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@redhotpepperpotts
Traveling the globe, being everywhere and nowhere, it was finally time to come home.
Whatever home was left anyway.
Smart suit, her classic Louiboutin’s, and her game face on, Pepper walked into the office, waiting for the barrage that would follow.
Heeeeyyyy
“So, who missed me?”
[Gotta go for tonight. Busy weekend! <3]
Evelyn was in the process of showing herself out when she came across the other redhead. Either Pepper was tired, stressed, or a combination of the two. ❝Yikes,❞ the agent muttered. ❝You look like you could really use a break. Rough day, or—?❞
Pepper let out a rough sigh as she massaged her shoulder, "Rough ...beginning of the year. I just finished up filing Federal and State taxes. I don't want to see another math calculation for at least a week." She glanced between woman and the door, "heading out for the evening?"
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
"We wouldn’t have hired them if they weren’t." A smug smile. This. This was why she didn’t leave the office. She got over her head with power and then had to flaunt it everywhere. Once more with her secretarial posture and then Pepper was nodding. "Well, as you were. I should get a head start on finding this …Iron Obsidian…thing."
Steven nodded. He sat down on his stool, before leaning over the table. After a few moments, he looked up, “What happens when you do find him?”
"It depends on who they are. If they work for the company, they'll be terminated, immediately. If it's someone outside of the company, I'll call the authorities and have charges pressed." Pepper had been on her way out of the department, but had stopped short and was now halfway between the desk and the door.
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
"Whoever stole this tech forgot that they weren’t going up against Tony Stark. They were going up against me. Mr. Stark is barely a fly in the ointment when I become concerned in something. I will find them." The razor cold tone to her voice is how deadlines were set in Stark Industries, had made or break other companies. "Your department will continued to get paid. Think of it as being on low power mode. Resting before we can stoke the fires once more. Don’t worry about the board. Ultimately they have to answer to me." Sometimes, Pepper did rule with a bit of an iron fist.
He stiffened a bit. He usually saw her as little more than a figurehead. A placeholder for Stark while he was away. But she seemed to wield a lot of power. He wasn’t familiar with a woman in charge. In Stark. A woman in charge wasn’t that odd to him. But Pepper Potts hadn’t been this to him. She’d been old movies and pictures. Far away and untangible. He didn’t want to change that perception.
"I thank you for that. They’re a good team."
"We wouldn't have hired them if they weren't." A smug smile. This. This was why she didn't leave the office. She got over her head with power and then had to flaunt it everywhere. Once more with her secretarial posture and then Pepper was nodding. "Well, as you were. I should get a head start on finding this ...Iron Obsidian...thing."
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
Pepper’s own expression softened as she looked over Steven. The coloring, the way he looked just now…it was as if she were looking at a younger Tony, but there was something else…something in the anger that seemed so familiar, and yet…
She couldn’t help it. Before she knew what she was doing, she was tilting her head and her face was turning into something that could only be a motherly frown. Upset but considerate, “It’s only till this fiasco has blown over. Then we’ll start up R&D again, I pro—. I promise.” Then her brows were furrowing lightly and there was a flash of confusion. What on Earth had compelled any of that from her? As if she were talking to Sheri and not an employee. But the CEO posture, the face was back and she gave him a curt nod.
"Pray that I find the imposter fast, Mr. Octavio."
Steven was still furious. This whole situation was absurd. There wasn’t a leak, no tech had been stolen. And he was doing good with it for god’s sake. But he couldn’t blow his cover. Still, when she softened for the one moment, his posture relaxed, and he nodded, “Understood. But if no one is found, that’s what I’m worried about. Someone that can steal like this can likely hide very well. I don’t want R&D closed down for very long. My men have work they’re proud of, and I worry the board will think with it shut down no one neesd to be paid. They need a steady income in his economy.”
