14128/Brood Invasion: Knock, knock, knockin' on Stark's door

Brood Invasion: Knock, knock, knockin' on Stark's door
Date of Scene:	14 February 2022
Location:	Stark Tower, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Peter tries to get a look at the Iron Man suits in his usual way. It doesn't go very well.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Star-Lord, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
Stark Industries on a late Monday afternoon. On a holiday. The corridors of the vast building of steel and glass are mostly dark; no need to keep the lights on if no one is there. Easy enough to have subroutines running in the background for the motion sensors linked to lighting. At least in the work areas.

As for the genius inventor and engineer? Of //course// he's in his workshop, the music blaring, bouncing off all the walls. Tony Stark is in 'redesign' mode; the schematics of the Quin aircraft burst all around him where he stands, and as his head bobs to the music, he's moving his hands very much like a conductor, moving out and switching parts, upgrading here, discarding there. Algorithms dance in the air beside each part; tensile strength, molecular makeup, everything he needs in order to make a quick decision. His robots are all in line behind him, motionless, though the little red light of 'online' is there, as they wait for any request Tony may make.

It's the last hour or so that he has before he has to emerge from work, as so kindly requested, and as a result? There's no interrupting the man.

Star-Lord has posed:
When you're breaking into a place, it's a bit of a myth that night is the best time to get inside of it. For the record, that's a hilarious myth. Night is when most of the defenses are on, and there's always a graveyard shift.

Instead of coming in during the night, Peter has done a bit of surveillance from orbit on Stark Tower to get a look at security.

Instead of going in at night, he's going to attempt it during a shift change.

What's he attempting? He wants a look at those Iron Man suits of course! You don't often see technology like that outside the militaries, and here is /much/ simpler to break into. It's only Earth, right?

Silently, Peter lands on the roof, having used his Jetboots to cross the sky wearing a camo field. It's a short use piece of tech, but it gets the job done.

Now for the roof entry...

Iron Man has posed:
There is a large landing pad at the top of Stark Tower, a helipad that currently has one sleek, black helicopter; one that looks very rich, very expensive and very comfortable, complete with the Stark Industries logo emblazoned with a flourish across the door in yellow. Beyond, there are entryways down off that very high roof (over 90 stories up into the air), and should one actually pause, the view of the City is amazing.

Five floors down from that is the oversized landing pad / balcony that is the wonder that sets the building apart from others. There is another landing pad for helicopters, but moreso, a smaller 'landing pad' that has a direct-route walkway towards the floor to ceiling steel and glass wall. And beyond, the fire in the fireplace is glowing, the fire dancing, adding a warmth that might even reach outwards.

The rest of the balcony is large, landscaped and sculpted, with levels and steps up and down, all leading towards the living space of the resident, tucked behind that wall to ceiling glass.

Below, in the workshop, Tony pauses for a quick riff, his head bobbing even as he turns around with a wadded up piece of central fuel line in hand to throw at the wall with flourish.

Star-Lord has posed:
He's seen the landing pads. Still not impressed.

By the time he's at the rooftop entry, Peter already has out an automated lockpick and maglock hacking tool, his longcoat folding around him as he gets to work on the lock...

Iron Man has posed:
There are very few who actually make entrance from all 90 stories up; Thor, Loki, and himself. Everyone else gets the service (or servants') entrance. It may be a little shortsighted, and Tony will probably have to address it more in the immediate future, but most of the attacks on Stark Tower happen from the ground, attempts at gaining entrance through the basement, but rarely from so great a height. And if then? There's zero subtlety. Not even by the God of Mischief.
The city is cold, clear, the snow from the previous evening lying lightly upon the surfaces of the balcony, untrodden. The lights from the buildings around flicker and glow on the ice, giving it something of a quiet, serene setting. Within, in the Penthouse, the fire is dancing, glowing in the fireplace, giving a warmth to the room. Tony, however, is not within. He's not on the couch, at the bar, seated at a minor worktable when he's feeling social and distracted by work at the same time, no.

