3340/A Request From Pepper

A Request From Pepper
Date of Scene:	12 September 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Pepper asks T'Challa to help with a medical condition Tony is having due to his chest-mounted arc reactor
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, T'Challa

---

Pepper Potts has posed:
Stark Industries HQ, New York City.

Even on weekends, there is something a little more populated than a skeleton crew on, and the front desk downstairs is manned. Security is present and doing their thing. Downstairs in the lobby has one more person who usually isn't for any length of time; she's an upper-floor lady, and standing to the side of the security desk, green eyes are keeping keen eye on the door. She's dressed in business dress, red hair up in a bun with comfortable pumps.

There's a touch of tenseness, but she's managing to hide it well enough for those who aren't familiar enough with her various moods.

Yesterday, there had been a call and something of a cryptic request to speak to T'Challa by Miss Pepper Potts. There was no real mention as to why, for what purpose; simply, 'We need your help.' And 'Can you please come to the Tower?'

We?

We.

T'Challa has posed:
There are a few ways T'Challa could show up, including Quinjet on Tony's landing pad. He usually doesn't fly Wakandan aircraft around New York. Indeed, few but the Avengers would know it WAS a Wakandan aircraft.

But in this case, he drove over with Okoye. T'Challa is dressed simply in a pair of black slacks and a black long sleeve fitted shirt. So not out and about doing official business. Okoye is dressed to not stand out apart from her shaved and tattooed head, in slacks and a blouse.

T'Challa leaves her with the assistant outside of Pepper's door, pretending he doesn't see the disapproving look for leaving his bodyguard behind. She's also used to it though, Okoye taking a seat and picking up a magazine set out there in the lobby. She flips it open and looks at a picture of a model on a runway. "These people's idea of fashion," she mumbles with a shake of her head.

T'Challa moves to follow the assistant to Pepper's room then.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The moment Pepper sees T'Challa, there's a wide, almost relieved smile as she greets him, and then Okoye. She doesn't believe in 'invisible' bodyguards.

It's up the elevator, then, not to her office, but to the Penthouse, a few floors above. The Stark Suite, as it were.

The door is opened to the large, open living room, the glass on the far side showing off the balcony, and just beyond, the Empire State Building. There is no fire burning in the fireplace at the moment, and the place is neat, tidy, with just a hint of something other than clean, fresh lines. A plant, a painting.

Once inside, and the door is closed, Pepper makes the grand attempt to keep her tones light as she turns, her fingers worrying at each other.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" Already she's on the move to the bar, where not only alcohol is present, but a coffee pot as well.

"I really do appreciate your coming up," she begins. "And.. it's something that I really can't discuss outside. It has to do with Tony."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa greets Pepper warmly. "Always a pleasure to see, Pepper," he tells her in that soft rasp of his. Okoye nods to Pepper as well, showing a bit more respect in her expression than others tend to get.

T'Challa rides up with Pepper. Even before they reach the penthouse he's noticing things. Strong emotions tend to be easy for T'Challa pick up. People's scents change and as long as the surroundings are not too noisy, even the sound of their heartbeats can reveal much.

The African follows Pepper into the room, hands clasped lightly behind his back, eyes doing a quick survey of the room, giving a tiny nod of approval at the decor Pepper has chosen. Though his attention quickly refocuses on her. "No, thank you. But I can tell something important to you is going on. I forgive you if we skip the pleasantries so I can find out how I might be of assistance to you," he tells her. He gestures to the drinks. "If you'd like one, please do," he says.

Pepper Potts has posed:
At the 'no thank you' for a drink, Pepper's path diverts, and instead, she gestures towards the couch set that is set towards the center of the room as she moves in that direction. It is both personal and business, after a fashion, and once she gets to the chairs, her fingers haven't yet untwined.

"You know that Tony has.." and she points to the center of her chest with a quick gesture, "something in his chest that is keeping him alive. When he came back," Pepper begins to explain, green eyes on the man before him. It's a little harder than even she expected to actually say these things out loud. It makes it .. even more real than it is. ".. from a trip. It keeps shards of shrapnel from hitting his heart. As of right now, they're inoperable. We've checked, and asked." Just in case.

"Something is wrong with the housing, the integrity is failing, and we need it repaired, replaced. Replaced, really." As she talks, Pepper just feels like she's getting it all off of her chest in that data dump.

"No one can know. No one. Right now, I'm it. And, now you. Ideally? Tony's been designing one, and we're kind of hoping vibranium could be used. And if we could use your doctors for the surgery."

