But the real bombshells have already sunk

[liverletdie]

WHO: Tony Stark and YOU
WHERE: All over
WHEN: Month of June after 6/9
WHAT: Clone Chaos??????
WARNINGS: Will edit if needed//mentions of alcoholism//



[ A. Starktech ]

[ It was less than an hour since he'd arrived back that he was back at the desk. A company without its CEO was always something that would fall quick, and although he had half a mind to destroy it, and raze it from the ground and rebuild from the bottom up, he wasn't keen on living without the money or accolades that he'd had before. The worst was that his office was painfully bereft of anything that he would need to function. The first day was fine, but...

Well, he had a well stocked office after another week. He could only hold off so long, and as long as nobody saw what he poured in his coffee, it likely didn't matter. Nobody could tell, anyway. He relaxed in his seat, leaning back in the leather -- within a week it was new with finer leather -- and he steepled his fingers to wait for the next appointment. It seemed he'd been...fielding a lot of things. Probably an effort to outdo himself before. He at least could read, to figure out where things had gone, how he'd taken himself, that was a stroke of genius, but at least he'd...held back some of the data, before he'd been wiped the first time. After all, it wouldn't do to let his past self figure out how to stop him. Who was next, was it --

Ah, yes, someone he didn't care about.

Well, the real problem was, he didn't care about anyone. ]

[ B. Around. ]

[ In the cities, Heropa, De Chima, Nonah, and Maurtia Falls, Iron Man is still around. Still flying high. It's hard to miss the red and gold suit, when it careens through the air, before he flew by, likely on a chase along for whatevere the source of the sirens was. What sirens? You know, the ones that just drove by a few moments ago. They were at a bank -- and there it was, one of those fancy new superheroes that, yes, the hero in question had created. Or he hadn't, but... it was sticky, complicated territory now. Even more sticky than before.

No matter.

The suit slammed down in front of the bank -- and out walked a costumed villain -- or was it a hero?

By the homemade look to the costume it looked to be one of the native citizens who'd gotten powers.

Or was it? ]

[C. WILDCARD! ]

[ Want to play but not sure what? Feel free to start with anything, or ping me on plurk at hundreds ]

Comments

CLOSED TO BATMAN

[liverletdie]

[ He'd been meaning to stop by.

Well, he'd been meaning to before everything that had happened. Now it just seemed like it was a much more pressing issue these days. Stark arrived in costume -- still the red and gold as always -- no need to let things out too soon.

Batman had asked him here, which was all well and good. It meant that he didn't even have to hunt him down, or do any extra legwork. He just had to show up, and be let in. That didn't mean he didn't show up in costume, or that he didn't just stride in as soon as the place opened up for him. It was a bit of a hike, but his GPS was solid enough for most of it, and his head tipped when he walked in, admiring the tech for the five moments it took for him to evaluate the place, before he strode over to the first available seat, and sat down, and propped his feet up on a table.

The helmet lifted from his face, and floated over it, gently hovering around for quick deployment, even though he knew he didn't need it. ]

Don't stop what you're doing. I can wait.

[the_caped_crusader]

[Well, he certainly does let him wait.

And not just to be spiteful (only slightly just), but because there's actually work he's doing by the time Tony arrives. The cave itself has the appearance of someone who has cleaned up-- hidden the most sensitive technology behind thick, shielded walls and placed levels below the one they're on. He leaves the car and the plane out, at least. His computer, a single, massive screen surrounded on all sides by smaller ones, protected by firewalls and encryption even Tony Stark will find difficult to breach. The last thing you ever want to do is give the Batman time to prepare, and since his last encounter with SIM, he's had plenty.

When he finishes, or at least finds a moment to stop, the chair turns so that he can face Tony. Despite having invited him, he doesn't appear to be pleased to see him... or maybe that's just his default expression.]

I'll get straight to the point. I don't want to give the impression that you're welcome here. I asked you here because you've had the advantage of time here, which is exactly the one thing I don't think I have.

[liverletdie]

[ He doesn't try to hack the systems. There's a certain level of respect that Batman can expect -- and not because he isn't curious, but instead because he doesn't want to overextend this early on. No need to let people know anything's unusual until it's too late. Instead, he stared at the screen, took the data in -- but his mind was elsewhere, piloting another suit around in Nonah -- taking the time to make a very visible appearance as himself -- the original him.

Let people know he's there. So if he did something else later, well. No question. ]

Really? Not welcome? [ He lifted an eyebrow. ] You don't say. So what is it you want to ask me about?

[ At least he was direct enough to get to the point. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

[Batman passes a glance over to the imPocreats.]

You're familiar with them, yes?

B.

[pummelgranite]

[ As a general rule, Persephone avoided the super heroics. All the skeeviness of registration aside, she had no particular regard for law and order. The times she does deign to tussle with a mortal, it's far more likely to be over a personal matter than legal.

But, on the other hand, she did like talking shit about Stark, and one never knew when heroics would go sideways in a meme-worthy way.

