Hire AI/ML Engineers to Transform Your Business with Intelligent Solutions
In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, businesses are rapidly adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to stay competitive. From automation to predictive analytics, AI is driving innovation across industries.
To successfully implement these technologies, companies need skilled professionals. That’s why many organizations are choosing to hire AI/ML engineers who can build scalable, data-driven solutions.
Why Businesses Need to Hire AI/ML Engineers
AI is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for growth and innovation.
🚀 Accelerate Digital Transformation
AI helps automate workflows, improve decision-making, and enhance operational efficiency.
📊 Data-Driven Insights
Businesses generate massive data daily. Skilled engineers turn this data into valuable insights.
💡 Competitive Advantage
Companies leveraging AI outperform competitors with smarter strategies and faster execution.
If you're planning to integrate AI into your operations, working with AI developers for hire can give you a strong competitive edge.
Key Services Offered by AI/ML Engineers
When you hire AI engineers in India, you gain access to a wide range of services:
✔ Machine Learning Development
Custom models tailored to your business needs.
✔ Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Chatbots, sentiment analysis, and conversational AI.
✔ Computer Vision
Image recognition and video analytics solutions.
✔ Predictive Analytics
Forecast trends, demand, and customer behavior.
✔ AI Automation
Streamline operations and reduce manual work.
A reliable machine learning development company ensures these solutions are implemented effectively.
Benefits of Hiring Dedicated AI/ML Engineers
💰 Cost Efficiency
Reduce hiring, infrastructure, and training costs.
⚡ Faster Time-to-Market
Quick onboarding ensures faster project delivery.
🔄 Scalability
Easily scale your team as your business grows.
🧠 Access to Top Talent
Work with experts skilled in modern AI frameworks.
Businesses often prefer dedicated AI developers to ensure consistent performance and focus.
Industries Leveraging AI/ML Solutions
AI is transforming multiple industries:
🏥 Healthcare – diagnostics and patient analytics
🚚 Logistics – route optimization and forecasting
🏭 Manufacturing – predictive maintenance
💳 Finance – fraud detection and risk analysis
💻 SaaS – intelligent applications and automation
Partnering with AI outsourcing services helps businesses implement these solutions faster.
Real-World Use Cases of AI/ML
AI/ML engineers help build impactful solutions such as:
🤖 AI chatbots for customer support
📊 Predictive analytics for forecasting
🔍 Fraud detection systems
🎯 Recommendation engines
📦 Supply chain optimization
To implement these use cases effectively, many companies choose to hire AI developers remotely for flexibility and scalability.
How to Hire AI/ML Engineers: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Define Your Requirements
Outline your goals, budget, and technical needs.
Step 2: Choose the Right Model
Dedicated, contract-based, or full-time hiring.
Step 3: Evaluate Expertise
Check technical skills and past projects.
Step 4: Onboard Quickly
Start development without delays.
Step 5: Scale Your Team
Expand resources as your project grows.
Working with AI consulting services can simplify this entire process.
Why Choose AquSag Technologies?
AquSag Technologies provides a reliable solution for businesses looking to scale with AI.
✅ Pre-Vetted Engineers
Access skilled professionals with proven experience.
✅ Flexible Hiring Models
Choose what fits your business needs.
✅ Fast Onboarding
Start your project quickly.
✅ End-to-End Support
From development to deployment.
Whether you need NLP, automation, or predictive analytics, hiring NLP developers for hire ensures high-quality AI solutions.
Challenges in Hiring AI Talent
❌ Talent Shortage
AI experts are in high demand globally.
❌ High Costs
Full-time hiring can be expensive.
❌ Long Hiring Cycles
Traditional recruitment takes time.
This is why businesses are turning to AI automation services and external hiring models.
Future of AI/ML in Business
The future is driven by:
Generative AI
Real-time analytics
Autonomous systems
Intelligent automation
Companies that invest in AI talent today will lead tomorrow’s market.
Conclusion
AI is transforming how businesses operate, innovate, and grow. To stay ahead, companies must adopt intelligent solutions powered by skilled professionals.
The best way to achieve this is to hire AI/ML engineers who can deliver scalable and impactful results.
note: this is the result of a crazy writing frenzy I was in last night, I went a bit feral over this idea and I don't know where this story is going. Also I spiraled after I read this. anywayyy hope you enjoy this drabble.
pairing: f!reader x price (x ghost - maybe eventually?)
summary: After going to work in the military you develop a weird relationship dynamic with your captain, and soon you find out you're not the only one.
word count: 2.7k
cw: 18+, daddy kink (!), probably inaccurate job descriptions/situations, pet names, a little bit of angst, a little bit of h/c; reader is kind of a crybaby; not proofread;
NEXT
You couldn't explain the story of how you got yourself in this situation if you tried. You were barely able to understand it yourself. Yet, here you were, sobbing in your captain's arms at his office, way past your working hours, calling him daddy and praying that he'd kiss you.
You had a hard day, as it was pretty common nowadays.
You certainly weren't fit for this work environment and you were painfully aware of it. It didn't matter how much you tried you couldn't get past this fact: you were an academic. You weren't used to the discipline, the hierarchy, and the life-engulfing aspects of the military.
When you had accepted the job 8 months prior, it really was the salary that convinced you, if you were being honest about it. You had been living on scholarships most of your adult life and it was getting kind of tiring. A part of you wanted to refuse out of a moral stance, but you didn't.
You were fresh out of a linguistics PhD program at the time, and you excelled as a student and researcher, but your skills were very specific and not that marketable. Your mom was probably right when she tried to dissuade you from dedicating your time to mostly dead and made-up languages, but you were too stubborn to listen at the time, although her greatest concerns were, as usual, well-founded. Needless to say, the opportunity came at the right time.
It seemed urgent and they tested you relentlessly. It was clear to you from the beginning that no one there was thrilled to resort to a civilian linguist. It was fun, though, and you passed the tests as if they were silly little puzzles you do to relax. And you were the only candidate to be able to decently decipher the completely made-up languages and codes that were used in the telegraphs they gave you.
They hired you on an 18-month contract for two different jobs: translating and decrypting intercepted messages for a task force, and also training their own linguists to do what you did. If you were good at it, you wouldn't be needed anymore.
The task force was nice enough, all four of them treated you well and didn't bother you much. At first, it was a bit disconcerting, but by now you've gotten used to how attractive they all were to the point where it almost didn't affect you anymore.
All of them called you birdie. You liked it, it made you feel included to have a little nickname. Soap was the one to come up with it on the second week you were working with them "Some birds know many languages." he had explained, clarifying: "Bird languages, ye know". The original explanation made you smile, but the addition made you blush "Plus, ye're cute like a little birdie"
The training part though wasn't going so well. You were almost 100% sure that all six of the students hated you. It seemed offensive to them to have to sit down and learn anything from you. In the beginning, you did your best to be pleasant, to do the best job you could, and maybe win them over. But at this point, you just wanted to be done with it and never look at any of those people ever again.
They were building a computer program to do your job apart from the classes. You felt offended at first at how they didn't even hide the fact that you would be used and then replaced by a more efficient machine, but you were now praying that they'd get it done as quickly as possible. The program was really good at pattern recognition, but it still wasn't good enough at semantics, and it lacked any nuance of interpretation.
The only thing that made you want to stay a little longer was this thing with Captain Price. It had started innocent enough, he took pity on you when he noticed you struggling with the new environment. He said some kind and assuring words here and there when he noticed how much the students tormented you, and he'd reprehend anyone who dared to disrespect you in front of him.
Eventually, Price casually invited you to work in his office if you wanted to, being away from other people seemed to ease your nerves a bit. He didn't mind, he assured you, it was nice to have some company. More than that, he genuinely found your job fascinating and always asked you to show him how you did it in his free time.
He sometimes brought you tea the afternoons you spent there, he'd accidentally brush his arm against yours, or touch your leg with his knee when you sat beside him. At first, he'd correct the movement, but it evolved to not correcting it, to then doing it intentionally.
They were simple touches, a little pat on your shoulder here, brushing your hair out of your face there, every single one made you shiver. One day he made a comment about how uncomfortable you looked on the chair and pulled your legs to rest on his lap while he worked. That was the first night you allowed yourself to fantasize about him to sleep.
John had a warm and comforting presence, and you were genuinely disappointed when he wasn't around, finding comfort in the fact that he gave you a copy of his office keys, so you could work there even when he wasn't present.
Ghost was there sometimes, seemingly preferring to work from Price's office as well. At first, he seemed to get disconcerted by your presence, probably a bit annoyed that he had to share the space with you, you thought.
