Generation Next The Lost Chapters

Leslie's Little Idea (Part 3 Avengers Crossover)

Leslie’s head appeared around the frame of the door into Tony’s office. “I’ve got it!”

“Got what, exactly? The chicken pox?” Tony asked her as he looked up from his computer screen. A screen that showed just how miserably their sales were tanking after Smark Industries launch of their new solar panels.

“Our new product you idiot! Do you want to see it or not?” She disappeared from the door.

He scrambled out of his chair and hurried after her. Leslie was talking as if he hadn’t had to rush to catch up to her. “Right so what I did was a tandem product introduction, twofer, if you will, so people will be suckered into buying two products and spending more money. They don’t necessarily need both products, but the tie-in will be so enticing they will want to buy them both.”

Tony wrinkled his nose at her, as he stared at the sheet and the lumps beneath it. “You sure about this?”

She punched him in the shoulder. “Yes. Now pay attention.” Turning away from him, she whisked the sheet away from the products beneath. “Introducing the new Stark Industries Espresso Pro Max. It’s super efficient, compact, and uses less energy than every other espresso machine out there. Also, it has a timer setting so you can set it the night before and it will make your espresso all on its own so wha-la it’s there for you when you get up in the morning.”

“Big deal, it’s a glorified coffee machine Leslie,” Tony grumped. “How does that beat highly efficient solar panels?”

“I’m not done yet!” she answered in a singsong voice as she pointed to the rather ordinary looking printer next to the coffee machine. “What do you normally do with your coffee grounds when you’re done with them?”

He scratched his head. “Uh throw them out.”

“Or use them in a compost heap. Whatever. The point is most people don’t think much about them because they become mostly useless. Now, we can get more out of them thanks to this wonderful little printer!” She yanked a little cartridge out of the printer, turned and pulled the used filter from the espresso machine and stuffed it into the cartridge, and replaced it in the printer, before heading over to the laptop beside it.

She smiled at Tony, hit the print button on the laptop, and waited while the printer zapped out a page. With a flourish, she lifted the page and handed it to him. “As you can see it is in full color and also high quality.”

He blinked at it. “Wait, are you telling me you just used coffee grounds to print this?” He stared at the full color photo of Stark Tower that was used for their advertising brochures. “It looks just as good as a regular printer! I would have thought it would come out like all different shades of brown.”

“No, it utilizes a chemical process to separate … look it’s complicated, I’m not going to explain it. But it will bury Smark Industries!”

Tony gave her an evil grin. “Hell yes it will! Get it out there!”

Leslie smiled back at him. “Press conference already scheduled.”

***

A’Cadia sauntered into Stevie’s office looking smug. “We’re in trouble boss man.”

Stevie looked up. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?

She slapped a report down on his desk. “Stark Industries just launched a new product and our sales took a hit.”

“That’s impossible! I saw their computer files; everything they have is months away from launch! Months I tell you!” he squeaked out.

A’Cadia shrugged. “Don’t know what to tell you. You put me in charge of tracking everything they are up to and according to the press conference they held, they’re launching a new product. Well, two actually. And we are screwed.”