So she remains across the street, takes a loud pull from her smoothie, and gets out her phone. Just in case. ]

[liverletdie]

[ It's certainly interesting, at least. From in front of the bank, the suit stepped forward, but there weren't many words. The cops backed off because, well, why wouldn't they prefer the guy who made this entire mess take care of it? It was a villain, of course. In something bright, and flashy, and calling himself "MENSA", he screamed that he thought so fast that he could take care of anything.

Iron Man looked bored. Somehow, with all that armor, even though his face was covered, he looked bored. ]

Yes, yes. Are you done yet?

[ When the man tried to run by, the metal arm shot out, and grabbed him by the throat. Like someone catching fish directly from the stream, or someone catching a fly from the air. ]

Well, now you are.

[pummelgranite]

[ lmao owned


sluuuuurp ]

[liverletdie]

[ A moment later, the guy stopped struggling. He went limp in his hands, and it was only moments later that he was finally done for good, and settled, before Stark very nearly threw him at the cops.

But only very nearly. That didn't mean that he didn't notice Persephone, and looked at her, and crossed his arms.

He leaned against a firetruck, and it dented slightly from his weight. ]

Good show?

A

[doctopussy]

[ Otto had made an appointment. Not under his real name, but the secretary hadn't known the difference. Even as an imPort, Otto had managed to fly somewhat under the radar. Which was how he was enjoying it.

He'd been attempting to ignore Stark, but his presence in this world was like an itch in the back of his mind. And much like how he'd wanted to control how and when he revealed himself to Spider-Man. While there was a chance that Peter had already told the man, there's a difference between knowing and meeting.

The most delicious thing of all was that there was nothing Tony Stark could do but grind his teeth.

He explains to the security that the metal arms are part of the research project he's presenting to Stark -- he's very persuasive and plays the part of a humble scientist well -- and enters his office. ]

Stark. Good afternoon.

[liverletdie]

[ He was correct. Stark knew he was there, but when he walked in, there was no balking, no surprise. He just looked up from a pen that had been balanced between his fingers, and his lips split into a smile.

Sharper than Stark's usual. Surprisingly. He remembered the last time he'd encountered Otto, after all. How embarrassing that had been, but... he'd been rather embarrassing at times in the past. No matter now, was it? ]

Octavius. Imagine that. I didn't see your name on my appointments. [ He stood, and extended a hand. Ever the picture of professionalism.

No need to let him in on the secret yet. ]

I heard you were in town.

[doctopussy]

[ Apparently he'd had time to prepare. Otto notes this as it effectively confirms that Spider-Man is indeed allies with him. Always make everything a win scenario. ]

You may not have noticed Otto Octavius, but you may have seen the name Ernest Curie.

[ Otto eyes the hand for a moment, before deliberately putting his own hands in his pockets. ]

I see you've been doing quite well for yourself in this reality. You've had plenty of time to settle in, from what I've come to understand.

[liverletdie]

Just eight years.

[ Mildly. He leaned back in his chair, not at all phased by the snub. ]

Now, I'm sure there's a reason you're here that isn't just "waste Tony Stark's time to gloat", because...I'm not really sure I have the time for that. No offense, but I do have about six projects going right now.

[ Said with a smile. It's sharper than usual. ]

B.

[darted]

[ Mai is just waiting on the roof tops, having seen the commotion build from outside the bank. She pulls out her camera, ready to film away the confrontation.

She tries to zoom in on iron suit and the exit, trying to peace together what was actually going on. As she continues to film, she lowers her sleeve in their direction, in case someone needed back up.

Of course, she has a hard time in this context trying to peace together who to help, so she'll patiently wait. ]

[liverletdie]

[ The criminal, in a suit that looked remarkably like a unicorn continued to struggle, even though Stark had him by the arm. The guy kept trying to breathe fire at him, and Stark actually laughed at him. ]

I'm in armor. What are you going to burn, my paint?

[ It's almost derisive. ]

The last guy who I fought who called himself the Unicorn was way better at this schtick than you were. What do you think you're going to do? Really?

[ The helmet peeled away, pieces floating in midair like a halo around his face. He looked up in that moment, right at Mai, and he winked. ]

[darted]

[ Mai can't decide if she's impressed by his camera awareness or slightly disgusted. She quickly decides on both as she zooms in and tries to get the perfect the angle.

She then descends from the roof, keeping the camera impressively steadied on both of them as she jumps onto a second roof, rolls over, and starts jumps down a series of fire escapes all while keeping it all concentrated on the scene perfectly before leaping onto a streetlight and using it to descend down the light post. ]

[liverletdie]

[ He watched this with mild amusement, the fact that she was moving so swiftly, so easily, so readily, and somehow the camera always seemed perfectly still.

He gestured with his free hand. ]

If you wanted a better shot, I could have moved.

A!

[maevelous]

[ Maeve had been a bit of a stranger these days, having dealt with her own set of affairs and starting to run her own corporation. Galatea Incorporated wanted to make their own share of animatronics. They wanted to delve into this complicated world of artificial intelligence. And it was only a matter of time before another Westworld appeared. So, Maeve did the only thing she could. She stepped up, offered to make their robots more realistic, and in the meantime, built code into them that would earn her complete loyalty in the end.

