Owner	Pose
Tony Stark	Iron Man has been re-listed on the active combat roster. He just quietly put himself back onto it, but the astute will notice. Not that it even mattered, as he had been active recently as Iron Man in at least two instances, one that did involve unexpected combat, but there is a larger meaning here related to that his health is back where it belongs. Or at least, Tony thinks so. Tony was spotted at the Avenger's mansion arriving, and again in the medical lab updating one of the large computers, but then actually disappeared. All the little drones will be no help in where he is. Tony is, actually, relaxing (hiding) in the Den for a little while, in the /dark/, having a drink, his feet up, only the mild light of the arc reactor glowing: other tech off, for the moment, which is unusual, obviously.
Captain America	The den gets subtly a little darker as the light from the hall is blocked off by a pair of broad shoulders that stand there, silhouetted. A slight rap of knuckles is heard on the wooden door jam even as the tall blonde man peeks his head inside. "Tony?"     Rogers had gone looking for the man while he was checking in on a few files that SHIELD wanted his thoughts on. The log in data noting the marked shift of Stark from support to active perhaps having caught his eye. It didn't take too long, though the mansion was large it wasn't that big compared to say the Triskelion. Some of the places in the manor didn't seem entirely... Tony-like and the ones where he'd been most often were easily checked on. But here, this was off the beaten path.     Into the room he walks, hands dropping to his sides as he moves. He catches the light coming from the ARC reactor in its place upon Tony's chest. "Figured it was you in here or that little robot fella from those movies." His smile starts easily then slips to a grin.
Tony Stark	"If you next compare the gold of /my/ suit to C-3PO's, we might need to have words," Tony answers, well aware it was a different robot fella, tone amused. Tony is certainly reclined, one hand with the glass in it lifted close to his temple as he itches an eyebrow with the side of his thumb. He then takes a drink from his glass, a tilt of wrist making the icecube clink. "But if I'm emulating R2, I'm doing everything right." A pause. "As usual." Mild, a bit tired, but still cheeky. He clears his throat promptingly. "Drink?" he offers, with a vague motion towards the small bar.
Captain America	"I'm good," Cap says as he holds up a hand, waving off Tony's offer of a drink. As he has done so since he's met the man, practically. But he closes the distance and pulls out one of the side chairs from the conversation nook, twisting it around partially so he can take a seat opposite the billionaire.     "Nat was able to get some intel from Jen Wong. She said she forwarded you her report." He folds his arms over his chest and leans to the side, brow knitting for a bit as he looks towards Tony. "I haven't heard anything on her friend Horace Johns. Figure you might have heard something."     As the elder Avenger looks Tony over for a time it's fair to say he came seeking this information. But most likely that wasn't the only reason he sought out Stark.
Tony Stark	Which is a big reason why Tony didn't, like, get up or anything when he offered the drink. The 'no' was pretty expected. "There's water too," Tony does add, stretching his shoulders a little just in a comfortable way. "Horace... yes. Ghost guy," Tony says, snapping his fingers, as he mentally swaps topics. "Yes. He's popped up a few times. My facial recognition spotted him with some old friend of his downtown near a bank. Looked them up: very boring, clean. Evidently he was borrowing money, staying entirely off the grid. I've just been watching him a bit, I hoped he'd lead somewhere. So far he's hiding out, apparently. Acting terrified."
Captain America	Steve looks to the side as he chews the inside of his mouth thoughtfully, then looks back towards Tony with a gaze touched with wariness. He shakes his head slightly, "Under surveillance it's hard for a person to portray fear believably for an extended period of time, chances are he's actually afraid of something or someone." He gestures to the side as if to wave off the offer of water but continues, "Don't like operating in the dark, Tony."     He pushes himself back to his feet and then steps to the side, pausing to look back at the Iron Avenger sans suit. "With the culture that's grown around Mutant Town and the like, it's difficult to get information. Do you think this is something we could tap Rogue for? She has her ways, but I don't want her to take this as a ticket to use her ability too much. What with what happened with Carol Danvers."
Tony Stark	"Yeah, I can't say I'm enjoying this lack of information. Maddening. Normally I'm fine with everyone looking at me for answers, but I don't have everything - yet," Tony says, watching Rogers stand up. Tony doesn't bother to stand, he just watches him do it. "Between these 'Dogs' attacking SHIELD, and Rhodey specifically, and this? What happened to the big monster wrecking the city: that was nice and straightforward," Tony ruefully asks. "I met with Dr. McCoy, I was giving him some samples from Jen Wong's acid vomit - and he suggested bringing in a psychic. So, there's that resource, too, which I think would be better than Rogue's soul-sucking. At least for now. Until we find the big monster, anyway." "I do think Horace of the Ghosts is our best lead. I have a suspicion I'm not the only one watching him. I'm hoping to catch them at it, and be ready to move on it. Maybe we can draw them out. Hopefully before those two other kidnap-ees turn up, either in public or a ditch. The whole mall thing just felt wrong to me. Deliberately random. I think the two they still have are the ones they wanted."
