6892/Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange
Date of Scene:	14 March 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Jessica Drew and Johnny Storm meet about Sentinels and a present for the Avengers.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Woman (Drew), Human Torch
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

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Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Right....right." Jessica has been on the phone for nearly half an hour. What began as a brief attempt to reach Johnny Storm has turned into a goose chase - a maze of transfers, answering services, voicemail, and Peg. Peg is apparently the /only/ chick working the switchboard for the Fantastic Four today. Peg also apparently has a list of possible excuses why someone is not in.

"And I support golf as a skill, Peg. I really do. But you told me not ten minutes ago that Johnny was alternately in a meeting and 'out for a fly," neither of which do I feel are accurate. So can you please just GET HIM a message saying that Jessica Drew needs to speak with him? It is important. Please. I will be at the Avengers' Mansion. Thank you for your service, Peg." Jessica hangs up, fuming.

Human Torch has posed:
Johnny then deals with the relay the opposite direction. He's just different his approach. Will he hold? Nope. "I'll be in your yard in ten!" Johnny /tells/ the person on the phone, and hangs up. Whether that message reaches Jessica, well, he'll deal with that when he arrives. Things will work out: or they won't, and he'll just go do something else.

It's that which has led Human Torch to arrive, floating above the yard outside, just out of security range, to look downwards. He has a heat-resistant black case in one hand, but otherwise, is in full flame-on mode, a bonfire -- no, human-- sized torch in the air.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Miss Drew, there will be a Johnny Storm arriving for you in approximately nine and one half minutes." Jarvis is ever the helpful, if polite and slightly spirited AI around the Avengers' household.

"Ohh," Jess coos, and goes flying into her wardrobe. She has picked out three possible outfits by the time something catches her eye out the window and startles her. "Jesus!" she exclaims, and tosses the outfits. "Jarvis, I'm gonna let Johnny in. I have no idea why he's just being a big fire out there instead of using the door, but it's kinda cute, isn't it?"

"You're right as rain, Miss Drew," comes Jarvis' dutiful response.

Jess bypasses the front door, running instead out onto the balcony. "Hey Johnny! C'mon down, the coast is clear!"

Human Torch has posed:
"If I get shot at, my lawyer will have words," Johnny calls, tone cocky. He glides down. Technically, he does a spiralling loop like a twisting firework and then flips over once, to then land neatly. Nothing is burned, he has wonderful control when he's paying attention.

Johnny is not in uniform, he's dressed casually: to the extent that it's clean, fitted black jeans, snug red shirt with popped collar, athletic jacket over it, expensively styled activewear, new stylish sneakers with bright red laces.

Johnny swings the black case around a little bit, flipping it to catch the handle in his other hand.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"What've you got there?" Jess asks curiously, furrow in her brow just a little as he flips it around. "Gonna go out on a limb and guess it isn't explosives."

With a quick leap from her floor to the ground, Jess absorbs the landing with her whole body, in a three point landing: one hand, two feet. The other hand is extended before her out of habit. Then she rises back to her feet. Her fitted blue jeans flare just a little at the ankles, so the jeans partly cover a pair of red and gold running shoes. They match the snug red tee she's wearing, bearing the likeness of one Iron Man.

Human Torch has posed:
Johnny startled a little, unsure if he should move to catch her, but decided not to. He'll just watch the atheletic return of show-off process instead. Normally people do things like 'Catch me' if they want to be caught, and she's an Avenger. He'll assume she's good. And she is, it appears.

The fantastic four member looks in amusement at her branded shirt, and swings the case around once more. He then looks at it. "Actually, it might explode. I wasn't told. I'm supposed to give it to you guys, it's from Reed. But did you have something, first?" Johnny asks.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess flinches when she realizes Johnny doesnt know what's in the case but flips it around anyway. "Oh, uhh. Right! I was just going to find out if you've seen those Sentinels back out there, and if so, I wanted to find out if they're in the same spot, or if they are moving. There have been reports of fly-overs as far out as Central City. I was wondering if they are scanning a grid, or if they're more in random sampling mode. Trying to put together all the data that I can gather for Tony."

Human Torch has posed:
"Team Iron Man, huh? I can tell from the shirt," Johnny observes, with a nod towards her chest. He's looking at the iron man insignia there across her bust. "Tech guys send us out all over, don't they? I've noticed that," Johnny adds, in a grumpy way. Delivery boy mission for Johnny, and he's not always happy about it.

