[OPEN] You can rebuild or conform

[definingfuture]

Characters: Tony Stark and whoever else wants to show up. ANYONE? People. If they have seen this post and want to drop by, they can, or if they've been told by a friend, etc.
Date: backdated to August 19th
Location: Metal Sector
Situation: Assembling some Avengers and anyone else who wants to discuss Malicant's evil schemes. And just general collaboration efforts from Camp Stark.
Warnings/Rating: None, I hope? Shenanigans, maybe.



[Plenty of people probably ran into Iron Man flying through the Metal Sector, and if they know him, the invitation might remind them of Tony Stark throwing a house party. But it is not a party. It is in his suite, though, which is thankfully two floors so he can make an announcement without shouting across the room. He says in the suit for that part, because it's more impressive in the suit. What he says is probably somewhat expected. That there are plenty of trained individuals on the turtle, some of them full time heroes in their world, and it's their responsibility to do whatever they can to prevent general public disaster.]

Mally's made his first move. I know this isn't our backyard, but I hope we're all big enough to pull together despite minor details for the good of the community. Because while we're here, it is our backyard.

[The rest he lays out in his reasoning for the meeting: there are new people in and out routinely, and while they can keep warning people about the do's and don't's, they can't guarantee there won't be problems. Malicant already made it clear he's planning on pulling something, and while they could individually try to hash out a response whenever something happens, if they get cowed by his tactics and avoid talking on the network, they'll only give him openings. So they should have some sense of solidarity. They need to count on each other even when communication fails. Having a second line of defense and response set up in advance is just practical planning. Speaking purely from his own experience, of course. He's shown interest in the eggs, so the question is what are they going to do about it? All split up and pretend it's not a problem or that they don't know each other?]

I'm not asking anyone to fight. If we can work together, I'm actually hoping to keep the people who don't want to be stuck with it out of that part of the drafting we've ended up in.

[Here he shoots a look to some familiar faces. Just a quick glance, but those who have expressed avoidance and the kids attending get a little of the gesture.]

No unnecessary risks. If we pull together and act smart about this, we won't need them. But we start by working together first.

[That said, he doesn't keep anyone who isn't interested.]

[OOC: The idea here is generally to mingle and advance some CR. If you want to go between threads and chat or have shenanigans, that is fine. Tony is going to discuss serious planning on two fronts. The first is mainly wanting to coordinate a network for getting heroes to emergency situations in groups, just in case they need to do something and the network is down or they can't get to a console. The second is more selective and insular. Tony wants to discuss the meat of Malicant's greeting. Basically, that Malicant has confirmed he's there (and was not physically before) and therefore might be tracked. Also what they may be "missing" according to him. Otherwise, this log is open to use for all the CR.]

Comments

Main floor | TEAMWORK guys!

[definingfuture]

[He made the pitch, and hopefully some of the people on the Turtle actually want to join forces. Tony sets to mingling and pulling together an idea of who is on board for a potential response team when the next shoe falls. Those who are interested can talk to him directly or each other about collaborating some kind of group effort. Patrols are nice, but they work better if there are back up forces to depend on.]

[bridgetothemyscira]

[Well, it was a much better plan than wait-and-see-if-the-worst-could-happen, and Diana had been itching to do something about the threat since he announced himself. Tony was right, there was no point avoiding communication in fear of being caught, but perhaps a different way to communicate would help. Either way, there was a direction and that helped.]

Are we aware of any past actions taken by this creature? Perhaps if we know more about how they behave, it would be easier to decide on how we can team up for the worst-case scenario.

[definingfuture]

[They had to do something. That was Tony's opinion on the matter. Maybe it wouldn't be a perfect solution, but it would be a start. And it was better than what they had been doing. Avoiding the network because it could be compromised was no solution.]

Good question. But what we can find out is through the people here, and we don't know how reliable their information really is. The Emperor thinks we can just figure things out, and honestly, this might be the one time I agree with her. Worst case scenarios are things we've seen before, right?

