19874/I was strolling through the park one day...

I was strolling through the park one day...
Date of Scene:	16 January 2025
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Cold meeting in the park regarding stuff between Symkaria and Latveria. Pepper is brought up to speed for multiple reasons. One, mention it to Tony, and two, perhaps something can be worked out...
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Richard Stadler

---

Pepper Potts has posed:
Not really 'strolling', but more like 'jogging'.

Taking a run is something that Ms Pepper Potts actually enjoys; it's something that helps clear her head. It gets her outside, though her bodyguards are rarely happy about it. (Who actually //enjoys// jogging?

So, catching a moment between the snow squalls, the frigid weather and the last of the holiday makers, the redhead is in a light, warm, formfitting thermal outfit. Her hair is tucked up in a ponytail, and she's taking the trails with a bit of a pace.

OpSec indeed; it'd be pretty obvious if anyone is actually following her, other than those tasked with her life...

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Sometimes being out in public means no one actually notices. And it's not like they're discussing anything truly revolutionary. Besides, it's easier to catch Pepper than it is Tony. And if Pepper mentions it, it's likelier to stick in Tony's head after all. So OpSec aside (which Natasha finds otherwise a rather low priority given someone as public as DOOM when it comes to spectacles), has arranged a meeting with Pepper.

WIth Sam, who was in charge of the Avengers contingent, with Richard, that was on the other side shooting somewhat more unofficially.. And herself, as she's the one that has easiest access to Pepper

Sam Wilson has posed:
The Redwing drone soared gracefully over Central Park, its quiet hum blending into the sounds of the city. Below, the park bustled with activity, but the drone's focus remained unwavering, tracking the familiar figures of Pepper and Natasha. Sam, though, was not boots on the ground. Instead, he monitored the live feed from the drone on his laptop, seated in the corner of a cozy, warmly lit coffee shop.

Steam curled up from his cup of coffee as he leaned back in his chair, a slight grin tugging at his lips. Through the comms, his smooth voice broke through to the group, carrying his casual charm.

"Looking good," he said with a light chuckle, watching the data overlay on the screen. "Close to your personal best for a mile, Pepper!"

He tapped the side of his laptop, bringing up additional feeds, ensuring Redwing stayed steady and unseen. His gaze flickered to the window briefly, watching the snow drift on the sidewalk softly outside, before turning back to the screen. "Glad I'm not out there." says the New Orleans native.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     It was... difficult, sometimes, for Rick. Someone of his background had challenges to overcome, hard challenges, and the price that one paid for the life he lived. He beared it well, most days. Today, though. It was simply too much to fight.

"Oh, lord, this isn't bad weather. Look, I remember, growing up, I could walk to to Lake Michigan, and when that iced over, you hit bad weather. Killed a lot of sailors, you know. This. This is just a bit of light dusting."

Honestly, was he just supposed to stay quiet about growing up in the Midwest when people mentioned the weather? Hell, it was bad enough they called pop soda over here.

His own gear at least, hid that part of his upbringing. Heavier workout gear for the weather, a jacket with a small embroidered branding from the University of Maryland on the breast, and boots that would keep the snow out. Not the /best/ for a jog, but sometimes the adversity helped. It was a light jog with the group, what might have looked like a friendly conversation through the Sheep Meadow.

"I appreciate the excuse to get out and about, at least."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Really, who expects the CEO of Stark Industries to be jogging in Central Park in the middle of January? Even the paparazzies aren't that hungry for news. (Besides, there are other more news worthy things going on in the world. No, really there are!) Besides, if anyone gets too close, she's //really// well protected.

Panting in her pace, Pepper is slowing a little as a hand reaches to her side to give the muscle a little squeeze as she continues on her path. Soon enough, she's slowing her pace even more, and smiles at the voice in her ear. Tapping the side of her head where her com lies, her words are warm and humored, "I think so. If it's not, HOMER and I are going to have a little chat as to exactly how long a second takes." Uh huh.

Glancing towards Rick, Pepper maintains the smile, even shifting it to a soft laugh within her throat. "Connecticut. I love my skiing." She nods her head quickly in acknowledgment; it is nice to get out. Exactly why she does it!

"Times like today, we have the park to ourselves."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to fold her hands together, "Yes, we do. Time to keep you updated on things." A ghost of a smile would appear on her face. She means that by updating Pepper they'll be having her update Tony since the man comes out of his lab sometimes less than Doctor Richards does.

