back to the Institute for the others?" He leaves it as an option.
Jono merely shrugged, and began to type. "I'm not sure I should let them get their hopes up too soon, either. I'll probably keep my visit between me, Alex and Dr. McCoy. Thank you though, Mr. Stark. I really appreciate all of your help."
Stark nods, "No problem." He heads for the stairs with you, patting your shoulder briefly in a friendly manner. "We all have the prices we pay; and it's an honor to be entrusted to help handle that price." He then shrugs awkwardly, "Anyway, that's how I think. And I'll strive not to disappoint you." He does sincerely mean that.