15223/A consult with second best

A consult with second best
Date of Scene:	25 June 2023
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	The ladies start planning avenues of study, of course getting ready to call in the 'big guns' in the form of scientists.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Janet van Dyne

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Pepper Potts has posed:
Evening in Stark Tower. The day's passed, the sun and humidity is followed by cloud cover and at least a lessening of temperatures. The view from the Penthouse is hazy if not still breathtaking for those who may not be used to it. The Empire State Building is resplendent in rainbow colors, and the City below is lit in its brilliant neons.

Within, the tables are set with food; fruit, cheese, bread, a couple of charcuterie boards with select meats. The bar has wine settled in ice buckets with stemware close by.

Pepper is dressed casually, her red hair down, falling on her shoulders. A large t-shirt adorns her frame with a button-down atop, with a pair of faded jeans with rolled-up bottoms. She's barefoot, padding around comfortably on the marble floor.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff has come to the Towers to drop off some information on them - along with a small bit of debris for Tony to take a look at in his own lab. "Until we figure out how to work on countermeasures for these things.. The best we can do is try and come up with some ways of predicting them."

It's the old game of tactics. They knew these things had some ability to copy thier moves and thier tactics.. But by virtue of that it also made them vulnerable.

A good enough fighter knew thier own weaknesses and how they would be countered. And the 'Bots would still go for simplicity and efficiency, no matter how advanced they were. Data still bespoke data.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet has claimed one of the comfortable, overplush futons out on the balcony, and while Pepper is moving around the socialite is soaking up the sunrays. Skirt hiked up, shirt rolled and straps off her shoulders; the whole look screams 'I take my tan seriously'. And it is indeed bringing out some of the darker bronze tones in her flawless skin.

Natasha's arrival interrupts Janet's sunbathing and she exhales a weary sigh. Eyes hidden behind her sunglasses, she barely budges except to call back over her shoulder: "Nats, if you're here on work, it's Saturday. I don't work on Saturday. Come back Monday and we'll talk about... whatever."

It's pretty likely she doesn't even have an idea of what Nats is carrying or what she's doing.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper has a glass of wine in hand, holding it lightly and takes sips from it with a few minutes in between. "Oh, Janet. That's just for work. I think the Avengers at least deserve one eye open." She's teasing her best friend, of course, her tones light and amused. "Just one, though."

The redhead crosses the expanse of room, the distance closed easily and quickly. Reaching out for the items, Pepper offers, "Come in, Natasha. We have snacks; please help yourself."

The problem thus produced, she exhales in a soft, long breath. "Is it known how they travel? Do they just seem to appear, or is there something that can be tracked?" Pepper's concerned, certainly, but it's also a fact-finding mission because Tony will have QUESTIONS.. He aways does.

"And I'm sorry. Tony's not here right now, so I can take that for you, and apologize that you're only getting me at the moment."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would shake her head, "No, I'm quite fine, thank you. And that's beyond my understanding. They seem to be from a separate universe." Not that they had an actual confirmation of that. Natasha was paranoid - they could (not quite as easily mind) be an extreme misdirection and sleight of hand. The Avengers had originally united to fight Loki.

"I can't speak on their technology or how exactly they operate, or their direction. They were after Mister Jones.." Rick Jones. "Whom seemed to have no particular idea as to why. So hopefully deeper analysis can give us an idea." Natasha's not being a skeptic.

Just paranoid. And leaving the actual figuring out of things to the experts. "I'm sure that he'll be available as soon as is feasible. Sentinels from an alternate reality are hopefully interesting enough to pull him from his slumber."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"Oh, it's the old 'invaders from another dimension' ploy. Been a while since we did that," Janet calls back.

She tries *very hard* to ignore Natasha and Pepper as they start talking about Work Stuff, but it's to no avail. The redhead groans and gets to her feet, tugging the hem of her white denim skirt back into place, and shrugging her yellow camisole on correctly. It's only once she has her designer white sandals on (and her drink in hand) that she walks over to where the two other women are talking.

"It's so weird to think of Sentinels as still being active," Janet muses. "I always thought that project was a colossal boondoggle. Billions of dollars on enforcers that were then voted out of existence a few years later."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper sets the information down on one of Tony's tables; the one he uses when he's working IN the Penthouse, as opposed to when he's working in the Workshop, or in the kitchenette, or his office...

Her expression turns towards the more concerned, and she twists to look at both of the women as she crosses, "That's not good." Invaders from another dimension? "I'm sure Tony's got some satellite stuff," yes, technical term, "to at least read if something comes through again?"

Pepper finally sets it all down and turns to look at Janet, "Wasn't the last time from space?" Which time, really? "Dimensional creatures..." Oh, oh yes. They had one in the Avengers' mansion years ago, and the memory of it has her crossing her arms in front of her. "I'll make sure he sees this sooner rather than later."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod over at Pepper and sigh, "Yes. I find the.. Frequency with which these events are happening to be nearly as concerning as the ones themselves. There seems to have been a very significant uptick in these sorts of things in the last several years." It's not just about them.