"You've caught up on what's going on with Symkaria and Latveria?" She would give a nod over to Rick. "Doctor Stadler, Agent Wilson." She would ntoe rather amusedly over and move to fold her hands together and take a seat.

"And what the diplomatic ramifications of all of this are going to be?" Becasue it's not like the man in the mask to ever take a step back no matter the setbacks.

Sam Wilson has posed:
<<Is the reason you feel like you have the park to yourselves...>> asks Sam as the drone pans out to show several police cars blocking off entrances to the park. <<Well, I suppose you do.>> Reaching over to the side of his computer as he takes out a small device to start a white noise projector so that people around him, he won't be heard.

A sip of his coffee is taken as he listens to Natasha. "First... has anyone reached out to Doom? May be a good idea to get a liaison to him before he finds someone like Lois Lane offers him the press and a sympathetic ear to make his case." A pause. "Do we have anything on the supposed assassination attempt that sparked this?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Oh, New England. Certainly a worthy challenger when it comes to talking bad weather. Lord knows New Haven's nothing but a den of pirates and reprobates." He says, in the standard way of good natured small talk before the meat of the business. The run slows down, and Rick takes the time to sit down on a bench close to Natasha's, breath coming in small puffs of mostiure that certainly has him reaching in a zippered pocket for chapstick.

"I'm sure it's the weather." Rick says on the party line speaking into his ear. "Certainly not the cops. This is a big place, and it's not like someone trying to infiltrate through the bramble couldn't find there way around a couple of cops posted at the main entrance. Knowing New Yorkers, I imagine that there's a couple already doing that. A reminder to keep on our best behavior."

And a bit of a shrug. "That's a bit above my paygrade, and what people I talk to in State aren't on the case. Doom's a dangerous man to try to handle diplomatically, of course, and I fear the only way we're getting through to him is to offer a straight up defeat... which I don't know if we can provide. I doubt he'll try marching doombots through a presighted field again."

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's almost completely true; Pepper and Tony have been working together for seemingly forever, and 'together', together for a few years. If she learns something, Tony is most assuredly going to know about it (one way or the other). The reverse, however, isn't always true.

Pepper barks a laugh as she finds a spot. She's not willing to sit down, however; not so soon after a run. She's stretching, walking in small circles to keep limber and to keep warm. "Okay. You got me on that one. Forget I thought for a second that I was a normal person."

It's been years there, too.

Her expression shifts to the news, a frown creasing her face. "Who would be the most logical to do so?" Wouldn't be Tony, no.

"I.. we don't have weapons anymore, so there //shouldn't// be an issue there." She's going through the paces of what SI has potentially in the game, and hopefully munitions isn't one of them. "Just in case there's pushback.

"Allies? Friends? Someone who can whisper in his ear?" Everyone has one of those, right?

Brows rise at the gentle teasing of New Haven, goodnaturedly. "One of the benefits? Close to New York."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance over at Sam and give a low nod over and shook her head, "I'm not involved in any sort of diplomatic exchanges. For all the bluster of the Latverian representative, I don't think there's going to be much of a useful dialogue. Symkaria is ruled over by a variety of nobles. While Sable might in theory be the one in charge of the country, her control is dependent upon the cooperation of the nobility and she does not have the means to reinforce it without being willing to occupy her own country. If she is seen as weak some of the nobles might take advantage."

She would sgih, "And Latveria and Symkaria have historically not gotten along sicne the breakup of the Soviet Union which.. Loosened any sort of outside actors in the area. Both were rather poor areas."

Sam Wilson has posed:
"Not going to lie, wife's place in Happy Harbor is pretty swank." Sam admits between sips of coffee. "And you don't know New Yorkers too well. They have a tenacity towards a lot. Anyway..." he draws in a breath. "I've been looking at satellite images from before the attack. Did you know Latveria had a visitor from before the attack on Doom." Pulling up the images, he considers for a moment.

"Wanda was visiting. Might still be. I still think we should consider getting them to the negotiating table at least, before we start talking about dropping more artillery in the area."

"So what's our options?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Oh, it is." Rick has to agree with Sam. "You picked the right person to marry, frankly. Some people simply have all the luck. In terms of New Yorkers, well... perhaps I don't. Bulk of my life's been spent in Michigan, Maryland, and the various other places our favorite Uncle decided was needed. Still working on being a New Yorker." He notes. More small talk, before he takes a longer breath.

