Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Veluux on 27-06-2012, 07:17:00</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>27-06-2012, 07:17:00</strong>
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				<hr><br><div align="center">(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/jotunusmc/h_stark_tower_POV1.jpg)</div><br><hr><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 24pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: andale mono;" class="bbc_font">STARK TOWER - WAR ROOM</span></span></div><br><hr>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>11-09-2012, 10:10:35</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://marvelrevolution.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/tony/sabbath.jpg/medium.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower Penthouse, headed to War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:33PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Jane Foster</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><br><div align="center"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong><em>...continued from Earth - All other locations (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144303.msg6907297#msg6907297)</em></strong></span></span></div><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He cruised in towards the top of the building and slowed down as they neared the long semi-circular platform that served as a balcony/skywalk. Tony grabbed the cable and spun the trailer so that none of it would be hanging off the edge, and he slowly let it down, the wall of the metal container scraped against one of the glass panels attached to the handrail that lined the walkway. <strong>"Oops"</strong>. It shattered almost immediately, even before the trailer finally came to a rest and the cable suspending it went slack. Tony dropped down onto the roof. <strong>"Not quite as efficient as a pair of red heels, but we made it."</strong> He reached down and unclipped the cable before retracting it into his suit. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony then jumped from the walkway upwards, his boots and gloves popping a couple of times as they boosted his jump enough that he could make it unto his small landing platform. As usual, the moment he began his walk towards the tower the platform came to life and began dismantling his armor. By the time he reached the door he was back down to regular clothing, a dark red long sleeve T-shit and a pair of stone-washed denim jeans.<strong> "Jarvis, send the diagnostic results from the satellite to my PDA, and have the rest of the Avengers meet me in the war room."</strong> He looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at Jane as she exited the trailer and made her way towards the balcony door. He was heading straight towards the elevator, and the look he was giving her implied that she should follow.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>"Will do Mr. Stark."</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"Have you been able to contact Clint or Natasha?"</strong> he said out loud, again to Jarvis. Tony wondered where those two were, and where they would stand. Maria looked too confident, she had something planned - the news about Loki hadn't alarmed her nearly as much as it should have. He wondered if Maria planned on keeping SHIELD's agents away from the team in order to further irritate him.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <em>"Negative Sir, both are working off the books right now. I will inform you the moment they report back to SHIELD."</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "<strong>Perfect."</strong> Tony said - less than pleased - as he stepped onto the open elevator and turned around, waiting for Jane. His face was grim. Loki's reappearance might throw a wrench in his plans, he just wasn't finished yet. He pulled out his PDA and pulled up the data Jarvis had sent him from the project he'd been working on before he left to meet Betty. He scrutinized it heavily, not even looking up when Jane would enter. He hoped he wouldn't need to make any major adjustments and that the component would be ready to be ship to Delmarva, Virgina to join the rest of the satellite station. The biggest problem would be finding a way to get everything launched ahead of schedule. Those NASA tight-wads always had suits breathing down their neck and preventing him from getting anything done on time. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A small smile creased his face as he imagined what kind of trouble he'd get in for creating his own launch station somewhere. The U.S. Government was keeping a close eye on Stark Industries - Tony in particular - as he continued to circumvent law after law - since he had the money to easily pay any fines they could come up with. The FAA, NASA, the FBI - he gave them all headache after headache. Their lives would be much easier if they'd just stay out of his way.<br></span></span></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>11-09-2012, 19:35:14</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://data.whicdn.com/images/12895752/Natalie-Portman_mid_large.jpg)&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> (future) Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower, New York<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:34 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark<br><hr> <br><div align="center"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong><em>...continued from Earth - All other locations (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144303.msg6909292#msg6909292)</em></strong></span></span></div> <br>There was a cringe-worthy screech as her trailer scraped against something, followed by a crash of - glass? Jane couldn't bring herself to look, and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat until her mobile lab settled down on the balcony of Stark Tower with an undignified "clunk."<br>&nbsp;<br>Jane dared to open her eyes and was relieved to see that none of those godawful breaking sounds had come from anything <em>inside</em> her trailer. Her equipment was safe, and so was she. <em>No explosions, nothing broken, didn't plummet to the ground. That's...good.</em> She stayed glued to her spot on the edge of the bed, waiting for the shaky feeling to leave her limbs. She hated flying, and even unconventionally..it wasn't any better.<br>&nbsp;<br>Finally, she decided she wasn't actually going to be sick and climbed out of her trailer, still looking a bit queasy. She had her duffel bag slung over one shoulder - even if her laptop and notebook weren't as sleek and sophisticated as Stark's PDA, to her, they were just as vital, and she was <em>not</em> losing them again.<br>&nbsp;<br>The rather incongruous sight of her dumpy little trailer atop Stark's shiny new tower made her chuckle, and Jane shook her head in disbelief as she made her way inside to the elevator. She joined Tony within and exhaled slowly between pursed lips. "So...thanks for flying me here and not dropping me to my death and all. I appreciate it. The suit's...impressive." Something like a smirk toyed at her lips.<br>&nbsp;<br>"So where are we going anyway?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>12-09-2012, 04:15:22</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.metalinsider.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/downey-sabbath.png)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Penthouse Elevator, headed to War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:35PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Jane Foster, Clint Barton, </strong>Other Avengers</span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The eccentric billionaire was still looking down at his PDA when Jane entered and spoke. If his irritability hadn't shown enough on the outside, it clearly did with his response to her first statement - though it hadn't really asked for one. <strong>"If we can't keep Loki under control, you might wish I <em>had</em> dropped you."</strong> It was too cold, too harsh - even coming from Stark. It trespassed into the territory of her relationship with Thor and how Loki might attack that.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Perhaps it was her compliment about his Iron Man suit that made him realize that statement was uncalled for, as his features softened slightly and he tried to amend his statement while also answering her question, <strong>"...we're going down to the War Room to assemble the Avengers. Apparently the last lesson Hulk taught Merlin didn't sink in - or maybe it knocked the few screws he had loose completely off."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Before Jane had a chance to respond, Tony's PDA started buzzing and upon seeing the picture of Clint pop up, Stark answered immediately. <strong>"Barton, Loki is loose; we need you at Stark Tower now."</strong> Upon hearing the marksman acknowledge his request, Tony would hang up the phone and look back to Jane. <strong>"Foster, I'm going to need your help over the next couple of days. I've got some satellite components I need to launch ASAP and I can't wait for NASA or the FAA to approve it."</strong> He figured that Jane's knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and physics would be sufficient enough to find the earliest date and location he could launch the rocket and shuttle from - even if it meant flying the stuff to some third world country to make it happen.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The elevator continued to descend and Jarvis' voice could be heard confirming to Tony that he'd notified all present Avengers to meet him in the war room.<br></span></span></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>12-09-2012, 04:43:21</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://data.whicdn.com/images/12895752/Natalie-Portman_mid_large.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> (future) Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower, Penthouse Elevator<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:35&nbsp;pm,&nbsp;Eastern Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark<br><br><hr><br>Jane's face fell at Tony's reply, and she swallowed, automatically glancing down at her wrist as though the evidence of her near-betrayal of Thor was clearly visible. She looped the opposite palm around it over the sleeve of her jacket.<br><br>"Right, got it."&nbsp;<br><br>If all of the Avengers were gathered together, then...Thor would be there. Her heart fluttered at the thought of <em>actually</em> seeing him again, but something like dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Loki had unsettled her more than Jane would ever want to admit.&nbsp;<br><br>"Not really sure why <em>I</em> -" she began, but Stark's call interrupted and she fell quiet, not speaking for a moment more after he made his offer.<br><br>"I'm already not friends with secret government agencies, so I guess giving the finger to a few more regulations can't hurt." Jane smiled wryly. "I'll do it."<br><br>Besides, if Loki succeeded this time around at his world domination schemes, then a few broken laws wouldn't matter anymore. Jane would rather still have the Earth she knew.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>12-09-2012, 18:07:58</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/5/59088/1882802-thor_2011_wallpaper_movie_wallpaper_15.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> New York, flying back to Stark Tower<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:30 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Jarvis </span></span><br><br>Having darkened the skies around the Eastern seaboard, Thor felt his rage subsiding as the blackened clouds crackled with the figurative electricity of his fury. With no idea where Loki could be hiding he held little hope that his message reached his prodigal foster sibling but now having unleashed the full extent of his power, it restored Thor's confidence that, if he needed to come to mortal blows against Loki, he could triumph.<br><br>Thor felt the air buzzing with his rainless storm and with all of the buildup, it was easy to detect a disturbance breaking through the ionically charged atmosphere. There was only one thing he had ever felt that was able to do that here on Earth: Stark's armor. He must have been approaching with Jane as promised. Feeling elated at the prospect of seeing Jane in the flesh, he changed his plans to wait for her to be alone so they could have a private reunion and began his return to the tower. Without his presence or willpower to maintain the thundercloud blanket, it would slowly dissipate and return to normal.<br><br>He once again landed on the roof, where he noticed he was beaten there by Jane and Tony. Jane's entire trailer had been dragged along, a feat which he reluctantly had to admit was rather impressive for mere Midgardian technology as compact as the suit of armor. It wasn't a completely accurate landing, he observed, with the amount of broken glass strewn about. Of course, they were both bound to notice the few shattered doors he had left behind on his first entrance. Luckily they were still open and he had no trouble walking in, though exactly where in the tower they were, he had no idea. He'd only been there once earlier, and the small offices and laboratory rooms hardly seemed like the type of place where people would be expected to congregate.<br><br>Jarvis' message repeated itself at regular intervals but Thor merely stood there, now knowing where he was supposed to go but having no idea how to get there. <strong>"Make yourself useful, spirit voice! Where in the nine realms am I supposed to go to get to this bloody War Room?"</strong> he shook his hammer threateningly at one of the security cameras. The building was dozens of stories high and its elevators and stairs were not suited for quick travel, at least not via his preferred method.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 01:38:38</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.cranklin.com/jarvis/jarvis.png)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Jarvis<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Personal Security Agent<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Various Locations<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:33pm Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Thor</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Upon hearing Thor's inquiry, Jarvis quickly spoke up again. <em>"My apologies Master Odinson. Proceed to the shiny metal doors to your left. Press the button marked 'down' and wait for the doors to open. When the elevator arrives, step inside and go down to the 34th floor - via another button marked '34'. The War Room will be right in front of you."</em> If Jarvis could sound irritated or annoyed, he would have - but then Thor was from another world and didn't know his way around. Jarvis had to be understanding, though he did add: <em>"And do try not to smash anything on your way down."</em><br></span></span></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 05:46:11</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpTsxkA2Xws/ThqFLcvT3_I/AAAAAAAAAqo/KOHBa8eyzG0/s1600/tumblr_l9bc9479S81qcx2po.