"Whoever stole this tech forgot that they weren't going up against Tony Stark. They were going up against me. Mr. Stark is barely a fly in the ointment when I become concerned in something. I will find them." The razor cold tone to her voice is how deadlines were set in Stark Industries, had made or break other companies. "Your department will continued to get paid. Think of it as being on low power mode. Resting before we can stoke the fires once more. Don't worry about the board. Ultimately they have to answer to me." Sometimes, Pepper did rule with a bit of an iron fist.
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
The stony expression was back. Eyes at half lids, lips set firm as Pepper looked at the man, “I can and will, Mr. Octavio. There is absolutely no point in continuing projects as long as we have a leak within the company. Whoever did this took Iron Man tech. What will they steal next? Our plans for the tablet? Any proprietary tech if we did go into the watch scene? Our company, our work has been compromised. We won’t make a dime on anything as long as this continues. I already expect to be 100 points down in the stock market tomorrow morning because of this. Iron Man tech is directly correlated to Stark Industries in the public mind. Whatever charlatan is doing this, is doing direct harm to the company, and I won’t have it. Not until we find out who it is.”
Pepper tried to breathe, “If I don’t find out where this is coming from by the end of the week, then yes, starting the week after that, all projects will be suspended until this is solved. Do I make myself clear?”
He was seething. This was the only place he could show the world the brilliance inside his brain. The only place where he could use the standing of the company to put worth his ideas and mold it into a world where al the atrocities he knew could happen, wouldn’t. And because he decided he would help out and save a bunch of people from dying, the company would shut down R&D.
Fist clenched at his side, he nodded curtly, “Yes. Ma’am.”
He couldn’t say more or he might explode. He didn’t have the mask she did. Never learned one.
Pepper's own expression softened as she looked over Steven. The coloring, the way he looked just now...it was as if she were looking at a younger Tony, but there was something else...something in the anger that seemed so familiar, and yet...
She couldn't help it. Before she knew what she was doing, she was tilting her head and her face was turning into something that could only be a motherly frown. Upset but considerate, "It's only till this fiasco has blown over. Then we'll start up R&D again, I pro--. I promise." Then her brows were furrowing lightly and there was a flash of confusion. What on Earth had compelled any of that from her? As if she were talking to Sheri and not an employee. But the CEO posture, the face was back and she gave him a curt nod.
"Pray that I find the imposter fast, Mr. Octavio."
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
"I highly doubt a 13 year old child would be able to pilot an Iron Man suit, let alone get their hands on one." Simple math, and a too intimate working knowledge of Tony’s life, past and present. She sighed again, "War Machine, the government, they’re on my list. As for Batman…well, I’ll have to look into that one, but I highly doubt that as well."
Pepper took another look at Steven’s desk and noted one paper with figures on it. She leaned forward and pointed to one of the calculations, “You forgot to carry the two.” Then she promptly stood back. “You can thank TMZ for the extra work of bringing this fiasco to my attention. If it continues into next week, I’ll be suspending projects until further notice.”
Steven let out a sigh, before he leaned forward. No he didn’t. No he- shit. He looked up at her, lips in a thin line, “… thanks. Ma’am.”
He would have to reenter al lthe data and get Jarvis to make yet another 3d print small scale prototype. Fun.
He stood up quickly, “Wait what? Suspending projects? You can’t do that! We’re coming up on summer, we have to get the new tablet out with the new fluid screen, and not to mention we haven’t cracked the smart watch scene yet. And I have a very important project that demands my attention that will revolutionize the young world as we know it!”
The stony expression was back. Eyes at half lids, lips set firm as Pepper looked at the man, "I can and will, Mr. Octavio. There is absolutely no point in continuing projects as long as we have a leak within the company. Whoever did this took Iron Man tech. What will they steal next? Our plans for the tablet? Any proprietary tech if we did go into the watch scene? Our company, our work has been compromised. We won't make a dime on anything as long as this continues. I already expect to be 100 points down in the stock market tomorrow morning because of this. Iron Man tech is directly correlated to Stark Industries in the public mind. Whatever charlatan is doing this, is doing direct harm to the company, and I won't have it. Not until we find out who it is."