He was never rude to you, just awfully quiet, even when it was just the two of you there. He nodded at you when you greeted him, and often sat on the big sofa on the corner or even on the floor. You offered him the desk many times, feeling a bit guilty for taking up so much space, but you noticed he only accepted when he seemed truly tired. Despite the unsettling silence, you thought he was a gentleman.
You first thought that John had somehow hypnotized you when you noticed the subtle ways in which your heart lost its pace whenever he commanded you to do something. He rarely asked without a smile, a polite inclination "dear, will you please file these reports for me?" "can you please grab me a cup of coffee?". He'd only deviate you from your tasks like this when he seemed to be in a bad mood, you noticed. It was never about anything urgent, and it was always when you were clearly already busy. In spite of it, you were never able to say no. He seemed to derive pleasure from bossing you around like that, but you knew he didn't have to remind you of the power he had over you, as it always hovered on your mind. Either way, soon enough you were painfully aware of the fact that you'd do absolutely anything he asked you to.
But you knew, for sure, that you were in trouble when you realized you got aroused anytime he'd compliment your work. Getting his praise started to be a more important goal to you than anything else. Earning a "good girl" was a rare occurrence, but it never failed to make your day.
One day he found you crying, and you couldn't quite explain what it was with words without feeling ridiculous. After what they called a "successful mission" it dawned on you that the information you were extracting out of those telegraphs really was being used to kill people. Those weren't your silly little puzzles.
"Criminals" Soap had corrected you as you tried to articulate your despair, much to your dismay. He wheezed as if your frame of thought was absolutely hilarious. "Shouldn't be here if you'll react like that, birdie" he had said and you wanted to scream.
"You'll get used to it" Gaz had assured you, sending a disapproving look towards Soap.
Later, the more you tried to express your frustration to John the more you cried, sobbing pathetically. It was the first time he hugged you, shielding you from the world around you for a minute.
"You don't understand..." you tried to explain, but you cut the sentence short at his stern look.
"I do understand," he said frowning, keeping his hand firm on your back. He took a deep breath and leaned down a bit to look you in the eyes "Listen, you do a good job, sweetie. You're doing good things, even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes" he assured you.
You nodded and tried to get the crying under control, suddenly aware that you probably looked terrible.
John cupped your face in his hands.
"Why don't you get the rest of the day off and get some rest, huh?" he suggested kindly "come to me if you need to talk."
After that, he got more and more comfortable being physically close to you. It quickly evolved, as you enjoyed being close to him a bit too much. Sometimes he'd squeeze your hand in his when you sat beside him behind his desk very casually and, sometimes, you'd rest your head on his shoulder while he worked. Saying you were in love felt like an understatement, but you'd never make it real by saying it out loud.
You once made a joke in passing about how your dad left you and your family, but he didn't laugh. He tilted his head and looked worried instead. I'm here if you want to talk he said, and it made you want to bury your head in the dirt.
Price called you many things, at first it was dear, sweetie, birdie, love, and finally, he settled with baby.
"what are you doing there, baby?" he just asked casually one day, and you almost gasped, feeling your heart attempt to leave your chest.
Although your relationship with him wasn't sexual in practice, it certainly was sexualized in essence. To you it was, at least. Oedipal if you were to be honest with yourself.
The first time he called himself your daddy it simultaneously broke and healed something in your brain. He chuckled at your reaction, how you looked at him wide-eyed and full of hope, hiding your face on his chest next.
"thank you, sir" you whispered then, pathetically.
You feared at times that your affection to him was one-sided, that he saw comforting you like this as a part of his job, a strange but effective one as well. You wondered if it made you weak, you didn't even try to be brave and deal with things alone anymore, you were aware of how childish it was to knock on his door looking for daddy's embrace at the slightest inconvenience. But you couldn't help it, it was too comforting to give up.
And that's the exact position you were in now. You had a bad day so you came running to him. He was awfully kind to you, as usual, and you prayed that it was a sign of enjoyment, that he actually liked comforting you like this.
You didn't notice when Simon came in. He froze by the door, and the captain just signaled for him to close it. John still had his arm wrapped around you, a hand stroking your hair.
"Shhh, it's ok now" he cooed at you "daddy's here."
Simon watched as you melted in his arms at the words, your breathing easing instantly. Again, you felt as if hypnotized. Your body responded to his words before your mind could catch up with them.
You wanted him even closer, you wanted to curl up on his lap, and have him rock you like a baby. Most of all, you wanted him to kiss you. You craved the touch of his lips on yours and the thought clouded your mind. Just that week you had already masturbated to the thought of him twice. Although you always reprehended yourself afterward, it didn't work to make these thoughts go away.
You rehearsed in your mind the idea of looking up and kissing him but didn't build enough courage to do it. You thought you'd die if he ever rejected you.
"That's it, you're ok," John said when he noticed the pace of your breathing ease, with his cheek pressed to the top of your head "I've got you, baby" he pressed kisses to your hairline. You sniffed, using your sleeve to clean the tears from your cheek.
"Now, be a good girl and go get some sleep," he said and you nodded against his chest, inhaling the warm smell of his shirt and suffering with the upcoming separation already "Ghost will take you to bed".
You raised your head and blinked at him, and that's when you finally noticed the tall figure close to the door, unmoved. You wiped your tears, distressed. For how long had he been there?
"Will you guide her to her room, lieutenant?" John asked him calmly, as if you didn't find yourself in the most embarrassing of situations.
"Yes, sir" Simon responded in the same tone.
The walk back to your room was painfully silent. The corridor around you was dark and empty. Your entire body was tense, and you walked fast trying to keep up with Simon's pace, hoping that he'd just say something and put you out of your angst, but he didn't.
When you finally reached your door, he opened it and waited for you to go inside.
"I'm sorry that you saw that" you blurted out, cheeks flushed pink "I-I don't know what to say. It's really not like that...-"
"It's OK" he interrupted when he noted the despair in your voice. He tilted his head a bit, evaluating your expression "I get it." there was something mischievous in his eyes, and you wondered if he was smiling at you behind the mask.
"Do you?" you asked, your voice was almost a whisper.
He nodded, and you relaxed a bit "I'm sorry you had a shitty day, birdie"
"It's okay"
"Tell me if you need anything." he said before signaling for you to enter your bedroom again, you thanked him quietly and closed the door.
Simon went back to Price's office in hurried steps, letting out a sigh when he entered. He was exhausted.
His captain was seated on the sofa, reports spread on the coffee table in front of him and a cigar put out on the ashtray beside him.
"Come here" John said, his eyes didn't move from the papers in his hands.
Simon took off his boots and mask before curling up on the sofa, resting his head on the captain's legs, and finally taking a deep breath as John started to brush his fingers through his hair.
"Don't know what to do with her" John murmured, more to himself than to start a conversation.
Simon hummed in response, his eyes felt heavy, and he could no longer keep them open.
"She's such a sensitive little thing..." John continued, seemingly lost in thought.
"She's cute" the lieutenant murmured, the drowsiness that flooded his brain making it almost impossible to form a coherent thought.
"Yeah" John chuckled lightly. "Well, don't worry about it." he assured, taking his attention back to petting Simon's hair "How are you?"
"Fine" he purred, getting comfortable on the sofa, even though it was a bit too small for him.
John hummed as he stroked Simon's cheek lightly "my pretty boy"
He watched Simon as he let his eyes rest completely and his body relax, being taken by slumber in a matter of seconds.
John continued to read reports well into the night, only waking Simon up, gently, when he finally decided to get some sleep himself. He accompanied Simon to his bedroom before moving to his own, patting him on the shoulder before sending him to bed. It was easier for Simon to fall asleep on his own then, as it usually was, after he had already been nursed to sleep beforehand.
If I want to make Alpha Flight work for me, I suppose I'll have to try and reinvent the origins of half these characters. I'm not even sure that's something I really want to do, but I know school probably isn't going to be that exciting today. So at least this gives me something to do? I'll have to just see what I can do about writing some stuff down for this whenever the school day gets to be too stressful or distracting or whatever. I'm going to try and treat it all like jot notes, though. Because I can't be bothered to try and write lengthy paragraphs on every single character. Although I may still do it, especially since I'm having a freaking terrible day and I really need distractions for myself. I'm gonna list all these team members in order of their joining the team.
