6876/But 'Reasons'

But 'Reasons'
Date of Scene:	11 July 2021
Location:	Stark Tower: Pepper's Office
Synopsis:	Pepper brings Steve to try to talk Tony out of being mind-controlled.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers

---

Tony Stark has posed:
Pepper's request for one of the AIs to let her know if Tony did anything particularly 'off' comes in. It was triggered by Tony sending a message to Steve Rogers. Said AI didn't do it behind Tony's back, though. The order of operations went along this line:

"HOMER, transcribe, to Rogers. 'Hey, Cap. I may need to quit the Avengers, to spend more time with my new woman. After I meet her, we're going to be hot and heavy, and I'll just be too busy with boundless pleasure.'" Tony paused, thoughtful. "Anything else I'm leaving out?" Tony wondered.

"I think you got to the meat of the item, sir," The AI said skeptically, dryly. "...Pepper requested to be told if you sent such a message. Approval to tell her?"

"Sure," Tony answered, with a bat of hand, dismissively....
--

Now, more recently, Tony is back to mooning over his new obsession - safely in his office for now, the AI reports. So far he hasn't tried to destroy the company. So far.

Pepper Potts has posed:
At least said AI left out the part about 'we're going to be hot and heavy', coupled with the 'boundless pleasure', and frankly, Pepper wasn't going to push. Part of her is skeptical, and part of her is aching about the emotional separation. Knowledge and emotion aren't always on speaking terms.

At least she knows that he'd sent the message, and with a frustrated sigh, she rises from her desk. She'd sent out a warning, knowing fully that a message to leave the Avengers would be forthcoming, and to take it as proof that there is indeed something going on. Something is most decidedly wrong.

So, with the actual wording now sent, there should really be no doubt that Tony is not himself. Or, conversely, he's plunging headfirst into midlife crisis? That's what his detractors might say, but the man whom she'd called has never been one of those. He'd always been kind, supportive of her, and more than willing to take Tony to task (and is probably one of the only people who could get away with it!).

*click*

*click*

Heels now sound on the marble floor, and Pepper is dressed in her businesswear; stylishly tailored, red hair up in its bun. She's got a //look// on her face, something between concern and anger, fear and annoyance, touched with a hint of sad that tugs at her. She's in front of the office door, her gaze moving down the corridor. She'd left word that should Steve arrive, and she is expecting him, he's to be allowed up to the upper levels...

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve doesn't make much noise when he walks. Even in the low-profile combat boots he wears. Loose-fit dark jeans, plaid shirt worn casually untucked and with the sleeves cuffed to his elbows. Sunglasses hang from his shirt button and a ballcap's tucked into his back pocket.

He spots Pepper pacing and the nervous energy alone would be a dead giveaway, but the conflicting emotions on her face speak volumes about the situation she paged him over.

"Pepper," he says with as encouraging smile as he can manage. He drops his leather jacket over the back of a chair in front of her desk and moves to offer her a quick but reassuring hug. "Thanks for the call. I was already worried at Tony's message, but if he's giving you grief too..." Steve trails off, shaking his head with lips pressed thin in disapproval.

"I'm gonna go see what's up. You want to come along?" He moves laterally a few steps, waiting for Pepper's decision, then stands in front of Tony's office door. He listens at the crack for a few seconds, then raises a fist and pounds three times.

"Tony! It's Steve!" he says, raising his voice. "Need to talk to you!" Normally Steve wouldn't just let himself into a room... but his hand is already on the door lever and turning it in preparation to enter, whether or not Tony invites him in or tells him to take a hike.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Come on in," Tony's voice invites, fully aware of those outside of his office seeking entry. "Something might be wrong, I can't think straight to solve this," Tony comments loudly, with a frustration common to him when blocked by something that he should be able to solve with ease.