Whew.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa moves over to sit with Pepper at the chosen couch. He takes a seat, leaning forward slightly, elbows on his thighs and hands lightly clasped together as he observes Pepper's emotional state, then listens to the explanation of Tony's predicament.

"If we are able to help? I would be happy to have our people do so," T'Challa agrees. "I would be more than willing to look at his designs. See if our technology can help with it. And to ask my sister to do so as well," he says. "She is quite a... well, too old to call her a prodigy. A talented mind," T'Challa says, restraining the visible pride that would normally accompany those words if only because of staying focused on Pepper's emotional state and needs.

"And to have our people perform the surgery, yes. Our medical skill is... advanced," he says simply with a nod of his head. "Do you have his designs available?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper sits when T'Challa does, her hands finding a spot on her lap, fingers entwined. Nodding her head, she takes that breath to try and settle herself a little. It's going to be okay. Best minds are on it!

"To be honest, we didn't think anyone but you and Wakanda could do it. And, obviously Tony can't do it himself, or.." and here, she lets out a soft, relieved laugh, "he would."

In other words? Her only hope.

There is certainly a pride worth sharing, not only is Shuri his sister, but is a world class mind in her own right. As it is, Pepper's proud just to know the woman. A smile remains behind after the laugh, and she nods her full agreement. "She really is. When she was a prodigy, that only set her up for a lifetime of learning and application. She's a treasure."

Though it's back to the medical, and Pepper knows full well there really isn't a second option. Not without media attention. "I have the schematics, yes."

In the next breath, green eyes rise and she asks the aether, "HOMER, please bring up Mr Stark's reactor housing schematics, please? The newest ones?" Pepper looks at T'Challa in explanation, "He's working out the final details downstairs."

"Yes, Miss Potts," comes a reply from everywhere and nowhere. In the next second, there appears a hologram that seems to float in space before the pair. "If you want it exploded, it is manipulatable down to components." It is a housing for Tony's arc reactor; a cylindrical container with connectors on the bottom. Connectors for that green-energy mini.. reactor.

T'Challa has posed:
A smile grows at the description of Shuri. "She is indeed. But do not let her hear you say that too often," he says. He gestures to his head and then as if it's inflating, though with the teasing smile of a brother's love.

T'Challa turns towards the hologram as it comes up. He rises and moves over to it, though instead of manipulating it, he touches at a beaded bracelet upon his wrist. One of the beads comes off and he sets it down on the display table. A faint red light emits from it, scanning back and forth across the hologram.

T'Challa picks it back up then, reattaching it to the bracelet. Then he does manipulate the hologram, expanding it and looking the details over with a critical eye. "It may be possible," he says, "Though it is difficult to say at first glance. The properties of vibranium would be beneficial with, I assume this is the area Tony is trying to redo," T'Challa says, zooming in a bit.

"But there will need to be other changes to account for it, as it will affect the arc reactor itself," he says. "At first glance though? I'm optimistic," he says.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper chuffs a soft laugh again; a brother's love!

As the hologram sits in the air before them, Pepper is looking at it too, checking to see if she can't see the changes, the modifications since she'd last seen it spinning. Nope. Though, all the equations, all the timing, everything there has ceased now that it's in its almost finished, final form. It's updated to latest and greatest, apparently.

The bit that T'Challa uses to upload the schematics, the plans, gains a quirked head from the PA. It's not often she gets to see things like this that //aren't// coming out from SI. She's curious; a trait that's gotten her far, and continues to. Pepper is also discreet, and holds her questions to herself until she knows enough in order to actually formulate questions. Instead?

"Yes," Pepper acknowledges, "The stress on it is coming from his pulse and pressure. Both currently are controlled, but.. we know that's not always the case. And, the less he needs medically, the better." No pills. "The connections are failing, and the biofeedback is causing issues with integrity. He's been up to 35% loss. Thankfully, he can bring it down by relaxing, but once the damage is done?" She's dubious.

There is a bob of her head, and the redhead adds, "Obviously, he'll be going over the final plans when we get there."

T'Challa has posed:
The hologram is manipulated. Zoomed in. Turned. Parts are expanded and the details of their metallurgy and construction appear beside the component. T'Challa glances over, seeming to catch the bit of curiosity showing in Pepper's expression and posture. "We are slightly ahead of 5G," he says with a soft smile as he refocuses on the hologram.

