6955/Sentinels: Challenge Accepted

Sentinels: Challenge Accepted
Date of Scene:	19 March 2019
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Tony and pepper chat about Trask.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

---

Iron Man has posed:
"Mr. Stark has requested your attendance for dinner in fifteen minutes, in the penthouse apartment," JARVIS politely informs Pepper in his proper way. The request was probably more along the line of 'tell Pepper about dinner, I'm starving', but that was the translation for it. "The food has already arrived, and has been delivered," JARVIS adds, in case Pepper feared it might be up to her to come up with something to feed the two of them on the fly.

The Penthouse itself is lit up, but there's no trace of Tony, other than some clothes flung onto the couch where he couldn't be bothered to hang them up. It reads very strongly of Tony having something on his mind mechanically: this behavior signals loud and clear a bunker episode.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Of course, JARVIS," Pepper replies to the brief, if paraphrased, missive. "I'll be there."

When Pepper arrives at the penthouse, she moves easily about the space, picking up clothes, moving them to the laundry, and generally tidying up the place. The food has arrived, of course, and she moves to the dining area to make sure it's properly plated, as she advises JARVIS, in case he has not already informed Tony, "JARVIS, will you please let Tony know that I'm here, and dinner's ready for him?" She knows better than to go to the bunker. It's Tony's sacred space. Even if the door wasn't locked (which it most assuredly is), she wouldn't let herself in. It's a matter of respect for /his/ space.

Iron Man has posed:
"I have already done so, per his request, Ms. Potts," JARVIS replies. In fact, there's a storm coming up out of the bunker, in the form of an agitated and distracted Tony. He emerges from the Bunker door, with the sounds of motors and screeching mechanics bursting in from the otherwise sound-canceling portal. Tony walks directly over, an assertive quality to his steps. He breezes past her, with a quick kiss aimed at her cheek as he passes her, his hands to himself, since they're dirty. He smells of sweat and machinery.

Tony's dressed to take on the world. Little do many people realize, that doesn't mean armor: it means one of his snug tank tops, jeans, and grit-streaked forearms. "Hi, Pep. It's salmon shiska-bob I think?" Tony guesses, passing to the sink to wash his hands and arms, leaning down and over to where he'll be able to scrub up to the elbow, head turned towards her.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"It smells delicious," Pepper replies, having caught his kiss on her cheek on Tony's way past. "Although I have to admit you look just as good as dinner does, dressed like that." It's a candid moment that most others might not expect of her, as she watches Tony wash his hands from behind, seeming to enjoy the view as she gives him a playful wink.

"Looks like you've got big irons in the fire down there. Everything all right?" She leans against the bar as he dries up from washing. "You've got your game gear on, I'd recognize that look anywhere."

Iron Man has posed:
Tony smirks sideways at her, shameless as always. "Don't I always?" Tony asks, playful in his own obnoxious manner. "Good thing we can multi-task: you can get some of both." He rinses his forearms, towel rubbing distractedly up his arms as he turns, leaning on the sink edge a moment while he towels off and then drops the towel in a simple, and slightly dramatic, heap next to the sink on the counter. That goes there.

"Yeah, I'm onto something," Tony says, upbeat. "But again, we must multitask, or pass out from lack of food."

Pepper Potts has posed:
And what are you onto?" Pepper asks, clearly curious as she watches him. "But yes...we should eat. If you pass out now, I may never find out. And that would be SUCH A shame."

Pepper moves to the table, still dressed in a crisp linen business suitdress, black with a white silk shell beneath. It's well-fitted, and nearly knee-length. Her heels click lightly as she moves about.

Iron Man has posed:
"I'm not distracted enough to not take offense to that deep sarcasm," Tony replies, mock-hurt, as he approaches her. He pulls his hair loosely around to where it is nearly right up against hers, with a playful dance in his dark eyes, and sits in it. He's starving, and it shows, because he digs into the food efficiently, tasting a piece of vegetable that escaped one of the containers by just picking it up and eating it. Fork? Nah.

"This one's a bit pride related. Trask made an insinuation, and I've decided to make him look like an idiot," Tony says evenly.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Trask /needs/ to be made to look like an idiot," Pepper says, matter-of-factly. Her feelings on Trask's endeavors are expressed efficiently, leaving no doubt, by her tone, alone. Must less the words. "Actually, that's the very /least/ of what Trask needs, but I'll leave those particular opinions for after dinner. No sense in souring the tone of an entire meal. There will be time for all of it...later." There are daggers in Pepper's eyes, but she hides them as best she can with the gladness she feels being able to share dinner with Tony. "So you're making good headway, I take it. When you focus on something, there's nothing you can't do."

Iron Man has posed:
"Technically he does that pretty often on his own. He's smart enough to not often be out saying really idiotic things in public, at least lately. He must have hired some decent PR people," Tony observes, in a somewhat thoughtful way. "We must have missed them in our last hiring cycle, or he poached them."

Tony pats the chair right next to his, inviting her to sit down right nearly in his personal space, an arm on the back of her chair expectantly. "Yes. Taking his toys away is a fun sort of puzzle, anyway. See if he explodes, says some things he'll regret."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Toys..." Pepper shakes her head, seating herself in the chair next to Tony, his arm behind her back. "It'll never cease to amaze me what mankind can devise, when they let their innermost demons take the wheel." But Pepper leans in to kiss Tony's temple gently, warmly, lingering for a fraction of a moment. But not long enough to keep him from digging into his dinner. "I hope he /does/ slip up. I'd love nothing more than to see that man devise his own demise."

Iron Man has posed:
Tony draws the arm to her to hug her in against his side, turns his head some to breathe her in a little bit. Her soap and her hair draw him out of the place of metal and iron to remember something about what it's all /for/. Energizes much the same way as ideas do, but in a different place.

"He's trying to manipulate me, /probably/," Tony chuckles. "Arrogant enough to think it'll work. And, well, maybe it will, but I also see his trap." The testosterone and dick-measuring that ends worlds is ongoing.

"Have to get up very early on the other side of the galaxy to get ahead of me," Tony brags, and eats hungrily.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper lives for these moments. When Tony's humanity is on full display: pride and disdain, desires, and judgment, and the drive for it all. Perhaps that's why Pepper is so strongly and so openly opinionated in regard to Trask. Threats so often rise and fall to the Avengers, but this one seems...more personal. This one is gunning for Tony. Whether figuratively or physically - seemingly, both. He threatens to take the one thing that Pepper holds dear, and she will not let that stand.

"You're gonna take him down. I have total faith." She levels her gaze on Tony for a moment and smiles. "It's already begun."

Iron Man has posed:
"Well, yes," Tony says, as if surprised it needed to even be said. "I'm Tony Stark." He flashes a charismatic wink at her, and offers her more of the vegetable side he had in his hand, smile open, confident, and expressive.

Too bad his attention is still more than half off in the bunker; he'll be returning there soon enough once he's been fed. It's just the way Tony is: when shit has to GET DONE.