Tony is in the workshop, music blaring, his head bobbing as he is surrounded by holographic parts of the Quin that he'd built for SHIELD. It's not only a refurb, but the way the genius inventor is digging in, it's a complete redesign. The engine is currently on the chopping block, the lines and the linkages- nothing is sacred.

Pepper Potts has posed:
While all the employees had the day off, Pepper rarely gives herself such graces. Besides, when everyone else is gone, she has so much more time to head-down focus on work instead of being bothered by emails and knocks on her door every five minutes. It's almost smoothing, being able to take so much time to luxuriate in work sans interruptions. She's so much in the groove, that she hasn't even noticed it's nearly dinner time. She blinks away from her computer, hand coming up to rub across her green eyes as she tries to shake some of the exhaustion free.

"JARVIS, is Mr. Stark still in the building?" She calls, almost certainly knowing the answer.

"Yes, Miss Potts. But he has activated do not disturb mode and wishes no visitors."

Pepper's eyes roll, already bringing up their favourite sushi place's delivery menu., "When was the last time he ate, JARVIS?""

"Not for many hours, Miss Potts."

"That's what I needed to know, thank you, JARVIS." She'll override the do not disturb protocol shortly with the cheat code she calls 'The best sushi in the city'. She puts the usual order in as she starts finishing up her work for the day. It's not too much longer later that she's moving out of her office and down the hall, shrugging into her suit jacket but not yet bothering with her coat. She'll be stopping at the penthouse before properly considering going home.

Star-Lord has posed:
First, the panel for the lock has to go. Looks like a maglock... but you really can't tell without a proper look at the wiring... so Peter pops out his multitool and starts to get to work on getting inside of the seal.

There's alwys plan B, of course (a detpack), but here's hoping it doesn't come to that.

Iron Man has posed:
There is no one truly stirring within Stark Tower; people have truly gone home. Pepper is floors down from the Penthouse, which is still a few floors from where Quill is working on breaking through the maglock. There's resistance, and there are the wires, all placed with precision. The work of an artist!

Tony looks around his creation, maneuvering the positions before he closes his hands together, bringing all the parts back together into one, cohesive power system. Turning around to access another computer system, he picks up his tablet and begins the next stage; adding to his creation.

<<Sir,>> comes in a soft, close-clipped British accent.

"Nooot right now, JARVIS."

<<I thought you might like to know that Miss Potts is ordering..>>

"Wait.. what?" It's taken a couple of milliseconds for it to trickle down, and give him credit, he's getting better. "No. Block the call. Disconnect.. whatever."

<<Yes, sir.>> The words linger in the air, and Tony is back to full attention on the tablet before, <<Shall I change the time?>>

Tony exhales in a sigh and lowers the tablet again, shaking his head, "Stop. Let me work. If I can get this, I'll be good." It's the same old battle cry, 'just one more, just a little more'..

Pepper Potts has posed:
There is now quite a bit of confusion on Pepper's features as she looks down to her phone, the order to the place having been cancelled, seemingly from inside the building. "What?" She grumbles at her phone, trying to place the order again as she moves to the elevator. And to no luck. It's like her phone is being blockded from the sushi place. She lets out a frustrated little breath, looking up to the ceiling as she stands in the elevator.

"JARVIS, is Sushi Dojo closed? What's going on? My order isn't going through." She's still on her way to the penthouse because, at his point, she's going to be lecturing Tony on eating one way or another. Besides, it was better than going home on Valentine's day to eat all alone. She slips her phone back into her pocket, buttoning her suit coat so she has her full power suit look going on whenever she reaches the Penthouse.

Star-Lord has posed:
Of course, Peter has been extensively trained in all forms of B&E in the galaxy, so this is old hat to him.

Switching up his multitool, he starts to splice the wires before using the probe to get a look at the signals inside. Hopefully he can find the power for the entire system...

Iron Man has posed:
The eternal question; can JARVIS lie? Depends upon who one asks, and under what circumstances.

<<I'm sorry, Ms Potts.>> Not answering is better than a lie.