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:36PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Jane Foster </strong>Other Avengers</span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The moment the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Stark stepped through them - his PDA still in hand. He crossed the mid-remodeled hallway to a pair of thick metal doors where a large round logo had been embossed. It was a tall capital letter A with an arrow going through it, similar to what the top of Stark Tower had looked like in the Chitari aftermath - though slightly altered. As soon as Tony neared the door a lock inside clicked and the door swung inwards. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In the center of the room was a large round table of polished onyx where inlaid was the same logo that graced the door to the room. There were about ten chairs spaced around the table, the room was still unfinished, but the furniture seemed set. There were no windows, though the room was vaulted in a shallow dome with plenty of clean modern light fixtures to provide ample illumination.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony made his way around the table, speaking as he went - his eyes locked on to the small screen of his PDA as his fingers fired away methodically. <strong>"Jarvis, access project 'Arecibo' access code 'Contact 1-9-9-7' and upload the schematics to the War Room projectors."</strong> Tony was facing the back wall of the room, his PDA held up and with a few taps of his finger he began bringing to life several sleek LCD panels built into it. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>"Right away sir."</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony wasn't in a hurry, but he was focused and worked quickly; resembling efficient precision more-so than haste. In a matter of minutes he had several different screens up and running with streams of Data running down them as well as small schematic glimpses that didn't seem to make any sense individually. His head operated on a swivel as he checked the screens, frequently referring to his PDA. His eyes were wide and had the subtlest hint of amazement - as if he was a young boy again, viewing the planetarium for the first time. Technological wonder always seemed to spark what few childhood memories Stark was actually fond of.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>"The upload is complete sir."</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"Good."</strong> Tony replied plainly. <strong>"Finish assembling the diagnostics bay and get it ready to ship."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>"There are several calculations that need to be made before it will be ready to be assembled with the rest of the station Sir."</em> Jarvis added, always taking every precation.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"No time Jarvis. I need to get that thing ready to launch."</strong> There was no room for debate in his tone. <strong>"And I want the blueprints for the Exo's on the main projector."</strong> Tony was referring to the main holographic projector built in above the center table. It was one of the same projection systems that Tony used in his personal lab for quick visual processing and prototype adjustments.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark then remembered that Jane had been tailing him and he turned back in her direction, taking a break from all of his preparation. <strong>"Hope the rest of them don't take their sweet-ass time."</strong> With Jane's keen knowledge of physics - she could probably have guessed from the data lit-up along the walls that these were the schematics for the satellite components Tony had referred to moments ago. As to what he meant by "Exo's" one could only guess. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"Tell me again about Loki's 'portal'."</strong> Tony's eyes locked on Jane, awaiting a response - as if it was of some manner of importance, though if he was concerned at all it didn't seem to show in his face.</span></span></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 20:19:09</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatright">(http://digitalmediageek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/thor-jane1.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, heading to War Room on 34th Floor<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:35 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Jarvis </span></span><br><em><br>"My apologies Master Odinson. Proceed to the shiny metal doors to your left. Press the button marked 'down' and wait for the doors to open. When the elevator arrives, step inside and go down to the 34th floor - via another button marked '34'. The War Room will be right in front of you." </em><br><br>Thor was glad to finally have gotten some actual useful assistance out of a Midgardian device on this return trip. So far none of the communication devices the mortals could not seem to do without had done him a damn bit of good and he'd already had plenty of bad experiences with them anyway, having been hit by Jane's car twice, and his first encounter with Iron Man ending up being a brawl. He hoped to one day whisk Jane away to Asgard but her profession seemed completely dependent upon this technology and he knew she would never want to give it up even for the opportunity to see the world she had been searching for.<br><br><em>"And do try not to smash anything on your way down."</em><br><br>Normally Thor would have considered Jarvis' personality to be neutral and not have been likely to take it personal that it seemed to be talking to him like he was a child. This was a different world, after all. He would like to see Stark figure out how to summon the wide radius of stormclouds he had conjured earlier, or call to one of his devices through sheer willpower and have it come to him. But this last comment of Jarvis' was a step too far. Thor thrust Mjolnir upward and, in a controlled manner, shot out a bolt of lightning that exploded the camera he had been staring at. <strong>"Mind your tongue next time, rogue!"</strong> he spat.<br><br>The two arrows on the elevator buttons were easy enough to decode as up or down and the pleasant 'ding' alleviated Thor's apprehension about climbing into a small, contained box, because the last time he got into one of those, trying to tackle Loki aboard the Helicarrier, had resulted in him being ejected and nearly plummeting to his death. The elevator music even made him chuckle as he got inside and pressed '34'. The elevator creaked and groaned under the weight of his heavy Asgardian frame and Mjolnir, but it safely brought him to his desired destination and the doors opened up to what Stark was calling his War Room. Nothing like that of Asgard, of course, where real men fought real battles for matters of honor and statues to their memory stood to preserve their glory forever.<br><br>Jane was on the forefront of his mind, not the inevitable confrontation with Loki, and his desire to see her hastened his steps. These labyrinthine skyscrapers were so foreign to the Asgardian sensibility, he hoped not to have to stay there, even though Jane would clearly be doing so for her own safety. He actually would have preferred the cramped confines of Jane's tiny trailer. The small, intimate space would actually be much more comforting to him, as long as she was with him.<br><br>Unfortunately that bubble popped when he approached and saw Tony and Jane alone-he hadn't been expecting that, he certainly believed that the other Avengers who would be more familiar with the building would have also beaten him there. He didn't like the idea of involving Jane in the conflict; she wasn't Sif, she couldn't defend herself in a true battle. But whatever was on the screens being projected, Jane surely understood them a lot better than him-perhaps even better than most other mortals. <strong>"You work quickly, Stark. I could have informed you of Loki's return a half-day ago if I could have gotten in contact with you, but no civilians seem to be able to do that even in emergencies. I would put some thought into how to resolve that."</strong> he twirled his hammer casually, the testosterone nearly as high as it had been during their first dick-wagging skirmish. Out of respect for Jane's presence, he omitted the fact that it had nearly resulted in losing Jane because Loki was able to reach her before the Avengers.<br><br>His momentary irritation with Stark vanished as he finally turned his attentions on Jane. He was filthy of course after his travels and dared not touch her in this condition, but knowing how impulsive she got around him she might have been the one to make the first move and embrace him.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 21:51:26</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://data.whicdn.com/images/12895752/Natalie-Portman_mid_large.jpg) &nbsp; </div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower, War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:37 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Thor<br>&nbsp;<br><hr>&nbsp;<br>Jane's eyes followed Stark as he worked, then drifted to the holographic shematics on display around the room. Stark liked his toys shiny, but they worked well, she had to give him that. She just wouldn't say it aloud; his ego didn't need anymore boosting.<br>&nbsp;<br>"This the satellite?" She asked, gesturing to one of the diagrams and glancing over her shoulder at Tony. It had to be. But what did Stark want his own private, illegally launched satellite <em>for</em>? Jane placed her duffel bag in one of the empty chairs around the table and leaned back against it, crossing her arms. Her pose was bereft of anger, though; she seemed...pensive.<br>&nbsp;<br>"If I help you with this, Tony, I'll have to know what it's for, what the plan is. I'm not getting involved in secret pet science projects just because you give me goo-goo eyes. I'll help, but I've gotta know what's up."<br>&nbsp;<br>"As for Loki's 'portal,' or whatever we're calling it," Jane continued, relaxing her stance. "I..don't know. One second he was there, and then he wasn't. No device to generate a portal - that I saw, at least. And it was fast. Just..." She shook her head, as if admitting defeat. "A wormhole signature showed up on my scanners, so he did <em>isomething</em>, but whatever it was, it's totally new. I think we're -"<br>&nbsp;<br>She turned her head as the elevator pinged, ponytail swishing behind her head. It was him. <em>It was Thor.</em><br>&nbsp;<br>A blush tinged her cheeks pink, and she glanced at the floor while the demi-god berated Stark. And then that giddy feeling came over her, and Jane just couldn't help it. She rushed over and embraced Thor, a fierce hug to make up for her earlier transgressions with Loki. "It's <em>you</em>," she whispered, and then the burn on her wrist seemed to tingle again, and doubt trickled into her mind. <em>Thor hadn't said anything to</em> her <em>yet, hadn't rushed over to hug</em> her. <em>Maybe he didn't want...?</em>&nbsp;<br><br>And Jane withdrew quickly, ashamed.<br>&nbsp;<br>Jane took a few steps back, clasping one wrist with her opposite hand and clearing her throat. "Anyway, so...where were we?" She turned to Tony and gave the billionaire her best "don't you dare make something of this"-glare, but she had a feeling he'd ignore her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 23:20:59</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatright">(http://media-geeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/04/ThorJane.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:36 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Jane Foster </span></span><br><br>Thor was appeased as Jane threw her arms around him, but her words perplexed him. Unless...when Loki appeared to her, as was said, he disguised himself as Thor, for whatever reason. Although the matter was already personal, this only made it more so. Was she still afraid it was someone else behind the armor? That was what he believed as she withdrew from him, almost timidly like the first time they met. She seemed to be favoring one hand, as if the other had something wrong with it. He was even willing to believe it might have been an injury from traveling in such an unconventional way, but he wanted to know for certain. It could wait. Much as he wished to be alone with her now, the upcoming conflict did have cosmic repercussions.<br><br><strong>"I am sorry I could not be here sooner. I didn't know where to find you, and Loki knew enough to find out our connection and to seek you out." </strong>Thor apologized to Jane for what he perceived as his personal failure to protect his Lady. He distracted himself from the shame he was feeling, raising his lowered head and getting down to business, this time addressing Stark. <strong>"What are we going to do to about him this time? I cannot rely on the support of any of my Asgardian allies. I only barely made it to Earth alive myself, and unless we get the Tesseract back from Loki, I'll never be able to look upon my homeland again."</strong><br><br>He wondered when the others would be arriving as well; in Asgard he'd always had his comrades with him to help boost his confidence but now that he was in this foreign land, he felt almost helpless without the other Avengers. Loki may not have been able to compete with him as a warrior, but that was not Loki's plan, not this time. He needed the minds and experiences of the team to do what needed to be done, just like the last time. Banner was still in the building, he believed, so the Hulk-in-waiting should have been in the War Room by now. The one beast Loki must have feared above all, that would indeed be a great comfort, if only as a deterrent against Loki setting foot anywhere near the tower and, vicariously, Jane again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>14-09-2012, 03:24:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://thewolfmancometh.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-avengers-robert-downey-jr-tony-stark-iron-man.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:38PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Jane Foster, Thor Odinson </strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;His eyes were sharp as Jane spoke and answered his question as best she could. Quite problematic. Loki having the ability to change locations with such apparent ease. Stark wasn't entirely sure what to do about that just yet; but then, his best ideas often came while under pressure. Speaking of pressure, Thor seemed overflowing with it as he entered the room and beheld his dearest and Stark having a conversation about something well-over his head. A fact made only more apparent by his complaint about having trouble contacting Tony - a feat most seven year old earthlings would have little trouble with. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Retaliatory insults swirled in his mind, ready to fire back; but something held them back. Part of the reason Stark was such an exceptional and innovative creator was that he did not fear trying new things - and also... he did not often repeat mistakes. Severing the Avengers over petty fights and arguments was how Loki had been nearly victorious the first time. That wouldn't happen again - or at least Tony would not be the culprit of it this time. He wouldn't start it, though if pushed hard enough - it is very possible he would finish it. He would do his best not to create friction among the team members - but when someone threw a punch it was only instinct to punch back... even if he held back the majority of the weight behind his swing. <strong>"My apologies Thor. I was not prepared to be dealing with Loki again so quickly."