"Is there any sort of reasoning for why?" That was for someone more versed in quantum mechanics and tactical theory to bespoke of. "Thank you, Pepper. For now, we need a way to fight what is likely just their foot soldiers. They were automotons. I'm presuming actual combat units will be far more dangerous."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Despite her aversion to work, Janet starts examining the items Natasha's brought along. "Well, it seems like the first priority is to work up a combat profile for these uh, Alt-Sentinels," she suggest. "Ours have the whips and the blasters and the laser beams, right?" she says, gesturing vaguely at her face. "They're tough nuts to crack unless you know the right way to hit them. Maybe these have some kind of vulnerability that was corrected in our world."

She looks up at Natasha. "Have you run any of this past Rick James yet?" she queries her, mangling the name.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Anyone who is hunted by things like that should have an idea as to why," Pepper suggests. "Doesn't even have to be 'wanted by the law' sort of thing. Could be 'expertise', could be family related, it could be anything."

The redhead takes a couple of steps to the side to allow Janet access to the items, green eyes looking at her friend before she exhales slowly. "Either way, this person they want is ... somewhere where they can't get at him?" It's a question steeped in meaning, the unspoken 'SHIELD custody'.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod at Janet, "Exactly. For now I'm just reviewing how they fought us. They mentioned.. Counter-tactics and programs from profiles. They defined us as the Avengers of Earth-3000." She's thoughtful over. Helpful of them to announce that bit.

"He's being kept safe. Given he seemed just as confused over things as we were, he might not be able to offer immediate feedback. Without knowing why he was targeted.. One might almost just think he had horrid luck and was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Did.. Natasha just make a joke?

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I don't like the lack of information we have," Janet scowls. "We don't know their numbers, capability, or their interests outside of this Jones cat. I know he's had his gourd rattled but it might be time to put a little pressure on him," Janet tells Natasha.

A level green-eyed look is flashed at the spymistress before Janet turns her focus on Pepper. "And Pepper, I'll see what I can do to get Hank over to help Tony. I know--" she lifts a hand to forestall any objection. "It's like two wet cats in a bag with those two. One thing Hank's good at, is robots. Just... try to keep them from killing each other," she suggests with a smile lurking at the corner of her lips.

Pepper Potts has posed:
There's something in what Natasha just said, though, and twisting around to put her wine glass down, Pepper brings her attention back around to Natasha. "So, they know about the Avengers," she begins. "Are they comparing our team to their team, or another team, or.." Time goes round and round, and when it starts to go in and out in dimensions? She'd MUCH rather deal with the daily business of a multi-national corporation. Brows do rise, however, as it sinks in...

"You made a joke," Nothing like calling someone out! It's tempered, however, with a friendly, warm smile.

Janet's addition leads to a nod of acknowledgment and more, agreement. "Perhaps Dr Banner as well?" That'll go over well! "I'll try and keep them all on task."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would shake her head over at Janet, "Exactly. Much as I loathe to say it, we are purely reactive here. Hopefully we can get the planetary scanners fully operational so that we have more forewarning of the next attack.." She's calling it what it is. An invasion.

"I would do the same if I thought he knew anything of use. IT's still a possibility. For now, we have him secured and kept watch on." And Natasha will do so far as Steve's asked them to keep the boy safe. Escalate.. Well, not yet. Particularly if the boy truly has nothing involved beyond the wrong place, wrong era.

"Yes." IS what she says over to the switching expressions over on Pepper's face. Two jokes, one conversation!? Who had replaced Natasha from what separate plane of reality?

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I can ask Sue if she'll throw Reed into the cage too," Janet tells Pepper-- but a grin starts to spread over her features. "Then we could just sit back and make money off pay-per-view. Take bets on who gets stabbed with a thermal probe, first."

Her expression goes serious again and she rests her fingertips on the counter. "I'm going to direct our people to try and salvage a relatively complete ... alt-Sentinel," Janet extemporizes. "If they're anything like ours, all their tactics and directives are stored on-board. Getting a working brain out of one of them and having Vision or JARVIS hammer on it could really give us a leg up."

Pepper Potts has posed:
There's nothing good about being solely reactive; Pepper knows that much. The game is to get some footing an d put them on the defensive. "We at least have home field advantage?" How's that for seeing the good? "What we don't have is information as to who and what the Avengers 3000 are, and what they can do. So, that sort of informatiom might be helpful?"

Another sigh exits the redhead and she makes the cross towards the bar, but rather than take another glass of wine, she checks the refrigerator for one of her smoothies. A little robot appears on treads, and *beeps* as he takes the wine glass Pepper left behind.

"That would be helpful, seeing if we can't tap into their communications. Or," and she points at Janet, "Getting a complete one and studying it..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod at Janet, "Useful. We also have the recordings and data.. Hopefully we can better track the.. Next phase of them and look for patterns. Then take some of them more intact. Also metallurgical analysis and structure observation may note physical weaknesses in the frame that we can exploit." She would note morbidly.

"I do note that they coordinated amongst one another verbally. So we can always just throw up a vacuum?"