As for Quill? The wires are aligned and in proper 'code' coloring, even if they look to be custom-made leads. There's nothing in that circuitry that says 'made by the lowest bidder'. And as the plate pops off, and the splicing begins, there's a little red light that blinks on from a dark corner. Pay it no mind.

<<Mr Stark,>> JARVIS chimes in again. His tone holds the, 'this is the latest update', and Tony just isn't listening. <<Ms Potts is on her way to the Penthouse, and..>>

"JARVIS," Tony shakes his head as he pushes commands through the tablet, only to see them showing on his holographic display in response. The controller is put down, and he pokes at the air again, only to have the engine move back to an exploded view. "Enough. Let me get this done or I'm going to hold you personally responsible."

Star-Lord has posed:
Red light that blinks on as Peter starts tampering? One of his hands hits the helmet behind his ear and he switches on the electromagnetic vision. There's always a chance this sensor mode will be detected, but he needs to know what that blinking light is. He doesn't know this system as well as he wished he did, and that means thinking on the fly.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"What do you mean, you're sorry? Really, what did Tony eat last? We don't have to do sushi." Pepper lets out an exasperated breath, pulling her StarkPhone out of her pocket again to start searching for other possible foods for dinner tonight. Now, she's just bound and determined to get some food on the table, sushi or not.

It means she's looking down when she steps out of the elevator and into the penthouse, utterly oblivious to the fact that there might be someone breaking in actively at this moment. Her high heels click hard across the marble tile of the entrance, she in a rough and determined mood now and it comes across in every inch of her body language.

Star Lord if, or when, he bothers to look, will see a slim woman of 30-something years old with neatly tucked away light red hair in a perfectly bespoke gray suit with faint white pinstripes cutting neatly through the fabric. Perfectly pattern matched, the skirt measured to cut exactly two inches above her knees, not a single run in her stockings after the day. She looks as fresh as she did at 9 am. And she's buried in her phone, trying unsuccessfully to order ANYTHING for dinner.

Iron Man has posed:
Silence from without. There's no alarms, nothing clicking, nothing 'whirring'. Nothing seems to change, even, when Quill moves his movements. Could be something, could be nothing.

<<I believe it was the pizza that was left over from last night.>> JARVIS is nothing if not helpful, right? <<He is currently downstairs.>>

The music hasn't faded in the least, and even then, JARVIS can make himself heard, if he wanted to. The music lowers in decibels, and once again, JARVIS tries, <<Sir, Ms Potts is currently in the Penth->>

"I know, and turn the music up." Tony stops in the next 30 seconds, however, and the tablet lowers with annoyance, his jaw shifting. His words are clipped and irritated from being continually distracted. "Right. Okay. End music." As he speaks, the exploded schematics of the Quin is reduced, and disappears under a grab and a wave of his hand. "I //really// wanted to get this done." Tossing the tablet back on the table, Tony starts his cross to the glass door that leads to his stairwell, "Okay, guys. Mind the store. I'll be back later."

Star-Lord has posed:
Meh, dead end. The multitool is swapped to a precision laser cutter, and sets the output just enough to cut the power wire. Then, Peter switches to thermal mode on his helmet as he works on opening the door down into the tower itself.

Next stop, the vault! Or something close to it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Hearing the music from below, especially with the news that Tony's had nothing but pizza today, Pepper lets out a long sigh. She's still fighting with her phone, entirely confused as to why she can't get an order out anywhere but now this is getting a little ridiculous. "JARVIS, you can't tell me all of New York City is this busy I can't order a single thing of take out *anywhere* near? Are you blocking my phone?" Her mind finally jumps to the other possibility, even if she's not sure why that would be.

That's when she looks up, the music finally dying below. That was a relief, it means she won't have to yell over whatever Tony is trying to do in order to convince him to put sustinance in his body. She steps quickly across the floor and pushes open the door to the workshop, heels announcing her down the stairs before she starts saying anything at all. "Tony? I keep trying to order food and my phone isn't working and apparently you've only eaten PIZZA today? What in the world is going ON?"