Pepper tried to breathe, "If I don't find out where this is coming from by the end of the week, then yes, starting the week after that, all projects will be suspended until this is solved. Do I make myself clear?"
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
"If it’s another country I’ll….I’ll invade them myself, in one of the damn suits!" Granted there were no more suits, and Pepper was an impressive pacifist since Stark had gone into making peacetime technologies, but it was a way for her to relieve some steam.
Pepper finished up on her phone and then looked to Steven, “I know for a fact that it is definitely not Mr. Stark. We’ve talked, and I’ve gone over the information I have about his house. It’s not him.” There was a strange smirk that played at Pepper’s lips for a moment, “Right to have tech that isn’t a Stark,” she quoted him, “And seeing as how there is only one Stark in this day and age, that I know of, you’re right. And since I’ve checked with Tony and it’s not him…well, then it has to be someone else.” She was watching him again, like a hawk.
"You know off the record. I find that impressive. I’ve read all the old tabloids of him when he was younger. Who’s to say he didn’t …" he shrugged, "Anyways. Yeah. If it’s not him, then it’s someone that had access. Probably best to talk to Patriot too. Or War Machine or … whatever he goes by now. He’s the only other suit. Maybe the army figured out to replicate. Or it’s really batman."
He gave her a grin, before rounding the table, “I don’t know. I just know that this is way more work than I need right now. I’m at a stand still with my hover project and it’s frustrating.”
Which was likely why he was beating the shit out of villains to blow off steam.
"I highly doubt a 13 year old child would be able to pilot an Iron Man suit, let alone get their hands on one." Simple math, and a too intimate working knowledge of Tony's life, past and present. She sighed again, "War Machine, the government, they're on my list. As for Batman...well, I'll have to look into that one, but I highly doubt that as well."
Pepper took another look at Steven's desk and noted one paper with figures on it. She leaned forward and pointed to one of the calculations, "You forgot to carry the two." Then she promptly stood back. "You can thank TMZ for the extra work of bringing this fiasco to my attention. If it continues into next week, I'll be suspending projects until further notice."
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
Heels clicked as Pepper took a few steps forward, leaning to glance at the other reports. She was behind, but that was no matter. She would be able to catch up quickly. “If it’s Korea, if there’s even a breath of Korea around us, we lose all the Federal contracts next week.” Her voice was soft, loud enough for Steven to hear so he knew the consequences. Not loud enough to scare anyone else.
She stepped back and shook her head. “Mr. Stark is handling the Long Beach division. I’ll be looking over the files from there, but since this sighting was in New York, I’ll be focusing the efforts here.” She took out her phone and began typing on it rapidly, then stopped. She looked to Steven. Her face seemed nearly unreadable. On one hand she still looked angry, but on the other, there was fear, hurt, and bittersweet sadness that hid in the corners of her face. “I was there last Christmas. I can tell you, it was all destroyed. Every last piece.” Except the face plate of the helmet she had taken, for her own purposes.
Pepper returned to her phone, “Alert your staff then, Mr. Octavio. I’ll be starting personnel reviews later this week. They’ll be random, but they will be happening. No stone will go unturned if I have anything to say about this.” And Pepper would find the culprit.
Steven watched her stare at the reports. She was meticulous, the exact opposite his father had been. he’d been sloppy, easy to fool. Probably could still have been. But he leaned back when she turned again. There was a shift. The stone expression gone for a split second, “I know. And we were all relieved when you came back safe ma’am.”
He shook his head, “i don’t think it’s Korea. I don’t … I think he likes his bubble, and I don’t imagine him challenging America like this. But I wouldn’t put it past Latvaria … except he’s black, not green.”
Doom had a fixation.
Nodding, Steven closed the article files, before turning back to her, “I’ll do just that. And if any of them have anything to do with it, I’ll fire them myself. No one in this day and age has the right to have that tech that isn’t a Stark. Are we sure it isn’t … Mister Stark?”