</strong> <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Okay, there was a little bit of bite to that comment, but coming from Stark - that was fairly light. Before his comment had a chance to sink in and rile up Thor's already irritable mood, Tony continued to speak and diverted his comments away from Thor's failures in hopes he could answer Jane's questions at the same time.<strong> "Though I am not presently prepared, I do have a plan in place for dealing with Loki's forces. It's just not ready yet."</strong> His piercing gaze then shifted to Jane and softened up, though a sharp focus was still present in his eyes. <strong>"It isn't a satellite per-say... It is a space station. It is a staging point for Avengers offensives against forces that would seek to harm Earth and it's people."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"After the damage Loki caused during our last conflict... we have to avoid fighting on our home soil - at all costs."</strong> Turning back to Thor, Tony continued and - with the opportunity - tossed in another small jab "<strong>Since you may very-well become a permanent resident - I think it will be in your own interests as well."</strong> He smiled as he continued to whittle away Thor's bluster with his perceptive thoughts. <strong>"Loki is obviously focusing on Earth because he wants revenge, Thor. Subjugating the people of Earth is a secondary bonus... This is personal, and you know that as well as I do."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"However... after Loki's embarrassing defeat at the hands of <em>all</em> the Avengers - the Hulk's in particular - there's no telling who he'll target now."</strong> Tony's eyes narrowed just slightly as he came to his point. <strong>"If I was Loki, I wouldn't want to just defeat the Avengers, but embarrass them - and destroy them, including their image and legacy..."</strong> He nodded slowly as he spoke, perhaps revealing the thoughts to himself for the first time as well. <strong>"We need to be extremely careful. Hedging his bets on our egos nearly paid off last time, he'll do it again; probably the only reason we survived that encounter with Loki is because nobody's ego is bigger than his own."</strong><br></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>14-09-2012, 17:36:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://data.whicdn.com/images/12895752/Natalie-Portman_mid_large.jpg) &nbsp; </div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower - War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:39 pm, Eastern time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Thor<br><hr>&nbsp;<br>The threat Loki posed was more grave than Jane had even feared: she had embarrassed herself and given the usually droll Stark plenty of opportunities to get in a few witty jabs. But there was no banter from Tony, and that, more than anything, scared Jane the most.<br>&nbsp;<br>If Tony Stark was being serious, then...they were in a veritable <em>shitload</em> of trouble, to put it colloquially.<br>&nbsp;<br>Jane also couldn't quite read Thor's reaction to her, but she acknowledged his apology with a small nod and smile. It wasn't his fault, really, and she'd let him know later. "I don't think anyone was really prepared for this," she said, addressing the room in general, then fell quiet as Stark explained his plans, idly twirling the end of her ponytail around one finger.<br>&nbsp;<br>"A <em>space station</em>?" Jane's eyes widened, and her fingers stopped toying with her hair. "I don't think that'll fit in my trailer. We're going to need a bigger lab," she offered, in an attempt to inject some levity into the room. All this solemn worrying was making her nervous. The joke was forced, and something Thor wouldn't understand anyway, but she was desperate.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>20-09-2012, 22:14:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://www.superheroesareawesome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/041712-avengers-clips-thor-iron-man.jpeg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:40 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Jane Foster </span></span><br><br><strong>"You pretend to know Loki better than I, Stark. That is an error I am sure he would like to have you make. I may not understand how to construct these devices you built, but I grew up with him and understand his motives."</strong> Thor interjected, still disliking a mortal like Stark talking in such a way about an Asgardian, even if it was Loki. <strong>"He waited in our dungeons for months before he escaped, when he could have done so at any time. The last time I saw him before I followed him to Earth, he fell into an abyss. If he was able to plan the attack of the Chitauri in such a short time, he has had more than enough time to come up with a thousand new plans. He is armed with more than just the Tesseract as well, and before my father sent me, he warned me that Loki was not alone this time, either."</strong><br><br><strong>"Loki has poisoned the world's tree, the Yggdrasil, and has crippled my father as a result. That is why there is no help coming, nor will I show any mercy to Loki this time. He could summon an army from any of the other realms, apart from here or Asgard, now that the walls between the worlds have weakened. Even if he does not have full control over the Tesseract, he has shown enough skill with it to find Jane."</strong> he concluded, though in showing Stark his growing wisdom, he had just laid down even worse news than before.<br><br>He smiled gently at Jane, sensing her good-intentioned joke, but knowing it was futile in this heavy situation. Even Stark seemed to be unable to make the same sort of quips he had made when facing down Loki alone before the big battle six months ago. <strong>"Where the devil are the other Avengers, anyway?"</strong> he suddenly asked, now sensing something wrong. Black Widow and Hawkeye he could live without, as they were not anywhere near superhuman on the level that Captain Rogers was, but at least Banner should have been a part of the meeting. If the worst happened, having the Hulk separated from the group would really spell disaster.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>23-09-2012, 01:07:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i45.tinypic.com/34s2j3r.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Steve Rogers<br><strong>Title:</strong> Captain America<br><strong>Location:</strong> Entering<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:41 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Thor - Stark - Foster</span></span><br><hr><br>As if on cue, the stars and stripes walked into the room, and Rogers' face did not reflect comfort. He had been biding his time in his room, merely waiting, he remembered reading the paper, and busied his mind with how important it would be to pick that habit up again. The news had intimidated him, and the journalists were much less educated than they used to be. Stories never seemed to sum up to anything, and the television was one episode of flashing stress after another. He had tuned it out. But he couldn't tune out Jarvis, and Stark's voice over the intercom, especially when they spoke to him directly about Loki, and an emergency meeting in the war-room. <br><br>Unfortunately, his urgency was victim to his confusion. <br><br>In a rush, he had scattered himself all over the building in search of the armoury. He ran in a full sprint passed the elevator, nearly knocking his head against the ceiling more than once. In fast, urgent times, his mind brought him to the stairs, it was a less confined space, and he blazed through them like a gymnast might repel from his scaffolding. It felt like forever in an elevator, mostly just waiting for the doors to close. While Stark covered ground between New York and the middle of the country, as Thor made his grandiose entrance, Rogers was gearing up. Once he was in the armoury he felt at home, and he had located three versions of his shield without trouble. Some one must have been at work for him wile he was away. He didn't bother with guesses as to who it might have been. He just reached for the largest version with the brightest shade of red in it's stripes, and he strapped it onto his back.<br><br><em>"Where the devil are the other Avengers, anyway?"</em><br><br>On his way into the War room, he stopped only paces from Thor and Tony, as if he was their father. The shape of his creased eyes made it obvious that he had heard Thor's entire display from the hall. The Asgardian towered over him, a feeling that Steve wasn't particularly used to feeling. But he begin to speak, and his tone suggested not an ounce of intimidation. <strong>"Well. Not all of us can fly."</strong> He had directed the comment at both of them, first he looked at Thor, and then his head pivoted over to Stark. <strong>"Now warm up guys." </strong>Captain America slapped Thor on the back with a good chunk of his might to install courage in the man, 'the god?'. Rogers nodded at Thor. <strong>"We're all on the same team here."</strong> Rogers walked passed Tony to look up at the screen full of scientific graphology, and advanced physics theorems. <strong>"Guys like you and me have to let Stark do the thinking." </strong>he was speaking to Thor, turning his shoulders toward both of them.<strong> "And you should have waited until Banner and I both got here before you turned this on." </strong>Steve found himself directly underneath the projections now, his eyes narrow, his mind trying hard to wrap itself around the visuals in front of him.<br><br>He had noticed Jane in his search for understanding. His face changed from cold to warm quickly, a polite head nod, and a gentlemanly face scanned Jane's eyes, he was absorbed by them for the moments that he allowed his vision to stray from the mission. He was glad to have his mask off.<strong> "Evening, ma'am."</strong> Well, he had to say something. But, he wasn't concerned with this woman in the room at the moment, in fact, he didn't rightly remember if he had ever met her before. He needed to talk with his team.<br><br><strong>"Stark. What am I looking at here?"</strong> His voice was honest, and utterly lost. The entire screen might as well have been written in invisible ink, as if there was nothing on the wall at all. He only saw one shape distinctly in a number of pictures: <strong>"Are you building a submarine?"</strong> He had interpreted the designs incorrectly. It was a good thing that he wasn't far off.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>24-09-2012, 01:55:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1213/75934124.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:42 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Steve - Tony <br><hr><br>"A spacebound submarine," Natasha corrected as courteously as she could while sauntering in through the automated double doors. While she was well known for throwing in a few barbs here and there when conversing with people - particularly Tony - she had no intentions of antagonizing Captain America. He was a good, simple man; the type that didn't exist anymore in this day and age. On top of that, she could also relate to him as far as starting over was concerned. Natasha had been forced to leave everything behind only to start from nothing many a time, so she knew just how difficult and lonely the process of readapting could be...and she never had to content with a time leap of over half a century. Truthfully, she felt a bit sorry for Steve, although she kept that to herself since knowing that he might resent the sentiment. <em>Men with their pride and egos.</em><br><br>"Sorry if I'm late to the party, I had S.H.I.E.L.D. breathing down my neck and trying to ground me." Natasha cast Tony a knowing look before stepping towards the table at the center of the room and sitting on its edge. "Luckily, our gracious host was kind enough to put all of his resources at my disposition so that I could get here as soon as possible." <br><br>Still clad in her civilian clothes, Natasha wore a pair of black skinny jeans with black platform booties, a loose fitting white top and a thin camo green jacket over it which she'd kept open. Knowing Tony, he'd most certainly noticed the lavish platinum and diamond necklace that hung down from her neck and nearly plunged into her cleavage, and by now he probably also realized that the four hundred and fifty thousand dollars used to but it had come out of his own pocket. It wasn't a large amount - not to a multi-billionaire, at least - but it was enough to remind Tony that she could mess with him just as much as he could mess with her, and then some. <br><br>Still, Natasha had to tread carefully and not let things go too far. A bit of fun had never hurt anybody, but she wouldn't let allow herself to be dragged down into some petty squabble with Tony, or anyone else for that matter. The lesson of how they'd almost lost everything the last time that the Avengers allowed themselves to get divided was still fresh in her memory even half a year later, and she wasn't about to let that happen again. That meant that she had to be extremely careful around Stark.<br><br>Despite his undeniable charm and the seemingly magnetic attraction that the two of them shared, he represented everything that Natasha was trying to distance herself from. Just like him, her old self had been all about excess, instant gratification and pandering to every one of her own impulses, but the path that lead her down wasn't something that she cared to relive. More than anyone else, it was critical that Natasha made sure she kept Tony at arm's length.<br><br>"So, what do you need a space station for...cliff notes?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>24-09-2012, 08:52:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://guy.com/a/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/3-Ironman_hologram.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:43PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Everyone in the War Room </strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Thor made several good points - and Stark would be the last person to admit it or even show a hint of acknowledgment for how much sense they made. They were thoughts he should have had, but didn't. One of Tony's major weaknesses was focusing to hard on the wrong priority. He had a plan set in his head, and hadn't foreseen Loki returning so soon. So honestly, he hadn't thought much about Loki. Tony was actually worried about other threats - the very types of threats that Thor had just mentioned. His eyes narrowed as Thor spoke, not giving away any tell as to why they had though.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Right after Thor had inquired about the other Avengers, Captain America strode in to greet the group; he seemed to be quite a bit more at ease than the rest of them. Even amidst his tension though, Stark managed to raise his hands palm up as Rodgers entered - as if to silently say: <em>Right on time, as planned.</em> He watched as Steve did his best to defuse the situation in the room - something the star-spangled 'luchadore' was all too adept at. In quick reply to his remark about turning the screens on early Stark said: <strong>"Just staying ahead of the game Cap'..."</strong> It almost seemed to have the slight insinuation that it wasn't Stark who was early - but perhaps Rodgers that was late... though Tony didn't have to say that for the rest of them to know that was at least <em>partially</em> why he bothered to give the remark a response at all.