Guardian: James Hudson was an engineer and scientist from Ontario, a world renowned academic studying things like the defensive properties of different kinds of armour. He grew up as a very precocious young man, obsessed with machinery and science. He became a skilled engineer in his teenage years, and even developed a helmet to control machinery telepathically while he was in University. James's dream goal was to wind up working as an inventor subsidized by the federal government, someone able to dedicate himself to creating tech to benefit all of mankind.
It was through his love of science that James Hudson would meet Dr. Walter Langkowski, a man who'd eventually become a close friend and co-worker of his on Alpha Flight. They both attended a lot of the same events, because they both found themselves fascinated by science (albeit in different ways). While Walter goes into biochemistry, James stays firmly in the field of engineering.
Eventually, James gets hired by a big name company to design technology for public purposes. He was set to turn his helmet to control machinery into a full line of exoskeletons for use by people like diggers, construction workers, etc. James eagerly threw himself into his work, or he did until he learned the whole company was a massive capitalistic organization secretly planning to sell all of James' well meaning tech off to the US government for use in military combat. Losing his faith in the institution he'd been eagerly working for, James destroys all his exoskeletons except one, then destroys his laboratory with all the notes inside.
Escaping with his notes, James broods for years. Trying to distract himself, he helps fund his friend Walter Langkowski's research into alpha radiation. But that goes poorly too, and eventually James just falls into a depressed slump. If not for Heather McNeil, the only other person at the company who actually supported James and admired his altruism, James would probably have given up on life. But she hounds him persistently, making sure he keeps himself in check. Eventually, this leads to a romance blossoming between the two of them.
And a year or two after that, Walter Langkowski shows up with an inuk demigod from the far north, and James realizes that his friend wasn't a failure. And if Walter wasn't a failure, then James isn't one either! James Hudson is going to use his exoskeleton to help people, and do the exact opposite of contributing to a war machine. James Hudson is going to be a guardian for his country, a defender of the defenseless. As of 1971, Canada didn't really have any superheroes. None anybody knew about, at least. Wolverine may exist, but the whole Weapon X program is definitely not public knowledge. But in any case, James Hudson becomes the Guardian, founder and leader of the superhero team Alpha Flight.
Alpha Flight is overseen by the government, but it isn't actually an official wing of the government. It's independent, at least to a certain extent. Laws still exist to regulate their actions, but that's par for the course. Guardian, Sasquatch and Snowbird are the first three founders, followed eventually by Shaman, Aurora and Northstar. Heather McNeil actually ends up becoming the team's government liason for a time (one of her relatives used to work for the government, so she has some connections), but she also eventually ends up joining the team as a hero in her own right.
Sasquatch: Walter Langkowski grew up in Burnaby, British Columbia. He's one of the founding members of Alpha Flight, him and Guardian (James Hudson) being the two team members to first join the organization when it gets established. James and Walter became fast friends, since they were both canadian academics, albeit ones in different fields. James was an engineer and walter was more of a biochemist, but they became fast friends from attending a lot of the same academic functions.
Although James ends up becoming the leader of Alpha Flight when the Canadian government decides to loosely sponsor their activities, Walter was actually the real reason Alpha Flight ended up existing in the first place. Walter Langkowski was obsessed with The Hulk, especially after he learned Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk following his exposure to gamma rays. As a biochemist, the concept of a man changing on almost the molecular level due to the gamma rays fascinated him. Walter wanted to see what would happen if a man was exposed to a different type of wave on the spectrum of radioactivity, so he successfully convinced James Hudson to help him assemble a lab up in a desolate part of canada's arctic territories, all just so he could test radioactivity on himself.
Knowing that gamma rays turned Bruce Banner into a destructive and intellectually challenged monster, Walter doesn't dare want to risk gamma radiation on himself. But he's taking a bet that there's a radiation level lower than gamma, but also one whose radiation might be safer than it's predecessors. So under the bright lights of the aurora borealis, Walter Langkowski bathes himself in deadly waves of alpha radiation. These waves initially turned Walter into a mindless beast, a violent monster who destroyed his laboratory and then got lost in the wastes of the north. James Hudson lost contact with his friend that day in the winter of 1969, and he was forced to assume that the experiments were a failure.
But sometime in the summer of 1970, Walter Langkowski makes it back to BC with his mind fully intact. And he arrives in the company of Snowbird, a sheltered inuk demigod who'd been living amongst the people of Nunavut. She'd helped to subdue him when he was rampaging throughout the north, and her defeat of him in combat somehow helped him reclaim his natural intelligence. Apparently alpha rays have the same transformative properties of gamma rays, but alpha rays are significantly weaker and less transformative. Walter Langkowski can now turn into a massive sasquatch esque beast, but he can keep his own regular mind whenever he transforms.
Sometimes he'll have an outburst of extreme emotion while in his sasquatch form, but he's able to control it with things like medication and meditation. It's allowed him to become strong while maintaining his strength. And that's a perfect recipe for a superhero, at least in the eyes of James Hudson. When James discovers Walter's new ability (and his newfound demigod friend), it gives him the push to help found Alpha Flight. I can try to go in more detail about that under Guardian's section in this note, but Alpha Flight got it's name from the Alpha radiation team founder Walter Langkowski once bombarded himself with to become the hero known as "Sasquatch."
I don't have a whole lot more to say about Walter, honestly. His strength level is around the level of The Thing, but nowhere near the level of Thor or the Hulk. I still think Walter Langkowski becoming trans representation as Wanda Langkowski could be interesting, and I'm fine with them transitioning. And I think that he's definitely become a hero to the people in his home province of BC. But yeah, that's about all I really have right now on Sasquatch.
Hire Dedicated Developers in India Smarter with AI
Hire dedicated developers in India smarter and faster with AI-powered solutions. As businesses worldwide turn to software development outsourcing, India remains a top destination for IT talent acquisition. However, finding the right developers can be challenging due to skill evaluation, remote team management, and hiring efficiency concerns. Fortunately, AI recruitment tools are revolutionizing the hiring process, making it seamless and effective.
In this blog, I will explore how AI-powered developer hiring is transforming the recruitment landscape and how businesses can leverage these tools to build top-notch offshore development teams.
Why Hire Dedicated Developers in India?
1) Cost-Effective Without Compromising Quality:
Hiring dedicated developers in India can reduce costs by up to 60% compared to hiring in the U.S., Europe, or Australia. This makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses seeking high-quality IT staffing solutions in India.
2) Access to a Vast Talent Pool:
India has a massive talent pool with millions of software engineers proficient in AI, blockchain, cloud computing, and other emerging technologies. This ensures companies can find dedicated software developers in India for any project requirement.
3) Time-Zone Advantage for 24/7 Productivity:
Indian developers work across different time zones, allowing continuous development cycles. This enhances productivity and ensures faster project completion.
4) Expertise in Emerging Technologies:
Indian developers are highly skilled in cutting-edge fields like AI, IoT, and cloud computing, making them invaluable for innovative projects.
Challenges in Hiring Dedicated Developers in India
1) Finding the Right Talent Efficiently:
Sorting through thousands of applications manually is time-consuming. AI-powered recruitment tools streamline the process by filtering candidates based on skill match and experience.
2) Evaluating Technical and Soft Skills:
Traditional hiring struggles to assess real-world coding abilities and soft skills like teamwork and communication. AI-driven hiring processes include coding assessments and behavioral analysis for better decision-making.
3) Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers:
AI in HR and recruitment helps evaluate language proficiency and cultural adaptability, ensuring smooth collaboration within offshore development teams.
4) Managing Remote Teams Effectively:
AI-driven remote work management tools help businesses track performance, manage tasks, and ensure accountability.
How AI is Transforming Developer Hiring
1. AI-Powered Candidate Screening:
AI recruitment tools use resume parsing, skill-matching algorithms, and machine learning to shortlist the best candidates quickly.
2. AI-Driven Coding Assessments:
Developer assessment tools conduct real-time coding challenges to evaluate technical expertise, code efficiency, and problem-solving skills.
3. AI Chatbots for Initial Interviews:
AI chatbots handle initial screenings, assessing technical knowledge, communication skills, and cultural fit before human intervention.
4. Predictive Analytics for Hiring Success:
AI analyzes past hiring data and candidate work history to predict long-term success, improving recruitment accuracy.
Pymetrics — AI-based behavioral and cognitive assessments
X0PA AI — AI-driven talent acquisition platform
Best Practices for Managing AI-Hired Developers in India
1. Establish Clear Communication Channels:
Use collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom for seamless communication.
2. Leverage AI-Driven Productivity Tracking:
Monitor performance using AI-powered tracking tools like Time Doctor and Hubstaff to optimize workflows.