"If it's another country I'll....I'll invade them myself, in one of the damn suits!" Granted there were no more suits, and Pepper was an impressive pacifist since Stark had gone into making peacetime technologies, but it was a way for her to relieve some steam.
Pepper finished up on her phone and then looked to Steven, "I know for a fact that it is definitely not Mr. Stark. We've talked, and I've gone over the information I have about his house. It's not him." There was a strange smirk that played at Pepper's lips for a moment, "Right to have tech that isn't a Stark," she quoted him, "And seeing as how there is only one Stark in this day and age, that I know of, you're right. And since I've checked with Tony and it's not him...well, then it has to be someone else." She was watching him again, like a hawk.
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
The only thing that would have been on the company drive would be some minor details on Arc tech. But even that required Pepper’s passwords. The rage was still clear on her face though as her nostrils flared and her skin had gone pale with cheeks flushed. “I’m starting with the labs, yes. Because this is where someone would have direct access to that sort of tech, whatever it might be.”
Pepper lowered the article, resumed her straight, secretarial posture, “I don’t know if it’s someone from this lab, from another department, or what it might be just yet. The fact is, someone has a hold of our technology. There is a leak in the company, which means any of our future tech could get out there before we get a patent on it. I don’t think I need to tell you how dangerous that could be, Mr. Octavio.” Pepper looked him over, looking for any microexpressions that he might be lying. “If another report like this gets out again, there are going to be reviews.”
"Well there should be reviews." Steven himself didn’t feel like she was capable of figuring it out. He didn’t know his mother during his life, so now, to him it wasn’t like she could crack his encryption on his personal files, or find the briefcase that housed the obsidian nanotech. He felt pretty confident.
"If there’s a leak in this company, then it’s something Mister Stark and you should be looking into. Or it could be a leak from another country. I mean, that stunt at Christmas, how do we know every piece of tech was destroyed? What if one of them was still out there and Hammer or hell, the Koreans got their hands on them?"
He swiped his hand over the table, several files popping up into the air, “it’s not just TMZ making accusations. Huffington post thinks it’s Korea. Fox News thinks it Obama. Hell, there was even an SNL skit.”
He actually liked that one. Liam Hemsworth was inside.
Heels clicked as Pepper took a few steps forward, leaning to glance at the other reports. She was behind, but that was no matter. She would be able to catch up quickly. "If it's Korea, if there's even a breath of Korea around us, we lose all the Federal contracts next week." Her voice was soft, loud enough for Steven to hear so he knew the consequences. Not loud enough to scare anyone else.
She stepped back and shook her head. "Mr. Stark is handling the Long Beach division. I'll be looking over the files from there, but since this sighting was in New York, I'll be focusing the efforts here." She took out her phone and began typing on it rapidly, then stopped. She looked to Steven. Her face seemed nearly unreadable. On one hand she still looked angry, but on the other, there was fear, hurt, and bittersweet sadness that hid in the corners of her face. "I was there last Christmas. I can tell you, it was all destroyed. Every last piece." Except the face plate of the helmet she had taken, for her own purposes.
Pepper returned to her phone, "Alert your staff then, Mr. Octavio. I'll be starting personnel reviews later this week. They'll be random, but they will be happening. No stone will go unturned if I have anything to say about this." And Pepper would find the culprit.
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
Pepper’s heels clicked in just that fashion. Employees scattered, while others plastered themselves to the walls in an effort to get out of her way. Down the hall, into an elevator, out and down another hall. The doors to Stark labs were pushed opened as Pepper held up a print out of the TMZ report.
"This. Had. Better. NOT. Be. True. And do not think about blaming this one on Mr. Stark because I just got off the phone with him. I want answers. NOW.”
Steven turned quickly. Those heels were something he was attuned to immediatly upon beginning work. He stared at her, before leaning abck against the lab table, “From me? Why would I have answers? Mister Stark never let the company handle any of his designs, and as far as I know none of the blueprints are on the company drive.”
