2013.04.20 - Aftermath of Intimidation

Tony doesn't even get entirely through the conversation outside the club before he's in the car and on the way back to the Tower. With traffic, one can navigate their way back in about 20.

Tony does it in 7.

Tony's express elevator adds thirty seconds to get him back to his place. He busts in, and he's already hounding JARVIS from the elevator, "JARVIS, I don't care. I want the camera feeds and security telemetry from every angle of the damn tower! I want everything you can give me as soon as you can and I want it on the workshop terminal. I want the private servers up and running, and I want access to your command kernel. This /isn't/ going to happen again." -- whereas he was all fun and games and being mild earlier, he's the exact opposite now. He's as serious as a heart attack, not pleased, worried, and all pretenses of humor are gone. "Are you okay?" is the first thing he says as he makes a beeline for his assistant. He's looking her over, making sure she's not physically harmed.

Pepper Potts nods at Tony's question, a bit more quickly than is normal for her. She's mostly just windblown and trying to keep from visibly shaking. At least she'd managed to get a taxi back here easily enough. It was getting off of that roof with her dignity intact that was the challenge. And she's still not sure she succeeded.

Tony Stark pours Pepper a drink, sits it in her hand whether she wants it or not. He, in a switch, does not have one himself. "Okay, I want you to tell me again what happened. Leave nothing out."

Pepper Potts looks at the drink in her hand for a second then tosses it back like a shot of tequila so she doesn't have to try and still her hands enough to take a civilized sip. Ow, ow, ow... even good liquor burns when swallowed that fast and one is unaccustomed to it. She takes a breath, then starts to explain as best she can.

"I was just getting back from the nightclub, there was a ... weird noise overhead. Like... like a power transformer failing. And there was something stuck to the wall above the doors. Then the streetlights started going out and I saw something swooping at me. I tried to run for the door, but." She swallows. "But HE scooped me up and wouldn't let go."

Tony Stark nods, "Okay..you keep saying HE, but you won't tell me who HE is..gimme something to go on here, Pepper. Something stuck to a wall, though..and then the streetlights go out. Sounds like a specialized EMP rig. Takes out selective electronics temporarily based on the frequency they operate on."

Pepper Potts sets the glass aside. "The Batman. The one from Gotham. He set me down on a roof about four blocks away then started trying to get me to tell him things about you. Did the whole looming thing." She crosses her arms tightly as if cold. "And he got ... angry, I think, when I refused to tell him anything."

Tony Stark gets up, paces around a little, "Batman? Here? What does the goddamn Batman want with me?" he says, rubbing his chin. He turns, "You didn't? What did he want to know?" he's curious now, sitting back down.

Pepper Potts watches Tony pace for lack of anything better to do. "He wanted me to tell him where you were, and then he tried to goad me into spilling anything about you by hurling insults." She hasn't moved to sit down, herself.

Tony Stark cocks an eyebrow, "Interesting. I'm sure I've heard worse by better - what kinda smack was he talking?"

Pepper Potts shrugs. "Mostly the usual. Ego and so on." She doesn't tell him about the Batman's insistance that she leave Tony. That she will NEVER say aloud, if she has any choice in the matter. Because of all of it, that was the one thing that scared her the most -- that the Batman may in fact be correct.

Tony Stark shakes his head a little, "It doesn't make sense." he says softly, "What did he think he would gain by talking smack to you?" he's puzzling it over in his head, trying to turn it over. Figure it out.

Pepper Potts shakes her head again. "I got the feeling that he..." She swallows. "He was trying to prove a point. To you."

Tony Stark isn't a dumb man. He isn't even stupid. He grows very quiet. His hands are pressed together, resting against his lips gently as if in silent prayer. Pepper would know better, of course. Except for the silence which seems to drag out forever.

Pepper Potts doesn't interrupt Tony's silent musings, as it's not completely unheard of for him to do so. But then the silence drags out longer. And longer... and it leaves HER too much time to think which is the last thing she wants to do right now. She looks down at the floor for a moment, then back at Tony. Come on, say something. Anything.

Tony Stark looks up, and he speaks softly. His tone is flat and even. Pepper would know that tone. It's the tone he uses when he's decided on a oourse of action and will not be deterred.

Tony Stark speaks simply, "Alright then," he says. "Point proven. I understand the message. Now it's time to send one back."

Pepper Potts knows better than to argue with that tone of voice, though she does sigh. she can already imagine the escalating war between the two and really, really doesn't want to end up as collateral damage. And not just for her own sake. She knows Tony would not take it well.

Tony Stark looks up, "I'm sorry." he says plainly. "I never meant for you.." he trails off a moment. "I didn't mean for this to happen to you." he hesitates, starting to say more but doesn't.

Pepper Potts shakes her head at Tony. "I know you didn't." And then, irrationally, she's dreading the thought having to go in to the office in the morning, but she knows she has no choice in the matter. There are too many projects pending for her to just slack off for a day.

Tony Stark sighs. "I..actually have a strategy. Did. That is, there's a reason why I've done what I've done. Do what I do."

"Have I ever doubted that?" Finally, there is a hint of a smile. Pepper suddenly shivers violently, either the too-quickly-quaffed liquor catching up with her, or something else.

Tony Stark notices the shivering and whips his jacket off and wraps it around her, "I don't know. I've never thought about it." he says, "But I figured if I put myself out there. I figured if I put everything on me, made it all about me, that anyone coming after me wouldn't be happy enough with getting someone close to me. They would /want/ to come after me. Need to come after me directly. Nothing else would be good enough."

Pepper Potts huddles into the jacket, now that she's not anywhere that maintaining a dignified front is crucial. "I guess someone forgot to send that memo to the Batman." Oh, now she's trying to be witty. Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

Tony Stark smiles softly, "I guess so. But it's one I'm going to deliver to him." a beat pause, "Personally." -- he looks around, "Look. Pepper, I need you to do a couple of things for me. Actually two and a half somethings."

Two and a half? Pepper's confusion is clear on her face. "Um, sure. What's that?"

Tony Stark says, matter of factly, "I need you to clear my schedule for seventy two hours, yours for forty-eight, and the half is that you don't argue with me about any of this. I have my reasons."

Pepper Potts blinks for a couple of seconds, then nods. "Okay. I'll start sending emails." Though more likely, she's going to ask JARVIS to send them for her.

Tony Stark nods, "At least for tonight, I want you to stay here okay? I'm not taking any chances on Batman trying anything else.?

Pepper Potts nods to that MUCH more readily. She was NOT relishing the thought of going outside again. Not tonight. "Not going to argue with that."

Tony Stark nods, standing up. "Okay, you know where everything is. Anything you need, order it and have it delivered and charged to my private account. I..I have some work to do."

Pepper Potts looks a bit startled as Tony makes to leave, but then recovers. Just not as quickly as is usual for her. "Right. So..." She takes the jacket off and offers it back to him. "I'll let you get to work."

Tony Stark shakes his head, "I won't be needing it. I won't be far. Down in the workshop. If you want, you can check in on me and I'll pretend not to grouse as much."

Pepper Potts ohs softly and folds the jacket over one arm. "Okay." She's probably not going to pester him, though, not tonight. Oh, who is she kidding. She'll probably send out all of the necessary emails then go curl up on a chair in the corner of the workshop, where she's out of the way but won't be alone. Just tonight, that's all the weakness she'll allow herself.