3. Encourage Continuous Learning and Upskilling:
Provide access to AI-driven learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy to keep developers updated on industry trends.
4. Foster Cultural Alignment and Team Bonding:
Organize virtual team-building activities to enhance collaboration and engagement.
Future of AI in Developer Hiring
1) AI-Driven Automation for Faster Hiring:
AI will continue automating tedious recruitment tasks, improving efficiency and candidate experience.
2) AI and Blockchain for Transparent Recruitment:
Integrating AI with blockchain will enhance candidate verification and data security for trustworthy hiring processes.
3) AI’s Role in Enhancing Remote Work Efficiency:
AI-powered analytics and automation will further improve productivity within offshore development teams.
Conclusion:
AI revolutionizes the hiring of dedicated developers in India by automating candidate screening, coding assessments, and interview analysis. Businesses can leverage AI-powered tools to efficiently find, evaluate, and manage top-tier offshore developers, ensuring cost-effective and high-quality software development outsourcing.
Ready to hire dedicated developers in India using AI? iQlance offers cutting-edge AI-powered hiring solutions to help you find the best talent quickly and efficiently. Get in touch today!
what would you change in the dorne storyline? And why would it be to add more Dornish povs and more of the relationship between the characters? Hahahaha it's to little even the iron islands get more
So true.
I've said time and time again that Arianne is my favourite character and I utterly adore her chapters and think they were fantastically written and well constructed. That is absolutely true - everything in them makes it so clear where Arianne is coming from and why she makes the decisions she does. I can even defend the decision to dedicate so much of the time spent in Dorne to other characters' perspectives, because even that gives us interesting insight into Arianne: the man that met her as an adult sees her entirely differently from the man that has known her for her entire life. She presents herself completely differently. She's great with people. There's so much about her that she simply does not reveal. All that being said, something really lacking in the Dorne storyline is enough Arianne.
I think one thing that was really lacking in the Dorne storyline was sufficient emphasis on the efforts and machinations not on page. For example, think about how Arianne ended up in a position to launch her queenmaker plot. She learned Quentyn had left Dorne with papers sealed with the sun and spear of Dorne through her own information network. She learned about the Golden Company breaking its contract. She deduced those two things were connected. She developed such a good relationship with Myrcella that Myrcella trusted her without question. She seduced Arys Oakheart, seemingly before she knew for sure what she was going to do, just in case she needed him. She brought in a group of friends and decided it was best to keep limited numbers. She determined Hellholt was the place from which she ought to call her banners. She convinced Myrcella to lie to Balon Swann. Every one of these things occurred off page, but is an important part of Arianne's story, and they really do highlight how capable she is. A major part of Arianne's struggles are to do with the fact she has no choice but to be reactive. Getting more information on how she chooses to navigate the choices she has would be so good.
When thinking about how Quentyn had been seen in Planky Town, she mused about what "a clever man" (or herself, because she's the one speculating!) would have done in that position instead - gone to Oldtown where it would be likelier to fly under the radar, without anyone to recognize him and question why a prince and a lord's son were using false names and leaving Dorne. It would take longer, but it would be safer. This highlights how "impulsive" is not Arianne's natural instinct, just as much as the fact she did not rush to confront her father after first reading that letter. Arianne, at her core, is cautious. Arianne is Doran's daughter, through and through. Her impulsive actions come from the fact that she's usually not in a position where she gets to decide how to act purely of her own volition - if Quentyn is off hiring sellswords, she's got to do something fast. When she suspects that Haldon Halfmaester and Lysono Maar intend to put her on a ship to Storm's End regardless of her thoughts on the matter, she does not think it wise to test the theory. She is smarter than people think she is, regardless of if she is or is not good at cyvasse. Having her successes on page, rather than just off page, would emphasize that fact.
I don't believe that writing decisions should be made to spell things out for the audience. Of course not. Fandom not being able to understand that Arianne isn't the stupid and impulsive character it reads her as does not mean that the story should slow down to explain that. But still, Arianne is such a good character, I want to see more of her, and there are so many places where we could have had that.
Stylistically, I do get having the Dorne story ramp up only after Oberyn's arrival and death: out goes the old generation, make way for Princess Arianne. I even quite like it. Same as I like getting to see her from other characters' perspectives. But I don't like the fact Arianne doesn't show up until the fourth book, and then even after that, despite being the central figure of the Dornish storyline, gets a grand total of two chapters to herself. We're talking about the woman that's the niece of both Oberyn and Elia. The daughter of the man whose loss of his sister completely shook him to the core. The cousin of women undoubtedly old enough to remember Elia that are now grieving their father. The princess of a realm full of people old enough to remember the last war, who's notable for having friends from all walks of life. Dorne is a nation state, and through Arianne, we could learn a lot about how people in this nation state are reacting to things. I don't even necessarily need more perspectives from Dorne. But I would have loved to see Arianne conversing with all these other people and reflecting upon their different reactions to things.
( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )
The politics of the universe hold just as much sway as the governing laws of nature themselves in the distant future. With the passage of a few laws empires rise and crumble in the ever changing cosmos like the changing of the tides with the Draconian Empire as a prime example.
Spanning 17 star clusters and ruling over nearly 83 different worlds they were considered the prime super power of the galaxy at the time. Their fleets numbered in the thousands and their armies the millions of professional soldiers ever ready to take up the banner of conquest.
Most neighboring civilizations had either been wiped out from fruitless attempts at military defiance against Draconian expansion or had negotiated unfavorable deals to secure their independence with the empire.
Such was the scale of the military that equally as large was the governing body that oversaw the day to day functions. Legions of clerks and data archivists researched and gathered data for additional armies of legislators, governors, senators, and high council members and even the royal family themselves as a sea of information and statistics flowed daily over the span of light years.
To be a member of such a labyrinth of government was to be a one of many; a cog in a machine whose purpose is so far reaching that one risks being buried into the depths of obscurity.
And such we find regional overseer V'tet Darorn of Sector 12.
Unlike many of the Draconian species, he was not considered normal by many measures. While other of his species were thick with muscle and scales of such redness they made blood look pale, his frame was slender and his scales appearing as a rust red. Where other's wings on their back were full and strong, easily able to carry them high into the sky, his wings had developed a genetic deformity that made them extremely painful to fully open and thus remained closed.
V'tet had obtained a seat on the overseer council for sector 12 of the empire more through family connections and contributions to the empire then by initial skill. That was to say he was not dedicated and hard working, but in the grand mechanisms of the governing powers of the Draconian Empire new comers rarely gained more higher postings. This frustrated V'tet as he had developed new ideas that would push the power of the Draconian Empire to even greater heights, and yet was never able to sway his fellow council members to vote with him leaving him in a state of limbo.
That was until fate saw fit to intervene and introduce V'tet to one of the strangest people he had ever known.
Her name, was Rayah Amari.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The council chamber was a vaulted circular room of black stone and a vaulted ceiling made entirely of stained glass. Each piece of glass was from a different world under the domain of the Draconian Empire with the piece in the middle being made from the very planet beneath their feet.
At the center of the room was a descending pyramid built into the floor with levels of chairs and desks for each of the some several hundred council members to sit. At the very bottom stood a pillar known as the "Speaking Stone" which any council member must mount to earn the right to address the council. Not only was it symbolic, it also weeded out the weak as whomever mounted the stone would be gazing upwards at all of his fellow members and feel the weight of their gazes baring down on their every word.
Though any council member could mount the stone to speak, not many could handle such a matter save for several of the most senior members whose years of experience had numbed them. Indeed, some of the newer council members would go so far as to attempt to bribe senior members to mount the stone for them to push forward their motions with promises of wealth and political support.
It had been rare for a new council member to last long atop the stone and so it was quite the surprise when young V'tet began his descent from the stony steps towards the speaking stone.
As he passed by others he would nod a greeting or shake a hand but his descent was never stopped until he reach the bottom level.
Obrik and Htvala stood before him and blocked his path to the stone. Together they were the most senior members of the council and their respect was such that they had warranted seats beside the speaking stone itself.
"Come to propose your new plans once more?" Obrik's voice was a low grumble, like that of thunder rolling over the distant hills.
"You should let us speak in your stead." Htvala's voice was of a higher pitch which made him sound far younger than he actually was.
V'tet smiled. "Thank you, but I shall be fine."
He moved to get around them but Obrik stood in his way once more.
"Think carefully young runt." His tone dripping with smug superiority. "You wouldn't want to make your proposal and choke at the last moment."