Iron Man has posed:
Stark Tower isn't a place that is easy to navigate; unless, of course, one has a copy of the blueprints. For security purposes, there aren't that many agencies that actually //do// have a copy. The iconic building is a self-contained engineering marvel. If outside agencies are needed, it means, well, that aliens have probably invaded.

**cough**

The door opens, the little red light remains active. As far as movement goes, there is activity now in the Penthouse below, though it's pretty obvious that it's not in response to any outside forces.

Tony is taking the steps two at a time. He's dressed down, a little sloppy, well-loved t-shirt with the pale blue light shining through the thin fabric, jeans and a pair of comfortable slip-on dark sneakers. His hair is a little messy, and the beard.. hasn't shaved yet. Actually, at all today.

Meeting her in the middle, he can tell she's a little upset with him.

Okay, a lot. But!

"Pep.. Pepper.. Pepper.." Tony repeats her name on the landing, trying to break in and break through. "It's okay." Reaching to take hold of her arm, he is ready to guide her back up the stairs, "Come on."

Star-Lord has posed:
Technically, Peter is half-terran... though he's half-something else too, so... alienish?

Now that he's inside though, this place is 'clearly' a maze, and he switches to a ground penetrating radar vision mode to work out the various corridors and exits, alongside looking for new security and cameras.

"And I thought the Kiln was ridiculous. Who's the ahole who built this place?" Peter mutters to himself.

Pepper Potts has posed:
There is plain and simple confusion on her features, more than anger, and a little bit of worry. Pepper has yet to put it together that Tony is the one that has stopped her outgoing orders, so there's no reason to be upset with him. She's just upset with the whole situation. She smiles a moment to see him, even if he is extra scruffy at this point in time. It somehow looks good on him.

"No, I mean, it is, it'll be okay, we'll figure out something to order in. I wish you had eaten something else before waiting this long, but I'm more annoyed at my phone! I don't know why it's not working and I was *trying* to surprise you with some sushi so you'd at least have something good to eat tonight and now I can't get a call out to anywhere and it's never done this before-" Pepper's rambling on, a little too quick, still in her half manic mood from plowing through as many reports and as much of the budget as she did today.

Iron Man has posed:
"Really. I don't want to order in. Let me just grab a shower, and you and I-.."

<<Sir,>> and JARVIS sounds a touch more insistent. <<There is...>>

"JARVIS, I'm trying to.." juggle more than a couple of things? Yes.

Leading Pepper back up to the Penthouse, he's slowing and stopping just near the sunken living room before he turns to her. "I want to do something nice. Something.. nice." Tony pauses as he's interrupted yet again by,

<<Sir. I am registering an unknown person within the Tower.>>

That does, however, actually stop Tony, rather than simply putting the man on pause. He glances at Pepper first, then his jaw shifts before, "Lockdown, protocol 2."

<<Protocol 2, yes sir.>>

Systems across the Stark Tower begin to shut down; lights, doors to the labs, the elevators and stairwells all lock. If nothing else, it'll make it harder for Quill to advance.

Once Tony gets the acknowledgment, he sets concerned eyes on Pepper, his head ducking while his brows rise, "You stick near me, okay? Everything is fine."

Fine.

Star-Lord has posed:
Good thing for Peter he doesn't need light or any of that other fancy stuff to see with the helmet on.

Still, it does mean he's been spotted. Security measures he doesn't know about? Looks like the traditional Terran countermeasures aren't gonna fly here.

Haha. Fly.

Still, this isn't Nova Corps tech, he doesn't need Rocket to break stuff. He came prepared.

As he gets near an elevator, his helmet is switched to electromagnetic mode so he can get an idea of the circuits involved... and out comes that override tool, the nanotubes inside of it automatically slipping in and seeking out the nodes to reprogram security. "Might actually be a challenge." He mutters to himself, cheerily.

Pepper Potts has posed:
A slight sigh escapes Pepper's lips as Tony insists he wants to go out. "You do realize it's Valentine's day? We didn't get a reservation. It's going to be a mad house out there. Everywhere will be packed. We can just order in, really..." Pepper insists quietly, but she does let herself be lead back into the penthouse so he can go get changed. Maybe it's she who doesn't realize just why he wants to go out!