"My last intelligence briefing on Latveria was over a decade ago; didn't get far. But I do know Doom holds onto that country with more than an iron fist. And he's not the type to play the games we expect of any other nation. He has his own plans, his own schemes, and the one thing I don't see happening is him backing down in any way that causes him to have to admit defeat, short of beating him down to it. And, like I mentioned, artillery aside, I doubt we have the weapons or will needed to do that. Last thing a new President is going to want to do is get us into a quagmire in Eastern Europe."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"There's a lot to be said for Malibu, though. Or Dubai." Homes in both those places too!

Getting to the meat of the matter, however, there is no little thought put into the suggestion. "I can offer humanitarian aid," Pepper injects. "Money does talk." And, well, it helps when a company has more liquid assets than most countries' GDP combined. "I just need to know what is needed for leverage. And, we'd need someone to oversee the expenditures."

Pepper getting into the political arena? She's actually always been there. Just, never so overtly before. Never beyond the quick conversations with Tony prior to press conferences, or waiting for him to sign one document or another.

Housing. Food. We're working on the green energy, which could bring one or the other, or both, away from the need for fossil fuels."

The redhead is still pacing, though now it's all to stave off the cold rather than keeping limber and warmed up. Her limosine is close at hand after all, beyond the gates.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would give a nod to Richard, "Doom is.. Extraordinarily popular with the populace of Latveria. he is highly respected as a leader that has taken the nation out of extreme poverty and suffering and given them a high standard of living, education, and safety. Per capita the country is extremely rich and Doom is well liked. Internally, at least jsutifiably." She would give a nod over as Richard was going on about the capabilities.

"Was it one of Doom's heralds?" When Sam went on about 'visitor'. Natasha hadn't encountered 'Victory' directly, but had read her profile.

"It was for all purposes a border skirmish. There were insufficient forces to take and hold the territory. A small village would have not lead to anything significant unless it was designed to escalate. Doom did not have the forces present if there was a large counterattack or to breakthrough and press forwards if there was no great resistance. It was a probing action."

Sam Wilson has posed:
"Some of us don't have Stark money." Sam leaned back in his chair, the ambient hum of the coffee shop buzzing around him as he listened to the comms chatter. His coffee sat untouched for the moment, steam still curling upward, forgotten as he focused on the conversation. "But you know, you ever want to let me borrow one for the weekend to take Mo on a vacation, I won't complain."

"You're right about Doom, though. Guy doesn't play by anyone's rulebook but his own, and Latveria's got that loyalty factor that makes any outside interference ten times messier. He's built something there-like Natasha said, education, infrastructure, and a standard of living that's hard to argue against. It's why it's a tough sell to the international community to do anything more than condemn him when he steps out of line. Makes him a lot harder to pin down, too."

His gaze flicked to the Redwing feed for a moment before he continued.

"The visitor was the Scarlet Witch, Nat. Maybe it was a diplomatic trip of her own? She's from that part of the world, right?" he asked curiously.

"As for that skirmish? Yeah, it sounds like a test-Doom's too smart to throw resources at something without knowing how it'll play out. Probing our defenses, seeing how we respond. If it was one of his heralds, he's sending a message. It's just a question of whether that message is 'step off' or 'come at me.' Either way, we need to keep eyes on the situation and not underestimate what he's planning. Doom doesn't take half measures."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick shakes his head. "Both are a bit too rich for my blood. Lord knows I don't make enough to head down Las Vegas on the Gulf." He notes. "But in terms of humanitarian aid, I might ask where that aid's going. Certainly helping nations being attacked is helpful, but Doom seems to be trying to win the propaganda war by avoiding civilian causalities; certainly that's how we've played the game before, concentrating on 'legitimate military targets'. Doesn't make aggression less wrong here, but some people might be convinced with the conduct. What that means, though, is he has a route to call any aid we send to them a political stunt. If we're looking to send aid to Latveria as leverage..." Rick says, grimacing. "Never something I like to see. Aggression on the military front being met with concessions and agreements to save face always smacks of blackmail that shouldn't be rewarded." He notes.

He leans forward in the bench, elbows on his knees, pensive behind the glasses perched on a slowly freezing nose. "I don't.. like that he had that sort of force avalible for a border action. The composition of it, automated robots that attack based on data collected by individual units, challenges conventional tactics. People can be confused, can be hurt, can be routed. Machine's less so, and there's less political blow back for committing them. If he decides to press again, see if he can aim for a break through, we're going to need some heavy force multipliers and fortifications to hold them back.