[tendnottoweep]

I'm not sure even the Commander and his people know for sure what it is or isn't responsible for. [ Natasha's in the back of the room, arms folded on her chest, but she moves forward as she speaks. ] We have guesses, that's it - but what we do know is that it usually doesn't act directly. It influences people, it works through its allies...

I think it's worth considering what it has to gain by announcing itself.

[shorttempered]

[Mark knew he wasn't exactly a team player when it came to these sorts of things... the sheer number of times he's turned down membership with the Guardians of the Globe proves that. However, he had always told them he'd be there for them when they needed him, and he considered this to be one of those times. Well, these people weren't the Guardians, but they were close enough.

Mark tugged on his mask as he looked around at everyone Robot-Man had gathered (that couldn't have been his actual name. Mark made a mental note to figure out exactly what it really was sometime over the course of the night). He felt like the kid at the grown ups table for the first time. He was used to the Guardians, heroes who mostly weren't much older than himself. It made him nervous to speak out at first, too nervous no one would take him seriously, before he realized what a stupid thing that was and finally speaking up.]

Um, if we're going to organize a group this large, it would be nice to have some way to communicate with each other other than the network. Not everyone can sit at their consoles all day. Is anyone here tech savvy? Maybe we could create like earpieces or combadges or walkie talkies...

or something.

[Great ending Mark. That sounded real confident.]

[beganwithamask]

[Bucky's in the same age group as Invincible, but he has no problem at all speaking up in a group of older heroes. He's been doing this since he was sixteen, he's not going to count himself in the junior league anymore. He looks thoughtful.]

Can't really operate otherwise. Communication's important for a real joint effort. They've got that radio thing, I don't see why someone can't whip up some small voice communicators. They don't gotta be fancy or anything.

[beganwithamask]

[Bucky showed up, of course he did (even in costume to garner a little more respect and recognition, though the domino mask is crammed in his pocket). He was even early, and took a spot with his back against one of the walls, surveying the other people as they piled in. He listened intently because Tony has at least some idea of what he's doing. Maybe if it were anyone else he'd regard it with a little more suspicion, but Tony? Tony's proven himself, and Bucky trusts him about as much as he'll trust anyone who isn't Toro.]

I don't see how it's even up for question, it made the first move and this is war. What're we gonna counter with? I don't like waiting around.

[alpha_squad_leader]

We can't launch a counter attack until we have more information. Like where it is.

[Victor's in his costume too, not too far from where Bucky is. He may not be the biggest fan of Iron Man but this is something bigger than that so he's there to help. He's supposed to be a member of the Avengers too.]

And even after we find it, we're going to need to learn what it is and what can hurt it before we strike.

[cmdreffingshepard]

[Shepard doesn't know what an Avenger is supposed to be, but she's talked to Tony a few times and they seem to be on the same wavelength about most of this stuff, so she feels justified in showing up to his little meeting.

Besides, she's used to sticking her nose in other people's business.

His speech is reassuring enough - it's the kind of speech she's been making, herself. Working together, pooling their knowledge, looking past their differences.]

A reliable means of communication separate from the console network would be good. Even if it's just a point-to-point radio or something. I don't suppose you could make omni-tools for everyone?

[definingfuture]

[Well, admittedly calling out the Avengers might have been reckless on Tony's part, but he's sticking to it. Keeliai needs the Avengers in whatever form they can take.]

That could be a start. And just being able to trust each other enough to meet in person is a step in the right direction. We need to stop hiding out and avoiding each other just because of the consoles.

[trainwrecked]

[This Bucky also stayed in the back of the room, mostly because it seemed that most of the people gathered here were likely to have greater experience than him in the whole 'avengers' business. And... he almost didn't come - which is why he showed up almost late.]

[So, to begin with, he listens. Carefully. Only after a few of the suggestions have been started does he speak up.]