"Yeah, we're tracking them. I think they're all over the US now. Mostly big cities. Flying in patterns, like they were playing a game of Battleship, making grids. I think the case item is about it. Sharing the tech," Johnny answesr, finally offering her the case. It isn't terribly heavy, nor bulky.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Team Iron Man is the new name I have been pitching for the Avengers, I figure we'll have the whole brand changed over within the year," Jess deadpans, then shakes her head. "I feel like this is going into some sort of endgame, Johnny. And the world is just letting it happen. Don't people see the warning signs? This is NOT normal."

Human Torch has posed:
"I think people don't know what to do. Nobody wants to be the one to start the war and have all the robots on their lawn, I guess," Johnny suggests. "I'd blow up a bunch today but it'd start the fight. Some people will suffer. I still think it's a good idea to start fighting before they're ready, though," Johnny says, as if he'd had this argument before and got talked down from nuking Sentinels.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess sighs, rubbing her face. "That's just it, I think they're ready. If not, they're close enough to ready that it won't matter. And I'm with you, I'd like to be nuking them myself. But I think we are both gonna have to be patient. There's a guy...I think he...might control them. But I'm not sure he knows it. I am working on it...Doing what I can. Maybe it is best if we don't nuke them till we see if we can control them instead."

Human Torch has posed:
"Control them how? I think Reed wants a universal remote type of idea," Johnny says, without any skepticism in his tone. Reed does crazy things, and there's nothing Johnny won't believe that inventor can do, anymore.

"Patience sucks," the hothead complains with a flare of irritation. It echoes in his eyes a little, a heat flushing his cheeks and making his blue eyes a crisped, overheated metal yellow-blue. "What can might control them? Not Iron Man?" Johnny asks, a bit distracted.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"There's someone in custody...somewhere. I helped save him from Hydra, but I don't even know where he is now. He's got sentinel instincts. I feel like he is a sentinel on another level. And what better way to control something with AI, than something with much stronger AI?" Jess lowers her head, picking at a fingernail. "I know it's hard to be patient. I don't want to either, but in the end it may mean the difference between winning and losing. And I get the feeling this is the kinda loss you don't come back from."

Human Torch has posed:
"Well I, for one, will not be bowing to new robotic overlords," Johnny says, with a deep release of warm breath. "We're ready for them now, or whenever they start to take over," he says, self-assured. His expression is tense, though: some of the bravado may be for her benefit. Because it's hard to really know.

"Stronger AI sounds like out of the frying pan and into the fire. A new one could make them worse. Imagine if Dr. Doom or somebody took them over. Free army."

"Let's see what Reed sent," Johnny offers, changing the subject slightly.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess lifts the case and looks around, moving to set it on a concrete table in the courtyard. "Fair enough, but I meant more than he is maybe already controlling them. If we can get control of them somehow through him, maybe we can get rid of them.

Jess pops the latches on the case and opens it slowly.

Human Torch has posed:
"Oh. I misheard you. Sure. Get their leader, get them all. How'd you get the leader?" Johnny asks, and moves around to her opposite side to languidly look into the case. It has a space-style looking gun in it that would fit in during a round of laser tag. Johnny lifts an eyebrow and shrugs at her. He doesn't know, either. "Ray gun, maybe?" he suggests.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I dunno for sure that he's their leader. I just know that he was coming into the States when he got ambushed by someone who wanted him pretty bad. We just...sorta made sure that the ambush didn't take him. It's just /my/ theory that he's their leader...sorta." She looks at the gun for a moment, then back up to Johnny and shrugs. "I have no idea. Everything in me wants to try it out, but we /just/ got the Mansion back and all fixed up..."

Human Torch has posed:
"Hm," Johnny says. He then reaches into the case, picks up the gun, pivots. He sights along it, and fires it up into the sky towards his left. There's a 'psssssh' noise, and nothing happens.

Johnny turns back towards her, looks at the gun, and tosses it back into the case. "It was worth a shot." He pauses. Winks. Yes, he did the pun on purpose. His smile is friendly and fiery. "So let's say he's their leader. Can you pit him against one of them and see what he does?" Johnny asks.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess blinks at the psssssh sound, and looks upward, then back at Johnny. "Yeah ok, I don't know what it does but it's less impressive now," Jess says with a low whistle and a shrug.