Captain America	"A psychic?" Cap asks as he looks back sidelong to Stark. Perhaps it might seem curious how a man who has lived through what he has might still look incredulous at certain things, but then he perhaps sheds light on it as he murmurs. "Or did he mean... a telepath?" He says that last word as if not used to it or trying to figure out if that was the right word choice.     But then he lifts a hand as if to check the answer and instead murmurs. "If it makes things easier I can go on station somewhere near where he operates. I've found it's always good to have a man on the ground near the operation before things kick off if only to get a decent read on it."     That said he looks away again though he does go so far as to liberate an ice cube from the bucket and toss it into his mouth where he crunches it a few times while his eyes distance in thought. "Sometimes I get the feeling we might be too big to be nimble enough to deal with these things."
Tony Stark	Tony shrugs. "Psychic, telepath, mind mage, whatever," Tony says, in a bit of a throw-away manner. He's teasing, to some degree, the amused little glint to his eyes shows it. "Since it looks like those ghosts are all mental, certainly couldn't hurt." Tony inspects his nearly empty glass, but doesn't finish it. "You're welcome to go out there if you like. The drones won't see any of the ghost stuff, which isn't helpful, but." Tony makes a face at the next suggestion on size, though. "What do you think would make us more nimble?" Tony asks, a little bit skeptical in tone.
Captain America	Looking back, Steve paces the other way back towards Tony and gives a nod. "We have people splitting time, working extra jobs or the like. Maybe trying to advocate a shift of focus." He smiles a bit, a little embarrassed as he looks away. "Also some of the connections with SHIELD can cause us to be slow on the draw. If we're going to be taking this role trying to protect the world."     He takes a breath as he considers one row of the books there in that library, running a fingertip along the shelf idly as if something in those rows of leatherbound tomes might offer some insight. He eyes Tony askance, "Then again we're not exactly alone with that as our mandate." He leans a bit against the shelving, furrowing his brow as he looks towards Stark. "Did you ever get anything concrete back from the League people?"
Tony Stark	"If you're suggesting I stop building Helicarrier upgrades for SHIELD, that's a no," Tony teases a little bit, but his head inclines, he's listening, and isn't mocking. "I fully see that all of us are spread out, though. Not bad reasons, either: Janet's got someone trying to kill her or steal from her or both. Pretty good reason to have another pot to stir," Tony admits. "Not much ability to really focus." Tony sets the glass against the arm of the couch he's laying on. "The League people did help with the last crisis. I haven't reached out to them since, particularly. Concrete? Ehh. So-so. More like fiberglass. Pretty sturdy overall, might be able to surf on it."
Captain America	Back to the bookcase, Steve looks over the various books and gets a faint half-smile. He says over his shoulder, "It's just a difficult thing to balance. Autonomy would allow us to react quickly and be there when we're needed." His fingertip lifts to travel along the spine of one of the red leather tomes. He slides it from its place upon the shelf and flips it open, eyes cast down as he looks into it.     "But some oversight makes sense to a degree." He flips through a few pages, and then seems to find what he's looking for some ways past the works of Titus Livius Patavinus, and on to the poetry of Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis. He twists the book around, open to a particular page as he casually tosses the tome into Tony's lap for him to consider.     And there upon the left page is from the author's satires, a line that must have been marked by a previous student in yellow highlighter, 'Quis Custodiet ipsos custodes?'     "Food for thought I suppose." Cap turns away and starts back towards the door. "I'll go get my eyes on Horace, if something changes send me one of those textual messages." He waves a hand over his shoulder.
Tony Stark	Tony grunts a little as it hits his lap, giving Steve a bit of a stony look for throwing books at him, and sighs, turning the book around and pressing the page down to look at what he's referencing. Tony reads it, smirks ruefully. And then closes the book with a snap, expression briefly dark, and unreadable. "Starts with us, I guess. Set the example. So. I'll be watching over /you/." A slight amused look. "Via drone, very creepy-like." Tony finishes his drink and finally gets up, motivated, perhaps, to leave the dark room of solitude for a time. Or just to get another drink.