"That internal loyalty puts any pressure from intelligence agencies out, I imagine. No regime change from within, and it is... ideologically problematic when autocracy works. We need to put forward the right level of force to counter it. I'd argue for some NATO trip wire, something that would make him think twice on engaging or invading again. One of the things I rather dislike about dictators is they like to send messages as if we're going to just fall in line. I much prefer sending messages of our own."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Countries not on her radar, apparently. Pepper nods slowly as she gains information, a feed from HOMER softly reciting facts into her ear as well as information from friends and associates. "Okay," she begins with a softly measured tone. "Noted."

As far as she's concerned, still a viable option on the table. Can't be all peaches and cream, sunshine and roses.

"If he's looking at border towns, though, there's got to be a reason for it. Everyone has a reason for what they do, and it may just not seem as obvious to everyone." As if it needs to be said? Probably not, but there isn't much she can bring to the table. What she does appreciate is the fact that she's being briefed on what could potentially be a powder keg and to be able to react accordingly.

"And Sam, we do have a place in Milan. Just let me know when." They don't go there too terribly often...

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod at Pepper thoughtfully, "It seems for now like probing attacks. Testing the Symkarian military. If it were another country after an assassination attempt I might say it was just some skirmishes to save face amongst the populace.. But that's not an issue with Doom. There's little Symkaria has that he needs. No major industry or resources, a small population base.. And a country wtih a far lower GDP and technology base than his own. There's nothing there that his country has great need of. Nor is there any indications og great personal offense or attack that requires a full on force. If he wanted to overwhelm and take the country.."

Natasha would shrug, "He simply could. Doom has overwhelming force, firepower, and technological supremacy available. Even if he were not personally present, he could overwhelm the country in short order. Hours. The forces that went at the border skirmish were nowhere near the strength of some of his normal frontline units." She would tap at her cheek. "If he were truly after something within the country, he would have sent heavier forces or come himself to anchor it." Or a Doombot.

Sam Wilson has posed:
Letting out a low whistle, Sam chuckles when he hears Pepper's mention of Milan. He leaned back in his chair, cradling his coffee. "Pepper, you don't have to twist my arm. Just say when, and I'll pack my nicest jacket," he said with a laugh.

Switching to the more serious tone the conversation demanded, Sam leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Rick, you've got a point. Sending aid is tricky when Doom can spin it as a stunt. We need to be deliberate about how we approach this, make it clear we're there for the people, not to score points. Green energy's a solid angle; it's something with long-term benefits that Doom himself might even support, given his track record with technology. But yeah, it's a tightrope. The wrong move, and it plays right into his hands."

He paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he glanced at the feed from Redwing.

"About those forces? That's what's got me worried. Doom didn't even send his A-team for this skirmish, and it still sounds like it caught Symkaria flat-footed. Automated units like that? They're not just tactical challenges, they're statements. Doom's showing off what he can do without breaking a sweat, and you're right, Rick: it's a test. If he decides to press, we're going to need more than just conventional defense. Fortifications and force multipliers are going to be critical, but so is figuring out why he's even bothering."

Sam's tone shifts, becoming sharp, more focused.

"Natasha's right, Symkaria doesn't have anything Doom needs, except land. No resources, no tech, no strategic advantage that he couldn't already account for. So why make the move? The assassination attempt's the key. If Doom's using it as a pretext, we need to know who's behind it and why. Was it internal? External? Someone trying to set the stage for exactly this kind of escalation? If we're going to counter Doom's moves, we need answers."

He leaned back, taking another sip of coffee before letting out a sigh.

"And if we don't get those answers soon, we're going to be playing catch-up while he's ten steps ahead." His voice softened slightly as he added, "Pepper, make sure you're pacing somewhere warm, okay? I don't want to hear about you catching a cold out there."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Richard shurgs his shoulders slightly. "His current story is he blames Symkaria for an assatination attempt on himself. I don't put it past him to conduct a false flag operation to invade his neighbor, but the general consensus here seems to be that Symkaria has nothing he's actually looking for in this case. If so, why conduct a false flag to take territory he doesn't need? I imagine either there's an objective that we're not seeing currently, or he could possibly be telling the truth on his reasoning." He says.

A frown. "I imagine Doom has a reason for wanting to keep casualities to a minimum. I'm sure he has excellent approval ratings, but when it starts coming down to family members going out to die for a cause, that approval is bound to... slip a little. Automated forces are going to be a general challenge, however, and if he has heavier forces... heavier armed, heavier armored, that will be a major problem. Granted, I imagine Symkaria won't be caught unprepared again, but I was peeking inside their strategic decision loops, and it was a mess. That arty unit managed to hit his forces hard and take out what Doom had advancing on an entire flank, and it only got called in because I was able to kludge something together in terms of communication. If their 3CI is degraded that much, then even if they have heavier forces to send out, their coordination is going to be horrible. We need to give them the weapons and forces to hold, but we also need to harden lines of communication."