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After Captain America's final question, Natasha then entered the room. Tony made the quick mental note to scold Jarvis for not having informed him of her presence at the Tower - but then, she always seemed to fly under the radar... even <em>his</em>, which was no small feat. Tony noticed her confident stride, as well as the look in her eyes as his own connected with the expensive necklace. Add to that the comment about his resources and he understood that she'd already begun to pay him back for 'borrowing' her authorization code to divert Betty's flight to New York - something Maria never would have allowed. He almost wondered how bad Maria had chewed her ass for it... but when he remembered that he had a sparring match with the Widow scheduled in the morning tomorrow (every Friday); he was confident he would find out exactly how bad Director Hill had reamed her. Heh... <em>'reamed'</em>, Tony chuckled at the choice of words his mind used before glancing back around the group.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark was reluctant to begin his explanation before Banner was present... but the man had been helping him on the project anyways. He'd given Bruce a limited outline for the purpose of getting the man's help - but hadn't fully explained it. He figured that Banner had already begun to put several pieces together anyways, so he wouldn't be missing anything he couldn't figure out on his own when he entered the room. Especially when Stark revealed the main component of the master-plan - though everything was still in the concept stage.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Clint would definitely need to be filled in when he arrived. Hawkeye always seemed to be the last to be a part of the group - and this time with no aid from Loki - he hoped. He used to absence of the other two Avengers for a comment of levity, <strong>"Well now that Steve has arrived we can get started - as I'll still be explaining the basics by the time the other two show up."</strong> Tony tossed a wry grin Rodger's way, hoping the man would take it lightly as - surprisingly - it wasn't said to ruffle his feathers.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark's face got slightly more serious before he continued, his hands raising up his PDA over one of the screens on the back wall to change the LCD remotely. The new image that popped up on it was an aftermath shot of New York right after they'd defeated Loki and his Chitari forces. <strong>"That's why I... why <em>we</em>... need a space station."</strong> he said as he turned back to regard the group - emotions on their faces from freshly recalled memories of the fight and clean-up process. <strong>"I realized after that battle that we needed to avoid fighting on home soil - and I believe I have a way to facilitate that."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony continued on, turning back to the war room's center table. <strong>"Jarvis, bring up the station."</strong> Without any hesitation the holographic system rendered a 3D model of the space station, slightly split apart by it's different sections. <strong>"It's already finished, but it's not in space or assembled yet."</strong> Tony stated, giving them both the high and the low to it. "He could see the wheels in their head turning and trying to put together the pieces. <strong>"It's nearly worthless though without these..."</strong> He pushed the station hologram down into the table and then flicked his hand back up to pop out another projection - one that Jarvis predicted was next from Tony's words. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Up popped a few independent holograms - they looked like different variations of Tony's Iron Man suit. They were different sizes, and their were four of them - none of them completely resembling any suit of Tony's they had yet seen. Their was also a fifth hologram - though it was only a helmet and not a full suit. Tony spun the images towards him and placed them in a line side-by-side. Once they were all next to each other, it was easy to see the different sizes and proportions of the four suits and fifth helmet clearly matched the silhouettes of the Avengers, minus Tony. The helmet was huge - obviously for the hulk. No man-made device would be capable of amplifying Banner's alter-ego, so the helmet was merely an extreme-duty oxygen supply.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The largest of the four suits - Thor's - was also pretty minimal and was designed to compliment and fit with and around the ready-made armor that Thor always summoned. The other three - Captain's, Clint's, and Natasha's were considerably more like some of the armor's they'd seen Tony wear before - though obviously retrofitted with each Avenger's custom choice of weaponry. <strong>"They're still prototypes..."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark glanced around the room, figuring to get a mixture of looks from the other Avengers. Tony had plenty of experience zipping around earth in his metal shell - but the idea of each Avenger slapping on a metal suit and blasting around space (and other places) would no doubt be unsettling for the rest of them. There was still so much work to do before the suits could be finalized, and he really hoped the team wouldn't need to use them; but he was determined to have them ready just in case.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He turned back to Jane - who had faded into the background after all the superheroes began arriving. <strong>"We're going to need to figure out how Loki is coming and going - even if all we get is a location."</strong> he said very directly to her. Without Jane cracking the code of Loki's portals... they would be sitting ducks here on earth - waiting to fight whatever threat the madman would bring - with the hope that they could win out somehow and not completely tarnish the planet in the process...<br></span></span></div><br><hr><hr><br><div class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" class="spoiler_header">Just some conceptual photos to help everyone wrap their heads around it:</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div align="center">(http://cdn.ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SecretAvengers_22_Preview2.jpg)<br>(http://www.medinnus.com/AEMH/images/av_spacesuits.png)</div></div></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>24-09-2012, 18:30:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://deskofbrian.com/wp-content/uploads/Robert-Downey-Jr-Chris-Hemsworth-Thor-Iron-Man-Avengers-trailer.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:44 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Jane Foster, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff </span></span><br><br><em>It's about damned time</em>, Thor thought as Captain America entered without warning. Out of all the Avengers, he was the one Thor had the most respect for, a man who stood for principles that he agreed with, a man who only fought for the sake of preserving peace-a quality his father Odin had wished to instill in Thor and had taught him to do by his temporary exile. The Black Widow entered then, in an outfit quite different from her black bodysuit that befitted combat. Jane might have taken a leaf out of her fashion booklet, he thought distractedly for a moment before turning his attention to Stark's presentation. Whatever was keeping Banner away did not appear to be of any great concern to the rest of them and Thor had a feeling whatever Stark was about to show them was something Banner was heavily involved in anyway.<br><br>He didn't quite understand the idea of the space station, having not needed such a thing for travel until recently. But he did know that what Stark said was true, and it was only because they were fortunate enough to have kept the Bifrost out of Loki's hands that the ultimate weapon for ripping apart whole worlds was not able to be turned against them. What had destroyed half of Jotunheim could easily destroy not just Earth, but every moon and planet in the galaxy, inhabited or not. And Loki's mindset was certainly capable of feeling like 'If I can't have it, no one will'.<br><br>But his expression turned to one of bemusement at the sight of the suits Stark had shown. Was he serious? It was obvious that the two mortals Widow and Hawkeye could benefit from such things, but to suggest that the Mighty Thor wear such a thing? Had Stark forgotten that Thor had crushed a piece of his arm covering like an empty aluminum can during their initial skirmish? He found it hard to believe it could be anything but a burden to have to don that metal suit.<br><br>He frowned slightly when Stark turned to Jane again-clearly he was expecting quite a lot from her as she was likely the only one who could do what he was asking, if a genius like Stark couldn't do it himself. That meant little time to be with Jane, even if it was for the sake of stopping Loki again. Was this what it meant to be a King? To sacrifice so much for the sake of others? His father never seemed to have that problem...but then again, this was wartime. If he could just end this, he could return and have a peaceful reign where he would not have to ignore the ones he loved. Loki would have to be stopped-permanently, it seemed, if Thor was ever going to be able to know a moment's peace from now on.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>26-09-2012, 04:04:56</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g427/Nykteus/captainamericachrisevansmovie.jpg)</div><hr><br><strong>Name:</strong> Steve Rogers<br><strong>Title:</strong> Captain America<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower, War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:45 pm, Eastern Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark, Jane Foster, Natasha Romanoff, Thor Odinson<br><br><hr><br><br><br>While the Captain certainly wouldn't have named himself as the most intelligent of the Avengers, that was a contest best left to Stark and Banner, the same process that had enhanced his body had overcharged his mind as well. He didn't have a wealth of scientific knowledge, but he thought quickly, broadly and deeply, and wasn't a man to waste time when there was information to be processed. It was quite a bit to work through, but he had the good sense not to let himself get bogged down in technical details, there were plenty of people better trained and better equipped for that sort of work. It was hard to ignore the glaring detail, mainly that a borderline dipsomaniac, narcissistic engineer wanted him to wear an armoured suit and hang around in Earth's orbit while waiting for the Norse god Loki to launch an attack on Earth. It sounded completely insane, but he'd learned to gently nudge those thoughts aside before they could trip him up.<br><br>He'd missed the Space Race, of course, but he'd done plenty of watching and reading, there was so much to catch up on, but watching a man walk on the Moon had been a high priority. <strong>"I've got every confidence in your engineering abilities, Tony, but we're going to need a lot better than prototypes and plans before we go up there. You built your suit for Earth's atmosphere. How sure are you that they'd handle combat in space?"</strong> Suicide missions were something that he accepted as part of his vocation, but suicide was a different matter entirely. Though he mightn't have been the most knowledgable man in the room on outer space travel, he knew that most of them wouldn't survive an accident in vacuum, and that the more complex a machine was, the more opportunities there were for failure. He preferred simplicity in his gear, guns, knives, and his shield were all very simple, easily maintained and handy to use. Anything more complex than that automatically invited a natural suspicion.<br><br>He could trust Stark to build everything, he'd known the man's father, genius ran in the bloodline. What he didn't trust was Tony's tendency towards overconfidence, not when lives hung in the balance. Not everyone had the man's extraordinary luck, and rakish wit wasn't going to save them if the suits gave out. <strong>"Thor, I know you're taking responsibility for your brother, but I think we could use some more help from Asgard. Your people might not trust us with their technology, but I can't imagine that they're completely unable or unwilling to aid us."</strong> He was ignorant, of course, of the Asgardians' plight.<br><br>Steve had always felt that a man had to be honourable, and deal with his enemies as decently as possible. All the same, it was hard to ignore the worrying notion that Loki might cause even more loss of life on his return, and he wasn't entirely sure that it wouldn't be better to put the rogue Aesir down if the opportunity came up. The world had moved on, America had changed, but one thing he had learned was that, sometimes, a good man had to be willing to kill an evil one to protect the innocent. He didn't hold grudges, but he remembered death tolls, watched the survivors searching for the missing and the dead. There had to be a reckoning, even for gods. <strong>"We don't know how many people might die before we stop him."</strong><br><br>Long before the U.S. decided to turn him into a weapon, back when Hitler was just another hardline ruler among the many in Europe, when war was still a fading memory, Steve had been a student of tactics. No matter what Uncle Sam had given him, he knew that his foresight and instincts were his own, even if the transformation had sharpened his native skills. Loki was ancient and powerful, given knowledge beyond anything on Earth, but he was also a sadist and a megalomaniac, weaknesses that could be exploited. In the depths of his own mind, he was every bit as ruthless and conniving as the Asgardian renegade, he just had a conscience and the morals he was taught to keep him from giving in to those darker urges. It was a help, though, when it came to planning. Loki had outmanouevred him once before, and, though he wasn't proud, it wasn't going to happen again. <strong>"He's going to be recruiting followers. He won't make the mistake of going toe to toe with us again, but I don't doubt he could find others on Earth, and beyond, who could give us a tough fight. Divide and conquer isn't just a tactic for Loki, it's an obsession. He's capable of murder, but he'd much rather see us on our knees than laying dead."</strong><br><br>The suits and Stark's space station were forgotten, he'd voiced his concerns and moved past the matter, focusing his energies on what was to come. There was plenty more reading to do, he was an ardent believer in the power of knowledge. "We need to start putting contingencies in place." Bringing a hand up, he rubbed along his jaw, plotting out possibilities and probabilities in his mind, trying to mark out the future while leaving room enough to handle the unexpected. "Thor, you'll probably still be at the top of his hit list, but he's had plenty of opportunity to get new grudges. Banner's going to definitely be a primary target, he's unstable and we know how Loki's pride handles a sound beating." Even he had his misgivings about the good doctor, he didn't blame the man, but the Hulk was frightening to say the least, and the Captain thought that a man who could create that kind of monster was even more dangerous still. <br><br>He paused for a moment, considering the implications of the next thought, were it to be spoken, and decided to hazard it. Every scrap of information he could find on his allies had been committed to memory, and SHIELD did not disappoint when it came to exercising the paranoid voyeurism one expected of government agencies. <strong>"Doctor Foster, I think you will be in the most danger. You are knowledgable enough to be a threat to Loki's plans, and harming you would be sufficient to leave Thor unstable and much more easy to neutralise."