I'm not sure if you mean the consoles post as its first move or the attempt to poison the turtle, but it seems to me that neither of those is in any way first. Actually, chances are that the 'first' move this time may have been what made the Emperor begin to gather us here.

[withoutaworld]

[ The second Bucky showed up, Rikki'd homed in on him, and she's not likely to go far from his side for the rest of the night. At the moment, she's against the wall beside him, arms folded over her chest. ] Which would be great to know, if she'd ever actually tell us anything...

[ It's muttered under her breath, meant for Bucky more than the room - but certainly loud enough for others to hear, if they're paying attention. ]

[purpledaggers]

[Well needless to say T'Challa is there. He figures it was appropriate to wear his normal Panther gear though since he is an Avenger after all. Well Technically.

At the very least he doesn't feel out of place with the other costumed heroes. T'Challa isn't going to be very vocal in this meeting though. He is mostly being observant and listening to some of the suggestions others are bringing forth. Don't mind him, he is just going to be a creeper somewhere back here in the crowd.]

[tendnottoweep]

[ Masks may be fairly common in this crowd, but that outfit is noticeable even here. What's more, Natasha doesn't recognize it and doesn't have the first guess who's under the mask, and that bothers her.

She ends up watching him intently, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, without even the slightest attempt to hide it. Sorry, T'Challa. The other back-of-the-room lurkers have noticed you. ]

[langsyne]

[Yeah well, hello creeper, you're getting some company today. Scott doesn't feel too entirely at home around all of these heroes - half of whom he's never even met - but he's here for support and solidarity and also because he sometimes is capable of being a responsible superhero.

He's small though, perched comfortably on the back of a gently hovering turtle-ant-thing somewhere about three feet away from T'Challa.]

You listening to everyone else's ideas too?

[backinakidflash]

[Wild horses couldn't have dragged Bart away from this meet-up. He was late, but only a little - and it wasn't his fault, there was this thing with the kedan. It only took three minutes, unfortunately it made him two minutes late. He came in around 'I won't ask you to fight', vibrating through a wall rather than have everyone turn around to see who just opened the door and came in mid-speech. Awkward.

He's sticking to the back of the room, having taken a seat on - well, on some bureau/counter/sideboard thing that probably isn't meant for sitting, but it's holding 150 pounds of teenager just fine. And yes, he's in the suit. There's no way that you can attend a meet-up like this and not be in the suit, is there? It's all well and good at the Titans Tower to wander around in civvies, but that's because everyone already knows everyone else.

And when someone does eventually notice him, he props his elbow up on his knee and smiles.]

I'm not sure anybody turns up at something like this that's not willing to fight.

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki notices him right away when he comes through the wall, but only because she'd been keeping an eye out for Tommy, and really, who else wanders in by vibrating through the walls? Apparently speedsters in general, not just Tommy. ]

You wouldn't think so, no... I think he's hoping to keep the younger ones out of the line of fire. [ Yeah, she caught that look, Tony. Not a chance in hell. ]

[tendnottoweep]

[ Natasha arrived early and has been hanging near the sidelines, watching those who showed up more than paying attention to Tony - sure, she's keeping half an ear to what he's saying, but most of her attention is on memorizing faces and catching names where she can, evaluating and cataloguing those she hasn't yet had much contact with. She's not going to function well on a traditional team, but she can identify those she might be able to work with later, when the need arises.

Don't mind the redhead in all black quietly prowling the edges of the room and watching the crowd way too intently. She means well. ]

[mrsarcastic003]

[Tim--excuse me, Red Robin--is also lurking around the edges of the room, and for most of the same reasons Natasha is. Well, except that 'doesn't play well with others' part. He's done pretty well on his own teams, and he's perfectly confident of his ability to continue, though these are people whose capabilities he doesn't know.

Yet.

But that's the point of meetings like this, right?

He nods politely in greeting to the redhead.]

[flamingshortshorts]

[How strange and yet familiar to get called in with a group of people to talk about how to beat down the guy trying to destroy everything? Things don't change much, no matter where you're at.

