guess who just got back today, them wild-eyed boys that had been away | closed

[ingeniar]

Who: Tony Stark (ingeniar) & various
What: Catching up, settling in, causing trouble
When: Through July
Where: Arcadia, Sunset Falls, elsewhere
Content Warnings: Possible discussion of character death and injury, cult activity, middle aged men acting out.

[ Catch me on laetificat for plotting, otherwise threads will be as discussed! ]

Comments

for Stephen & T - getting out of Arcadia - sometime around 5th July

[ingeniar]

[ As it turns out, it's pretty easy. There's a little arguing, some pointed touching of weapons, some tension, but there's nothing they can do to stop him leaving -- or nothing they're willing to do, anyway. The guards eyeball Tony all the way out through the gates, as he strolls out onto the blacktop and then onto the grass that surrounds the new city.

Tony can't help but feel like it's a little anticlimactic. He's also not particularly pleased with being the only one out there, since Nat and Steve have elected to stay behind a little longer -- along with Loki, for some reason -- and it makes sense for someone to get out while they still can and start working on things from the outside.

Still, as always, he's prepared to pretend like he meant for things to go this way the entire time. So he's casual, hands in the pockets of his jeans, as he stands and waits at the required co-ordinates, watching the wind ruffle through the grass and gazing down at Excelsior stretched out across the valley below. ]

[rehandle]

[ Stephen awaits his summons prepared to strategize. If they've been assigned an accompanying guard they'll need a distraction to get them out of range, making it easier to drop Tony and co through ground portals while nobody's any the wiser... but the message comes without any warning of company, and so what had begun as a tense afternoon eases into the possibility of an easy pickup.

All he needs to prepare himself for now is a gaggle of Avengers settling into his home.

When the time comes he's as ready as he'll ever be. A portal for T in the sky somewhere overhead, all the better to move right into a scope of the area, and Stephen gives him a minute or three before opening up a portal of his own at the agreed upon rendezvous point. Here we go then. Time to face whatever music needs facing.

... which, it turns out, is the easy tune of Tony Stark standing entirely by himself, admiring the view. Stephen stands one step in front of his portal, grass wafting a little with the spin of magic at his back, and stares over at Stark in turn. Glances past him, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of anyone else looking vaguely Avenger-y... and back to Tony.

He doesn't initially speak. Just cants his head in clear query, brows furrowed, adamantly not looking up at the sky where a certain somebody is bound to be getting ready to descend in judgement of the overkill. ]

Hello?

[ A very articulate hello housing any number of questions: Did he miss a memo? Did a text get lost somewhere in the ether? Where is everyone. ]

[voicelog]

[ the portal is all the cue T needs.

he isn't exactly thrilled to meet the alt avengers, but if they're in arcadia and stephen plans to go fetch them, then what kind of friend would he be to let him go alone? that said, he wasn't joking when he said that he plans to just play very silent backup — emphasis on the silent. they can have their heartfelt reunion, while he secures the perimeter and ensures the extraction goes as quickly and smoothly as possible.

then, he needs to head on over to little love because he has captain marvel to pick up.

so, +1 iron man descends through the portal now, all ready to catch a glimpse of the avengers before he fucks off to do what he came here to do — only to see like one guy there. arguably, the least agreeable of them too. he looks between his alt to stephen.

rather than flying off as planned, iron man joins strange's side, shooting him a quick text via the neural implant they both got from their stint in a different dimension (because life's fun that way). ] when you said avengers, i was expecting more than one person [ overkill is an understatement. ]

[shield]

[ Enter Steve, approaching at what he would personally categorize as a light sprint, although non-super soldiers may differ in opinion. It's a testament to his serum-enhanced coordination that he doesn't trip in his tracks when Iron Man flies down to join Tony and Strange. ]

Hey, [ he says, tentatively, drawing the vowels out as he steps up to join the others. ] Sorry I'm late.

[ It's not a suit that Steve has seen before. He throws a questioning glance in Tony's direction. The simplest explanation is that Tony, who by his own insistence is retired, still found time to give the suit a top-to-bottom redesign. It would be the first time in Steve's life that Occam's razor has ever proved true— usually the explanation involves at least one outlandish concept that breaks all previously established laws of the universe— but there is a first time for everything.

Turning his attention back to Strange: ] Thanks for coming.

[ingeniar]

[ Arriving stag wasn't exactly part of Tony's plan. He'd accepted that the others had business they wanted to conduct and, truthfully, he was starting to chafe at the idea of sticking around in what's pretty clearly a trap. But that doesn't mean he's happy about what it says about team unity, or his ability to lead said team.

Plus he hates being embarassed in front of the wizard.

The look he turns towards, in order, Strange, then his annoyingly shiny younger self, and then Steve as he trots up is both unimpressed and frustrated, giving little else away behind his shades. As Steve expresses polite bafflement and then his thanks, he crosses his arms over his chest and rolls his eyes. ]

Captain America, meet Tony. Tony, Cap. [ He flips a hand towards Iron Man, trying not to look too closely at the suit while he doesn't have time to become distracted by the urge to pull it apart and find out how it's different. ]

He's me but.. [ He eyes the other guy, running calculations. ] Taller. Apparently. Great.

[rehandle]

[ Down comes T, along with his anticipated commentary, and Stephen shoots off a quick So was I with only the barest glance in his direction before along some trotting one Captain Rogers, perhaps the only Avenger the suited and booted Iron Man at his side might be less comfortable coming into sudden contact with than the unsuited, unbooted Iron Man before them.

It's going exceptionally well.

A nod for Rogers, acknowledging his thanks, and then Stephen has to stand awkwardly through the introduction by one Tony Stark of another, knowing full well nobody here is particularly pleased to meet any of the rest of them. Except maybe Rogers, who knows.

Very shortly after the introduction is made, Stephen interjects firmly with: ]

Better we don't hang around for the small talk. [ And quickly, out loud to T, ] We're clear. Thanks, see you later.

[ And without further ado he'll excuse himself back through the waiting portal into the grand foyer of his Sunset Falls home to await his guests, who he hopes will follow and spare T the conversation.

If they don't, he'll apologise to him later. ]

[voicelog]

[ it's a good thing carol already spilled the beans on a steve rogers being here. he isn't big on surprises and he has had way too many of them as of late. he also isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth here, so after watching stephen disappear through the portal, he returns his attention to the two below.

he offers them a cordial but silent nod before he's, well, off to do what he actually came here to do. everything is going a little too smoothly for his liking, so he's gonna play it safe and get to know arcadia's security system better. maybe give it a good wipe, y'know?

he's sure that they're looking forward to their reunion with stephen, so no point in overextending his welcome. plus, he's got his own in little love after this.

safe portalling, gentlemen. iron man, out. ✌️ ]