</strong> He had the decency to look the woman in the eye while he spoke, it might not have been the kindest thing to say, but he thought it a craven thing to leave a person ignorant of a threat that loomed up so obviously. Of course, they were all intelligent people, and it was likely that not a thing he said was remotely novel, but he'd learned that, sometimes, people didn't notice their own thoughts until someone else spoke them aloud. More than that, he needed to be sure that Thor's fraternal loyalties would jeapordise the long term goals, and nothing could turn a man against his brother quite like the threat to one he loved. <strong>"Tony, do we have anything that could impede Loki's mind games? I'm not letting him get inside our heads again."</strong>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>26-09-2012, 16:04:35</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://data.whicdn.com/images/12895752/Natalie-Portman_mid_large.jpg) &nbsp; </div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower - War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:46 pm, Eastern time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Everyone in the War Room<br><hr>&nbsp;<br>"He's right," Jane nodded towards Steve, unsure exactly what to call the patriotic Avenger. It felt strange being in the same room as the man who'd been on so many posters, trading cards...Steve felt less real to her than the others - perhaps a bit ironic, considering she was in a relationship with an alien god. Natasha she mostly ignored; the woman exuded grace and sex appeal, even in casual clothes, and looking at the redhead just made her feel awkward and plain in comparison. But she had more important things to worry about than a little vanity.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Our current space mobility technology is clumsy, at best -&nbsp; our astronauts are sluggish, really. There're so many things we don't know about....combat in space." Just saying it sounded a little ridiculous. Tony had always been ambitious, but these new plans seemed almost preposterous to Jane. <em>But, then again, so are all new inventions. Until they work.</em> "Oxygen supplies, insulation, armor against...weapons, stray meteorites," - Jane almost laughed at that one, but it <em>was</em> a possibility - "re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, should it come to that..." The physicist let her voice trail off and shrugged.<br>&nbsp;<br>"All that aside," she continued, mostly addressing Tony, "Finding Loki is key, I agree. You did it once before; we know the Tesseract can be traced. If Loki has it, then we can find him, though if he's mobile, it'll be a little harder to focus in on its radioactive output."<br>&nbsp;<br>Jane drummed her nails against the table, in thought. "With some adjustments, my equipment ought to be able to detect any 'portals' he opens, and by tracking the time span and distance between each anomaly, we can figure out what range he's got, how often he can generate these spontaneous bridges. It'd be a start."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>26-09-2012, 19:52:23</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1213/75934124.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:48 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Everyone in the War Room<br><hr><br>Natasha and Tony had a peculiar relationship where they'd try to annoy and one up each other just as often as they'd flirt together, but it actually worked for them. She enjoyed the verbal sparring almost as much as their close combat training sessions, although there was nothing quite as satisfying as landing a nice hard hook right in the cocky playboy's face. Despite that, Stark had definitely grown on her since their first meeting when he'd represented nothing more than another job. The physical attraction between the two had existed from the start, but now there was something more. Tony had shown his true colors when he risked everything to take the nuke through the portal during the Chitauri invasion, which had confirmed many of the things that Natasha <em>wanted</em> to believe about him, and she wasn't likely to forget it any time soon. Tony was a good man. Great, even, and it didn't even have anything to do with his creative genius.<br><br>Satisfied that they were even after the little blows that they'd just traded, Natasha turned her attention towards the plans that the billionaire was presenting. "You've got to be kidding me," she spoke softly, pushing herself away from the table and towards the projection to get a better look. She was certainly no less surprised than anyone else, although perhaps not as skeptical as Captain America or Thor. Having considerably more experience with cutting edge technology than either of them, and having seen what minds like Stark or Banner could achieve, Natasha could actually picture Tony's vision becoming a reality. She had mixed feelings about piloting a metal spacesuit while warding off potential alien invaders in space, to be sure, since it had little in common with the type of job that she specialized in, but she tried to keep an open mind. After all, desperate times did call for desperate measures, and the notion of taking the fighting away from Earth's innocent civilians was nothing if not noble. Yet another surprise coming from Tony.<br><br>In any case, that project was still a ways off from being completed if it was still in the prototype stage, and Steve did a good job of bringing everyone back down to Earth. His concerns were justified, and pressing. Finding Loki before he could set his plans into motion and cause what they could only assume would be insane levels of carnage and destruction was of the utmost importance. Natasha wasn't too keen on challenging Loki to another psychological duel, either, so she had to nod in agreement to Steve's last comment about protecting themselves. She'd outsmarted the Asgardian or Jötunn or whatever the hell he was the last time, but it had mostly been due to the fact that he'd severely underestimated her, and he'd still nearly broken her in the process. As arrogant as he might have been, Loki wouldn't make that same mistake again.<br><br>Once Jane was done with her own input, Natasha flashed her a brief, comforting smile. It may have been a slightly silly sentiment, but being the only other woman in the room, she felt like it was her responsibility to try to set Jane's mind at ease a bit after Captain America had voiced the grave danger that she was in so bluntly. She didn't know Foster too well, but the Black Widow didn't need to be expertly trained in judging peoples' characters to realize that Thor's girlfriend was a good person, not to mention valuable. Plus there was the fact that she wasn't looking forward to dealing with a grief-stricken Thor any more than Steve was.<br><br>"Alright, then we should get you set up right away before anything else, we've wasted enough time standing around." Natasha closed the short gap separating her from Jane with a few elegant strides and gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Tony, how soon can you get her what she need to start tracking our friend?"<br><br>She waited just long enough for Tony to open his mouth to speak and cut him off before he could get more than a syllable out, "Cut whatever time you were going to say in half and get it done," Natasha added in the same authoritative tone that she'd used while essentially babysitting him during their first series of encounters.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>27-09-2012, 02:11:40</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yjjOx9cFdag/Tpeq6I1FhvI/AAAAAAAABMM/O3lnCrWikzA/s1600/tony+stark.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 6:50PM EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Everyone in the War Room </strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Despite the urgency that seemed to be flowing through the entire group - as they took turns speaking and cutting in and out between thoughts and exchanges, Tony slowed down. His mind seemed to ease up. And after they had all finished speaking and waited for his response, it almost took him a short moment to zone back in from his thoughts to actually acknowledge them all. He wasn't ignoring them, he was appreciating them. This wasn't the same rag-tag group of individuals that had been thrown together suddenly under Loki's assault several months ago. They were a team, assembled - building off of each other's thoughts rather than bickering at them. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He had no qualms about their disagreements with his new technology. They had valid concerns - and that was precisely why he had so much work to do. To Tony, they were all primary targets to Loki - taking over Earth was just a bonus. That fucker wanted revenge. Every Avenger had bested him in some way during their last encounter. Physically, psychologically, strategically. The man was way to proud to swallow those individual defeats and come back fully prepared. Sure, he wouldn't make the same mistakes - but he'd make new ones. Tony was confident that if he could finish the space station and exo-suits that Loki would follow them away from Earth as opposed to wreaking random havoc on it. It was beyond personal. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When he finally responded, it was prioritized in Tony's own special way - first to Natasha and Jane. <strong>"I've already got Jarvis uploading the Tesseract signature we dialed up at SHIELD last time. You can use my personal lab."</strong> He NEVER let anyone use his personal lab - but at this point, he'd pretty much shown all his current secret projects. He only had one surprise that he hadn't shared... only because he knew it was far too extreme for any of them to even begin to wrap their heads around. <strong>"Banner and Selvig are somewhere in the building - I saw them both today."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Next his vision swept out towards the skeptic looks that had just recently faded, as he tried to offer some brief explanation to his newest display. <strong>"This technology is different than the Mark platforms of my Iron Man suit. The primary focus of these suits isn't an arsenal of weaponry - as you are all fully capable fighters with your own array of weapons. These suits are packed with life-support systems, and extremely durable armor. My current line-up of suits have weight limitations precisely because they must be viable for flight in our atmosphere. In space - we're all weightless. That means heavier armor - less aerodynamic. Much more room&nbsp; for backup lifesupport systems and other things."</strong> They hadn't really thought Tony didn't think this all out did they?<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;His eyes narrowed as he waited for any other rebuttals.<strong> "It's not like you'll be strapping them on tomorrow and heading to war. We'll need to do some testing and training - granted it will be on a condensed timeframe... But drawing Loki away from Earth is a top priority of mine - after witnessing the last cataclysm he caused."</strong> A flicker of worry flashed in his eyes, and he let it show enough for the others to see. <strong>"You don't think the U.N. is going to be stupid enough to rely on SHIELD or us to handle the next encounter do you? If Loki returns with another army, I'd be willing to bet my fortune that those stupid assholes will fire nukes the moment it happens."</strong> There was no way they'd have the kind of time they did last time. The world's government agencies had probably already begun countermeasures and strategies in case a similar event occurred. There is no way they'd trust the Avengers to save the day.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; He began to walk around the table, passing by Steve and Thor on his way to the door. <strong>"You are all correct, Loki <em>won't</em> make the same mistakes. And that <em>includes</em> hiding out on Earth with the Tesseract in his hands to be traced by our gamma sensors."</strong> Tony was implying that despite Loki's brief visit with Jane, he likely was not even on the planet. He continued passed them to the door and turned briefly to regard them all one last time,<strong> "He will be much more cautious this time around, which means we have <em>some</em> time. I suggest we use it wisely."</strong> And with that Tony headed out the door to the elevator and pushed the call button. <strong>"I'll be up in R&amp;D getting Jane and Banner set up. I suggest you all find something proactive to do."</strong> He offered a brief smile before stepping onto the car and disappearing as the doors closed in front of him.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony didn't need to micromanage them. They were smart individuals, all of them. Tony knew what he had to do, and he didn't have much time. There was nothing else he could do right now. All he could do was help set Jane and Banner on track and then get to back to work on the station and prototypes. They <em>had</em> to be ready. <strong>"Jarvis."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Yes sir?"<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"I need you to push those final pieces into production - do whatever it takes. We can't focus on the Station any longer - we need working prototypes yesterday."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; "I understand Sir; I will do my best."<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"I'm going to need more than your best Jarvis."</strong> Tony's face, now alone in the elevator, was grave. He had been working furiously since their previous victory, but still the threat loomed and they seemed nearly powerless against it. He still felt one step behind. That was not something Stark was used to feeling. Ever. He always had the next move planned - always ahead of the game. Surprises were few and far between for him. He hoped this anomaly wouldn't last for long. He hated being surprised. His eyes were cast to the ground as the cage worked it's way up the floors of the tower - lost in thought.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As soon as the elevator reached the R&amp;D floor, the doors slid open and Tony's eyes caught a pair of familiar heels, and legs. He almost winced visibly as he was caught off guard again. His eyes trailed up the shapely limbs to see Pepper standing in front of him with her hands on her hips - clearly in a foul mood. He offered half of a smile, unsure how else to respond to her fiery eyes. Pepper was the only woman - the only person, for that matter - that he actually feared. He still hadn't figured out why.