He doesn't know most of the people here, but he's fine with that. Bucky's the one who dragged him here anyway.]

But how do you beat something you can't fight? If we're going to kick his keester back to what pit he slithered out of, we need to know what his weaknesses are and how to get at them. All I've heard is how he doesn't have any.

[definingfuture]

[Things never change. They get more complicated, but they don't change. Maybe in the long run that isn't such a bad thing. They always know what they're dealing with. It's just a question of getting ahead of the competition.

Although, in this case they are up against some frustrating odds.]

Everyone has a weakness. Even the big bad wolf that we're not supposed to name. We need to learn more about him, yeah, but that doesn't mean he's invincible. Someone managed to drive him back once.

(closed)

[angermanaging]

[Bruce's only reluctance with being here was his standard dislike of crowds reluctance. Also, someone handing him responsibility, which he was sure Tony was going to do once he stopped making speeches long enough to talk to him. Bruce wasn't in a hurry-- he was standing off to the side, looking tall, overly skinny, and somewhat awkward. He'd look shifty if he hadn't trained into himself that indefinable skill of blending into the background.

He's at least standing next to the window, leaning back against the wall beside it, waiting. How much he's going to agree to working together is questionable, and he's definitely not inclined to be part of anything that includes the word drafted, whether by the Emperor or Stark or anyone else. Ultimately, though, it's just not in him to refuse a direct request for help that he knows he can grant.

You're such a sucker, Banner.]

[bacondivination]

[ Making himself immediately known had been something that Loki considered unwise, and rightfully so. It was not time for him to stroll up and make his grand entrance, though it was terribly convenient people were organizing themselves. Better to be small and quiet for now, practically invisible despite the fact that he was right at the forefront as he followed familiar individuals. The birds of this living island were colored in jewel tones and delicate, and the young god of mischief was no different as he investigated.

It was easy for a bird the size of a grown man's fist to watch and listen. Though he was no fan of many he recognized, he eyed the proceedings with avid interest and took in what he could without being too obvious.

Well, he did that at first. It was just so tempting to be a little too bold, to get himself involved. Doubly so when he recognized the figure that had isolated himself by the window. One day, he was going to determine why he could never help meddling with the most dangerous thing in a room.

Sometimes, he thought, Midgardian therapy might be a legitimate option. ]

You are not among them.

[ That much is said from the sill beside Banner in clear words despite the whole issue of a beak. His voice is soft, young, and only a little higher in pitch than in his natural form. ]

Do you belong here?

[ He hops and flutters, catching his claws in the fabric of Bruce's sleeve as he flares his wings to keep his balance. ]

[angermanaging]

[Great. Now he's even being mocked by a bird. Bruce wishes this were a new low to be sunk to, but sadly, it's not. He's been a lot lower than this.

It takes him a moment to even realize the bird is speaking to him, and then he has to spare it an incredulous glance for a moment before he recovers. Somehow he still hasn't gotten entirely jaded to the absurdities that come along with living here.

Then the words he'd actually said sink in, and he's staring down at him with a dour look on his face, wondering how he can get him off of his sleeve without inciting further harassment.]

No. Not exactly my crowd. [No reason not to be blunt about it. Bruce doesn't belong anywhere.] Could you get off my sleeve? I, uh... I like personal space.

[definingfuture]

[It was nice to know that despite Bruce's apprehension he was still on board for things when Tony called on him. That could change, of course, but for now Bruce was here. Tony noted him during the little introduction--even made an effort to alleviate some of the concerns Mr. Not-the-Hulk had during it, and once he finishes with some of the other conversations, Tony makes his way to where Bruce is trying to imitate the decor.]

Thanks. Thanks for coming here.

[Tony has learned that it's better to lead with that. Otherwise things go south much quicker. He hopes that being helpful will smooth some of the tension over. He knows that Bruce is having enough trouble being there, and he wants to be able to confide in him.]

Uh. I don't have tea, but if you want water...?