However, the office looks ... fun. There are multiple versions of a brunette woman standing in he office - beautifully convincing holograms. They are all of the same person; a few have some motion to them, the others stills. Tony's put his big brain to work on his obsession - wanting to see this person. In this case, five copies of her. All of them are clothed, and seem to be from various public events. She's roughly in her low forties, and has a warm, pleasant look to her. She's pretty enough, but not typically Tony's 'type' either.

"I /should/ be able to get a mild repulsor field to where this one on the left would be more physically manifested. I'm smart enough to do this. I've done this." Tony stands there, looking at the image, as if put out by being stuck or blocked.

Tony seems like he hasn't kept up on his shaving like he usually does; there's a scruffy edge, and a manic, overly tight quality to his gaze. Tony stays relaxed, this is way off character for the smooth man.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Steve's presence helps. The hug, the calm, quiet words of reassurance, all go a long way to settle her, but the feeling of wrongness is one that she really, really needs to convey. "It sounds stupid, one of the reasons for my thinking that there's something wrong being that he's just decided to break up. But, there's an emptiness in there. Like, he's not really all there. Or, he is, but there's something else that is trying to guide him. Say what he says, do what he does.. but it is him." Which makes it all the more puzzling and all the more confounding.

Yes, in a nutshell? He's given her grief.

Pepper is more than happy to come along, or rather, feels that she really //should//.

When the door opens to Steve's hand, however, Pepper looks as if perhaps she would rather //not// be there.

At least they're all clothed. None have flimsy, filmy, lacey things on. Small mercies. Her expression does set, however, and she raises her arms to cross in front of her chest as a hint of protection, or simply to hug herself. "Something might be wrong, which is what 'everyone' has been saying, Tony."

When he starts going into the more technical aspects of 'what he should know', however, she shakes her head. "Not it."

Glancing towards Steve, she's got that 'see?' look on her face, her voice lowering, "Happy said this started this morning. He couldn't do anything with Tony either."

Steve Rogers has posed:
A few years ago, this sort of problem would have had Steve flummoxed. Dames? Holographic dames? Choosing holographic dames over a real live redhead standing just arms length away?

Cap misses very little details and the manic intensity Tony's exhibiting is more cause for concern than alarm. Pepper's instincts cue the concern working across Steve's face, his expression suggesting that this problem might be running deeper than just some high-level mania.

"Can't say as I know a solution," Steve admits. He walks around the holograms, and waves his arm through one's midsection experimentally. Light scatters and distorts and the image snaps back into place. "But I like women with a little bit more, uh. Reality to them."

No confrontation, not immediately. Not yet. "When's the last time you slept through the night, Tony?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Oh, obviously these are a far cry from it: she's real. I wanted to see her, though," Tony explains, as if it all made ideal sense. There's a pushy quality to the statement, as if he needed the pair of them to understand this. "But this isn't good enough. She isn't here. None of this is as good as she will be. But it is better than nothing. I'm thinking I just should show up there. Maybe via helicopter. No, armor. That'll impress most."

The flow of thought is scattered, and conveys the difficulty with solving the holographic problem at hand -- he's having focus difficulty, as his attention keeps getting pulled back to this obsession. So solving the holograms is hard when he can't maintain outside of thinking of this woman.

"Slept? No, I need to do this," Tony says, confused by the question. "This is more important..."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper sidles up next to Steve, her voice still low, "She's the CEO to a pharmaceutical company Tony is looking at." Looking at buying, that is. "I don't know where the obsession started. Tony was gone for a few days, and.." she gestures towards the 'not quite right' Tony and shakes her head.

The declarations of need push into Pepper, and she turns to the side, trying not to look at him for a moment, to not hear his voice as he considers how next and how best to impress this woman.. that he'd never met.

"Tony," Pepper takes a deep breath before turning to look at him. "Listen to yourself. Look at yourself. Even at your .. most .. you, this isn't you." She looks absolutely concerned, and that touch of hurt. She could walk out, walk out the door, let Steve deal with it, but no.. not yet.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Ohh," Steve responds. It's a single syllable laden with sarcasm. "She's real, which is why you're busy playing dress-up with a bunch of holographic dolls. I see."