</span></span></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Angelicant</strong> on <strong>27-09-2012, 11:22:10</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/Shalymar/Avatars/PepperPottsAngry2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 15pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>Name:</strong> Pepper Potts<br><strong>Title:</strong> Chairman &amp; CEO of Stark Industries<br><strong>Location:</strong> Tony's Personal Lab<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:55 PM Thursday<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Starks</span></span><br><hr><br><br><br><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"></span><div style="text-align: justify;">The minute he stepped off the elevator, her eyes were locked on his face. She could tell from his facial expressions that he knew that hell was about to rain down on him from untold heights. She had no idea that when she left their bed this morning, full of every tender emotion a woman could feel in a relationship, that she would be wanting to kill him before they stepped near it again. How the man could take her from loving him one minute to wanting to knock him up aside of the head the next, baffled her at times.<br><br><strong>"Just what... in the hell, do you think you were thinking?"</strong>&nbsp; She saw him open his mouth and she cut him off. <strong>"No..."</strong> Her voice held back nothing of the anger and disbelief she was feeling. <strong>"You don't get to speak yet, I'm not done. And before you give me one of your sarcastic or cute one-liners, let me finish."</strong> Pepper hadn't moved yet, but her eyes burned into his but it wasn't just anger he saw, it was also hurt.<br><br><strong>"I tried to resign, remember? Because I have a pretty distinct memory of that moment, and when I agreed to stay on as Chairman and CEO, you agreed to keep your hands and nose out of the company's business." </strong>He was going to concentrate on being Iron Man and his research projects and she was going to do the rest, it had worked out well so far. So what had him making company decisions without even consulting her?<br><br><strong>"Do you know how shocked I was to learn Stark had a new Director of Communications. Funny because I didn't remember hiring one, or that I was even looking for one. A fact I was only made aware of when my assistant came in to verify the location of Ms. Ross' office."</strong> She hadn't been able to reach Tony after she had learned of the job offer, which had done nothing to ease her tension upon her arrival back to the tower.<br><br>If that hadn't been bad enough, the icing on the cake, was the call she had received from accounting while she had waited for Tony. She had been looking over the fax papers she had been holding in her hand when the elevator had announced its arrival. She finally took a step towards him, lifting them up. <strong>"And what is this about you reallocating resources from the company?" </strong><br><br>Pepper knew she had every right to being chewing him a new one, she put up with a lot, not only professionally, but personally with Tony. He took risks, it was who he was and as infuriated as it could make her, she loved him for it too, because she knew he was trying to make the world a better place. But he could be so damn thoughtless at times that she didn't know whether to kiss him or hit him in any given moment. <br><br>She had stood beside him through everything, and he knew he could talk to her about <strong>anything</strong>. Isn't that what couples did? What they did? And part of why their relationship was so good, so balanced. He told her she completed him, that she grounded him and by the same token he challenged her and made her laugh. But, she wasn't laughing now and the fact that he didn't even so much as discuss this with her, not even a phone call to give her heads up before hand. Yes, it had her fuming.&nbsp; <br><br>Tony had left her in charge to run the company while he was off saving the world. The least he could do was let her do what she was good at. Slowly her hands came off her hips and she took a stepped directly in front of him, closing the distance between them. It was then she noticed the look in his eyes, she had seen that look before.&nbsp; <br><strong><br>"You look like shit."</strong> Her eyes softened at the sight of the gravity in his eyes and despite the fact that she was angrier than a riled hornet's nest, she reached out to him. <strong>"Tony,"</strong> It was that voice that pulled him out of his own head-space to look at her, and tell her the truth. <strong>"What is it? What are you <em>not</em> telling me?"</strong></div><br><hr>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>27-09-2012, 17:57:17</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://susansternberg.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/natalie-portman-thor-movie.jpg) &nbsp; </div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower - War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:51 pm, Eastern time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Everyone in the War Room (<strong>Natasha, Tony, Thor</strong>)<br><hr>&nbsp;<br>Jane gave Natasha a small smile, as the Widow gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It was an unexpectedly friendly gesture, and it did put the brunette a little more at ease. Her lips were still tense with worry, though. She didn't miss Tony's implications that Loki might be hiding out in space somewhere, and <em>that</em> was a disturbing thought. It gave the demi-god a lot of room to hide, and it would only make finding him even that much harder.<br>&nbsp;<br><em>Up for a challenge, Foster?</em> she asked herself, though she knew the answer already. She didn't really have much choice; they had to do <em>something.</em><br>&nbsp;<br>"Your personal lab, Tony?" Jane raised a brow. "I'll try not to break anything, promise," she made a weak pass at humor, then sighed, tugging her hair free from its ponytail and shoving the hairband in her pocket.<br>&nbsp;<br>"I'll be in my trailer. Equipment check," she announced to the room in general as she made her way back up to the balcony level, giving Thor a long, meaningful look as she passed.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>28-09-2012, 17:54:30</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://brewandreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Jane_Foster_and_Thor.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:52 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Everyone in the War Room </span></span><br><br>Thor wouldn't let the others see it but he was smiling. This was so different than the last time they gathered up. He had scoffed at their bickering before, but now they were galvanized in spite of their lingering differences and the greater threat looming. This was exactly what they needed, and he was proud that they, like him, were improving under duress. It was slightly disheartening that he had nothing to contribute, outside of combat. He still had little understanding of the mortal culture and inspired awe and fear everywhere he went, as he unfortunately had to admit after landing in the various places on his way to New York.<br><br>Thor gritted his teeth as Jane departed. He longed to accompany her but knew his presence would be a distraction to her work. After Loki had dared to go near her, he was not comfortable with leaving her unguarded no matter what the circumstances. But maybe there was a way to be near her and not have her being too distracted to keep her from doing her work...<br><br><strong>"I shall go too."</strong> he said quickly, catching up and lacing his fingers between Jane's. His eye caught a darkened patch of her skin before flicking back to meet her eyes, and he knew Loki had crossed yet another line. <strong>"I need to know that you are safe."</strong> he said pleadingly. Only she could get him to change his demeanor so readily. He would ask her about the encounter with Loki in detail when the day's labor had ended, he hoped. He didn't really need any further motivation to want his disowned brother dead, but he wanted to know.<br><br>This would give them a small amount of time to catch up before she got to work checking her trailer for her essential equipment; while she did so, Thor planned to sit in meditation and speak with Heimdall, to find out how things were going in Asgard. As Odin lay incapacitated, Thor was still the next in line to the throne in spite of his absence, and his orders were law. The burden of defending two realms...that was already so difficult, to ascend to the throne of Allfather and be responsible for all 9 realms was going to be so much worse. At least he would be able to count on his friends on Midgard to help.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>28-09-2012, 19:17:20</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://susansternberg.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/natalie-portman-thor-movie.jpg) &nbsp; </div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Elevator from War Room to Penthouse level<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:53 pm, Eastern time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Thor<br><hr>&nbsp;<br>Jane's fingers locked with Thor's own, and she tried not to blush as they waited for the elevator. It had been so long since she'd seen him, and those emotions combined with her cautious worry from the Loki news, and now she just felt giddy and anxious all at once. "Thank you," she whispered.<br>&nbsp;<br>The elevator chimed its arrival, and once they were both inside, the doors closed, and Jane spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around Thor, pulling into an even tighter hug than the one before. She buried her face in his chest. "I missed you."<br>&nbsp;<br>There <em>was</em> work to be done, yes, but Jane also knew that she could hardly work well when her emotions were in such a state. She needed comforting, and Thor probably did too, if he'd worried about what Loki had done to her. Thinking of the God of Mischief brought a blush of shame to her cheeks, but they were currently hidden by the soft locks of brown hair obscuring her face. <em>Just how much should she admit to Thor?</em><br>&nbsp;<br>The Asgardian likely had his own preparations to make, but maybe...<br>&nbsp;<br>Jane pulled away, looking up into his eyes. Emotion made her eyes bright, but she herself couldn't have named which feeling had overwhelmed her. There were too many.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Will you...stay with me? Help me move my things?" she asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mathim</strong> on <strong>28-09-2012, 23:37:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://static.moviefanatic.com/images/gallery/thor-is-chris-hemsworth-in-the-avengers.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Thor Odinson<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Thunder<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, elevator<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:54 pm<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Jane Foster </span></span><br><br><strong>"It is my pleasure."</strong> he chuckled softly at her thanks, his meaning having more implications than just what was on the surface. Her soft flesh against his rough, battle-hardened palms was such a contrast, it was just one more reminder of what he missed about her in all of her mortal splendor. She was so brave, as much as the rest of the team even without the ability to go into battle herself.<br><br>As they embraced, he held her as tightly as he dared with his now-restored strength, planting a gentle kiss atop her head as she nuzzled it against his breast. <strong>"As I, you. The throne of Asgard would be of no consolation if it meant being apart from you. I never felt complete until you entered my life. Or should I say, until I entered yours, hm?"</strong> he tried to lighten the mood, though without his friends the Warriors 3 and Sif, it wasn't exactly the spirited atmosphere that helped him do that best. He tried his best to put on a face that radiated calm and reassurance when she looked upon him again, but he saw it failed to bring back the spark from when they had first met and when she found out he was indeed who he had claimed.<br><br><strong>"Only the chance to eliminate Loki could take me from your side."</strong> he promised. <strong>"I'll bring your entire trailer inside, if you wish."</strong> he grinned, knowing he could easily lift the thing if need be. Much as a brilliant scientist as Jane was, she seemed unable to resist the macho charm he exuded, and he felt himself blessed that his being a fool much of the time did not make him repugnant to her.<br><br>This private time and closeness with her, short as it was inside of the lift, forced the issue he was reluctant to ask and hear a displeasing answer to. <strong>"I know that your duties to this new mission are important..."</strong> he sighed, almost looking away but knowing she deserved eye contact so she would know he was taking the situation as seriously as it warranted, <strong>"...but I wish we had more time together to make up for all the lost opportunities. If it hadn't been for Loki needing to be imprisoned during my last visit, I could have brought you back to Asgard with me and shown you my world."</strong> he lamented. <strong>"I fear we may never have a moment's peace with the tumultuous events happening all around us."</strong> he hoped she might now try to be reassuring to him in return.<br><br><br><div align="center"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong><em>...continued in Stark Tower - Living Quarters (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144301.msg6990957#msg6990957)</em></strong></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ambrosial</strong> on <strong>29-09-2012, 01:31:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://susansternberg.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/natalie-portman-thor-movie.jpg)&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><strong>Name:</strong> Jane Foster<br><strong>Title:</strong> Stark Industries Consultant<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Elevator from War Room to Penthouse level<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:55 pm, Eastern time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Thor<br><hr><br><em>Thor felt more strongly for her than for his throne, his birthright?</em>&nbsp; Jane was not certain if she could believe it, but the sincerity in his tone, in the sentiment brought a smile to her face all the same, and she chuckled lightly into his chest.<br><br>Her mirth grew into a full laugh as she pulled away from the embrace. “The entire <em>trailer</em>?” Jane didn’t doubt that he could, not for a moment, and that Thor had even considered such a feat lifted her spirits. His perspective was always so refreshing, sometimes, but never not interesting in its difference from her own.<br><br>“I think my poor trailer’s had enough moving about for one day. We’ll leave it for now. I’m sure Stark’s got a spare room around here somewhere we could move my things into.” Jane gave Thor a small smile.<br><br>“We <em>do</em> have work to do, but…<em>this</em> matters too.” She took his hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We don’t get too many extra chances, right?” Her smile faded, but then the elevator slowed to a stop, its doors noiselessly sliding open.<br><br>“Come on, I’ll show you where Tony dumped me on the roof.”<br><br><div align="center"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong><em>...continued in Stark Tower - Living Quarters (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144301.msg6990957#msg6990957)</em></strong></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>29-09-2012, 20:20:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1213/75934124.