Htvala snickered. "You never were one for words; it's not too late to make us an offering."
"You are both most generous, but I shall be fine." V'tet side stepped once more and approached the speaking stone.
"I've recently hired someone to take care of my short comings." he said as he slowly clambered up the stone. As he climbed the stone the murmur of conversation surrounding him slowly died away until finally he stood atop the stone and saw every council members eyes fixed on him.
He stared up at as many councilors he could as he slowly turned on the spot taking the grandeur in before stopping to read some of his notes on a scribbled piece of paper, to which Htvala and Obrik chuckled.
As if ready, V'tet set his notes and papers down and clasped his hands behind his back.
"When I was a child," V'tet began, " I considered taking my own life."
Whatever the councilors had been expecting this was certainly not it and a rush of gasps filled the chamber.
"Doctors had told my parents that my disease would only grow worse with age and eventually I would never be able to spread my wings again."
He began slowly pacing atop the stone while the eyes of every councilor were glued to him.
"Can you imagine it?" He asked, stopping in place and spreading his hands out to his colleagues. "To be blessed with the gift of flight only for it to be taken from you; to never feel the rush of air beneath you nor the softness of clouds against your scales ever again?"
Several of the councilors reached for their own wings while some flexed them instinctively.
"So when I learned that one day this would be taken from me I went to the tallest cliff I could find and planned to leap from it." V'tet stood at the edge of the speaking stone as if reenacting it, the tips of his feet hanging off the edge. "I planned to feel the rush of wind one last time before I faded away to join the eternal glide of our ancestors."
"I leaned forward over the edge," he spoke as he too began leaning over, " and just as I was about to plunge into the void once again my father came from behind and pulled me back." He spun in place and took several steps back to the center of the stone.
"He looked at me and said "What madness has taken hold of you?" to which I replied that I knew what would become of me, that I knew what the disease would take from me."
He stopped and put his hand to his head and pinched his brow and he appeared as if holding back emotions. After several seconds passed in silence V'tet spoke again.
"My father knelt beside me and put his hand on my shoulder and said "My son, just as the clouds are ever changing so too must we; for to remain stagnant as a mountain is not our way."
"He took hold of me in his arms and to my surprise leapt with me over the edge I had nearly fell from mere moments before." V'tet was circling the stone now, his arms wide in motion as if gliding through the air as he captivated the council. Obrik and Htvala looked on and scoffed at the seemingly childish antics unbecoming of a councilor.
"As he carried me in his arms as we flew home he spoke to me words I have carved into my heart. He said "Every problem we face will always have a solution, even if it was one we had never considered.""
V'tet stopped and spread his arms once more to the chamber.
"I tell you this story as now our great sector faces problems that even now seem impossible." V'tet's gaze wandered over the councilors as he spoke. "Our citizens earn less and less with each passing cycle while prices soar ever higher making their goals ever farther from their reach; but do not despair!"
V'tet's voice rose and he smashed his clenched fist into his chest. "For as my father taught me and as each of you know in your hearts there is no problem that we Draconian can not over come!"
A chorus of approval cam from a few of the councilors and some even clapped.
"When the Yupori war machine invaded did we cower behind our walls?"
"No." was cried out by several councilors who had served during the Yupori Crisis Wars.
"When our very sun spat ever growing deadly belts of radiation, did we flee from this sector with our tail between our legs?"
"No!" came a chorus of councilors who served the trade commission that had made countless negotiations with numerous other political bodies to import a rare element so powerful it stabilized their sun in a matter of weeks, saving billions from lethal radiation.
"And when our very own surrounding sectors sought to steal our glory and present them to the emperor himself, did we allow such a travesty of justice to unfold?"
"NO!" was the reply of some hundred councilors who served as the old guard who had stopped a plot from sectors 11 and 13 to mislead quota reports to make them appear more beneficial to the empire when in reality sector 12 had out performed both sectors combined.
"NO!" V'tet shouted. "When impossible tasks have been set before us we Draconian haven risen to meet each and every one of them; and we have emerged victorious in each and every one!"
The councilors were now cheering as they became swept up in their achievements, V'tet's words filling them and swelling them to the brim with pride.
V'tet was in full motion now, as if he was a hurricane made manifest that sought to sweep every councilor present up in his gale. "This challenge of wealth is not some monumental undertaking, nor is it some impossible task, not even is it something we should hide and fear from the very discussion of!" V'tet was staring directly at Obrik when he said this as Obrik had been the one in the passed who had pushed for delaying talks of economic reform in favor of the current system.
"No my fellow councilors, my conquers of the impossible, my defiers of the very fates themselves!" V'tet turned back and faced the massed audience. "This is but another marker for the very foundation of our greatness!"
The cheers were much louder now and several dozen councilors now were standing and clapping their hands while Obrik and Htvala's eyes narrowed at V'tet.
"For as my father told me I now tell you all!"
V'tet stopped his speech and appeared to be in pain. The cheers and applause died down as the councilors wondered if something was wrong when they noticed V'tet's wings twitching.
Slowly and with painful bellows V'tet cried out as his wings shakingly stretched out. The creaking and breaking of muscles and bones reverberating up through the chamber until even the lowest members could hear the pain.
Finally, through gasping breaths shaking hands, V'tet stood proudly at the center of the speaking stone with his wings fully outstretched.
"Nothing is impossible for the Draconian!" V'tet roared and the chamber erupted in jubilation as nearly every councilor stood to their feet and cheered the young councilor.
"Given by these messages of support I would say so."
V'tet had returned to his office some hours later after the council finished for the day. After his speech the days discussions had been shifted to tackling the economic problems facing the sector with almost laughable ease.
His companion had been waiting for him in his office and it was her he now enjoyed the quite evening with. She sat comfortably across from his desk swirling a caramel liquid in a crystal goblet.
"I could almost hear the applause from here." Rayah Amari said as she smirked and took a sip of her drink.
V'tet set down his data pad and stood up from his own chair to face the window behind him. The view overlooking much of the city from the council chambers to the slums of the grit district.
"I still find it hard to believe that your speech worked."
"Don't sell yourself short." Rayah quipped, finishing her drink before pouring another. "You did well reading it and going through the motions."
V'tet shook his head and looked at her. "I have given speeches before, yet none of them have ever been as impactful until I hired you to write them."
"I am but a humble word smith." She raised a glass to him and relaxed back into her chair.
"Now who is selling themselves short?" V'tet said as he sat back down and poured himself a glass.
"I've read your previous speeches; they were decent enough but they failed to sell capture you audience."
"How do you mean?" V'tet looked puzzled at her remark. " I laid out the facts clearly for all to understand."
"But it lacked spectacle and flare."
V'tet must have still appeared confused because Rayah leaned forward and pointed her glass to him.
"Arguments made with reason are good, but there is a time and place for them." she said. "You were making your case before you even got in the door, and no one wants to listen to the ravings of a man on the street."
"Then how did your building get me inside?" V'tet asked.
"By blinding them with emotion."
"Emotion?"
Rayah grinned. "When people feel emotions while listening to something they immediately become more invested in it, regardless of what it is." She put down her glass and cracked the sore muscles in her neck.
"My speech opened with something known to every Draconian, your wings." She motioned to his which had folded back tightly behind his back. "Every Draconian has them and uses them and deep down fear what would happen if they couldn't use them."
V'tet nodded at this, as not a day had gone by that he did not think of his wings.
"You lure them in with a tale of sadness, but you end it with a high not; a moment of inspiration that things will be better."
"Is this important?" V'tet asked, to which Rayah nodded. "Despite what some people think the majority of the population likes a happy ending."
"Next we stoked the pride of the people you would most need the support of." She held up a single finger.
"Mentioning military pride ensures you will have support from a few of their members as they enjoy being seen as proud defenders of their people, regardless of the problem they face."
She held up a second finger. "The merchants and money lenders who are often overlooked now have been moved front and center as their support will be helping the people, which will in turn boost their image and importance thus giving them a stake in your venture."
She held up a third hand. "The old guard who would most likely be opposed to change. By mentioning the previous clashes with neighboring sectors we've shifted their focus to what is best for the empire; something they are more likely to support given their national pride."
V'tet nodded as he followed along. "So by making each of these parties feel something, and giving them a reason they could benefit from it; the speech ensnared them?"
"I wouldn't say that," Rayah said as she finished her drink and set the glass down, "but it got them interested enough that their own imaginations will begin painting pretty pictures of what could be if this succeeded and they were the ones who most contributed."