He’d checked.
"Are you implying you think one of my guys did this? You think Reggie or Frank have the ability to pilot some suit and play Batman?"
The only thing that would have been on the company drive would be some minor details on Arc tech. But even that required Pepper's passwords. The rage was still clear on her face though as her nostrils flared and her skin had gone pale with cheeks flushed. "I'm starting with the labs, yes. Because this is where someone would have direct access to that sort of tech, whatever it might be."
Pepper lowered the article, resumed her straight, secretarial posture, "I don't know if it's someone from this lab, from another department, or what it might be just yet. The fact is, someone has a hold of our technology. There is a leak in the company, which means any of our future tech could get out there before we get a patent on it. I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous that could be, Mr. Octavio." Pepper looked him over, looking for any microexpressions that he might be lying. "If another report like this gets out again, there are going to be reviews."
TMZ: SPIDER-MAN GOT HIS HANDS AROUND SOMETHING BIG, BLACK, AND HARD
TMZ broke the Story: New Iron Man tech was spotted across NYC starting just after the new year. This came shortly after Tony Stark’s public announcement of retiring the Iron Man project.
As in recent encounters, The Big Black IronBat, or Obsidian as it wants to be called (but really who would call themselves that) has shown up to assist supers in fights. Today we again saw Spider-Man and Obsidian fighting the Green Goblin.
Spider-Man was seen on Mecha Bat’s back, shooting webs at the Goblin’s holiday themed pumpkin bombs. Maybe the Pink Bunny would be more appropriate for this time of year.
Once the general saving of citizens and running off the bad guys was done, Spider-Man stayed for pictures, while Iron Bat took off into the sky, yelling “I’m Not Batman!”
Calls to Stark Industries and Tony Stark were not returned.
Steven leaned back in his seat, smirking at the “news” post. Inside he was seething a bit. He wasn’t a Batman knock off. But he simply grinned, and turned his head.
"Well … that was entertaining."
Pepper's heels clicked in just that fashion. Employees scattered, while others plastered themselves to the walls in an effort to get out of her way. Down the hall, into an elevator, out and down another hall. The doors to Stark labs were pushed opened as Pepper held up a print out of the TMZ report.
"This. Had. Better. NOT. Be. True. And do not think about blaming this one on Mr. Stark because I just got off the phone with him. I want answers. NOW."
[Sleep. Sleep sounds good. I'm going to do that one. And unless I am eaten by zombies, I should be back tomorrow night.]
Well then,
"Barely alive." Pepper shook her head and wrapped an arm around Sheri. If cards were played right, cuddles could ensue. "I need to talk to Pen anyway. You mentioned S.H.I.E.L.D… Pen and I have talked, once before…about me…possibly…" Pepper shook her head. "I’m not saying I’m leaving Stark Industries. But I’ve heard there might be work at S.H.I.E.L.D I might be better suited for. I don’t know though. Just something to get me out of the office, that’s all I’m thinking."
She leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder, happy and comfortable to be spending such time with her again. “I had no idea that you had been entertaining the thought.” She took on the tone of a mildly surprised daughter, which she was. If she had known Pepper was thinking of doing more S.H.I.E.L.D. work, she would have put in word sooner. Surely that would’ve snapped the attention of her superiors in a heartbeat. “Well, if you wanna get out of the office, I may have an offer for you.”
Pepper brought her daughter in close, happy to be holding her baby in her arms. "In the deep dark nights, when I would rather be working with numbers than writing stupid reports, I entertain the thought of doing more S.H.I.E.L.D work. Seeing if they would be willing to have me." Pepper bit her lip and smiled, "Your brother even mentioned long ago about creating me a suit. I think I could do just as well out in the field as any Avenger." Then she was looking down at the top of Sheri's head, "What's your proposal? I'll look for any excuse to get out of the office at the moment."