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: War Room<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:52 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Steve<br><hr><br>Natasha followed Thor with her eyes until he'd disappeared from the room to get some alone time with his girlfriend, after which she briefly exchanged a knowing smile with Steve, slightly amused by how their Asgardian became almost docile and bashful whenever Jane was concerned. She was happy for both of them, truly, although at times it could be bittersweet to observe the way that they acted with each other. Love like what Thor and Jane felt for each other was something that Natasha didn't comprehend, and she was unsure if she ever would, or if she even wanted to. She understood the logic behind it, the effects that it could have on a person's emotional state and how to manipulate those emotions in case that she needed to believably convince somebody that she was in love with them, but the intangible truth of the whole concept eluded her. <em>Love is for children</em>, she reminded herself, falling back on the same old justification like she always did whenever the issue threatened to bother her.<br><br>"Well, I guess we're on glorified guard duty until the geeks get on Loki's trail," she tried to lighten the mood a bit while heading for the door. "I'll be around, gimme a call if something comes up." And with that, Natasha made her exit from the war room in favor of regaining her own quarters which Tony had arranged for her inside of the tower, just like he'd done for every other member of the team.<br><br>As usual, she didn't really know what to do with herself whenever she wasn't on some sort of assignment. That made her wonder where Clint was. He was a lot better at keeping busy during downtime than she was, plus they had enough in common to where they usually didn't run out of things to talk about, but he wasn't anywhere to be found yet. <em>I guess I should have asked...then again, if I don't know what he's up to, they probably don't know either.</em><br><br>Sighing resignedly, Natasha stepped into the large walk-in closet that Tony had thankfully had the foresight to have built into her room. She picked out a pair of black leggings, a dark green tank top and some black running flats, having decided to go out for a short run to clear her head. Her flight over had been pretty long, and she hadn't gotten any proper exercise in a while, so a chance to stretch her legs and breathe in some fresh air seemed like a good enough way to kill some time.<br><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size">Continued in Earth - All Other Locations (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144303.0)</span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>30-09-2012, 14:10:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g427/Nykteus/34s2j3r.jpg)</div><hr><br><strong>Name:</strong> Steve Rogers<br><strong>Title:</strong> Captain America<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower, War Room - Elevator<br><strong>Time:</strong> 6:56 pm, Eastern Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><hr><br>Steve Rogers had stood up to men twice his size even after a severe beating, leapt from planes into heavy gunfire, faced down weapons of immense destructive power without hesitation, but the thoughts of being the target of a woman's rage managed to quail the man. There was strange alchemy that dictated the ways of love, one he had never, and could never, hope to understand. Great men had left words to help him understand tactics, the flow of forces on the battlefield, the intricacies of men's minds, but no advice made women any less bewildering. What advice he had been given was offered in the best of intentions, but it made precious little difference, like a sparrow telling him that all he needed to fly was to flap his arms.<br><br>The meeting was over, and he was left, for a moment, to ponder his next course of action. He answered Natasha with a nod of his head, utterly ignorant of the meaning behind her knowing smile, but too polite to show it. Thor and Doctor Foster departed to their own little realm, and it was some comfort to know that even one so alien as the Aesir had human feelings. The slightest quavering of subtle muscles, the pheromones dancing in the air, all the little signs that told him more than he wanted to know, and, so, he about faced with clockwork precision, and marched off to the elevator.<br><br><strong>Jarvis, I'm borrowing one of Mister Stark's motorcycles. Anything that doesn't have more circuits than you. And I'll need my number three equipment set. My jacket and bag as well, please.</strong> It had been easy enough to get used to a disembodied butler, but there was still the slightly jarring realisation that a machine could be so alive. Technology's rapid advances were just something a man had to get used to, and, though he found much of it quite useless, he wasn't one to snub his nose at an advantage. There were times when he wondered how he managed to wake up one day and find himself in a comic book writer's daydreams. In the privacy of the elevator, he allowed himself a moment to breathe deeply, running a hand up through his golden hair, sighing.<br><br>There wasn't a trace of doubt to be seen when the elevator stopped and the doors hissed open, Steve was left behind and the Captain had work to do. He was still wearing his star spangled fatigues, sans helmet, but he'd learned that he could deflect any and all attention by simply mentioning the word 'cosplay'. Strange as it was, pretending to be someone one else pretending to be him, it saved a lot of hassle when he was out and about. All the same, he pulled his jacket on over the suit, made sure that his gear was securely stored in his bag before slinging it on his back, and found his steed.<br><br>The chrome gleamed like liquid silver in the light of day, curving gracefully like the muscles of a horse, and Steve smiled appreciatively. He'd never had the money to own anything faster than a bicycle, but he'd developed a taste for power and speed once they'd let him requisition vehicles. It was true that he'd destroyed almost every jeep, truck, motorcycle, car and plane he'd ever had a chance to drive, but he doubted that he might have the opportunity to get into a running gunfight with Nazis in the middle of New York City. His mood improved as he climbed onto the bike and felt the engine surge to life, the steady thrum of power helping to focus his thoughts.<br><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 16pt;" class="bbc_size">Continued in Earth - All Other Locations (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144303.0)</span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>09-10-2012, 08:53:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:15 PM, Eastern Standard Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> None</span></span><br><hr><br>When the Quinjet finally landed, Clint all but ran down the landing ramp as it came down.&nbsp; He had worked himself into a lather contemplating possibilities and probabilities involving Loki.&nbsp; By the third go around, the Loki in his imagination looked rather riddled with arrows.&nbsp; Clint was going to leave nothing to chance, strike first before Loki had any chance of using any new tricks that hadn't been seen yet.&nbsp; There was no way he was going through the humiliation of being suborned again by the Asgardian or even worse laid low.<br><br>Clint looked left and right, there was no one on the landing pad.&nbsp; Looking back at his watch he wasn't suprised.&nbsp; Even with the short distance, he had arrived too late for Stark's briefing.&nbsp; He was going to have to find someone to tell him what had transpired in the meeting.&nbsp; Without hesitation, he tapped his comm on and tried to get a link to Natasha.&nbsp; Clint wasn't in the mood to talk to the other Avengers just yet and he felt slightly more at ease around her.&nbsp; 'Tasha, this is Clint.&nbsp; I'm on the rooftop of the Tower.&nbsp; Meet me here in five for a debrief?'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>24-10-2012, 21:22:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/THzWC.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:25 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Clint<br><hr><br>While she was changing into her uniform back in her room, Natasha reactivated her commlink which she'd turned off while running earlier (that was her alone time, and she hadn't wanted to be bothered). There was only a single message from Clint which had automatically been recorded, no more than a few minutes old. He was probably already on the roof of the tower by now, waiting for her. She briefly considered blowing him off, since it wasn't her problem that he'd been late a usual and missed the meeting, but finally decided to go simply because there wasn't really anything better to do at the time. Plus, confronting the person who'd dragged her into her current predicament mind end up being...therapeutic. <br><br>Not bothering to let him know that she was coming, Natasha showed up on the roof a couple of minutes later, walking outside to meet SHIELD's top marksman. It was cold and the strong winds blew her hair to the side and over her eyes, but that didn't seem to bother her since she made no attempt to brush it away. The sky above was already a dark violet going on black, but in the horizon the setting sun was still giving it an orange and yellow shine. She hadn't come for the sunset, however.<br><br>"You realize that I'm not your fucking handler, right?" It annoyed her that Hawkeye had asked her for a 'debrief', as if she was some sort of glorified secretary or something. That wasn't what she was cut out for, although it seemed like she'd been doing a lot of pointless tasks that were beneath her (such as babysitting Stark) and not much else ever since SHIELD took her in - as if she was some lost and confused soul that needed saving. They'd almost brainwashed her enough to actually make her believe that she needed to find redemption in order to be happy - almost, but Natasha was done with that nonsense now. It was her old life, her old skin that she needed to regain, nothing else.<br><br>And Clint...did he fancy himself as her savior behind that stoic veil of his? Something told her that he did, and that pissed her off the most by far. <em>You're not, you were just too weak to do your job.</em> The others were weak too, every single one of them, and somehow they'd managed to contaminate her too. It was perfectly clear and obvious now: they should have killed Loki when they had the chance instead of pussying out and giving him a chance to escape...and of course Thor and the other Asgardians had been incompetent enough to allow that to happen. Now she had an angry demigod out for revenge to contend with on top of all of her false friends.<br><br>"Don't worry, they have got basically jack shit other than some stupid pipe dream that Stark's wasting his time on." Clint might have noticed her use of 'they' rather than 'we'.&nbsp; "Just waiting for Loki to rip the rug from under out feet like a bunch of idiots, nothing new. Good thing you put that arrow in his eye just like you said, right?" <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>25-10-2012, 10:06:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:27 PM, Eastern Standard Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Natasha Romanoff</span></span><br><hr><br>Clint cooled his heels contemplating for the moment if he had made a mistake contacting Natasha.&nbsp; There hadn't been any delay before his call was dropped into her voice mail.&nbsp; The possibility was very strong that Director Fury had sent on some covert assignment and she was incommunicado.&nbsp; Clint wondered if he would have better luck finding Stark or Rogers.&nbsp; The meeting hadn't end that long ago.&nbsp; They would probably be hovering around the meeting room.&nbsp; A few minutes later, Clint began to rub his hands, the weather was getting colder and&nbsp; he had a need for a warm drink.<br><br>He'd just head down and rustle something up from the kitchens.&nbsp; Stark had been quite proud that day showing off the features that the Tower had been equipped with.&nbsp; Clint would brew himself something nice and hot coffee.&nbsp; That would take the chill out of him properly.&nbsp; He was folding up his bow and packing it away when Natasha appeared bringing the storm and fury with each step.&nbsp; Clint privately wondered if Thor was nearby with his hammer providing an extra assist.&nbsp; He wouldn't have doubted it if lightning suddenly leapt from her eyes to smote him down on the spot.&nbsp; 'Even...'&nbsp; The rest of his sentence dribbled into unspoken words before being blasted away by the acid on her tongue.<br><br>Clint tried to look cool and not dismayed that the only voice of reason he could talk to was furious and boiling over.&nbsp; He dropped anchor and waited until Tropical Storm Natasha blew itself out.&nbsp; Clint merely grunted on occasion as she talked, not trusting that anything he said wouldn't be used to bludgeon him over the head until he was lying flat on the ground...most likely dead.&nbsp; Natasha was certainly angry, no make that furious.&nbsp; He couldn't remember her being so outspoken in the recent past.&nbsp; <br><br>Clint tried to guess what was going on in Natasha's head that would get her so riled up.&nbsp; He suspected it might have been the news on Loki, but if that was the case Natasha had always been coolly professional in the past with other high-value targets.&nbsp; Might it been something Stark said?&nbsp; Clint couldn't take that off the table, he found him to be incredibly insulting and patronizing most of the time.&nbsp; No doubt, that he would probably be a very big reason.&nbsp; After shuffling through a few more options, Clint considered that it might be him.&nbsp; Natasha had never been shy before to let him have it, although not with the heated words like today.&nbsp; He couldn't think though what he had done which had been so offensive...<br><br>Realizing that Natasha was still looking at him, expecting a response Clint quickly came to some conclusions.&nbsp; 'I seem to recall you had as much luck with your stingers as I did.'&nbsp; What he wasn't going to do though was let her thoroughly cook him on a spit to devour.&nbsp; 'But that's just the thing about Asgardians isn't it.&nbsp; A quick stomp never seems to put them down.&nbsp; What do you want to do then, Natasha?&nbsp; Got any leads yourself on where he would be hiding?'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>25-10-2012, 16:25:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/THzWC.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:27 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Clint<br><hr><br>Natasha had half a mind to throw her fellow SHIELD agent off of the tower's roof when he threw her accusations and sarcasm right back into her face. The most infuriating part of it all was that the son of a bitch was right about her having fucked up just as badly as the rest of them, although she still firmly believed that it was their fault for essentially declawing her. That was precisely why she needed to distance herself from them before being completely lobotomized and permanently turned into some spineless thrall like Clint, living only to serve the morons at SHIELD and the even bigger morons who supervised the agency.