But, by the time she might clue into what is going on, there is something far worse happening. She blinks, a deeper frown dancing across her lips as she looks up from Tony and towards the cieling. "Protocol 2?? What's going on? Why... JARVIS, what kind of person? Where are they?? What's wrong?" Pepper is trying not to panic, but she's not used to things getting bad enough that Tony is calling a lock down. This must be really bad. She's sticking so close to him her arm is practically touching his as she gives him a quick, nervous nod.

Iron Man has posed:
"Valentine's Day, what?" Tony //knows// what it is, but at the moment, distraction has hit him. There's someone in his Tower, but he doesn't look panicked. No. There's something else written upon his face; curiosity, mainly, and a little grudging respect that someone would have the cajones to break in. And, not to mention, the ability. (Other than Agent Coulson, who actually overrided JARVIS. But that's Agent Coulson. Phil.)

Tony takes a step forward, quite probably bringing Pepper along, as he sets up, "JARVIS, show me."

Appearing in holographic display all around them, the floors are a sight. Each door 'jimmied', as it were, glows red, tracking the interloper through. For the uninitiated, Tony's set up of displays can be unnerving at best, and causing vertigo at worst. Dark eyes search the path, and stopping at the elevators, he considers..

"JARVIS, give me a readout. Who is this guy?" He's not changing up his security protocol, however.

<<Ms Potts, it appears there has been a security breach. Currently, there is no apparent danger to the Penthouse.>> How's that for making Pepper feel better? If JARVIS was human, he'd probably be standing right beside Tony, seconding the 'everything is okay' story. As it is, the AI has found to see fit to answer her as well as the master of the Tower, as it were.

"Track him.. and let me know where he's going."

<<Yes, sir.>>

Tony turns to Pepper, taking that half-step back. "You okay? Take a deep breath. Protocol 2 isn't the end of the world. It's.. a bird flew into the ducts sort of protocol, okay?"

Star-Lord has posed:
As the elevator opens, Peter literally... drops down. If there is any tracking inside that shaft, it'll notice a suspiciously non-dropping pattern indicating flight as Peter checks each floor in turn, looking for one with an Iron Man suit in it.

Otherwise, Peter dissappears off security. Somehow.

He's got balls /and/ he's good enough to somehow make JARVIS work for it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pep is silent as Tony gives the orders to JARVIS and gets information back. Her pale eyes flicker behind her, as if she could see the person climbing in through the windows somewhere, but the Penthouse still seems calm. She folds her arms across her chest, nervously, half hugging herself as they wait for moe reports. "Thank you, JARVIS..." She calls to the ceiling as he reassures her there is no danger to the penthouse.

She takes in a deep breath as Tony coaches her to do so, and then another, trying to calm her own heart. The initial wave of panic is mostly fading. No one is breaking into the penthouse and he's right here. She gives him a quiet nod, "Yes. I... I'm fine. Worried about the tower. And you. But fine."

Iron Man has posed:
<<Sir..>>

The voice comes at the same time that Peter breaks the seal, as it were, to the elevators, and the form and figure is there before he suddenly disappears from view.

<<It appears he has a cloaking device that I have not seen. Searching databases now...>>

Tony is watching the figure, and the moment that elevator shaft is accessed, and there's a downward move, Tony's eyes are widening, his cheek tensing. "No.. no you don't.. JARVIS,"

<<Sir?>>

Tony turns to look at Pepper fully, his features trying to hide concern, but there it is in dark eyes. "Hun, I need you to stay here, stay on coms with me, okay? I need to go to the nursery." Where all his research is, as well as his suits. "This guy isn't after the cars."

"Stay with me, buddy. Fourth of July fireworks may be coming early this year."

Tony turns to leave the Penthouse, his pace set and determined. "I'll be right back."

Star-Lord has posed:
It is... a LONG drop.

"Can't this guy put all his important crap up high like a proper megalomaniac? Making me work to find the vault. Disgraceful." Peter quips to himself as he keeps scanning... and scanning....

... and scanning....