A bit more investigation and he nods. "Vibranium can excel at connections within the body," he says. "It might be possible to set it up to alter and regulate as needed based on his biorhythms and nerve output," he says. "The trickier part will be insulating the arc reactor as it will want to react to the energy," he says. "And that will require Tony's knowledge to do. But, if we can work out the details, we should be able to handle the surgery," T'Challa agrees.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper laughs at the quip, nodding, her smile remaining behind, echoing in her eyes. "Your secret is safe with me," exits easily. The woman is the keeper of many, many secrets. This one is simply one more... but it's something that obviously she'd already known.

The pronouncement goes a long way with the redhead, and once again, there is a bob to her head as she looks between the model and her guest. "That.. a chance to do that is all we ask," comes finally. "And we will pay you, even if it's in the form of donations elsewhere. We can reach almost anywhere." Her smile is warm, hasn't been anything but, and she continues, "Even if in the form of a whisper in someone's ear for you." Not that T'Challa would need that, but some Senators can be a bit tetchy, and while she's not a PAC, or a SuperPAC, she has the ability to make phone calls, 'do lunch', even.

"Let us know when would be good for you for the trip out?"

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa gives a small wave of his hand at the mention of payment. "Friends help friends when they are able," he tells her simply enough. "And Tony is more than a friend, as are you. You are family to me," he says, "And what you ask is within my ability to help with."

He moves back over to Pepper and says, "I am having our people look at it now so they can figure out the best option for the medical procedure. We can set it up for as soon as possible. It may be easiest to work up the design here, but have our people fabricate at least the vibranium portions if we go that route," he tells her.

He touches one of those beads on his wrist, and something like a hologram forms above his hand, the face of a young woman. It at least looks to be made of solid matter rather than light, however, even though it only shows part of a person's head. T'Challa says to the person, "Please begin the metallurgical work for what I have sent. It needs to be done before any fabrication can start." The woman nods and says, "We are already beginning, my King." T'Challa tells her, "Thank you Nakiki." He bows his head to her and the image disappears.

T'Challa looks back to Pepper. His focus on her fully again. "He will be ok, Pepper. We will all take care of him," he says reassuringly.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper rises from her seat, finally, and she is looking as if the weight of the world has been lifted from her shoulders, at least this time. There's an honest faith in the abilities of those she trusts, those that she cares for. It's a small number of people, to be sure, given her life, their lives, but all in all? She couldn't imagine anything else.

The final bit of relief comes at the acknowledgment and her mind is working on that next piece that needs to be put into place. And the next. On her end, it's all PR; making sure their departure appears normal and all above board. Time away.. and..

It'll be okay.

"Thank you, T'Challa. I'm not sure what I'd do.." and she lets her voice trail off before she finds that different tack. "The fact he told me means he's concerned and knows he can't do it alone. But, he's also a special case." There's a fondness etched into her words, her expression softens when thinking about it, even if she's worried, and she laughs softly soon after. "Of course he is. He wouldn't be Tony if he wasn't."

Though, it's back again to, "Really, thank you. And please? Let me know what you've decided with the forums. My PR team is ready to go on that, and only needs the final draft. We have a list of high schools, tech schools and colleges in the city, and all that's needed is a phone call before the bursts go out to radio, social media and print."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa's look is reassuring. "Good that he has to help him out then," he says with a quick smile. "We will move quickly on this. I will get with Tony directly about the design details." he tells her.

The mention of the forums they had discussed earlier bring a smile to T'Challa. "Yes, that would be good, the forums. There is a journalism student at Metropolis University, who also works at the Daily Bugle, that I would like to get involved in that. If she has time. Perhaps she could help draw interest from the high school students and try to draw them into pursuit of a more ethical journalism than the world seems to be embracing of late."

T'Challa says, "Let us put something on the calendar for after we take care of Tony. And we can work out the rest of the details, yes?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Yes, please do. That is, assuming he doesn't reach out to you first." Though, to be sure, he's also in his lab, so she may have to hitch up those wild horses again. Pepper nods quickly, her head bobbing again. "I'll work out the flight details and share them with your Traffic Control when the time comes."

As for the forums? See? She hasn't forgotten. In fact, it's very close to the top of her list, if not in the number one slot, edging out her other projects that she watches over. "Let me know if you'd like me to contact her." Not that the student will know who she is, though. "Particularly if she's got so much reach. That would be wonderful."

There is that ease that has come over the hostess now, and the warm smile rekindles as she acknowledges, "Yes. Tony first. Can I offer you something now?" Now that her concerns at hand have been addressed, the purely social can rear its head. It's always nice to spend time with a close friend; to share stories, observations, and most importantly, a couple of laughs before parting.