1/Welcome to 2025

Welcome to 2025
Date of Scene:	26 March 2017
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	A meeting between Gregory Stark and Danny Rand
Cast of Characters:	Gregory Stark, Iron Fist

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Gregory Stark has posed:
     Early morning hours in the city that never sleeps. It's a beautiful day, blue skies overhead the chirping of birds that flutters about through the small trees, the honking of horns in the streets loud as ever. People even now still find their own way through the chaos as they have for generations, looking down towards their feet and ignoring the world around them.

     For many it's a day like any other, for one Gregory Stark it's his first real day back on American soil, in a long time. His English was thankfully good as ever, matching his mood as his pure white limousine pulled up in front of the newly opened Stark Global Solutions Tower. A glistening beacon in the city years in the making finally opening its doors, in just a few short days. This would be the beginning of a new dawn, their first American venture, coinciding with the opening of branches in Brussels, and London. What a time to be alive.

     Of course the actual event itself wasn't for a little while now, there was still time to prep, time to plan. He looks out through the one way reflective glass of that back seat to the pearlescent white front doors of the all too imposing structure, a smile on his face.

     As the car pulls to a complete stop, a man with gloved hands in a pure white uniform steps out from the all white limousine. Even his shoes are white, as he walks around placing a small pure white mat of fabric down onto the ground atop a small puddle left behind from the recent rain.

     From inside the imposingly vintage limousine, a pure white Rolls Royce Cloud 1 Custom Built super stretch limo. The door is opened revealing the dazzlingly bright interior of the limo itself, without a single stain or mark on the matching inside fit for a king.

     Stepping out is Gregory Stark, the lesser known Stark twin, the spitting image of Tony, except for the neon blonde hair and eccentric taste in suits. The obsession with pure white everything down to the stitching on his suit, and his sunglasses. Taking them off as he strikes down onto the sidewalk Gregory gives a light smile, the rug lifted back up the moment he's stepped off of it, the door closed back shut by his assistant.

Iron Fist has posed:
Whereas Gregory Stark favours white and all things that are clean, or at least, what he considers clean, Danny Rand is his polar opposite. Today, he has chosen to wear a business suit, but only because it's expected of him in these situations. Truthfully, he would be comfortable walking barefoot in sweat pants and a t-shirt. It's nature and the natural world is as clean and pure as things can get. Albeit, in a concrete jungle. He had driven, and paid an exorbitant fee for parking his stylish sports car, a brand new Lamborghini, though, Rand can't remember quite what this year's model is called. It was yellow, falling somewhere between canary and mustard. It was definitely yellow, but not so bright as to look gaudy.

He was standing outside, watching as the other man arrived, and upon being recognised, had to sign an autograph or two. He was a celebrity in his own right. But fame and fortune was never what he sought. It simply found him. Moving towards Mr. Stark, Danny extended his hand. It was clean, but was it up to the standards of a germaphobe? "Mr. Stark? My name is Danny Rand," he was so informal, "and I thought I'd pop by to welcome you to the neighbourhood."

Oh, Danny, where was he from. He was so nice and kind, and very much naive. He was treating this as if it were a community of five thousand people, not the millions that lived in New York. Of course, he might have known more than he was letting on. It was hard to say. He was so genuine in his approach.

Gregory Stark has posed:
     Gregory stops in his tracks at the sight of someone else. A somewhat friendly smile, plastered on for the cameras. It's a facade, clear to anyone else who might need to place one up for the cameras. "A pleasure to meet you Daniel, I've heard a lot about you." A rather more serious temperament then one might expect from the family name associated with drunk science super soldiers, and super heroics.

     There's a visible pause at the prospect of a handshake. The gears whirling inside of Gregory's head for jut that split second before he finally reaches out a gloved hand accepting the handshake with another smile before his expression returns to its more serious resting face.