"And that's just the thing. I don't think he even knows it, if he is their leader. Hell, if I can't get ahold of Forge, there may be no use in trying ANYTHING with the guy..." she mutters.

Human Torch has posed:
The case starts to beep.

Johnny was about to answer, but instead he looks at the gun in the case, curiously. Well, that's interesting. "Maybe it requires a target?" Johnny asks reluctantly. That's the best he's got as a guess. "Or to warm up."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh!!" The refrigerator comes to mind immediately. "No....no I guess I shouldn't..." She looks around the grounds to a lone bush in the landscaping. "Think anyone would notice if we vaporized that?" she asks, nodding toward the bush.

Human Torch has posed:
"People always notice when I vaporize things," Johnny says with a quick, proud laugh, but then he looks over to the tree. "Which isn't to say we shouldn't /do/ it," he clarifies. "Want to shoot it? I'll extinguish any fires it causes. I'm sort of the best firefighter there is."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess looks Johnny over with a quirked brow. Then she looks him over again, just because she wants to. "You make fires /worse/..." But then she grins. "Besides, it's just gonna go Psssshh at it, anyway. We can test it out..."

Human Torch has posed:
Johnny Storm looks indignant. "I can also put them out. Why does nobody know that about my powers?" he wonders, in a very real, and thoughtful question. "Not as glamorous I guess, can't imagine me doing it."

He then gestures at the gun; he'll share. "Yeah, probably is."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica reaches into the case and takes out the gun. Carefully. "Don't want it to Psssh off unexpectedly," she explains. Then, she aims it carefully at the bush. Should be an easy shot. She can hit a moving T'Challa at thirty yards with a web. "Reaaady...."

Bracing herself for any possible recoil, Jessica takes a deep breath...then pulls the trigger.

Human Torch has posed:
The gun goes 'pssssh', and nothing happens.

Johnny looks like he's lost interest. Even though it's still beeping. "Is there a safety?" he asks, and then looks in the case, as if there might be another part they're missing. He comes up empty.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I don't get it. Is it an intimidation ray? Because Psssh isn't very intimidating to me, much less a sentinel." She shrugs. "Unless it's like....beeping cause it's LOOKING for a target....Oooh I wonder what it would do if we found a sentinel..." Green eyes go wide, and Jessica looks around as if one might magically materialize out of thin air.

Human Torch has posed:
"He didn't even tell me what was inside the case, just to bring it over. I mean, I'd assume it's for that. Maybe it only melts sentinels, not living targets?" Johnny shoves his hands into the pockets of his jackets. "This is outside my pay grade to know. But I can probably find a sentinel... except that I'm still not supposed to engage them unless they start it."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Maybe...I mean, I assumed that was what it was for....Maybe it's for watering the bushes. Or...." She can't get it out of her head. "I don't have any /explicit/ orders not to engage..." She laughs. "With my luck though, I'd shoot one and it WOULD just be for watering bushes. That'd just totally Psssh it off."

Human Torch has posed:
The gun is still beeping. Johnny frowns at it some and approaches, extending a hand, and then reaching to the top to prod a panel. It opens. There's small screen there, that shows some type of radar apparatus.

"Oh, it's some kind of tracker, less a gun," Johnny says, with disappointment. "He really needs to label things better."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Ohh...I have a label maker in my room, if you wanna come see it. I label EVERYTHING. We could label...it....some..." Jess trails off. "You know, somebody told me once that I suck at sexy banter..."

Human Torch has posed:
"Wasn't me, I'd never say that to a lovely woman," Johnny says, quick and smooth, with a flash of straight teeth and smile. The flirtation is not subtle, but also generally playful. "I can't stick around, is all; sadly. Labeling sounded pretty hot, though... so maybe next time?" His smile is supportive, he isn't about to leave her out to dry.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess smiles, but turns away, flushing pink. "Well, it was really just the idea of labeling it, not so much that it was sexy, I just..." She stammers and shakes her head. "I'm gonna stop while I'm behind, cause I'll need a shovel to get outta this hole if I don't. Next time. Maybe something more fun than labels. Yeah? I'll see that Tony gets this. And I'll keep it safe till he does." And she will probably label the case in the meantime.