<br><br>"Yeah, he called me just today and invited me over to his private villa in the Bahamas. Any other stupid questions that you'd like to waste my time with, Clint?" Natasha snapped back without so much as the faintest trace of hesitation or restraint, her nostrils flaring with anger visibly. She absolutely despised being helpless, and Clint had done a great job of reminding her that she was exactly that in regards to dealing with the psychotic demi-god who wanted her hide. He would have had to try very hard to find something to say that would have irritated her more than that.<br><br>She stormed past him, or rather <em>through</em> him, shoving his shoulder out of the way roughly with her own as if she were being driven forward by an implacable force. Moving to the nearby parapet wall that lined the edge of the rooftop, she leaned both of her elbows against it and bent over, peering over the edge silently for a few seconds before throwing another barb. "Good to see that you've finally started to grow a backbone, though, that was unexpected. Next thing you know you'll be telling me that you found your balls too."<br><br>Natasha herself wasn't sure what exactly she was trying to get at, other than perhaps seeing how far Clint could be pushed and how he'd react for her own personal amusement, but it felt delightfully liberating to finally speak without having to censor herself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>26-10-2012, 16:40:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:27 PM, Eastern Standard Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Natasha Romanoff</span></span><br><hr><br>Clint stared back at Natasha, he had hit a nerve with her.&nbsp; That balling of her fists and the slight shift in stance.&nbsp; If he didn't know any better, Clint would guess that she was ready to attack him.&nbsp; But still he held his ground, he would weather this storm out until he could pin what exactly had pissed her off that badly.&nbsp; Seeing her lose her temper that badly was a sight he never expected from her.&nbsp; Yes, Clint had seen her vulnerable before, but never like this.<br><br>He followed her to the parapet and leaned with his back to it.&nbsp; While he was sure she wasn't going to kill him just yet, he wasn't about to drop his guard around her just yet.&nbsp; 'I would like to think that I keep them in a safe location, Natasha.'&nbsp; When Clint was certain that she wouldn't try to throw him to his doom, he turned around to look at the city putting on its nightly mask.&nbsp; In spite of everything, in the big picture they were all just small parts in a bigger machine.&nbsp; Like ants in a well lit ant farm.<br><br>Clint looked at Natasha and decided to bite the bullet, the alternative couldn't be any worse.&nbsp; 'Look, is there something on your mind?&nbsp; I came down here to see what Stark had to say and quite frankly I've never seen you this angry.&nbsp; What is it that you aren't telling me?&nbsp; Is it something about Loki?&nbsp; It is something about Loki isn't it?'&nbsp; Clint sighed as he threw out guesses that may not be right.&nbsp; In spite of knowing Natasha for a decent amount of time, she could be frustratingly unreadable at times.&nbsp; It was like trying to figure out what a brick wall wanted.<br><br>'If you don't want to tell me, that's fine Natasha.&nbsp; But we are working together so your concerns will end up being my concerns as well.' Clint grinned, 'Although if I had to guess, the news must have been bad for Stark to want to drag you to his hideaway in the Bahamas.&nbsp; How many do you suppose he has?'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>26-10-2012, 20:17:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/pcUYv.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:28 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Clint<br><hr><br>Lowering her head slightly, Natasha cast Clint a sideways glance that clearly demonstrated how unamused she was, her nails scraping lightly against the top of the parapet as she dragged them backwards. She could see that he was tensed and weary as he might have been during an assignment where his life was on the line, but even the signs of that were barely discernible; considering the unfiltered verbal lashing that she'd given him, he remained irritatingly calm and composed. <br><br>The interrogation that followed was even more upsetting to her. Did he think that because she was currently obligated to call him a colleague that they were also friends? <em>Is that why he dragged me into this mess instead of finishing me when he had the chance?</em> Natasha wondered. Or was the frustratingly stoic marksman expecting even more than that to develop between them? She'd suspected it at times in the past, and - bizarrely enough - even considered the possibility of something happening with Clint in the past, but it had never gone anywhere past that. <em>It was just depression and loneliness, nothing more,</em> she told herself, just another byproduct of the thinly veiled cage which she'd been dropped into.<br><br>"You want to know what I'm not telling you?" Natasha pushed herself away from the wall and slowly inched her way over until she was standing closer to him, close enough for him to make out the venom-laced whisper that followed. "I don't tell you <em>anything</em>," she practically hissed the final word. Natasha was determined to let him know that she didn't need him, that she didn't need anyone. <br><br>She put a hand around his arm just above the elbow and spun him around, firmly but, surprisingly, not ungently, so that his lower back was pressed against the barrier again while they stood face to face, perhaps an inch at most separating them from one another. Something that might have been a flash of vulnerability manifested itself upon Natasha's face and danced fleetingly within her pale blue eyes before dissolving into the night.<br><br>Her eyes froze and hardened into ice again, but this time they glinted with a different brand of aggression than before, and there was something else too...<br><br>"...But, maybe sharing wouldn't be such a bad idea," Natasha picked up from where she'd left off, only now her voice was smooth and searing like a well aged shot of bourbon. <br><br>Her hand glided from Clint's arm over to his chest before stopping over his heart. Natasha listened to it beat through her palm, time almost seeming as if it had been put on pause while she and Clint lingered in a moment which was as dangerous as it was intimate. Their gazes clashed like blades in a duel. One good push was all it would take...but that wasn't what she was thinking about anymore.<br><br>After all, <em>needing</em> and <em>wanting</em> were two very different things.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>30-10-2012, 09:32:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:27 PM, Eastern Standard Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Natasha Romanoff</span></span><br><hr><br>He had pushed her too far, that fire burning in her posture had just intensified into an blaze.&nbsp; Instinctively he tried to back up slightly to buy himself inches to move, but Natasha was now behind him and the wall before denied his other notion to spring forwards.&nbsp; This was completely disadvantageous and he hated that he had brilliantly moved himself to this trap.&nbsp; Clint steadied his breathing...but this wasn't unescapable.&nbsp; He had been in scrapes just as bad and had managed to get his bacon off the skillet.&nbsp; All he had to...<br><br>Clint found himself being whirled around to face Natasha and she had his arm locked in a hold and not a tight one at that.&nbsp; What was Natasha playing at?&nbsp; She never made careless mistakes like this in the field or off it.&nbsp; He peered at Natasha, looking directly into her eyes as if they could give him a clue on what was going through the Russian's mind.&nbsp; It was always tricky at the best of times to get a read on her and that was when she was deliberately unguarded.&nbsp; Clint was quite aware of how good of an actress she was and how very little even the slightest tell could be believed.&nbsp; <br><br>'Struck a...'&nbsp; The best he could hope for was to try to keep her off balance. Natasha's hissed response though told him that she was angry enough that anything else he said would probably fall on deaf ears.&nbsp; What she did next though was completely unexpected and as Natasha leaned forward a look of undisguised confusion took over his face.<br><br>Clint wouldn't deny at all that Natasha was an attractive woman, certainly she commanded the attention of everyone within eyeshot.&nbsp; However, he had never given much thought to pursuing her like most of her would-be suitors did.&nbsp; They worked together for SHIELD and Clint liked to think that he was professional enough not to sleep with someone from work, especially one he worked with on a frequent basis with in the field.&nbsp; <br><br>Mixing that up could only lead to tears, or lost limbs at best.&nbsp; Besides, Natasha had never shown that inclination before.&nbsp; Clint was willing to buy that she had them surgically excised by some surgeon to keep herself from being distracted by them.&nbsp; All of those thoughts dissolved into inane mental gibbering as Clint's eyes looked down to follow the path of Natasha's hand.<br><br>He gazed back at Natasha's eyes and could see an implicit challenge in them, daring him to move.&nbsp; The air now though was getting heated, a little too much for his personal comfort.&nbsp; Clint smiled, faint twitch that seemed more like reflex than deliberate action.&nbsp; Why sharing would be a good idea, any shred of knowledge on the redhead operative's inner workings would be valued, even treasured.&nbsp; <br><br>'Then what are you waiting for?'&nbsp; Clint's voice was measured as always but there was an implicit challenge.&nbsp; Clint pushed forward pressing his chest harder against Natasha's hand.&nbsp; He had to admit, he was curious about the famed techniques of the Black Widow and what it must be like on the other side.&nbsp; 'No quid without quo.'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lithium</strong> on <strong>03-11-2012, 23:14:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/pcUYv.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Natasha Romanoff<br><strong>Title:</strong> Black Widow<br><strong>Locale:</strong> Stark Tower: Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:28 pm, Eastern<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Clint<br><hr><br>The corners of Natasha's full lips curled into an enigmatic smile and she blew a small puff of air out of her nose that might have been a tiny scoff. "Who the hell even says that?" she asked, sounding more playful than mocking. Noting the subtle provocation carried over within Clint's tone of voice and the way that he puffed his chest forward slightly, she wasted no time in pushing the envelope ever further, never having been one to shy away from a challenge.<br><br>Natasha leaned in even closer than she already was, so much so that the swell of her breasts grazed against his chest as she pulled herself up slightly, using her hand for leverage. Since Clint had four inches or so on her, she had to tilt her head back slightly to look up into his eyes, though he too was rather skilled at keeping his true feelings hidden behind a sober veil of self-control, making it impossible to get much of a read.<br><br>"Soon...but let's get out of this wind first." They were close enough that Clint would be able to feel the warmth of her breath against his skin. "And I don't know about you, but I could use a drink or two," Natasha added while gently pushing herself away from him, her movements flowing and graceful. The hand which had been pressed against Clint's chest slid up so that one finger could softly trace a line beneath his chin, beckoning him to follow her as she made her way back inside to the common living area which conveniently had a bar stocked with just about any brand of alcohol that one could wish for.<br><br>Once they'd made it down there, Natasha wasted no time in getting behind the bar, scooping a few ice cubes into a glass before twirling a bottle of vodka in one hand and a bottle of coffee liqueur in the other as if she'd been making cocktails her entire life. "What would you like?" she asked while pouring the ingredients to her own Black Russian, a slight smile still discernible upon her face.<br><br><hr><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size">Continued in Stark Tower - Living Quarters &amp; Common Areas</span> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144301.msg6500072#msg6500072)</div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: Stark Tower - War Room</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>06-11-2012, 08:20:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Stark Tower, Landing Pad<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:33 PM, Eastern Standard Time<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Natasha Romanoff</span></span><br><hr><br>Clint nodded agreement with Natasha's comment, a drink would be nice to drive away the chill of the night and also dampen the flickering sparks of something unseemly threatening to ignite.&nbsp; Once Natasha leaned against him, her eyes gazing into his own, Clint found himself trapped, becoming very aware that the sparks had started to consume him.&nbsp; He struggled mightily to keep that familiar mask of stoic composure locked on even as the rest of him conspired to betray him to Natasha.<br><br>'A drink sounds good, Natasha.'&nbsp; Clint shivered, partly from the chill and from Natasha's slinky move.&nbsp; He was rattled, the mask slipping down a bit further, but he was glad that Natasha had turned around so she didn't see that she had the desired effect on him.&nbsp; He followed her inside, rubbing his forearms.&nbsp; While his uniform served him well during the summer months, the colder weather of the coming months were going to be intolerable, especially if his arms shook with every shot.&nbsp; <br><br>Clint was going to need to arrange something with Supply, he needed something with sleeves...something like what everyone else and especially Natasha were wearing.&nbsp; He waved away that stray fragment of a thought, he was slipping up and that was going to be a problem...&nbsp; Yes, he had eyes just like anyone else but their line of business didn't afford them any leeway in being free.&nbsp; Clint knew a bit about Natasha's past and he couldn't say with any conviction that his hands were less stained.&nbsp; Oh of course, the Director and S.H.I.E.L.D. coated it well with the public but he was more a shadowed blade than the good soldier that the Captain was.&nbsp; <br><br>He slipped on a bar stool and watched as Natasha deftly made herself a drink.&nbsp; Blades like him and Natasha were expected to keep their edge, time not keeping themselves sharp meant a greater chance of slipping up later.&nbsp; Clint caught himself frowning at that thought and leaned forwards, resting his arms on the bar top.&nbsp; 'I think I'll have a shot of what you're having Natasha.' Clint relaxed slightly, the defensive edge still in his posture melted as he returned Natasha's faint smile with an amused twinkle in eye and voice. 'Just not too heavy on the liqueur, it can muddy up that clear taste of vodka.'<br><br><hr><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">Continued in Stark Tower - Living Quarters &amp; Common Areas</span> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144301.msg6500072#msg6500072)</div>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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