Hearing this strategy V'tet was not ashamed to say he was impressed beyond measure that a single speech could have such depth of underlining themes and sentiments.
"Hiring you was one of my best decisions yet it seems." he spoke as he smiled to her.
Rayah shrugged. "I've had of practice with using emotions back home. You'd be surprised how often I could get people to vote against their own interests."
"Then I look forward to a long and mutually profitable cooperation." V'tet said as he raised his glass to her.
"As do I councilor." Rayah said with a devilish smile crossing her face. "As do I."
Technology has a significant impact on business. It has altered the way businesses operate, including communication, productivity, speed, and commercial decision-making. As a result, having the proper IT management can assist you with all of your IT demands. You can either hire qualified IT professionals for your in-house team for managing your IT infrastructure or you can choose to outsource or go for dedicated hiring to boost the growth of your business.
Here are the top 10 IT services you can include in your business.
Web Development - Web development refers to building, creating, and maintaining websites. It includes aspects such as web design, web publishing, web programming, and database management.
Business can provide high-quality photos and presentations on their website to attract more audience/clients.
It also boosts mobile traffic, improves SEO, raises brand awareness, and keeps customers engaged to save time.
Cloud services - The term ‘cloud services’ refers to a wide range of on-demand services offered over the internet to users. These services are meant to be simple, cost-effective, and without requiring internal infrastructure or hardware.
It preserves consistency between users, enables remote programming and easy data backup.
Application Development - The process of developing a computer software or a set of programs to execute the different functions that a business requires is known as application development. From preparing monthly budgets to arranging sales reports, businesses can use applications to automate procedures and boost productivity. It can also improve customer engagement, accessibility, and increase brand visibility and recognition.
UI/UX Services - UI is concerned with the interface between users and computer systems, software, and apps, while UX is concerned with the overall experience of a user with a brand, product, or service. It improves customer acquisition and retention, optimizes development time and cost, as well as ensures better user engagement.
Chatbots - A chatbot is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence to simulate human conversations. They are also known as ‘digital assistants’ because they come with human-like interaction capabilities and pre-coded problem-solving capabilities. They can help you enhance sales, acquire insight into client behavior, provide rapid feedback, and are available 24*7.
Work Flow Management System - Workflow management is the process of identifying, organizing, and coordinating a collection of tasks that brings a specified result. The goal is to enhance output, remove duplication, and reduce errors by optimizing, enhancing, and automating procedures.
Inventory Management System - An inventory management system is a technology and procedure that monitors and maintains stocked products, whether they are company assets, raw materials, and supplies, or finished products ready to be dispatched to vendors or end consumers. It also reduces costs and increases profits.
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning - Artificial intelligence and machine learning are two branches of computer science that are linked with each other. These two technologies are the most popular when it comes to developing intelligent systems. It increases efficiency and quality in production by enhancing creative tasks, reducing time spent on data analysis, control, and optimization of production processes and lines.
Internet Of Things - The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects with sensors, software, and other technologies built to communicate and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet. It boosts cost savings, improves customer service, and strengthens workplace safety.
Database Management System - A database management system (DBMS) is a software package for defining, manipulating, retrieving, and managing data in a database. It maintains application, database performance, organise numerous sorts of data, automates database processes for customers.
made up fic title: icarus, icarus (you flew too high)
"There is a kind of tragic joke. You can’t really keep a man down -good but often otherwise- because history’s mechanics are built to keep him from climbing toward the top. Somehow, Icarus gets to be reborn as Iron Man.” -Wesley Morris
When Tony was young, he didn’t think that limitations really ever mattered to someone like him, and...he was right. They didn’t matter.
The Starks were a family you never crossed because one overly-polite tone of disapproval from Maria Stark could send your social pedigree reeling. Just one scoff from Howard Stark sends your whole world plummeting.
And Tony?
Well...he learned both sides of the coin. There’s no telling what kind of damage he would do if he cared about others enough to.
At least, that’s the picture he paints for all to see. The mediums he use are just fascinating.
When Tony was little, he was the darling of American media. Whip-smart but in the “aw gee mister” Dennis the Menace nature that earned a ruffle of the hair, a disapproving-but-gentle-smile from his mother.
Outside of the cameras, Tony was left alone. His mother would much rather dedicate her time to her socialite friends, trying to rejuvenate the feeling of youth that had fled so long ago, rushing in expectations of adulthood that she was loath to accept.
His father wanted to focus on a man that was left on faded posters, advertising war bonds and a solution to a war that involved far more than anyone wanted to admit. Howard Stark much preferred to look through the world with amber-tinted glasses, and he didn’t much care if his son had a different tint.
The thing about Tony as a child was this: he really was naive. Looking back on it, he should’ve seen his parents’ faults.
But when you’re a kid, and when you watch TV shows and you read books for kids your age, all of the pictures and words depict parents as loving.
So you think yours are too.
Or, you think that maybe they’ll love you if you do the right thing. You don’t really know what the right thing is, so then you look towards one thing you should never look to: perfection.
Maybe if you can get straight A’s, your mom will look at your report card and she’ll be proud.
Maybe if you can perfect the robotics of one of the machines that your dad has been having trouble with, he’ll take an interest in what you have to say about the possibility of mirror technology for planes for the military.
Neither of these work.
So maybe if you look perfect. Maybe if you never have a hair out of place, maybe if you attain the everyone-wants-to-be-me status your parents will notice.
And they won’t.
They never do, and Tony? Well.
Sometimes, people realize that it is not their fault that their parents are terrible people. Others don’t, and they internalize that. They think it’s their fault.
Tony works hard. He studies everything, and he just wants someone to love him for himself.
And then he goes to college.
Thrown into a situation where there is no parent to impress but they’re still hoping that the heir of Stark Industries makes good decisions.
And he does.
He’s nice to everyone and any time any of the staff wants him to go for any publicity stunt, he does. He wears slacks and button-downs and drags himself out of bed and brings extra pens for giddy autographs and answers every single question comparing him to Howard with a glittering smile.
Tony’s so fucking tired. He’s just...it’s all too much.
He doesn’t do anything drastic, of course. No, too many eyes on him for that. Doesn’t want to become the next celebrity shut-in for a “delicate constitution” and “stress from work” or whatever bullshit his mom will sell to the papers to make sure that his legacy stays untainted from any malicious words.
But he does sit outside at two in the morning. Doesn’t matter if it’s pouring rain or snowing or so bitterly cold that after about twenty minutes he doesn’t feel his fingers.
There’s a person at the front desk who sees him every single time he goes outside.
James Rhodes, who did not originally want the night-owl shift, but got guilt-tripped into it because Hope needed to help her mom at her house.
So now, here he is.
Staring at Tony Stark, who still wears the button-down shirts and slacks outside and doesn’t carry a fucking umbrella.
Jesus, it’s fucking depressing. He’s pretty sure he’s not supposed to be sad at the front desk for someone else’s sake.
The next time, it’s a torrential downpour. Thundering and lightning comes crashing, and the windows shake with the noise.
And there he goes.
Except before he steps out, comes back soaked, James does the only thing he can think to do:
"Tony Stark, you get your ass back in here,” he says.
He knows he shouldn’t have said that.
You say one thing to a rich white kid and you’re down the drain.
Tony Stark just looks at him.
“What?”
“Get inside. You don’t need to go outside for anything.”
“I didn’t know you noticed.”
“You’re really the only person who comes here at two in the morning.”
“I am?”
“Well, besides people at parties on Friday nights.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you go outside?”
Tony freezes. It’s not a question he wants to answer.
“Why do you work so late?”
“No one else wanted to.”
“Oh. Why did you decide to work on-campus?”
“Flexible hours and I don’t have to drive anywhere.”
“That sounds nice. Are you really going to stop me from going outside?”
There’s another clap of thunder, white flashing all across the room from the windows, the windows themselves shaking. The rain pounds harder.
“I think if you go outside you’ll come back looking like a drowned rat, and you really don’t wanna look like that.”
“And what do I want to look like?” Tony asks.
“I don’t know,” Rhodey says. “But drowned-rat-look was so two years ago.”
Tony cracks a grin at that.
“Can’t argue with that flawless logic. I’ll see you later.”
And he walks off, as casual as can be.
Thunder still shakes the building.
But James is a little bit more at peace.
-
And then.
Of course there’s an “And then” portion.
Howard and Maria Stark die.
It was a car crash, an accident. James avoids seeing the papers that don’t seem to care how graphic the pictures are, they’ll show it.