He moves to stand up from the bench. Pepper had the right idea in keeping moving to keep warm, and his clothes weren't quite keeping up with the heat loss. "And this is all because I fear it's going to come down to an armed confrontation. Unless we can offer him something that would allow him to retreat with objectives accomplished publically... and I'm loathe to do that."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper smiles and nods at the response to her offer of an Italian get-away, "You tell me. It'll happen."

Back to the subject at hand, however, even if she does preface it with, "Can we start for the car?" She is getting cold, and thankfully Sam's brought it up. As if to underscore it, she does look to the two physically with her as she takes the first steps away.

"Are you //sure// Symkaria has nothing he'd want? I mean, he could be testing our waters. If he makes it too obvious that something is wanted in there, it'd catch international attention a lot faster and response would be a lot harder."

A sigh is exhaled as she considers her words, "There's got to be somethi
ng in there that perhaps even Symkaria doesn't know about?" As the small group heads towards the waiting car, Pepper continues, "Is there a way to track his people on the ground, where they go? I don't even think it'd need to be what their doing, but where they seem to be focusing on, with a couple of feints worked into the mix?"

Still, lots to consider.

"I appreciate you all filling me in. If you can think of where we can plug a hole or bolster something up, please. Let me know."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod thoughtfully over then and cock her head. "If there was something there that Doom wanted, he could have invaded there with heavier forces. If it was something magical, then Wanda would have sensed it or Doom might have talked to her about it. The man's profile states that he's very direct in things, and not prone to manipulation over something so trivial." Then she goes quiet again once more, pausing over before turning to Sam after a few moments and then thinking to Richard.

"Ultimately it's not our mission to prevent an assault on Symkaria. Symkaria is not a member of NATO nor any other defensive alliance that requires such a thing. If there is a direct intervention by SHIELD or the Avengers, then the circumstance turns into requiring deployment for planetary peacekeeping missions. Because there are hundreds of such events at any given point that we ignore. So.. Why is a small central European country given such aid when countless others are not?" In other words, if they help Symkaria, then they have to do it every single other place in the world that has the same sort of issue.

Then she runs over in her mind the bit on 'demonstration'. "We've all said there's nothing in Symkaria that we can think of that Doom would truly want; he's sent neither the forces or technology to dos o. So what if the demonstration is not intended for Symkaria? They're merely a convenient target?"

Sam Wilson has posed:
"Symkaria's not in NATO, so we're not going to get that trip wire. They could never agree on a vote." Sam responds with a sigh. "And with things happening with Galactus, I'm not even sure that SHIELD can provide the type of defense we did in that first incursion." he admits. He lifts his coffee and sighs. Empty. Setting the cup back down, he turns his attention back to the conversation.

"If anything, he could have been testing SHIELD's alertness, to see what he could get away with while their eyes are turned to the skies. The climate is just right to make moves with little more than a slap on the wrist from the UN. Bigger fish to fry and all that. At least that's how I would play it."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler nods as he paces. "That's... something that concerns me. Certainly, stories abound of small countries with untapped natural resources, like rare earths, that would make them a target. Given the world we live in, it might even be more.. magical in nature. Which generally takes some getting used to. They certainly have a large amount of mercenaries as well, so there is the possibility that they could have taken something that he might want. Now, I'm sure that the Scarlet Witch could have detected it... but that's if it wasn't hidden, or not yet in his possession. It's possible we could task a Keyhole over there area, but, honestly, I imagine Stark Industries has more resources to send in that direction in a faster time frame."

In the talk of them not being NATO members, Rick frowns. "That's how it always starts. We live in a world where aggressive warfare should be strictly off limits. Iraq was a bit of a blow in that direction, but it still applies. And if Latveria gets away with this, what's next? A land grab in Hungary when he's sure we won't offer resistance to attack? Galactus is on the fore front of everyone's mind, and I would hate to think this is the beginning of dictators all over the world going for land grabs while the powers that be are focused on keeping the planet safe."

As Pepper heads toward her limo, Rick offers a gloved wave. "Good luck out there, and safe travels back. I'm going to enjoy the quiet here while the police road blocks are still up." A pause. "Please one of you let them know."