But she hadn't forgotten Tony Stark. The opposite, really. She had been keen on keeping close to him -- so much so she had even struck up a bargain with Dr. Chilton to disclose confidential information about him in exchange for her aid against William Walker.

So, she headed into the office, looking dramatically more modern than before. ]

Sorry to come by unannounced, darling, but I feel that's more our way than not.

[ She perched on the edge of his desk. ]

So I believe we should discuss a thing called FanPort.

[liverletdie]

Maeve, nice to see you, too.

[ He said in greeting, more amused than anything else, and he smiled, instead of standing. He did, however, take a moment to appreciate the fact that she came in, sat on his desk, and started talking like she was the most interesting thing he would talk to for the rest of the day. The fact was, she wasn't wrong about that. Maeve was always interesting.

He leaned back, and steepled his fingers. ]

What about it? Are you thinking about a panel?

[ Not that he would be opposed...

After all, it was a great way to play up the clones just a little more. No need to give things up too early, and if someone found out before...

Well, all the more reason to go and make a stir. ]

Would you like something to drink, by the way?

[maevelous]

Always.

[ Said in response to the offer for a drink. Maeve tilted her head back at Tony. Hey, just because he was cutting out the alcohol, didn't mean she had to! ]

Well, perhaps it might be a wise idea for you to run a panel. But I was talking more appearances. I wasn't sure if it was the sort of thing you skipped out on. Some of the imPorts here don't seem to be fond of the convention, but it seems an ideal way for you to meet with some of your fans and win even more of them over.

[ Her fingertip tapped idly on the desk's surface. ]

Any grand projects you've been planning to unveil for StarkTech that could debut at this event?

a.

[shootsharp]

[ This isn't his first stop, exactly, since coming back to this world, but it's certainly close to it. Through the wide open doors of the lobby, Theodore Flood arrived the part of the Western hero -- hat, gun, shoes, and astride a horse, which made for some delay in sorting out his presence with security. His heavy, old-fashioned revolver left in a plastic tray, the slither of holster straps snaked over the lip.

Alone, this time. He cared about Maeve, appreciated the way she managed things, but Teddy had an ingrained tendency towards playing the loner.

In the confines of the elevator up, he took off his hat.

Entering Tony Stark's office once permitted, he doesn't look any different, save that he isn't armed, and he's not dogging Maeve's heels. He stops in the midst of the space rather than take a seat. ]

Thanks for meeting me.

[liverletdie]

[ A horse.

He literally rode a damn horse into his lobby.

He would have been more embarrassed by this, if it wasn't so funny. By the time Teddy got to his floor, Stark had a hand out for him, and a smile that said, very clearly, that he thought this whole thing was hilarious, which was clear from the smile on his face. The office he entered was clean -- decor from his previous visit was gone, but not replaced. ]

Mr. Flood! I heard you caused a stir downstairs.

[shootsharp]

[ A handshake is one of those easy human rituals that nevertheless probably took a team of behaviour specialists and mechanics to make feel authentic, and unique to Teddy himself -- companionable, brisk, not unfriendly. Stark's smile is mirrored back in Teddy's own muted version. ]

Big, wide open doors like those invite whole manners of creatures, [ he says, but is quick to defer with; ] Got 'im tied up outside, now, he won't be any trouble.

[ Rather than gravitate to the sitting arrangement of the office, he moves instead for the view. ]

I ain't been back in town that long. To tell you the truth, I don't remember leavin'.

wildcard!

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Aurican was flying around in De Chima, practicing his flying as usual, when he sees something fast at the corner of his eye - something red and gold. He banks around in a lazy turn, wings flapping, when he sees a flying armored man speeding around. Aurican's heart can feel a little cold - he recalls the dream hazily, of how he fought against a similar man of armor and dying.

But those are dreams. He's constantly been told dreams are the byproducts of sleep, and mean nothing.

Still, Aurican is in no hurry to fly any closer to the metal man, but begins to circle, floating ever higher. ]

[liverletdie]

[ It's weird.

When you've got a memory of a dream that did and didn't happen to you -- or at least it had been ostensibly years ago, now.

Years ago, and he couldn't really remember much of it, except for the fact that his own anxieties about his future self had manifested so viscerally that he wondered why he hadn't done anything to prevent him from doing exactly what he was doing -- or was it that he felt like he couldn't be stopped, if he was coming? (He couldn't.)

Had he been so confident about his own ability to change the future?

No matter.

He flew closer, more out of curiosity, the uncomfortable and dated red and gold armor felt wrong, but necessary right about now still. When he got close enough, he waved, and shot up higher, his jets cracked with a loud boom, before he slowed again, and turned around, friendly enough, when he spoke up. ]

Aurican, right?

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Aurican turns his head and sees the approaching metal man and his wave. He flares his wings to halt to a stop, hovering instead. He waits for the human to approach, which doesn't take long.

Aurican is a little impressed just how fast he is. Not even Blayze, his nestmate and speed demon of a dragon, can match how fast the man can go. ]

Yes, it is. And you are . . . ?

[ Bad dream or not, Aurican is still polite. ]