He doesn’t know how to approach Tony Stark about this predicament, but everyone else, it seems, is just dying to, so-
Oh god. Yeah. Bad timing.
Tony Stark does not come down the stairs at two a.m. for a week. For more than half of that week he is back home. But on the last day, he is there.
He looks tired. Which of course he looks tired. He’s had people shove cameras in his face and he probably had to go over wills and estate hearings or whatever it is he needed to do.
“I’m not coming back,” he tells Jim.
“For the year, or for a long time?” he asks, because that kind of thing is something he’d like to know.
“Ever. They don’t want me to start running the company.”
“Why not?”
“They say I’m too young. But that’s not the real reason.”
“Okay.”
And James leaves it at that. Because he is very much so not looking for any drama, it’s already drama enough that Tony’s parents died and there are already conspiracy gossip magazines just running with it.
Tony is CEO, or at least co-CEO. He graces the covers of Forbes and Vogue and any other magazine that has any sort of interest in him.
Another “and then” moment:
He goes missing.
He said he was ready for more responsibility, according to an article from Forbes.
(What? James can keep up with news.)
Tony Stark was ready for more responsibility, to prove that he could do what everyone said he couldn’t, to prove that he could further a legacy he didn’t want in the first place.
So there was the Jericho missile. The demonstration went fine, all things considered by the US military report.
The problem was that the cars got hijacked and Tony Stark was presumed dead.
Ah.
Another American society family gone to history books, and James Rhodes knew one of them at least on a somewhat personal level.
He wasn’t going to tell anyone.
At least not until he needed to pay off a loan or something. He’s not even sure what people would do with the fact that Tony Stark was a night owl who liked spending time outdoors.
Maybe it’s because James Rhodes is gearing up for the military (at least, he thinks?) or maybe it’s because when he can’t go to bed he spends his time watching conspiracy videos and he shouldn’t do that, especially with all of the misinformation out there.
People don’t think that Tony disappearing was a coincidence. It makes sense.
Months after his parents death, and he assumes the role of CEO a year earlier than anticipated?
Obadiah Stane has been working at that company for Tony’s entire lifetime and then some. It had to sting knowing someone without the “proper” years of education and familiarity would take over and maybe ruin whatever it was you had planned.
So James Rhodes is kind of Concerned.
-
“You’re doing what?” His mama says over the phone.
“I’m not gonna join Air Force,” Jim says to his mother.
She’s been trying to convince him not to for about a solid year now. The reason she gives him is that he’s a damned fool who would probably get sent home with a broken foot or something anyways. He rolls his eyes at this.
(The real reason is that she doesn’t want to see an American flag draped across a coffin she shouldn’t have had to consider.)
“So what made you change your mind?” Dad asks.
“Career opportunity. I’m going to work at Stark Industries.”
“Doing what?”
“Research and Development, plus a little bit of testing. I’ve been talking with a couple of friends.”
“Which friends?”
“You don’t know them, Ma.”
“Why not?”
James lets out a frustrated breath.
“Because they’re from college.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t know them.” Mama scoffs, and he can hear her moving around the kitchen.
“You-I’m not gonna argue. You don’t know them, I do, and I’m going to see if I can get hired at Stark Industries or not. I’ll call you as soon as I get news.”
-
Stark Industries is hiring him as soon as he walks in for the department. With Tony gone, they need all the help they can get, even from someone with almost no experience.
He learns.
He learns a hell of a lot.
He learns that Howard Stark was a fucking asshole who had no idea how anything worked, and everyone loves Tony because he’s fun and hardworking and he knows what the company needs.
James hasn’t forgotten the message.
They say I’m too young to be CEO. But that’s not the real reason.
He doesn’t know what Tony means by that.
Until Obadiah Stane starts talking. He’s always had a loose tongue, it’s part of why many SI employees can jump ahead of the curve on decisions and pick up loose ends.
“The boy was always a jokester,” Obadiah says to his old colleagues, the ones who reek of cigar smoke and outrageously expensive alcohol. “Never wanted to play it seriously, and that’s how it was with the Jericho, you know? Just like his old man, Anthony was.”
He gets a bad taste in his mouth.
Tony was never someone to joke, at least not all the time. He had quips for the cameras, but he never once spoke out of turn. He was almost impossible to get a negative reaction out of, had never really had any press scandals that James knew of. No one spoke about anything if it had happened.
James decides to do something that is most definitely illegal, and will most likely make him homeless:
He accesses files that he’s not supposed to. Files on Stane’s computer, files that no one else has access to besides a remote access somewhere in Afghanistan.
Tony Stark.
Sitting in a ripped up tank top, blood all over him. He’s looking to the camera with a sort of determination.
Obadiah should be turning this into the FBI or CIA or whatever underground organization there is.
But he isn’t.
Which means that he probably paid for this to happen, and now there’s something to be done.
-
“What are you doing in this office?”
James’ head snaps up to see the PA of Tony, Pepper Potts. Said to have the fury of all the dragons in the world, impeccable fashion sense, and a competency that would scare off God.
James is terrified.
“Um. I kind of got evidence against Stane.”
“You found the files too?”
“Yeah? Wait, you know? Please tell me you’re not on his side.”
“He wouldn’t ever be my choice of an ally,” Pepper says, wrinkling her nose. She whips out a flash drive, tapping some things into the computer before shutting it down. “No, you’ll be helping me get my old boss back. I refuse to quit, I hate job hunting.”
James is pretty sure that this is not the only reason, but job-hunting does suck.
There are voices coming down the hallway. Pepper freezes.
“What should we do? I’m not getting fired, oh my god-”
Obadiah walks into the hallway with the higher-up offices, and there’s Rhodes and Miss Potts discussing some sort of thing that the R&D department probably needs marketing help on.
He doesn’t notice Pepper slip a USB into her purse, thinking it’s lipstick.
Obadiah always jumps to conclusions far too quickly, Howard used to tell him that that was what was going to do him in.
-
The US military takes care of it. Or someone like it.
Pepper knows someone named Phillip Coulson, which sounds honestly like a name that shouldn’t be the name of an American man.
“We’ll get him back as soon as possible,” says Mr. Coulson, who has a bland smile that betrays nothing and makes James feel uneasy.
-
Tony comes back in one piece. He comes back with bonus material.
Rhodes shouldn’t have thought that. But now he has, and that is that.
Pepper Potts made him come onto the tarmac with her.
Tony stills.
“What the absolute hell are you doing here?”
There’s no heat to the statement, can’t be when he’s as exhausted as he is.
“Moral support,” Pepper says. “He also works for you, I thought that’s how you knew each other.”
Tony gives Rhodes a hard look.
“Sure.”
They’ll have a discussion later.
-
He shuts down weapons-manufacturing. Rhodes can see Stane’s eyes glint with anger from where he’s standing.
“We’re all just tired,” he says, chortling as if Tony coming back after being captured for three months is all one gigantic joke that’s just waiting for the punchline.
“No,” Tony says.
For the first time in his life, he says no for himself.
“I’m not tired,” he states plainly. “Well, I’m tired of sand in my hair.”
Cue uneasy laughs.
Tony continues on. “I have been complacent for too long. And I want my legacy to not be a continuation of my father’s, but a better legacy. Which is why, effective immediately, weapons manufacturing is being shut down.”
Flash go the cameras, and Rhodes doesn’t know how he’s swung it, but he’s helping stuff Tony into a car, and that can’t be-
It’s a burger.
“You want fries or something?” Tony asks. “You can have fries. I don’t really like the fries they serve, not my deal.”
Rhodey eats a cold fry that honestly sucks, but it’s better than no food at all.
“You’re back and you’re already causing a Mount-Everest-level of work,” Pepper says. “I’ve missed that.”
“What, they’ve been boring you to death?”
“Nearly,” she says. “Let’s get you home.”
James is not sure what to do in this situation. Because he probably shouldn’t be going to his technically-boss’s-place-of-residence, but he’s kind of gotten caught up in the drama of this whole situation, and he’s not sure if he remembered to get his apartment key from his office.
Tony Stark keeps looking at him.
“Why did you...? I thought you were going to fight for the Air Force or whatever. I didn’t think you wanted a job with us.”
“I didn’t,” he says simply. “But you said that they didn’t want you to be CEO, and it wasn’t just because you were on the young side. I figured that you needed someone to at least find out.”
“Did you think I was dead?”
“I was about seventy-five percent sure you weren’t,” James says.
“And why is that? Because I’m an inventor?”