The absolute lack of reaction from Tony, either to Steve's words or Pepper's visible distress, furrows Steve's brow in concern. The veiled barb isn't exactly his specialty but it seems like the mad engineer is completely lost in another world. It's like he and Pepper aren't even there.

Steve's no engineer himself, but he's spent a fair amount of time learning how to throw a monkey wrench into things. And if there's one lesson he learned from the Starks-- first Howard, then Tony-- the fastest way to get an engineer's attention is to start messing with his tools.

While Tony's busy gazing with rapture into the eyes of his hologram, Steve locates the emitter control panel in one of the access closets. "Hey, this looks important," he remarks, and rips the image regulator switch out with enough force to damage the delicate wiring inside the cabinet. He turns to Tony as the holograms fizzle into nothingness and tosses the component onto Tony's desk.

"Tony, stop screwing around with those damned holograms and talk to us. You owe Pepper that much, at least."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony doesn't defend the item, and doesn't even react to the destruction. It gets twisted to suit the narrative of what he's stuck in.

"You're right, no need for those. I'll visit her," Tony says, warping what Steve said and did. "Talk? We can. Maybe on the way over there." Tony pauses, though, as some vestige of his personality forces its way up. "I need to clean up first," Tony observes, with a laugh, looking down at himself. He's wearing what he probably wore the previous day: a button-up shirt, sleeves rolled to mid-arm, some slacks that could use a pressing - business attire that's taken the brunt of travel back to the tower. He also has a very expensive looking dress watch on, that isn't his usual tech fare, but something that more screams 'I am impressive money' than Tony's more recent shift to his uber-tech items from the past year or so.

There's then a little pause, as if Steve's demand then filtered in. "Sure, we can talk. Is it about Marion?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper shakes her head, "I don't think that's a good idea, Tony. You haven't eaten anything either." She's trying, she really is. The effort being put in by Steve is definitely appreciated, even if it doesn't seem to be pushing against Tony's reality. Or rather, Tony is finding ways around things. Problem is, right now because of his obsession with this other woman, and the fact that he'd 'broken it off' with her, there isn't a whole lot she can do that might make sense to him, to get through, short of anger or tears. And even then?

"I'll get you something."

Reaching up to Steve's arm, she leans in and murmurs, "Even if you have to get him drunk tonight, don't let him go out. Please?"

Pepper can't watch any more of this, however, and she turns to leave the office.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Tony's checked out. Not home, forward all mail elsewhere, leave keys with the front office. Steve's almost dumbfounded by the complete lack of response from the engineer.

Pepper's suggestion sparks a notion. He nods in understanding at the canny redhead and his second approach to Tony is boisterous and full of enthusiasm.

"You know what you need? Some time off," Steve suggests, and claps Tony's shoulder with a friendly one-armed hug. "Tell you what, let's knock off for the night and you can tell me all about your new lady over some drinks," he suggests. "What's her name, what's her sign, the things you like best about her-- if my budddy's got a new main squeeze, I want to hear all about it."

He shoots Pepper a look behind Tony's back, before she can disappear-- distasteful as the task is, maybe the best he can do for Tony is just inebriating him to the point that he can't do any more obsessing over his new gal anymore. At least for the night.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Well I know ... .... her name," Tony begins. There's this long stall before he says much more. Because he really doesn't know it. He does sort of pause, and there's a strange sort of disconnect with it. Something in Tony is struggling, or fighting it. He's smart enough to see all sorts of problems, to troubleshoot them. But exhaustion, and whatever is keeping his focus on this woman, is double-teaming the engineer.

"She's a CEO of a big pharma. They're doing great things. I want to invest in them. I think Marion will appreciate that," Tony continues. More questions end up needing HOMER to look up the information. Why?

"I haven't met her yet. I just KNOW." Still, Tony's weakness to alcohol is a great help in this instance. Tony cannot resist drinks, even in sight of this obsession... and his exhaustion and the booze get him to rest, finally, snoozing happily.