Pepper Potts has posed:
"W-what? On comms? What is he after?" Pepper asks, but as she sees where Tony is headed, that pretty much answers that question. She gives him a shakey nod, a little too fast, and lets him go. It's all of his babies, after all. "You stay on comms too. Keep me updated every step of the way." Pepper half begs him.

Then he's headed for the nursery. She walks nervously over the room, towards the couch, so she can sink down into it. Shoes off, she curls her legs up into her chest and tucks herself a bit deeper into the the back of the couch, hiding herself there almost. She's sunk so low and deep that her head can't be see from the windows. She listens for any other updates, from JARVIS or Tony, as she remains nervously curled up on the couch.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony is placing his earbud even as she tells him to stay on coms. It's a better way of communicating with JARVIS, too. He waves to her, even as he's headed to the door, and as he's walking out, he calls out to the room in general, "Keep an eye on her," before he's through.

True to form, then, one of the many robots, in this case Dummy, slides over on its treads, the little three fingers shifting sideways. If one can anthropomorphize him, he's .. quizzical. Perhaps concerned, if the little working 'bot can be said to have those emotions. No noise, however, other than the rotors that shift his position.

Now, it's a matter of 'who gets there first'. Tony knows his own layout, obviously, and Quill has a headstart.

Down and down in his private elevator, Tony's slowly coming to that realization that he doesn't have anything on him. Suits are .. difficult to put on in an elevator. Once he's out, however, he'll be okay. A hand piece is all that he needs.

"JARVIS, any day. This is the longest ride ever. Why didn't I put music in this thing? Remind me later to put some catchy tune in there."

<<Yes, sir.>>

Star-Lord has posed:
Meanwhile, Peter /finally/ finds the general area he's looking for... and adjusts his flight pattern so he's floating just outside the elevator door. He mutters, grumbling, as he slides another nanobot charge into his overriding tool and slips it up into the security node once more, "could have just gone in through the basement, but had to be a fool. Ahole who made this place is probably laughing at me right now..."

Grumble, grumble...

As the door opens, Peter scoots just a bit forward with his Jetboots and lands with a solid thump, and takes a look around as his overcoat drops back into place.

Pepper Potts has posed:
As Tony's back disappears out the door, Pepper sinks even deeper into the couch. "...hun..." Something finally kicks in. He called her hun. Did she hear that right? He called her 'hun' and then ran off to handle a security threat that could hurt or kill him! "...JARVIS... did he call me 'Hun'?" Pepper finally asks. Maybe her mind is playing tricks on her. "And please, tell me the moment their is any conflict. Keep me updated about ANY changes. Even the smallest things... I need to know what's going on down there." She practically begs the computer.

Iron Man has posed:
As Tony's elevator descends, and the floors *sing* out, finally he's reached his testing lab, or what he calls 'the nursery'. This large room is the birthing place of Tony's prototypes and his finished products. That's not to mention his collection of classic cars. Suits, from the beginning to the one just before the current iteration is behind glass up against the wall, like some sort of museum that no one ever sees.

A couple of tables, one for general body work and a smaller one for smaller, more refined and delicate work are in the room, with a few robots that appear to be dormant.

<<Ms Potts?>> Ever polite, even in the face of an intruder in the Tower. <<I believe he did.>>

"Okay, JARVIS. If there is any access other than my own, you know what to do." Tony's voice is quiet on coms, as if he can be overheard.

<<Yes, sir.>>

As Peter steps out, lights go on, and the little red lights of the robots turn on, appearing as if they're going through their boot-up cycles (they're not.).

Star-Lord has posed:
"Man, this place is actually pretty swag for a Terran shop." Peter cheerily notes aloud as he pulls out his walkman, sets a set of old style headphones, and plays Hooked on a Feeling as he starts to dance around the floor, starting to look for the suits themselves.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Hun. Huh." Pepper breathes out quietly, trying to focus on that instead of the quiet, deep seated fear that Tony is going to finally meet his end defending his own building. He's not in a suit, after all. He's gone down just as a man and Pepper has no way to help but sit and wait. So she waits.