“No. It’s because you would go out in freezing temperatures for an hour in nothing but slacks and a white button-down in college, which was weird. What were you doing, anyways?”
“Not important,” Tony says. “Pepper, can you order more food? I’ve dearly missed American cuisine and all the sodium.”
“You need to go to a hospital.”
“Yeah, not happening.”
“And why is that?”
“I’ll...” Tony sends a look to James.
“I’ll tell you when we get home,” he says quietly.
“Do you have a phone I can use for a taxi ride?” James asks.
“You can take one of my cars.”
James has seen the various articles on Tony Stark’s ever-growing car collection. All of them are worth more than his entire life, and he is petrified of them.
“I can call a taxi.”
“What, scared you’ll screw up the paint job?”
“Scared I’ll crash.”
Tony laughs, and then winces. It seems that something’s weighing on him.
“That’s the least of my worries. I’ll set you up with a Ferrari, then.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It should! It’s my least favorite.”
“And you still have one anyways?”
"They tend to be for appearances only, although occasionally they can get the job done. I wouldn’t take one for a road trip.”
-
So James is driving a Ferrari and trying not to die, even though his boss told him he wouldn’t.
He makes it home and leans against the wall of his apartment.
His neighbor had stared at him.
“You get a pay bonus or something?”
“Or something, Clint. Or something.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. No questions asked.”
-
Returning to work is...an ordeal.
“You bought a Ferrari?” Wesley asks, looking over the car. “How? I thought you hated them!”
“I do, and that doesn’t change anything,” James says. “Now hands off the car unless you want Tony Stark himself to smite you down.”
“He wouldn’t smite me down,” they scoff. “At the most, he’ll give me a strong talking-to that in no way rivals my mother’s reactions to anything I do.”
James grins, laughing.
“I’d hate to meet your mother.”
“Believe me, so did I.”
The conversation is cut short by Pepper entering the offices.
“Rhodes, with me please?”
“Of course,” he responds.
For a few moments, there’s nothing but the click of Pepper’s heels and the steady thump of Rhodes’ work boots.
“So. What’s going on, Ms. Potts?”
“I need you to sign some NDAs.”
“For?”
“...you’ll find out.”
-
James is led to Tony’s personal work workshop, which is something incredibly fun to say twice as fast as you normally would.
There is also something protruding from his chest, and Rhodes just stares.
“So, is this like. A new thing?”
“Relatively,” Tony says dryly. “I didn’t have it in college, safe to assume.”
“I would’ve felt a bit like an idiot if you had had it and I failed to notice.”
“Well, now you know. Pep, the paperwork?”
Rhodes is slipped quite the stack of sheets, and is handed a pen that probably costs more than his pair of shoes.
“So, what’s the reason for this?”
"Well, you’re getting an NDA for this thing, and for a couple of other things,” Tony starts out. “I’m going to be letting you in on a secret that no one can find out about. And if they do find out, you are not going to like what I do to you.”
“Noted.”
“Meet me for dinner at seven,” Tony says. “Bring the car back, won’t you?”
“Gladly, so long as you don’t call me Jamie.”
“Not a nickname kinda guy?”
“Not that nickname kinda guy,” he says with a wince.
Tony smiles.
“And Rhodey?”
“I suppose I can’t petition for Jim?”
“I know far too many ‘Jims’ in my lifetime, darling.”
He doesn’t know how to feel about this, any of this. He doesn’t think his life is in danger, or else Pepper might have a sharper smile on her face like when she’s about to tear apart someone she doesn’t like.
His boots make a steady rhythm on the floor as he exits, and he wonders if he should fill up the gas tank all the way as a courtesy. (When a man is richer than God, maybe, you ask a lot of questions.)
-
James Rhodes, for once in his life, does not know what to wear.
Usually, the nicest outfit he ever wore was a suit to his grandparents’ funerals, and then for church or any other event it was a polo shirt or a button-down and black pants with reasonably nice loafers.
Tony Stark probably has on a suit that is more than a very nice, reasonably priced used car. Which is quite a lot, in Rhodey’s opinion.
Oh god. He’s started thinking about himself with the nickname.
He settles on a dark green button-down with no tie, and he drives the Ferrari about five miles under the speed limit and causes quite a bit of trouble for traffic. People honk. Someone in a lifted truck calls him a name that was really quite creative and unexpected.
He arrives in one piece, which is a great deal.
Tony is lounging in jeans and an old t-shirt, and Rhodey feels a bit guilty about his own outfit choice.
“Sorry for the...shirt. Here are your keys.”
“What’s wrong with your shirt? Looks great from where I’m laying,” Tony says, a hint of a grin on his face.
“You want some pizza?”
He relaxes slightly.
Tony Stark is a very guarded man. His shoulders are tense even though he’s reclining as if he’s relaxing, and he’s looking at Rhodey with a look of curiosity.
“So, why am I here?” Rhodey asks. “Besides pizza and returning car keys.”
“We can get to that soon. For now, pizza. And talk with Pepper.”
Pepper comes in, holding a wine bottle and balancing three wine glasses expertly in the other hand.
She has to be a magician or a goddess or something. There’s no way someone can be that grateful. She also looks like a model in simple red shorts and an over-sized t-shirt advertising some old running event.
“I see you forgot to tell him the dress code,” Pepper says. “You want a different shirt, Rhodes? It’ll be easier for later.”
“If I could,” he says, slowly. “What’s it for?”
“Green not your color?” Tony asks, eyebrows raised.
“No, but button-downs aren’t my favorite.”
He eats a piece of pizza and makes small-talk about pizza toppings. Tony loves pepperoni and absolutely hates Canadian bacon.
“It is ham, call it what it is, and then never put it on pizza again,” he whines.
Rhodey smiles.
“I still stand by green bell peppers being the worst.”
“Have you ever had good pizza?” Tony asks. “I don’t think you have, otherwise you wouldn’t be saying those things.”
Pepper chucks a t-shirt at Rhodey.
“It might fit a bit tight, but it should be fine.”
“What exactly is this for?”
Tony turns away as Rhodey changes into the shirt. He looks again when it’s all on, and Rhodey’s shifting a bit. It is a bit tight, but not bad.
Tony is staring.
Rhodey does not notice this, because sometimes Rhodey is very bad at observations.
“Come with me,” Tony says. “I’m about to show you what will be, I think, the world-changing thing.”
“A thing?”
“A thing,” Tony says with a smile. “My legacy.”
Inside is a treasure trove of toys and machines and Rhodey can see Dum-E, the robot that had been submitted to a robotics contest at MIT. He didn’t know he was still around.
And then, the opus magnum of it all:
(At least, Rhodey thinks.)
“This is a flyable suit of armor,” Tony says. “And I need to make an offer to you.”
Rhodey turns, looks at him.
Tony breathes in, breathes out.
“My father’s legacy was building weapons for the war, helping out wherever he could. He’s been hailed as a hero for years, and I was expected to fill his shoes. And I tried, I really did.” His face hardens as he looks down at the blue light emanating from his chest.
“My attempt at becoming my father was perhaps the worst thing I’ve ever done, because it resulted in innocent lives being lost and my own ignorance to become someone I should never have been in the first place. This? This is the answer to it all.”
“And what are you hoping to get out of me?” Rhodey asks.
“Flying lessons.”
“Flying lessons,” Rhodey deadpans. “You just built a knight-in-armor with jets or whatever, and you want me to give you flying lessons.”
“Well, it’d be helpful,” Tony says. “You nearly went into the Air Force. You have to know more than most.”
“Only sometimes.”
“Better than never,” Tony says.
“Why me?” Rhodey asks. “You could’ve asked anyone with military clearance or someone that knows you better.”
“You never once questioned me in college,” Tony says simply.
Rhodey stares.
“That’s your reasoning?”
“The reason why I’m his PA is because I didn’t bullshit on wrong answers, and Happy--his driver--got hired because he liked him more than other people,” Pepper says. “He has good intuition.”
Rhodey takes another look at Tony.
He looks determined.
And he looks like he knows what he wants to do, and he’s going to make his own path.
Rhodey can’t lie. He can’t say he doesn’t want to be there for that. He can’t lie and say he isn’t itching to get a look at the suit design, see where improvements can be made.
He takes a deep breath.
“So,” he starts, grinning, “When do I get my own suit? Can’t let you have all the fun.”
Tony cracks a grin.
“Let’s just try this one out first, pilot.”
Rhodey grins, looking at the progress. Tony grins back, just as wide.
“Well,” Rhodey says, nearly giddy. “Let’s start the future.”