     The handshake given is a rather firm, quick one. Very much that moment of wanting to avoid the human contact but forcing himself through it anyway, as he takes a quick nod to the flashing lights of the cameras. "I'm so very glad you decided to accept the invitation."

Iron Fist has posed:
"Thank you for your kind words, Gregory. The feeling is mutual." His grip was equally firm, but he wasn't nearly as keen to end it. To him, it was a natural custom of living in America, though he could sense the discomfort on his companion's face, despite the visage being presented to him and the cameras.

"I am glad to be here. I'm certain that Stark Global Solutions will bring many jobs to the community, and benefit the word at large." Rand Enterprises was a green company with strong morals and ethics, at least it had been since Danny assumed control. S.G.S. on the other hand...

"I've heard of your Brazillian expansion. I trust that you'll be doing the utmost to limit the impact on the rapidly decreasing rain forest?" Did he just ask that, in front of cameras? Was this a set up, or was the man truly that naive? It was hard to say.

Gregory Stark has posed:
     There were certainly reasons the company had been founded in Madripoor, and only recently expanded to the west. It had a bit of a reputation among those who knew how to dig past the disinformation, and information scrubbing being done across the internet. It was a reputation for dirty dealings, assisting smugglers, despots, warlords, and the free world alike with seemingly no actual loyalty to any of them past the mighty dollar. The name of the game was money, and as one of the single largest companies in all of Asia, let alone the world S.G.S was very good at that.

     "Well it's all about the people." Gregory states confidently. "We pride ourselves on our reputation, and where would that be without bringing on the best and brightest to forge a better tomorrow."

     Then the bombshell question comes in, there's no cracks in his armor as he strides right along to that next landmine to defuse. His own more serious stance and general attitude adding to the gravitas of his speaking. "We plan on doing what ever is necessary." Just a brief breaths pause. "To make this planet last, that's something we can all strive for." A light applause from some of the star-struck passers by, who may or may not have been planted within the crowd to illicit just that reaction.

Iron Fist has posed:
If only Danny knew just what S.G.S. had been up to, but alas, he was far from a forensic detective. He could hire people to do that, but he'd have to have a suspicion to cause him to even go digging. For now, all he knew was that the man seemed uncomfortable with his lot in life. He didn't seem to like the handshake. He didn't seem to like the question about his business. His essence was all over the place, rather than balanced and centred.

Danny felt sorry for the man, and wished to help him, but how? "I'm told that Rand Enterprises has interests in the vicinity. I'd love to partner with S.G.S. to, as you say, make the planet last." He may have said similar words, but he was far more charismatic. He was hardly Tony Stark, but Danny had the benefit of sincerity and enthusiasm, both of which usually came across as endearing.

"What do you say, Gregory? Can we work together to save the rain forest?" Normally, he would have offered a hand, and it raises, but only slightly, knowing, or suspecting how the man felt. He was playing to the crowd without even realising it.

Gregory Stark has posed:
     "I'd say, there's not much I'd rather do." Giving another smile. "With our two companies, we can make a real difference." At the back of his mind he's regretting it, but it's for the cameras.

     Cameras wait at the ready, cellphones and professional ones, a few of the reporters to the side rapidly typing notes out onto their phones or holding their microphones to record sound bites. He puts that gloves hand back out. "It's a deal."

Iron Fist has posed:
Danny Rand shakes, again firmly, and this one is held up a little longer, as the cameras are recording this moment, visually, audibly, and photographically, for posterity. Stark may live to regret that decision, as he'll have people from another company working so close together, observing, seeing, and reporting things back. It is one thing to make a shady deal or bulldoze the rainforest when no one is around to know, it's quite another with witnesses.

"You won't regret this, Gregory." Yeah, rub it in there Danny, why don't you? Naturally, there will be other stipulations, things to negotiate and so forth. But that's for the lawyers. If one side pulls out, they had better have a good reason for it or else it'll play badly in the press. Though, there could be a silver lining. Associating with Rand could certainly help the public relations of S.G.S. As the Ferengi say, every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.